Tourists Archives - The Lifestyle I Want

Posted on February 23, 2019August 15, 2021 by Eulises Quintero

Thailand, 18 Questions and 18 Answers

Wat Arun temple in Bnagkok at night time

Alright, I’ve been to Thailand quite a few times, it’s really a beautiful country with so much to offer.

From the bustling city of Bangkok to the serene rice fields of Chiang Mai, to the paradise-like beaches of the south.

There is something for everyone, including sex for the sexpats in Pattaya.

I decided to put together a post about different and regular questions I’ve had friends and other people online ask me, let’s begin.

These are Questions about traveling to Thailand

1-Is it cheap to fly domestically in Thailand?

Yes it is, you can travel to certain destinations for as low as 40 USD round trip, it might go up to 100 USD or something around that for certain destinations.

To get those cheap prices you’ll have to obviously stick to budget airlines and travel with a carry on backpack only.

There are destinations that might deviate from the average price, I’m specifically talking about Koh Samui, a round trip from Bangkok to Koh samui will be around 300 USD

All prices might vary a bit depending on the season of course.

2-Why is flying to Koh Samui so expensive?

Because the airport at Koh Samui is privately owned and taxes are higher. It’s owned by Bangkok Airways, so they can pretty much charge anything they want.

3- When in Bangkok is it better to take a metered Taxi or a “Grab” going to the Airport?

Taxis in Bangkok, questions about traveling to Thailand

There is really not that much difference when it comes to price, a ride from the center of Bangkok -let’s say around Erawan shrine- to Suvarnabhumi Airport should be around 500 bahts.

4- Can I go to Thailand, then go to Laos or Cambodia by land and re-enter Thailand by land and get another visa exception?

Yes, if your nationality allows you to get visa exemption when visiting Thailand, chances are that if you leave and then re-enter by land you’ll get another visa exception.

Notice the key factor here, IF YOUR NATIONALITY ALLOWS YOU TO GET VISA EXEMPTIONS.

Please click here for a full list of the 55 countries that can enter Thailand visa-free

If your country is not on that list then you have to apply for a single or multiple-entry tourist visa.

Old Gods of Vientiane, Laos.

If you get a single entry tourist visa and then leave Thailand territory, even if it is for some hours, you’ll need a new tourist visa to re-enter.

5- Should I go to Koh Lanta or Koh Chang?

According to many tourists from different Facebook groups (not just me), Koh Lanta is better, as simple as that, it has nicer beaches and more things to explore.

What is better koh lanta or koh chang, questions about traveling to Thailand

Koh Chang is full of Chinese and Russian tourists that have a tendency to misbehave, plus is a little bit dirty and the beach shores are shallow and rocky.

There is definitely more to see and o do in Koh Lanta.

6- How to go from Chiang Mai to Koh Lanta?

The first thing you need to do is get on a plane and fly to Krabi Airport and from there, there are different options.

The cheapest way to go from Krabi airport to Koh Lanta is by public minivan, you can pay for it when you arrive there, the minivan will depart once is full, it uses the car ferry and then drops off people at their hotels.

A Beautiful Trip Through Thailand

It definitely takes a while and it might be uncomfortable as there is no AC and if you’re traveling with big suitcases then maybe you’ll want to consider a different option.

The public minibus to Koh Lanta is around 350 bahts and the ride takes around 2 hours. For more ways to get from Krabi airport to Koh Lanta please click here

7- Should I get a letter from my doctor to take my prescription medicine?

Generally, people at immigration will not check your handbag and question you about your medicine, but if you want to be 100% on the safe side, simply make sure your pills are in its original sealed packages and just take enough for the duration of your stay.

I wouldn’t say you need to get a letter from your doctor but it definitely wouldn’t hurt in case they question you.

How to get to chiang mai from Bangkok, questions about traveling to Thailand — Chiang Mai

8- What is the best way to go from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?

Fly, Air Asia is a cheap way to get around Thailand.

You can also take a train, you can check for itineraries and prices here

9- Is there more to do in Chiangmai other than temples and seeing elephants?

This is one of my favorite questions about traveling to Thailand.

Yes, there is more than that, you can go hiking at Doh Inthanon, you can also take a cooking class, go visit the grand canyons, or rent a tuk tuk driver and have him take you to the waterfalls.

If you’re in Chiangmai by the end of November, you might be able to experience the beauty of the Yee Peng lantern festival.

If you’re feeling on the more adventurous side you can do some rafting and ATV quad biking with 8Adventure or any other tour operator of your preference.

You can also go enjoy the nice scenery at the bars alongside Mae ping river.

What waterfalls was I talking about before? I’m talking about Bua Tong waterfalls.

Bua tong waterfalls in Chiangmai Thailand, questions about traveling to Thailand

Other interesting activities include carp and catfish fishing , CATCH AND RELEASE.

Catfish catch and release in Chiang Mai, questions about traveling to thailand

Walk around the night market or go have fun at Zoe in Yellow.

zoe in yellow party in Chiang Mai Bangkok

10- Is Bangkok safe for children?

Yes, it is.

11- Can I find a ladyboy massage place in Bangkok?

Yeah this is one of the questions about traveling to Thailand I’ve received.

And Yes, just head over to boys town or soi 6/1, also Soi Chaiapoon aka soi pothole there are many over there.

12- What is the nearest airport to phi phi island?

That would be Krabi airport, Phuket international airport is also quite near.

You can fly to Krabi airport, then get a taxi to Klong Jirab Pier which is around 30 minutes away from Krabi airport by car

Once at the pier take the ferry to Phi Phi islands. The ride will last around 90 minutes, to check more details about how to get to Phi Phi island from Phuket or Krabi please click here

You could also take a speedboat to make the trip faster, you’ll have to pay more though.

13- How do you get around in Ayutthaya?

Ayutthaya Old City Ruins Thailand, questions about traveling to Thailand

Ayuthaya is quite big. If you think you can just take a train, get to Ayuthaya and then start walking around and see all the important parts of the ruins of the old city, then I’m sorry to say it doesn’t work that way.

The most convenient way to get around this old city of ruins is by Tuk Tuk, hire a driver to take you to the spots you want to see.

The cost of hiring a tuk tuk will be around 700 bahts for 4 hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csfxApbk0ww

One Day Trip to Ayutthaya

14- Is it easy to get a taxi at Suvarnabhumi Airport ? after midnight?

Yes, it is. Just follow the signs that take you to the taxi area, get in line to get your taxi ticket and then wait for your taxi to arrive, they are metered taxis so don’t worry about being scammed.

9 Incredible Temples in East Asia.

is it easy to get a taxi in Suvarnabhumi_Airport questions about traveling to Thailand

Hiring private transportation or getting a grab is also a way to go, the only problem is that it might be difficult to find your driver at the airport and the language barrier might delay the process.

15- Where to stay in Koh Lanta?

Some recommendations

Thai House Beach Resort Koh Lanta
Lanta Lily resort

16- Where should I go for a romantic getaway in Koh Samui?

Another interesting one in the questions about traveling to Thailand, here are some options.

Sea Dance Resort, they can arrange a lovely private dinner on the beach for you and your significant other.

Baitong Restaurant

Tamarind Spring Forest Spa,

In case you’re not looking for a romantic meal and instead you want a more relaxing experience then you should definitely check this place out.

Romantic_getaway_in_Koh_samui_tamarind_spa questions about traveling to Thailand

Woo Bar

This is a very lively bar, with DJs playing live music, a really great selection of cocktails and food and a great staff, how is this a romantic experience?

Well, the view is amazing.

17- Do ATM machines charge a fee for withdrawing money?

Yes, 220 bahts regardless of the amount you withdraw, the maximum amount is 20,000 bahts, some might allow you to take out 30,000 bahts but is not common.

18- How Do I book a one day trip to Phi phi island?

You can ask your hotel to help you book it, or you can find a travel agent on Bangla road -if you’re in Phuket- the price should be something around 1,700 bahts per person.

Conclusion

My conclusion is that Thailand is awesome, so go there and enjoy.

So, what do you think? Do you agree with me on all of these answers, is there a question you could provide a better answer for? let me know in the comments please.

Also, let me know if you have more questions you think I should add to this post, Questions about traveling to Thailand.

Posted on January 26, 2019January 15, 2023 by Eulises Quintero

What Do Travelers Regret?

So, after traveling for 3 years around Asia, and finally starting a blog, I started thinking about all the things, travel related, that I regret, for instance.

I did not signing up for Arline’s reward program when I first started traveling
I did not buying a decent camera to record my early travels

So I thought, what do other travelers regret?

I decided to do some research, and these are some of the most interesting answers I got.

How to make money while traveling?

There was one answer that appears to be a consensus among the travel community, which I’ll share at the end.

Backpacking Europe Cost in 2023

36 Things Travelers Regret

1- Not traveling when I was a University student just because I had no friends to travel with.

2- (A mother said) Not traveling with my daughter while she was young

3- Not traveling to Mali before the civil war

This one is a very specific one, the Mali conflict between the north and the south began in January of 2012 and is still ongoing as of today (January 2019)

4- Traveling and forcing myself to be on a diet, I didn’t eat Wagyu beef in Japan nor fried Pizza in Naples .

5- Taking so long to build the courage to go on a road trip in my own country, I was scared about getting lost on the road.

6- Traveling by plane way too often.

7-Not visiting the Galapagos Islands when I was in Ecuador.

8- Always packing too much.

9- Coming back home while is still winter time (March was still very cold)

Travelers regrets coming back home in winter time

10-I love my children, but I wis I had waited longer to have them so I could have traveled while I was still young instead of struggling being a single mom.

11- Lying on the beach too much instead of going on excursions.

12-Leaving my luggage in full view in a locked vehicle while I was hiking … uninsured.

13- The Dominican Republic. Women are not respected especially English speaking women. Never again.

What do you guys think about that statement?

14- Not taking a camera with me in the early trips ☹️At the time I always said you can’t experience anything if you’re glued to the camera all the time but now I have few images to look back on 😲This was long before mobile phones were commonplace.

15- That I didn’t take to the road for long durations when I was younger. It was always four weeks here, four weeks there. I never took the leap and went out for half a year or more. Just financially I felt at the time it wasn’t possible for me to just quit my job, and leave my partner behind. I’ve enjoyed my experiences but just wished they could have been longer.

travelers regrets, not traveling for an extended perod of time

16- Not having enough battery in electronic devices, especially on mountainous areas.

travelers regrets, not having enough battery in electronic devices

17- A couple of years before the outbreak of war I had a trip to Lebanon and Syria booked. To please someone else I canceled the trip. Big mistake.

18- Diving without a camera in New Caledonia. That was the best dive in my life and I have nothing to remember it or to show it around 😢

19- Losing a phone in Sydney with our only photos of Ayers Rock😣

20- Not carrying enough gifts back home.

21-Spending all the day only sleeping in the hotel room and realizing the trip is pretty much over.

Don’t fall asleep, let’s continue with this list of Things travelers regret

22- Not traveling around México while I was living there (for 2 years!!) because “I could do it later”… 😯

23- Going west instead of East.

A Cross Border Trip in South East Asia

24- Not going to Easter Island when I was in Chile.

25- Not going back to Nosara when I had the chance and the dollar was strong. For that matter, not recognizing the whole of the late ’90s as the golden era of travel when the dollar was strong.

26- Not staying longer on my eastern Europe trip.

27- Cramming in too many activities in a given period of time.

Cramming many activities on a period of time, Travelers regrets

28- Filming so much that I kind of missed the country.

29- Only spending one day in Paris. You need a month to see everything in Paris. I ran around that day like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to get pictures of every landmark in Paris.

30- Only spending one day in Kyoto.

why would anyone do that?

31- Not taking my husband to Russia before we had kids…it’s now too far and too expensive.

32- Not being able to snorkel much in Belize as it costs 150 US dollars per person to get to the reef .

33- Not taking pictures of the beautiful and historical places during 1980’s

34- Going to the same place so often instead of trying other places.

35- Getting 2 phones with all the photos stolen because I get a little bit to beer excited sometimes.

AND THE FINAL ONE, THE THING PEOPLE MENTIONED THE MOST

36- Not traveling more when I was young.

Interesting list we’ve got here right.

Conclusion

Not everyone has the means to travel, if you do and you’re not doing it simply because you’re afraid or you’re waiting for the right person to tag along please stop, start traveling as early in your life as possible.

How to make extra money to go on vacation?

Once you start traveling make sure you take at least a cell phone with a nice camera so you can record those exciting moments and then look at them in the future, who knows, those places you’re visiting might no longer exist after 5 or 10 years.

So what are you waiting for, go book a flight, if you’re not sure about how to do it on your own please read this post I made about how to find the best fly deals for international travel.

Hope you liked this post -Things travelers regret- what do you guys think?

Do you agree? Is there something you would like me to add to the list?

Please comment below.