Traveling to Thailand for the first time? I GOT YOU!
From the idyllic beaches in the south, to the elephant sanctuaries and cuisine in the north, Thailand has a little something for everybody if you know where to go.
1. Food Service
Food orders for the entire party are not served together when seated at a restaurant. Appetizers are not necessarily served before the main course either. Sometimes, but not always. This is at the top of my list for 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went to Thailand.
2. Bum Guns
Thailand’s sewage system is not very good and you can’t deposit toilet paper in the toilets. Instead, you throw it in a small waste basket besides the toilet. Sometimes, there will be no toilet paper at all and you will just *spray yourself off* with a hose. Think of it as a DIY bidet. Ha!
3. Don't Overpack Your Suitcase
Take this opportunity to travel light. Perhaps a carry-on and a backpack or backpack only? I guarantee that you could pack 50% less of what you originally thought that you needed for your trip. Clothes and beauty products and almost everything else… are really cheap in Thailand. Laundry is available at most hotels and hostels or do laundry yourself in the bathroom sink. If you decide to wash things in the sink. The humidity and intensity of the sun will dry them out in a half of day if left outside or on a balcony.
As a bonus, leave room in your suitcase for buying clothes in Thailand and bringing them home with you!
4. Grab & Tuk Tuks
Grab, in Thailand, is Uber. It’s convenient and safe to use. These are usually 4 door cars, small SUVs or minivans.
Tuk Tuks are a fun (sometimes dangerous), but convenient way of scooting around town in short distances. The drivers can get a little aggressive and drive faster than most, but that’s half of the “fun” factor.
5. Baht
Another travel tip on the 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went to Thailand, use Grab or a TukTuk. Grab is basically Uber in Thailand, download the app before you head off to Thailand. Set a price with a TukTuk driver before you agree to the ride.
Not Having enough cash, aka Baht: You will need lots of baht on your trip to Thailand. Most restaurants, shops, and smaller places of business do not accept credit cards. If they do, they charge a 3-4% fee.
Traveler Tip: Restaurants, Hotels and shops charge you a 7% VAT. VAT is Value-added tax on consumption goods and services
6. Pollution
Pollution is terrible in Chiang Mai and even worse in Bangkok! I understand why the Thai people have been wearing masks for years when they walk, drive or scooter around.
A few days walking around without a mask and you’ll start to feel it in your nose and chest. It’s really bad, bring masks and wear them outside. I’d recommend these masks on Amazon
7. Shopping
Next up on my 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went to Thailand, is shopping. The shopping is absolutely endless in Bangkok. Shopping mall after shopping plaza, after night market after street stalls. I think you could spend weeks in Bangkok just shopping. Go back to tip #3, don’t overpack!
8. Mosquito Rackets
Mosquito Rackets are a real thing in Thailand. They are glorious and it’s hilarious to watch Thais use them.
I don’t know why I find this fascinating but it’s mostly likely because I’ve never seen them before and the snap of the wrist and the crackle of the net when a mosquito is hit is so satisfying lol!
9. Scooters & Mopeds
Forget renting a car in Thailand, rent a scooter, moped or motorcycle instead. You can rent a scooter for about $5USD per day. $5! Scooters can zip in and out of traffic, hardly use any gas and are super affordable. Use them to buzz around town. However, I highly encourage you to be familiar with riding these 2 wheel modes of transportation before your trip. Do not think you can just get by with no previous experience, traffic is intense and crazy!
10. SIM cards
I don’t care what service provider you have, elect to get a SIM card for your time in Thailand. IDAC was our preferred choice and it didn’t let us down once. The 4G service is faster than my home wi-fi in the states, it’s kind of crazy the efficiency and speed of the network. You can get a SIM card as soon as you land at any major airport.
The price of Thailand SIM cards for tourists varies depending on the operator, the data amount, the validity period, and other features. You can expect to pay between 200 baht (USD 5) to 1,000 baht (USD 30) for a sim card, depending on your internet needs and call preferences.
For example, for Google Maps, checking email and uploading photos to socials + local calls for 2 weeks in Thailand, it cost us about $25 USD each.
In conclusion
I hope this list of 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went to Thailand helped you out. If you have any questions or your own tips, feel free to leave a comment down below or message me on social!
Book Your Trip Now!
Below are my favorite companies I use time and time again when I book my travel.
- Travel Coupons & Discounts – Get Cash Back at places like Hotels.com, Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline and many more with Rakuten. Sign up today & get $30!
- My Favorite Travel Credit Card – Chase Sapphire Prefered. This is by far the best way to book travel and earn miles/points while doing so. Use the Chase Sapphire Prefered for booking 3x travel, 3x dining and 3x on streaming services.
- My Second Favorite Travel Credit Card – In my opinion, the second best travel rewards credit card, the Capital One Venture. Use the Capital One Venture card for 2x the rewards on everyday purchases.
- Rental Cars – Search, compare and save on the best rental car company brands all in one place using DiscoverCars.
- Booking.com – Booking has the widest selection of budget accommodation in the world. In our studies, they constantly found the cheapest rooms. I also like their easy-to-use interface and no-money-down policy.
- Hotels.com – Hotels.com is my second choice for finding hotels. I love their selection and easy to navigate website. Use it often for free hotel stays with OneKeyCash.
- VRBO – The most popular vacation rental site in the US. ✓+2 million rentals worldwide ✓19+ million reviews ✓Secure online payment
- Selina Hostel – This is the best hostel accommodation in the world. Their unique CoLive stays, artwork and location are the best. Not to mention, they are a great value travel brand!
For companies, check out my favorite travel companies section that includes even more of my favorite travel companies that will help you value travel!
Previous Post
Next Post
