NavigloNavigloSo you’ve decided to visit Thailand? Great! Planning a trip to any foreign country can be a daunting task, more so if the country does not speak your language! Check out some things you should consider when planning for your trip.
Always keep the main reason why you want to visit Thailand in mind when you plan. Do you plan to come to Thailand for a relaxing vacation, or do you have a bucket list of locations you would like to explore? This will help you plan your itinerary, as well as allow you to focus on the provinces to visit.
Some provinces could be explored in a day, and are close by to a major city. For example, from Bangkok, you can visit Pattaya, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkram, Ayutthaya, Khao Yai and more! Having a “home base” in a major city will ensure you don’t spend too much precious time checking in and out of hotels.
Perhaps the most important of all, time management is key to having a great trip. It is also the hardest to manage properly in a country like Thailand, where time is more fluid than you may be used to.
Factors that can affect your planned times are (but not limited to) traffic, checking in and out times for both hotels and transport, getting lost or distracted, lack of transport. Don’t rely on Google Maps too much, the time given is an estimate, and usually inaccurate during peak hours.
With that in mind, you will want to give plenty of leeway for getting around in your itinerary!
Speaking about time, it’s good to know the peak seasons in Thailand. That would be November to Feburary, prices for flights, hotels and even certain attractions will rise during this time. The low season is around August, which is also the rainy season.
Unless planned by a tour company (Like us!), you would want to keep your itineraries lean. Usually, we would recommend 1 or 2 must-visits, and perhaps another 1-2 optional locations each day.
Having a packed itinerary with 5-6 locations planned down to the hour tend to be too rushed for you to stop for a moment to enjoy and take in your surroundings. And if you do miss a location or two, chances are you’d be irritated and perhaps depressed that you didn’t manage to accomplish what you set out to do.
Now that you have gotten a basic itinerary, don’t forget that you can book tickets and tours online! It’s always better to book first, and have all the information sent to you before your visit.
This allows you to ensure that your spot is reserved, and you are notified beforehand if for some reason the venue is not available. For example, a dinner cruise down the Chao Phraya river would be a great way to spend a night with your significant other, but you don’t want to reach to the location only to find out that tickets have been sold out, or that the cruise is closed for the day.
Light, airy clothes are recommended, with walking shoes or sneakers. The rest are situational; swimwear and sandals for the beach, and a party outfit or two if that is what you want to do. For temple visits, you will need to have your shoulders and legs covered, so keep that in mind too.
If you are not sun-resistent, you may want to pack sunscreen as well. Those cost a lot more here in Thailand!
For medication, you may want to check if it’s allowed in Thailand, or if it’s sold over the counter. Some medication (or alternatives) are sold much cheaper here too!
Does the planning still seem daunting? Let us help you! Contact us and tell us what you want to see and do, and we can sort out the logistics for you.
Or perhaps you got it, and you want to do it yourself. That’s great, but check out our day tours and attractions on offer, you may be able to slip one or two in while here, at a great price!