Sunday, June 21, 2020

TRAVEL IN THE TIME OF COVID-19: THAILAND TRAVEL TIPS

Lockdown measures have eased somewhat, and it looks as though some of us may be able to travel again soon! Here in the U.K., things are still a little uncertain, but I know my blog attracts readers from all over the world, so maybe this post will be beneficial to those of you that are resuming your globe-trotting. 


Sunset beach on Koh Phangan  

Today’s upload is all about travel tips for Thailand. The land of Thai green curry, swimming with elephants and island hopping seems to be on everyone’s bucket list and fortunately I had the chance to do some backpacking around Thailand last summer. I thought I would pass on some words of wisdom; some tips I wish I was aware of before I had the trip of a lifetime!

1.    Sun burn is HORRIBLE!

Part of our trip was ruined because of the pain that was caused from forgetting to apply SPF everywhere. It sounds obvious, but that Thai sun will burn you to a crisp, to the point where you are in agony, sleeping with a wet towel on your back for 3 nights in a row (take it from someone who knows)! Bring plenty with you and use it as often as you can! Nothing ruins a holiday quite as quickly as burns all over your body. 

 

2.    Staying connected on your Thai travels 

I would strongly recommend buying a Thai SIM card, especially if you are planning on staying in Thailand for a while. Convenient and cheap, it’s a great idea if you plan on travelling around a lot like we did. It’s also handy to have one in case of emergencies.

 

3.    GRABbing rides

The Thai equivalent of Uber is called Grab, although unlike Uber, it is very cheap. To install it, you need a Thai SIM card in your phone. We used Grab many times. It was especially fun using it to order a vespa to drive up the highest mountain in Chiangmai; an unforgettable and amazing experience, albeit a little nerve-wracking too! 

 

4.    Doing it true back-packer style 

If your travels around Thailand involve lots of moving from one hotel to the next, taking a backpack is a lot easier than dragging a suitcase everywhere. We took numerous flights, coaches, ferries and taxis (even a tuk-tuk or two), and by the end of it our bags were in a bit of a state, I can only imagine how damaged a suitcase would get! They can be quite pricey, but luckily, I had a couple of spare backpacks at home from previous Duke of Edinburgh expeditions (I knew they would come in handy again one day)! 

 

5.    You get what you pay for!

Whenever people ask me what Thailand was like, I always make a point to mention that there are some amazing deals you can find when it comes to accommodation! But you need to have realistic expectations about where you are staying. Our third hotel located on the island of Koh Tao was £6 a night per person, and it showed! No hot water, no plumbing for the sink; I don’t really know what else we were expecting. But the money we saved on this hostel went towards our next lodgings – a BUNGALOW ON THE BEACH on Koh Phangan (Full Moon party island)! Needless to say, this was paradise and worth the sacrifices we made on Koh Tao. 

 

6.    Avoiding cash emergencies

Bring more money than you think you will need! Towards the end of our travels we were running out of money, which we thought would be fine as we had our bank cards. I thought having access to my Chinese and British bank account would mean I could use them as I pleased, but the charges for some of the withdrawals at ATMs were absurd. And trying to convert between Thai baht, Chinese yuan and British pound sterling was a HEADACHE! Best to avoid this. 


Enjoy your trip to Thailand. Take advantage of the fact that you will meet people from all over the globe. Make a point of immersing yourself in the local cuisine (it’s exquisite)! And look forward to the best photo opportunities you will ever get!


When I was in Thailand last year, I uploaded 4 blog posts, detailing what we did on each day we were there. If you need some ideas for an itinerary and want to know prices of food, activities, travelling etc., take a look at my the links here for my entries on Bangkok, Chiangmai, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. I have some amazing snaps of my stay in Thailand on these blog posts, feel free to check them out! 


Wot Arun Temple in Bangkok

I plan on visiting Thailand again soon, but I will be spending a longer time there and doing some different activities that will push myself out of my comfort zone! I feel so lucky that I was able to go last year. And to all those who are planning to go soon, enjoy heaven on earth. You’ll never want to come home!

Yours, 

B x  

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4 comments

  1. Amazing tips, I hope to come back to Thailand soon..

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    1. Me too, planning on going back with both of my sisters! x

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  2. I've been wanting to go to Thailand for the longest time; so thank you for sharing! Have saved this to refer back to when I get something booked. Great post! x

    Paige // Paige Eades

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    1. No worries, glad I could help! I am SO excited to go back, I have a list of places I want to go and things I want to see, but it helps that I have already been x

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