| | hi Be Free Now
Sounds like a great adventure. Yeah, some tips, I've been to Thailand and checked out places. A few people around here have. There is plenty of people with good advice on a board called "Dhamma Wheel" about all of this and even some monks, who live there, who would be willing to chat. So check that out.
Also, if you don't have a lot you want to check out, getting out of Bangkok ASAP is a real money saver. Chiang Mai is better but also a huge city. If you are booking a hotel beforehand for one night (not a bad idea) find one reasonable near the old city and then first thing go looking for a cheaper place you can stand being at. You can find cheaper accommodations near the old city in Bangkok or Chang Mai and cool stuff is easy to walk to. There is a very good Thai language school in Chiang Mai as well, in the old city, which is about 4 sq km, which you can completely cover walking around in a couple days. I could try to look it up.
Um, travel by rail is reasonable. Taxi's are expensive and sit at lights for ages. The guys with the 3 wheel open putt putt carts are kind of slick and will mess with you sometimes. In cities the guys with the motorcycles are a bargain, the fast way to go and a hoot if you are comfortable with that. Major smog everywhere... like living on Mars.
What else, lots of great sights in the south, lots of excellent wats in the north.
People are people, very respectful in Thailand, not loud, but don't linger on stuff that is for sale, don't even look at it unless you want the hard sell. You can buy anything in the city, and they will ask so, beware. Most westerners can't get past that and so westerners are kind of expected to be perverts. If you keep saying, "No, no, no, no, no, no thankyou, take me to the best wat," in a few weeks they will really respect that and they will treat you like family.
Oh yeah, don't eat any red meat, one or two prawns is ok if you must and are very nice with a very small bowl of rice before ten a.m. or noon. After that, don't bother with food all day. It is hot enough if you are from a northern country that you need almost no food. Stay away from pizza, best to be vegetarian if you can, food is spicey, most of it. A hundred kinds of banana's and fruit is amazing, so, tons of awesome stuff to try out. You will probably see tragic things now and then, and it can be disillusioning if you expect all monks to be following vinaya. So, remember, people are people, like everywhere, there are all kinds.
If you are too hot there are these little napkins soaked in alcohol and aloe and kept in coolers in the drug stores, look for those, find one, buy it, open the bag and put it across the back of your neck, it's awesome when it is 40 - 50 degrees C on the pavement. You will probably not need sunscreen unless you are very sensitive and if you perspire your only going to have it all on your clothing.
There are quirks. Don't put your hands in your pants pockets. Never squat down outside of an outhouse, definitely do so in one. Stay clean. Don't touch stuff. Shower regularly if you can. Don't put your fingers in your ears. Don't curse. Don't take prices of stuff sold on the street at face value (whatever price they start with). Except for core services like accommodations, travel and food and stuff with price stickers or clearly marked, haggle a little if nothing in a shop has a price tag, it is almost expected sometimes.
Ants can really sting if they get on your skin. Stay away from bugs of all kinds.
What else, hmmmm, chickens and dogs are skinny, get all of your shots for stuff, stay away from mosquitos anyways, and have a real awesome time.
all the best nathan |