Thailand info needed

I am MAN

Hey

Me and a few friends all students want to go to thailand for 28 days at the beginning of August we got quoted 950 for flights and travel insurance, could we find a cheaper flight at this stage?

What are the best student areas to visit ?

How much money would be neede for 28 days?

thanks

dsab

That seems pretty expensive. I fly about 4 times a year DUB - BKK (fiancee is thai), and still have to pay more then 750 Euro.

Last year August I paid 748 Euros. I fly on Friday, and I payl ess then 600.

Try Trailfinders. 01-6777888, they have access to many airlines, and are normally the cheapest. They often have good deals with EVA Air via Amsterdam.

Money... depends how much comfort you need... you can survive on 10 Euros a day, but will also be able to blow a grand a day... dpends really what you are looking for....

Ask me or pm me for more special or detailed informations...

ebowdia

Hi all,
Don't mean to hijack this thread, but dsab might be able to help me out here also I plan to go to Thailand in September for a month or two with the gf, and I was just wondering what to expect weather wise over there that time of the year?

I am MAN

Thank you for such a prompt reply I have knocked 200 euro off with trailfinder for mid july so thats the plan.

We are 6 students and would like to visit a handful of resorts phuket is one we deffiently want to see, could you recommend others?

Would it be unwise to go to each place without booking accomadation in advance? we will probably stay in hostels the majority of the time.

Would 1500 be enough for a kind of party travelling lifestyle?

dsab

Glad to hear that you saved some money.

Whatever you do, don`t go to Pattaya. :-)

Phuket is nice, as is Phi Phi Island for a day or two. If you are already in that area, I would highly (very highly) recommend Krabi. That`s an amazing spot.

Other then that I can recommend Chiang Mai. It`s different to the rest of Thailand.

Check regularly www.airasia.com. It`s a new Low Cost Airline which flies a few times a day from BKK to Phuket and Chaing Mai from around 500 Baht one way (around 11 Euro). Better then taking a bus (10 - 11 hours to Phuket).

Money well spent...

July is rainy season... but it doesn`t mean it will rain all the time. But if it rains, then it will piss down cats and dogs.

1500 for 28 days should be fine, that`s around 2500 Baht a day. As it is off-peak season in July, you will be fine without booking hotels. Most hotels have half price around that time anyway.

BTW. a 3 star hotel goes from around 20 Euro a night for the double room (10 euro each). Maybe sometimes a nice pleasant change from hostels. I always stay in higher rated properties, so I don`t know anything about the hostel or low budget situation.

Check the guest houses on Khao San Road.

cardigan

I highly recommend the Buddy Lodge hotel on the Khoa San Road in Bangkok, it's above McDonalds so right in the thick of things but is really nice - it's about 1500 baht a day (I think that's about €35) and it's got a pool on the roof you can use and it includes breakfast. We stayed there for a treat after staying in awful places, it was great.

I'd recommend Krabi too, much more so than Phi Phi or Phuket which are a bit like being in Spain - make sure to view your room before you hand over money as we got some really really awful places with foul smells. I recommend the Highland resort in Railay bay, it's cool - it was about 500 baht per night but that was in Decemeber - you're better off going in Sept. or July when it's way cheaper. The Highland resort is run by a group of ladyboys who are really friendly! They're v. nice - it's a group of bamboo bungalows with bathrooms.

I would also recommend Ko Tao on the East side of the Gulf, it can be a bit laborious to get to it particularly in December when the sea is very rough but it's worth it. Great for diving and snorkelling, great bars and restaurants and cos it is that bit further away from Ko Samui and Ko Pan Nang it is not full of beer swilling holiday makers or dreadlocked hippies either - what you read about it in the lonely planet is not true either - it says that you can't find anywhere to say if you aren't diving...that's rubbish, I arrived on Christmas eve and had no problems.

Book nothing, just arrive everywhere - it's much more fun.

Fearo

Yo, been to Thailand twice now. My biggest tip is to stay away from Phuket; Crowded, expensive and just like anywhere else you will travel in Europe on a package holiday.

Phi Phi is cool, a few days there would do.

I spent a fair bit of time in Koh Phangan and Ko Tao, both amazing places and it really does feel if you are away from the package holiday type of place. Koh Samui is built up too but did have fun there for 2 days but it is much more expensive there compared to Koh Phangan and Ko Tao.

Defo make a trip up to Chang Mai. Great city to see and then make a Trek for around 3 days, you really get away from it there!

We spent 1 month there the first time and easily fitted in Chang Mai, Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Ko Tao and Bangkok In that Order.

You will have the best time ever!

I am MAN

Excellent tips much appreciated

How much did you guys spend? thtas my main concern how much money i will need to bring with me

cardigan

The amount of money you spend is really up to you. I was on a budget as I wanted to make my trip as long as I could so didn't stay in the best places....and I think that the 4star places in Bangkok in particular are a rip off and they are no fun.

But anyway, for travel, eg. from Bangkok to Ko Tao you will need a max of 40 euro, you probaby won't even need that if you go by bus and ferry which is fine. Flights will be a bit more....the low cost airline wasn't available at the time I was there and the one flight I took was about 60 euro. For accomodation and food per day you will need 20 to 30 euro depending on where you choose to stay. Really you will spend what you want to spend, there are a lot of choices for all budgets in Thailand - food is cheap as chips so that won't cost you much....drink is cheap too so it's really only travelling and accomodation you will budget for. Again, I did it with a pretty tight buget as I was on my way home for a world trip but if you're just going for 2 weeks or whatever you could bump the budget up a little perhaps. Buy the most recent Lonely planet - all the prices are fairly up to date and you can use that to determine your budget.

A tip for you - try not to buy ferry and bus tickets from agents on the Islands...always make sure that there is a boat that day before buying your ticket and always remember that they will defo not be the only company wiht a boat that day, there might be an earlier boat or bus for the same price....all they want to do is sell you the ticket. The ticket agents in Bangkok however are okay for trains and buses from Bangkok but don't buy your ticket for your ongoing journey until you get to the first destination point. What I mean - if you are going by bus from Bangkok to Surathani and then getting a boat to Ko Tao, only buy the bus ticket because you are not guaranteed the boat that you buy the ticket for will be leaving that day etc. and this happens a lot. There will ALWAYS be touts to meet the bus when it arrives in Surat Thani or anywhere else willing to sell you the boat ticket so never fear, you will always get a ticket. The ticket agent at the back of the sidewalk cafe on Khoa San road is okay for trains and buses from Bangkok.

PWEI

If you are going to Koa Toa you have to go via Koh Samui but DON'T go on the bus.Its a nightmare journey and you'll get no sleep.A ticket on the train and boat is only a few Euro more and that's 1st class on the train with air con and a bed.It's less than €20.I was in Thailand last month and met these two lads from Limerick and Clare.They said they made the biggest mistake of their lives by going to the official tourist board and booking everything there.They paid up to four times what they should have for accommodation and travel.And they didn't even get a bed on the train,they took the bus and both of them said it was the worst journey of their lives.I took the train once and it was fine.We left in the eveing,had a few beers and when we woke up in the morning we were in Surat Thani and only a short boat ride away from Koh Samui.
But if your only there for a month why not fly to Koh Samui and get the ferry to Koh Tao.Bangkok airways have a monopoly as they built the airport and their flights to Samui are quite pricey for Thailand,3500bath (€70).But there doing promotions at the moment. If you get the first flight in the morning at 06:00 or the last in the evening at 20:45,its only 2000bath which is only €40.If your only there for a month and go with the bus or train you lose more than two days and more if you go on the bus cause you'll sleep a day when you get there.Koh Samui is expensive (for Thailand not compared to Europe) only if you stay in the main beach Chaweng.You can still get cheap huts for a couple of Euro in other beaches like Maneam.Samui has got very developed in the last few years but its big enough to handle it and is still a very beautiful island with lots to see like Waterfalls and the Giant Buddha at the north of the island.It also has a lot more nightlife than Koh Tao.If you want somewhere quite and tranquil than go to Koa Toa or Koh Phangan but if you want a bit of nightlife stay in Samui for a while.You can have the best of both on Samui,the quite beaches and the busy nightlife of Chaweng and Lami.If your interested in doing a bit of Scuba diving and I'd strongly recommend it Koh Tao is the place to go.It has the most dive sites around it and is also the cheapest.Finally don't take up any offers of taxis or hotels inside the airport in Bangkok. You'll spend twice as much for a taxi's and up to three times more for the hotel.Check out a few hotels in your guide book and ring them before you get there or just arrive on the day and go from door to door.And stay away from the official Thai Tourist board,they're the biggest cowboys of the lot!

comet

Is Thailand crawling with Irish people?? (not good if it is)
Is 2 weeks too short to try to go north and south?

Mythago

Is 2 weeks too short to try to go north and south?

Erm yes.... really need a month to do a limited trip to both. On my 3rd trip to Thailand at the moment & still haven't seen west coast! Of course I have just spent 2 weeks in Saphan Mai,Bangkok drinking beer & Whiskey with my neighbours:rolleyes:

comet

ok fair enough but if you're not hanging drinking beer/whiskey then surely you could get a taste of north and south in 2 weeks, obviously not covering everthing, but say doing Chiang Mai and a trek and maybe a beach or 2 in the south and a day or 2 in Bangkok?? I relaise to cover everthing would take much longer

Mythago

ok fair enough but if you're not hanging drinking beer/whiskey then surely you could get a taste of north and south in 2 weeks, obviously not covering everthing, but say doing Chiang Mai and a trek and maybe a beach or 2 in the south and a day or 2 in Bangkok?? I relaise to cover everthing would take much longer

Well if it's purely a taste you're after than its no prob! BUT you will fell pretty rushed.... says me who's just arrived in Vietnam for 12 very short days!?

comet

what are you doing in 12 days, Saigon to Hanoi?

Mythago

Other way around, heading to Hue tomorrow.... probably comeback next year with more time!

comet

I might try and get some info from you on how that goes when you come back so. Hue is supposed to be very nice. Have a good time.

Mythago

No problem...and in case i forget, did a motorbike tour of the former DMZ yesterday, well worth it!