Tag: holiday

Trains In Thailand

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thailand trains

Do trains in Thailand get fully booked?

Do I need to book the train in advance in Thailand? In my opinion it is best to book ahead when travelling by train in Thailand just to be sure to avoid disappointment. I especially recommend it around new year and before the dates of the full moon party if travelling South. It’s not easy to book trains in thailand though… it’s a real ball ache actually. You can’t book Thailand  trains online through the official Thai railways website – either you have to do it through a travel agency or make an extra trip to the train station itself before hand. If you are very lazy like myself though, you may find www.thailandtrainticket.com a useful website to book Thailand trains online.

chiang mai train 3rd class

Hualumpong Train Station Scam

I did not book the train ahead when I took a trip to Koh Samui this weekend in Thailand. The trains and buses to the islands and beaches of Thailand get pretty full up what with them being one of the biggest attractions for foreigners. However, having the prematurely anti-social spirit of a grumpy, elderly woman, I also did not realise that I was travelling around the busiest time of the full moon party. I had my hotels sorted, transport planned by the exact memorized Thailand train timetable… We arrived at Hualumpong train station one hour early before the 19.30 train was supposed to leave Bangkok for Surat Thani and nonchalantly approached the man on the tourist information counter for a timetable.

After asking a colleague about our train, the Thailand tourist information guy then informed us that the trains to Surat Thani were actually all fully booked that day. At this point I was starting to panic that I had screwed up our plans. But it wasn’t a problem – he explained to us that there was also a bus that went there… only it was due to leave in 10 minutes time. He bought us to another Thailand tourist information office and handed us over to the travel agent. Again, the new man reasserted that there was a bus about to leave in 10 minutes but it may be fully booked. My panic bar crept up slightly more… He phoned someone up to check for us and eventually turned back to us. “They have last two seats left. But they cost this much:” He got his calculator out and punched the numbers into it – 1300 baht each.

Now, from my experience living in Thailand so far, it’s never a good sign when people get out the calculator. People normally expect you to haggle when they get out the calculator, so obviously they type in some ridiculously over priced figure to start off. I did not expect to haggle over a bus ticket in an official-looking booth in a train station though. I enthusiastically nodded my head with relief. Yayy we got the last two tickets! So lucky!

…. 50 minutes went by after we bought out train tickets. Not only did the bus not leave 10 minutes after we had been told it would, but about 15 people entered the office after us and bought tickets for the very same journey. He’d just lied to us to panic us into paying more for our tickets -_- 

I don’t think joint bus and ferry tickets from Bangkok to Samui should cost any more than 1000 baht. Maybe they can cost even less than this I am not 100% sure as maybe I was ripped off the 2nd time I bought tickets also! Who knows? Either way, I’m not sure what happened. It is a possibility that the trains were not fully booked and the overly helpful Thailand tourist information guy just got paid commission from bringing tourists to book bus tickets. On the other hand though, it was four days before the full moon party and it’s a very popular route for tourists in Thailand afterall.. Being ripped off though, particularly on the very first day of a trip in Thailand, can be really demoralizing and frustrating.

 

Be warned and do not make the same mistake. Try booking the train in Thailand in advance and don’t let people panic you into paying more than you should. Hopefully someone else can gain something from this experience and some good may come from my gullibility. 😉

 

Thailand Island Hopping

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Island hopping in Thailand

For those interested in island hopping from Bangkok, here is a rough guide on how to get to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan as well as some ideas of what to do on the islands in Thailand. Phuket is located the opposite side of the mainland and in my opinion, the beaches are more attractive with soft, fine white sand. However these three islands are a little less built up than Phuket and ideal for island hopping in Thailand.

Personally, I get bored staying too long on a beach, even if trying my hand at some of the watersports and chilling out in the bars on the shore. However, getting to these particular islands from Bangkok can take a long time if you’re not flying, so you kind of need to spend more than just a few days island hopping in Thailand just to make your time travelling there worthwhile. However, a flight to Koh Samui costs from around 3000 baht each way.

koh samui

Koh Samui

How do you get to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangnan from Bangkok

You can catch a joint ferry + sleeper train from Hualumpong train station in Bangkok to get to any of the islands in Thailand. An ideal time to catch this train is around 19.30 as this way you can get a decent night’s sleep rather than waste day time – the ferry arrives on each of the islands late morning the next day. If you book the joint ferry ticket you will be taken to a shuttle bus to connect you to the Don Sak ferry port from Surat Thani to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, respectively.

I recommend booking the train in advance for island hopping in Thailand though – it can get booked up at times, leaving you prime pickings for a stitching up by the tourist info people booking the buses. You can read my article on why you should book train tickets in advance in Thailand here. Trains to Surat Thani cost around 1300 baht each way (depending on the class).

Alternatively, for island hopping in Thailand you can also catch a bus straight from Bangkok to Surat Thani or Chumpon. From here you can take the ferry to Koh Samui etc. The bus to the Thai islands from Bangkok is slightly quicker and cheaper than the train but not as comfortable; it’s a pretty grueling journey being stuck on a bus for over 8 hours though. A joint bus + ferry ticket costs around 1000 baht if you book with Lomphraya – prices vary from company to company though. You can book tickets at any tourist office in Bangkok, it’s best to do in advance to avoid paying more or being stuck on the slower ferries and coaches.

 

Koh Samui

Koh Samui is the largest of the three islands and more built up too. Koh Samui has plenty of places to eat, bars on the beach and five star resorts. For those visiting Samui for the nightlife, Chaweng is the busiest and liveliest area of Samui to stay. Ark Bar Beach Resort costs around 1500 baht per night and is ideal for the younger tourists to stay in Koh Samui. Bophut is quieter but still packed with plenty of restaurants and pubs on the seafront as well as other day time activities available. This makes it ideal for couples, families or more chilled out groups of friends staying in Koh Samui. Smile House is a very good hotel to stay in Bophut costing from 1200 baht per night. 

  • How to get to Koh Samui: You can book a ferry at any travel agents or directly at the main ferry ports such as Tong Sala on Koh Phangan or Surat Thani on the mainland. Island hopping on the ferry to Koh Samui takes roughly 1.5 hours from the mainland. Taxis generally charge around 600 – 900 baht to transfer you to your hotel from the ferry port on Koh Samui, there are some minibuses around though – one company called Travel Hut seems pretty reasonable. They have an office located around the port and charge 150 baht per person to drop you to your hotel. Alternatively, you can hire motorcycles for 250 to 400 baht per day (dependant on the engine size). It can be a fun way to explore Koh Samui island and it’s beaches, although the islands in Thailand are quite famous for their particularly dangerous roads so take care.
thailand island hopping

Walking Street, Fisherman’s Villaage

  • What to do in Koh Samui: If staying in Bophut, it can be a good idea to make sure you are staying in Koh Samui on a Friday. In Bophut fisherman’s village there is very lively ‘Walking Street’ every friday night, complete with fire poi shows, traditional thai performances and many stalls selling silks, clothing, handmade coconut beauty products, artwork and authentic Thai snacks. During the daytime, chill out on the beach or try your hand at windsurfing for 360 baht per hour. The conditions in Koh Samui are apparently the best in the world for windsurfing so it’s not a bad place to try it out if you’re interested. As well as windsurfing in Koh Samui, you can also rent kayaks for 250 baht.
thailand island hopping

Bophut

Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan is primarily known for it’s famous Full moon parties and Jungle parties. The best place to stay for groups of friends and good nightlife on Koh Phangan is Hat Rin. V2 Seagate Hip Hotel is situated right in the middle of the nightlife in Hat Rin at a reasonable price too. For families and couples though, a good place to stay on Koh Phangan is perhaps Than Sadet. Mai Pen Rai bungalows on Than Sadet beach are very cheap at around 500 baht. They are located off the beaten track with their own peaceful, secluded beach.

  • How to get to Koh Phangan: A ferry to Thong Sala from the other islands costs around 400 baht and it is worth booking in advance with one of the tour offices during the full moon party time. You can also catch a slightly cheaper long tail boat from Maenam beach pier on Koh Samui but you cannot book this one in advance. Again, you can hire a motorcycle once in Koh Phangan but I would only recommend this for very confident drivers as the roads can be very steep and.. jungly.
  • What to do in Koh Phangan: There are other beach parties throughout the month in Koh Phangan as well as the full moon party, you can check the dates here to plan when to go. You can hire snorkels for 100 baht per day and kayaks for as little as 100 baht per hour. For fans of the tv shows Takeshi’s castle and Wipeout, you must visit Koh Phangan Wipeout located not too far from Thong Sala pier at Laem Son Lake. It costs 500 baht for the day and they are open Tuesday – Sunday 10am until 6pm.
thai islands

Than Sadet Beach

Koh Tao

Koh Tao is the smallest and most unspoilt of the three islands which makes it ideal for nature lovers and scuba divers island hopping in Thailand. There is an abundance of sea life and coral reefs for diving. Koh Tao is popular island with divers and younger travellers, it’s ideal for groups of friends looking for adventure and cool nightlife.

Sairee beach is the most popular and lively area to stay on Koh Tao but the beach is rather dirty and neglected – it’s worth a visit for the nightlife on the evenings at least though, especially the bars along the beachfront. There are many other more secluded bays such as Ao Leuk and Mango bay for prettier beaches. Koh Tao Resort in Chalok is a good medium with a cool divers community and small, sandy beaches.

It’s best to rent a scooter for 150 baht per day to get around Koh Tao as you cannot catch taxis for any less than 250 baht per journey. Taxi drivers on Koh Tao will generally want between 50-100 baht per passenger or 400-500 baht per journey and will not be haggled down to less than 250 baht.

  • How to get to Koh Tao: Again, you can book a ferry to Koh Tao for around 400 baht from either Koh Samui or Koh Phangan. To get from Bangkok to Koh Tao, you can catch a coach to Chumpon pier and take the ferry straight to Koh Tao. It’s slightly quicker to get to Koh Tao from Bangkok than it is to get to Koh Samui or Koh Phangan; the bus can get there in 6 hours and the Lomprayah catamaran ferry 90 minutes. You can book joint ferry + bus ticket for around 1100 baht per person.  Alternatively, you can hire a minibus and driver from 3000 baht for the day, it may well make a fun road trip.
  • What to do in Koh Tao: There are absolutely loads of different companies which offer scuba diving courses on Koh Tao, from 1 day to 7 days in length and it is the most ideal island to do this out of the three. Alternatively, if you feel there is not enough to keep you entertained on Koh Tao alone to make it worth staying, you can just book a day trip there instead through any of the Tour agencies on the other islands for around 700 baht. This usually includes some lunch, snorkel hire and a trip to Angthong National Marine Park as well. 

You can rent ATVs for around 1000 baht to get around Koh Tao, not only are they good fun and safer than scooters, but they can also get you to some of the more isolated and more beautiful bays of the island too. Koh Tao also has a shooting range and an island-to-island zip wire for more beach-unrelated fun.

 

Island hopping in Thailand. For more Thailand travel ideas and tips, click here.

Erawan Elephant Museum, Bangkok

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erawan shrine bangkok

Located just on the outskirts of the city of Bangkok, you can find the unmissable Erawan Museum- a unique museum in that it is enclosed within a 43 metre tall, giant elephant. It was built in 1967 by an eccentric  multi-millionaire resident of Bangkok to preserve his collection of antique art and to showcase the four major religions of Asia. The grounds of the museum consist of beautiful gardens with carpe ponds, ornate statues surrounding the museum and a shrine built into the structure of the towering three-headed elephant above.

erawan3

The main museum and shrine

Below the elephant building is the small museum dedicated to the history of Sukhothai and antique pottery of the region. The lobby-like area above this and under the shrine itself is very elaborately decorated with an extravagant and colourful circular staircase swirling around the dome shaped room up to the beautiful stained glass roof at the top. At the top of this level, you can either take the elevator or continue climbing yet more winding stairs which bring you into the body of the elephant itself.

erawan2

Lobby area inside

Here, there is an interesting and unconventional shrine located at the very top of the structure, brightly decorated with a less traditional and modern edge to it than the more historical temples in Bangkok. There is also a small window at the top where you can view the scenery and gardens from above. Due to the actual size of the gardens and museum, a visit to Erawan Museum would need no more than an hour for many people. However the gardens, although small in size, have some intriguing sculptures and attractive flora for a little extra entertainment and relaxation.

erawan4

Surrounding gardens

Entry to the Erawan Museum in Bangkok costs 300 baht for foreigners and 150 baht for Thais. It is open 8.00 am until 5.00 pm daily

How to get to Erawan Musem:

Take the BTS skytrain to the terminal station at Bearing. A taxi from here should only take 5 or 10 minutes and will cost around 55 baht depending on traffic. In thai, Erawan Museum is ‘peepeetapan erawan’.

Tip: Erawan Museum is a religious site, it is wise to try to dress a little more modestly to avoid the risk of being denied entrance to the actual museum and shrine. Avoid wearing short shorts or vests for example.

Bangkok To Sukhothai

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what to do in thailand

Thailand is a huge country full of so many choices of what to do and where to visit. To help guide people on where to travel and what to do in Thailand, I will be starting a mini series of tried and tested mini trips in Thailand. When it comes to organising holidays in Thailand I am ridiculously meticulous and spend a stupidly long time planning the best places to go, what to do and researching the best value hotels with the top reviews.

sukhothai historical park

Ruins at National Historical Park, Sukhthai

Two nights in Sukhothai

How to get to Sukhothai

Day 1: Catch the train (terminating in Chiang mai) from Bangkok Hualumpong station to Phitsanulok. For some reason you can not book the train online anymore, but tickets can easily be purchased on arrival at the train station. Check out www.railway.co.th for an up to date timetable.

N.B:  A 2nd class train ticket to Phitsanulok including aircon on the DRC train will cost around 490 baht. This train leaves at 8.30 and takes 5hrs + meal and snacks included – It’s clean, comfortable and quick with a western toilet

A 2nd class train ticket with fan only on the Rapid train will cost around 289 baht – This train does not include a meal and has a squat toilet instead (Quite the challenge on a bumping and jerking train). This train is also slower, taking around 7 hours. It is fine when travelling during the daytime, but it does become a bit of a bug fest at night time with all the windows open (not to mention a tad grubby).

A 3rd class train ticket costs from around 69 baht- it’s not particularly comfortable so I would not recommend this for journeys over an hour long. 

Catch the bus from Phitsanulok bus terminal to travel to Sukhothai – the ticket kiosks are clearly marked and the staff are very helpful in pointing you in the right direction. A bus ticket costs 43 baht and the journey to Sukhothai is just over an hour long. There are tuk tuks and buses outside of Phitsanulok train station which can take you to the Pitsanulok bus terminal located about 5 minutes away – the tuk tuks tend to charge around 60 baht for this.

Where to stay in Sukhothai

For people on a low budget, check in at TR Guesthouse in Sukhothai for around 300 baht per night. If you have time to spare, a trip to the main Sukhothai market is advised where you can buy some extremely cheap clothing and shoes or tuck into some of the local Sukhothai  food. Also make sure to visit the Chopper Bar in Sukhothai, a few doors up from TR Guesthouse; a biker style bar where they have an awesome local musician to play american/ country infused Thai folk music every night.

Sukhothai historical park

After exploring Sukhothai town, on day 2 visit the Sukhothai historical Park – Hire a moped from 200 baht and cruise around the historical park ruins with a prepared picnic. Alternatively, catch the songthaew to the old city, and then rent a bicycle to cycle around Sukhothai historical park. It’s best to head out early in the morning or later in the afternoon/ evening to avoid the heat and the crowds. The Sukhothai historical ruins are absolutely huge, but in my opinion, 4 or 5 hours will suffice. Entry to each of the sections of Sukhothai historical park costs around 100 baht each.

sukhothai

Sukhothai countryside

Book a tour with Cycle Sukhothai

As well as Sukhothai historical park tours, Cycle Sukhothai also do countryside, sunset and Karma & Darma tours which are all a little more off the beaten track and show you a side of Sukhothai that you will unlikely experience as a tourist otherwise. In my opinion, touring the Sukhothai historical park is something you can easily do alone without a guide though. Cycle tours can cost from 350 baht – Check out www.cycling-sukhothai.com

Day 3: Take a taxi to the Sukhothai bus terminal for 60 baht and catch a bus back (they come roughly every hour) to Pitsanulok.

+ Optional Phitsanulok detour for nature lovers!

The charming Rainforest Resort, Phitsanulok

*Phitsanulok and Sukhothai are actually situated along the main route to Chiang Mai, so if you have not been before, it is a good idea to continue on the same train and make a visit to Chiang mai too.

The town of Phitsanulok itself, is a little lacking in things to do on it’s own. But if you hire a car or don’t mind catching the bus around, there are plenty of national parks and waterfalls to explore and experience the Phitsanulok rainforest, although they are fairly spread out.

  • Take a bus from Phitsanulok bus terminal to the highly recommended Rainforest Resort for 25 baht. This place is situated, if you can’t guess, in the rainforest area about 35km outside of Phitsanulok town and off the beaten track. Make sure to write the Thai address down and mention Khaeng song water fall (pronounced nam dtok gaeng song) so that you can catch the correct bus. It is a 5 minute walk back towards Phitsanulok from this waterfall. 1 night in a bungalow will cost from around 2000 baht.
  • The rainforest resort offers kayaking and white water rafting activities. You can also easily check out the nearby Khaeng Song waterfall where the Phitsanulok locals spend their days off for picnics and swims in the river.

A bungalow at Rainforest Resort

Road trippin’ Phitsanulok and Sukhothai. You can check here for more ideas of what to do in Thailand.

Safety & Travel Tips In Thailand

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Everybody learns better from their own experiences… trial and error. But, to those who don’t have the same ‘it will never happen to me’ attitude as I do, and for a smoother and more enjoyable trip to Thailand, here is a guide for some lessons I learned the hard way, take heed…

 

Avoid getting mugged and ripped off in Thailand:

  • If it is your first time to Thailand and you’re feeling a little clueless as to how much to pay when shopping, check out our Buying Guide before heading out. Most stalls will expect you to haggle in Thailand and this is not easy when you have no idea how much something is worth in the first place.
  • Check your change. This applies especially for 500 notes, which look very similar to 50s. I bought 70 bahts worth of doughnuts at Mister Doughnuts, thinking it was a large chain I figured it might be a good idea to break up my 1000 note in my pocket. The cashier handed me my change, I glanced at it quickly to make sure it was right but then the next day when I checked my pocket, it turned out to be a 50, not a 500. D’oh!
  • Avoid pushy tuk tuk drivers. When a tuk tuk driver approaches you in Bangkok, and mentions it being some kind of special day – Holy day, Happy buddha day, National tourism day, whatever – or insists wherever you happen to be going is closed… don’t buy it. He will most likely just take you to a suit shop or gem shop as he get’s paid commission for taking you there. Unless you actually want to buy a suit, it’s not the most pleasant experience as you will more often than not be chased out by the offended shop owners.
  • It is a common occurrence, particularly in Chatuchak Market, to have your bag slashed with a knife and the contents stolen. If possible, keep your bag in front of you and be very aware of the people around you in busy places like this.
  • Bag snatchers generally tend to work on motorbikes and in Thailand it is perfectly acceptable for motorcyclists to drive on the sidewalk. Although most motorcyclists are perfectly honest citizens, be aware when you hear them approaching and always have your bag on the opposite side to the roadside of wherever they will be driving in order to deter them. Avoiding short strapped ladies handbags and wearing your bag across your shoulder will help enormously.
  • Bag snatchers have been known to drive by and steal bags which female tourists place beside them when they get on Tuk Tuks. Wherever you are, always keep a hold of your belongings – wrap the strap around your leg… whatever you can.