We here at Thailand Essentials believe it is very important to have a well thought out plan before you head off on your adventure.  We will cover the most important aspects of what you need to know, and do in this article.  Traveling halfway around the world to a foreign land is exhilarating, but also a little scary if you are a new traveler.  If you are traveling solo, then I expect you may have an even larger sense of anxiety.

Do not worry!  Let the excitement take hold, but don’t let let yourself get over anxious about it.  Yes, it maybe a new experience for you, but you are not even close to the first person to make this trip.  Quite the opposite, there are thousands of backpackers and tourists that flock to Thailand every year in order visit thousands of years of history, and world class beaches.

Things to know

• English is commonly spoken in Thailand.  Signs are posted in Thai and English
• The people are very friendly, some of the friendliest in my travels
• It is NOT a third world country.  I’m always surprised at the number of Americans who think anyone outside of the US and Western Europe live in mud huts.  Bangkok is a hustling, bustling, modern city.  And for those shoppers out there, they have top-of-the-line shopping malls.
• The prices are great – much better than taking a vacation to Florida.  But don’t set false expectations for yourself that things are cheap.  Even thought you can get an amazing Hotel in the off season for $45 a night, and you can eat a huge fresh seafood meal for $8, and you can take a taxi around town for $2….wait a second, where was I going with this point?

So you’ve got the basics under your belt.  You’re excited but not scared.  What to do next?  Let’s start the Pre-Trip Planning

Thailand is a big country, and you are not going to see it all in a week or three.  You need to ask yourself what type of vacation are you looking to have?  If it’s a first trip, I recommend spending two to three days touring Bangkok and visiting all the historic palaces and temples, as well as the shopping malls.  When you’ve had enough of the big city head on down to one of the fantastic islands to sit on the beach, get some sun, and catch a buzz off a couple of Chang beers.

If this is your first trip and you only have seven to ten days, stick to one of the more popular tourist destinations like Ko Samui or Phuket.  Both of these destinations have white sand, tropical beaches, and blue oceans.  There are many actives for you to engage in, including SCUBA diving, para-sailing, golf, kayaking, and Elephant rides….just to name a few.   You can spend a lazy day at the beach, or saddle up for an adventure in the mountains and jungles.

If you are interested in having some active night life, both islands have plenty of bars and discos where you can dance the night away.  If you are in the mood for a more subdued holiday, then you can book yourself in a hotel on a more tranquil beach.  If you want to party you can always take a tuk-tuk (taxi) into town to get your fix.

So you’ve got a few good ideas on locations, now it is time to start researching hotels and airfare.  I’ll cover both of these topics in more detail in their own posts.  But for starters hit the major travel sites they will give you a good idea of what fares will cost.  I have a few other avenues to approach for cheap airfare to Bangkok and finding a reasonable hotel room, close to the beach.  But I do have to save something to write about later…

Now that we’ve covered the first of the major items when planning your trip, we’ll cover a few more topic.

• Destination
• Airfare
• Hotels

Next article I will cover more of pre-trip planning, including the best time of year to go (either for weather or discounts), the weather, and ideas for daily outings.

Till then – keep it real and come back to Thailand Essentials for the next installment.