thailand recommendations?
tripledouble
7,636 Posts
i actually did look on soulstrut geography, but didnt see any thai realted advice.
so....sorry, to be a bother. but anyone have any great recommendations? strutters opinions are held in high regard.
im leaving mid january for two and a half weeks. landing in Bangkok and visiting an old friend in Chiang Mai. thats about the extent of plans so far.ive gotten some good advice from some friends...but i think strutters understand each others needs for off the beaten track spots, dusty shopping venues and amazing food. lemme know!
i like: rugged nature visit type stuff, walking around neighborhoods, unpretentious food,maybe music venues and museums, and records of course, but its far from a priority....dont want to do a day of digging, but popping into a couple spots always calms my inner record demons
thanks in advance!! my first time to asia! yay!
so....sorry, to be a bother. but anyone have any great recommendations? strutters opinions are held in high regard.
im leaving mid january for two and a half weeks. landing in Bangkok and visiting an old friend in Chiang Mai. thats about the extent of plans so far.ive gotten some good advice from some friends...but i think strutters understand each others needs for off the beaten track spots, dusty shopping venues and amazing food. lemme know!
i like: rugged nature visit type stuff, walking around neighborhoods, unpretentious food,maybe music venues and museums, and records of course, but its far from a priority....dont want to do a day of digging, but popping into a couple spots always calms my inner record demons
thanks in advance!! my first time to asia! yay!
Comments
asia rocks, just ask sheep...
i've been living in asia for three years now
and seen many slices of paradise,
when it comes to thailand the crowds go to phuket, but i spent half a week here last year...
could have stayed for months.
ko pha ngan
the asian ibiza
Whatever you do, rent a Motorbike when you're in Chiang Mai and drive around, The route up to the Doi Suthep is nice and you get an amazing view from up there.If you have some more time to spend, visit the Doi Inathanon. The highest place in Thailand. Doable by motorbike and also a fun ride. Some nice Waterfalls along the way. I stayed much longer in Chiang Mai, just for the fact, that it's so much fun to drive around.
If it's your thing, they have regulary Muay Thai Tournaments in Chiang Mai which are fun to watch.
As for food, just watch out for all the street food vendors and you are done. Amazing food all around.
For the rest, don't plan anything.I made a lot of plans for my first visit there and didn't adhere to them, because it's so easy to travel around there, just get there and everything else will come from itself. Too much things to see.
awesome...thats usually my style.
and Muay Thai sounds like it might be interesting to check out.
Bangkok: Street food is amazing, but no need to spend more than 1 or 2 days there to see the sites. If you want a nicer dinner, Cabbages and Condoms has great food.
Go to Ayutthaya (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_(city)) for a day / night, rent a scooter, and go around to all of the ruins. HIGHLY recommended.
When you are up in Chang Mai, take the bus to Pai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pai,_Thailand). I was there in 2004, so a lot may have changed, but it is a small little hippie town in the mountains. For a great day trip (really the highlight of my 6 weeks in Thailand), wake up early in the morning, rent a scooter and take a trip to Mae Hong Son and back. There's not much there, but the scenery through the mountains is spectacular. It gets surprisingly cold up there at night, so be prepared.
If you want to learn to dive, Koh Tao was really nice and cheap. I stayed and took the course at Buddah View. It's a beautiful island with great diving.
I was there pre-Tsunami, so I am sure all the beach stuff is different now, but Railay Beach was really nice. tourists, but not tons of full moon party types.
If you get to Ayutthaya, be careful of the dogs in rural areas. I was walking around there and suddenly they ganged up and started chasing me. Never know that I could run that fast ;). If you like what you see there, Sukkothai is also nice.
Phuket was not that memorable, I went straight for Ko Phi Phi. Tourist infested even in the rainy season, but long beach is a nice place to stay for a few days.
Long Beach:
Maya Bay:
Ayutthaya:
Night Market in Chiang Mai(the big one on sundays):
More from my trip to Thailand in September:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lauter-als-der-rest/sets/72157624991593055/with/5060617139/
Didn't make it to Pai, but heard nothing but good things from my fellow travellers, so yes, go there.
For all your shopping, and bootleg needs head to MBK, dvds, funny shirts, etc. Around that area are some boutique kinda stores... and don't get ripped off in the red light district. I did, however for my $50 or whatever I got 1 beer and watched a girl play a bicycle horn out of her bum hole. I guess thats worth $50.
I also saw 2 girls kickbox the shit outta each other. I had to buy a beer, it was a good beer.
lots of tourist traps, and lots of heckling and hookers on the streets.... but it's a nice place!
Thats what I can remember, I'll flick through my photos and see if more comes to me, it was over 5 years ago now...
peace.
http://www.phimanwaterview.com/
a lot more messy than the website suggest, but a real nice place to hangout, direct on the river and the local food guy, makes a mean green curry. Three minute walk to the river-ferry(best way to get around in Bangkok for me). Khao-San-Road is 10 minutes away. And a good spot, to meet up with other travellers.
for real tho, thanks so much. i was kinda wondering why the hell i was doing this (i like staying in philly), but im getting real hyped. buying tickets now!
much love,t
I guess I'm just not that adventurous, but I can't imagine eating anywhere with the word 'condoms' in it's name.
Haha, definitely this. I decided to walk instead of riding a bike and when I walked past a couple of farms I had three of those angry dogs chasing me and I had to sprint away looking like the ultimate idiot tourist, then on the way back I took a detour through a school for the blind to avoid them and then another three (guard?) dogs came out of there and chased me too, I had to flag down a passer by's scooter and get a lift back in to town because they were so persistent.
Very nice place though, you can get some good cheap food on the river.
Chiang Mai is pretty awesome. Tho I was there for Songkran, so I'm not sure what the city is like during normal times. Checked out Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Dao Cavem and also went to check out Karen Long Neck Tribe.
Don't worry about record shopping. There will be very few spots along your travels.
Some advice.
Ride tuk-tuk's as much as possible. Super cheap.
Always remember to bargain (Unless you're in a mall). If you are buying something or even getting on tuk-tuk's. It's expected to bargain on the price. They all jack up the amount at first.
#1. Get massages whenever possible. Even at the airport. Super cheap and amazing.
Have a chat with a monk.
Make sure to go somewhere south. Like someone mentioned, don't do Phuket. It's full of tourist (Alot of sex tourist). I did Krabi and it was seriously awesome!
http://www.google.ca/images?q=Krabi
Post photos when you get back!
ha. the owner of them (I think there are 3 or 4 around the country) was a champion of the anti-aids effort / 100% condom use campaign in the 90s. Hence the name. Food is great.
But really, only if you want a nicer sit-down thai meal. you can eat like a king on the street.
http://www.cabbagesandcondoms.com/project.php
Rent snorkel and flippers and swim with white tip reef sharks.
Or, as my wife and i did, end up swimming with a six foot bull shark in six foot of water. Now thats a memory ill take to the grave.
i love thailand, beautiful people, beautiful scenery, beautiful weather, and the food?
im so jealous right now.
A word of advice though, dont mess with any drugs, not even a cheeky spliff: the thai cops are NO JOKE.
http://morooms.com/
i will most definitely be on my best behavior! thailand detox!!!
Hepatitis A/B. Tetanus. Malaria only as standby.
Just a few more tips:
I only booked my first two days in bangkok. Get yourself a Lonely Planet Thailand and just look up the guesthouses for the place you intend to stay. When you arrive somewhere, either walk or take a tuk-tuk and just ask if they have rooms available. I had no problems to find a nice place to stay without any prebookings in september(rainy season, so generally less crowded)
Get yourself a DTAC happy-prepaid-card-deal(http://www.happy.co.th/home_en.php) for your mobile. Cards for recharging are available at every 7/11 and they're everywhere. Just ask around at the Bangkok-Airport. International rates are about 9 baht per minute in crystal-clear quality. Mobile-Internet (EDGE) costs about 20 USD per month flat. Cheaper if you don't need a flatrate.
Some nice places to spend a night(or two or three), which I can recommend from my visit:
Ayutthaya
Baan Lotus:
20 Pa Maphrao Road
Phone:035-251 988
between 200-500 baht. They have rooms with air-condition(which btw. you won't need, way to cold after a few days) and also offer a nice tour around the ruins, if you're too lazy to drive for yourself. The nightmarket with nice food is in 10 minutes walking distance.
Sukhothai
Garden House
11/1 Pravet Nakhon Road.
Phone: 055-611395
get yourself one the bungalows in the back for around 350 baht. Decent food.
Chiang Mai
Julie's Guesthouse.
7/1 Soi 5, Phra Pokklao Road.
Phone: 053 - 274 355
www.julieguesthouse.com
One Word: Amazing! THE Place to stay. I paid 250 baht for my room w/o ac. They have better rooms up to 400 baht if you want one with a/c. Most helpful staff, you can get everything organized there without much surcharge and without any ripoffs. Bernd, the germany guy is very helpful as are all the others. Need a flight to the south, ask them and you'll be done. Payment for that upfront? No way, you pay when you checkout. Need a bike, a rafting tour, whatever? You can get that right there.
This is the only place where you have to make a call to get a reservation. It's packed. Met people from literally all over the world there.
DO NOT TAKE THE TOP BUNK!!! Goddamn airco on -18 degrees and no blockage from any light. Better take your shot with the roaches in the bottom bunk.
Definately check out Pai, had the best time there, Mr. Jan's house there is awesome. It's a herb garden, with dirt cheap bungalows around them. AMAZING nature around there as well.
Koh Tao I've heard is the best thing ever, but got there in Nov, which is rainy season on that side then, so we went Koh Phi Phi (beautiful, but a tourist trap like you wouldn't believe) and the much nicer, and bigger and more interesting Koh Lanta.
Avoid Phuket.
Eating off the street vendors is actually fine (best food I had was in the Chiang Mai market (the Thai one, there's 2) for 10 Baht), just make sure they prepare the food in front of you.
Most of all, just cave in early and buy the Lonely Planet Thailand guide (or as you'll get to know it "the Book"). Has great tips and they list cheapo hotels with a very good degree of accuracy. More expensive hotels are usually exactly the same as a hotel in Boise, Idaho.
Most of all just talk to people. Everyone there is usually chilled out and nice.
Then at the end of your trip, go back to Bangkok and all of a sudden you'll love it. Then you also go shopping so you don't have to carry around that stuff on your trip.
ENjoy!
Koh Tao weather will be perfect in Jan / Feb
And, If Mr. Jen's first name is Oak, then that is where I stayed. Amazing place near the river. Just bring warm clothes.
Get ready for a long trip from Bangkok to chaing Mai.
Don't plan anything just go with the flow and don't hang around a bunch of Americans. You can do that here.
gotta lot of pics from my trip id be happy to share...but gonna have to boil it down a little.
heres some flea market shots:
bangkoks sprawling JJ market.
this gentleman ran a musical instrument stand, spoke some english (from a brief stay at University of Maryland), gave violin lessons to little kids, and was constantly whipping his magnifier out to check out buddha amulets. i chilled with them for a while, played guitar, shot the shit and complemented the kids.
used sneaks are a big thing and the shops are vissualy awesome. nothing in my size though. they laughed at me and pointed at my feet.
in general, the JJ market had lots of little boutiquey places, not too much used artifacts.
easily the bet shit i saw at there, and definitely one of the highlights of my trip was this dude. his eyes were red as beets (people suggested he was opiated) and he wsa playing kefir lime leaves like a harmonica. but it sounded more like funky asian flute music. but it had a hypnotizing groove!!! for real. my jaw was onthe floor. and i'm still kicking myself for not videoing him (which would have captured sound)...but i just wasnt thinking on my feet. so ill
crazy midnight Chinatown market. jampacked with people and weird merchandise.
vespa market is a peripheral weekend market frequented almost entirely by young thai hipsters. they are a very stylsh lot...even in the countryside the yon fok sport salon cuts and sharp threads. sorry i didnt get any people pics at vespa. it was past midnight at this point and i had my backpack on as i was headed to the bus station on a failed attempt to go ten hours north (i got on a bus to some burmese border province instead cause i missed my intended one). Oh yeah, none of the portables were cheap. Everytime people saw the one i brought, which was similar to the one on this blanket, they pestered me to sell it to them.
up north in chiang mai. this great city has tons of huge markets, but this particular outside of the main areas was the real deal junky type that i like. the records werent too interesting, but i had fun listening to some things and shooting the shit in very broken thai/english with the vendor.
next few days i'll post some pics of food, a little scenery, people,record shops, dogs and random shit (couple more sneaker spots) unless you all tell me to stop
got one at a womesn prison, in their pre release program! i wanted to got ot the school of the blind, for their massages, but i ran out of time.
hahaha. when did i ever claim that i discovered that record? i consider this a pretty stupid idea for music that has been around for more then 30 years. all i did was ask you for the name of the song once after you found it first. if i remember correctly you were being nice and told me the name of the artist so i found is a year later or so when i was travelling in sea again. dunno where your name callin comes from now.
then again that seems to be your thing. i remember those hateful pm's you send me two or three years ago about my remarks in some other forum and it took you two more messages to find out that you were getting at the wrong guy and that you thought i was someone else. oops!
inside there is a little concrete structure whose interior is covered wall to wall with murals which i suppose depict buddha's lessons, but i dont even know. some crazy scenes, an appearance by jesus,a lot of suits, and a random anatomy poster.