46-Day Itinerary in Thailand (page 3 of 7)

For day 3, that looks good.

I tried too but it was waitlisted as well.

Chinese New Year is pretty much hell. I ended up in Hua Hin during that time and everything was fully booked... Spent the night in a dump waiting for it to be over the next day.

That’s partly why I like to book in advance!

All my rooms are already booked.

For day 3, I get this ???

Train at 18:40

For the 3rd one, I get this ???

Oh! On which site? The railway one? I tried too and got waitlisted as well. I’ll try again.

Train de 1840

???

For the 3rd, I get this ???

Plus, it's in French, so it's not the train company's site... which site did you find it on?

This is in French because Google did an automatic translation. I had selected English.

It's in French because Google did an automatic translation. I had chosen English.



Thanks so much for your help, but unfortunately, it didn't work. I got the same option as you, but when I click to select it, I get the message: **Seat not enough. Please select another train coach.** I’ve tried 4 times already...

I’ve solved the mystery!

There’s only one berth left, so it’s not possible to book an entire compartment.

And the remaining berth is a women-only one.



While helping you, I realized that bookings actually open 180 days in advance. I took the opportunity to make mine.

Hi there, I’ve trimmed down my itinerary plan quite a bit... I need to settle in for several stops and try to find a vehicle to rent by the day so I can explore less touristy spots. Villages, nature, crafts, temples—but no overdose. Well, maybe a little one...

My stops will be: - BANGKOK (between 10 days and 2 weeks, including a multi-day trip to KANCHANABURI and AYUTTHAYA) - CHIANG MAI (two weeks) - PHRAE (4 days, 5 nights) - LOEI (4 days, 5 nights) - PHIMAI (5 days, 6 nights)

Possible side trips of one or two nights if a place is too far from my main stops, but I’d rather not spread myself too thin or switch rooms too often.

Jojoone has been a huge help, and I’m really grateful. I’m also open to any suggestions for my stops...

I’ve booked my nights on booking.com, but if anyone has specific hotels to recommend, I’d love to hear them. Nothing over 1,000 to 1,200 THB per night—I’m all ears...

Thanks so much, everyone.

Phrae (4 days, 5 nights)

Phrae is a town with a pleasant center, ideal for a stop of one or two nights—maybe even three if you're really pushing it—but five? Goodness!... In this same area, I’d plan for five nights in Nan instead. Nan: a quiet provincial capital with lots of charm, some beautifully renowned temples, little car traffic, respected bike lanes (and bikes loaned out by the municipality*), very little tourism (except for Thai visitors on weekends, but it stays manageable), accommodations for every budget, and a really lovely province to explore on day trips (preferably by car or scooter since public transport is limited). You can even head up to Thung Chang for a few days to wander through the charming villages nearby. I’ve been to Nan three times—plus another trip to Thung Chang—each time for at least five nights, and I never get tired of it. If I haven’t convinced you to at least consider it by now, then my name isn’t 2-3. * Also available through AirAsia at the airport.

- PHIMAI (5 days, 6 nights)

Another really pleasant small town, but again—six nights?!... Well, it’s still better than staying in the ugly, crowded Khorat.

2-3

Phrae is a town with a pleasant center, ideal for a stopover of one or two nights—maybe even three at a push—but five? Good heavens!... In this same area, I’d rather plan for five nights in Nan. Nan: a quiet provincial capital with lots of charm, some beautifully renowned temples, little car traffic, respected bike lanes (and bikes lent by the municipality*), very little tourism (except for Thai visitors on weekends, but it stays manageable), accommodations for all budgets, and a really lovely province to explore on day trips (preferably by car or scooter since public transport is limited). You can even head up to Thung Chang for a few days to wander through the charming villages nearby. I’ve been to Nan three times—plus another trip to Thung Chang—each time for at least five nights: I never get tired of it. If I haven’t convinced you to at least consider it, then I must not be 2-3 anymore.

Hi again! Thanks so much—I’ll look into all this when I’m fresh and at my own pace. Yeah, I’d heard of Nan before. What you describe sounds *exactly* like what I’m looking for... Here, I’m eating the *naan* bread, and I prefer it "plain" rather than "butter"

- PHIMAI (5 days, 6 nights) Another really pleasant small town, but again: six nights!... Well, it’s still better than staying in the ugly, crowded Khorat.

How old are you, young man? [;]

Yes, I’d heard of naan. What you describe is exactly what I’m looking for... Here, I eat naan and prefer it "plain" rather than "butter"

Hello,

I totally agree +++ about naan—you can even add a pinch of salt that seems unchanged since its origins...

As for Indian naan, I’m 2000% "garlic", an absolute killer...😉

I’d love to get lost in India again...

By the way, a little aside about this part of the world—I wandered around your site a bit. I saw some beautiful photos that took me back to the "old days" when I still had some talent for those things.

I’ll definitely go back as soon as the opportunity arises.

Best regards,

Partirdeloin

I totally agree +++ about Nan—you could add a salt mine that seems unchanged since its origins...

Thanks so much, I’ll check it out tomorrow, but I’m already sold!

I wandered around your site a bit. Saw some really beautiful photos that took me back to the "good old days" when I still had some talent for those things.

Thanks a bunch!

I’ll definitely go back as soon as the opportunity arises.

To India or... my site? 😉

Thank you so much

You're welcome... 🙂

In India or... on my site? 😉

Obviously both, captain. 🙂🙂

Best regards.

Partirdeloin

Folks know what they're talking about. Honestly, if I were you, I’d shave off 2 days from Phimai to spend them at Khao Yai National Park—plus, it’s on the way from Bangkok.

Khao Yai National Park, plus it’s on the way from Bangkok.

And even Ayutthaya (best reached from Pak Chong by Express DRC train) since I see it’s on your travel plan.

Hello and a huge thank you to Joël, Thierry, and "Partirdeloin". You’ve (con)vinced me. I was completely charmed by Nan and its region. It’s exactly what I was looking for to settle in and explore at my own pace. So, I’ve decided to spend a week there—6 days/7 nights—from February 17th to 23rd. But Phrae still seems really interesting, so I’m planning 2 days/3 nights there, from February 24th to 26th. However, since my return flight is on March 6th, I need to shorten the next stays in Loei: 3 days/4 nights from February 27th to March 2nd. Then, only 2 days in Phimai on the 4th and 5th of March. And even then, the 5th won’t be a full day since I’ll leave in the evening to stay in Bangkok as a precaution—my flight is late morning on the 6th. And, just to have peace of mind—both mentally and physically—I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be better to skip Phimai entirely, add an extra day in Loei, and head straight to Bangkok on the 4th to spend 24 hours there before my flight. I’m always super stressed the day before a departure—worried about missing the plane for one reason or another… the luggage… the weight limit… But this time, I’d like to try traveling as light as possible. Actually, if I listened to myself, I’d simplify it to: 2 weeks in Bangkok, 2 weeks in Chiang Mai, and 2 weeks in Nan. And that’s it! The rest can wait for another trip next year…

Actually, it's great to browse through guides and ask for advice from lots of people on a travel forum. But everyone gives their own glowing description that makes you want to see everything... I feel like a kid in front of a pastry buffet. You want to try it all, even if it makes you sick afterward... Isn’t it better to enjoy 2 or 3 big slices of cake—and really savor and digest them?