9 Tips to have best tour in Thailand

9 Tips to have best tour in Thailand

Backpacking Thailand is staying in fun-packed hostels and peaceful beach bungalows. Enjoining tasty and cheap noodles, you’ll swear off eat all other food groups and trekking aboard everything from an overnight train to a lolloping elephant.

But it will also mean following a well-worn route – one that has sprouted an entire industry to service it, and sometimes, poorly, to take benefit of it.

Sidestep those scams and dodge the dangers with our top tips for creating the most of backpacking Thailand.

1. BE RESPECTFUL – KNOW THE ETIQUETTE

Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles, but those smiles can quickly disappear if you don’t respect the culture. The feet are considered the humble part of the body so should never point them (especially the soles) towards somebody, especially if that is a statue of Buddha. Thai people attrack much importance to the head so don’t touch people on the head, even children.

2. EAT BRAVELY

One of the fantastic things about travelling in Thailand is the food and you’ll find the tastiest – and cheapest – Thai noodles and curries at the street food shops.

Be brave and follow the locals, they know which places have the highest quality, and the more people eating means more turnover and fresher ingredients.

3. EMBRACE PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Yes, the tuk tuk is one of the experience you must try but to get proper mileage under your belt (and to get around Bangkok and the highlights of Chiang Mai, the southern islands and Kanchanaburi) you will need to get to explore with the Thai bus service (Baw Khaw Saw or BKS).

Government-run, it’s reliable and extensive, with a BKS station in almost every town. Buy your tickets here the day before if you want to travel and take the overnight first class bus to save on a night’s accommodation.

These practically stop somewhere en route for you to eat and will have comfortable seats and a toilet on board. Remember to bring a warm jacket to wrap up in, earplugs and an eye shade and prepare to arrive very early in the morning.

4. TIMING IS EVERYTHING

The best preiod to visit Thailand is between November and February, when the monsoons finish for the year and temperatures are at coolest. This is also peak season although so, saving money and avoiding crowds is more important to you than sunbathing, the wet season (May to October) could be a better bet. To see all the beautiful landscape at a reasonable pace you’re going to need at least a month, though two is better.

5. DON’T BE FOOLED

That tuk tuk drivers will take you to the street and tell you it’s a national holiday and that temple you’re about to visit is closed? It’s almost certainly not, they may just want to take you to their cousin’s carpet factory or sister’s gem shop.

Don’t be cheated by official looking uniforms, cheap or free tuk tuk tours or one day only gem sales either – unfortunately all are scams plan to part you from your travel funds, usually in exchange for a worthless ‘gem’ you can sell when you get back home

And don’t even think about getting involved in the sex industry – prostitution may be rife in Thailand but one thing it’s not is legal.

6. KNOW THE PRICE BEFORE YOU RIDE

Be it a taxi or a tuk tuk, you need to confirm the price for your journey in advance. Taxi drivers will be meant to use the meter so ask them to and if they say no move on along the rank to the next driver.

Tuk tuks should be dickered over – ask your waiter at your hostel for a rough estimate on current rates and stand firm. Though it also worth to remember that haggling over 20 baht is about equivalent to getting in a stress over 40p or 60 cents – sometimes it even isn’t worth it.

7. PACK LIGHT

You are planing to go backpacking for the freedom – so don’t weigh yourself down. Buy a light backpack and fill it only with the fundamental.

You’ll need layers for those chilly bus journeys, some items of underwear you can wash frequently, a waterproof jacket, earplugs, your phone charger and adaptor and insect repellent.

8. USE HOSTELS

Thailand has a great network of hostels and you can save money over hotels and meet more people or get more local recommendations. Hostel’s staffs are also a good source of advice and information on everything from avoiding the latest scam to where to get the best bowl of noodles, so talk to them.

9. GO WITH THE FLOW

Thailand is a place for chilling. So stay on somewhere if you really love it, move on if you don’t, and if you may hear about a cool new bar or restaurant, or a party at the beach, you should go. Unpredictable sometimes, unforgettable always.