| |
 Traveller's Tales: Advise for travellers in Thailand
Heed our handy tips on safe travel in Thailand. You may read about travel warnings, health, what to wear, travel with kids, travel with pets, local weather, local government, medical information and traffic information in the area.Also, you might want to read our
Bangkok city guide,
Chiang Mai city guide,
Hua Hin city guide,
Koh Samet city guide,
Koh Samui city guide,
Krabi city guide,
Pattaya city guide,
and Phuket city guide.
Pages (8 of 20):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 More »
| N Smith |
18 August 2002 |
Stayed at Baan Samui Resort - Samui, Thailand.
|
If you take a boat to Koh Toy please keep this experience in mind - our travel guide (whom we met through the book at the hotel) told us that we would have no problem getting back in time to catch the last flight back to Bangkok as the boat will return from four to six p.m. However, the seas were rough and the boat was late arriving and hence late leaving. The tour was good in bringing our bags from the hotel to the pier, but also informed us that it is common for the boats to be late.
|
| R Barfield (2nd call) |
12 August 2002 |
Stayed at Silom City Inn - Bangkok, Thailand.
|
This trip I used Bangkok as a staging area and traveled to Phuket and Pattaya. Phuket was beautiful but Phuket was dirty.
|
| U Schmidt |
09 August 2002 |
Stayed at Koh Tao Coral Grand Resort - Samui, Thailand.
|
The island is very beautiful, but there is a waste problem. Transport is well organised and it is no problem to move around. Snorkeling at Tanote Bay is fantastic.
|
| E Miller |
08 August 2002 |
Stayed at Loma Hotel - Pattaya, Thailand.
|
Pattaya is pretty sleazy with the majority of visitors being single males. Certainly not one of the better beaches in Thailand. The town was very quiet in August when we visited. Lots of good golf courses nearby. Pattaya airport is also worth a look if anyone has an interest in the Vietnam war.
|
| R Barfield |
08 August 2002 |
Stayed at Tropical Garden Resort - Phuket, Thailand.
|
Beware of the unscrupulous airport taxi drivers that pretend not to know where your hotel is. They will stop at a tour agency to get directions and then you spend thirty minutes telling the tour agent that you do not want to arrange a tour with them. Never give the tour agent your name because they will call you nite and day at the hotel trying to sell you tours.
|
| E Siegel |
07 August 2002 |
Stayed at Krabi Resort - Krabi, Thailand.
|
Pretty empty during low season. LOTS of construction, and the ocean gets quite murky from the runoff after rain. That's not to say the water isn't clean, it just isn't clear due to the dirt and sand getting kicked up.
|
| R Hazelwood |
02 August 2002 |
Stayed at Empress Hotel Chiang Mai, The - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
|
Chiang Mai--Trekker Tours is not terrific. Too much down time--we got into our camp at 3pm and didn't leave until 9am the next morning. That might have been okay if I had taken a book, as it was, we were all twiddling our thumbs. Also, the elephant ride and rafting are tacked on at the end and are both pathetic.
|
| B Hemgren |
01 August 2002 |
Stayed at Amari Airport Hotel - Bangkok, Thailand.
|
I dont recommend the buffet in the thai restaurant besides the lobby. The food was luke warm and not very tasty. It's a joke to charge 580 baht for this sad experience. As I said I was food poisoned and if it didnt come from the breakfast eggs, then it must be from that buffet dinner.
|
| D Ryan |
26 July 2002 |
Stayed at Riverfront Residence - Bangkok, Thailand.
|
Bangkok is a crazy mix of beauty and seeminess. I took more photos of the architecture here than of anywhere else and the pride people feel in their country and their royal family is impressive. But you also have to constantly be on your guard--not to be taken advantage of. Thankfully, for example, we had been warned about the need to know how much a particular taxi ride would cost (taxis aren't metered, so you have to negotiate each fare--one day's trip was 63 baht and the driver the next day tried to charge us 200!).
We also fell for the common trick of being told by a particularly helpful well-dressed individual on the train that an intended destination (Jim Thompson's house) was closed. (It actually was Candle Festival Day, so it seemed plausible.) He suggested a "Crafts Center" that was open and was helpful in finding us a "tuk tuk" that would take us there. It turned out that this was a gems and jewelry outlet! This was just one of several such situations we encountered in Bangkok. I hated having to be cautious and skeptical instead of trusting people's motives.
1. Take a city tour--ideally, a river tour. Ours, "Bangkok River Tour", through Chao Praya Express Boat Co., was excellent!) Little extras (like ice cold bottled water and wet cloths after each stop, and providing sun umbrellas at stops) were most appreciated. We wouldn't have gone to the Royal Barge Museum if it weren't for being included on the tour--and it was wonderful.
2. Be sure to take a "tuk-tuk" (motorcycle taxi). Hold on tight and enjoy the hair-raising (literally and figuratively) ride. Again, settle on the fare before you begin.
3. Visit Jim Thompson's house (100 baht per person, $2.50). This is an Architectural Digest-beautiful house and grounds. Jim Thompson was an American who lived for years in Bangkok and was instrumental in resurecting the Thai silk business. He disappeared in Malyasia in 1967 and was never found. His house now belongs to the Thai government.)
4. Eat at the coupon food court (you buy coupons before ordering and can get a refund of unused coupons after finishing) at at top of MBK Center. Just walking around and seeing food options is an experience! (We passed right by the one that had a sign that offered "Stewed Tendon. Stewed Intestine. Stewed Dragon".) Just watch which vendor has the longest lines and be sure he/she speaks enough English to understand "not spicy" and you'll be fine. We got a big crockery bowl of soup and noodles for 50 baht ($1.25). Very tasty!
5. Go to the National Museum (admission 40 baht, $1.00). This is a collection of historical buildings, including a number of beautiful pavillions, that had belonged to previous kings. Be prepared to see hundreds of Buddha statues....
|
| S Castbak |
24 July 2002 |
Stayed at Rembrandt Hotel, Bangkok - Bangkok, Thailand.
|
Don't let the staff arrange taxis for you as they help their friends against commission e.g. when we left the hotel to go to the airport they got us the oldest wreck of a taxi with no meter and a scoundrel of a driver. It is easy to get one on your own if you just remember to take one with a meter.
|
|
Pages (8 of 20):
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 More »
Book a hotel in Thailand
|
