Travelling to Thailand

You need a good guide book. In light of your questions, which indicate you know little or nothing about Thailand, why are you going there?

We are going on vacation. What would be a good travel book. I am looking on amazon now. Fodors does not ha a good review. Yes a newbie have to start somewhere. Will be staying at a time share we will trade for. Possibly a Marriott We want to do day trips Not a type to sit at a resort for 3 weeks

Before you waste any money on a guidebook, check Thai weather online. November is a very wet month and not the best month to travel.

Lonely Planet is your best option.

Wow, it is a good place to go. I will be waiting for your comments. Have a nice trip.

Just a personal opinion, but I prefer Rough Guides guide books. They seem to be closer to the RS format which in my opinion are the most user friendly of the others out there.

Also it goes without saying, but just a reminder, as you search for a guide book, remember to make sure you purchase the most current edition.

This is all good things to know. Good advise. Have to bring myself up to speed befor I ask more questions. Thanks all.

Thailand is not the best place to start as a newbie. We did our trip all around Thailand with Gate 1 travel company for 2 weeks and then had one week on our own. You learn the basics about the country with the guide.

Hmmmmm ok. Think we will still do trip. May look into a guide good point. Thanks

Yes a newbie have to start somewhere

Can you provide some context for this? How much (or how little) have you traveled (overseas) before? For that matter, where are you from?

If you've "never been anywhere" (not traveled abroad) before, Thailand may not be an ideal choice for a first trip. Don't get me wrong: Thailand is great (been there many times, going there later this year, have lots of family there, and love the place) but it is a "developing" country, so some things are different from at home (depending on where "home" is, of course).

If you've previously traveled overseas a fair bit, then Thailand is arguably a good choice for a first trip to Asia...but your initial questions hint that you may not have much previous foreign travel experience, and that's something others should know before they start doling out advice.

Rainy in Thailand usually means rainy and steamy. It doesn't get cold. A year ago I made a return trip to Thailand and added Vietnam. I used DK Eyewitness and Lonely Planet for Vietnam and both were very useful but very different.

I'm not a beach person so I went to Bangkok and the north (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai). Flights are cheap and save a lot of time over the really slow trains and buses. I believe there are some unsavory areas of Bangkok, but everywhere I went as a solo woman were perfectly safe. The north is mountainous, so it's cooler and drier than Bangkok. I love Thai food, even had some street food this time that was yummy (I'm vegetarian so there isn't a lot of street food I can eat). Only drink bottled water. It's cheap and any decent hotel provides at least one free bottle a day.

I have not been to Thailand. A good place to start might be going to https://adventureswithsarah.net and searching for Thailand. Sarah is a Rick Steves Italy guide who offers tours to Thailand in the European off-season. She has several posts on Thailand but this one might be a good place to start: https://adventureswithsarah.net/thailand-asia-beginners/.

If you have 3 weeks, I might choose 3 locations. There is plenty to see and do but it will take work on your part to make it all work, unless you take a guided tour.

Get a couple of books and compare. Don’t drink the water (some say don’t even brush your teeth with it). Check early on immunizations. Grab (like Uber) is generally reliable and cheap (driving not recommended). It’s safe in general, but like traveling anywhere, be sensible.
You might be interested in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and an island in the south (check weather and interests). I recently spent a week in Phuket, which they say is very touristy but we stayed off the main beach and loved it. People were very helpful and friendly. My daughter lives (as a single female) in Chiang Mai and just exercises normal caution. TripAdvisor also has some help on their forum.

We are going to Chaing Mai Thailand in Nov for the festivals on 11 12 and 13. Check YouTube. This is so special and beautiful....on the bucket list of people all over the world!!

why are you going there?

Your response was 'vacation', but I think the point of the question is 'why did you choose Thailand?'. Your subsequent comment about a time share swap seems to answer that.

If you specify 'where' you are staying, folks will be able to offer useful info on 'what to do & where to go' from that locale.

Spent 3 weeks in Thailand in January 2018.
Been to Thailand 3 times.

Definitely easy to travel SOLO and highly recommend it!

Weather was fantastic everywhere I traveled in 2018.
April is the wettest month

Northern Thailand is cooler
The cool season lasts from early December to February and is the most popular time to visit Chiang Mai, weather-wise.

Recommend
1. Bangkok(BKK) - shopping, suits/shirts, clothing, and nightlife if that's your trip(Sukhumwit, Patpong, Soi cowboy).
Food is great every where.......food stalls are cheaper and worth the challenge to try.
Stay away from free Tukwila Tukwila(3 wheel motor carts) drivers as they trick newbies into visiting a gem factory
2. Rai Lay Island (SE corner near Krabi)
Fifteen years ago it was incredible but today many resorts but still nice
3. Koh Samui - Lamai Beach (cheapest of the 2 largest).
Beach is reasonably good and many Europeans stay the winter in this area
4. Koh Phi Phi - fun island for younger crowd after Tsunami rebuild but need to take small boat trips to smaller islands to find nice sandy beaches.

5. Phukett (SW corner) - three beaches mostly over populated and not too enjoyable for me

Northern Thailand is also great which I did many years ago.
6. Chang Mai - highly recommend
2nd biggest city with an international airport much more relaxed than BKK
Can go to National forest, eat in good markets treks to see hill tribes and ride elephants.
7. Chang Saen ---- Golden Triangle - definite fun area where Thai General grows poppy flowers
Golden Triangle is the area where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet at the confluence of the Ruak and Mekong Rivers.
8. KOK River ----- fun trip
9. Pai - small town near Mae Hong Soon in NW corner ----- many hill tribe treks.

To be honest I also went to Vietnam in 2018 ------ 50% cheaper than Thailand and more beautiful beaches.

Thailand is a wonderful place to visit. You can explore a lot of interesting places like Koh Phi Phi Island, The Grand Place, Khao Yai National Park, Floating markets, Phanom Rung temple, etc. You can enjoy exotic Thai cuisine over there and relish the exotic flavours to pamper your taste buds. Also, do not worry about safety. Tourism is one of the major income generators for the country and therefore, I don't think you will face any problems there. You can safely explore the country on your own or with your friends and family. If you are planning for a longer vacation, I would suggest that you also visit nearby countries like Singapore and Malaysia. Last year, one of my friends made a 15-day trip to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. She mentioned how lively these countries are in terms of their culture and described in detailed how much her children enjoyed all the kids activities in Singapore. However, if you want to take a leisurely trip, without much travel, then you can spend some more days in Thailand itself.

Thank you very much for the information. I see of course I have to do research, and will be visiting other places nearby. We think we will now be traveling at the end of November and into December due to suggestions that it is still rainy season. Thanks so much.

We are at the end of a month long stay in Chiang Mai. This is our first trip to SE Asia and chose Chiang Mai because it seemed like a good place for newbies to start. We have loved it. We have taken side trips to the national parks, waterfalls, temples - but have really enjoyed just getting into the daily rhythm of life in Chiang Mai. We are in the old city which I recommend. Everything is close - no need for a car. Many people rent scooters but we didn't - driving on the left side of the road made us a bit nervous! We've enjoyed walking a lot! We are traveling for most of 2019 so don't feel like we have to do everything in our short vacation. We'll probably come back to Thailand again some time and do other parts, but for us, this was ideal. We did spend a day with elephants - do that for sure. But please choose a place that is a real sanctuary for these giant creatures - not one where they ride them. It is cruel and causes them pain and stress. We did a whole day with them - we made their food, fed them, walked along with them at their pace. It was lovely. Have a great trip!

Top things to do in Bangkok

• Temples Wat Pho, Wat Arun and visit the Grand Palace
• Enjoy the panoramic view at a Skybar (Lebua and Octave are highly recommended)
• Visit night markets (Srinakarin or Ratchada) Visit Chinatown in the evening
• Visit weekend market Chatuchak
• Bike tour, for example the Co van Kessel bike tour
• Shopping malls, such as Icon Siam
• Day trip to Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi or Amphawa Floating Market
• Enjoy thai food (check Thai food recommendation website called TopTravelFoods)

Yes, Thailand is safe. No, you cannot drink the water, so you have to buy water at the supermarket. A tip: you can find water filling machines all over Thailand. For 3 baht, you will have 1,5 Liter safe-to-drink water.

enjoy!

I’m in Thailand right now! Spent the last week in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. As much as I loved those places I think I liked Vietnam better. But they are different so it’s hard to compare. I had a hard time finding a guide book I liked so I pretty much used TripAdvisor daily to see what we should do as well as where to stay and eat. I felt very safe in all the countries (went to Cambodia too). You definitely see more poverty in Cambodia and Vietnam. We ate lots of street food but did not drink the water anywhere- we did brush our teeth in it. So far we have not got sick. Everything has been very inexpensive to US standards. Have had many massages and did some tours with a guide. We are used to traveling so if you’ve never been anywhere especially any 3rd world country you may be in for an eye opener but I wouldn’t let it deter you.
November/December will be fine. Enjoy!

I spent 3 weeks traveling alone a number of years ago and it was delightful. It was my first Asian country. I went most places by bus, but flew from Bangkok to the north to save some time. I was there at the end of the rainy season. No problems, other than a flood in one town that the locals took in stride. I had to get transport to the bus station instead of walking due to the flooding.

Hope you have a nice trip!

I've lived in Thailand and just went back for a visit a couple of years ago. The Thai people are very kind. Every country has some bad people, so just be cautious and take regular precautions and you will be fine.

Bangkok - large, vibrant, busy city.
Phuket - Beautiful beach area in the South of Thailand. Also check out Krabi
Chaing Mai - In the North. More quiet and serene.

You will find a variety of American type restaurants and of course, a multitude of restaurants with traditional Thai food.

I recommend drinking bottled water if you are not native to Thailand.