I fell in love with Thailand in my early twenties and introduced my partner to its delights last year. Stunning, white sandy beaches, blue seas, tropical jungles, temples and culture, incredible food and the most amazing people – what’s not to love. There are even wild elephants! There really is something for everyone. Whether you have watched BBC’s Race Across the World or Sky’s White Lotus – you will have had a very small sneak preview of what’s on offer – but we can promise you – there is far more to Thailand than long boats and expensive hotels.
Thailand is also a great place to independently organise a multi-destination trip – it’s cost effective – it’s safe – transport links are great – the people are exceptionally friendly – the food incredible and the experiences available immense. While some tourists fly in and spend two weeks lying on a sunbed – there is far more to Thailand than this. It’s a large country – roughly twice the size of the UK – with cities – islands – jungles and beach resorts. Like any large country – each area has its own unique personality and attracts different groups of overseas visitors. Thailand is still on the young backpackers’ bucket list – one of ours went when she was just out of the sixth form. But it also attracts grownups wanting to experience Thailand’s Buddhist culture, its prolific and beautiful dive sites, its jungle adventures and its natural beauty.
Thailand is a great place to start your South-East Asia adventures. Consider the following:
- Think about the things you enjoy doing. Do you want to spend time on a beach? Are you looking for good dive spots? Do you want to spend time exploring in the jungle? It is easy to combine a myriad of different experiences.
- You will most likely fly into Bangkok. So, this will be your starting point. If you want to explore as much as possible, we personally think 2-3 nights in Bangkok will give you a real sense of this exciting city. See our blog on Bangkok and what you can do in a few days.
- Download a map and think logically about where you want to go. Transport links are good – but keep in mind the size of the country. You probably wouldn’t want to drive from Cornwall to Edinburgh in one day. Similarly, although you can get public transport across Thailand – you might consider some internal flights, depending on how far you want to explore. When deciding between train/taxi/flight – we always factor in cost, availability and timescales (including check-in times and transfers to the airport).
- Take into account your jetlag. London to Bangkok is approximately 12 hours and Thailand is 6-7 hours ahead. If you have had several busy days in Bangkok – you might decide on a few quieter days at the beach. Equally, you might want to spend the first half of your holiday sightseeing and active and leave a few days at the end to relax.
Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is a flight ‘hub’ so lots of travellers use it as a changeover for connecting flights. If you have never been to Bangkok before, don’t just transfer to your connecting flight – try and have a few nights as a stopover. You won’t regret it.
Thailand – things to consider
Currency – The currency is Thai Baht. 100 THB is about £2.24. In Thailand CASH IS KING. Some of the bigger hotels, large shops/supermarkets accept credit cards. But, even they may want cash if you are organising transfers or day excursions. So, you will need plentiful supplies of Thai Baht to get through each day. There are cash machines everywhere – expect to pay a withdrawal fee per transaction of approximately 2-300 THB – we have never found a free one. Bear in mind also, any fees you will have to pay your bank/credit card at home – think about which cards will be most cost effective, eg. a ‘cash’ card such as Monzo. Plan properly – it is cheaper to withdraw larger amounts and only pay one fee.
VISA – As of the 1 May 2025 – you now need a VISA to go to Thailand. The best place as always is to go to the Gov.UK website.
It currently states… From 1 May 2025, all foreign nationals entering Thailand, whether by air, land or sea must complete a digital arrival card online before arrival. Travellers can register for an arrival card within 3 days before they arrive.
Wine – Thailand doesn’t produce enough wine domestically – so it is imported at great expense. While the duties and tax were reduced last year – they are still astronomically high. Order table wine in Thailand and it will probably be Mont Clair. The grape juice is imported into Thailand in bulk, then mixed, fermented and bottled there – to avoid hefty taxes – they describe it as ‘fruit wine’. You can find good wine lists at some restaurants – but expect to pay. Wine that you wouldn’t dream of buying at home, is sold in convenience stores for 4 times the price – so it is worth hunting down stores/supermarkets that sell more reputable wine, if that’s your palette.
Scams – Thailand is a safe place to travel but there are a number of scams that catch people out – especially in places like Bangkok. If you search the internet, you will find lots of examples. Usually (though not always) it involves a ‘helpful’ local who tells you it’s a special day – the King’s birthday or the like. They encourage you to go to a particular mall or shop and take advantage of the special day’s discounts. They will sometimes also tell you that the big temples are closed, but they know of others still open that are free. You thank them and they help you flag down a conveniently placed and very cheap tuk tuk – that takes you to the free temple. Sometimes, at the temple, another helpful local will chat to you – reinforce the original story and even show you their recent purchase of a sapphire ring. The tuk tuk driver takes you to other lovely places. Finally, they say that they are going to drop you for a short time at a local jeweller. They have been so helpful and kind – you go because you are fundamentally a very polite person – and get convinced into buying ‘bargain’ priced gold (that isn’t what it seems) or over-inflated jewellery. It’s all done in a low pressure and very friendly way. Keep your wits about you.
Brother’s cousin’s cousin…be careful of accepting/booking rides with locals you randomly meet. While this sounds obvious – you would never jump into a random car in London – on holiday we sometimes get lulled into a false sense of security because everyone is so nice. Tourism in Thailand is long established, and many locals’ livelihoods depend on tourists. They will sometimes offer to drive you somewhere or ‘show you around’. When they arrive – it’s not the person you originally booked with – it’s what we call the brother’s cousin’s cousin. While nothing sinister will happen – it’s Thailand – you might not get the ‘tour’ you were expecting.
Elephants – we love elephants – many of us do. Thailand has approximately 3-4000 wild elephants – a huge shrinkage from the 100,000 a decade ago. It also has around 3000 working elephants. Logging was banned in 1989 – so many of the captive elephants now work in tourism. This includes shows, riding elephants and bathing elephants. Animal welfare charities have highlighted the terrible treatment many of these elephants experience and the horrific ‘training’ programmes, baby elephants undergo in order to perform for the tourists. If you are in any doubt about how baby elephants, stolen from their herd, are trained for the tourist trade you can see the cruelty of ‘elephant crushing’ or ‘training crush’ on the internet. Fortunately, riding elephants has become increasingly unfashionable lately. A recent, high-profile case of a young traveller killed by an elephant while she bathed him – might also discourage travellers. If you are an animal lover like us – be very wary of elephant ‘sanctuaries’ in Thailand. There are a small number of truly ethical sanctuaries – most that come with an appropriately high price-tag. Sadly, many more that pass themselves off as ethical while in reality are still beating and bullying these beautiful creatures into submission. Do your homework carefully and book in advance. If tourists stopped paying to ride and bathe elephants – we could stop this cruelty.
An essential guide – what to pack for Thailand
Thailand is a large country with lots to do, different terrains and weather that can change rapidly. The reassuring thing about packing for Thailand is that if you forget anything – it’s easy to buy. Most locations in Thailand have ample shopping, including clothes, toiletries, shoes and designer fakes. However, we like to shop for unique and interesting trinkets while on holiday – not the essentials
What to pack for Thailand
For Thailand you will need the Essential Travel Kit PLUS…
- Swimwear (including a sarong for women)
- Swim goggles/mask and snorkel if you have room
- At least two pairs of light weight shorts for the day
- At least two short sleeve shirts/t-shirts for men
- Women – Dresses – a day dress, a beach dress, a long flowing dress, a shorter dress and a smart dress (I love dresses – this is my restrictive list)
- Men – beach shorts, smart shorts and/or trousers, at least two shirts in light colours/fabrics
- Foldable tote bag for the beach
- Simple sandals that can be worn day or evenings
- Rubber soled sandals/flip flops that are comfortable
We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us. 