Hello my readers !

So today I am here to share with you how to plan an easy trip to Thailand. I had visited Bangkok and Pattaya in the month of October. This blog brings out the idea of what to visit, what to eat, the approximate cost, travel needs and other essentials.

Brief of Thailand

Thailand is a tropical country of Southeast Asia. It is located centrally in the Indochinese Peninsula with coasts on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Friendly and food obsessed, hedonistic and historic, cultured and curious , Thailand tempts visitors with a smile as golden as the country’s glittering temples and tropical beaches. Thailand, also known as the Land of Smiles, is a precious jewel of Southeast Asia. It is a country ripe with opportunity for once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences. Be it the world-class exciting beaches or the mountain villages in the north, Thailand will never disappoint for sure! Thailand’s attractions are diverse and each provides a memorable experience in its own way. The main attractions of Thailand include Bangkok, Pattaya, Krabi, Phi Phi, Ayuthya and Phuket.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

So, to begin with, You need to set forth where you want to visit. Thailand is indeed big. Depending on the duration of your stay, you should decide and finalize the places. Anyways, in my opinion, one can never complete Thailand in a week’s time. Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi are all islands which need 2 days time each if you want to enjoy vividly. Bangkok is the capital. There’s plenty to see and do in this busy and vibrant city. Atleast 3 days time is needed to fully cover all places at Bangkok. Next nearest place is Pattaya. 2 days are good enough to cover Pattaya. In short, if you have around 16 days, cover entire Thailand. If 10 days, visit Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket/ Krabi. If its only a week’s trip, opt for the exciting holiday at Bangkok and Pattaya.

Which time to visit

Being a tropical country, Thailand is warm through the year, with winters having average highs of 26-28ºC, and summers, 32-40ºC. The climate of most of Thailand is governed by three seasons: rainy (roughly May–Oct), caused by the southwest monsoon dumping moisture gathered from the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand; cool (Nov–Feb); and hot (March–May). There will be rain most days, but often only for a few hours in the afternoon or at night. Overall, the cool season is the best time to come to Thailand: as well as having more manageable temperatures and less rain, it offers waterfalls in full spate and the best of the upland flowers in bloom. Bear in mind, however, that it’s also the busiest season, so forward planning is essential.

Great swimming and snorkeling is possible year-round in Thailand, except on days when there are thunderstorms during the rainy season. Booking early and catching mid-week flights would get the best discounts. Usually, the best rates for flights and hotels are during the rainy season. March to May, September, and October usually find great rates. The Best Hotels in Thailand get booked early – especially for the Chinese New Year, Kin Jay (vegetarian) festival, and the months of December and January.

I and my husband visited Thailand in the month of September. At Pattaya it was quite hot. At Bangkok, temperatures were similar to that of Pattaya. However, each day there were heavy showers mid noon for around an hour.

DAYS AT PATTAYA

Pattaya is known for its lively party atmosphere, but that’s not all there is to this popular coastal city. Pattaya is made up of three areas namely Naklua, Pattaya Beach and Jomtien. You have plenty to do in this quiet but lively city. The major attractions are Pattaya Beach, Sanctuary of truth, Nong Nooch Garden, Alcazar Cabaret show, the floating market, Underwater world, Walking street and Pattaya’s waterparks.

• 

At Pattaya, on the first morning take a tour to Coral Island by speed boat. This has crystal clear water and interminable stretches of fine white sand. Enjoy the exciting watersports activities like snorkelling, parasailing, banana boat, jet ski and lot more. Enjoy sea food lunch at any food outlet on the beach itself. This will be almost a half day tour that will end by 2pm.

• 

Come back to hotel and set off for the Underwater world or Art in Paradise. Underwater World features some 2,500 marine animals, comprising more than 200 species from the region as well as overseas. Apart from the aquarium section, the live feeding shows are great fun, especially for children. This will be over by 6pm. The price per ticket is 500 Bahts. Art in paradise is a 3d art museum. You will love taking snaps with all 3d paintings and surely enjoy it. The price per ticket is 400 Bahts.

• 

• 

Next rush up for a pre booked cabaret show. Visit either the Alcazar show or the Tiffany show. A dazzling show with energetic acts, bright colors and extravagant costumes, this show is an entertaining evening for people of all ages.The Alcazar show takes you through different countries and their cultures. During the 70-minute show you will see a good variety of acts including Korean K-Pop, Persian, Chinese, Indian, Thai and Russian. The ticket price per person is 600 Bahts. You also get a free cold or hot welcome drink at the entry.

• 

• 

Next pull off to famous Walking street. It is the biggest and busiest party hotspot in the whole of Thailand. Experience the nightlife and entertainment at its best at Pattaya. A full kilometre from its high-tech gateway at the Beach Road end to the Bali Hai Plaza end, almost every building along its length is a nightclub, go-go bar, beer bar, music bar or restaurant. This street is busy till 6 in the morning.

• 

So , on day 2, have breakfast and head off for Nong nooch village. Nong Nooch Garden is set in a 2.4sq.km. beautifully landscaped park. Take a leisure stroll through the botanical park. It’s a good idea to rent a bicycle and explore the garden at a leisurely pace. Apart from this park, Nong Nooch Garden features regular shows at the Thai Cultural Hall. Enjoy the spectacle of sights and sounds in a classical Thai dance, Muay Thai or ancient drum performance. The price per ticket is 500 Bahts.

After spending 2 hours at Nong Nooch village, move on to famous Sanctuary of truth. It is a religious construction in Pattaya, The sanctuary is an all-wood building filled with sculptures based on traditional Buddhist and Hindu motifs. The top of the building is 105 meters high, The ticket price per person is 400 Bahts.

Next head off to Tiger Park. It is quite nice and well managed location where the animals are treated will all respect and complete care is taken about their needs. Visitors safety is fully secured. Donot forget to take snaps with all sizes tigers over there. The price per ticket is 600 Bahts.

After spending 2 hours, now ride to the beautiful floating market at Pattaya. Covering an area of 100,000sqm, the Four Regions Floating Market is separated into four sections – each representing and selling items from the four major parts of Thailand (north, northeast, central and south). For a floating market experience, hire a man-powered boat to get around and discover the richness of the surrounding Thai architecture and riverside life. Typically, the boat is big enough for four people and can be hired for a small fee for around 30 minutes. There are plenty of authentic Thai dishes and classic desserts to sample. Highlights include noodle soups, pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles), kanom jean (rice vermicelli) with different kinds of curries, ka nom krok (coconut pancake), foi thong (golden threads), thong yip (sweet egg yolk) and more. Postcards, Thai handicrafts and some ancient toys made from wood or die-cast metal are widely available within the market, too.

• 

So, its past evening now. Take a bus or cab and go for Bangkok. After reaching hotel, have dinner and take a good sleep.

DAYS AT BANGKOK

Bangkok is the most happening destination in Thailand. You wont have time to get bored in this busy vibrant lively city. There are a number of attractions to visit. The temples in Bangkok are called as “Wats”. There are several Wats namely temple of Emerald Buddha, Wat Arun, Temple of reclining Buddha, Wat saket, Wat Traimit, LohaPrasat and Wat Benjammabhopit. Bangkok has a treasure house of cultural attractions. Next comes the markets which are a huge part of the Thai culture. Popular markets include Chatuchak weekend market, Pratunam, Sampeng, Klongsan and Train night market. And last but not the least, food in Bangkok is just awesome.  You will get stalls selling all sorts of foods.

So below, I shall just give a summarized trip guide for Bangkok. You may adjust your itinerary as per your requirements.

Day 1

Wake up and have breakfast. Your first destination is The Grand palace. Try to reach there by 9.30 am. Its undoubtedly the most popular landmark. This has several impressive buildings along with the temple of Emerald Buddha. You should follow the strict dress code. No tank tops, no shorts and no bare feet. The ticket price is 500 Bahts. The ticket includes entry to Vimanmek Palace and AbhisekDusit Throne hall. You need atleast 4 hours for a complete thorough tour of this fascinating place.

• 

Next visit the Wat Pho and Wat Arun. This will consume around 3hours easily. Bangkok has lot of traffic.The ticket price for Wat Pho is 100 Bahts and for Wat Arun is 20 Bahts.Next in early evening hours, visit the Chao phraya river and you may enjoy a dinner cruise there. This cruise offers Thai cuisine, entertainment and stunning river views.

• 

• 

• 

Day 2

Today first you should visit the National Museum and Wang Na palace. Ticket price is 200 Bahts. After 2 hours, go and visit Jim Thompson House. Ticket price is 100 Bahts. After this, move on to Khao San road. This is a neighborhood jam- packed with food vendors, clothing stalls and travelers from every corner of the world.Then visit the shopping markets. You may visit Chatuchak or Pratunam or any of the popular markets. Take your time and purchase goods of your choice. Then move on to China town. Here you can enjoy Chinese street food and also take a stroll through the street shops selling Chinese goods. Take dinner and rest.

• 

• 

Day 3

Today morning visit the Wat Traimit and LohaPrasat. The ticket price for LohaPrasat is 20 Bahts and for Wat Traimit is 40 Bahts. Now move on to Lumphini park. You can take a paddle boat ride here and enjoy the peace and calm surroundings. Next visit the Madame Tussauds wax museum and the adjacent Siam Ocean world. The combo ticket price is around 940Bahts. In the evening visit a shopping centre called Asiatic the Riverfront. Spend your time there at leisure. If you have time, go for a relaxing Thai massage.

• 

• 

• 

Day 4

Today is the last day that you are gonna spend in Bangkok. Pre book your tickets for Safari World. It has two sections viz. Safari park and Marine park. The ticket price for Safari park is 650 Bahts and for Marine park is 750 Bahts. Experience an exciting safari drive through the picturesque African wilderness. A drive through the park takes about 45 minutes. Hundreds of animals from all over the world are present. There are daily tiger and lion feeding shows.The Marine Park houses a spectrum of animals of land, sea, and air. The attractions are Jungle Cruise river ride, a water flume ride through the jungles of Africa and Asia, seven shows daily, Spy War action stunts, water skiing, dolphins, Hollywood cowboy stunts, birds, orangutan boxing, and sea lions, exhibits featuring white tigers, fantasy carp garden, tapir kingdom, crocodile gardens.

• 

• 

• 

Almost half day will get over in the above parks. Next go for MBK shopping centre or Terminal 21. These are best shopping malls of Bangkok. Also visit any of the floating market in Bangkok. Have street food near Pratunam market. This evening you can take your return flight.

What to eat

At Pattayastreets , there are ample number of food courts and restaurants of international cuisines. However, the price there is much higher compared to Bangkok. Bangkok is the hub for food lovers. There is nowhere else in Thailand that offers such a diverse variety of flavors all in one place. Thai food’s profusion of exotic flavours and fragrances make it among the most coveted of international cuisines. Thai people eat almost everything. Pork, beef, chicken,Shrimp, seafish, squid,duck are the most common non vegetarian items.

DONOT miss the following dishes:-

Tom yum goong soup (Spicy shrimp soup) Pad Thai (Stir fried noodles) Khao Pad (Fried rice) Tom Jap Chai (Boiled vegetable soup) Moo satey (pork satey) Khao man gai (Chicken and rice)

• 

These dishes will be definitely available at all restaurants in Bngkok. However, I suggest when you visit the local markets, you will find almost the entire streets are packed with open food stalls. Try the dishes there. Food is available there at lowest cost. Apart from local markets, also at Chinatown , you can have a taste of the wide Chinese dishes. Chinese food mostly include variety noodles and starter items like fries or steamed balls of chicken, pork, shrimp and more.

wHERE TO STAY

Well, People who usually travel to Bangkok have just two things in mind: food and shopping. You should stay in the best and most affordable hotels in the most popular areas of Bangkok. If you are a shopper, then stay near Pratunam. If you are a food lover, choose a budget stay near Chinatown. To enjoy nightlife, stay near Lumphini or Sukhumvit. High range hotels are of course available everywhere. You need to choose your stay as per your budget.

WHAT TO BUY

You should buy variety of chocolates, instant noodles, peanuts, instant Thai milk tea, Thai silk garments, one piece dresses, T–shirts, beautiful earrings, soaps and fragrances, decorative lights, balm, massage oils. At Chatuchak market, you will get decorative pottery and ceramics,beautiful lamps, paper lights, flower vases, pillow cases, embodied table clothes, Chinese towels, and vintage lamps. You can buy fashionablke bags and adorablke shoes/sandals from Siam Square, Street Stalls and MKB Shopping Mall.

CONCLUSION

Above, I have just guided you through a short summary of how to cover Bangkok and Pattaya in a week’s time. You should book all the sight seeing attractions before hand in order to avail good discounts. You may hire grab taxis or Tuktuks for all your journeys. Even the buses and BTS sky trains are available easily. It is always better that you take a walk for short distances. If you are interested to know about my trip, get to know about it below 

https://anythingeverything.tech.blog/my-trip-to-bangkok-pattaya-2/