January 2024
General Tips / Notes
- Many people don’t speak English. Translate apps on phones can come in handy
- Everything is much cheaper here than it is in America, very useful to always have some cash
- Keep phone numbers of drivers when you can. Tip your driver very well after the first ride and he will take you around other times you need and will help you out
- Bargaining is an option almost everywhere for many goods & services. Be aware of the value of things as you will often be given ridiculous prices right off the bat due to being recognized as a foreigner, and be prepared to walk away if they won’t budge
- Always be careful. People target tourists
- Could be a good idea to register your trip with the US by the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
- Depending on the length of your trip, travel insurance might not be a bad idea
- Get as many massages as you can. Doesn’t matter the time of day, places are open. Foot massages too. Like everything else, you can bargain about the cost
- Use 7-11’s. They are so much better here than in America, it’s insane. They have toasties which they will warm up, and other fantastic snacks along with Vitamin C drinks that are good for hangovers
- Grab is the ride sharing app in Thailand
- Eat so much street food
Bangkok
Thailand’s biggest city by far and the most visited city in the world (along with Paris). One of 2 major international hubs that one will generally fly into when coming to Southeast Asia (along with Singapore).
Food
Street Food
- Try street food at every turn
- Skewers were generally my favorite item, particularly chicken
Sorn
- Awesome and unique experience and tasting menu
- 3 Michelin Star restaurant, #17 on World’s 50 Best 2025
- One of the toughest reservations I’ve ever tried to acquire
- Worth a visit, ~$200/head and can get an additional drink package for either an additional $135 or $200
MYTH
- Good food, superb mango sticky rice
T & K Seafood
- Located in Chinatown (see more below in Activities section)
- They grill the seafood on the street outside
- Try the oyster omelette
Thipsamai
- Famous Pad Thai spot that claims they invented it (not sure about all that)
- It was solid, worth trying if in the area but not necessary to travel to
- Wish I tried the pad thai which was wrapped in egg, I didn’t see that again for the rest of my trip so would’ve been unique to try
Nightlife
Khaosan Road
- You’ll hear about this road everywhere, it’s super famous
- Walking street where you’ll find bars, restaurants, stores, food carts, etc
- It’s definitely very touristy but I mean in Bangkok I’m a tourist. Definitely worth checking out
SkyBar
- On the 64th floor of the Hotel Lebua @ State Tower, insane 360 views of the massive city (particularly at night)
- Also known as The Hangover Bar as it was a location for The Hangover II
- Cocktails are $30+
Ping Pong Shows
- This is a PG-13 site so will avoid details on this but famous in Bangkok and very NSFW
- Tuk tuk drivers on Khaosan are constantly asking to take you there (or at least constantly asking a group of 4 male obvious tourists to take us there)
Activities
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
- Very touristy but super cool
- Maybe try and check out prices of things in town as they are much cheaper (clothes, artwork, knick knacks, etc.) but might end up overpaying for some things
- Stop at one of the houses advertising food and get a Pad Thai
Chinatown (Yaowarat Road)
- One of (maybe the #1) biggest Chinatowns in the world
- Worth seeing, unique experience
The Grand Palace
- Complex of beautiful buildings / temples which used to be the residence of kings (1782-1925)
Wat Pho
- Famous temple, 10 min walk from The Grand Palace
Suit Shopping
- If you’re looking for a suit, we went to Ram Fashion and they were a bunch of Nepali guys who were pretty funny to chill with while we got fitted up
Lodging
Mad Monkey Hostel
- Pretty large social hostel chain which definitely has some good locations but this one was just ok in my opinion
- Parties and food were solid but had my complaints about the bathroom in the private rooms
Chiang Mai
Second biggest city in Thailand, although considerably smaller than Bangkok.
Food
Markets
- There are many markets, we went to Wua Lai night market. If you go here and find a stand that says Kruasamsear in the back of the food area, get the chicken breast. Might have been the best chicken I have ever had
- Chiang Mai’s signature dish is Khao Soi
Grazie Thai Local Food
- Solid Thai food
New Delhi Indian Restaurant
- Solid Indian food
Nightlife
Zoe In Yellow
- Bar / club that is in busy nightlife area, can bounce around places in this area at night
Activities
Elephant Rescue Park
- An absolute must, go here and hang out with elephants. You feed them, hug them, walk with them, and bathe them
- A surreal experience and one of my favorite travel excursions of all time
- Elephants are known to be intelligent animals that get mistreated and abused by a lot of companies for tourism or other reasons (logging, circus, etc.). It is important to do research ahead of time to make sure the place you are visiting is not one of those places. Elephant Rescue Park rescues elephants from those types of places
Sticky Waterfall
- Natural limestone waterfall which you can go to the bottom of and climb up
Wat Pha Lat
- Beautiful Buddhist temple in nature-heavy area
- Really cool to explore
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
- Most famous temple in Chiang Mai, pretty cool but would say I liked Wat Pha Lat better
Dantewada Falls
- Man-made waterfall which is nice to see but looks cooler online and doesn’t warrant going out of one’s way
- It’s fine to see if you’re nearby
Pai / Chiang Rai
- Chiang Mai is 2 hours away from Pai and 3 hours away from Chiang Rai
- Worth looking into if you have time, I wanted to visit both but did not have time
Lodging
Sylvis Hostel
- Solid hostel with cool owner / workers that hang out and good bar that can get busy
Phuket
Large beachy island. Worth mentioning I was here for less than 24 hours and it was NYE, so not a typical experience and not too much time.
General Notes / Tips
- Airport is far from Patong Beach which is far from the city of Phuket / ferry stations. Plan accordingly
- Phuket is a good place to take ferries to / from island hopping (can ferry to / from Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and others)
- I have had some bad ferry experiences in the past but the 1-hour speedboat I took to Koh Phi Phi was not bad at all
Food
Patong Food Market
- Good skewers and food stands
Nightlife
Bangla Road
- Crazy street with many bars and clubs
- Think Bourbon Street in New Orleans except on steroids and on a Thai island
Beach Clubs
- Many of these around
Activities
Patong Beach
- Came during sunset time, lots of people / restaurants / vendors around
Paradise Beach
- This is where we went for NYE, was a big party / festival with 1,000+ people at a large private beach with bars and stages
- Not sure how the set up is on a normal day
Bangla Road
- Mentioned this for nightlife but also makes for an interesting daytime stroll
Boxing
- We didn’t see a show here but I know it’s a big thing
Lodging
Lub d Phuket Patong
- Social hostel near the busy beach resort town of Patong
Koh Phi Phi
Island in the middle of the Andaman Sea, very popular Thai Island destination for tourists ranging from couples (of all ages) to families to party goers.
General Notes / Tips
- Easy to get to / from Phuket or other islands by way of ferry (1-hour speedboat to Phuket or Krabi)
- I have had some bad ferry experiences in the past but the 1-hour speedboat I took from Phuket and the 1.5-hour speedboat I took to Krabi were not bad at all
Food
PP Wang Tafu
- Must visit for fish / sushi lovers
- Some of the best fish I’ve ever had, most of which was fresh caught the day I went
Pirates House (READ BELOW)
- Important note is that one of the pieces of naan they gave us had mold on it (they didn’t do anything for us when we pointed it out other than take it away) and some of my party’s stomachs weren’t doing great afterwards (this could have possibly been caused by something else but is worth mentioning)
- Other than that, it was phenomenal Indian food and some of the best butter chicken I’ve had in my life
- The gamble has been laid out
Nightlife
Beach
- There is a stretch of area on the beach from Slinky Bar going north where there are lots of island natives putting on shows with fire and large parties
Activities
Boat Tour Excursion
- Pretty much the only excursion offered from the island, you take a boat to a number of different locations near the island including Maya Bay, Monkey Beach, Shark Point, Bamboo Island, etc.
Boxing @ The Reggae Bar
- Definitely stop by The Reggae Bar to watch amateurs box
- Some fights are good, some not so good
- I think anyone can generally volunteer but no clue how that would be allowed so not entirely sure on that
Phi Phi Viewpoints
- There is a hike (quite a few stairs worth) to 3 different view points from which you can see the island from above
Lodging
Phi Phi Island Cabana Hotel
- Hotel had some aspects that made it seem like a 5-star place (pool, decor, service, etc.), and others that made it seem like a hostel (weak bathroom, minimal number of outlets in the room, etc.)
- Front desk was uninformed about island activities which is pretty absurd but not too difficult to venture out and figure things out yourself
Krabi
Capital city of the province with the same name which is off the coast of the Andaman Sea on the west coast of Southern Thailand. Worth mentioning I only spent 1.5 days here (1 night) and was under the weather for part of it so I had a somewhat limited experience.
General Notes / Tips
- Krabi is a good place to take ferries to / from for island hopping (can ferry to / from Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and others)
- I have had some bad ferry experiences but the 1-hour speedboat I took from Koh Phi Phi to Krabi was not bad
Food
Gecko Cabane
- Well run French Thai fusion restaurant with a fancy ambiance, really nice food
Racha Seafood (Krabi Night Market)
- Here was the best Pad Thai I had out of all the 10+ times I had the dish throughout my time in Thailand
- There seem to be multiple places with this name so note it is the one in the back of the Krabi Night Market in Pak Nam
- It does not need to be nighttime to go to the Krabi Night Market
Nightlife
Wasn’t feeling great my 1 night here so didn’t explore, I’m sure something exists
Activities
Kayaking @ Klong Namsai
- Fun activity, nothing strenuous
Railay Beach
- Famous beach in the area, not sure how far it is or how to get there
Lodging
Pak-Up Hostel
- Turned a 4-bed dorm into a private which was very comfortable and had sufficient A/C
- Was there on a Thursday night and there were very few people around the bar