First solo trip to Thailand (page 1 of 2)

Hi everyone, I’m planning a solo trip for November. I’ve chosen Thailand because it’s my first solo trip and I wanted a country that’s easy and safe for a woman (though maybe you have other suggestions?), but also because of this time of year when the monsoon is hitting many Asian countries. A lot of people have confirmed that Thailand is a destination where everything is relatively easy for a first solo trip: getting around the country (buses and trains), great food, beautiful beaches, stunning countryside, decent safety, etc... This trip comes after a major burnout and professional exhaustion 😵‍💫. I quit my job this week and need to recharge and clear my head before diving back into the professional grind... I’m looking for peaceful landscapes away from mass tourism, combining mountains, countryside, and beaches. I need moments of free wandering, yoga, sightseeing, and maybe some woofing. I love authenticity, contemplation, and beautiful things in simplicity. Thanks for your route and accommodation ideas 😊! Armelle

Hi,

How many nights are you planning to stay there? What do you mean by "free walk" and "nice things in simplicity"?

Thanks for your itinerary ideas

Your brief is too vague to help you plan an itinerary—you need to clarify it a bit, otherwise you’ll only get vague answers or reading recommendations at best.

Thanks for your reply. I was thinking of 29 nights there to simplify things with the visa. Free exploration: places where I can go hiking, stroll around with things to do near the accommodation, temples, etc. I’d like simple but cozy/cute places to stay—not luxury hotels. I’d love to meet locals and take part in daily life, like helping out on a farm, for example.

participating in local life by helping, for example, on a farm

What’s your level of Thai? Intermediate? Good? Excellent? Don’t expect farmers to speak anything other than Thai—or even Northern Thai in the north or Lao in the northeast. There’s a big difference between having a 5-minute conversation mostly with hand gestures during a brief encounter, like with a shopkeeper or a curious kid, and living and working 24/7 with a local family. Anyway, this isn’t a common tourist activity in Thailand, even if you might find scam websites online ready to connect you with the "deep population" for a price 5 or 10 times higher than the real cost. Also, in Thailand, any work (no matter what you call it), including volunteer work, even short-term, done during a tourist stay is illegal.

I’d like to meet the local people and take part in local life

You don’t need (and it’s complicated) to participate. Living a few days at the pace of an isolated village, even without speaking the language, will already give you a lot. It’s a great way to meet the local people, both in the village itself and during walks or bike rides in the surrounding countryside. However, if you want the place to be far from tourism, don’t expect any major sites to visit nearby. Does this approach work for you? If so, suggestions for villages in a nice setting can be included in a route proposal.

I was thinking of 29 nights on-site to simplify visa matters.

OK. It’s not a visa but just a stamp called "Visa Exemption" in your passport.

and beaches

How many of the 29 nights (including arrival/departure days) would you spend at the beach? 6? 7? Fewer?

Once you answer the two questions above, a route suggestion will be possible.

For now, and if I understood correctly (if not, correct me or add details), your criteria are: - Countryside, mountains, and beaches - Few or no other tourists - Authenticity - A slow, contemplative travel pace - No domestic flights

November is rice harvest season. Photos of the countryside and its inhabitants here: https://voyageforum.com/forum/parties-campagne-thailandaise-d10760313/

Yes, the idea of living at the pace of a village while being far from major tourist sites suits me perfectly. I prefer exploring the countryside landscapes over beaches, which I find a bit dull. I was thinking of ending the trip with some beach time for relaxation, but I don’t want it to dominate the stay. I think 5 days max is fine. Is it possible to get around without domestic flights? I was planning to use the train for travel. Yep, those criteria sound good 👍 Is it complicated to rent a bike locally to explore the area for a few days? Thanks for your reply.

Is it possible to get around without domestic flights?

Yes, especially since you’ll have the time.

I was thinking of using the train for the trip.

Since the rail network isn’t extensive enough to travel outside the tourist highway by train alone, you’ll mostly need to rely on buses to move from one stop to the next. Still, I’ll keep the "train" criterion in mind to try and include at least one train ride in the suggested itinerary for the experience. Depending on the location and distance, bus quality ranges from slow, rickety local buses ("lotmêê thamada") without AC that stop anywhere passengers flag them down, to more comfortable and faster air-conditioned buses ("lotmêê êê") in 2nd or 1st class, or even VIP.

Photos of trains and railway vibes: https://voyageforum.com/forum/loin-lotfai--lotfai-quotidien-d10777060/

Is it complicated to rent a bike locally to explore for a few days?

You’ll only find bike rental shops (usually 50 to 150 Baht/day*, depending on whether it’s a regular bike or a mountain bike) in tourist towns, so you probably won’t need to worry about that. Elsewhere, some accommodations rent bikes for the same price, and sometimes the rental is even included in the room rate. When a place doesn’t offer rentals, I never hesitate to ask if they can lend me one—most will happily let me use a family member’s or staff’s bike for free. In any case, always test the brakes while riding** and adjust the seat height before setting off.

* About 1.30 to 4 euros ** Remember that over there, the rear brake is always on the left handle.

I’ll come back later with an itinerary suggestion.

Do you have a motorcycle license and an international driver's permit?

Thanks for the info! Yeah, I have my motorcycle license but not the international one.

What time do you land in BKK, and what time do you take off at the end?

Landing in Bangkok at 2:50 PM Takeoff at 11:30 PM

I prefer discovering countryside landscapes over beaches, which I find more languishing.

Good evening, just a heads-up in case you hadn’t noticed—countryside landscapes here aren’t the same as in Europe. There are lots of fields and rice paddies. If you want to get into nature, you’ll need to head to a national park like Khao Yai, for example. That’s where you’ll find real thick jungle with snakes, tigers, and all…🙂 To meet locals, you should visit small villages in the north, away from the tourist routes. I think it’s still possible to discover these villages.

Suggested itinerary: - On the evening of arrival, overnight train to Chiang Mai, 1 night on the train - Upon train arrival, continue to Chiang Rai, 1 transit night - Mae Salong, 4 nights - Phayao, 3 nights - Nan, 4 nights - Phitsanulok, 1 transit night - Villages of Pak Chom and Si Chiang Mai, 8 nights total - Overnight train from Nong Khai to Bangkok, 1 night - Koh Samet, 6 nights

Transport details—book in advance only where I indicate:

- Bangkok-Chiang Mai train: book* ASAP. There are still berths available on the 18:40 train, which would be perfect. - Greenbus Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai: book on their website. Allow some extra time between the train’s arrival and the bus departure since trains often run late. - Chiang Rai-Mae Salong** in 2 legs: 1.5-hour bus from Terminal 1 (frequent departures) to Mae Chan + 1.5-hour songthaew (departures at 9 AM and 2 PM) to Mae Salong - Mae Salong-Phayao: return to Chiang Rai as described above in reverse, shuttle from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2, then minivan or bus to Phayao (1.5-hour trip, frequent departures). Buses to Phayao also leave from Terminal 1, but they’re slow and take a roundabout route—avoid them. - Phayao-Nan: 1 bus/day—ask for the departure time at the bus station in advance (e.g., on the day you arrive) - Nan-Phitsanulok: a few buses/day, 5-hour trip - Phitsanulok-Pak Chom: 2 legs via Loei: 4.5-hour bus to Loei (3-4 departures/day) then 2.5-hour songthaew-truck to Pak Chom (6-7 departures/day) - Pak Chom-Si Chiang Mai: via the slow green minibus - Si Chiang Mai-Nong Khai: same - Nong Khai-Bangkok train: book in advance. - Bangkok-Koh Samet bus: from Ekamai bus terminal, 3.5-hour trip, fairly frequent departures. I don’t remember the name of the bus’s destination (the port), but just say you’re going to Koh Samet and they’ll put you on the right one. Boats run frequently. - Return trip Koh Samet-Bangkok can be done on the same day as your flight.

* National railway (SRT) booking site: https://dticket.railway.co.th/DTicketPublicWeb/home/Home - If the page appears in Thai, switch to English in the top-right tab - Don’t enter "Bangkok"—use "Krung Thep Aphiwat" - "Lower berth" sleeper cabins offer a bit more space than the upper ones

** The two consecutive letters "ae" are always pronounced "ê."

For details on the suggested stops, I’ll send you the links to the travel guides I wrote on the other forum via PM.

Suggested itinerary: - the evening of arrival, overnight train to Chiang Mai, 1 night on the train - upon train arrival, continue to C.Rai, 1 transit night

I just thought of an option to avoid having to rush to book the train and to skip the transit night in Chiang Rai: - remove this train journey. - upon arrival in Bkk, take a taxi to Mo Chit bus terminal to catch the 7:10 PM Sombat Tour bus to Chiang Saen, getting off at Mae Chan (the stop is scheduled) where you arrive around 6:30 AM, then a songthaew at 9 AM to Mae Salong. Overall, this transport option takes at least 5.5 hours less. https://www.sombattour.com/en/schedule/Bangkok-Chiang%20San%20Update The rest of the itinerary remains unchanged (except for adding an extra night somewhere).

Sombat Tour is an excellent bus company; on this specific route, you travel in "Supreme" class (description on the page). From the airport, you’ll arrive at Mo Chit around 5:30 PM—buy your ticket then and wait until departure time, maybe grabbing a bite at one of the food centers in the bus terminal.

With this option, you won’t spend any nights in a major tourist city anymore.

Thanks so much 😊 for all this info and itinerary! I’ll check it all out tomorrow

November 25: Loi Krathong festival celebrated nationwide. Thais travel a lot during this period, so keep that in mind when booking long-distance trips and accommodations for the week of the 21st to the 29th.

Krathong ceremony (designed and gifted to teacher Thiel-ly by a student):

I’ll explore all that tomorrow

So, still in your explorations and readings? Huh? Don’t tell us you finally went back to work?!?... 😮😠

🤣 uh, no! No job in sight, but rather my trip to Thailand 🙏😉 I postponed buying the tickets because I decided to change my credit card for insurance and various bank fees reasons, so I'm waiting to receive my new card to take the plunge and buy the tickets! I got my vaccines this morning 👌 I'm keeping the itinerary you suggested as a base, and I'll see how it goes once I'm there, depending on my inspiration at the moment... 😁 And try to go with the flow

Hi Songsam, Just a quick update on my progress... As the days go by, the big day is getting closer and the excitement is building! 😊 I arrive in Bangkok on Friday, November 13th at 9:30 AM. Pretty bold choice with the Friday the 13th thing! 😜 I’ve decided to spend the weekend in the city after all. I’ll leave Monday evening for Chiang Mai by bus—no sleeper seats left... I booked my hotels for 3 nights in Bangkok (north of the Khao San Road area) and 2 nights in Chiang Mai, using the *Routard* guide. I’d been told to just book the first few nights and figure the rest out on the spot, but I see that the good spots recommended by the guide are getting snapped up fast. Oh well, I’ll see how it goes—I don’t want this to be the kind of trip where everything’s planned in advance... That’s the latest! 😄 P.S. I applied for and got my international permit to ride a scooter! 👍

Hi Armelle,

hotel for 3 nights in Bangkok (north of the Khao San Road area)

So you should be close to the river—don’t hesitate to take the water buses for your trips, like to the Grand Palace/Wat Phra Kaew (stop #9 Tha Chang). The orange-flag boat line works just fine, so try not to get sold a ticket for the tourist-only boat, which is way more expensive and doesn’t offer much extra.

Here’s a photo of stop #13 Phra Athit: 13°45'48.93"N 100°29'38.93"E (Khao San Rd area), but stop #15 Thewet at 13°46'19.34"N 100°30'0.85"E might be closer to your hotel.

In Chiang Mai (...) I’ll figure it out when I get there

A quiet area for accommodations is inside the "square" formed by the *soi* (alleys) branching north off Thanon (Street) Ratchadamnoen, which is west of Tha Phae Gate. Hmm, hard to explain clearly—here’s an example: soi 5 at 18°47'17.10"N 98°59'26.97"E.

I got my international license to get around by scooter

Great news! Now you can explore the countryside—it’s going to be amazing. Helmets are mandatory, and the one the rental place gives you will be so flimsy it wouldn’t pass safety standards in Europe, but wear it anyway or the cops might stop you and fine you.

On the orange-flag boat with the locals:

Below, the tourist boat:

Arriving in Bangkok on Friday the 13th of November at 9:30 AM. Pretty bold choice with the Friday the 13th 🤣

So there’ll be two of you from the forum arriving in Thailand for the first time on Friday, 11/13... https://voyageforum.com/forum/premiere-fois-en-thailande-programme-15-jours-d11485970/