Hi Val

Look forward to reading any info that other ladies have on this area it is on my list. Phuket is I hear a wonderful place to visit bye M

Hi,

My brother and his girlfriend went to Thailand last year and absolutely loved it! They went to Bangkok for a few nights as well as other places but their highlight of the trip was when they visited the Elephant reserve in Chiang Mai, and were able to ride an Elephant and get close and personal to these beautiful creatures.

Their photos are amazing - the beaches look fantastic!

I'm sure that you and Jenshep will have a wonderful time and bring back tons of new memories !

Enjoy!

Hi Michelle,
We are really looking forward to this - will let you know all about it.... Hopefully two other T & L's are interested in coming with us...
Hope you enjoy next weekend,

Val x

Pleased to say there are now four of us going to Dubai and Thailand in Jan/Feb. Looking forward to a holiday of contrasts and warm weather
It will be great to meet up with two more T & L's and share experiences.

Val. x

sounds amazing. I am sure you will all have a great time Dubai AND Thailand. What a mix!

Hi Val
I was in Thailand this time, 5 years ago. I went with a couple friends and we visited Bangkok, Chang Mai and Cha Am. I was recommended to book trips with a company called Oriental Escapes by a lady who has holidayed in Thailand many times and booked all my excursions with them. They were fantastic and excellent value for money. We booked private tours just for the 3 of us which was good in that we had are own guide and we could decide how long we wanted to stay in places. When we visited the Bridge over The River Kwai our guide asked if we wanted to ride on the train whereas most excursions don't include this. It was really good if a bit emotional given the history of the building of the railway. We also went to see and elephant show after which most people went for a ride on the elephants then lunch then a ride on the river on a bamboo raft. Our guide however re-arranged our visit and we did the raft ride first when it was quiet giving us the option to 'steer' the raft. We got back to the restaurant before everyone else and then had our elephant ride with no-one else around. They are well worth contacting as they are very reasonable. I can't tell you very much about where you are going but I think one of the girls I work with has been so will ask her.
Another tip is to always eat the Thai food. It is my fave food of all but my travel companions wanted to eat other types of food.....it wasn't good. Most of the tours we went on included meals but we also ate at hawker stalls and in markets and no tummy problems.
The famous greeting of course is Sawadeeka but this is said to ladies, and Sawadeekrap to gentlemen. This is said with the hands together as if praying. Your hands should be held by the chest if greeting someone of the same or lower age than yourself, by the chin if greeting someone older than yourself and by the forehead if greeting a Buddhist (or I guess any other type of) Monk. Never touch a Monk or sit by one and never show the soles of your feet to people nor point with your feet!!!!
Night Markets are a must.......some very good copies. My friend brought a copy Breightling watch and it is still going, and I have some lovely Louis Vuitton bags.
The Thai people are very friendly and respectful and I am sure you will have a fabulous time. If you want any more info, just PM me or ask on here.
Have a great time
Regards
Ann xx

Hi Ann,
What a great comprehensive guide and thankyou for the tips and the time you took to put it on the forum.
l agree you should try local food and l am looking forward to that. We have a good Thai restaurant in the village where l live but l think the Thai food in Thailand will be amazing - well that's what l have been told.

l hope to remember all that you have said especially their customs and greetings. l am also looking forward to the massages etc usually Thai girls are the best - for such slender people they are quite strong - and as you say respectful, and friendly.

Thanks again

Val x

My son as been there a lot of times..his friend lives there. He actually lives wtih a Thai girl, whom he met here. She makes fantastic food. I will pay her to coo mine for entertaing..so very fresh and clean and simple. The street food in Thailand is very good, He travelled up North and the scenery is amazing. The Pi Pi islands ( From the film The Beach) too is stunning. He travelled to Hua Hin.. Chang Mai and Chang Rai.( excuse spellings), there are some lovely spas there too..detox places (I need to stay for a month)! Chiva Som..my dream to go there...dont think you would want to come back!,,x

Oh yes Sharyn, how could I forget the massages. We were told not to have the ones on the beach but of course took no notice but had foot massages to try them out and they were so good, we went back the next day for a full massage. It was wonderful lying on the tables on the beach with the water lapping the sand.............perfect relaxation. Aaaahhhhhhh bliss!

It's a pleasure, Val. By the way, I have been through Dubai airport but not stayed in Dubai but my friend has just been and they did a river cruise dinner which she said was fantastic. I found the airport very expensive. As it is Emirates hub, it is also very crowded but visually a lovely airport.
Ann xx

OMG am so jealous..have never had a massage ever not a proper one! IKhave a head massage when i get my hair done and thats it! Will have one when i go t to Marrakesch in March, a Hamman.. but Thai is good! Food heaven too!, Eat little and often, thats why they are so slim..all those noodles, fat free. Ko Samui, very tourist now..Bangkok, my son said a day or so is enough..you need to get out. Vietnam and Cambodia are suppose to be nice too..friends travelled there..very genteel peopple.

Yes my son told me he found Bangkok very dishonest and when I visited I could see what he meant but I think it is just a case that they are trying to make a fast buck and know Westerners have the money. Out of 4 days we only had one free afternoon - busy the rest of the time with our guide on excursions and seeing the Lady Boys - so we didn't have too much time to become involved. Having said that I would only now go back to Bangkok to see the Grand Palace as we didn't have the time to visit that. I have to say where we went wasn't too bad as far as tourists - Chiang Mai had plenty of tourists but still retained its 'Thai-ness' as did Cha Am. When we were in Chiang Mai we were lucky enough to do a trip that took in the Long Neck Hill Tribes, Chiang Rai and up to the Burmese border so the real Thailand.
I am hoping I will get to Cambodia and Vietnam in the next couple of years but looking forward to my Malaysian/Hong Kong trip with HelenJay in February. I just love the Far East - especially Singapore. I am so lucky to have been able to see these places

Hi Annie,
Thanks for your post on Thailand, I am thinking of going on a 11 day Charity Trek there sometime in the future and was interested in reading some of your experiences as this will be the same areas that I would be travelling to. Looking at your post I think you may have gone this time of year, was it really hot out there. I will be trekking in the Jungle and staying with a tribal village and just a bit worried about how I will cope if it's really hot.

Thanks
Justine

Hi Justine
I did a trip to Thailand a few years ago which included a 5 day trek to see the tribes in the north where it is much cooler. We went in Dec/Jan and the temperature was fine, hot but not too humid. It was however very strenuous! We were told that we needed to be reasonably fit, but we all found it difficult, particularly as we had to carry backpacks with everything that we needed for the 5 days. So my advice would be to put in lots of training (including steep inclines) make sure you have comfortable walking boots and take lots of wet wipes!
I hope you make it and have a great time.
Jenny xx

Hi there, went to Thailand in August and had a brilliant time. Stayed in Phuket from where I visited islands, rode an elephant, went on a speedboat to James Bond island (not for the travel sickness challenged people!) snorkelled canoed and went on a John Gray trip on which had a environment friendly theme, the Kratong ceremony was really beautiful. Spent two days in Bangkok and went to the Grand Palace which is worth spending a few hours there, took a tuk-tuk a must in Bangkok. So many lovely memories. And as for the massages, absolutely divine and so cheap i had one nearly every day in Phuket!

Hi Jenny,

Sounds like the weather might be ok for me, I'm not so good at trekking when it gets really hot. I will definately train before I go as have just completed a 5 day charity trek to climb Mount Enta in Sicily which was very hard going and I thought I had trained for that! Was it the Karen tribe that you visited whilst in Thailand?

Thanks
Justine

Hi All what a fantastic thread thanks so much for all the info - very very useful
another trip on my list ! will get there in the end Michelle

I am travelling alone ( 68 yrs old) to visit my son in Thailand in January. Quite a scary prospect coping with Bangkok airport . Have been through it before and it's VAST. Any tips for a hassle free time between connecting flights would be welcomed!

Thanks Ladies for taking the time to put information on this thread, much appreciated.

Sorry, Vessie we are not going to Bankok - flying from Dubai straight to Phuket to go to the islands etc.

As the rain is lashing down here today l am looking forward to being in the sunshine with friends - only 4 weeks to go......

Val x