THAILAND
Visas🛂
As UK citizens and due to Covid, we fortunately were allowed 45 days free in Thailand (visa exemption). However, this has now reverted to 30 days free.
The best way to figure out what you need is to look on your government website or alternatively, you can use the following website:
SIM Cards📱
Before arriving in Thailand, we read that AIS was the best phone company to use. Therefore, we chose to go with this network.
At Bangkok airport we found a small stall for AIS which was selling SIM cards for 999 baht for 30 days network coverage. We bought just one and hoped that we would find another one cheaper elsewhere. Spoiler we did not!
When looking for a second SIM card, we had quite a bit of difficulty. Weirdly we could only find one AIS shop in close proximity which was in the middle of an upper-class shopping mall. And we ended up paying 350 baht for a pretty rubbish deal.
Money💰
£1 = 44 baht
It is very doable in mainland Thailand to work on a budget of £50 a day for two people. That said we blew our budget in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan as it is more touristy and therefore more expensive. Saying that, this do not mean these places should be missed. They offer beautiful scenery and are home to some iconic spots.
Also, be aware that travelling long distances from location to location can be pretty expensive. For example, it cost us £74.90 for two people travelling on a 10 hour sleeper bus and a four hour ferry, from Bangkok to Koh Samui.
Time⏰
You will need a few weeks to get a feel for Thailand and explore it properly. We spent 40 days in Thailand and felt this was enough, but we could have spent more here. We spent a total of 10 days in Bangkok, including stopovers, and it was way too long. We should have spent our time more wisely exploring other parts of Thailand such as Phi Phi, Krabi, Koh Lanta and Phuket.
Thailand is a huge country and only a small proportion of it is on tourist radars. To explore the whole country, you will need to dedicate at least six to nine months.
Transport🚌
Use Grab (Uber) as much as possible to get you around, however, it is not available on Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, and is super expensive in Koh Samui. To get you from city to city, we suggest using 12 go. It gives you lots of options and all connections are included. Or hire a scooter.
Roads🚦
The drivers on the roads are chaotic. There does not appear to be any road safety or rules to abide by. For example, trying to cross the road on a zebra crossing is a feat in itself.
Traffic lights seem to be an option and speed limits are advised.
Motorbikes may ride on the pavement the wrong way carrying three people, with bags and bags of stuff. We also observed motorbikes with multiple dogs or even babies on them. Some cars look like they are way overdue a MOT but generally, they are in good condition.
Weather🌞
Bangkok and the Koh Islands are humid and sweaty. However, due to the pollution in Bangkok, the temperature felt more intense. Chiang Mai is a dry heat and very bearable so good news for people who struggle in the heat.
So when is the best time to go?
Chiang Mai - Nov to Dec - Nice heat and avoids burning season
Bangkok - Nov to Dec - Cooler weather
Koh Islands - Dec to March - Settled weather
Yala - Dec to Feb - Small rainfall and cooler temperatures
THAILAND = DECEMBER
Language barrier💬
Surprisingly, Bangkok is the only place in Thailand where we had some broken communication. You may think Bangkok would be the easiest to communicate but on the contrary, not all of this city relies on tourism and therefore do not speak English. That is not to say if you go to Bangkok you will have trouble. It depends on where you stay. For example, in Sukhumvit, you will have no problems as the area is predominately set up for tourists, whilst areas such as Suan Mali are further from the main centre and therefore your chance of having a language barrier is higher. All other locations we visited in Thailand were tourist orientated - Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Khao Sok - and as a result, you will have no problem with communication.
Washing🧺
It is very easy to find self service laundromats in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Self service is not available on the Koh Islands so you will have to rely on hotel laundry services and shop laundry services. The main cities have some really nice laundry mats that are super clean and very easy to work. Most will have English instructions, and if not, they have pictures to easily follow. In total we spent £15.67 on five different washes.
