Travel Guide: Tips For Your First Trip To Thailand

Everything you need to know before visiting Thailand!

I was lucky enough to travel to Thailand with Contiki earlier this year on their Thai Island Hopper West tour, which included Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, and Krabi.  This was my very first trip to Asia and I completely fell in love.  Not only was it the beauty of my surroundings and the contrasted way of life, but it was also the kindness of the people.  Being half Chinese and having never visited anywhere in Asia, I really felt an odd sense of familiarity that I don’t think I could describe to you.  It was such a beautiful experience.

I have a few friends travelling to Thailand soon (shoutout to Anya and Sarah) and their questions pushed me to FINALLY publish this post.  These are the things that I think are good to consider before your trip, including what to pack, important cultural differences, and a brief description of each place we visited.

If you have any other questions, please let me know in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.  Hope you enjoy!

WHEN TO GO

Thailand is a place you could really visit all year round, but it’s good to note that the rainy season is approximately from May to October (and if we’ve learned anything from that harrowing Thai cave rescue, it’s that the rains come in fast and furiously).  I was there in April and we did experience a few storms, usually at night, and they were incredible to witness. If you’re considering visiting in April, I highly suggest aiming to be there during Songkran. It’s their new year celebration and basically consists of a three-day water fight.  I know, it sounds a bit crazy, and it totally is. Check out my video of the trip for footage from the Songkran festival in Krabi.

WHAT TO PACK

We were there for 9 days and I was able to do carry-on only, which on a Contiki tour was helpful, as we moved around every few days.  I just prefer to pack light anyway. I should have a post and video about my carry on packing tips coming up soon, so stay tuned.

Clothing-wise, you are going to sweat, constantly.  I don’t normally do well in heat, but it was somehow manageable, perhaps because we were there in a “cooler” month and knew when to take AC or water breaks.  Light, breathable fabrics are essential and moisture wicking would definitely be a bonus. Wherever we went, people were fairly casual, just your run of the mill shorts and t-shirt, flowy dresses, and/or swimwear sort of deal.  I got a lot of wear out of my denim shorts, a one-piece that doubled as a top which was essential during the Songkran water fights, my Lululemon It’s A Tie Tank that fared well in the daytime and was easy to wear out partying on really warm nights, and of course, all my bathing suits!  If you plan on visiting any temples or shrines, you’ll definitely need something to cover up your knees and arms with. On our day trip to Wat Chalong and Big Buddha, I wore loose and breathable culottes, with a t-shirt and covered my arms with a floral kimono that I wore as a scarf/wrap (the look that’s in the photo above).  The kimono was also a beach cover up for the rest of the trip. I’m all about versatile, multi-use pieces!

As it is hot there and I had a limited wardrobe, it was helpful to bring a couple of travel laundry detergent packets.  I hand washed my things a few times and it was quick and simple to dry things outside in an afternoon.

I consider it lucky that we didn’t end up with a terrible bug problem, but we always loaded up on lots of Insect Repellent.  I found some at a drug store here in Vancouver that was a lotion and it worked really well on top of sunscreen and for going out at night.  Wasn’t smelly or sticky like the aerosol sprays can be. It was this OFF Bug Repellent Lotion.

Don’t forget your universal power adapter too!  I was able to cautiously plug my phone chargers directly into their outlets and they ended up being okay (was still scary every time I did that), but they do use more voltage in Thailand than we do here in North America.  So, the outlet might look the same, but it’s way more volts so it could fry your devices without an adapter.

BEFORE YOUR TRIP

It doesn’t hurt to check whether your immunizations are up to date.  I didn’t end up getting any or needing any boosters, but it’s good to inquire beforehand.  

You’ll also need to bring some baht, which is the currency in Thailand. Depending on where you call home, you might have to call your money exchange in advance.  It’s crazy how little we spent in Canadian dollars over the 9 days we were there, your money will go really far in Thailand!  My travel companion, Alex, and I both took money out at an ATM while we were in Thailand and it was safe enough, so don’t totally panic.  In terms of tipping, it is customary to leave a tip if you feel as though you received excellent service.  It’s also a smart idea to give your credit card a heads up that you’ll be out of the country if you feel like you might use it.

I really wish that I’d asked my phone provider about Thailand travel beforehand.  Wifi was terrible once we left Phuket and when I turned on my international roaming for 20 mins, I was hit with a $100 bill and they froze my data.  Turns out, my particular cell provider doesn’t have data roaming in Thailand, even though Alex’s phone was fine using data throughout the trip.  It was certainly a lesson learned for me, I’ll never travel overseas without checking on my phone plan first.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE

This was my first trip to Asia and if it’s also yours, it’s important to keep in mind that things can be offbeat there.  Try to keep an open mind and as our tour leader Matt said, “it’s not necessarily wrong, it’s different.”  Whenever you’re travelling to a foreign country, it’s best to use your usual common sense and show respect.  I usually try to learn basic phrases to greet and thank people in their language.

The following points are a few unique things about Thailand that are not meant to scare you but are just good-to-know facts in case any of this came up.

I didn’t realize this, but it’s best not to talk about the monarchy.  Thailand has very strict laws that prohibit anyone from criticizing the government in any way. The king is especially loved, and you will see his face everywhere, including their money, so handle it with care.

Based on Buddhist beliefs, the head is the most valued part of the body and the feet are the lowest.  This is important to know because it is extremely offensive to touch someone else’s head or to raise your feet or using them to point at things (not that you necessarily would, but still).  Our Contiki guide told us a cautionary tale about someone on one of his tours who dropped some of his baht on the ground and used his foot to stomp on it so that it didn’t blow away.  He was immediately arrested for stepping on the king’s face – eek!

You should NOT drink the tap water in Thailand.  We exclusively used bottled water.  For brushing our teeth, drinking, for everything.  Each hotel that we stayed at provided a few free bottles of water, but I’d make a trip to 7-11 (they’re everywhere in Thailand) to pick up extras.  You’ll definitely go through them!

The monkeys are actually quite aggressive and not only should you refrain from feeding them, but you also shouldn’t have anything of value around them or things that will entice them to grab at.  On Monkey Beach, one guy in our group had his phone in the pocket of his swim shorts and a monkey ripped the pocket in an attempt to steal his phone. I’m not even kidding!

I always wondered why in some places here in North America, there are bathroom signs with an image of a person standing and squatting on a toilet seat, telling people not to do this.  It seemed odd to me, but apparently, this is genuinely the way of using toilets in other places in the world. Outside of big cities in Thailand, they use squat toilets. We only came across them once in Krabi by the beach, but that’s why it’s probably a good idea to have tissues (that you definitely don’t flush) and hand sanitizer on hand at all times.  Unless you want to do your business authentic to the region, in which case, all the power to ya!

On a very different note, massage treatments in Thailand are super inexpensive compared to North American prices.  Lounging by the beach and then super cheap massages?  Thailand is heavenly!  I wish we’d gone for more, we only squeezed in two treatments during our time there.  A traditional Thai massage can be very intricate and they really kind of pull, crack and fling you around.  It sounds weird, but it works!  Alex and I both have sensitive backs, so we opted for foot massages both times. They did tend to our arms and back at the end for a few minutes, but it wasn’t so bad.

GETTING THERE + ARRIVAL

We flew Cathay Pacific from Vancouver to Hong Kong, which was such a great flight, I freaking love Cathay so much!  My longest journey to date, 12.5 hours in the air and it was extra comfortable thanks to a Premium Economy upgrade.  It was such an easy flight, I want to head back to Hong Kong again as soon as possible!  The airport in HK was lovely, though we had quite a trek to our gate to a connecting flight.  Our second Cathay flight was lovely, but my motion sickness got the best of me.  I really should have taken Gravol, now I know for my next big trip!

If you also land in Phuket and need a taxi, look for the metered taxi stand to the right on the sidewalk once you exit the airport.  We made sure that the price to our hotel was reasonable before leaving and our driver and the journey itself were lovely.  If you tend to get car sick, there are lots of hills, sharp turns, and winding roads, so plan accordingly.

TRANSPORTATION

Being on a tour, everything else was pre-arranged, so I cannot speak to specific shuttle companies or even how to book.  Every van shuttle that we took was enjoyable and a great way to go.

We did take two ferries while we were there and both experiences were fine.  When you board, everyone throws their luggage onto the boat (one time it was inside at the front and the second time it was on the deck at the back).  It can slow down the process of getting off the boat, but otherwise, it was kind of nice to ditch our bags for the ride. We had calm weather for both ferry rides, so besides a few people being hungover, we didn’t experience any seasickness.  Doesn’t hurt to have pills on you just in case, which they did sell some in 7-11 if you forget to bring any. On our second ferry ride, they actually even showed a movie and we got to spend the trip watching John Wick LOL.

I found walking in Phuket scary enough, I cannot imagine renting a scooter and navigating their chaotic roads.  If you are brave enough to do so, use extreme caution, as things are hectic on the roads, to say the least.

WHERE TO EAT

I always pack energy bars when I travel, but I did bring extra for this particular trip.  I’m a vegetarian with an egg allergy and was nervous about finding food that I could eat.  Turns out that Thai food has tons of veggie options and almost everywhere we ate understood and was accommodating to my questions and requests.  My friend Kanan, who is also a vegetarian, has a fish allergy and everyone was able to make sure there was no fish sauce in any of her dishes.  Alex and I would always Google the top rated restaurants near us or dine at places recommended by our tour guide and we always had really delicious meals.  There are some spices used in cooking there that can shock the system, so I found it best to stick with milder dishes, despite the fact that I loooove spicy food.  If you like sweet, the mango sticky rice is a must. 

PHUKET

Phuket was a perfect spot to begin our Thailand tour, as it has a busy city feel and really made me appreciate the beachy spots we ventured to afterward.  The way of life in Phuket was remarkable to witness.  Tangled power lines, the crowds at Phatong Beach, and bustling roads full of all kinds of vehicles.  Coming from North America, organized chaos is the best way to describe it.

We did a day tour on Alex’s birthday, to Wat Chalong Temple, Big Buddha, and Karon Beach, which I highly recommend.  We loved the tour and it was our favourite day in Phuket!

Since I had my usual jet lag, I didn’t get to experience any of the famous Phuket nightlife.  The rest of our tour group did and it was all quite memorable for them.

KOH PHI PHI

It was love at first sight in Koh Phi Phi.  It was the small Thai island feel that I’d always envisioned.  Some people claim it’s too overrun with tourists, which I cannot argue, especially if you were lucky enough to experience it before tourism there exploded, but it really didn’t bother me.  I still felt that connection to the island and sensed the magic.

The Koh Phi Phi viewpoint hike looked incredible and I’m sad that I didn’t end up having enough time to go.  We did do a boat tour of the Phi Phi islands, which was my absolute favourite day of the trip.  We stopped at Monkey Beach, swam and snorkelled in the most stunning clear water, and visited Maya Bay, the location where they filmed “The Beach”.

The nightlife in Koh Phi Phi was really fun, there’s no shortage of partying!  Oh, and we had some really yummy meals at Papaya restaurant!

KRABI

Our experience in Krabi was one-of-a-kind thanks to the Songkran celebrations.  We stayed at the Aonang Cliff Beach Resort, which we really liked.  They have an incredible infinity pool and delicious poolside food and drinks.  The location was great as well, with great restaurants all around and the beach just a short walk away.  We did a boat tour to Phang Nga Bay, where we canoed through amazing limestone caves and saw “James Bond Island”.  We also ate lunch at a floating village and then wandered around and finished the day at a fairly unpopulated beach on a small island.

On our last day, we took a long-tail boat to Railay Beach for an afternoon, that was gorgeous!   The nightlife in Krabi was fun, I wish I remembered the name of the bar we went to, but I am definitely not that organized.

And yeah, that’s basically it!  I wish that Alex and I had extended our trip and gone to Bangkok and Chiang Mai after the Contiki tour, but hey, I’ll just have to go back one day!  Have you been to Thailand?  What are your travel tips?  Would love to know in the comments below!