TIPS FOR TRAVELING IN THAILAND

While backpacking through Thailand I learned quite a few things about the people, the

culture and traveling itself I want to share with you. Thought it might be helpful. So here we go.

1. Take the local way. Instead of going by taxi or tucktuck, inform yourself about different ways to get to your
destination. Google will be your best friend! You'll find the cheapest way is as so often public transport like
busses for instance. No surprise but I feel like almost no tourist would consider that option. And they are missing
out on so much! We had the coolest experiences and met the nicest Thais on these trips. And the prices... In
Bangkok we paid 8 Baht to get to the MBK Centre (huge shopping mall) by boat, a tucktuck would have been at
least 150 Baht. The boats use the small canals there and seeing all the wooden houses at the bank gives you a
pretty good impression of the real life in Bangkok. But make sure to be quick when hopping on or off, otherwise you
are stuck on the boat or at the station. To get to the Chatuchak Weekend Market we only paid 8 Baht per person per
way as well, this time for the bus. Just hop in and someone will come and charge you - if there is a vendor at all.

2. Bargain down prices! This really is one thing you have to remeber: Never go for the first offer you
get immediately. Look around, ask at other shops etc. The prices in Thailand are almost always way too high so
go ahead and negotiate. Tell them, you've seen the same product somewhere else for less money. If they
want 200 Baht, don't start with more than half of the price. We saved so much money by doing so
and were able to lower prices even in pharmacies and travel agencies! Pretty cool!

3. Keep safe and make sure you have got everything important in a bum bag while traveling. Because
even though most of the Thais are extremely friendly and helpful, there are - like everywhere in the world -
also a bunch of bad people. Unfortunately, on the way up from Koh Lanta to Bangkok, we experienced
this ourselves. We took a bus over night and at around 9pm we had the strangest stop ever in the middle of
nowhere next to some kind of garage with four or five guys outside. Partly the engine of the bus was off, partly
the bus was driving forwards and backwards for some time. No idea why, the only reason I could come up with
is they wanted to make us think we were driving normally. I was pretty afraid they might steal our big backpacks
which were in the boot of the bus. Or even worse, they might be releasing some substance into the air to make
us unconscious so they could rob us of. Sounds pretty crazy but I had read some reviews beforehand and although
they were mostly positive, one wasn't. A guy stated he got robbed of in an overnight bus and suggested that the
whole choach got kind of drugged since no one noticed anything and he felt really dizzy the next day. Anyway,
the next morning we got literally thrown out of the bus at 6am and after less than five minutes the bus was gone!
This only intensified my strange feeling. And it turned out that they indeed opened our big backpacks -
thankfully nothing was missing. But did they honestly think we would have anything valuable in there? Since no
one is probably that dump we started asking ourselves whether they might have put something in there instead
of taking something out. Not at all realistic but this actually happens quite frequently in South America so it
might as well occur in Thailand. Well, we couldn't find anything when we checked our luggage... But what
upset me even more was the fact that someone obviously went through my small backpack which was laying
next to my head while I slept. Luckily, I had all my important stuff in a bum bag so just 5€ were missing
but still. They even checked my small bag with electronic stuff. I couldn't care less about the money but
that someone came so close to me and went through my personal stuff - and I didn't notice anything
although my sleep is normally not at all tight while traveling - leaves me with the strangest feeling ever!

So be attentive! But guys, the main thing to remember is to enjoy the time and try

out everything! Whether it's food or transport wise. Go for new stuff!

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