First Time International Travel - Thailand

[So_Fetch]

Hi All,

I'm gearing up for an amazing adventure travel trip to Thailand.  However, I am not a traveler. (think, I've visited 5 states, all by car). I'm nervous for the flight (I'll get over that with drugs or alcohol. lol) and I'm nervous about stray animals (I volunteer in animal rescue, so it will be very different/difficult for me).

I searched this page and saw several people recommended Thailand or had planned trips - can you give me any tips for a first time traveler? And any insight into the animal thing? (places to avoid?) We will be in Bangkok for 4 days, Railay Bay for 4 days and Trang for 4 days.

Any packing tips like what to wear/bring? I have heard don't bring much you can always have your laundry sent out, but that's definitely not in my genes.

TYIA

[sfy]

When are you going? I've only been once, and only to Bangkok and Phuket.

First, I'm not sure about the animals, I would say to research before you go, or maybe, you will get good suggestions here. We went to a place with elephants in Phuket which was recommended by the concierge at our hotel. He was British and I spoke with him about my concerns about cruelty, so I thought we were on the same page (esp. with no language barrier and all) but that place was horrible. We left just minutes after we arrived, so I never got to get up close and personal with any elephants. After going there, I didn't want to try again. I read about a place that sounded really great in Chiang Mai, but we didn't make it there and you aren't either, so that doesn't matter. We also went to a "tiger sanctuary," but again, I wasn't pleased. It wasn't exactly terrible, but it could have been better. So, I found the animal experience there was not what I'd hoped.

Bangkok was overwhelming to me and I am a city girl. For me, just 3 days there came dangerously close to being too long, but I'm happy because we were able to see all the sights I wanted to see, mostly by private tours. I initially didn't think 3 days were enough, but when it was time to go to Phuket, I was ready. For one thing, the heat was stifling and I was there in November. They joke that there are three temperatures--hot, hotter, and hottest. Take clothes that you would take to deal for really hot temperatures, although that's why I asked when you're going because you may also get rain. We got very little. I think it's great for a first international trip, because it's foreign enough to feel exotic, but I was shocked by how ubiquitous English was, both because there were so many Westerners (tourists and expats) and Thai English speakers. I always try to learn important phrases before I go to a country where I don't speak the language but my mother found it hilarious because so many people spoke English to me when I spoke in Thai to them lol. Anyway, overall, I loved the country--great food, lovely people, nice beaches and you can't beat the value, MM wise.

Eta - I just realized you meant the stray animals. Sorry lol. There was a fair amount, it is a problem, but I have also seen worse, so I didn't find that part overwhelming.

[So_Fetch]

Oct 8, 2015 17:41:37 GMT -5 sfy said:

When are you going? I've only been once, and only to Bangkok and Phuket.

First, I'm not sure about the animals, I would say to research before you go, or maybe, you will get good suggestions here. We went to a place with elephants in Phuket which was recommended by the concierge at our hotel. He was British and I spoke with him about my concerns about cruelty, so I thought we were on the same page (esp. with no language barrier and all) but that place was horrible. We left just minutes after we arrived, so I never got to get up close and personal with any elephants. After going there, I didn't want to try again. I read about a place that sounded really great in Chiang Mai, but we didn't make it there and you aren't either, so that doesn't matter. We also went to a "tiger sanctuary," but again, I wasn't pleased. It wasn't exactly terrible, but it could have been better. So, I found the animal experience there was not what I'd hoped.

Bangkok was overwhelming to me and I am a city girl. For me, just 3 days there came dangerously close to being too long, but I'm happy because we were able to see all the sights I wanted to see, mostly by private tours. I initially didn't think 3 days were enough, but when it was time to go to Phuket, I was ready. For one thing, the heat was stifling and I was there in November. They joke that there are three temperatures--hot, hotter, and hottest. Take clothes that you would take to deal for really hot temperatures, although that's why I asked when you're going because you may also get rain. We got very little. I think it's great for a first international trip, because it's foreign enough to feel exotic, but I was shocked by how ubiquitous English was, both because there were so many Westerners (tourists and expats) and Thai English speakers. I always try to learn important phrases before I go to a country where I don't speak the language but my mother found it hilarious because so many people spoke English to me when I spoke in Thai to them lol. Anyway, overall, I loved the country--great food, lovely people, nice beaches and you can't beat the value, MM wise.

Eta - I just realized you meant the stray animals. Sorry lol. There was a fair amount, it is a problem, but I have also seen worse, so I didn't find that part overwhelming.

Thank you! We are actually going in november as well. And I'm glad for the background on all animals. That was what I was looking for. Thankfully we will be in Bangkok two days at a time (2 at the beginning and 2 at the end). I think it will be pretty overwhelming. But I'm happy to hear that english is pretty common. We are going with a Thai woman who lives here in the US, so that will probably be helpful.

[rupertpenny]

I've only been to Bangkok, but I don't remember seeing many stray animals. I wasn't really looking for them either.

As for what to wear, just pack whatever you have that is simultaneously modest and good for hot weather. I mostly wore cotton dresses and skirts that were midi legnth and always made sure I had sleeves. This probably doesn't matter for the beaches though, or any days you wont be temple hopping.

I've never had my laundry sent out while on vacation, but I wouldn't hesitate to have the hotel do my laundry. Thats one great thing about traveling in SE Asia, services are cheap so take advantage!

[So_Fetch]

Oct 9, 2015 8:20:50 GMT -5 @mx said:

I don't think I remember seeing any stray animals in Thailand. There are some animals that live at Buddhist temples, but they are more like pets than strays.

I'm not much of a beach person, but I love
Bangkok. If you're into Thai food I can make some recommendations. Where are you staying?

That would be great.  We are staying at the IBIS Riverside Hotel.

[alleinesein]

mp has been to Thailand and she is also involved in animal rescue/education.  Not sure if she is back in town yet but she will be able to give you more info on the stray animal population.

Thais wear yellow on mondays to honor the king.  Avoid wearing red; it is the color of one of the groups against the current ruling class.  

General travel advice:
-carry a small flashlight with you.
-bring a pashmina/shawl so that you can cover your head and shoulders when entering temples
-do not give money/food/stuff to people begging on the streets.  You can easily be overwhelmed and swarmed and can have people following you to beg for more.
-utilize laundry services.  This has 2 advantages: you don't waste time washing and waiting for your clothes to dry and your clothes will smell 'local' since your items will be washed using their detergents.  We tend to use a ton of perfumes in our products and in some places that can attract bugs, etc.
-bring a small Baggu type bag with you.  Its great for shopping and it can fold up small enough to fit in your pocket

[sfy]

Oct 8, 2015 21:10:56 GMT -5 rupertpenny said:

I've only been to Bangkok, but I don't remember seeing many stray animals. I wasn't really looking for them either.

As for what to wear, just pack whatever you have that is simultaneously modest and good for hot weather. I mostly wore cotton dresses and skirts that were midi legnth and always made sure I had sleeves. This probably doesn't matter for the beaches though, or any days you wont be temple hopping.

I've never had my laundry sent out while on vacation, but I wouldn't hesitate to have the hotel do my laundry. Thats one great thing about traveling in SE Asia, services are cheap so take advantage!

I almost forgot about that.  I also wore midi length skirts on the two days we went to visit the temples.  Both times, I wore tanks, but I carried a really lightweight cardigan in my bag to put on when we arrived.

I never thought about having laundry done while away and I am someone who should think of it because I'm obsessed with sticking with a carry-on only whenever possible.

[mdgirl]

Oct 9, 2015 14:24:31 GMT -5 mp said:

The stray situation is very real; but in comparison to many countries of other cultural backgrounds, it's not as bad. Buddhist culture in general is pretty kind to animals and as mentioned you'll find a lot of temples with higher animal populations because the monks care for them.
l.

I second this. When we were at Wat Arun we saw a cat moving her kittens to a box on a wall because it was raining really hard, and the box got imbalanced and fell. Everyone around freaked out and rushed over to help.

Don't be afraid of getting laundry done! It's so cheap and it's great to have all your options and to not have to pack nasty clothes.

Some general advice would be to not drink any water that doesn't come from a sealed bottle. That includes ice and brushing your teeth.

[salejolie]

Drink plenty of water before the flight, and get up regularly to walk around to help with circulation. If you've never flown, or flown far, bring along motion sickness meds. Also something for stomach trouble because hunting for meds while your down is not the type of adventure you want.

Take a copy of your passport, and leave a copy with someone just in case.

I've never been to Thailand, but when I travel I generally ease into the local cuisine which helps the system acclimate.

Safe travels and have fun!

[meowmaps]

Oct 11, 2015 16:17:49 GMT -5 salejolie said:

Drink plenty of water before the flight, and get up regularly to walk around to help with circulation. If you've never flown, or flown far, bring along motion sickness meds. Also something for stomach trouble because hunting for meds while your down is not the type of adventure you want.

Take a copy of your passport, and leave a copy with someone just in case.

I've never been to Thailand, but when I travel I generally ease into the local cuisine which helps the system acclimate.

Safe travels and have fun!

This is great advice.  Maybe start with khao pad gai (chicken fried rice).  It's mild and a common dish.  

ETA: Try some of the native fruits like rambutan and mangosteen.  They're sweet and delicious!  

[Alyssa]

I remember a lot of stray dogs and cats in the southern beach areas.  We were in Surat Thani, waiting for a bus and a dog fight broke out right in front of us in the middle of the street.  It was a little traumatizing because the two dogs literally wanted to kill each other and being strays, no one was there to really rangle them in.  A local guy eventually came up and threw a shoe at them and sort of broke them up.  I have never seen dogs going for blood like that so I was a little shook up.




This little girl however, I wanted to pack her in my suitcase because she was the sweetest little thing that adopted us when we were on the beach in Phuket.  She followed us all up and down the beach and would sit down and lay with us when we took a break in the shade.  It was hard to leave her behind.






We were in Thailand at this time of year, late Sept. to mid Oct. and we had a real mosquito problem.  I counted about 10-15 bites on each leg.  So I recommend some repellent and bug bite lotion, we didn't bring any.

There are also these Thai green mandarin oranges.  They are green on the outside and orange on the inside.  They are so good and you can get what they call an Orange Shake which is fresh squeezed juice, ice and a little liquid sweetener, blended up.  It's soooo good when it's hot and humid out.

[Deleted]

If you're interested in animal welfare, I definitely recommend Boon Lott Elephant Sanctuary as a great experience. We stayed there for 3 nights last December and it was really incredible. I read about them in National Geographic a few years ago, you can check them out online. You can't just visit - you have to stay there. The accommodations are a little like camp - cabins with beds, bathrooms, and electricity but no frills. During the day you can do different things to help out with the animals (the main draw is the elephants, who have been rescued from elsewhere in Thailand) but there are also dogs and other animals. It's very interesting, and the money you spend on accommodations supports the organization. When we stayed there, the other guests were in Thailand for a Soi Dog volunteer project. It's convenient as a stop between Bangkok and Chiang Mai (as "convenient" as travel within Thailand is, but if you look at a map it's about halfway between the two cities, in a very rural area).