Coming from the U.S.A., this trip was a complete culture shock but ultimately, we left Thailand forever changed by the beauty of its beaches, its plethora of dramatic Buddhist temples, the symbiotic way of life between the people and the native animals and finally, the extreme friendliness and hospitality of its people.

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All about Thailand

Language:  Thai is the national language but most people at least understand English. According to several locals that we talked to, English is a mandatory part of the school curriculum for the 12 years that kids are in school. However, in some rural parts of the country people may not be able to communicate in English.

Landscape:  The landscape is quite diverse.  In the south there are exotic jungle beaches that have waterfalls, dramatic rock formations, creeks that flow out into the crystal clear waters of the beach and excellent snorkeling sites.  In the north there are high mountains, murky rivers that cut through lush jungles and bright green rice paddies as far as the eye can see.   

Currency:  The currency is Thai Baht which is roughly 30 Baht to 1 USD. (For a more accurate daily exchange rate you can consult websites such as Oanda Currency Converter).  At the majority of places, people will only accept cash and foreign money is not accepted so make sure to exchange your money before you head to Thailand or use any of the widely available ATMs throughout the country.  We found all the ATMs that we used to be safe.

Religion:  Thailand is a Buddhist country and this is reflected in the ubiquitous amount of temples throughout the country.  Monks are also highly respected and one interesting example of this is when we were at the airport terminal and saw that the best seats were reserved for monks.

Additionally, Thai culture mandates respect for the Buddha. So avoid purchasing those Buddha heads that are sold by some vendors on the street as they are considered disrespectful.

Food:  Having been loyal customers of Thai food back home, we were overjoyed at the opportunity to have the real food experience.  We also looked forward to enjoying some of the local fruits which we were told tasted like candy. And on the advice of every travel guide, blogger and vlogger that we researched, we decided to eat at street stalls and local markets for most of our trip.   

All the signs for a good food experience were there. We watched in awe as the cooks would skillfully swing the wok loaded with noodles and vegetables; the smoke rising above their faces to reveal the sweat of an honest day's work.  The ingredients they used were fresh from the local open air markets nearby and the rice was often cooked to perfection.

However, although most of the street food was ok, it was never great. Most of the street stalls were mediocre at best and with a few exceptions the majority of our street food experience was quite disappointing.  We even followed the conventional wisdom of making sure to eat at stalls where the locals eat from but it didn't change anything. 

Perhaps this is due to the fact that we as Americans have a palate that is heavily seasoned with salt and in Thailand they substitute salt with fish sauce.  Perhaps it's due to the fact that as a multiracial/multi-ethnic couple living in Southeast Florida (a melting pot of mostly Latin & Caribbean cultures), our palate has evolved to prefer different foods.  Or perhaps we are just being cynical snobs.  But we don’t recommend exclusively eating street food in Thailand.  This is something that you should just do for the cultural immersion and experience.  On a positive note, these street meals were incredibly cheap and we never spent more than $2 per person.  

After our disappointing street food experience, we started to experiment with restaurants and we even took a cooking class.  The cooking class in Chiang Mai was perhaps the best meal that we had in Thailand (Pantawan Cooking School).  We also loved the Pad Thai soup at our hotel restaurant in Koh Samui (Villa Nalinadda) as well as the lunch that was prepared by the Karen people while visiting Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai.  Additionally, we dined at a few five star restaurants in Bangkok and the food was good there too.  

As for the fruit experience, the mango with sticky rice is always a safe bet as are any coconuts, tangerines and bananas.  However, we did not enjoy the durian fruit and would only recommend it on the same basis that we recommend trying street food simply for the experience and not for the taste.  Durian is a seasonal fruit that is portioned out and sold as if it were a cut of beef.  Some parts of the fruit are considered a delicacy and therefore carry a higher price (similar to filet mignon) and other parts of the fruit are the opposite (similar to chuck steak).  This fruit smells so bad that certain hotels ban the fruit from the premises.  It tastes like almond and has the texture of custard but the awful smell makes this really difficult to finish eating.  We would describe the smell as being similar to when you walk into one of those grocery stores that can't move product off the shelf fast enough so it just sits there and starts to catch the smell of the seafood department nearby.  

Safety: Thailand is very safe for tourists. Although there have been some political issues in the past with certain separatist groups engaging in bombing campaigns and other acts of terrorism, these events are rare and tourists are not specifically targeted.

Of course, like anywhere else in the world, just use common sense and you should be fine. Keep an eye on your belongings, especially in crowds, be cautious with street food (i.e. Don’t eat street food that has been sitting out all day or is cold. Instead, make sure that they have cooked the food right in front of you or that it has been served from a boiling pot.), do not drink the tap water (the bottled water is so cheap that you can buy two large bottles of 32 oz for under 1 USD) and control your alcohol intake if you are alone.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, don’t go looking for trouble or you will find it. In Spanish, there is a saying “El que busca, encuentra”, which translates to “He who searches, finds.” For example, if you go out looking to score some drugs such as “Yaba” and get robbed by the drug dealer or get caught by the authorities, can you really argue that Thailand is unsafe? If you go to a seedy bar and get so drunk that you become belligerent, get into a fistfight and lose, was it really Thailand’s fault that you didn’t have self control? If you are this kind of person then no matter where you go in the world, trouble will find you.

Race & Ethnicity: From what we observed, the country is rather homogeneous. In the islands, people tend to have a darker complexion than people in the north but this could just be due to increased sun exposure. Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that was not conquered and colonized by a western power, so compared to the Americas, it’s not surprising to see less genetic diversity.

Politics: Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with elected representatives. However, Thai culture mandates that everyone, including tourists, must always show the utmost respect for the crown. Seriously, there are laws in place that will imprison people for criticizing the royal family.

Transportation: There are several forms of transportation and the best choice depends on where you are in the country, your budget and your risk tolerance. The main forms of transportation are:

• Private Drivers - Hiring a private driver is the most convenient form of transportation, especially if you have a predetermined list of sites that you'd like to visit (at least from a “time is money” perspective).  Hiring a driver allows you to make the most of your trip as you don't have to worry about driving, parking, or waiting for a taxi, tuk tuk or songthaew (see below). When we were in Koh Samui we paid about 2,000 Baht ($67 USD at an exchange rate of 30 Baht to 1 USD) to hire a driver for 5 hours to tour us around the island and see the main sites.

• Songthaew (pronounced song-tao) - If available, taking a songthaew is one of the cheapest forms of transportation in the country.  In general, a songthaew is just a pick up truck that has been converted into a ride sharing taxi by turning the bed of the truck into an extra cabin with wooden seats and metal bars installed.  It's very easy to identify the songthaew because they are the only trucks painted red and you will see them all over the roads.  

  Songthaews travel in predetermined circuits/routes and you have to flag them down as if you were a hitchhiker.  Once they've pulled over you have to tell them where you are going.  If they agree to take you then they will quote you a price.  At this point you must negotiate (at least half of what they quote).  Never accept the first quote and never get into the songthaew without having agreed to a price.  Otherwise, you risk being price gouged.  

  Generally, depending on location, the more people you have in your party, the better rate you can negotiate. But keep in mind that songthaew drivers do this for a living so you are better off just accepting the fact that although you may be able to negotiate a lower price, you will never really win the negotiations.  

  Lastly, expect the songthaew to be one of the slower forms of transportation available.  This is because the drivers continually stop along the way to pick up and drop off other travelers and if you are on a songthaew full of people going to different places it can really delay things.  Just go with it and don't be in a rush.  And don't worry about the driver forgetting about where to drop you off.  These drivers have an uncanny memory and never forget.  So don't believe them if they try to act like they forgot which rate you agreed to.

• Taxis - Taxis are widely available in major cities and around major tourist attractions. Generally, taxis are most expensive in the islands since there is limited competition and cheapest in Bangkok since there is an oversupply of taxis (at times it can seem like every fifth car is a taxi). Never agree to get into a taxi without having the driver turn on the meter. A typical scam is a driver who will quote you a “flat rate” to take you to your destination but this flat rate is often many times more expensive than if you had paid according to the meter.  

• Scooters/motorcycles - We would highly recommend that you stay away from renting a scooter or motorcycle unless you are an experienced driver back home.  Although the locals make it look effortless, we've witnessed several accidents where a naïve traveler lost control of the scooter and landed hard on the pavement or had their leg trapped underneath the scooter after a fall.  We've watched as injured travelers hop on crutches or have entire arms and/or legs bandaged because of scooter accidents.  In then end, they can't even enjoy the beautiful waters of the beach because they are all bandaged up and can't swim.  

  Remember, even if you know how to drive a scooter you will still have to adapt very quickly to all of the different traffic laws (they drive on the left side of the road), driver behavior, undeveloped roads, difficult terrain (a lot of hills) and lack of street lights at night in some locations.  Add to that the fact that you can be charged exorbitant penalty fees (the equivalent of several hundred US dollars) for so much as returning the scooter with a tiny scratch and it is really not worth the risk. 

• Tuk Tuk – A tuk tuk is a motorized version of a rickshaw.  They usually seat no more than 2 or 3 people and are available for private hire.  This is generally the fastest form of transportation as tuk tuks accelerate quickly and are nimble enough to weave through traffic.  As with the songthaew, you must negotiate a rate before you agree to get into the vehicle, otherwise you are setting yourself up to be taken advantage of. This will be generally be one of the more expensive forms of transportation. 

• Local Bus - We did not take any local buses on our trip to Thailand so we cannot comment too much on this form of transportation. This is indeed the cheapest form of transportation available but the service may not be reliable if you are outside of a major city. To be honest, we never saw a local bus anywhere in the islands but they were widely available in Bangkok.
  
  

Accommodations: Thailand has accommodations for every budget. You can choose to stay in a hostel, have a five star experience (usually for third of the price of what it would cost back home) or any option in between. We chose mostly mid tier and upper level hotels depending on where we were in the country but for most folks this will be a completely personal choice based on budget, preference and comfort.

For example, in Koh Samui we stayed at Villa Nalinnadda, which is a modern boutique hotel with an outdoor shower and hot tub that is right on the beach and we payed less than $100 USD per night. In Koh Tao we stayed at Dusit Buncha resort in a private cliff side bungalow that had an indoor pool and was steps away from the beach and payed around $200 USD per night. In Koh Phangan we stayed at Moonstone Studio & Villa, which was a basic hotel that lost power at night and payed $70 USD per night (although our stay coincided with the full moon festival so the prices were inflated). As a final comparison, in Chiang Mai we stayed at Thannatee Boutique Hotel, which was a beautiful mid range hotel that was just steps away from the main square and only payed $50 USD per night.

Overall attitude towards tourists: The Thais are very friendly and welcoming. Best of all, they love to smile and have a good time. Perhaps this is why there are so many festivals and parties throughout the year that draw tourists from all over the world.

How to Dress: In the islands, most people dress in beach attire and in the cities people tend to dress more conservatively (i.e. they wear pants instead of shorts and you will never see a woman in her bikini on the street). Keep in mind, that if you enter a temple or some other holy site you will be required to wear pants or skirts that cover the knees and a shirt that fully covers your shoulders. You will also be required to remove your shoes and never point the soles of your feet toward any images of the Buddha, even if you are sitting. This applies to all sexes.

Typical Scams: The scams that you will encounter in Thailand are seldom unique to the country but the execution of those scams are indeed unique.

• Taxi Scams: A typical taxi scam is the taxi driver attempting to charge a flat fee instead of using the meter. Always insist that they use the meter. However, please note that your bargaining power is heavily influenced by location (in the islands there is virtually no competition from other taxis vs Bangkok, which has an endless supply of taxi competitors), assertiveness, negotiating skill and poise.

  We had no such trouble with taxis in Bangkok as whenever a taxi driver refused to turn on the meter, we would just hop out of the cab and wait for another one to come. After all, taxis were ubiquitous in Bangkok so we never waited long for one. In the islands, we avoided them altogether as we had figured out quite early that just a few taxi drivers had a monopoly on this service.

  Additionally, we feel compelled to share the following story that we witnessed while visiting Bangkok so as to warn future tourists. In the lobby of our hotel, (Dewan) we witnessed a distraught German tourist complaining to the hotel staff that all of the taxi drivers that she had hired up to this point had refused to use the meter and instead had charged her an overpriced flat fee. She repeated angrily “I kept trying to ask them why are you ripping me off? Us tourists come here and we are helping you.” To which the taxi drivers would respond “Yes, but I have a family to feed and so as a tourist you must pay me more.”

  Several lessons can be drawn from the poor German woman’s experience in order to help you avoid a similar fate. First, her attitude was the main problem. Viewing yourself as some arbiter of societal aid just because you are a tourist in someone else’s country is rather obtuse, to say the least. Secondly, if she was displaying the same lack of composure as she did in the lobby during these exchanges with taxi drivers, then she was culturally committing a faux pas. In Thai culture, maintaining control over one’s emotions in public and saving face are critical. Not only did this poor woman show a lack of poise in her encounters with taxi drivers but she was actively calling them out on their scam and making them lose face when she asked “Why are you ripping me off?” Of course, the taxi drivers could not admit fault as this would have resulted in losing face (in public, which is much worse) so they responded the way that they did with “You must pay me more.”

  The main lesson from the story above is to recognize the scam and politely move on and find another taxi or opt for a different form of transportation. Losing your composure will only make you an easier target for scams.

• The Bait & Switch Scam: We witnessed this scam unfold in Bangkok. The scam preys on naïve tourists who go to visit a main attraction such as the Grand Palace or Wat Pho. The scammer will approach the tourist and insist that the place that they are trying to enter is closed because of a “national holiday.” They will insist that you go and visit a list of other places (sometimes even grabbing your map and circling locations on it) and of course it’s also your lucky day because he knows a guy who drives a tuk tuk who can take you to all of these places for a flat fee. Along the way, the tuk tuk driver will often stop at various shops that are part of the scam and the owners of said shops will coax the tourist into buying a bunch of worthless junk and overpriced jewelry that is at a “Special price! Today only! For you only!” Beware if anybody mentions the words “Expo Center” as this is one such shop that sells overpriced fake jewelry.

  Thankfully, we had researched such scams before our trip so we were on ultra high alert whenever we were approached by one of these scammers. The Grand Palace had the highest concentration of scammers. They were literally lined up along the walls of the entrance and calling out to tourists. Just ignore them and you’ll be fine.

• The Tailored Suit Scam: We were approached while on Khaosan Road by a scammer who was clearly selling fake suits (Khaosan Road is the backpacker’s district and anyone who has seen a backpacker knows that they are not in the market for high quality suits). This guy was holding a printed catalog that had photos of professional looking suits. As he moved closer to us, he opened the catalog and held it just above my waist and pressed it to my body so the catalog was now covering my view of my legs and pockets, which is an easy opportunity for most scammers to pick pocket you as your attention is distracted and you can’t see your pockets. After a few seconds, we realized what was happening and we pulled away from him and kept walking.

• Thai Silk Scam: We actually fell for this scam when we were shopping at MBK mall in Bangkok. There was a lady at a shop who was selling “100% real Thai silk”. At the time, we wanted to buy some silk scarves to give as a gift to some family members as a token of our travels and so we started negotiating with this lady the price for some silk scarves. She opened the negotiations at 500 Baht ($17 USD) per scarf while we countered with 100 Baht ($3 USD). We were hoping to finish the negotiations somewhere in the middle but she insisted on her price. When we started to walk away because we were in no mood for the back and forth negotiations, she insisted “ok 100 Baht!” Something did not seem right but despite our intuition, we agreed to the price and paid her. Later that night at the hotel, while inspecting the scarves we could feel that the fabric was really coarse and immediately determined that they were worthless.

• Pricing Scam: Whenever you are buying a good or service from any person or business that isn’t part of a name brand hotel, a sit down restaurant, a government service, an airline, a bank or some other legitimate institution you should always haggle the price of said good or service. In the USA, prices are explicitly stated on almost all goods and services (except for the taxes not being calculated into the sticker price but that’s another discussion), but in Thailand people negotiate the price of most goods and services. Never accept the first price that you are given and don’t be afraid to walk away if you feel that you are being scammed.

• Pickpockets: Although not really a scam, you should know that Thai pickpockets can be extremely aggressive. Nina experienced a pickpocketing attempt while moving through crowds at the Grand Palace. She felt someone grab her butt and basically sexually assault her in the process, as this person was moving their hand in between the crevices of her butt while pick pocketing. Be on high alert while in crowds.

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