How to travel to Thailand on your own: seaside holidays, hotels, prices. First time to Thailand on your own? I tell you how to go. What you need to travel to Thailand.

Among the Asian countries for an independent trip, Thailand is in first place for me. And if you see that everyone around you is writing about Thailand, then it’s not just like that. Thailand is really cool, and you can spend your vacation on a budget.

Firstly, tourism is really developed here, they won’t look at you dumbfounded, much less try to attack or rob you. Secondly, landing flights are developed in Thailand. Of all the nearby countries, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, China (Hainan), these have the most affordable prices for air tickets, a large selection of airlines. Thirdly, there is everything here - the mainland, islands, mountains, lakes, waterfalls and two seas. Fourthly, in Thailand there is its own community of residents in each resort, if you miss “ours”, there are Russian-speaking communities on social networks just everywhere - communicate, get acquainted, go to meetings. Almost every community has chats of those who are currently on vacation. But that is not all.

Budget and visa-free

The most important advantages of traveling to Thailand are that you do not need a visa 30 days in advance and that prices in Thailand are lower than in Russia.

If you are traveling for a long time, you need to leave the country every 30 days. It’s not difficult at all, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar are nearby. You can go, for example, to the island of Langkawi and come back.

Who is suitable for an independent trip to Thailand?

If you are traveling to the country for more than 1-2 weeks, an independent trip to Thailand will be much more profitable. If you have never been to the country and want to be met at the airport, put on a transfer, and brought to the hotel where you plan to spend a lazy week, then it is better to take a package tour. For everyone else, I recommend going to Thailand on your own.

Flights

The biggest expense for a trip to Thailand is air tickets. But everything, absolutely everything else will be cheaper here than in Russia (except for Russian products). The best prices on air tickets to Bangkok, from there you can go anywhere.

Thailand has well-developed air services (many low-cost airlines fly within the country), bus services (good roads), and railway services (there are several train stations in Bangkok, you can go anywhere).

That's it, you don't need anything else, just a passport and air tickets. Everything else is at your discretion - insurance, hotel reservations and tickets around the country.

Housing

There is a huge amount of housing in Thailand. But as elsewhere, the closer to the sea, the more expensive. You can rent hotels or houses in Thai style. The highest prices are on the islands, the lowest on the mainland. But even cool 4-5 star hotels in Thailand will cost less than in Russia. For example, our hotel on Samui cost 3,500 rubles. per day for two. The hotel is located on the first line, breakfast is included in the price, there is a fitness center and two swimming pools on site.

It is better to book a hotel in advance, at least for the first time, so that you know exactly where you will be staying. Here there are no grandmothers standing at train stations with signs saying “apartment for rent”, but all options are searched for and booked via the Internet.

Food

There are no problems with food in Thailand; there is a cult of food here, so you can eat at every turn. But all food is spicy, you get used to it, and then you can’t live without this spice. I even get offended if they serve me a dish that is not very spicy.

Besides street food, there are food courts in shopping malls, cafes, restaurants and my favorite Thai buffets with unlimited food.

If you don’t like Thai food, then you can eat our usual dishes in Russian cafes. Prices there, of course, are higher than for everything local.

In Thailand they don’t sell buckwheat, and many of the products we are used to are very different, or are sold in special stores at exorbitant prices: sour cream, kefir, cottage cheese, sausage, seeds. But you can survive without this. Those who travel for a long time take non-perishable food items with them.

In Pattaya, I discovered Friendship Supermarket, where there are Russian products. A small 0.5 liter bottle of kefir costs 150 rubles, and that’s still cheap. You won't find such luxury on the islands.

How to choose a direction

From Bangkok you can go anywhere.

Hua Hin is a small resort not far from Bangkok; you can only come here on your own, because the destination is not developed for package tourism. Many Thais vacation here.

Pattaya is the noisiest and dirtiest resort, but prices for everything are very low here (2 times lower than on the islands), so for a long stay many choose Pattaechka (40,000 Russians live there!). Most of the “package tourists” come here, especially from Siberia. Can't do without Tagil.

Rayong is a quiet place, not far from Pattaya. There are 10 times fewer tourists here for the main reason - buying a tour here is difficult and not cheap.

Koh Chang is a cool island near Trat. It looks like a big village, but that's its charm. There is no ring road (like Koh Samui), no public transport (taxi only), no shopping centers. But there are many hotels right on the beach.

Koh Samui is a livelier and more fun island, but still a village. Best place to live in Thailand. Shopping centers, chain stores, public songthaews - everything is already here. Koh Samui has a special climate, it rains in winter and the sun shines in summer (in the rest of Thailand the opposite is true). But look at the prices for tours to Koh Samui in the summer and you will understand that you have to go on your own.

Phuket is a very hyped tourist destination with overpriced beaches. Locals live in the center of the island, prices are lower, but the traffic is crazy, I personally don’t like it. Although I love Phuket too. The concentration of our compatriots in Patong is off the charts.

And of course, the mountains of Thailand – Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai. There is no sea, but the nature is fantastic. Mountains of Thailand for sophisticated tourists who have already seen everything. Mass tourism is not developed here; here you can see real Thai life.

Now you know everything about an independent trip to Thailand. If you fall in love with this country, its nature and cuisine, then you will not be dragged out of Thailand by the ears. 🙂

The very first thing is to take care of the flight. This is the most expensive item on a trip to Thailand. It’s best to start looking for tickets six months in advance. You can run into serious discounts and buy round-trip tickets immediately. Save a lot of money. Now about housing. You can easily rent a studio apartment for two in Bangkok in a decent place for $27 a day for two. It will be a room of about 20 meters, with a double bed, a shower and a closet that can accommodate a small refrigerator, a microwave, a sink with a bedside table and that’s it. Basically, what else is needed. There will also be a balcony, which can accommodate only two people.

Now about the nuances. First of all, look where the apartment is located. Hotels will definitely be more expensive. It's better to take a studio. Cheaper and cheerier. Like our one-room apartment. I don’t see the point of taking an apartment with a separate bedroom if you are traveling alone or together.

It is advisable to look at the location of the apartment near the main attractions. Spend less time moving and the like.

Now the main thing. Immediately stipulate that the price includes utilities for water, internet, television, and cleaning. In principle, you can refuse cleaning. What kind of litter have you littered there in a week? But the price can increase significantly. Also, upon arrival, our tourists are often surprised that having already paid for the room, they begin to extort money from them, saying that this is without water, electricity, cleaning, bed, and the like. And such housing will cost a pretty penny. Therefore, immediately when booking, specify everything and save the letter so that you can present it.

By the way, there’s no problem renting housing for less if you’re on the move. Any taxi driver will take you. Also use the Internet at the port. And there are a lot of options. On the islands, just any local will take you and offer you accommodation. You can generally take a scooter and drive up to any house, even if they don’t rent, and ask if there is an apartment or room? Any local will immediately offer you options. They have a mutual responsibility there. That is, if he rented out housing to someone, he knows who he can stay with. And it will be twenty percent cheaper than through a real estate agent. The prices are very, very high. For example, renting a studio in Bangkok, with utilities, internet, cleaning, for a month will cost no more than 32,000 rubles. These are prices for the month of August. There is no particular need to be afraid. Thailand is a country that lives off tourists. But we want to warn you right away that you shouldn’t chase cheapness. And then my friends rented a house like that. They were met and taken into the darkness by cockroaches, practically into the jungle, kilometers from the sea. There were cows and insects there. It's very cheap for that. So, read the reviews, watch what you are filming. Or rent a room for a day to spend the night and start looking for housing locally. It will be much cheaper. But you don’t have to go for a week. Preferably for at least two weeks. Keep your passport and some money with you in a safe place. And a firefighter’s card in a place so that you don’t have to leave it with your things on the shore. There are plenty of thieves, as elsewhere in tourist meccas. By the way, interestingly, there is less of this on the islands. There are more in the capital. And I don’t recommend walking in the suburbs at night. It's better to stick to the tourist routes.

Few people know that traveling to Thailand on your own is not at all difficult, but many have heard that Russian tour operators are experiencing difficulties because of which innocent people are suffering. We bought a ticket but couldn’t go on vacation! Can you imagine yourself in the shoes of these people? If you have any idea, you don’t have to: after reading our instructions, you can easily travel to Thailand on your own.

How to travel to Thailand on your own: instructions in 5 steps

Actually, the writing of this article was prompted by the increased demand for. People have begun to trust travel agencies less and want to try to come to Thailand on their own. And we’re not talking about young people who are knee-deep in the sea: pensioners, mothers with babies, and entire groups of 12 people fly to Thailand on their own! Because it's easy to do - you just need to follow 5 steps.

Step 1. Buy an air ticket

An independent trip to Thailand begins with the purchase of air tickets. There are two options: search on airline websites or on aggregator websites. Aggregator sites are search engines that receive information from all airlines and reservation systems.

The most important thing: the aggregator site does not inflate the price of the air ticket, as some people think. The aggregator site receives a commission from the airline, and this constitutes its earnings.

Step 2. Book a hotel in Thailand

I think everyone has heard about the Booking.com system :) But Booking is only one of many booking systems. We usually use hotel search engines that compare prices in different booking systems and automatically find the best options. Our favorite hotel search engine is Hotellook.

If you decide to go to Thailand on your own, you can also choose accommodation:

• manually on the Internet, finding hotel websites (similar to airline websites);
• on Airbnb.com and similar sites to rent an apartment or house directly from the owners. By the way, if you register on Airbnb follow this link, you will receive a discount of 27 euros on your first booking of 58 euros or more.
• on the websites of real estate agencies located in this city (also for renting houses or apartments). List .

By the way, in a separate article we have already written about that and other cities in Thailand.

Step 3. Buy insurance

Before you travel to Thailand on your own, be sure to purchase insurance! This is done in 3 minutes. Last year we had Ingosstrakh, this year we had Liberty; We have already gone to the hospital five times through our insurance. But this year Ingosstrakh has risen in price a lot, and Liberty has also risen in price, but not as much. And according to reviews, Liberty is even better.

The complete algorithm for purchasing insurance online is described in our article. Take a look at the article and see for yourself how easy and quick it is to purchase travel insurance abroad.

Or you can immediately go to the website of the Liberty insurance company and apply for a policy there, here is a direct link to the policy purchase page:

Don't forget to print out your insurance policy and write down the phone number to call if you need to go to the hospital.

By the way, the full algorithm of actions in the event that you need to use insurance is described in our article, which, according to the laws of the genre, I cannot help but advertise :)

Step 4. Decide on transfer from the airport to the hotel

To travel to Thailand on your own, you need to figure out in advance how to get from the airport to your desired destination.

If you are traveling to Pattaya, then buses run constantly from Suvarnabhumi Airport to this city. They depart from Gate 8 every hour from 6:00 to 22:00. Ticket price is from 120 to 135 baht (it changes throughout the year).

Other cities in Thailand also have different transfer options. For example, in Bangkok you can get from the airport to the city by metro, at Chiang Mai airport there is an inexpensive taxi service that will take you to any hotel for just 150 baht, and a bus runs from Phuket airport to Phuket Town several times a day. And of course, local taxis are at your service at any time of the day at all airports in Thailand!

How to travel to Thailand on your own? Directly from Suvarnabhumi Airport you can go to Pattaya, Hua Hin or some of the islands, and Bangkok can be reached cheaply by metro.

Step 5. Write down the necessary words in English

I will never cease to be amazed that people are afraid to travel abroad due to the language barrier. You'd think there would be long philosophical conversations with you here in English!

In Pattaya, Phuket and many other regions of Thailand, there are no fewer Russian tourists than Chinese. And I will not open America for you by saying that most of them come either without any knowledge of English, or with basic-basic knowledge. You didn’t come to London to study, but to Thailand to relax at the seaside. Basic English or sign language will be sufficient. There is so much here in Russian - the menu, the excursions, and the names of products on the market!

But my recommendation is that if you are really worried about not knowing the language, before you go to Thailand on your own, just write down the words that will be useful to you for your vacation. To do this, you can enter the phrase “a short English phrasebook for tourists” into a search engine and look for the necessary expressions there.

If you want to travel to Thailand on your own, you need to master English and Thai perfectly. Just kidding 😉

Perhaps there is no better country for a debut solo trip. When you go to Thailand for the first time, you will understand that it is incredibly hospitable, smiling people surround you everywhere, and the infrastructure is extremely comfortable for a traveler. However, you will have to plan your route and budget in advance. Our article will serve as support in this difficult task.

Planning the route

First, study information about Thailand and decide what exactly you want to see. Sketch out a short travel plan, distributing route points by day. Don’t forget to take into account the rainy season - it can seriously disrupt your carefully planned plan if you intend to go to Thailand as a wild person on your own.

What is worth visiting in Thailand:

1. Bangkok (don't spare 3-4 days for it);
2. Phi Phi Islands. A stunningly beautiful archipelago, it’s worth spending at least three days on it.
3. Krabi Province. Carve out at least five days to relax in this region.
4. The north of the country is also of interest. Take a look at the cities of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai - this is where the real Thailand is.
5. Island voyage. Include Koh Chang, Koh Phangan, Phuket and Koh Samui in your itinerary.
6. Khao Sok. A very interesting national park.

Flights to Thailand

First of all, start looking for an air ticket. This needs to be done ahead of time - about three months before vacation. Buy round-trip tickets to Bangkok. If you want to get to Phuket right away, keep in mind that an extra transfer will be added. Here is a list of major Russian cities from which you can fly:

• Moscow;
• Saint Petersburg;
• Novosibirsk;
• Ekaterinburg;
• Vladivostok;
• Omsk.

Airlines periodically have ticket sales, try to keep track of them. Take a look at the “Low Price Calendar” - there are very tempting offers there.

Thai visa

Good news for Russians - they have visa-free entry into the kingdom. You simply stamp your passport and relax for 30 days. If you want to stay with the Thais longer, apply for a double-entry visa. Or (most people do) cross the border and visit Thailand again.

But residents of fraternal Ukraine and Belarus will have to stand in a long line at the airport to obtain the long-awaited document. You can read more about this in a separate post.

Travel budget

It consists of several factors. Firstly, an air ticket (about 20,000 rubles). Secondly, accommodation (about 300 rubles per day with minimal amenities). Let's say you're going on vacation for 2 weeks. Then prepare 4200 for accommodation.

Now for the tasty stuff. You will spend a lot in expensive restaurants in Phuket, so move to traditional shops and cafes (for 14 days, prepare 3.5 thousand rubles). You'll need another thousand for the bus. Total - 28,700 birth rubles. Plus entertainment expenses. Read more about this in a separate article.

Required vaccinations for traveling to Thailand

Health comes first. Let's talk about vaccinations that may be useful to you in an exotic kingdom. And it won’t just be useful, it will probably save a life.

Here is a list of vaccinations that you need to get before traveling to Thailand:

1. For tetanus and diphtheria. In a Thai clinic you will definitely be asked about the availability of this vaccination. In theory, you should have been given it as a child and then revaccinated every ten years. Remember that tetanus can enter the bloodstream even through a minor wound.
2. For typhoid fever. In Southeast Asia, intestinal infections are quite common. When heading to abandoned places or rural areas, it is better to be on the safe side. Typhoid is transmitted through contaminated food and water.
3. For hepatitis. Another intestinal infection. WHO recommends that all tourists flying to Thailand protect themselves from it.
4. From Japanese encephalitis. Thai mosquitoes not only breed in rice fields, but also carry the mentioned infection. The local population is being vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis. The most dangerous time period is from May to October. Encephalitis is rampant mainly in the north of the country.
5. For rabies. There are a lot of dogs in Thailand, so don't neglect vaccinations. You won't get the maximum guarantee, but your chances of coming home healthy are significantly increased.

Hotel reservations

If you are not going to focus on one place (the notorious Phuket, for example), you should think about staying in hotels along the entire travel route. It is best to pre-book rooms according to your plan.

In case of a long stay in one place, it makes sense to rent a room for the night - what if you don’t like the hotel? If you like your stay, extend your reservation.

There are tourists who stay for about three weeks in one city. In this situation, it makes sense to rent a house. Arrange a promenade around the neighborhood, peering at the “For Rent” signs (there are plenty of them) and recording the owners’ numbers in a notepad. Call, negotiate and live for your own pleasure, without being tied to the hotel regime.

Insurance in Thailand

You can do without health insurance - if you are one hundred percent confident in your body and exclude annoying accidents. But we still advise you to draw up this useful document. Medical services in Thailand are terribly expensive, and if you are also traveling with children, the lack of insurance can cause serious difficulties.

In Thailand, everything is about money. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, without extra funds and insurance, you risk not receiving high-quality and timely assistance from local doctors.

The language barrier

Now let's discuss what language is in Thailand. Local residents communicate with each other in 70 languages ​​and dialects. The most common of them are - Thai, Isan and Yuan. It is unlikely that you will have the desire to learn all this. Therefore, when going on an independent journey, be prepared for linguistic problems.

English won't help here- Most of the inhabitants of the kingdom do not understand him. So you will have to figure out many things without anyone's help. Thais smile and nod, but believe me, no one understood you.

Be in touch

Mobile communications in Thailand are at a fairly high level. The two most popular mobile operators among our tourists are DTAC (offering the Happy Tourist tariff) and True Move (also the largest Internet provider). When leaving the migration zone, you can completely get a local SIM card for free. You will find 7 baht on your account - enough for 2-3 short calls.

Winter trip

When planning a winter trip, do not overload your luggage with warm clothes. One sweater is enough, because Thailand is a warm country. The wardrobe of a Thai wanderer will consist mainly of summer clothes. Try to choose light shades, as dark ones will make it more difficult to withstand the heat. T-shirts, shorts, swimming trunks and swimsuits, light (and practical) shoes - this is what you should give priority to.

Traveler reviews

1) There is no such country as Thailand! The country is called Thailand!

2) What currency should I bring to Thailand?

The country's currency is the Thai baht. Stable regional currency. Widely used in Laos, partly in Cambodia and in the border states of Myanmar. No one needs dollars, euros, and especially rubles, they are not accepted for payment - you will still change at exchange offices - it is better to do this not on the street but in bank branches: in any of them there is an exchange, but there are no queues or rudeness. It is better to change large sums of over 10,000 USD in trusted Chinese exchangers - ask the old-timers. Take a dollar card and withdraw baht from it, or a ruble card if you don’t have a dollar card. For insurance (if your cash is stolen), you can get a credit card, the best one is from Alpha and

3) If you see an elegant image of a man on calendars inside houses, on framed portraits, on billboards or in any other places, it is almost certainly the King. If there is a woman in the image, it is the Queen. Thais idolize the royal family. The king really did a lot for the people. (Addition: Bhumibol Adulyadej - King of Thailand, died on October 13, 2016)

>>Last minute tours to Thailand from RUR 11,200 – public shock tariffs VKontakte

4) You shouldn’t joke about the King, even in Russian. For insulting the Royals there is a punishment, including prison. For the same reason, you should not throw money, burn it, tear it, or step on it. There is an image of the King on every banknote and coin.

5) Thais are extremely tolerant. Tourists will be forgiven for any ridiculous appearance, treacherous violation of local customs, or minor offenses. But this does not mean that you should behave like a complete pig, get drunk until you squeal, or walk around the city center in only swimming trunks.

6) Thais do not know how to say the word “no”. Therefore, if you cannot get an answer to some question for a long time, then you just need to retreat: ask another Thai in another place or abandon the original idea.

7) All the beaches of the country belong to the King. And they are allowed for free use by all local residents and guests of the country, without exception. This means that you can move along the coastline without hindrance, lie free on your mat anywhere, even if there is a five-star hotel opposite; usually the private territory of such hotels is fenced off with a decorative fence or other obvious elements.

There are no private beaches in the country. No one has the right to charge any fee for using the beach. The exception is the territory of national parks, for which a fee is charged for visiting.

8) Everything is fine with aviation in the country. There are large low-cost airlines, the most famous: Nok Air and Thai Smile. Traditional airlines: and. And regional airlines, for example Kan Air and R airlines, the existence of which even local residents hardly know. There are airports in the capital of each province and in other major cities and tourist centers.

Tickets are available to everyone. The average price for a flight within the country is 1000 baht. On sales you can get it for 300 baht. For some holidays and destinations, prices can reach up to 5,000 baht. The difference in prices between traditional and low-cost airlines is negligible, especially when you factor in baggage and other costs (for example), sometimes low-cost airlines have higher prices!

Tickets from Moscow in both directions cost from 20,000 rubles ()

9) There are two airports in Bangkok. Bangkok Airlines also fly from the first (Suvarnabhumi) - this is a large international terminal, with a metro going to it.

From the second (Dong Muang) low-cost airlines and nok air. There is a free shuttle between airports. It is better to go from the city to it by taxi. The airports are located at different ends of the city, but are connected by toll highways

10) The bus network covers all populated areas. Comfortable buses with air conditioning, comfortable sleeping chairs and toilets operate over long distances. There are buses with individual multimedia entertainment systems or a massager in the back of the seat. As a rule, all routes lead to Bangkok. There are a small number of direct buses between tourist centers. A wide variety of transport operates on regional routes: buses with air conditioning and regular seats, buses without air conditioning, minibuses, songthaew (pickup truck with a closed passenger body).

Unfortunately, according to one statistics, the number of accidents on the roads remains first in the world. It is advisable to buckle up on buses; there are times when they fly off the road.

11) There are rare, strange cases of missing luggage or individual items from luggage. It is better to travel only on official buses, tickets for which are purchased at the bus station at the ticket office. This will provide you with a guarantee of safety and liability for lost or stolen luggage.

In tourist areas they offer tickets for illegal charter buses. They are often cheaper. This is compensated by inconvenient transfers or the imposition of excursions or hotels upon arrival. These buses can arrive in places remote from the city, from where it is not easy to get out. And it is in such buses that cases of theft occur.

12) Less luck with trains. If memory serves, there are only five branches. North to Chiang May, south to Malaysia and further to Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, and so on all sorts of shoots and stubs. Trains are incredibly late. on a 12-hour route they may be 6-9 hours late. There was a case when in 2 weeks a train derailed in the same place 6 times. After major repairs to open this section, the train derailed once again along with the Minister of Transport.

13) Bangkok is a name for foreigners. The Thais call the city Krungthep. Plan a stop in Bangkok for at least 2 days, in addition to the royal palace and Wat Arun, there are even alien sectarians there!

14) Farang is a name for a foreigner. Contrary to popular belief, it is not offensive. Applies to people of European appearance.

15) Thais are terrible nationalists. Foreigners will never be put on the same level as themselves, but this does not mean that they will put themselves higher - no, just as if on the sidelines. Europeans are treated well, in wild places they even idolize them. They don't like Hindus, Chinese and blacks.

16) Absolute tolerance in matters of sexual orientation. In this country, everyone can identify themselves as any gender according to their feelings, regardless of the presence of body parts or, for example, clothing. The classification of possible varieties is very extensive and without one hundred grams it is impossible to understand it.

17) Contrary to popular misconceptions, outside the tourist zones of debauchery, the country is extremely puritanical. After drawing a picture of breasts on a federal channel, without any hint of eroticism, a huge scandal broke out.

There are no sex shops in the country and all such products are illegal. If you are lucky, a foreigner can order a parcel from abroad or use the black market.

18) There is a death penalty for drugs in the country. For consumption, a tourist can be fined and deported, but most likely they will extort a bribe. There are raids in nightclubs and places with a bad reputation.

19) There is no presumption of innocence in the country. That is, you will have to prove that you did not commit illegal actions.

Martial law is still in effect, giving the military and police virtually unlimited power.

In practice, everything is not so scary. Foreigners are of interest only to officers from the migration service, and even then only at the moment of crossing the border or during visits to the office for those who live in the country. Tourists are of no interest to anyone in principle.

20) Tipping is not accepted in Thai places. In very wild places they won’t even understand why you left the money. In tourist places you can leave a tip, but if you don’t do this, no one will be offended.

21) The rainy season is an amorphous concept. He is in different places in the country at different times.

The rain does not interfere in any way; it usually falls no more than an hour a day and mainly at night. You can and should go to Thailand at any time. Moreover, in the off-season in summer, a trip can become several times cheaper, but not a bit worse.

22) It’s always hot in Thailand. With the exception of the far north in winter. However, you will definitely need one warm item. There's a creepy glacier on planes, buses, movie theaters and shopping malls. Always take warm clothes to such places.

23) If in Bangkok they tell you that some place is closed and today is a day off, don’t believe it. This is the most important wiring. You will be offered an alternative excursion with a stop at shops.

For the same reason, you shouldn't take a tuk-tuk in Bangkok. You are almost guaranteed to be taken to a store whose owner issues gas coupons to the driver.

24) It’s better to get around Bangkok by taxi. No matter how strange it may sound, if there are two or more of you, then a trip by metro will be more expensive than a taxi.

If you have the skill to put on a serious face and point your finger at the meter, then you will be taken at the official price. A trip within 2-3 metro stations will cost 50-60 baht. A trip through the whole city, if there are no traffic jams, costs 100-120 baht. My most expensive trip lasted 2 hours and 37 kilometers and cost 210 baht.

You only have to catch a taxi that is coming. A red light means it is free. If there is no light, it means it's busy.

You can get away with a meter from special stands near large shopping centers. True, the queue is sometimes 10-15 minutes long. At the hotel, it is better to ask the staff to arrange a taxi. Then, again, you are guaranteed to be taken along the meter.

In Chiang Mai, the most affordable transport is Song Thaew, here it looks like big red cars (you can’t go wrong) - for 20 baht they will take you in a taxi around the city center, picking up other passengers along the way. Uber and Grab also launched in Chiang May.

37) Is it possible to go to Thailand with children?

Thailand is an ideal country for traveling with children. Thais adore children, and they just idolize the children of foreigners. You will never be left in trouble and will be happy to look after your child anywhere.

You can often see mothers taking their children with them to work. To a massage parlor, hairdresser or store. This is absolutely normal. Children do not bother anyone and children in Thailand can do anything.

38) Contrary to popular misconceptions, not all dishes in Thai cuisine are extremely spicy. There are a huge number of completely non-spicy dishes. Just really, really.

A tourist has virtually no chance of distinguishing a spicy dish from a non-spicy one. The only way out is to order another dish, some kind of pancake. Food still costs pennies.

39) In Thai, the emphasis is on the last syllable of a word. Foreign words (mainly names) should also be pronounced with emphasis on the last syllable, so they will understand you faster. I asked for a long time whether there was a mAcro store in Krabi and they refused to understand me. But when I asked about macro, they immediately told me the way to it. The same applies to popular stores 7-11 not sEven, but sevEn

40) A SIM card can be bought at any 7-11. They are often given out free of charge right at the airport upon arrival. Travel packages are almost guaranteed to have instructions in Russian inside. Or buy for travel.

41) Thai names are long, complex and incomprehensible to a foreigner. Therefore, everyone who works in tourism seems to have a simple and understandable name for a foreigner consisting of 2-3 letters: em, pie, may, fight...

42) You are almost guaranteed not to get malaria. Unless you're wandering around remote jungles for months at a time. Although Dengue fever exists (it exists even in space-modern Singapore), it is also carried by mosquitoes, there are no vaccinations or treatment for it, but no more people die than from the flu. There are more dangers in Russia.

43) Snakes, scorpions, scolopendras - there are somewhere in the forests. Sometimes you can see them from afar, but they are more afraid of you than you are of them.

44) Thais do not eat beetles, worms and locusts. This is entertainment for tourists and food for migrant workers from Cambodia. Thais eat chicken and rice, sometimes pork. But cows are not held in high esteem, both with meat and dairy products. Cheeses and sausages are a terrible delicacy.

45) There is a separate tourist police for tourists. She speaks reasonable English and helps resolve any everyday conflicts, look for forgotten things and lost documents.

Sometimes foreign volunteers are on duty at public events; they are registered with the tourist police and speak different languages.

Using Thai driving directions (on business cards or in brochures) is AD. The scales are not observed on them, but simply the indicated guidelines are schematically in their own way.

47) Thailand has never been anyone's colony. Although certain areas of individual cities are currently practically occupied by foreigners.

48) In public places: in markets, parks, stadiums, train stations, the national anthem can be performed at 7 and 8 o'clock in the morning, and at 5 and 6 o'clock in the evening. If all the Thais stopped or stood up, you should follow their example out of respect. Although you, as a tourist, do not have to do this. In the cinema, before the screening, they also play the anthem and show a film about the King.