Thailand Travel Report — Bangkok, Islands & Street Food Tips
- Hostel in Bangkok: 6 euros per night for a private room for two people
- The tap water is not drinkable, Hygiene is borderline in many places.
- A mosquito repellent is essential. Bite-Away Stick in the luggage
- Pattaya disappointed us — trash everywhere, the water grey instead of blue
- After our flight cancellation there 600 euros Compensation plus replacement flight
Contents of this post9 chapters
Flashback 2018 – To the beginning of my journey
Grab your backpack and fly away! ✈️🌏
At the airport...
Haha. Okay. As everyone can see in this picture, we were the typical "beginner backpackers"! Our backpack was way too big and stuffed to the top. 🎒 Of course, we didn't need more than half of the contents, but who knows that beforehand?
In retrospect, we panicked way too much about forgetting something important. 🤦♀️
Note: There are shopping opportunities in other countries too. 😄😄
🕰🕰 Just before the trip ....
1 year in Australia. But alone? I have to say, I was a real scaredy-cat 😟. I asked around with my friends, but nobody seemed interested in joining me. Why not❓😂…
Plan B: Look for a travel companion online 🤔. After a few attempts, I finally found Jessi. She is the same age as me, had roughly the same idea of the trip, and comes from Bavaria. Perfect 😍. It didn't take long, and we booked a flight from Munich to Australia. But beforehand, we almost talked on the phone every day and planned the trip step by step 🗺. "We need this, we'll order that, this is important ... Bla bla bla." I can tell you one thing: We didn't need more than half of it! When the backpack was eventually bigger than we were, we finished our packing list. Plus, we had to clarify 1000 other things (deregistering residence, quitting jobs, etc. 🤮). After all the huge effort, the time had finally come. It was kind of a weird feeling to go exploring the world with a 'basically' stranger. But Jessi seemed really great, so I was confident. Finally, we met at the airport in Munich. We got along super well right away! I was super happy, excited, and sad at the same time. I talked nervously the whole flight out of excitement. 🤩
"Sorry again Jessi 😂🙏"!
Also, I just want to mention how grateful I am to have had you there for this big step! Who knows if I would have even gone... And now? Now I'm still traveling around the world to this day. A big thank you! 🥰
The plan starts without a plan! 😛
The bad news on October 11, 2018 👺👺
From the airport, we headed to Bangkok! We booked an open-jaw flight (1 week in Bangkok and then on to Australia). At least, that was our plan !!! 😂 However, during the wait, we received the first message: "Your flight is delayed by one hour" 🙄. We were annoyed, but we talked about how it could have been worse. No more than 10 minutes later, the next message came, "Your flight will not arrive until the next day due to technical problems" 😠. Yes, now we were there. Completely planless, confused, and lost at Cologne Airport. We've come a long way ... Now it was time to get information at the counter, which of course was also associated with a huge queue! And of course, we were at the very back of the line of all passengers. We waited and waited ... 🥱
In the queue, we met two other backpackers. Funny enough, they had the exact same destination as us, so we could pass the time chatting. When we arrived at the counter, we were offered two options.
Option 1: The airline takes you to a selected hotel, and the costs are covered, or
Option 2: You book a hotel independently for up to 250 euros per night, but you only get reimbursed for the costs a few months later.
With the other two backpackers, we opted for Option 2 and booked a fancy hotel in Cologne 😍. The funny thing: Our new replacement flight was already early the next morning, so we only spent about 5 hours in the overpriced hotel. Ultimately, the flight cancellation was the best thing that could have happened to us. We received 600 euros compensation, a completely new flight, a luxury hotel stay with a talking robot 🤖 (which even explained the way to the toilet), made new friends, and last but not least, we also received a lot of shopping vouchers for the restaurants at the airport. Perfect. 🥰
Off to Thailand 🇹🇭
A week in Thailand 😊
In the middle of the night, around 00:30, we arrived in Bangkok at the airport without any plan. Unfortunately, the other two backpackers already had accommodation, which was fully booked. However, during the flight, we met two other travel enthusiasts who gave us a hostel tip. We already had to write down the accommodation we were staying in on the plane - so the tip was extremely helpful. 🙈
In the night, Bangkok is very lively, but our hostel was hidden in an alley. Overall, the hostel was very clean. And for 6 euros per night, for a private room, you really can't complain. 🤑
Everything felt so unreal. Suddenly we were extremely far away from home 😟. But it felt good. We just did it. 👏 The only thing that didn't feel particularly good were the 1000 mosquitoes. Ohhh, how I hate them!!! 😠
Travel Hack: BITE AWAY STICK! Best stick in the world against itching, believe me! 🙏😄
Khaosan Road 🎉
Bangkok's famous backpacker street
"Jí zhòng" and they've already clinked glasses with us! Mega friendly and open-minded people you meet while strolling through the night markets on the street.
A few impressions from Bangkok 🥰🥰
Excursion to Wat Pho ⭐️
Ohh, the beautiful Wat Pho. Already on the way there, we were fascinated by the beautiful park. Wat Pho is a Buddhist temple located in the center of Bangkok. Definitely worth seeing! 😊
It was particularly impressive when we were able to witness the prayer ritual of the Buddhists. A calming and loving chant. 🥰
Afterward, we encountered some squirrels in the park that we could feed by hand! How cool is that??? 🤩
Pataya😳
Not really worth a visit...
Our hostel was only 5 minutes from the beach! Cost: 6 euros per person. Not bad!
However, when we took a closer look at Pattaya, we were more than disappointed! Trash was everywhere, and the water was more gray than blue 😭. For this reason, we moved on the very next day! 🚐
Quickly back to Bangkok 😌
Here, we first booked a great accommodation for a sweet 8 euros per night. We could jump straight into the pool from our room! 🏊♀️
In the evening, we toasted to our work and travel journey! 🍹
When strolling through the streets, you always come across new exciting things in Bangkok. In the photos, you can see how the Buddha is worshipped and other rituals are performed (lighting candles 🕯, incense...)! The best thing about the place of the new accommodation was (Sorry - unfortunately, I don't remember exactly where it was) that there were no tourists far and wide (except us, of course 🤭)! Hardly anyone could speak English. Communication was done through gestures and actions 😄
Here's what you should know before going to Thailand:
- The standards are definitely not like those in Europe.🧼
Lots of environmental pollution. Tap water is not drinkable! Hygiene in many places is rather borderline.
2. The people are very generous and helpful. 😇
Small example: We asked for directions in a store. She stopped her work and accompanied us to the destination.
3. The weather is humid and hot! 🥵
Well, maybe it was so extreme because we were there during the rainy season. An air conditioner is a MUST HAVE!
4. The streets are full of scooter riders! 🏍
It takes a bit of courage if you want to ride around here alone!
5. Mosquito alert 🦟
Get yourself a BITE AWAY Stick or something similar... You'll need it! 😉
6. Impressive sights! 🤓
At every corner, you'll be amazed, believe me!
7. Endless food & great street markets! 🥥
Why not try a grasshopper like I did? Tastes like fries. Yuck! You wouldn't believe how the locals enjoyed seeing me chew on that grasshopper in my mouth at the market! Maybe I should upload the lovely memory video soon? 🤔
Conclusion: I will definitely fly to Thailand again one day. There are still many places to discover! 🤪
Next Stop: Stay tuned 😛
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does accommodation cost in Bangkok?
Our first hostel, At Home Guest House, cost €6 per night for a private room for two people and was very clean. Later, we paid €8 per night for accommodation where we could jump directly into the pool from our room.
Can I drink tap water in Thailand?
No. The tap water is not drinkable. Standards are generally not as high as in Germany, and hygiene is questionable in many places.
What helps against mosquitoes?
A Bite-Away stick or something similar. For me, it's the best stick in the world for itching—you'll need it.
Is Pattaya worth visiting?
Not for us. There was trash everywhere and the water was more grey than blue. We moved on the very next day. The hostel was at least only a 5-minute walk from the beach and cost 6 euros per person.
What do I do if my flight is cancelled?
We were offered two options at the counter: either the airline would take us to a selected hotel and cover the costs, or we could book a hotel ourselves for up to €250 per night and be reimbursed a few months later. We chose option 2 — and ended up receiving €600 in compensation, a new flight, and vouchers for the airport restaurants.
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