Travel Guide: Ten Tips to Take on Thailand

Taking on Thailand: Ten Tips to Travel

Thailand.

Where do I start?

This year has taken me many places. I’ve visited many more during my lifetime. The shores, the alleys, the sunsets, the temples, the rooftops, the elephants, the baht, the people, the Pad Thai, and even the bathrooms of Thailand have been etched into my mind and heart in a way I’ve never felt. The past couple weeks at home have left me rejuvenated and focused, and also dreamy and longing.

During the two-week adventure, we learned there were many routes by which to explore Southeast Asia. For this reason, I decided not to put together an exact itinerary, though I’ve sent many of you suggestions. Instead, I wanted to share some high-level cultural and practical notes to make the most of your time in this sprawling, diverse paradise on the other side of the world.

Dolla Dolla Bahts

Let’s start with the money. In Thailand, the national currency is the Baht. One Baht is worth 3% of the US Dollar. You will regularly be dealing in amounts of 100 Baht or more. The cost of living, vacationing, and exploring are extremely low, however. For example, I bought two hour-long massages for 1000 Baht. That’s about $30 total. A coffee may cost you 25 Baht, which is less than a dollar. Yesterday, I spent $2.75 on a cup of joe across the street from my apartment in Richmond. It’s the most affordable country I’ve ever traveled to. Speaking of coffee…

Getting Your Caffeine Fix

This is kind of important to me. I need my coffee every day, so did my companions. In every city and town we visited, we made sure to find a local coffee spot to make our own. If you want a plain old American coffee, then you order an Americano. Otherwise you’ll find espresso as a default. When I was feeling frisky, I ordered a latte, which was delivered just as you’d expect it stateside.

Drinking Clean

I received one piece of advice several times before I took flight: don’t drink the water in Thailand. This had me a little concerned. I heard a few tales of travelers struck down by food-born illnesses. Out of a group of five during a two-week period, this never happened. While I think we all took extra precautions to eat well cooked food, we also kept water bottles and water dispensers in our Air BnB spots and in our backpacks. The hotels we stayed in refilled water bottles every night. We ordered water bottles at dinner instead of tap water. It wasn’t difficult to avoid local water at all. Where do you find it? Head to the nearest 7-Eleven. These holy grails of western influence are on EVERY CORNER. That is no exaggeration. Even on a boat or an elephant sanctuary, you’ll find a 7-Eleven. If you’re done with Thai food for the day, you can find all kinds of snacks, beer, liquor and wine at these ubiquitous corner stores, too.

Time Warp

This might not be important to everyone, but it was to me. I had to stay on top of social media, emails and other deadlines during the getaway. While in Thailand, you’ll be 12 hours into the future if you live on the East Coast in the states. This was kind of cool, because I was often ahead of emails and posting when I wanted to be. I added Chang Mai to my World Clock on my iPhone to make sure I was on point. Bonus tip: When you board your 20-hour adventure on planes to get there, try to fall asleep near your preferred bedtime in Thailand. Refer to your world clock. This will make sure you show up well rested. Do the same on your return flight.

Shopping

I couldn’t get through a Sweet Sauce post without talking about shopping in Thailand. While I don’t regret NOT bringing a larger suit case (I had a carry-on the whole time), I do wish I had allotted some more room in my luggage for shopping. I had heard a lot about men’s suits hand crafted for a fraction of the cost of American tailors. I did not even consider how affordable, or down-right cheap, women’s clothing was. In every city, there were options to shop. I did not want to spend too much of my time shopping, but I did spend an afternoon shopping in Ko Phi Phi. I picked up authentic Levi’s for maybe $10. You’ll find all the wardrobe basics, with the exception of winter clothing. If you’re serious about adding some new items to your closet that will have a story behind them, leave some space or make plans to buy a bag to check for the journey back. Oh, and don’t forget the elephant pants.

Getting Around

Forget Uber and Lyft. If you‘re in a city like Bangkok, be prepared to hail a cab. Do yourself one braver and hop on Tuk Tuk, a three-wheeled open-air wagon of sorts. If you’re having a difficult time communicating with your driver, show them your destination on a map or be prepared to hop in the front and allow them to use your phone’s GPS to navigate. This was a genius culture hack. No one is going to steal your phone, I promise.

If you’re in a smaller city like Chang Mai, you will still find Tuk Tuks, but not many cabs. It’s easier to rent yourself a scooter during your stay if you’re hoping to explore.

The Attitude

Leave your American aggression at home. There’s no reason to feel unsafe here, at least not that I experienced. This is from a girl who was robbed in New Orleans earlier this year. At first, I took the genuine concern and offers for help from locals as sales pitches or invasions of privacy. Turns out, they actually just wanted to help. On one occasion, our group thought a few Thai men were waiting to hurt them outside of a bar. Not so much. They were just waiting for them to say sorry for being rude to them. Once they did apologize, we all smiled, laughed and hopped on a Tuk Tuk to the next adventure. Give into the warmth and kindness. Let your ego go. Learn something new about yourself.

Foodie Life

There were two things I was worried about before Thailand. The first was that I would get food poisoning. I addressed this earlier during this post. I payed extra caution to ensure that the vegetables and meat I ate were well cooked.

The second thing I was concerned about was the type of food I would discover. It turns out that Thai food is pretty much what you would expect to find on a Thai restaurant menu here in America. Pad Thai, mango sticky rice, Tom Yum soup and more are all part of the standard options no matter where you go. There are a lot of interesting street food options to choose from, but I suggest sticking to restaurants for your meals. I did eat a scorpion and a cricket. They were fried, so I knew there was no harm there. I’m really glad I checked that off my bucket list.

One of the most meaningful experiences of the trip was a cooking class that I took with the Thai Farm Cooking School. We had an adorable teacher who walked us around the local market and explained regular Thai ingredients to us. We were then taken to an organic farm where we got to see where many of the most prevalent Thai dish ingredients are actually grown. We learned how to cook Pad Thai, curry, bananas and cream and soup. I loved this experience and have already recreated a few of the dishes. I’m sharing them on Insta Stories from time to time.

The Right Way to Elephant

Thailand is well known for its elephants. Instagram is full of dreamy pictures of these majestic creatures. Sometimes you see people riding on top of them. Sometimes you see them dressed up in what we westerners may consider traditional asian costumes. Those are not the types of places that you want to go. Instead, head to an elephant sanctuary. Here, Thai elephants are provided a safe haven from tourist traps and other dangers of Thailand, including farmers who regularly kill them to protect their crops and poachers who still harvest their ivory. We visited one of the four camps of Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. We spent a day feeding, washing, and getting to know a few elephant families. We embraced the mud, the poop, and the elephant kisses.

The Most Important Tip of Them All

Travel with the right people. You know who the right companions are and aren’t. Explore with people are who curious and energetic. When you travel, you should indulge and relax. You should also feel safe and comfortable. There are people who allow you to do this and those who get in the way. Say yes to the right ones when they invite you on an adventure. That’s the only way you can see the world and experience the most life has to offer you during your short years here. Find a way to make it happen if the thought of the journey keeps you up at night and has you day dreaming in the middle of the afternoon.