Quote:
Originally Posted by Seahawk
I have spent a lot of time in Thailand and he will have a wonderful time.
May is the start of the rainy season, and it will be hot and humid. Plan accordingly.
There is so much to see where he is going...difficult to recommend a particular side trip for a young man.
I am most interested in the Chiang Rai Province. I have never been there...in the mountains of Thailand, the Golden Triangle. I would love to see it. Very cool.
A few things:
Traffic in Bangkok is not for the faint of heart - no real road rules and the most amazing assortment of dissimilar vehicles all on the same road to ruin. The country side is worse.
Have him sit anywhere but in the front seat of whatever vehicle he is riding in.
Bathrooms on the road: He'll need to understand in advance that the filthiest restroom he has ever been in in SC are really quite nice in comparison...and have a toilet.
You get used to it.
All the usual warnings about non bottled water, etc. Be careful in the markets, pick-pockets are legendary.
He will also see some of the best looking women on Earth, and more than one of them will be a man.
What a great adventure.
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Seahawk, when you last there? The traffic in BKK, while still utterly mental, is much better than it was 10, 20 years ago. The Skyrail has changed the city, as has wealth. The car fleet is now thoroughly modern, you rarely see the clunkers even in the sticks. The whole city, indeed the country, is very different to when I first went there in the mid 80s. Must say- the same for the bathrooms. Even in rural areas- much better.
PorscheGal- just encourage him to suck it up. Thailand has one of the great cuisines, I hope you've raised an adventurous eater. The Thais are lovely, but can be very er, transactional. As anywhere, basic language greetings and pleasantries go far.
My one big tip- last year, after maybe 30 trips to Thailand over many years, wife and I both came home with Dengue fever. I can assure you this is an extremely unpleasant way to spend two weeks (and knocks you about for months). Encourage him to kill any mosquito he sees, especially the big ones, and to travel with and USE repellent, especially if in the regions.
Ayutthaya , the ancient capital, is stunning.