Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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yawares
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Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2012 3:23 pm

Re: Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

Post by yawares »

Beautiful Breath wrote:Hi everyone,
My partner and I are planning a trip to Thailand in december - hopefully between Christmas and New Year. She wants the beach...I want the Wats...haha! Any ideas regarding best way ahead generally would be gratefully appreciated - ie agents, hotels resorts etc... Thanks!!!
BB...

Dear BB,
-Please keep PEPTO BISMAL with you always.

-Must have spirit to bargain for everything you want to buy.. 50% off asking price(except food/dessert)...only PAY after you HAVE the merchandises in your hand!!...many cheating salepeople(happened to me/Tep!!)

-You should write your name on the money..just in case you give them 500baths..but they say you give 50baths..with your name you can have evidence!!! (HAPPENED TO ME TOO!!!)

-Buy 1/2/3 days tour at your hotel...the best way to see all the beautiful tourist spots.

-Please don't drink water/beverage too much while on the road...bad bad traffic..(so you don't have to go RESTROOM during bad traffic!!!!)

***There are bad people in every country ....SAD but TRUE !!!
yawares
:shock:
chownah
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Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:19 pm

Re: Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

Post by chownah »

There are wats everywhere in Thailand and I think that this includes beaches.....on the other hand if there are certain wats you wish to visit then the only realistic option is to go to where they are regardless of whether there is a beach close by or not....so.....if you just want to see a bunch of wats then go to the beaches and check out the local wats (which will be mostly very small ones I guess).

As to traveling in Thailand you might try the Thaivisa.com forum or the teakdoor.com forum.
Also
bring ear plugs (can be hard to find here and they are not expensive or heavy to bring with
bring Immodium-AD or buy some at a pharmacy as soon as you arrive...it is a very effective anti-diahreal with I think no side effects....some people take it before a long journey as a preventative measure
bring the condoms you use as most of the ones here are uncomfortable for some people to use
bring a light jacket and/or a long sleeve shirt as it can be chilly in December (or buy one upon arrival or if needed)

bottled drinking water is available just about everywhere and if you want to carry some in your pack then buy the kind with a screw on cap and not the push on cap as the push on will push off and your pack will be flooded

ice is sometimes made with local water and so it is just as likely to make you sick although I live here in Thailand and gladly accept drinks with ice in them
don't forget the immodium-AD....it is inexpensive and works great!!!!

If you like to see a bunch of famous wats you might consider visiting Luang Prabang in Laos as it has a street which has several right in a row.....but the only beach would be on the Mekong River and would probably not satisfy your friends yearnings for the beach.

chownah
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Kim OHara
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Location: North Queensland, Australia

Re: Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

Post by Kim OHara »

Hi, chownah,
It's good to see you back after a bit of a break, :smile:

I'm going to be travelling in Laos in a month or two on an adventure-travel tour - Hanoi-Vientiane-LuangPrabang-Chiang Mai. I won't have much flexibility but will have a little bit of free time during the trip and two days in Chiang Mai at the end of it. Is there anything I should make a special effort to do or see?

:namaste:
Kim
harveysmith27
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Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:47 am

Re: Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

Post by harveysmith27 »

I have visited Thailand twice.
its such a good country to visit and people living there are very nice.
if you want to beech then you go phuket. Phuket is awesome and if you want to some shopping then Bangkok.
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Kare
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Re: Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

Post by Kare »

In Bangkok don't miss the Buddhist Bookshop in Thanon Phra Sumeru (pronounced Thanon Phra Sumen), right across the road from Wat Bowonniwet.
Mettāya,
Kåre
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appicchato
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Location: Bridge on the River Kwae

Re: Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

Post by appicchato »

Many people there speak and understand English...
Mmm...'many' being a relative term, (and while this is not big on the grand scale of things) I have to say this is not the case...anywhere outside any of the major tourist centers literally (next to) no Thai has even a basic command of the English language...

Love Thailand, and the Thai people (been here more than 30 years), but that's the reality (in my experience)...

The suggestion to learn some Thai is good...and a (good) phrase book is mandatory...

Be well...
Last edited by appicchato on Sun Aug 26, 2012 9:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Anagarika
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Re: Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

Post by Anagarika »

If you wish to decompress a bit from the big city noise, towering highrises and fumes of Bangkok, spend a few days in Chiang Mai. CM is a lovely mid sized city, with a deep Wat history and many beautiful city and forest Wats, as well as nice city center hotels and outlying high end resorts and spas. The Tha Phae Gate area (old city center) and nearby Loi Kroh markets at night are active with world tourists, and if you want to just relax and mingle with farang for a while, watch football on the big screen and sit outside cafe style and watch people go by, the ex pat fav "John's Place" near the Tha Phae gate is great. Many Thais have told me that they go to CM to get away from BKK on weekend visits. Chiang Mai is also a starting point if you wish to venture north to the nearby elephant camps and other activities found in the flora and fauna of beautiful northern Thailand.

This description is just a snapshot and my brief comments here do not do Chiang Mai and the region justice.

This video was produced by a Christian school in Thailand and you'll get some hymn singing at the end of the package (not often found on DhammaWheel :) ), but it's a nice videotour of the area, with a quick shot of a local Wat at :40 :
http://youtu.be/XKB85hJbSxQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Beautiful Breath
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Re: Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

Post by Beautiful Breath »

Thanks all for your advice. Currently booked into a plush hotel (why not eh?) for a couple of nights in Bangkok. Then a family run guest house, much more Thai...then possibly Chiang Mai.

BB...
Sutiro
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Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:48 am

Re: Going to Thailand in December...any advice?

Post by Sutiro »

If you are interested in Buddhism then it will be worth your while to go to Ubon Ratchatani. From there you can visit Wat Bah Pong, and Loom Por Chah's mausoleum. Not far from there is Wat Bah Nanachaht, the monastery he established for Westerners. You can marvel at the tranquility, admire the architecture and maybe change your life. It changed mine.

Karuna
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