Take Aways From Thailand

We spent a month travelling through Thailand. Seeing the islands and exploring the south and the north of the mainland. The people are always smiling, welcoming and very helpful. The food is delicious whether it is soup, pad thai or a rice dish. The beverages (coffee or alcohol) are relatively cheap and always easy to find. The country itself is hot and humid, sunscreen and water is a must.

You can read online all the do's and don'ts and “what to expect” blogs and trust me there are a lot of them. Everyone talks about different topics and what they took away or learned while in Thailand. Ryan’s been to Thailand twice and this was my first experience there, here is our take on the country.

Tip #1 Getting Hassled

Expect to get hassled everywhere you go. The beach, walking down the road, restaurants or bars, they will come to your table and try to sell you something. People will yell at you as you walk by, trying to sell you boat trips, souvenirs, tours packages, spa packages, food and beverages.

They will start at a high price, if it is something you want, we normally cut their price in half and start working with them from there. They are tourists dependent so they will work with you on price. If you tell them "maybe later", they will find you later.

Tip #2 Tuc Tucs

Tuc tucs come in two forms; one is the bed of a pickup with seats and a roof and the second is a scooter with a platform built either beside or behind it with seats and a roof. The scooter one does look more questionable and you do have to watch your head when entering the platform. They are a cheaper way to get around and the drivers are usually knowledgeable on the area and give great recommendations on where to eat or what to see or do.

Tip #3 Temples

We always brought a backpack with water and sunscreen with us when we would go out for a walk. Even if we did not plan on going into temples, sometimes we would see a really cool one and want to go in. The worst is being told no because you do not have the appropriate dress. You must cover your shoulders, cleavage and legs to go into temples. I started carrying traveller's pants and t-shirts in our backpack for this reason.

Some temples will rent you covers and sarongs, sometimes men are expected to cover their legs too. However if they are all rented out when you get there, you may have to wait. They also do not get washed between uses.

Photo Credit: V.Gray

Tip #4 Don't Drink The Water

Do not drink tap water in Thailand on the mainland or islands, bottled water only. Most hostels and AirBnBs have free refills so bringing your own reusable water bottle is helpful. You will want a water bottle with you when you go out and tour around, it is hot and humid.

Tip # Restaurants

If the restaurant is full of tourists you are most likely going to pay a higher price and the food will be less authentic. If the restaurant is empty, with no locals in sight it may also be more expensive. However, that hole in the wall you may see on the side of the road or alley way that is packed with locals, it may look a bit sketchy but it is probably going to have the BEST Thai food you have ever had at a cheaper price.

Finding the local spots is not hard, honestly just look for something a little bit off the beaten path, that has few to no tourists dining inside, a menu only in Thai and you will have some of the best food. Also do not be surprised if there is a “local” price that tends to be cheaper and a “tourist” price if they give you a menu in English.

Some of the best Pad Thai we had

Photo Credit: V.Gray was from a stall on the side of the road, with broken chairs and it cost $3 CAD for both of us.

Tip #6 Water On Your Table Is Not Free

Bottles of water on the table or brought to your table while you are dining in a restaurant are not free. There is most likely a container that says “water” with glasses beside it on a counter near the cash register, this water is free. This jug is safe to drink; most locals drink this water or bottled water. If you want cold water you must ask for ice cubes, sometimes in a large bin beside the water jug. It is normal to find the water served at room temperature.

Tip #7 Night Market

One of our favourite dinner options while travelling, was to eat at the night markets. If you do not know what you want, you just wander between all the stalls, pick up some fried chicken or sushi, maybe kabobs, soup, or even some pad thai. While you are at look at the souvenirs, artwork on display or listen to local music. It is so much fun and it is super cheap.

Do not be shocked with the amount of full Photo Credit: V.Gray

animals or fish (heads, eyes etc) still enacted. You will also find crickets, bugs, worms and other unusual creatures for sale (sometimes the worms are in a water bowl that says “fresh” still moving). You will find all sorts of interesting things at the night markets.

Tip #8 Mushroom Or Weed Shakes

If you are in a party city (Phuket), by the beach or on the islands you will probably see a stall selling mushroom or weed shakes. When a half moon or full moon party is coming up, the shakes and booze buckets are everywhere. We did talk to a couple of people who had bad experiences with weed or mushroom shakes. They told us that they were up for a few days after having one and had experiences.

Tip #9 Lady Boys & Prostitution

Prior to going to SEA friends, family and Ryan warned me about Lady Boy's or prostitution and how bad it is. We did not see a lot of this until we got to Thailand. Walking down the road lady's would “cat” call Ryan if he walked by himself or I walked off to look at something within moments of being seperated would offer him a "sucky, sucky". Even walking by the massage parlours, if Ryan walked by himself they would call out to him or come up and try to grab his hand or arm to try to bring him inside.

In the bars there are girls there to keep you drinking, playing games and who will offer other services as well. You will find these girls hanging out in small groups by the bar or at a table. You can watch them slowly break away from one another and approach men who are by themselves or groups of men out partying.

Posititution everywhere in the world however it just seems to be more noticeable in SEA.

Tip #10 Ants & Other Bugs

Ants and other bugs seemed to get in everywhere. If you think you closed the door or window tightly, they still seem to find their way in. We tried not keeping any food or drinks in your room thinking this would get rid of the ants, it didn’t. We always shook out our clothes, shoes or backpack before putting anything on.

Tip #11 Toilets

This is a common theme throughout SEA, we always carry a few kleenex or napkins in our pocket and hand sanitizer. Thailand is actually the one country where we ran into holes and buckets with the scoop the most (even at bus or train stations). Our other trick was to go to the more touristy restaurant or bar. Sometimes you will find a toilet and toilet paper, but you may also find the hole and bucket. Honestly it is a 50/50 gamble what you are going to get for a bathroom. You may also find that you have to pay to use it (just like Vietnam).

Thailand was a nice change from Vietnam, it was hotter, more touristy and more of a party. We also found it to be more expensive than any of the other countries we travelled throughout SEA. If you want to see lots of temples, do some of the best diving and most spectacular sunsets, Thailand is a great country for all of these things.

Cheers!

**Please note that all opinions and views expressed in this post are my own, from my own experiences. If you would like to see more pictures follow me on Instagram vikki.gray **