Is it safe to travel independently to Thailand?

Safe, but be careful. See below

Free travel in Thailand - Bangkok and Koh Samui

As we all know, it is better to go to Thailand than to Hainan!

(My travel thoughts: never take a car or boat if you have a plane, live well, eat well, and have fun freely)

Before the Spring Festival in 2012, I got my ticket to Koh Samui online. and hotel (it’s best to get it 2 months in advance, the price is more favorable), the air tickets are from China Eastern Airlines and Manchester Air, and the hotel can be selected from agoda or SAWADEE (man air tickets and hotels can be paid with a credit card that has online banking). When you go to Thailand, you can use Google Maps. Just buy a card that can access the Internet. For example, a true move card. I bought one for more than 60 B and used it for 6 days. It is mainly used for maps and QQ. Apply for a Hua Xia Bank business travel card, deposit RMB into it, and withdraw Thai baht directly from any ATM in Thailand with the UnionPay logo (no handling fee will be charged for the first withdrawal every day). The ATM will prompt you with the maximum withdrawal amount, so just withdraw it! Bring a dual-currency credit card, which can be used in most shopping places, so use it!

Scan your passport and visa, and copy them together with maps, orders, etc. into your mobile phone for later use. Print a copy of your air ticket order and hotel order for easy presentation.

Arrived in Bangkok, the hotel is near PHAYA THAI, and you can take the EXPRESS subway from the airport and arrive in 30 minutes. There are three airport subways. One is the CITY LINE, which stops at every station. The price to PHAYA THAI is 45B. The other two are fast direct lines, one to MAKKASAN, the price is 60B, and the other to PHAYA THAI, the price is 90B. Express express trains generally have chairs, while CITY LINE trains may require standing. It is very convenient to choose a hotel near a subway station.

After settling in the hotel, we took a TAXI to Chinatown (there is no BTS to get there) which costs 90B. When taking a TAXI, prepare icons or text for the driver to see. Most drivers do not understand English. Then ask for a meter and look at the ID on the glass, and the driver will obediently turn on the meter and drive.

Don’t take a tuk-tuk motorcycle easily.

Chinatown is so lively on New Year’s Day. No other big city in China can compare with it. Both sides of the road are full of various delicacies, a combination of Chinese and Thai. In the afternoon, even the queen and princess came to have fun with the people. When I’m tired of shopping, I go to the famous old Nanxing restaurant to eat shark’s fin and abalone (these are 2-3 times the price in China). There are many snacks such as dim sum and rice noodles in China Town. Choose according to your preferences. It is recommended here that if you want to have a big meal, it is best to go to some old Chinese food restaurants in Chinatown, which will not charge additional service fees, taxes, etc. The author once ate curry crab at the famous Jianxing Restaurant. After the meal, taxes and service fees were charged, and the service fee required cash. In many restaurants, the off-menu fee is about 30 yuan of the menu price, which is dark.

Here is a seafood stall called SEA BREEZE at the exit of RATCHATHEWI BTS station near SIAM shopping mall. It is simply a shady shop that especially likes to prey on Chinese people (the boss must be Chinese). There is an old man with glasses at the door. He speaks fluent English and is very courageous. When ordering, he agrees to anything live or fresh. When the food is served, you will be dumbfounded. It is all dead fish and rotten crabs. When you check out, you will be charged a lot of money. You didn't discuss it, so what a lesson!

Take the BTS to SAPHAN TAKSIN. You will see the pier as soon as you exit the station. Taking a boat to the Grand Palace is your best choice. Don’t buy a ticket at the pier. Get on the boat and buy another 15B. Just pay attention to the color of the flag and the pier announcement. Just click on the corresponding line and station. The scenery along the river is picturesque.

Actually, there is nothing interesting to see in the Grand Palace. The ticket price is 400B, and you have to wear long pants and long sleeves, which will kill you. The surfaces of most buildings are painted with copper powder and small glass pieces, which are far inferior to those of our ancestors!

The nearby Temple of the Reclining Buddha is nothing interesting. The entrance fee is 90B. There is a long row of small cans next to the Reclining Buddha. Most people changed their change and threw them in. After a while, people from the temple came in with buckets and poured them all. Let's go, I'll throw it to you instead, I'm laughing so hard.

If you don’t want to go to the temple, you can choose to take a boat tour of Bangkok Old Town at the Grand Palace Pier.

In Bangkok, you can take the BTS to MO CHIT on weekends. The next stop is through CHATUCHAK Park, which is the weekend market. It is very big and very interesting. When I’m tired from shopping, I’ll find something to drink. After I finish shopping, I’ll go shopping again. When I’m tired again, I’ll find something to eat (grilled tiger prawns are good) and continue shopping...

From Bangkok to Koh Samui By airplane, it seems that the only option is Bangkok Airways (you can also choose other flights to Surat Thani and then take a boat). Bangkok Airways offers discounts if you book your flight early. Since it flies directly to Koh Samui, it is very convenient. If you book a good hotel in Koh Samui, they will provide free pick-up and drop-off services (I live in MUANG SAMUI). From Samui Airport to Chaweng, the maximum distance is 5KM, but taking a TAXI costs at least 500B or 250B per person, which is a huge deal.

Taking a taxi in Koh Samui is expensive, it is best to rent a motorcycle, 200B per day. No driver’s license is required, you only need to show your passport and fill up the gas yourself. It is very cost-effective (but for safety, you must have a driver’s license) experience). Driving around the island on a motorcycle is super cool. If you can drive a motorcycle, you don’t have to live in Chaweng. Lamai Beach or the area where Chaweng and Lamai join are good choices. Hotels with the same conditions can be cheaper.

When eating seafood in Koh Samui, be sure to ask the restaurant to calculate the total bill for you first. If other charges are added randomly, they will leave. You can buy wine and drinks at the 7 eleven convenience store first, which is more than twice as cheap.

In addition, be careful to buy sunscreen and mosquito repellent oil at 7 eleven convenience stores, otherwise you will be sunburned and stung to death!

To go to Nanyuan Island and Koh Tao, you can ask your hotel to book ferry tickets, or you can book tickets at a travel service store. Just ask clearly about the pick-up and drop-off conditions and prices when booking. I went to Koh Tao to stay at JAMAHKIRI RESORT & SPA Hotel, which has first-class conditions and picturesque scenery. This hotel offers free pick-up and drop-off from the pier. The restaurant is also good, but there is a service charge. There are a bunch of extra costs for a spa here.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone to be careful when visiting big shopping malls in Bangkok. When strangers (men and women traveling together) talk to you (mostly from Muslim countries, the women are wearing black veils), they will usually ask "Chinese". situation, the situation of RMB, and then ask you to show them what the RMB looks like. As long as you show your wallet, they may take away your wallet in an instant, leaving you nowhere to redress your grievances. Their targets are mainly Chinese (who bring a lot of cash). Chinese people have become the main target of offending customers. The only way to make a decision on consumption is to ask everything clearly. Remember: anyone who initiates a conversation is a liar!

Thailand may appear peaceful and gentle on the surface, but in reality there are many hidden unsafe factors, so be careful at all times.