Thailand travel for novice in January

The Lonely Planet book is worthwhile, plus bouncing around the Internet, especially Trip Advisor. Don't obsess as Thailand is a delightful place to visit, welcoming people and with so much to see and do. Oh, my stereotypical concept was that it's a pretty dirty/gritty country. And while there is plenty of that, it was much cleaner overall and Bangkok was particularly so with less air pollution.

I spent 5 weeks in Thailand a few summers ago - rainy season! You are going at the ideal time weather-wise; it will be sunny and warm with very clear water because of less rain run-off - take advantage of the good snorkeling and diving because of this!
Outside of Bangkok, Thailand is very cheap for western travelers. Get out of the most touristy areas and you'll be hard-pressed to pay more than 3 or 4 dollars for a meal!
A few things we learned fr being there for so long...
1) if someone you don't know approaches you to give you friendly information, they most likely will end up trying to sell u something. If you're at a temple and someone begins voluntarily giving you it's history and explaining about the various stupas and statues, they'll probably end up by trying to get you to come to their brothers custom clothing shop to have a suit made.
2) when walking to a major sight in Bangkok, if someone tries to convince you it's closed and insists they are only trying to help, they will end up trying to get you to come to their brothers custom clothing shop to have a suit made. You get the idea.
3) public transport is plentiful and cheap. Very rudimentary though. Tuktuks are a great way to get around quickly. Taxis can be OK but if traffic is bad, and it can be very bad in Bangkok, a tuktuk will get you there faster. Always agrees on price first before getting in. In a taxi immediately look for a meter when you get in - no meter? Get out right away - it's an illegal cab and they will charge you a ridiculous amount when you get to your destination. No matter what form of transport u are taking, agree on a price first.
4) trains are great and very cheap but extremely basic. We took them a number of places outside of Bangkok. Don't ride them after dark though - beggars come on and will be very aggressive toward westerners. We had a couple of really bad experiences.
5) getting out to some of the islands and offshore reefs in the Andaman Sea was one of the great experiences of my life. Make the extra effort to go there.
6) seek out some of the more remote temples in the countryside - there are a few that are rarely visited and where you can respectfully visit areas of the jungle where the monks still live in caves and spiders the size of your fists dangle from the trees...amazing!
7) don't do lodging on the cheap...I find that I really need a refuge at the end of the day. Thailand can be chaotic and overwhelming especially in the cities.

Those are just a few things that immediately come to mind! Go to your local bookshop and buy some guidebooks. There is great info in them that will help your trip go smoothly - it's a beautiful country with lovely people and great food! One of the better places I have visited and will visit again!

Thank you, I appreciate the replies. I have to confess, I am a bit anxious when I read about having to be careful on the street and train, etc. I will not be traveling alone, but I have become very comfortable w safety and kindness of US living.
I will look online and for books but was hoping for one good book to look for.
Thank you!

Lonely Planet might have a book.
Since you haven't been to southeast Asia before, you should expect it to be distinctly different from other places you have been in N. America and Europe.
Anita's post should be read twice.
[And Chani's.]

My first visit was a 3-day Bangkok layover at the end of a 5-week trip and I fell in love with the city. I went back a couple years later to see more. I traveled solo and my main resource was Trip Advisor. I'm not a "beach person" so I spent all my time in Bangkok and the north. I traveled solo both times, in February.

In Bangkok, I stayed in a pretty cheap hotel in a non-tourist residential area, near the river and walking distance to some of the sights. It was terrific - comfortable, staff were helpful and friendly, clean (everywhere I went was clean) and had great AC and wifi. I never rode in a tuktuk (they kinda scared me). Taxis were cheap and plentiful, never got ripped off and if we got stuck in traffic, it just meant a few more minutes of full-blast AC in the car. When I could, I used the metro and the boats on the river. The only transportation problem I had was when I planned to take a train for a day trip. The train was cancelled (after everyone waited nearly an hour for it), and then I had trouble getting a refund on the ticket.

If you want to visit the north or the south, fly. Internal flights are frequent and cheap. Trains and buses are slow and uncomfortable.

I spent a week in the north, Chiang Rai (3 full days with a private guide/car) and Chiang Mai. Completely different from Bangkok, and beautiful. I took one day trip from Chiang Mai to an elephant refuge. There are others. And I took a cooking class at a restaurant - lots of fun. 4 people, 4 hours, cooked 9 courses and then we feasted. I think it cost about $20.

try this http://www.1stopthailand.com/

Thank you all so much - love reading all the Thailand the information!