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Home » Reader question » Reader question: First time to Thailand
Reader question: First time to Thailand
Dear readers,
I am leaving on June 22 for a 3 week trip to Thailand for the first time. I would very much like to receive suggestions from you on what I should definitely do there. I love nature, waterfalls and also want to bring some culture. The last days or week I would like to chill or go snorkeling.
Hopefully I will get an answer from you soon.
Best regards,
Guido (Belgium)
Just read all the items on thailandblog.
Everyone has their own interpretation of what they consider important.
Diving and snorkeling Koh Rin. These are the islands behind Koh Larn.
Beautiful waterfalls in Kanchanaburi and also piece of history. Ayutthaya is really beautiful and culture enough. The islands for snorkeling and chilling
My 3 week vacation would look like this: the first week in Bangkok.
Plenty to see, plenty to do. The grand palace, many beautiful temples, Chinatown, beautiful parks, great markets and much more.
Then visit national Parks for a week. Make a nice choice for yourself from this list: https://www.thainationalparks.com
Relaxing the last week and doing some snorkeling would be my choice on Phuket with definitely a visit to Koh Phi Phi.
Koh Samui would also be possible.
Of course there are many more possibilities, and they will probably all be discussed here.
Have fun figuring out what suits you best, and enjoy your first holiday in beautiful Thailand.
guido,
If you like the above points, please contact Pinara Homestay in Chiang Rai.
Marc Duynslaeger is a formidable guy who shows you nature and culture that you never see through the normal tourist roads.
You are also in the right place to enjoy tasty local dishes. He knows so many nice addresses that you don't think it possible 🙂
We ourselves have already been out twice with him, his slogan is: nothing must be done, everything is possible.
http://www.pinarahomestay.com
My iPad says 'unfindable' when clicking?
Yes noticed it too.
I contacted Marc and he told me that he does everything through his facebook now.
Dear Guido
I have 2 tips drill you.
In terms of nature, the Erawan National Park is not far from Bangkok
One of the most beautiful parks.
And about the culture check out the Miramet show in cultural c.nter. see your past and present of TL.
Happy Holidays.
Bernard
As far as culture is concerned, I would definitely stay near Bangkok for the first few days. You can do a lot on your own, but there are also plenty of options for an organized city tour. The advantage of this last option is that you see a lot in a relatively short time, and therefore save a lot of valuable time. After a few days in Bangkok you might be able to book a cheap flight to Chiangmai to discover the nature there. At almost every point in the city of Chiangmai you will find options for booking different tours. Then you could fly back to Bangkok, to take the bus from there to enjoy the last days on the beach of Hua Hin, Cha Am, or Pattaya, where I personally think that Pattaya is more dependent on the islands in terms of bathing. Unfortunately you don't write how old you are, but I wouldn't pack too much into this short time in terms of activity, because many people often underestimate the difference in climate.
Further information about places of interest, hotels, and domestic flights, and eg money exchange, can be found extensively on the Internet. Have a good trip and have fun.
In any case, 3 weeks is enough to visit the various beautiful areas of Thailand. a sample schedule (about the same as when I first went to Thailand for 3 weeks); acclimatize for a few days in Bangkok, then travel by plane or train to Chiang Mai for about 5 days (note that the (air-conditioned) trains fill up quickly and I don't know if you can book them online (well) in advance these days) ; the nature in this area is beautiful, but so is the city itself (including many temples), from most hotels you can book various day trips where you can do and see a lot, including visiting the Karen tribe (longnecks), an elephant tour / elephant show, visit a butterfly farm, visit a waterfall. Then you could go to one of the southern islands to snorkel (flying is the most convenient option), I have no experience with this, but there are also topics you can look up on this blog (see for example https://www.thailandblog.nl/lezersvraag/thailand-strand-snorkelen/) from Bangkok, the island of Koh Samet is also easy to reach by bus, according to various sites you can also snorkel here, and this is also a nice chill island. The last 2 days I would spend in Bangkok again to be close to the airport. A hotel where we often stay is The Green Bells on Sukhumvit road 79 (nowadays called Qiu hotel). This is in a cozy environment and a 2-minute walk from a skytrain stop so that you can easily go to the center, and you can also be at the airport within an hour (with quiet traffic). If you have the same hotel in Bangkok every time, you can store a large suitcase there and make the various trips with a smaller bag. (this is possible at least at The Green Bells). Good luck and happy holidays in advance!
Hello Guido
I'm also a Belgian...I've been living in Thailand for 14 years.
First visit Bangkok 3D…royal palace.
Go to Kanchanaburi…the bridge over the river kwai.
Sleep there on the river in a hut.
Definitely to Chiang Mai…hotel Raming Lodge…boat trip on the Ping River.
Mae hong son…& Chiang Rai.
It can be beautiful everywhere….Doi Suthep in CM.
A few days in Pattaya… water market and to Bkk with Bell travel for 250 Baht.
Grtn.Fernand
If you look at the program at the organized trips you will see excellent suggestions.
My first time suggestions would be:
– limit travel, so not in Chang mai and the south
– base for many trips is always Bangkok, so plan from here
– do not stay in Bangkok for more than 3 days (see tips on http://www.laithai.nl).
But at least do the bike tour there by Co van Kessel, for example
– at least go to River Kwai (2 days trip) eg River Kwai Jungle Rafts
– from Bangkok also a nice trip to Ayuthaya or a little longer to Sukothai (both to score your amount of temples)
– go 2 days to Jomtien (to see madhouse in Pattaya) for the beach and then continue to Ko Samet (but if you want to travel further Ko Chang)
– Cha am (many Thai people) and Hua Hin (more touristy) are also recommended for the beach
Normally via Bangkok again (by train), but nowadays you can also take a ferry from Pattaya)
– If you want to travel a bit more, you can also continue to Krabi and the surrounding area (more chance of rain in the summer months)
My wife (she is from here) and I love Kanchanaburi very much. Firstly, I like it because a piece of national history took place there (Bridge over River Kwai)..
There are some amazingly beautiful temples to see in Kanchanaburi, you can take a fantastic train journey for very little money and you can see beautiful waterfalls and caves in the area.
about 60 km north of Kanchanaburi you will find the Erawan waterfalls, a beautiful park where you can walk along waterfalls, you can swim at almost every waterfall (there are fish in the lakes near these waterfalls that start to nibble on you, but otherwise harmless are). Erawan waterfalls consist of seven waterfalls, of which you should definitely go to the top one. Unfortunately we had failed to do that, but it just has to be the most beautiful.
You can take a bus from Kanchanaburi to Hua Hin, a nice town where it is pleasant to stay, with many beaches, the summer palace of the king and a beautiful train station. There is also plenty to do and see in Hua Hin.
Further south you go again for the beach holidays and to the places where you can dive and snorkel. Koh Tao, Ko Pan'gan, Koh Samui are all three beautiful islands. There alone you can spend your three weeks with ease and still not have enough.
However, you can also go to Krabi on the other side of that part of Thailand. Also very nice with opportunities for snorkeling and a nice beach holiday.
You can see that there are plenty of choices… the tips from the other blog readers/writers are also definitely worth it.
The first 5 days in Bangkok...; do a klong tour, TukTuk tour by night, bicycle tour… make sure you have a hotel by the river… close to water taxi and Saphan Taksin Skytrain station…[ tip hotel Ramada Menam ]
Then the night train to Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai……5 days….watching temples and visiting elephant sanctuary…
Plane to Surat Thani [combination ticket with bus and boat Nok Air or Thai Smile..] go to Koh Phangan or Koh Samui [west-coast] for a bit of rest and the desired boat and snorkeling trips…Krabi and Phuket are too big a risk im rainy season! hotel tips ; Ban Manali on Koh Phangan and Saboey resort on Samui.
Last days back in Bangkok…possibly a day trip to Ayutthaya, back via the river.
Check out the Green Wood Travel site for tours and hotels.
Lots of fun and sun!