Are you coming to Bangkok soon? Here are 4 tips that will really help you make the most of your trip and minimise problems.
1. Location is everything
I had a look the other day on Airbnb and hotel prices for short-term accommodation have gone through the roof
*Sign up to Airbnb here today and get $27 off your first booking*Everyone and their mum are now visiting the city.
If it's your first time in Bangkok and you're not in a good location....
I always say if you visit Bangkok and end up saying you hate it, you stayed in the wrong place and didn't know your way around.
Bangkok is huge. It's fucking huge.
If you've never been to an Asian city before (they are busy and intimidating), you're going to get lost in Bangkok and it may annoy you so much you'll end up hating the city.
If your Airbnb or hotel is not located in the following areas: Asoke, Nana, Phrom Phong, Thong Lor - just cancel your trip now.
Don't get me wrong outer Bangkok is really nice and has lots to offer, but if it's your first trip to Bangkok do it properly and pay a little extra for a better location. The people who read my site are 25-40 years old for the most part, you don't want to stay in any other location then the above.
If you don't have a simcard with 3G already, get one from the airport when you land. Sure you'll pay an extra 100-200b than if you got it from the mall, but it's fast and easy.
They speak English at the desk and will set it up for you within minutes. If you don't have a mobile with Internet for your Bangkok trip, you're a newb traveller and you'll literally have a 30% worse time than if you did have a sim with 3G.
Mobile internet is mandatory for any holiday in Asia, it's your very own tour guide when things go wrong or amiss.
Pro tip - taxi drivers will not know your hotel or Airbnb address, even if you stay at the Marriott or another fancy hotel. Have a copy of your address in Thai so you can show the driver, they may not be able to read English or understand you at all.
2. Step outside of your comfort zone
On average I'll have a friend visit me every month and depending on their needs I'll cater them a tour of Bangkok.
Every now and then I'll get a friend who doesn't want to step outside their comfort zone.
They'll refuse to try certain Thai food, will only want to eat at western style restaurants because they are scared of getting the shits and they'll never try the bum gun.
You just travelled half way across the world and you don't want to try new things? Please go fuck yourself.
Try as much Thai food as you can, you'll only regret it when you're back home where food costs 5x as much and tastes half as good.
Thai food isn't going to kill you or ruin your holiday, its eaten daily by 68 million people and it's the best thing about Thailand.
And please try the bum gum, half of my expat friends don't use it and they live there!
If you're not familiar with the bum gun, it's a hose that's attached next to the toilet.
Thais don't use toilet paper to clean their bottoms, they pump water into their ass which cleans everything in about 2 seconds. This one fixture completely made me change my philosophy on life.
3. Speak in Tinglish and speak slow
For those of you who travel less often, you may not understand that people outside your country don't understand your English.
If you came for a chavvy, bogan or redneck town (like I did) chances are you have a thick accent and people have a hard time understanding you.
If that is the case, Thais are NOT going to understand you.
Often I'll see farangs cause scenes at banks, restaurants and hotels because things are not going their way.
For example, they order a dish but something else comes out, then they blast the waiter saying it's their fault.
If you have a thick accent or talk fast, you need to slow it down, or receiving bad service will be a theme of your holiday.
Avoid using words that are advanced vocabulary or words that have more than two syllables.
4. Plan your trip
Write down a rough guideline of what you plan to do each day. Again most of the people reading this are single males who are coming to Thailand with little prep.
Whether you want to see night markets, temples, Thai boxing, clubs or do day trips, you ought to plan in advance.
Bangkok is an overwhelming place, if you plan to play it by ear you'll miss out on lots of stuff.
Bangkok has enough things to see and do to last you at least a week, you don't need to do them all but by having a plan you can focus on the things you want to see most.
A lot of people I know spend the entire day in their hotel room on dating sites or watching TV, then leave around 6-7pm to drink and go out. There's nothing wrong with that but you will be missing out on dozens of hidden gems in Bangkok
If you're thinking about moving to Thailand and need help or advice, check out my Online Nomad Group by clicking here.
About Author
Harvie
Hey, thanks for reading my blog. I'm Harvie, a digital nomad who has been living in Thailand for a little over 5 years now primarily living in Bangkok.
