holidays in thailand

[NioZenParticipant 856]

I’ve come across a few of the gents mentioning Thailand as a possible holiday destination, so I thought I would throw this up here. I’m by no means an expert, having only just popped my Thailand cherry this summer, but I’ll tell you what I can and hopefully others can chip in too. I was pretty taken by the place though, so did quite a bit of reading. Hopefully this will help.

I was visiting Phuket in June for around 15 days. Phuket is a large island in the south, along the peninsula in the Andaman Sea. I think to dip your toe in, Phuket is pretty much a perfect spot. It is very touristy, and actually pretty affluent, but these are good things if you’re a little out of your depth visiting SEAsia for the first time, there are very familiar stores and sights and food etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phuket_city

The hotels and resorts around Phuket will cater to whatever needs you have – some of the resorts are very luxurious, the Thai have their own style in hotels, which for the most part means clean, comfortable and stylish. You can find quite a high level of luxury for a reasonable price, but the resort prices are not in line with how cheap living in Thailand can be. Not even close. For a holiday on a budget, I saw some very nice bed/breakfast places, very clean and very cheap, not sure if they had A/C, but you would certainly want A/C, the humidity is ridiculous.

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotels-g293920-c2-Phuket-Hotels.html

Alternatively (and I will be doing this on my next trip), you can hire an apt in a secure private building, complete with pool and all facilities for about a third less than a hotel if you shop about.

http://www.phuketcondo.net/property-type/for-rent/?search_order=ASC&search_orderby=price

Eating out is phenomenal if you find the right places, a meal for two, traditional Thai cooking, beers and afters coming in at less than $40. You can also cruise around the night markets, which are an interesting experience, and try all sorts of local dishes for not very much money. Also, make sure your try some Durian fruit, not an experience you will ever forget 😉

There is loads to do, loads of bars, some of the most stunning beaches I have ever seen, an actual slice of true paradise. You can island hop on the cheap, and go to some pretty awesome places like Phi Phi island:

Also some achingly beautiful sunsets. Seriously.

Pretty much all flights to Thailand will land you in Bangkok, a hop to Phuket airport is about 1:20hr.

You can rent motorbikes, scooters, cars etc, but I don’t think I’d want to. The Thai have a deathwish on the roads, and if you’re a tourist, or ‘farang’, any accident will be your fault. Better just to get taxis for about 300 bhat for a 45 min journey or so. You might be able to haggle (you hear a lot of s~~~ about haggling) but it isn’t really worth it as everything is so cheap.

Be careful which season you go in – this being the tropics the different seasons can be a bit strange to get your head around. Close to the wet season (when I went), things will be cheaper and quieter, the weather will still be pretty good, but a lot of the boat trips will be off due to rough seas. Also swimming in the sea is probably a bad idea because it will be full of jellyfish.

Mosquitoes aren’t too bad around Phuket, just standard DEET spray will be fine. You probably won’t see any other of the more ‘interesting’ wildlife unless you go looking for it.

Thai customs are worth reading about, but in general, don’t bow back to staff, but in a touristy place they are forgiving anyway though, you can tip, and most people do, but it isn’t expected. Learn some Thai phrases (or do what I did and download a Thai app for your phone and use that). And don’t insult the monarchy, or any other monarchy, whilst you are there, they are massive royalists. Also not a good idea to insult or upset monks.

Sex tourism – I wasn’t up for it so I don’t know what to tell you, but if you want to go nuts you’re probably better off going to Pattaya, SE from Bangkok, where there are BJ bars and all sorts of craziness.

Did I enjoy it? Well, I’ll be back there as soon as I can be, probably for a month or so next time, so yeah. Also looking forward to exploring some other parts of SEA, Singapore next I think.

Some exchange rates:

100Bhat =

US Dollar 2.81
Euro 2.55
British Pound 1.82

Seasonal info:

http://www.knowphuket.com/climate.htm

If you go, please don’t ride any elephants. The elephants are badly abused and beaten when they are young, and riding them can be pretty painful for the elephant. When you meet one, you’ll realise how intelligent these creatures really are, and tbh it’s a crying shame. If you’re interested, there’s a fantastic elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai in the north, and I’ll certainly be looking to do some volunteering there in the foreseeable:

http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/

Cheers!

We only dream this bondage. Wake up and let it go. - Vivekananda

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS!!!

This is amazing! Where in Thailand are you going next time?
I really want to start things off by backpacking in Chiang Mai.

Phi Phi Island looks GORGEOUS! Can you rent houses there?

[NioZenParticipant 856]

OFF, you are most welcome sir, was written in part due to some of your previous questions. Phi Phi has a few hotels on it (they filmed the DiCaprio film ‘The Beach’ there) but could be expensive. Next trip will probably be to Hua Hin so I can have a run into Bangkok, it’s much nearer and has some awesome temples. Speaking of temples, I really want to get across into Cambodia and visit Angkor Wat at some point.

Yeah, it’s all stunning, I stopped in Khao Lak (north of Phuket) briefly, amazing beach, was almost deserted in June.

A friend went backpacking around Thailand and SEA some years back, he was getting away with a budget of $10 a day back then, not sure if you could that now but you can still eat, drink and be merry for buttons. Best bet would be to get on tripadvisor.com and start putting a plan together, it’s a really useful site.

We only dream this bondage. Wake up and let it go. - Vivekananda

[uchibenkeiParticipant 7965]

I live in Thailand now (Bangkok). I might be able to help with some questions.

I bathe in the tears of single moms.

[Everything is all we’ve gotParticipant 233]

F~~~ sake you’re making me all wanderlust-y and I’m still just a crappy NEET in his 20s…

Soon… I’ll be able to travel soon :'(

"You can suffer from a life experience, or you can learn, move on and thrive."

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

A couple of questions:

1. How bad is the humidity? How long does it take to adjust to?
2. Best places for a first-time visitor interested in backpacking to start with?
3. What are Thai girls like? Gotta ask.
4. Is it easy to meet other people traveling alone?
5, This one is for Uchi specifically- WHY Bangkok? How did you decide on that city vs. others? How does the cost-of-living compare?
6. How’s the internet in Thailand? High-Speed?

[NioZenParticipant 856]

Heat and humidity kicked my ass for a few days, drank s~~~ loads of water, was fine, but was nice to be able to retreat to A/C room. Had to stay on top of the water drinking though.
Not sure about backpacking, not enough experience of the place.
Thai girls. Heh, some good eye candy, but they can be tricksy. Especially with tourists (from what I’ve read). They’re still female after all.
Yep, tourists all over, you’ll meet some folk for sure.

Internet was pretty good from the resorts and bars and things, coupla meg, good for a browse/netflix.

EverythingIAWG: If you put together a good plan and do some research it doesn’t have to cost a bomb, flights will probably be the biggest expense. You’ll get there amigo, all about the personal journey toward awesomeness, savor every step, the most valuable lessons are found in adversity.

We only dream this bondage. Wake up and let it go. - Vivekananda

[OldBillParticipant]

As a man who has been to every continent except Antarctica, let me strongly encourage all of you interested in traveling to Thailand or any other place to go.

Just do it and go.

Do not date. Do not impregnate. Do not co-habitate. Above all, do not marry. Reclaim and never again surrender your personal sovereignty.

[Everything is all we’ve gotParticipant 233]

NioZen wrote:

EverythingIAWG: If you put together a good plan and do some research it doesn’t have to cost a bomb, flights will probably be the biggest expense. You’ll get there amigo, all about the personal journey toward awesomeness, savor every step, the most valuable lessons are found in adversity.

Yeah flights will be the bane of my existence right now, if Thailand doesn’t live up to its stereotype of transexuals maybe I’ll have lots of fun there too! I’m patient enough to wait however…

OldBill wrote:

As a man who has been to every continent except Antarctica, let me strongly encourage all of you interested in traveling to Thailand or any other place to go.

Just do it and go.

Travelling is one of the few things I’ve wished to do before I was even aware of MGTOW, I honestly can’t wait until I have a better income to be able to travel to further away places… it’s honestly my dream.

"You can suffer from a life experience, or you can learn, move on and thrive."

[MENGINEERParticipant 583]

Thailand is amazing. Went rock climbing at Railey beach, washed elephants at Baan Chang elephant rescue @ Chiang mai, and stayed on a deserted island off Koh phi phi/Chicken island.

Going back to Bangkok or Burma in a couple months..

Highly recommended if you like $1 beers & LBFMs haha!

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

MENGINEER wrote:

Thailand is amazing. Went rock climbing at Railey beach, washed elephants at Baan Chang elephant rescue @ Chiang mai, and stayed on a deserted island off Koh phi phi/Chicken island.

So basically, you were in heaven.
Can you estimate how much a trip like this would cost per month? Excluding airfare to get there and back.

[MENGINEERParticipant 583]

Conservative numbers
$1k for flight. You could live on $20 a day easily. Food is like $2-5 with beer or dessert at local markets..

Mmm the food was delicious. The 24hr flower market was cool also. Pak khlong talat.

Aroy mahk!

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

MENGINEER wrote:

$1k for flight. You could live on $20 a day easily. Food is like $2-5 with beer or dessert at local markets..

So let’s say you splurge for breakfast, lunch, and dinner- $15/day = $450/month
You can find an AMAZING apartment fully furnished for $500/month

So your monthly expenditures for basic living (three luxurious meals a day and a fully furnished deluxe apartment) are $950/month = $11.4K/year!
This is before medical expenses and entertainment, however.

Average per person expenditure on Healthcare in the U.S. is $9,146.
Average per person expenditure on Healthcare in Thailand is $246. WOW!!!!!!

(data from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.PCAP)

So then, one could live very luxuriously on $20K/year in Thailand.

Hmm….

[uchibenkeiParticipant 7965]

Oneforfreedom wrote:

A couple of questions:

1. How bad is the humidity? How long does it take to adjust to?
2. Best places for a first-time visitor interested in backpacking to start with?
3. What are Thai girls like? Gotta ask.
4. Is it easy to meet other people traveling alone?
5, This one is for Uchi specifically- WHY Bangkok? How did you decide on that city vs. others? How does the cost-of-living compare?
6. How’s the internet in Thailand? High-Speed?

1) I lived in Japan and had been here before so I was ready for it. The humidity is bad and some people never get used to it. Couple months for me.
2) I hear Chiang Mai is good for that but I’ve never been into backpacking.
3) Some are hot, some are not. there are virtually no fat chicks. if you are white and blonde especially, you will be a god to these people. you can get the hottest girls pretty easy. They are old fashioned though and will expect you to spoil them with gifts and luxury. read ‘Thailand Fever’ if you are serious about dating girls here. Don’t ever go to meet the family. They’ll think you’re getting married and will “lose face” when it doesn’t happen.
4) I travel alone but I’m not that interested in meeting people, except bar girls. Everyone I know is through work. Can’t help you on this one.
5) I had been here before on business trips and I knew some people here. I like the “nightlife” in Bangkok and it has pretty much anything you could want. I’m Canadian and I even found a kick ass hockey rink here. Cost of living is dirt cheap but so are salaries if you’re not specialized in something. Bangkok is a little more expensive than most other Thai cities but not as bad as the bigger tourist areas like Phuket and Pattaya.
6) There is high speed up to 13mbps but wifi in your home won’t be that reliable. hotel wifi is not that fast.

I bathe in the tears of single moms.

[Everything is all we’ve gotParticipant 233]

uchibenkei wrote:

Oneforfreedom wrote:

A couple of questions:

1. How bad is the humidity? How long does it take to adjust to?
2. Best places for a first-time visitor interested in backpacking to start with?
3. What are Thai girls like? Gotta ask.
4. Is it easy to meet other people traveling alone?
5, This one is for Uchi specifically- WHY Bangkok? How did you decide on that city vs. others? How does the cost-of-living compare?
6. How’s the internet in Thailand? High-Speed?

1) I lived in Japan and had been here before so I was ready for it. The humidity is bad and some people never get used to it. Couple months for me.
2) I hear Chiang Mai is good for that but I’ve never been into backpacking.
3) Some are hot, some are not. there are virtually no fat chicks. if you are white and blonde especially, you will be a god to these people. you can get the hottest girls pretty easy. They are old fashioned though and will expect you to spoil them with gifts and luxury. read ‘Thailand Fever’ if you are serious about dating girls here. Don’t ever go to meet the family. They’ll think you’re getting married and will “lose face” when it doesn’t happen.
4) I travel alone but I’m not that interested in meeting people, except bar girls. Everyone I know is through work. Can’t help you on this one.
5) I had been here before on business trips and I knew some people here. I like the “nightlife” in Bangkok and it has pretty much anything you could want. I’m Canadian and I even found a kick ass hockey rink here. Cost of living is dirt cheap but so are salaries if you’re not specialized in something. Bangkok is a little more expensive than most other Thai cities but not as bad as the bigger tourist areas like Phuket and Pattaya.
6) There is high speed up to 13mbps but wifi in your home won’t be that reliable. hotel wifi is not that fast.

I know this thread is about Thailand, but I just wanted to ask; Japan is definitely one of my dream destinations, but how far can you get if you can’t speak any Japanese? I’d love to learn but it’s meant to be one of the hardest languages… I actually read up on learning it and it’s all about the vocal pitches you use?

Also where would you recommend going? Kyoto looks really nice but I wouldn’t know.

"You can suffer from a life experience, or you can learn, move on and thrive."

[uchibenkeiParticipant 7965]

Japanese isn’t really about vocal pitches. that’s more chinese (mandarin and cantonese) and thai. japanese grammar is very easy and there are few exceptions to the grammar rules. the word order is completely different than english and for me that was the hardest obstacle to becoming fluent. you don’t need Japanese to live in Japan but of course it helps. signs and menus are usually in both english and japanese (in the big cities anyway). it depends what you want to see in japan. kyoto is the old capital and has many old temples and shrines but those get boring pretty quick. i liked tokyo and okinawa the best.

I bathe in the tears of single moms.

[tripvanParticipant 193]

Thanks for the post! Some great ideas have already begun to mull around in my noggin!

[OneforfreedomParticipant 930]

uchibenkei wrote:

3)if you are white and blonde especially, you will be a god to these people. you can get the hottest girls pretty easy.

What if you’re brown and have black hair? I want to be treated like a God too!

In all seriousness, I know people of my race (brown skin) aren’t really respected that much in Thailand. I’ll have enough money to enjoy myself though.

uchibenkei wrote:

5) Cost of living is dirt cheap

How much, in Canadian Dollars, do you spend each month including housing, food, internet, entertainment, etc? Basically what’s your monthly spending level?

tripvan wrote:

Thanks for the post! Some great ideas have already begun to mull around in my noggin!

Wanna share? I’ve got a couple too!

[Anonymous 3]

Oneforfreedom wrote:

What if you’re brown and have black hair? I want to be treated like a God too!

In all seriousness, I know people of my race (brown skin) aren’t really respected that much in Thailand. I’ll have enough money to enjoy myself though.

As long as you are not Asian, you are god. It kind of goes like this:

Blonde white people > White/Hispanic > All other foreigners >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> East Asians > Southeast Asians

So you are fine. Just don’t be fooled by the NAWALT act. Your SMV as a foreigner is astronomically higher than the locals and would lure out a lot of NAWALT fakery.

Don’t buy into this bulls~~~ about Asian women being better than western women. Only difference is Asian men are playing the role of the white fall guy, whereas foreign white men are like the black third world alphas for western women, so essentially the dynamic is exactly the same, save for the switch in roles. They’re being NAWALTs not because they truly are, but because of your SMV. Remember that and protect yourself accordingly.

[tripvanParticipant 193]

Oneforfreedom wrote:

Wanna share? I’ve got a couple too!

Haha, well I´ve been thinking of what to do when I visit my parents in the summer and I figure since I´ll be on that side of the world I could spend a week up in thailand, or vietnam. This really opened my mind to the idea of finding something fun that I can do on my own, and have been looking through some of the points of interest on tripadvisor. Durian´s great, so long as it´s frozen first, haha.

I´m totally into chilling on the beach, so I might rent a place close to the beach, do that first up. Get a ton of reading done. I love jazz, and I see there are three jazz clubs recommended there in Bangkok. It´d be fantastic to do some sailing and fishing too, check out some of the caves. Have to keep reminding myself -> Yeah, it´s my money! I can do exactly what I want with it 8)

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