Thailand, the land of the smile. Cheap, good food and sunny are just a few keywords that apply. Lots of variety and something for everyone. You can hang out on the beach, but there are also many temples for culture enthusiasts to entertain you.
Thai cuisine is generally very spicy. For tourists, this is often already taken into account and you get a less spicy version. But keep in mind that “a bit spicy/not spicy” Thailand style can be quite sharp for our standards!
Upon entering Thailand you will receive a stamp that allows you to stay in Thailand for 30 days. You’re able to extend your stay up to 60 days. You can do this at any point during your stay. Just make sure you don’t overstay.
- Language: Thai
- Capital: Bangkok
- Currency: Baht (THB)
- Time Zone: UTC+7
There are ATMs everywhere in Thailand, we only struggled to find one on the smaller islands. Most ATMs have a limit of 10.000 baht. Remember that the large bills don’t get accepted everywhere so make sure to use those in big stores.
The Thai bath has both coins and bills. The coin series consists of 0.50, 1, 2, 5, and 10 baht. The banknote series consists of 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 baht. The different colors make it quite clear to see what you have in your wallet.
Public transport is quite good in Thailand. We took the bus as well as the train and of course, Bangkok has a subway system. If you travel by bus take the first class local buses for comfort if they’re available.
A lot of people rent scooters in Thailand, but be aware that they are actual motorcycles. If you don’t have a license you take a big risk. If you do have a license you might want to rent a big bike for longer stretches. We used one during the Mae Hong Son Loop and it was more comfortable than a scooter.
After a few days in Bangkok, we are quite used to Thailand. We take the bus to Kanchanaburi for a dip in history. We spend old and new in Ayutthaya where we see the most beautiful temples. It reminds us of the images we know from Angkor Wat.
Via Bangkok, we fly on to Chiang Mai, where we take a cooking class and explore the possibilities for the Mae Hong Son Loop. In 10 days we ride the Mae Hong Son Loop on the motorcycle, one of the best experiences of our world trip! We stop in Mae Chaem, Mae Sarian, Mae Hong Son, Pai, and Mae Rim. After a few days of recovery in Chiang Mai, we fly back to Bangkok.
We would like to go to the islands, but the weather is throwing a spanner in the works. On the advice of some locals, we travel to Trat to make the crossing to Koh Chang, Koh Mak, and Koh Kood. A good decision, because we have beautiful weather and what a beautiful place to snorkel! We travel back to Bangkok to leave Thailand again.
Bangkok -> bus -> Kanchanaburi -> bus -> Ayutthaya -> train -> Bangkok -> airplane -> Chiang Mai -> Mae Hong Son Loop (Mae Chaem -> Mae Sariang -> Mae Hong Son -> Pai -> Mae Rim -> Chiang Mai) -> airplane -> Bangkok -> bus -> Trat -> bus + ferry -> Koh Chang -> ferry -> Koh Mak -> ferry -> Koh Kood -> ferry + bus -> Trat -> bus -> Bangkok
If you’re in Bangkok make sure you sign up for a bike tour by Co van Kessel. They show you a different side of the city and even take you to the outskirts of the city. The guides have a lot of knowledge and tell you a lot during all the stops. Don’t think you’ll famish because food stops are included. They have different lengths so choose what works for you.
You haven’t been to Thailand if you haven’t tried the local dishes. And what better way to get to know this kitchen than by signing up for a cooking class? We did this in Chian Mai and learned all the Thai kitchen secrets from sexy A. We went to a local market to see what they offer and after that, we could choose what dishes we wanted to make. The curry was a group effort!
One of the most famous things to do in Chiang Mai is drive (part of) the Mae Hong Son Loop. It takes you through a beautiful and authentic part of Nothern Thailand. There are different ways to drive this loop, we decided to go clockwise and leave the bendy part (Pai to Chiang Mai) for when we were a bit more settled on our big bike. Best Pad Thai ever by the way.
Dozy House is a great place to stay in Chiang Mai. Close to the night bazaar and just 15 minutes to the airport.
Chiang Mai
Marvin Suites Hotel is located within a 15-minute walk to an exciting nightlife of Silom Road. Lumpini Park is a 15-minute drive away.
Bangkok
Located 3.7 mi from the city center of Mae Hong Son, Sangsawang Resort offers air-conditioned villas with a private balcony.
Mae Hong Son
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