Any tips for travel to Thailand?

[ms_bloom]

I am off to Thailand very, very soon. I really haven't travelled internationally except for a trip with my family when I was 11 and when we moved from New Zealand to Australia. I will be flying out on January 31st (overnight flight) and back on February 11th (all day flight). I will be meeting up with my boyfriend who is already there, at a Muay thai boxing camp. We will be in Pattaya (I'll be staying with him at the camp there), then Phi Phi (originally meant to be Phuket but Phi Phi looks gorgeous and quieter), then Bangkok for the last two nights.

Does anyone have any tips or advice or stories? Specifically:

• travel insurance (I know I am leaving this late, I am going to buy online today) - if my return flight lands on the 11th, do I buy insurance til just that date? What if I am delayed, would I still be covered? Any Australians have experience with either 1cover or Travel Insurance Direct?
• accommodation - for Phi Phi in particular if anyone has been there.
• things I just HAVE to do while I'm there.
• how to handle my hair while I am there? I'm planning on taking lots of photos but my hair normally needs a bit of GHD-love to either achieve sleek, straight hair or "bedhead" waves to look good. I'm not sure if hairdryers will be supplied, so I have a slimline wet-to-dry hair straightener on my shopping list as a compromise. Any tips here?
• clothes - I'm planning on going nuts at markets and shopping centres; I also want to see a tailor to get a suit and dress (or several) made but will probably not have time to do that in Bangkok. Maybe in Pattaya or Phi Phi?
• and of course - makeup! Where can I get authentic MAC, stila, Bobbi Brown, NARS, Shu Uemura?
• what to pack, what to take on the plane, things I should do before I go!
• any other general advice or stories would be welcome, too!

I am pretty sure I have my medical stuff covered, according to my GP and the Thailand MASTA health brief, in terms of vaccinations and prescriptions.

I know this is ambitious but I'm sure there must be some seasoned travellers here at Specktra! I also know I should have asked this much, much sooner but this trip seemed like it was cursed - it has been in the planning twice before this. I could almost not believe it when I booked my flights - surely something had to go wrong! Also with my recent LASIK experience, I have been somewhat distracted

Speaking of the LASIK, travel insurers will not insure me for this pre-existing medical condition, but I have been told by both the surgeon and clinical optometrist that complications are extremely unlikely, particularly of the kind that would need me to return to Australia during an 11 day holiday. They are going to give me an extra set of prescription eye drops just in case. I will be travelling just after the two week post-op mark but have been given the all-clear to swim, snorkel, shower, bathe, jacuzzi, etc. Just no stagnant water like ponds or public hot tubs unless I keep my eyes well away.

Getting excited ...

 

[Brie]

I have no suggestions. But I am going in August so I'd also love to hear anyones experiences. My sister is getting married there.

 

[captodometer]

Never been there myself, but have performed travel risk assessments for people going there. And I have traveled a lot myself

Do not travel by motorcycle: way too risky.

Bangkok and the beach resorts(Pu Khet, etc) are relatively safe. Take the same precautions that you would if you were going clubbing at home.

Malaria is common in Thailand. Less of a risk in large cities, but still there. Take a mosquito net for your bed, especially if you will be out in the countryside. Many hotels may actually provide one for you. Wear your repellent, and take your antimalarials. But I don't think the risk is really high in the areas you are going to.

Diarrheal disease: if you stay there long enough, you will eventually get one! This is one of the fundamental truths of travel in developing countries. You probably got a Hep A and typhoid vaccination from your GP; most of the other GI diseases aren't vaccine preventable.

Shopping advice: Definitely visit a tailor and get some stuff custom made; it's very inexpensive compared to other places. And just wander the markets and see what you like: almost every town will have one. But I wouldn't count on finding a high street or large shopping center outside the touristy areas.

On the plane with you: all medications, sunscreen, sunglasses, comfortable shoes

I would just skip the hair and makeup stuff; it's a tropical country and it's summer to boot. You will probably sweat through your makeup. And just go with a ponytail or something similar, for the same reasons.

Travel insurance: read the policy carefully. Make sure that it will cover the costs for evacuating you back to Australia if necessary. This is a worst case scenario, though. Nothing is likely to happen to you and the private hospitals in Bangkok are quite good: many Americans travel there to get surgery that they couldn't afford at home.

 

[blahblah03]

Haha phucket and bangkok

 

[flowerhead]

? freak...

 

[faifai]

I've traveled through Asia extensively and have lots of experience with it.

- Your hair - don't bother taking a straightener. The humidity is so high that it won't deliver decent results, and you'll have to take an AC adapter if you want to use it. you don't want to be one of those tourists who look like they're trying too hard! if you want your hair to be wavy, after you get out of the shower use a curling mousse and scrunch it through your hair and let air dry. Garnier Curl Construct Mousse is a really awesome product for this, and it's super cheap!

- as far as makeup, wear as little as possible. take waterproof versions of everything if you really want to wear it, because it will run and melt off otherwise.

- pack lots of clothing that doesn't need to be ironed to look nice, because the humidity is going to make ironing kind of pointless. jersey blends are a good fabric for this, they don't wrinkle. it's a bit cooler right now so the weather will probably be really nice! make sure you have really comfortable shoes.

- take something to entertain yourself on the plane, it's a long flight. maybe bring a neck pillow. make sure you avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks because they'll dehydrate you. drink only bottled water or juice. make sure you're not wearing makeup on the plane, slather your face in moisturizer instead because of the dry plane environment. make sure you have warm clothes because the plane will get really cold inside - socks and loose layers.

- make sure you have all your vaccinations and take anti-malarial meds. finish your course of meds. take general medicines with you: Dramamine, Tylenol, Pepto-Bismol.

- overall...make sure you have copies of your passport stored in a different place from your actual passport in case you get mugged, carry a purse/backpack that has zippers and no open tops so that nobody can reach their hand in, make sure you take an adapter if your camera charger needs to be plugged into a wall, and have fun!

 

[janwa09]

I was there November of 2006. In my experience with Bangkok the weather was really unpredictable. On certain days it would rain so hard that the river would overflow so there were some streets that would be unpassable. I suggest you bring a rain jacket with a hood for days like these. Also with footwear, bring sneakers!! And be prepared for the horrendous traffic! If you are to go from one place to another, make sure to travel before rush hour traffic cos if not, you will be stuck on the road for HOURS. And if you are to travel on tour--tourguides have this gimmick of bringing you to a jewelry store in the middle of the tour for you to be sucked in to buying jewelry--DON'T. In my experience these stores are overpriced. There are better places you can go to to haggle for inexpensive jewelry. For shopping in general, be prepared to haggle. Usually they jack up the prices if they see that you're a tourist. Always lower the price 60% off!

Here are the things you must do there:

-Visit the reclining Buddha and the Royal Palace.
-Have a Thai Foot Massage! It's really cheap and could rejuvenate you in an instant. Just go to shops that have the reflexology posters outside the doors. Hotel foot massages are much more expensive so you may want to pass on that unless you want one in the comfort of your room.
-Watch a Muay Thai boxing match.
-Try the exotic delicacies like sweet tamarind, Custard apples, etc
-Watch the Namkrit (or however it's spelled) show --it's about the history of Thailand. It's very good.
-Check out Thai silk stores--this fabric is gorgeous and you may find lots of suff for family and friends.

Definitely pack for medicines of all kinds.

 

[alien21xx]

Since I've only been to Bangkok, here are some of the stuff I did there:
1. Generally, you need to be very aware of your valuables. Try not to wear too much jewelry to avoid unwanted attention.
2. Wear very comfortable shoes. It's hard to get around the main city area to cover lots of places in a few days if you take cabs, so it's better to take the train. Taking the train means lots of walking though, so it's better to wear comfy shoes.
3. Get a Thai massage but be very specific on how hard or soft you want it to be. I went on one and the masseuse was a lot bigger than me. I ended up feeling more sore than I was before the massage because I neglected to say how I wanted the massage to be.
4. I think there's a MAC at the Siam Mall. When I was there, they were renovating, but the MAC was open and it's quite a big store.
5. The weather is incredibly humid and you'll feel sticky if you're not wearing clothes made of cotton. Avoid bringing heavy lotions and instead use an oil-free sunscreen.

 

[ms_bloom]

Wow, thanks for all the tips everyone! I've been reading up on tips on AskMeFi and the Vogue Australia forums too.

We arranged to move our flights back a day and spend an extra day either in Phi Phi or Bangkok

I have my travel insurance paid for (unlimited medical and good coverage for things like flight delays and cancellations and luggage) and also finally stopped procrastinating and got contents insurance for my unit. The vaccinations I got were for typhoid, tetanus, diptheria, whooping cough, and polio (the last four in one needle, thank goodness - I don't mind needles at all, I actually watch them do it - but it hurts!), plus I already had my hepatitis A and B. Was considered low risk for malaria and any other preventable diseases, but was of course rec'd high SPF sunscreen and a good insect repellent. I also have sleeping pills, UTI medication (am a bit prone although haven't had one for over a year), and antibiotic eyedrops. I have letters for all my prescriptions and OTC medication. My boyfriend already has all the usual traveller's medications for diarrhea and nausea. He was there last year too and got a hairline fracture on his foot and said the medical system was cheap as and top notch.

Janwa09, thanks for the tips on things to do! My boyfriend had already planned on taking me to a Muay Thai fight (being as that's what he is there for lol), but the other ideas are great. I'm looking forward to cheap massages! And I will definitely stay away from jewellery-hawkers, having read so many warnings lol! I will probably be too vigilant safety-wise, my boyfriend says it is safer there than in Brisbane at night, where my sense of safety is probably based on familiarity more than actual safety. Captomodeter, that is great advice about being as careful as I am when out at a nightclub.

I am definitely going to see a tailor and get some suits made and a few things copied. Will TRY to take as little in the way of clothes and makeup as possible, as I plan on buying lots over there! On the way there I am checking a carry-on size suitcase, and buying a big suitcase there for all my new stuff (this way I can carry-on my little suitcase coming back). The hardest, hardest part will be not taking a straightener, although I think everywhere we're staying will have hairdryers. Is Thailand more humid than Brisbane? Because we still wear jeans everywhere! I was planning on taking a pair of jeans for going out at night, would I be better off taking a pair of lightweight black pants? Jeans will be warmer on the plane though. Also, growing up in New Zealand has left me unable to not take a jacket everywhere I go - is this completely unnecessary? I guess if it's really cold I can go and buy one!

Thanks again everyone!