I am trying to plan a trip to Thailand and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on good guide books? Thanks.
Posted by
Land of La
9201 posts
Lonely Planet
Posted by
Denver, CO, USA
1600 posts
It depends. You haven't given us enough information - are you looking for: - tourist sites - transportation options - lodging recommendations (what is your price range)?
- a specific type of travel? I would recommend Lonely Planet if you are looking to do it yourself on the cheap. Rough guides give you much the same info though their transport options are not as strong as LP. If looking mainly for tourist info go check out the National Geographic guides. Frommers/Fodors may also work. Go to your local library and see what they have or spend time in a bookstore browsing to see what you like.
Posted by
Atlanta
3262 posts
Hi Douglas, We went to Thailand last January and mainly used Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor to help in planning. We spent 4 nights at Kata Beach (Phuket); 12 nights in Chaing Mai; and 4 nights in Bangkok. Once we arrived, we flew Air Asia between Bangkok and Phuket and Bangkok and Chaing Mai. We enjoyed our time in Thailand and found it to be a great value compared to some destinations in Europe!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15777 posts
I used DK Eyewitness for Bangkok and Trip Advisor for everything. Okay, I also used a friend who had been before, but she used Trip Advisor. I also followed up with a lot of on-line research into specific sights and events. Bangkok is incredibly easy on your own. So is Chiang Mai. I spent 3 days in the far north (Chiang Rai) with a private guide. It was about $100/day (8-9 hours) for a guide + airconditioned car. We went to lots of off-the-beaten-track places and he was very helpful in the planning stages (by email).
Posted by
Singapore
354 posts
I second Lonely Planet, also for accommodation and food listings.