Anyone been to Thailand?

[cchhbb]

I've always want to go to Thailand and this fall might be my chance. I found a package deal to go to Thailand that is very reasonable. Have any of you been there and what did you think? Is there anything particular that we should see? How hard is it to get around the country? I'd love your opinions.

Thanks,
Cheryl

[SusanL]

DH purchased rubies for me, says to negotiate the price, be prepared to walk away, they call you back with a better price. Do some research so that you know what you are buying. I know this isn't what you asked for, but he was on a business trip to Bangkok to purchase mugs.(He found that you can negotiate the price of almost everything- he is a purchasing manager.)

[KValley]

Oh, I will be so envious if you go. Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, have always captivated me. I'll pass along some tidbits I learned from university students I have sent to study in Chiang Mai and from Thai friends I met in grad school:

You didn't say when in the Fall you would be going, but keep in mind the rainy season of September-October- this can make getting around very difficult.

Avoid the volatile areas of the borders with Burma (Myanmar) to the west and Cambodia to the east.

Besides Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom and Chiang Mai- the oldest and second oldest cities in Thailand- have amazing cultural treasures; Phuket is the resort island in the Andaman sea if you are in for some heavy R&R.

Except for the areas I mentioned above, my students and friends have assured me that Thailand is safe and easy to travel in - even for women, although a woman travelling alone (on her own, not alone within a guided tour) is cause for some suspicion; be prepared to bargain at the markets or be prepared to be taken for a ride if bargaining is not your thing! The Thai people are incredibly solicitious and generous- their Buddhist and Muslim traditions ensure that guests are met with great hospitality.

Here is a link to the Lonely Planet website- my favorite guide books- the web just gives excerpts and a taste of the possibilities- you should definitely find a hard copy. They do an excellent job of providing cultural information, as well as insider travel tips and off the beaten path suggestions:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/south_east_asia/thailand/index.htm

Here is a link to the State Department's Consular Information website, for Thailand: http://www.travel.state.gov/thailand.html It does make travel to Thailand sound like a risky venture, but keep in mind that the warnings are for the border areas, where no tour group would take you.

And finally, a link to the Center for Disease Control's website for travel in Southeast Asia: http://www.cdc.gov/cgi-bin/sendit.exe I strongly recommend that you speak to your physician about a Hepatitis A shot- you should be able to get that at your county health center.

Please let us know if you decide to go!!

Julie

[Gail]

Assuming the State Deparment hasn't issued a travel advisory, I say go. Definitely. Wonderful place, sights, foods, people... One of the highlights of my limited travel career.

KValley has done an excellent job giving you pointers, although for some reason my weather information differs somewhat from hers, showing monsoon season as June - October with November through February the favored months to travel. I went many years ago, at the tail end of October-- and had no issues with rain whatsoever. Of course, it is horribly humid and hot, so you'll want to bring airy clothes that breathe-- cotton and linen and such

I would encourage you to travel as part of a group into Bangkok --my particular package was of the air, accomodations, transfers and half-day sightseeing ilk-- anything else I did was optional and my hotel offered numerous daytrips. Traffic in Bangkok is reputedly one of the world's worst and NO WAY can your average American even hope to read Thai street signs. Sure, you could always hire a tuk-tuk (3-wheeled cab) to get you around, but the last I heard (and this is going back to the late eighties) they didn't have meters.

There is a ton to see in Bangkok alone-- temple after temple after temple: Wat Po (The Temple of the Reclining Buddha), Wat Trimitr (The Temple of the Golden Buddha), Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn), National Museum, Jim Thompson House, and the amazing Grand Palace to name just a few. Early morning at a Thai floating market is definitely worth seeing, but I'd recommend the one at Damnoen Saduak (about two hours southwest of Bangkok) which isn't quite as commercialized as the one in Bangkok. To get there, you go partially by motorcoach, then you get to ride long-tailed speedboats through the klongs, past fascinating Thai homes on stilts. Such a trip may be hooked up with Rose Garden (gardens, crafts, music, elephant show, boxing) and a stop at Nakhom Pathom to see the tallest Buddhist monument in Thailand. Other interesting daytrips include Kanchanburi and River Kwai or the ancient capital, Ayutthaya (this latter trip was one I very much wanted to make, however never got there.) Going back to the subject of Kanchanburi and River Kwai, there were actually three bridges built-- not one as depicted in the film-- however, ultimately what makes this trip memorable isn't the bridges or even the River itself, rather the trainride which gets you there, across the green Thai landscape dotted with occasional orange, green and gold temples, past craggy hills which look like something out of a Japanese watercolor. The prison camp used during the construction of the Burma-Siam railway has great emotional impact, as does visiting the graves of the thousands of young men who died building it. (Should you take this trip, check before going to find out if you go via train; with our group it was an optional, costing a few additional baht and well worth it.)

Tours may seem determined to steer you into one of several lapidaries (wasted on me; I hate jewelry), but I did manage to wangle a special tour to a teak factory where I purchased the lovely salad set I still use. There is gorgeous teak all over-- dirt cheap on top of it.

I could go on and on about the place... the flowers, the culture, the wonderful fruits, even the music... I really loved Thailand. Go, by all means! (and if you see river lobster on a menu, have some for me!) :D

[SusanL]

I have printed out your wonderful descriptions for my DH when he returns there!! He says that he will try to get a day or two off to visit the places you have described, next time he goes there (rarely gets vacation days while traveling). Right now they are on a China mode, so he goes back in September and again in June (with me, I hope).
Maybe he can go to Thailand when I have a break from school, I hope!!

[cchhbb]

Thank you for sharing your experiences Gail and Julie. I think we will be going in early November. We were originally thinking September, but with your information, we reconsidered.

I found a package which includes airfare, hotel, 1/2 day city tour, and transfers for only $750. I need to add $110 for an upgrade since we live in Atlanta and will need transportation to the west coast.

I am really excited. What great things you described. I've always been fascinated with SE Asia and my DH saw a special recently and said that he wanted to go.

I'll let you all know if we decide to take the plunge.

Thanks again,
Cheryl

[amcleod]

bumping this up as my DH and I plan to do Thailand this fall as well (november)!

[Jengarrett]

I went to Thailand seven years ago. I went the cheap route--I backpacked--but it was amazing nonetheless. In addition to the big cities, I went to Ko Pagnang (I think that's how you spell it) on the east coast. It was a little island in a chain with Ko Samui and Ko Tau. It was tranquil and beautiful, although there wasn't a whole lot to do. We rented a little cabin right on the sandy beach (I think that was the name of the place, too) for about $4.00 a night. Granted, the bed was hard and the shower was just a hose in the bathroom, but the location was amazing. The ocean water was warm and so blue. The little kitchen at our "resort" had the best fried bananas and yogurt with bananas, papaya and pineapple. I was in heaven.

If you stop at Ko Samui, you can't miss the Blue Banana. The man who runs it is quite proud of his drinks (and they are fruity!), but the food was good and the service very attentive. Trust me, you won't miss it if you go. There are signs all over the island for the blue banana. I didn't like Ko Samui much, though. Ko Pagnang was nicer. The one caveat is that it caters to a younger crowd and there is a big rave on one side of the island. But there were families staying at the same place we were, too.

We did have a few problems with people trying to take advantage of us because we were Americans. You have to barter for everything, even cabs, and the prices are always higher if you are American. We also had some trouble with bus tickets--someone sold us a ticket to the wrong place so we had to pay again to get to the right place. But I was young and traveling on the cheap, and I think that makes a difference.

I ate from street vendors and in restaurants and I never got sick, but my travel companion had mild problems the whole time.

I also traveled in the fall--late August to October. I didn't have any trouble with rain in Thailand (I did in Malaysia, but not much). I actually remember bright blue skies and hot hot hot sun. But I was worried about the rainy season, too. My rain coat did come in handy in Malaysia, but most of the time it was wonderful.

Go if you can--it's an amazing experience.