Traveling in Thailand on your own. Being a savage in Thailand is real: tips for holidays

Last week my sister came to visit us. For the first time I went to Thailand alone on a tour package. Due to the fact that she was flying to Asia for the first time, she had many organizational questions that arise for most tourists who travel to Thailand for the first time. Many beginners who are going on holiday to Thailand may find this information useful.

PREPARATION

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW ABOUT THAILAND

What a tourist needs to know about Thailand and always remember to avoid getting into trouble. Travel agencies don't talk about this, unfortunately. The Thai sun is relaxing, but never forget these simple tips:

• In Thailand, the king and his family are revered. Avoid any discussion of the king, including on the Internet. Cases of imprisonment for 20-30 years simply for a bad or humorous word addressed to the royal family are real and occur regularly.
• For drugs, imprisonment for decades. Yes, it’s true, every year many foreigners go to prison for using and transporting drugs. Have you seen the movie "Broken Palace" or "Bangkok Hilton"? If you are going to Thailand, under no circumstances should there be anything narcotic. Forget about weed. Do not agree to carry anything in your luggage if strangers ask you to do so.
• Electronic cigarettes and hookahs are banned in Thailand. You cannot carry or vape vapes with you. Problems with the police are guaranteed.
• Smoking is prohibited on the beaches. You can get a very large fine if you smoke on the beach.
• You can't feed fish in the sea. On excursions, do not throw anything into the sea for the fish. This could result in imprisonment or a fine of several thousand dollars.
• Quadcopters (drones) are prohibited. Huge fines or imprisonment for using drones without registering each device with the police. It’s easier not to take it and do without video from above than to fool around with it.
• Standard insurance does not apply if you rent a bike. Even if they were sober. For insurance to be valid, you need to: a) enable this additional option, b) have category A license. So, take the bike at your own peril and risk, if something happens, the insurance company will not pay for the treatment.
• Insurance is not valid if you have drunk alcohol. If the injuries were sustained while intoxicated, even if you drank a can of beer, that’s all, there will be a refusal. More information on insurance
• Don't try Jackfruit (breadfruit). In many people it causes a severe allergic reaction.
• When renting a bike, do not leave your passport as deposit. It often happens that your passport is taken hostage and then they demand money to repair the bike on which you allegedly had an accident.
• Divorces when renting housing from Russians and Europeans. Do not send money to anyone who offers to help you book accommodation online. There are normal people, of course, but most of these pseudo-realtors from the Internet are scammers. A lot of divorces take place according to this scenario, when money was sent, they arrived and it turned out that there was no housing, no money, and there was no trace of the assistant. Do not give in to any persuasion, even if he sends you a scan of your passport.

What to take with you to Thailand

Take a minimum of everything with you, especially clothes. For the first day, 2-3 T-shirts, 1 shorts, 1 skirt will be enough. Don’t buy anything in Moscow, here it all costs a penny - 200-400 rubles for one thing. In any case, you will start shopping here when you see what bright and cheap clothes there are, so take a minimum of things.

The shoes are also very cheap. All you need in terms of shoes are flip-flops, which cost 100 rubles here if you don’t have your own. You won't need sneakers or shoes, just extra weight and space in your luggage.

Don’t buy a swimsuit in Moscow either - in Thailand you can actually buy a normal swimsuit for 500-800 rubles (and in Moscow for 3000). It’s just that when you find out how much all this actually costs, you won’t be able to overpay in Moscow.

Sun protection products in Moscow cost a fortune. Here we take Nivea 50 sunscreen for 199 baht (400 rubles). I think even with this course it will be cheaper to buy the cream in Thailand.

Fashionable shorts for 129 baht (260 rubles). How much do these cost in Russia? From 1500 rubles for a noname to 8000 rubles for a “brand”...

What not to take

100% you will not need evening dresses, high heels, sneakers, jeans, trousers, long sleeve sweaters, windbreakers... Jeans and trousers are hot even at night. Sneakers will definitely not be useful. Unless you plan to climb mountains or ride a motorcycle.

Don’t take any equipment except a phone/tablet and a camera.

Don't take a towel with you. Even the cheapest hotels always have towels that are changed every day.

Shampoos, soaps, shower gels, and toothpaste also don’t need to be carried with you; at any 7-Eleven, all this is sold in small jars for 20 baht. Also, the hotel often provides free shampoo and soap during cleaning.

Under no circumstances should you take hookahs, vapes and other electronic cigarettes with you! Prohibited by law throughout the country.

What money to take to Thailand and how much?

Take it as much as you can more money with me to Thailand. There will be a lot of temptations, since everything is very cheap and you really want to buy it. It depends on what your requests are, but on average $1000 for two people is definitely enough for a vacation. If you don’t have a lot of money, then $500 will be enough, but you’ll have to save money, don’t take a taxi, don’t eat in expensive cafes for tourists, but eat at markets, 7-Eleven or , and reduce the number of excursions. But it’s better to take more money and save money later in Moscow.

What currency should I take? Dollars or euros? Dollars. Euros are also possible. If you have euro cash, take it. If you have rubles, then exchange them for dollars. Ask the exchanger only for large bills of 50 and 100 bucks— the exchange rate for them is higher than for small ones. Exchange all rubles for dollars, the more you take, the better.

FLIGHT

Do not take any liquids, scissors, or spray deodorants with you into the cabin of the plane (in case you don’t know). It seems that liquids can be up to 100 ml, that is, nail polish will most likely be missed, but you will have to buy water after all the hassle. You can take water on the plane that you buy at duty free. Is it possible to take perfume on a plane? If it is less than 100 ml, then you can take it with you in your hand luggage.

Nail scissors, nail files, and disinfectant spray are definitely not allowed. Lighters are also often taken out.

Do not put anything valuable in your luggage - take money, documents, equipment with you into the cabin in a backpack.

What weight of luggage is allowed - usually up to 20 kg per person. Is it possible to pack your luggage in 2 bags if you are flying alone? No, only 1 piece of luggage per person.

Life hack: you can wrap a suitcase with regular cling film for 50 rubles. At the airport, wrapping luggage costs 500 rubles.

If you get motion sickness in transport, take Dramamine before the flight (this is a pill for motion sickness)

Another tip is to take something to eat with you. Sandwiches, chips, peanuts - something like that. Because you really want to eat, but the food will only be available an hour after departure. At the airport the prices are brutal, for example, a small peanut costs 100 rubles. In duty free, with the current exchange rate, everything has now also become very expensive.

FOREIGN AIRPORT

How to navigate an airport abroad? There is no need to worry, everything is usually logically clear there. You will most likely not need to speak English with anyone, but understanding the language will be useful to find the transporter from your flight.

Just follow the signs there:

• arrival - arrival
• passport control - here you will need to fill out a card, everything is simple, last name, first name, hotel
• baggage or luggage - conveyors
• flight N — flight number from which the baggage

At the airport, take a trolley and throw the stuff on it so you don’t have to drag it in your hands.

Don't change money at the airport, the exchange rate is the lowest there. 10-20 dollars can be exchanged to buy some water or a snack.

Local SIM cards may be handed out at the airport, grab one for yourself. Don’t call from a Russian number, it’s very expensive, more than 150 rubles per minute, in extreme cases an SMS is 20 rubles.

After collecting your luggage, where to go? With your luggage you walk towards the exit. A person from the travel agency (Russian) will meet you near the exit or on the street. At the exit, look for the tour operator's sign. It was the operator, Pegasus, Corel, Anex or whoever will be there, and not the site where I bought it. A person from the company may even be standing on the street where the taxi is.

TRANSFER

The package includes transfer to the hotel in the price. At the airport, a guide from the travel agency will meet you and lead you by the hand to the desired bus. The bus will bring you directly to the hotel door. There at the reception you will be accommodated with your passport and voucher. On the bus they will say something interesting in Russian about the country; the guide usually always greets you with a Russian.

If you don’t want to go on a bus with all the tourists, turn it down to the travel agency and order a private transfer.

CHECK IN HOTEL

To check in, you need to give your passport and voucher at the reception. Some hotels may require you to pay a deposit, which is returned upon check-out.

The room may have a so-called “minibar”. Usually this is a small refrigerator in which there are several cans of beer, cola, soda, and there may also be chips, nuts, and chocolate. All this is paid, and 2 times more expensive than in the store. Usually 2 bottles of water are free. Payment for minibar upon check-out. You can check at the reception what is paid and what is not.

Life hack: if you really want to drink something from the minibar, you can drink it, and in the morning before cleaning, run to the store and buy exactly the same bottle at a normal price and put it in the bar.

If the bed is dirty or there are not enough towels, contact the reception, they will change everything (just don’t “pump up your license”, but calmly explain the situation with a friendly smile).

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

Don’t be ashamed of your English, as the locals don’t know it perfectly either, many are much worse than you. Pronunciation? Grammar? Time? No, we haven't heard. In practice, everything is simpler, and no one pays attention to grammar.

If you are flying on a package tour, in principle you may not know the language at all. We often see our aunties here, rubbing something in Russian with the Thais. And they don’t understand a word, then the aunts begin to speak in syllables or raise their voices. The main rule of communication is to smile, be calm, and not raise your voice. If you can’t explain something in words, show with gestures.

INFORMATION MEETING WITH GUIDE

A meeting with a guide is a waste of time, since the guide will give a minimum of information and spend most of the meeting selling overpriced excursions. So, it is not necessary to come to the meeting at all. Especially if they start intimidating you on the bus that at the meeting with the guide you need to fill out a registration card for the tourist police or activate your insurance or something like that. This is a 100% scam, there are no cards for the police, there is no need to activate insurance and air tickets, all this does not concern the guide at all. The main task of a hotel guide is to promote you on an excursion.

HORRY STORIES OF HOTEL GUIDES

For some reason, many guides try to intimidate package tourists. I don’t know why, maybe so that there would be fewer adventures and he wouldn’t be disturbed once again. Or to sell your excursions, and people should be afraid of everything else. In general, here are the most popular intimidations of guides:

• In Thailand, there are poisonous snakes under every bush…….. During the year and a half of living in Thailand (Pattaya, Krabi, Phuket), we probably saw snakes 2-3 times. What is the probability that you will see a snake in 10 days of vacation?
• Thailand is very dangerous. Don’t go anywhere on your own, just the hotel and the beach……. Well, no comments here. Complete nonsense. In Thailand it is safer to go somewhere on your own than in Russia. Well, maybe it’s not worth walking around at night dark streets When lighting the road with an iPad, you shouldn’t go into the jungle or swim in stinking rivers.
• You must attend the information meeting with your guide. If you don’t come, your insurance and air tickets will not be activated, you will be taken to the police, as you will need to fill out a registration card……… Also complete nonsense, the guide has no effect on either air tickets or insurance, they are “activated” from the day of purchase tour. There is no need to take any cards to the police. All this is just so that you buy excursions from him.
• Don’t buy excursions from street travel agencies, your insurance is not valid there……… Nonsense, insurance is valid everywhere and it has nothing to do with your guide. Does not apply if the insured event occurred while drunk. Read more.
• All Thais want to deceive you……… In fact, there is some truth, they often try to deceive tourists at the market for higher prices, but the hotel guide deceives you much more, telling all these horror stories, and then offers excursions that will cost 2 times more -3 times real value.
• You can’t put money in your back pocket, you can’t put money on the table, only give it to your hands, etc……. These are all myths. One thing you really shouldn't do with Thai money is paint the faces on it.

EXCURSIONS

You can take excursions from a guide from a travel agency, or from street agencies (cheaper), as well as from online services. Insurance will be valid in both places, despite the guide’s assurances that street travel agencies do not pay for insurance. The guide has nothing to do with insurance at all actually. Insurance does not pay if injuries are sustained while intoxicated or while driving a motorbike.

In fact, everything will be simple. Traveling on a package tour to Thailand for the first time is not at all stressful. There are many more nuances when traveling to Thailand on your own.

Dear readers, if you have experience traveling to Thailand, write in the comments what other useful tips will be useful on vacation and what tourists who are going to Asia for the first time need to know about Thailand.

1) There is no such country as Thailand! The country is called Thailand!

2) What currency should I bring to Thailand?

The country's currency is the Thai baht. Stable regional currency. Widely used in Laos, partly in Cambodia and in the border states of Myanmar. No one needs dollars, euros, and especially rubles, they are not accepted for payment - you will still change at exchange offices - it is better to do this not on the street but in bank branches: in any of them there is an exchange, but there are no queues or rudeness. It is better to change large sums of over 10,000 USD in trusted Chinese exchangers - ask the old-timers. Take a dollar card and withdraw baht from it, or a ruble card if you don’t have a dollar card. For insurance (if your cash is stolen), you can get a credit card, the best one is from Alpha and

3) If you see an elegant image of a man on calendars inside houses, on framed portraits, on billboards or in any other places, it is almost certainly the King. If there is a woman in the image, it is the Queen. Thais idolize the royal family. The king really did a lot for the people. (Addition: Bhumibol Adulyadej - King of Thailand, died on October 13, 2016)

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4) You shouldn’t joke about the King, even in Russian. For insulting the Royals there is a punishment, including prison. For the same reason, you should not throw money, burn it, tear it, or step on it. There is an image of the King on every banknote and coin.

5) Thais are extremely tolerant. Tourists will be forgiven for any absurd appearance, treacherous violation of local customs, minor offenses. But this does not mean that you should behave like a complete pig, get drunk until you squeal, or walk around the city center in only swimming trunks.

6) Thais do not know how to say the word “no”. Therefore, if you cannot get an answer to some question for a long time, then you just need to retreat: ask another Thai in another place or abandon the original idea.

7) All the beaches of the country belong to the King. And they are allowed for free use by all local residents and guests of the country, without exception. This means that by coastline you can move freely, lie free on your mat anywhere, even if there is a five-star hotel opposite; usually the private territory of such hotels is fenced off with a decorative fence or other obvious elements.

There are no private beaches in the country. No one has the right to charge any fee for using the beach. The exception is the territories national parks, for which a fee is charged for visiting.

8) Everything is fine with aviation in the country. There are large low-cost airlines, the most famous: Nok Air and Thai Smile. Traditional airlines: and. And regional airlines, for example Kan Air and R airlines, whose existence is even local residents they can hardly guess. There are airports in the capital of each province and in others major cities and tourist centers.

Tickets are available to everyone. The average price for a flight within the country is 1000 baht. On sales you can get it for 300 baht. For some holidays and destinations, prices can reach up to 5,000 baht. The difference in prices between traditional and low-cost airlines is negligible, especially when you factor in baggage and other costs (for example), sometimes low-cost airlines have higher prices!

Tickets from Moscow in both directions cost from 20,000 rubles ()

9) There are two airports in Bangkok. Bangkok Airlines also fly from the first (Suvarnabhumi) - this is a large international terminal, with a metro going to it.

From the second (Dong Muang) low-cost airlines and nok air. There is a free shuttle between airports. It is better to go from the city to it by taxi. The airports are located at different ends of the city, but are connected by toll highways

10) The bus network covers everything settlements. Comfortable buses with air conditioning, comfortable sleeping chairs and toilets operate over long distances. There are buses with individual multimedia entertainment systems or a massager in the back of the seat. As a rule, all routes lead to Bangkok. There are a small number of direct buses between tourist centers. A wide variety of transport operates on regional routes: buses with air conditioning and regular seats, buses without air conditioning, minibuses, songthaew (pickup truck with a closed passenger body).

Unfortunately, according to one statistics, the number of accidents on the roads remains first in the world. It is advisable to buckle up on buses; there are times when they fly off the road.

11) There are rare, strange cases of missing luggage or individual items from luggage. It is better to travel only on official buses, tickets for which are purchased at the bus station at the ticket office. This will provide you with a guarantee of safety and liability for lost or stolen luggage.

In tourist areas they offer tickets for illegal charter buses. They are often cheaper. This is compensated by inconvenient transfers or the imposition of excursions or hotels upon arrival. These buses can arrive in places remote from the city, from where it is not easy to get out. And it is in such buses that cases of theft occur.

12) Less luck with trains. If memory serves, there are only five branches. North to Chiang May, south to Malaysia and further to Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, and so on all sorts of shoots and stubs. Trains are incredibly late. on a 12-hour route they may be 6-9 hours late. There was a case when in 2 weeks a train derailed in the same place 6 times. After major repairs to open this section, the train derailed once again along with the Minister of Transport.

13) Bangkok is a name for foreigners. The Thais call the city Krungthep. Plan a stop in Bangkok for at least 2 days, in addition to the royal palace and Wat Arun, there are even alien sectarians there!

14) Farang is a name for a foreigner. Contrary to popular belief, it is not offensive. Applies to people of European appearance.

15) Thais are terrible nationalists. Foreigners will never be put on the same level as themselves, but this does not mean that they will put themselves higher - no, just as if on the sidelines. Europeans are treated well, in wild places they even idolize them. They don't like Hindus, Chinese and blacks.

16) Absolute tolerance in matters of sexual orientation. In this country, everyone can identify themselves as any gender according to their feelings, regardless of the presence of body parts or, for example, clothing. The classification of possible varieties is very extensive and without one hundred grams it is impossible to understand it.

17) Contrary to popular misconceptions, outside the tourist zones of debauchery, the country is extremely puritanical. After drawing a picture of breasts on a federal channel, without any hint of eroticism, a huge scandal broke out.

There are no sex shops in the country and all such products are illegal. If you are lucky, a foreigner can order a parcel from abroad or use the black market.

18) There is a death penalty for drugs in the country. For consumption, a tourist can be fined and deported, but most likely they will extort a bribe. There are raids in nightclubs and places with a bad reputation.

19) There is no presumption of innocence in the country. That is, you will have to prove that you did not commit illegal actions.

Martial law is still in effect, giving the military and police virtually unlimited power.

In practice, everything is not so scary. Foreigners are of interest only to officers from the migration service, and even then only at the moment of crossing the border or during visits to the office for those who live in the country. Tourists are of no interest to anyone in principle.

20) Tipping is not accepted in Thai places. In very wild places they won’t even understand why you left the money. IN tourist places You can leave a tip, but if you don’t do this, no one will be offended.

21) The rainy season is an amorphous concept. He is in different places in the country at different times.

The rain does not interfere in any way; it usually falls no more than an hour a day and mainly at night. You can and should go to Thailand at any time. Moreover, in the off-season in summer, a trip can become several times cheaper, but not a bit worse.

22) It’s always hot in Thailand. With the exception of the far north in winter. However, you will definitely need one warm item. There's a creepy glacier on planes, buses, movie theaters and shopping malls. Always take warm clothes to such places.

23) If in Bangkok they tell you that some place is closed and today is a day off, don’t believe it. This is the most important wiring. You will be offered an alternative excursion with a stop at shops.

For the same reason, you shouldn't take a tuk-tuk in Bangkok. You are almost guaranteed to be taken to a store whose owner issues gas coupons to the driver.

24) It’s better to get around Bangkok by taxi. No matter how strange it may sound, if there are two or more of you, then a trip by metro will be more expensive than a taxi.

If you have the skill to put on a serious face and point your finger at the meter, then you will be taken at the official price. A trip within 2-3 metro stations will cost 50-60 baht. A trip through the whole city, if there are no traffic jams, costs 100-120 baht. My most expensive trip lasted 2 hours and 37 kilometers and cost 210 baht.

You only have to catch a taxi that is coming. A red light means it is free. If there is no light, it means it's busy.

Guaranteed by the meter you can leave from special stands at large shopping centers. True, the queue is sometimes 10-15 minutes long. At the hotel, it is better to ask the staff to arrange a taxi. Then, again, you are guaranteed to be taken to the meter.

In Chiang Mai, the most affordable transport is Song Thaew, here it looks like big red cars (you can't go wrong) - for 20 baht they will take you in a taxi around the city center, picking up other passengers along the way. Uber and Grab also launched in Chiang May.

37) Is it possible to go to Thailand with children?

Thailand is an ideal country for traveling with children. Thais adore children, and they just idolize the children of foreigners. You will never be left in trouble and will be happy to look after your child anywhere.

You can often see mothers taking their children with them to work. To a massage parlor, hairdresser or store. This is absolutely normal. Children do not bother anyone and children in Thailand can do anything.

38) Contrary to popular misconceptions, not all dishes in Thai cuisine are extremely spicy. There are a huge number of completely non-spicy dishes. Just really, really.

A tourist has virtually no chance of distinguishing a spicy dish from a non-spicy one. The only way out is to order another dish, some kind of pancake. Food still costs pennies.

39) In Thai, the emphasis is on the last syllable of a word. Foreign words (mainly names) should also be pronounced with emphasis on the last syllable, so they will understand you faster. I asked for a long time whether there was a mAcro store in Krabi and they refused to understand me. But when I asked about macro, they immediately told me the way to it. The same applies to popular stores 7-11 not sEven, but sevEn

40) A SIM card can be bought at any 7-11. They are often given out free of charge right at the airport upon arrival. Travel packages are almost guaranteed to have instructions in Russian inside. Or buy for travel.

41) Thai names are long, complex and incomprehensible to a foreigner. Therefore, everyone who works in tourism seems to have a simple and understandable name for a foreigner consisting of 2-3 letters: em, pie, may, fight...

42) You are almost guaranteed not to get malaria. Unless you're wandering around remote jungles for months at a time. Although Dengue fever exists (it exists even in space-modern Singapore), it is also carried by mosquitoes, there are no vaccinations or treatment for it, but no more people die than from the flu. There are more dangers in Russia.

43) Snakes, scorpions, scolopendras - there are somewhere in the forests. Sometimes you can see them from afar, but they are more afraid of you than you are of them.

44) Thais do not eat beetles, worms and locusts. This is entertainment for tourists and food for migrant workers from Cambodia. Thais eat chicken and rice, sometimes pork. But cows are not held in high esteem, both with meat and dairy products. Cheeses and sausages are a terrible delicacy.

45) There is a separate tourist police for tourists. She speaks reasonable English and helps resolve any everyday conflicts, look for forgotten things and lost documents.

Sometimes foreign volunteers are on duty at public events; they are registered with the tourist police and speak different languages.

Using Thai driving directions (on business cards or in brochures) is AD. The scales are not observed on them, but simply the indicated guidelines are schematically in their own way.

47) Thailand has never been anyone's colony. Although certain areas of individual cities are currently practically occupied by foreigners.

48) In public places: in markets, parks, stadiums, train stations, the national anthem can be performed at 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning, and at 5 and 6 o'clock in the evening. If all the Thais stopped or stood up, you should follow their example out of respect. Although you, as a tourist, do not have to do this. In the cinema, before the screening, they also play the anthem and show a film about the King.

Important:

It was customary for Soviet citizens to go on vacation as “savages” who did not have access to the voucher distribution system. In those days, sanatoriums and hotels were inaccessible to ordinary people. The most an ordinary factory worker could hope for was to go to a regional rest home. And that’s not every year. The youth could not afford this either.

Therefore, young people went on trips on their own, often without a specific route. And it was truly a “savage” vacation. In the main destinations - in Crimea and Sochi - almost all accommodation places were represented by the private sector, without any civilized amenities. This was a budget holiday option.

What does it mean to be a savage today? And how can savages travel to Thailand?

Independent travel or backpacking

Today, a savage vacation involves at least two strategies for traveler behavior:

• self-organized trip.

Backpacking is inherently similar to the “savage” form of recreation for Soviet people.

Backpackers are predominantly young people who are characterized by the following behavioral strategy:

• stay in the cheapest hostels, houses, including in the private sector of Thailand, and can live in tent camps;
• do not make demands on service and comfort;
• often do not have a specific route;
• can live in backpacking mode for a week, a month, or six months;
• consumer behavior of backpackers is budgetary.

Going wild to Thailand is the perfect backpacker trip:

• it is always warm in this country;
• friendly and friendly people;
• Thailand is the safest Asian country;
• you can find very cheap accommodation, for example, for $5 per person per night;
• cheap food - if you want, you can spend $6 a day for two people, and if you cook it yourself, you can reduce expenses; fruits – 20 baht per kg;
• there are traditional backpacker vacation spots - for example, the islands of Koh Chang and Koh Phangan with houses on the very shore and daily open air events.

What a backpacker gets: freedom of choice and maximum savings. A self-organized trip may not be backpacking at all. Meanwhile, out of old habit, he will also be classified as a savage recreation. Although there is practically no traditional “savagery” left in it.

Behavioral strategy for people traveling independently – non-backpackers:

• as a rule, they completely think through the route;
• have limited travel time and a return plane ticket;
• book accommodation in advance;
• stop in places where they like;
• want to see a certain level of service;
• as a rule, they have funds for vacation comparable to those that can be paid for a trip organized by a travel agency.

What does a person traveling independently get: the opportunity to organize their vacation the way they want. Today, a savage holiday can be either very cheap with accommodation in a tent, or very expensive with a stay in 4-5 star hotels.

Pros and cons of independent holidays in Thailand

Should you go to Thailand as a savage?

pros

Freedom of movement. Today you can be in Phuket, tomorrow in Pattaya, and the day after tomorrow. And this, of course, is the main advantage of being a savage.

• You can also travel by your own transport.
• If this is difficult, Thailand has a well-developed bus service.
• All popular tourist areas and large settlements are connected by air.

You can choose where to stay. We didn’t like the hotel/bungalow/hostel, so we’re looking for a new option, looking at it and, if we like it, moving. Optional: always a good view from the window; shop, beach, travel agency, nightlife nearby.

Living not surrounded by tourists from the CIS. This is not a plus for everyone: many, on the contrary, feel more comfortable among their compatriots and people who speak their language. But for those who want to rent an apartment, say, in Bangkok from the direct owner and live in the capital of Thailand like an ordinary Thai, traveling on your own would be the best option.

If we talk about backpackers, they have a habit of grouping internationally. You can find yourself among the Europeans and Australians who travel a lot as savages to Thailand, make acquaintances with them and improve your English.

Minuses

The language barrier. A classic difficulty that haunts all strangers. But in Thailand this is not too much of a hassle. All inscriptions are duplicated in English. People who are in daily contact with tourists possess and successfully use a minimum set of English words. If you are not going to a completely remote Thai village, then basic knowledge in English can solve the problem of the language barrier.

You need to have the ability to self-organize. Booking a room, booking an excursion, renting a car, getting to a remote island, avoiding getting lost in the Bangkok metro, planning time in a foreign country - all this requires an active attitude towards life. Not everyone can organize themselves successfully. That’s why most people prefer tours with an already prepared program: they left the hotel, boarded a bus, arrived at the place, and returned to the hotel on the same bus.

It takes a lot of time to get your bearings. Imagine that you need to get from point A to point B. How to do this, you have no idea. You can ask at the hotel reception, or ask the owner of the rental property, or a taxi driver, or ask in a search engine.

One way or another, all this takes time, planning in advance. It is possible that you can get confused. However, if you are traveling as a wild person, for example, to Phuket and do not plan to leave the island somewhere, then this minus does not seem to exist.

If you are used to being independent and don’t like spending time in groups, then going to Thailand as a wild person would be the right decision.

Just don’t think that a “savage” vacation in Thailand will certainly be cheaper than one organized by a travel agency. It is likely that it will be even more expensive.

How much does it cost to vacation in Thailand as a savage?

Let's consider 2 options:

• budget backpacking;
• independent travel on an average budget.

Table. Calculation of an approximate budget for a savage holiday in Thailand

Expenditure	1 option,$ per person			Option 2,$ per person
	1 day	15 days	1 month	1 day	15 days	1 month
Accommodation	6	90	180	15	225
	4	60	120	10	150
Entertainment and excursions	40 (once every three days)	200	400	40	600
Transport	10 (once every three days)	50	100	10	150
Souvenirs	50
Other expenses	3	45	90	6	90
TOTAL	29,6	495	940	81	1315

The calculation is approximate and very average. The results obtained may deviate more (more likely) or less (less likely).

Factors influencing this are standard:

• season;
• influx of tourists;
• resting-place.

For example, in Pattaya and Phuket, a vacation will cost significantly more than, for example, in Trat or in. Not to mention the northern provinces, where even for $15 a day you can afford very wasteful backpacking.

If you are going to visit different parts of Thailand and plan to use air travel within the country, then your budget should be expanded. Each flight will cost $20-$120. Moreover, on some routes Bangkok Airways dominates without alternative. This means that tickets are more likely to be $100 than $20.

The above calculation does not include the cost of international flights to Thailand. For example:

• Moscow – Bangkok: $500 (direct), $400 (with transfer).
• Moscow – Phuket: $800 (direct), $500 (with transfer).

Let's first decide why you decided to go to Thailand on your own? Many people think that they travel to Thailand on their own only because it is cheaper. But it is not so.

I’ll tell you a few reasons that independent travelers don’t like to talk about.

People travel to Thailand on their own to:

1. Relax not as a “herd”, but individually. To avoid crowds and relax in a calm environment.
2. Stay in Thailand for more than the standard 10-14 days.
3. Stay in a good hotel. Really good! But at the right price. Many tourists don’t even realize what luxurious accommodation independent travelers can stay in at an incredibly low price. In Thailand you can rent a house from $300 per month or a villa with a pool from $800 per month - no travel agency will offer this. And this is especially convenient if you are traveling with a child. You can rent an apartment with a kitchen or a villa with a sea view. In this post below I will give a link to excellent inexpensive apartments with a kitchen in Phuket.
4. People go to Thailand on their own when they want not only to lie on the beach all day long, but also to travel to different places. For example, 3 days in Bangkok, 5 days in Phuket, then travel around the islands.

If you just want the cheapest prices in Thailand, and living conditions are not at all important to you, and you are traveling for no more than a week, then it is better to buy the most cheap tour on sale in the summer.

But for those who want to get the most out of their holiday in Thailand, read on.

Step-by-step instructions: how to travel to Thailand on your own, without a travel agency

Russians do not need a visa to Thailand when traveling for up to 30 days. If there are more, then you need to do it, but for the first independent trip To Thailand, 30 days is quite enough. Therefore, plan your trip within these dates. Please note that the day of arrival is the first day, and the day of departure is the last.
A foreign passport is required. English is not required.

How to buy an inexpensive air ticket to Thailand

It is better to start looking for tickets 6 months before your trip. If you want to buy a ticket to Thailand inexpensively, then it is better to use the price comparison for different airlines, For example, .

Where is the best place to book a hotel in Thailand?

Prices: expensive on holidays, cheap in the off-season. The most low prices from May 1 to October 30. The highest from December 15 to January 15, as well as on Chinese New Year.
To avoid any unpleasant surprises, book through trusted sites. I like Booking most of all - the lowest price guarantee, honest reviews, convenient filters for finding a hotel, and certainly the hotel will be like in the photo. I choose a rating of at least 8.5 and look at the reviews.

Hotel prices in Thailand:

Do you need insurance in Thailand?

Definitely needed. Insurance is not required to cross the border, but tourists go to the hospital much more often than in other countries (exotic viruses, poisoning, fractures) and are very surprised when they find out that the cost of medicine is more expensive than in Europe. When tourists receive a bill for 1000 euros for a day in the hospital, this greatly spoils their vacation. Moreover, before entering the hospital, the price is not mentioned. Usually they say “well, about 300 dollars,” and then they roll out a bill for 1000 - a common situation. You can’t leave Thailand without paying your medical bills – there are already too many such cases. Therefore, it is better to immediately buy insurance and drive safely.

Which insurance is better to take?

This has already been written about more than once, I will not repeat it - read it (at the end of the post).

That's it - it's that simple!
However, I know that many people are afraid for the first time and often ask for help buying tickets and hotels from intermediaries. Do not do that! To avoid scammers, do not trust anyone with your money and do everything yourself.

Let's look at the specific easiest route on how to go.

First time to Thailand. Independent route No. 1 for a beginner - going to Phuket

So, how to go on holiday to Thailand, to Phuket on your own.

1. Buy air tickets to Thailand yourself

To find tickets by best price, let's use the airline search. We find the tickets we need and buy them. Tickets will be sent by email - you need to print them out.

2. Book a hotel

If you have never been to Phuket, then when booking a hotel, first select or view.
Don't have time to figure it out? Then see Kata Beach or Karon Beach. Kata - inexpensive nice beach, Karon - a beach with white squeaky sand. However, they are nearby and walking from one to the other will take about 20 minutes. Or you can take a few days on one and a few on the other. We are now independent!

Very good inexpensive hotel The Beach by Glitter House:

This hotel doesn't just have rooms, it... apartment with a small equipped kitchen, where there are dishes, a kettle, a microwave, a stove and a refrigerator. The rooms have a balcony with an excellent open view (which is rare in Phuket for inexpensive hotels). At the same time, the hotel is located in a quiet place, there is no evening noise. The beach is about 3 minutes walk.

There are many good hotels in Phuket. Here are the discounts and special offers:

We choose and book a hotel.
Hotel reservations will be sent by e-mail - you need to print them out.

3. Insurance

We buy insurance - if we want reliable insurance with a 10% discount, then we look for a discount.
The insurance will be sent by e-mail - you need to print it out and always carry it with you while on vacation in Thailand.

4. Mobile communications: you need a local SIM card

To always stay in touch with friends and family in Thailand, you need to take care of inexpensive mobile communications in advance. Here's a life hack: 3 days before your trip, order a Thai 4G SIM card online - - discounts up to 50%!
A SIM card is valid for 8 days, so if you are vacationing longer, order 2-3 pieces at once, otherwise you will have to buy it on the spot at full price.

Upon arrival, at Phuket Airport (Terminal 2), go to the ground floor to the DTAC provider kiosk. Show the employee a printed (or on your smartphone) voucher with a QR code and receive a Thai SIM card. The dtac kiosk is open 24 hours a day.

5. What else to take with you to Thailand

On the day of departure, we take a passport and printouts of air tickets, insurance, hotel reservations, and, of course, bank cards and money (depending on your plans). The rest is optional.
You should not take a fur coat and felt boots with you to Tai - it is better to get to the airport by taxi in light clothes. It’s always hot in Thailand, so trousers and a sweater will be enough, everything else for relaxation can be done upon arrival.

6. Upon arrival in Phuket

Upon exiting the plane, we move along with everyone else. After passing through customs, we proceed to the exit from the airport. The airport in Phuket is small, it is impossible to get lost. Before going out, don’t miss the kiosk that sells tickets for transfers to the beaches. We are looking for the inscription “Minibus”.
In the photo on the left are prices for a taxi, on the right are prices for a minibus (3-4 times cheaper). If you are traveling with four, it is better to take a taxi.

We show the auntie at the ticket office the hotel reservation (she needs the address and name of the hotel where to take her), she will sell the ticket. Then we go out onto the street with a ticket in our hands. People will immediately run up, show your ticket and get into a taxi or minibus, which will be shown to you. Let’s clarify: “Caron?”
The minibus looks like this:

In the photo: a minivan at the exit from Phuket airport

A minibus will take you to the hotel. If the hotel is small, then the bus may not go directly to the door, but drop you off nearby. Therefore, it is better to determine in advance on the map or by determining exactly where the hotel is located.
At the hotel you will only need to show your passport and you will be accommodated.

7. How to communicate? Where to buy excursions?

In Phuket, there are restaurants with menus in Russian everywhere, and excursions where everything is in Russian - there will definitely not be any problems with the language. We just leave the hotel, walk down the street and see what we like - there are signs everywhere, it’s impossible to miss. However, it would be nice to remember a couple of dozen words in English before the trip :)

It so happened that we arrived in the small, relatively secluded town of Rewalsar in the Himalayas quite late, so late that the small, sleepy and lazy provincial hotels had a hard time bothering with our check-in. The hotel owners shrugged their shoulders, shook their heads and waved their hands somewhere towards the night and slammed the doors in our faces. But we were willingly, although not free of charge, accepted to live in a guest house on the territory of the Tibetan Buddhist monastery on the shore of the lake.

As often happens in Tibetan places, our meeting and accommodation were handled by an Indian, since it was not appropriate Tibetan monks deal with money and worldly matters. In addition, the monastery had been immersed in the darkness of night for several hours, and the monks needed to get enough sleep so that tomorrow early in the morning they would have to go to meditation with a cheerful and pious face. The Indian who gave us the keys to the world told us about this and other sorrows of the world. hotel room, and in order to somehow console himself, he insistently recommended that we attend this event at seven in the morning.

The main topics are below: buses and trains, air tickets and visas, health and hygiene, safety, choosing a route, hotels, food, required budget. The relevance of this text is spring 2017.

Hotels

“Where will I live there?” - for some reason this question is very, simply terribly annoying for those who have not yet traveled to India. There is no such problem. There are a dime a dozen hotels there. The main thing is to choose. Next we are talking about inexpensive, budget hotels.

In my experience, there are three main ways to find a hotel.

Spiral

Typically you will arrive at new town by bus or train. So there is almost always a great mass of hotels around them. Therefore, it is enough to move a little away from the place of arrival and start walking in a circle with an ever-increasing radius in order to come across many hotels. Inscriptions "Hotel" throughout large parts of India, it indicates a place where you can eat, so the main landmarks are signs "Guest house" And "Lounge".

In areas of mass idleness (Goa, the resorts of Kerala, the Himalayas), the private sector is developed, well, like we have on the Black Sea coast. There you can inquire about housing from local population and follow the signs " Rent"In Buddhist places you can live in monasteries, in Hindu places in ashrams.

The further you move from the bus or railway station, the lower the prices, but hotels are becoming less and less common. So you look at several hotels that are acceptable in price and quality and return to the chosen one.

If you are traveling in a group, then you can send one or two people lightly to find a hotel while the rest wait at the station with their things.

If the hotel refuses and says that the hotel is only for Indians, then insisting on check-in is practically useless.

Ask a taxi driver

For those who have a lot of luggage or are simply too lazy to look. Or you want to settle near a landmark, for example, the Taj Mahal, and not near the train station. Even in large cities there are places where tourists traditionally gather: in Delhi it is Main Bazaar, in Calcutta it is Sader Street, in Bombay it is also called something, but I forgot, that is, you have to go there in any case.

In this case, find an auto-rickshaw or taxi driver and set the task of where you want to live, in what conditions and for what approximately money. In this case, they can sometimes take you to the desired hotel for free, and even show you several places to choose from. It is clear that the price immediately increases; there is no point in haggling, since the taxi driver’s commission is already included in the price. But sometimes, when you are lazy or in the middle of the night, using this method can be very convenient.

Book online

This is for those who like certainty and guarantees, more comfort and less adventure.

Well, if you book in advance, then book hotels of higher quality and not too cheap (at least $30-40 per room), because otherwise there is no guarantee that in reality everything will be as wonderful as in the photographs. They also complained to me that sometimes they arrived at a booked hotel, and the rooms, despite the reservation, were already occupied. The hotel owners were not embarrassed, they said that a client came with money, and the client with cash did not have the willpower to refuse. The money was returned, of course, but it’s still a shame.

Finding, checking into and staying in budget Indian hotels can be an adventure in itself, a source of fun and sometimes not so fun memories. But there will be something to tell you at home later.

Settlement technology

• Free yourself from the presence of “Hindu assistants” and barkers, their presence automatically increases the cost of accommodation.
• Go to a hotel that seems worthy of you and ask how much it costs and decide whether it’s worth living there, at the same time you have time to evaluate the interior and helpfulness.
• Be sure to ask to see the room before checking in, show your dissatisfaction and indignation with all your appearance, ask to see another room, most likely it will be better. This can be done several times, achieving ever better placement conditions.

Those who are interested in the energy of Osho and Buddha, meditation and India, we invite you all on a journey to the places where the greatest mystic of the 20th century Osho was born, lived the first years of his life and gained enlightenment! In one trip we will combine the exoticism of India, meditation, and absorb the energy of Osho’s places!
The tour plan also includes visits to Varanasi, Bodhgaya and possibly Khajuraho (subject to availability of tickets)

Key travel destinations

Kuchvada

A small village in central India, where Osho was born and lived for the first seven years, surrounded and cared for by his loving grandparents. There is still a house in Kuchwad that remains exactly as it was during Osho’s lifetime. Also next to the house there is a pond, on the banks of which Osho loved to sit for hours and watch the endless movement of reeds in the wind, funny games and flights of herons over the surface of the water. You will be able to visit Osho's house, spend time on the banks of the pond, stroll through the village, and absorb that serene spirit of rural India, which undoubtedly had an initial influence on the formation of Osho.

In Kuchvad there is a fairly large and comfortable ashram under the patronage of sannyasins from Japan, where we will live and meditate.

A short video of the “emotional impression” of visiting Kuchvada and Osho’s house.

Gadarwara

At the age of 7, Osho and his grandmother moved to his parents in the small town of Gadarwara, where he spent his school years. By the way, the school class where Osho studied still exists, and there is even a desk where Osho sat. You can go into this class and sit at the desk where our beloved master spent so much time in his childhood. Unfortunately, getting into this class is a matter of chance and luck, depending on which teacher teaches in the class. But in any case, you can walk along the streets of Gadarvara, visit the primary and high school, the house where Osho lived, Osho’s favorite river...

And most importantly, on the outskirts of the city there is a quiet, small and cozy ashram, where there is a place where at the age of 14 Osho experienced a deep experience of death.

Video from Osho Ashram in Gadarwara

Jabalpur

A large city with more than a million inhabitants. In Jabalpur, Osho studied at the university, then worked there as a teacher and became a professor, but the main thing is that at the age of 21 he gained enlightenment, which happened to him in one of the parks of Jabalpur, and the tree under which this happened still grows old place.

In Jabalpur we will live in a quiet and cozy ashram with a magnificent park.

From the ashram it is easy to get to the Marble Rocks - a natural wonder where Osho loved to spend time during his stay in Jabalpur.

Varanasi

Varanasi is famous for its cremation pyres, which burn day and night. But there is also, surprisingly, pleasant embankment, the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple, boat rides on the Ganges. Near Varanasi there is a small village called Sarnath, famous for the fact that Buddha gave his first sermon there, and the first listeners were ordinary deer.

bodhgaya

Buddha's Enlightenment Place. In the main temple of the city, which is surrounded by a beautiful and vast park, a tree still grows in the shade of which Buddha gained enlightenment.

In addition, in Bodhgaya there are many different Buddhist temples erected by followers of Buddha from many countries: China, Japan, Tibet, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma... Each temple has its own unique architecture, decoration, and ceremonies.

Khajuraho

Khajuraho itself is not directly connected with Osho, except that Osho often mentioned the tantric temples of Khajuraho, and his grandmother was directly related to Khajuraho.