What should I prepare for my first self-guided trip abroad?

Author: Birds Fly Away

Preparation before departure

Self-guided tour. Routes and feelings vary from person to person.

Everyone’s situation is different, so there is no way to say the most reasonable and interesting way to play.

Before traveling, I simply checked a lot of online guides. I was attracted by the beautiful photos of the guides and wanted to go to all the scenic spots in the photos.

Being full of expectations, only by making preparations before going out can you enjoy your trip safely.

So this article does not cover "what to eat, play or visit", but only provides practical information on "how to travel more smoothly by yourself". I hope it can provide some useful information for friends who plan to go to Chiang Mai for self-guided travel in the near future. Value reference.

When we arrived in Bangkok, it was overcast

1. Visa

Bangkok Don Mueang Airport

Passport and visa.

Be sure to reserve at least 15 days before departure to prepare a visa (but it is said that due to the recent surge in Chinese tourists, the visa processing time of some consulates has been greatly extended, so it is best to apply one month in advance to be on the safe side). I got a visa on arrival (1,000 baht per person, about RMB 200).

Required information:

Passport valid for more than 6 months + 1 passport photo with a white background + return air ticket itinerary + local accommodation reservation information in Thailand (if you will stay in multiple different Hotel, you only need to provide the successful booking information of the first hotel) + 2,000 baht in cash per person (used to pay the landing visa fee at the airport immigration counter) + 20,000 baht in cash per person (used for customs random inspections. Generally, this will not be encountered , but I always change them in advance to prepare for emergencies) (If the whole family is traveling, the amount is stipulated separately, I don’t know much about it)

Go online to find the instructions for filling out the immigration card, Thailand’s immigration card and The exit card is connected together and will be issued on the plane. You must also ask the flight attendant for it before landing. You will be asked to fill in the name and address of your accommodation in Thailand. Take out your pen and the printed reservation information and fill it out. Yes, remember to bring a pen! ! At that time, an old man bought a pen from me for 10 yuan, but I was unwilling to do so, okay? Yes, I don't sell it. The fairy sister gave him one.

After getting off the plane, follow the signs to find the visa-on-arrival counter of the Thai Immigration Bureau. The signs are all in Chinese and can be found easily. Pay attention, on the way there, you can see a small table providing visa application forms on arrival, take one and fill it out. Then go to the counter and queue up.

Because I arrived at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok and had to catch a flight to Chiang Mai in two hours, I took the fast lane and added 200 plants. Remember to prepare cash in Thai baht, as you will need to pay for a visa on arrival. relative.

Whether it is Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK) airport, the counter for visa on arrival is divided into two parts, the front and back. The first part only checks whether your information is complete. The second part is to stamp and sign. After stamping, you are the one with Thai visa. However, please don’t be happy too soon, the important point is here again. Please note, please note that the window for entry with visa on arrival is opened separately, just next to the visa on arrival counter. Look at the sign clearly, so that you can quickly get the customs stamp and then enter the customs.

After getting the visa, we four chasing girls, dragging suitcases and carrying bags, ran wildly at the airport...a 100-meter sprint...

Looking for the flight counter , collect tickets, go through security check, find the boarding gate, and wait for the flight.

There are still twenty minutes before takeoff.

The whole process was so smooth, thanks to a fairy sister who was guiding the three of us who knew the process very well.

Bangkok at night

Finally got on the plane. Sleepy and hungry.

2. Flights

Flights.

You can only buy air tickets after confirming the time when you can travel. Order the air tickets on Qunar.com three months in advance. The price discount is about 30%---60%. The price fluctuates according to the departure time, which is not obvious. The closer to the departure time, the more expensive it is. Therefore, if you plan to travel to Thailand, you should book your trip about a month in advance. Rich people can be more capricious, which is an extra thousand yuan.

The price is not bad. The principle is that the earlier you buy, the more cost-effective it is. AirAsia’s seats are really a bit uncomfortable?

But there is no way to fly low-cost airlines, and AirAsia is really Nothing is provided

You have to buy all the food and drinks by yourself!

Because I was very tired from running, I ordered a 60 instant noodles. It doesn’t feel as delicious as Master Kong’s.

You can bring your own instant noodles, but you have to pay for 30 hot water plants. Don’t ask me why I know that.

You can bring a 20-inch suitcase on the plane, and everyone can bring 7kg of free luggage on the plane.

It’s best to buy checked luggage in advance. The price is sky-high when you go to the airport to buy it. It’s better to weigh it yourself~?

The 20-inch suitcase I brought with me when I went there was no problem. Buy consignment.

When I came back, I bought 20KG for shipping. Because I bought a box of instant noodles...

I chose to transit through Bangkok, and I didn’t calculate the time for the visa on arrival when I made the reservation. Two hours later, it was really thrilling. If it were during the day, there would be a lot of passengers checking in on arrival, and we would definitely not be able to make it in time. Fortunately, we were so lucky that it was at night and not on the weekend.

In the end, we only arrived at the boarding gate 30 minutes early, and thankfully we caught the flight...

Return

Change boarding pass at the airline counter------check in luggage--- -----Go through customs (hand in departure form)------Go to the tax refund point-----wait to board the plane.

Note:

You need to reserve a longer period of time because there is an additional tax refund link. I am at Don Mueang Airport. As soon as I arrived at the airport, I saw a stamped office at the door. Pick up the ticket and check it in.

Remember to pick up the departure form from the flight window and fill it out. You will need it to pass the security check.

After passing the security check, you will see the window for applying for tax refund (the procedure is relatively simple, just take the tax refund form to the counter to get it stamped, and receive cash - valuables with a unit price of more than 10,000 baht need to be carried for reference )

Taken casually. It's ok if it's crooked. Good for the spine.

3. Accommodation

Book online in advance. Choosing to stay in the ancient city of Chiang Mai is very convenient and safe. The hotels we chose were pretty good, with 40 breakfast items available every day, and there were people selling breakfast on the street very early. If your time in Chiang Mai is almost within a week like ours, it is recommended to stay in the ancient city. Rich people can consider private villas, houses, or resorts outside the city, depending on personal preferences. Some friends also booked a large villa to share with more than a dozen people. I think it was also a very good experience.

Book online half a month in advance. Basically, the online photos of Thai hotels are consistent with reality. The main thing is the surrounding environment. It depends on your choice. We were in the ancient city and it was very quiet at 8pm, but the lights were brightly lit.

4. Communication

Everyone has a HAPPY card. If you buy it in advance on Taobao TB, you can have unlimited Internet access within 7 days (you can recharge after 7 days). The Internet speed is very stable, especially At the airport, the signal is still very good. Don't change your card in China. Change it before your outbound flight lands. This way you can go separately as soon as you get off the plane and you won't be afraid of getting separated. The happy card you bought comes with instructions for use, so read it yourself. This can be read aloud.

5. Payment

Thailand stipulates that each person must bring no less than 20,000 baht (or equivalent foreign currency, that is, RMB 4,000) in cash into the country, except for accompanying children.

We only went to the Bank of China to exchange money a week before our trip (we had to go to the regional head office to have cash, otherwise other small branches had to be booked three days in advance). In addition to stalls, most shops It supports card swiping and even payment via WeChat and Alipay. There are also many stores that accept payment in RMB (the exchange rate is generally 1:5). If it is really not enough, there are exchange points everywhere on the streets. Compare the exchange rates of several banks. Some banks that look more impressive have an exchange rate of only 4.6-4.7 (the exchange rate of the domestic Bank of China is only a few 4.9). If you want to swipe a card, you should bring a VISA or MARSTER CARD because some places do not support UnionPay cards, such as the perfume counter of MAYA, the largest shopping mall in Chiang Mai. You can withdraw cash from ATMs in Thailand, but you will be charged a handling fee of RMB 30 per time.

In Bangkok, Alipay advertisements can be seen on every street. Jack Ma is really awesome.

RMB can also be used in stores. It depends on the store owner whether it is enough. I spent 100 RMB to buy a bag trailer.

Yes, used to hold instant noodles.

Most consumption in Chiang Mai is still done in Thai baht cash. Prepare more change for 100---500 plants.

Tipping 20 plants at a time is enough. I only tipped the waiter at my residence because he helped me move my luggage and bought big bags of things. If the room needs to be cleaned, put 20 of them. We forgot to leave a tip the first time. When we came back from playing, the room card could not be swiped. We had to register again before we could swipe it. so--. --You know.

6. Language

In general, Chiang Mai is not so "Chinese", and communication here still relies on English. There are translation software, but after trying it, I found it not practical. First, it is not very accurate. Second, when time is urgent, you will not take out your mobile phone to open the translation software and use it. Compared with Bangkok and Phuket, Chiang Mai, China There were relatively few tourists, probably because we were traveling independently. We went to scenic spots, shopping malls, restaurants, and stayed in several hotels, including the airport, and occasionally met people who could speak Chinese. But they are not all knowledgeable.

There are many Chinese doing business in Bangkok, and many of them will give instructions in Chinese, but many times they need to know English. .

My lack of proficiency in English is also the most interesting part of this trip.

-------------You can ignore the following content------------

The local tutuk driver in Chiang Mai I’m not familiar with English, and the older I get, the more unfamiliar it becomes. One day I chartered a songthaew and went to find a shop. I showed him the name of the shop, which was in English, and pointed to GO there. At first we were two, I thought he understood what I said, he thought I understood what he said, and we thought each other understood. A girl and an uncle were talking to each other on the street, yeah yeah yeah~~~ They just wanted to do freestyle. result-. -He doesn't even start the car.

Finally, being smart and resourceful, I found a Thai text from a nearby place and showed it to him, and he understood it instantly

Also

There was a customer service girl at our residence in the ancient city of Chiang Mai who could speak Chinese. We need to go to her wherever we want to go, and when she is not in the store for a break, we have to try our best to speak English with other customer service staff. Then those customer service staff asked for 70,000 to 80,000 Biao English. . . I'm messy. .

Of course

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know English. I was having breakfast in a restaurant that day, and two aunts in their 40s and 50s sitting next door took orders.

The aunt saw that we were Chinese, smiled and asked which breakfast at our table was the best, and the waiter pointed out ours, done!

In Thailand, I basically relied on Chinglish to communicate throughout the whole process. Chinese English. do u understand?

Download this Tutu APP to your mobile phone, register an account, and try it out in China. You can use it when you arrive in Thailand.

Two taxi-hailing apps, my love. Grad is a super deal.

Google maps, without it, I can’t walk.

Translation, for this thing, just teach yourself English at night, after all, you have to bargain. Want to eat. To strike up a conversation. . . .

7. Transportation

Price in Thailand is relatively low, and taxis are no exception. Just take a taxi directly. The distance from Chiang Mai Airport to the ancient city is not far and costs about 200B. During the peak tourist season in Chiang Mai, there are traffic jams in the ancient city every day, so it is difficult to see buses or buses. The most convenient means of transportation is songthaew. Songthaew is our favorite. The interior is spacious and clean. Each car can seat 8-10 people. No matter where you go in the ancient city, 20B is enough for each person. The driver will ask for 30, so feel free to cut it.

One day, the wealthy fairies chartered a songthaew and decided where to go with the driver. For 1000B a day, you can go anywhere in Chiang Mai. You can make your own arrangements as many as you want.

The red songthaew

I recommend two apps that I think are must-haves, one is GOOGLE Maps, and the other is the taxi-hailing software GRAB, which is much cheaper than chartering a taxi. , settlement can be paid in cash, which is very easy to use during the day. I am very happy to meet a beautiful female driver.

Kill from the side. Driving skills: 666

...Originally I wanted to rent a motorcycle, which is super cheap. The rent for a day ranges from 250 to 500. It depends on the model. You have to refuel by yourself. More importantly, it depends on the traffic in the ancient city. situation.

Among the four fairies, only I dare to ride. Others have to be quiet fairies. If you don’t accompany me, I will experience it on the motorcycle’s cushion.

Oh, if you rent a motorcycle, don’t sit on a cushion that has been dried in the sun right away. , don’t ask me why I know.

8. Clothing

In Chiang Mai in July, the weather is fun, sunny one second, rainy the next, and even sunny and rainy.

Chiang Mai has a unique flavor after the rain. The washed streets and all the green plants are exuding a new fragrance. Under the sun, the water droplets are dazzling, inviting people to take a walk on the street.

Remember to bring an umbrella when you go out (it doesn’t matter if you don’t have an umbrella, the residence will thoughtfully prepare umbrellas for everyone, just remember to return them when you go back)

The climate here is not as sultry as Shenzhen, but the feeling is still the same It is very comfortable, because it always rains, so when it gets hot, there is rain to cool down. Before setting off, I looked at the weather forecast and found it was 25-30 degrees. It is not hot, but it is still easy to get sunburned. I recommend that you bring long sleeves and long pants or long pants. The most important function of a skirt is sun protection! A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses are a must. Ladies must bring a scarf or shawl, which is very practical and easy to style.

One thing to note is that all temples require you to take off your shoes before entering, so you must wear shoes that are easy to put on and take off when visiting temples. Ladies are also not allowed to wear halter tops, bateau collars and other topless and backless clothes, or short skirts and shorts above the knees.

People who have been here will tell you.

The clothes can be dried in two days.

Reminder in front of the temple

9. Attractions

1---In the ancient city of Chiang Mai, there is a temple 100 meters away. See for yourself, some are free, some require tickets, tickets are not expensive.

2---It goes without saying that the price-performance ratio is so high that you must go! Go every day!

3---Night market, so many delicious foods! ! ! ! Must go!

4---I didn’t go to jungle flying or elephant riding. There are many travel agencies in the ancient city. You can sign up and take a bus together. It can be reached in half an hour and the price is 2,000 yuan. I only went bungee jumping. There are not many people in this project. The purpose of my coming to Chiang Mai is bungee jumping. Not high, 50 meters.

5---There are many places online, choose where you want to go.

A club has various outdoor projects

This is bungee jumping. Very low. Worth a try.

The last one

1) At least one soul or body should be on the way~

2) English is very important!

3) Traveling with partners who share the same rhythm will make everything on the journey more interesting.

4) Let’s go quickly

The above dry information is watery, and there are a lot of Internet paragraphs. If you don't like it, don't spray it.