Holidays to Thailand

By Sarah Heath 

This blog for me is a little trip down memory lane back to my 6 months working in Thailand. Apologies if I go off on a tangent!

People go to Thailand for various different reasons. Whether it is to go travelling, to party or to enjoy a relaxing luxury break, each visitor see’s this stunning location in a different light.

For me, it was love at first sight and became like a second home.

My first memory of Thailand and all of its glory was sitting on the back of a motorbike taxi speeding towards my temporary home. All I remember feeling was a complete sense of awe at the scenery around me. I was expecting beauty, but this was something special.

The mixture of lush greenery, white golden sands, breath taking coast line and colourful culture outdid any postcard or picture I have ever seen. 

Thailand is for those looking for something out of the ordinary. It really has something for everyone, whether it is families wanting a long break from normality to couples on their honeymoon. It is especially popular with those travelling.

If I am honest the flight and heat might be a bit much for young families, but that’s obviously down to the individual.

About Thailand

Those who haven’t been to Thailand are sometimes misled to think that Thailand is all about lady boys and Thai brides. This is a huge misconception.

The Thai culture is possibly one of the most respectable and strongest of faiths that I have ever witnessed, without being overpowering. They prefer you to respect their rules, but the people of Thailand are so polite and nice, they would do everything they possibly could to include you into their world.

Down the south of Thailand there are two main religions; Muslim and Buddhism. Both faiths live side by side and this shown in the many temples, statues and decorative monuments throughout the towns and countryside. 

As you explore further north, the Buddhist faith strengthens and as you reach the likes of Chan Mai, the Buddhist faith reigns.

Not only is religion very strong throughout the country, the love of their King is also very apparent. In every restaurant, home and shop you will find some sort of monarchy artefact to show off their loyalty to the royal family.

Who goes to Thailand

In my head there are three sides to Thailand, with locations to suit.

There are the island hoppers, deep sea divers and beach worshippers who would fit in perfectly when visiting the south of Thailand, with areas of picture perfection including Ko Samui, Ko Tao, Ko Phi Phi and Ko Jum, oh and don’t forget Railay Beach. 

You have the bargain hunters and city dwellers, who love the hustle and bustle of Bangkok with all of its shopping glory.

Then, last but not least you have the roaming forest lovers, who would be in a world of pure ecstasy if they stayed in the likes of Chang Mai, Chang Rai or Koh Lanta, with their never ending world of rain forests and rivers. 

A few things to remember

These are a few of the things I picked up in Thailand, which may help with your visit.

• Keep your feet to the floor, if you are in a taxi/tuc tuc, don’t sit with your feet up, it causes offence especially to the older generation
• Thai people eat with a fork and spoon, try to do the same, it’s always good to get involved in the culture and try something different
• When walking past an elder Thai gentleman it is always respectful to lower your head
• In the more local areas try to keep your upper legs and shoulders covered and if you are a lady try not to show too much cleavage. It’s not as strict in the more touristy areas but keep this in mind when visiting temples and other religious places
• The buses are generally around 50baht if you stay around the same area and are a lot cheaper than normal taxi’s or motorbike taxi’s
• It’s illegal to take Buddha’s monument’s out of the country
• Thai food is generally hot, if you don’t like spicy food always ask for none spicy
• Sawadee Kah (femine) Sawadee Krup (masculine) is hello
• If you are staying for long periods of time, get a cheap PAYG phone… don’t risk high bills

Activities

The Thai calendar is filled with fun, frolics and utter chaos, so it all depends on when you visit. I have listed a few of my favourite Thai traditions and dates, but there will be so much more for you to enjoy.

Thai New Year – Songkran

If you don’t like getting messy or wet, avoid Thailand during their New Year, it is not for those who want to stay looking nice for more than 10 minutes.

This takes place in April for a week, probably best to check the exact dates before you travel. The basics of it is that the people of Thailand run around day and night with flour and water pistols and attack each other at every opportunity, whether you are walking the street or sitting in a tuc tuc. It’s chaotic, but so much fun!

Half-moon, Full Moon, total eclipse

The Half Moon and Full Moon parties are legendary and possibly the brightest, most incredible parties anyone can go to. 

They are very different in surroundings as the Half Moon takes place in the forest whereas the Full Moon is on the beach.

The Half Moon takes place twice a month and you can enjoy a night/morning of resident DJs, neon face paints and plenty of buckets to drink. I like to think of the Half Moon as the baps of the Full Moon Party as it takes place the week before and the week after the Full Moon party. It’s basically a party sandwich!

The filling to this sandwich is absolutely insane and not for the faint hearted. You and over 30 thousand other party goers will congregate on Haad Rin beach, to dance until sun rise and possibly a bit longer. If you are looking to sleep a little during your stay, don’t get a hotel near. The Island is only small and there are plenty of places to stay where you can relax the day before and after the party. 

There will be fire eaters, very little clothing and plenty of dancing. The best thing about this party is that you can enjoy a variety types of music as it aligns all of the bars along the beach. As I am a shorty, I spent all night on the table dancing… don’t judge me.

Things to do

There are many memories to be had in this tropical paradise from getting up close to some of the resident furry characters to adventurous sports. If you are there for a good amount of time, take a break from the tanning and see what Thailand has to offer.

Animal magic

Elephants, monkeys and tigers are three of the most popular animal attractions in Thailand, but be careful where you meet them as some of the organisations may not be as animal friendly as they make out.

The Elephant Nature Park in Chang Mai is a rehabilitation centre in Northern Thailand who allow you to meet the heard and see how they look after them before letting them back into the wild.

Watching the elephants play in the water and interact happily is a magical experience and one that may bring a tiny tear to your eye.

Monkey’s run around islands and mainland like they own the place, they take what they want, and when they want so don’t be fooled by their cheeky little grins and keep hold of your stuff!

Do some research before you go of places to visit to meet some of your favourite animals and remember to take lots of photos!

Rock climbing

One thing you will notice about the Thai landscape is the amount of huge looming rock faces and cliffs that are around the islands and beaches, this is the main reason why rock climbing is so popular.

It’s a great way to get some exercise whilst you are on holiday and the companies who organise it will take you to places which you wouldn’t necessarily have visited by yourself.

Muay Thai Boxing

This is a special form of martial arts/boxing which is used as exercise and entertainment around Thailand. Companies can organise for you to take a trip to a Muay Thai gym to learn basic movements and techniques, you might even get a chance to spar with one of the professionals.

Trekking

The temptation will be to laze and do nothing whilst you are on holiday, but there are far too many beautiful places to visit which you can’t always reach by tuc tuc or taxi, so take some walking boots and find trails around the areas you visit. It is hard work, but the views once you reach the summits are totally worth it. 

Sightseeing and temple gazing

Along with the religious traditions of Thailand come some of the most spectacular buildings, temples and monuments you will ever witness. They take years to create and some haven’t even been completed yet.

Let go of your own culture for an afternoon and pray with the Buhddists, emerge yourself in the Muslim festivals and take time to admire the temples. The hours, days and years it has taken to create these shrines deserves some attention.

Shopping and markets

Every year I go on holiday with the family, we spend at least two afternoons in one of the local markets, there was no way that I would have missed a Thai market.

My favourite thing about the markets in Thailand was the food market. The smells and food you can get amounts to sensory overload. 

Obviously some of the things you can get from them aren’t great, but the atmosphere is worth a visit alone.

Deep sea diving and snorkelling

There is a whole different world to be explored once you step into the sea with tropical fish, vibrant sea urchins and beautiful sea flowers, this is one excursion which I am delighted I spent money on. 

I did both snorkling and deep sea diving in Thailand and my one piece of advice would be to choose carefully where you do it. Some will try taking you to places close to shore where you won’t see as much, but if you go to diving meccas such as Ko Samui, you are destined to see great things.

Hire an underwater camera case, slip on your flippers and let your guide take you around a whole new world of tranquillity and perfection.

Thai massage

Once you have finished coming face to face with a tiger, climbing a rock face, exploring other religions and spending all of your Thai Baht, relax with one of the Thai massages. You can’t leave this stunning country without one!

What will I eat there?

The Thai cuisine has so many flavours, spices and textures from the spiciest of curries to sweetest of deserts.

One thing I cannot stress enough is that the best food isn’t always found in the posh restaurants, but in the smallest of open aired cafes which generally look like someone’s home and the street markets. 

The first dinner I had in Thailand was a street market Pad Thai, it cost me the equivalent of 80p and was absolutely incredible. For those who are more familiar with Chinese food it’s sort of like a chow mein, but far healthier, includes nuts and tofu. The most popular Pad Thai’s are chicken or prawns, I always went for a mixture of both. 

Instead of salt on their food, sugar is general the seasoning of choice. You will usually find a pot of chopped dried chillies and sugar on your table, but warning, it is hot so only use a bit at a time. I encouraged my sister to pour some in her hand and stick her tongue into the mixture… I don’t think I stopped laughing for about 2 days.

If you are more of a curry fiend, Massaman Curry is where it is at. Everyone talks about Thai Green Curry and Thai red curry’s, which are delish, but have nothing on the Massaman in my eyes.

 Average Temperature

Long and short of it Thailand has two seasons the sunny and the wet season. I am sure there are more technical names for them, but that’s the basics.

The temperatures stay around the same all year round and it’s a safe bet to say it will be around 30 degrees Celsius, the coolest it will go is mid 20s on the less sunny days. I’m a January baby and it has to be the first time that I have ever spent my birthday in shorts and a strappy top.

The reason why Thailand is so beautiful is because it has its fair share of down pours to accompany its beautiful greenery. The good news is that like any tropical country, once it has had its outburst, it generally tends to go back to normal fairly quickly so you can carry on with your sun bathing. 

If you are on the beach during one of these down pours, the best thing to do is keep your electronics and towel in a waterproof bag and leave it in sight whilst you take a dip in the sea. It’s better than the alternative of packing everything up and running for shelter, chances are it will be all sunny within minutes.

Hotels/flights/packages

Now for the financial bit…

There are many ways you can visit Thailand, you can either go all out with a luxury holiday in a beautiful hotel and a spa break or you can get a flight and move around whilst stopping in various hostels, hotels or B&Bs.

Thomson holidays have a great selection of holidays and are currently offering up to £400 off per couple, leaving you a few extra pennies to spend on days out and attractions. These guys really excel at the all-inclusive stuff! You can book a two week all inclusive holiday to this amazing corner of the world for only £943pp, this includes a discount of over £400

First Choice is another example of great all inclusive holidays. They really don’t cost the earth either, and who ever said traveling to Thailand would be cheap. The money is unimportant it’s the journey.

That being said you can find stunning luxury get-always at astounding prices. I spotted a wonderful holiday for around £13,000pp at the Best Western Premier Bangtao Beach Resort and Spa. The resort was pure gold and with well over £600 knocked off the price you know you are getting a little more bang for your buck. Why not have a browse and find the perfect deal for you!

Flights to Thailand will set you back something in the ball park of £450 to £750, depending on the time of year you travel, which company you use and weather you have any stops or not. The cheapest flights I found were £484.77, this was with one stop off point and the whole journey will take a little under 15 hours! 

The cheapest direct flights were a little pricier at £620, which is not bad either! Whether you wish to travel direct or not is up to you, either way both these prices are outstanding value for money.

Lowcostholidays.com has some amazing offers, both flights and hotel can be arranged online and there is a 10% online booking discount which means you can save hundreds of pounds. I found that two people could book a trip for about £1,330 in total this works out at under £700pp. What a bargain!

If you are going to book the hotels separately and spend some time truly exploring then something like Hotels.com is just what you need, this website has a vast catalogue of stunning hotels, some of which only £32 per night. You can find amazing deals with their low fare finder!

One of my main pieces of advice when it comes to going on a long haul flight, find an alternative way of getting to the airport other than driving. Travel companies like National Express can get you straight to all the major airports without the hassle of parking, whilst minimising the costs of petrol and saving you a few pennies to spend on your holiday. 

One thing to remember when booking a breath-taking holiday such as this is to shop around and don’t be afraid to hold out for the last minute deals, you won’t regret it!

I hope this blog and my take on Thailand has been helpful to any of you out there that are toying with the idea of taking the plunge and really experiencing this wonderful country, to convince some of you to grab the Tuc tuc by the horns and go would make my year!

Have a safe trip guys!