Last year, I sat at a bar on Soi Buakhao at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday. The guy next to me, let’s call him Dave, had been in Pattaya for 8 years. He knew every mama-san’s name. His phone buzzed constantly. He was also the loneliest person I’ve ever met. And I couldn’t stop thinking:…
Most first-timers waste hours figuring out the train system. They end up taking expensive taxis everywhere or, worse, booking hotels near the wrong stations and spending half their trip getting around. Bangkok Airport Rail Link to Makkasan The Bangkok Airport Rail Link is very convenient. Makkasan is important. You land at Suvarnabhumi Airport, you’re tired,…
The difference between a travel agent and me is that a travel agent will try to sell you the most expensive trip. I give you the cheapest Thailand itinerary I could think of: two weeks, three places, north, south, cities, islands, temples, culture, beaches, boats, and trains. Almost everything you want for around $325. It’s…
The most important place in Thailand is not the beach or the city or the right destination. It’s your hotel room. It has to be good. It has to be safe. It has to be clean. It has to be worth your money. The Fantastic Luxurious Five-Star Hotel Dusit Thani If you’ve been to Pattaya…
Before I came to Thailand, I had already been to 37 other countries. For many years, I didn’t want to visit the land of smiles because everyone went there. The movie The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio came out in 2000, when I was 21 years old. Back then, it seemed like the whole world packed…
Starting in the North with Seafood and Wong Amat Beach A little further north is my favorite seafood restaurant in the area: Mum Aroi. That’s not the only restaurant in the area. You can try every one. Thais can’t cook badly. It comes directly from the fishermen and from the fish market. Naklua is basically…
You are in Bangkok. You are staying close to the Asok station and you want to have a great day around your hotel, but you don’t know what’s around you and what’s worth your time and money. This is a 16-hour blueprint for one day and night in Bangkok, built entirely around your station. Eliminate…
Long-haul flights to Thailand will wreck you if you let them. Cramped seats, dry air, screaming babies, horrible passengers, and no sleep. Then, bam, you land and the jet lag slaps you like a Muay Thai elbow. I’ve done this trip more times than I can count, and I used to land like a zombie….
Chiang Mai Food in the Old Town Starting with the weird name Blue Noodle, it’s not an injury; it’s a real noodle shop. It’s very old school and, at the same time, very modern. You order with an app and a digital menu on your smartphone, and everything works fine. There are no errors. It…