Thailand in March - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

starsandstripes · 12-09-2007, 05:23 PM

So I've been wanting to go for agesss and Iv finally figured out that i'll have about 4000 pounds saved up by March.. So I'm gonna book my tickets and head out then. I'm gonna go for about 6 weeks. Will that be enough time? Oh and if anyone has any suggestions about any hostels or places.. please lemme know!

xx

**pinknic38** · 12-09-2007, 06:38 PM

I have not been to Thailand but it's close to next on my to-go list, so I say GO, for sure!! I think 6 weeks will be sufficient, you might even have time to fit in Laos as well, depending on what it is you want to do in Thailand.

Freespiritz, in my opinion, is one of TP's subject matter experts on Thailand, she seems to know a good bit about SE Asia in general, so if she doesn't happen to see this topic, PM her.

Good luck!

starsandstripes · 12-09-2007, 07:07 PM

ahhh thank u!!

**pinknic38** · 12-09-2007, 07:15 PM

Also a must do, in my opinion for anyone going to Thailand is go down to the beaches of Phucket... somewhere are huts you can stay in for like $1 USD/night

**LiveFreeorDie** · 12-09-2007, 08:20 PM

6 weeks will do it, but some people find they just cannot leave...so consider yourself warned!

You might want to consider starting in the north and working your way south. Chiang Mai is a popular city to go to and is the largest city in the north. It is mountainous and you can do trekking and things of that nature. You also might want to check out a town called Pai, its a bit of a hippy town, real laid back. Bangkok is worth perhaps 5 days to a week in order to check out the Grand Palace and all that is in that area, day trip out to Ayuttaya (an ancient Khmer city somewhat in the fashion of Angkor Wat in Cambodia but not as large) the nightlife, shopping at chatuchuk(sp?) market, etc. While in BKK check out Panthip Plaza for cheap cds full of mp3s of your favorite bands. You can get a cd with the entire red hot chili pepper's catalog on it in mp3 format for a $1. Khao San Rd is the backpackers strip and is near to the grand palace and the river.

Of course there are the beaches and islands. On the gulf side you have Koh Chang, Koh Samui, Koh Tao among others. The Andaman Sea side, which is farther south, nearer to the Malaysian border has Phuket, from which you can hit up Koh Phi Phi which has great beach bungalows and was where they actually filmed The Beach. Phuket and Samui are the most developed, touristy islands of the bunch. Phuket though, is large enough that you can get away from the crowds if you want. From Phuket you can get to Khao Lak which is on the mainland and is more peaceful. It got ravaged bad by the tsunami but it has bounced back. If you have any interest in diving, Koh Tao on the gulf side or Phuket are probably the best bets. Phuket has excellent diving.

To get around you can do buses or even fly. Nok Air and Air Asia (check out their websites) are a couple of low cost airlines and you can fly between bangkok, chiang mai, Phuket or Koh Samui quite cheaply.

Anyway, that is my very quick and dirty rundown. I have been to Thailand a few times so any specific questions you have, feel free to pm me.

**zmsmith5** · 12-09-2007, 08:25 PM

ive also been planning a trip out there. im starting to pick up muay thai as my regular workout (as opposed to dealing with those golds gym assholes, no offense to anyone here). anyway, besides lookn to party my ass off in bangkok, theres a muay thai training camp in phuket. you can train there and they have housing and stuff on the property. most of the training ends in the early afternoon so you have a bunch of time in the evenings to do whatever. anyway, thats my plan for most my thai time.

but depending on how long youre gonna be in bangkok, i would catch a quick flight to cambodia, to siem reap, and go see Angkor Wat while youre right next door. from what ive researched the flights are pretty frequent and cheap.

starsandstripes · 12-09-2007, 08:32 PM

ooh yeh iv heard about the temples in angkor wat! ahh so much too see. Im already feelinh disheartened about my 6 week time limit

thanks for all the info guys

ride_natty_ride · 12-12-2007, 02:30 PM

whoo!! such an awesome message board - the miraculous invention of the internet and its ability to connect like-minded people/experiences, etc. (sorry, guys... i've been without internet for over a week up 'till just now; livin in the jungle of big island during the rainy season makes technology fuck up sometimes - anyways!!).

i'm planning, quite tentatively, to go to thailand as well... looking at around march, basically a.s.a.p., but i still have to apply for a passport and shit, so i've just started getting the ball rolling for all of this. am also considering investigating TESL options over there; i have a B.A. in english, and have heard that courses can take as little as a month? yah, any info. anyone has on that, kindly pass it on. i love experiences of more 'cultural immersion,' and makin' some money teaching while living in thailand would be such a beautiful experience... i'm damn psyched already!!

anyone up for some potential trekking partnerships? i've been to mexico, canada, but have never been abroad, really... it's time to begin, but i would definitely be down for any like-minded souls who would be interested in sharing this amazing adventure. PM me, or i'll hit up the ppl on this thread sometime soon. mahalo (thank you), and have a blessed day!

namaste,
~ melissA

**freespiritz** · 12-12-2007, 02:46 PM

6 weeks is a good amount of time - more than a lot of people get! I'd definitely recommend going to Cambodia if you can swing it - I had a great time in Cambodia, even though I was only there for a week (wish I could've stayed longer). I actually haven't spent all that much time in Thailand, and Livefree has given you the lowdown.

Check out this link for TEFL in Thailand though!
http://www.teflintl.com/thai_special_project.htm

**LiveFreeorDie** · 12-12-2007, 03:56 PM

On the TEFL thing, just be warned that Thailand pays the worst out of any Asian country when it comes toEnglish teachers. The reason, of course, is that Thailand is the most desireable place to reside for awhile and so people usually sacrifice money for location, but just keep that in mind. English teacher salaries are low and they have not kept pace with inflation that has happened the last few years much either, so you do have to be cheap to make ends meet. Good luck. Also, check out ajarn.com, it is a good source of info on teaching english in Thailand.

**buzzingtalk** · 12-19-2007, 09:06 AM

hey, i second everything people have said on this thread. ive been thailand many a time and i still cry when i have to leave even though its nearly a third home to me (after the uk and malaysia of course)

dont spend too much time in bangkok! a few days will do. take a rive tour and check out the south of the city, its nice a chilled there. check out the wats and temples...go to the mega market (cant remember the station name but people will know what market your talking about) its EPIC! and wicked for touristy bits. bangkok is excellent for people watching - the ideal way to sit out jetlag. head to soi sukhomvit find the big maccy d's (dont go in!) and sit on the stairs outside and watch life go by as the sun sets.

a warning, if your squeamish prepare yourself for thai cigarette packets, they are graphic and weird, made me give up smoking

outside of bangkok well theres a whole country to explore. so so so much to do in thailand its unreal. north, someone else covered and ive not explored so much myself but you can get the train up north and explore the jungles, ride elephants, and pai is pretty sweet, a nice chill out place. south is way more popular what with the beaches and islands but if crowds arent your scene dont worry cos theres a lot of beach and island seeing to do

if you got time, you could head to malaysia <3 i always tell people to do this cos is luffly. they have some amazing islands, LANGKAWI is the best in the world and you can get a boat from langkawi to an island in thailand (on the west coast) cheap. langkawi is awesome cos its sooo chilled and peacefull.

i could talk forever. but 6 weeks yes its enough to see everything but not to lay down and really appreciate it all. 6 weeks is a good time to get a really good taste for thailand, and possibly some surrounding coutries. cambodia and laos are close by and although i havent been yet ive heard lots of good reviews. your budget is very good too, more than ive had on 7 different trips to asia added together! so youll do jus fine.

starsandstripes · 12-21-2007, 07:42 AM

ahhh thanks so much everyone! Im getting really excited now! haha xxx

davidd · 01-02-2008, 02:57 AM

Sorry to Hijack your thread starsandstripes but it didnt seem worth starting another one. Anyone know what it is like in July? Trying to find somewhere to go inbetween semesters this year

**LiveFreeorDie** · 01-02-2008, 12:37 PM

^It will be hot but otherwise quite nice. Rainy season in the islands runs from August through November (roughly). The good thing about July is it would be the low season and prices should be cheaper and with fewer tourists mucking up the works

.

Rathma · 01-02-2008, 01:07 PM

I thought summer would have been the high season.

**Esterina** · 01-02-2008, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiveFreeorDie

^It will be hot but otherwise quite nice. Rainy season in the islands runs from August through November (roughly).

However, on the continent, moonson starts in June. Just adding the info in case david was thinking of traveling through Thailand.

**LiveFreeorDie** · 01-03-2008, 05:41 AM

Quote:

I thought summer would have been the high season.

As Thailand is tropical and is a primary destination for Europeans who want a beach/warm weather vacation, December through April is the high season and hotels/guest houses usually increase their prices significantly during this time - particuarly in the islands and on the coast. The summer months are hotter (and wetter in some cases) and as Europe is a pleasant place to be at that time, more tourists stay in that part of the world in the summer.

**buzzingtalk** · 01-05-2008, 05:33 PM

when you say rainly season its noyt like british weather. i always travel in asia during british summer so its a bit wet, but its still hot and youll get loads of sunshine too aswell as amazing storms and fun in the rain

also as someone else said it will be heading to low season, so things will be that 10p cheaper

Rathma · 01-05-2008, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiveFreeorDie

As Thailand is tropical and is a primary destination for Europeans who want a beach/warm weather vacation, December through April is the high season and hotels/guest houses usually increase their prices significantly during this time - particuarly in the islands and on the coast. The summer months are hotter (and wetter in some cases) and as Europe is a pleasant place to be at that time, more tourists stay in that part of the world in the summer.

Oh okay. June-August are the most expensive dates to fly there for me, but I guess if I was from europe it would be different.

**LiveFreeorDie** · 01-06-2008, 03:24 PM

It really shouldn't be any more expensive in the summer to fly there. If you are looking at tickets prices right now for the summer, they probably do look high because you are so far out and they do not generally discount tickets so far out. If you wait a bit and keep your eye out for deals you should be able to do okay. From Toronto you should be able to get a R/T to Bangkok for about $1,000 USD, at least that is what I could get there for from the east coast of the U.S. I do not find much seasonality in airfares from the North America to Asia. I used to fly there a lot for work. It is not at all like flying to Europe where the tickets can be double in the summer. Good luck!