It is the coldest time of the year, so what is it that students look for in these desperate and depressing times? A holiday in the sun! The best place for that is none other than the sunny, sunny Thailand. Whether you plan to skip class and go sometime soon (November to February are indeed the best times to go), or are thinking about a future trip – this handy guide will help you around one of the best destinations – the capital, Bangkok.
Get those cheap deals on your accommodation, but be careful of location!
Thailand is a traveller’s dream when it comes to pricing. Your plane ticket is likely to be the most expensive cost in your travel budget. The second would be your accommodation. Getting yourself a hotel is all good, especially if you grab a deal on websites like Booking.com, but for those of us who can’t afford anything too costly, hostels is the way to go. Hostels go as low as £10 per night, and that’s for very good ones too! The ones in the town centre are clean and tidy, making for a comfortable and cost-effective stay.
Be careful where you choose to stay, though! Despite some cheeky advertisers claiming that their accommodation is “in the town centre”, that may not be the case. If they claim that they are a few minutes away from certain temples, etc, don’t trust them! The major temples are located in the North West part of Bangkok, which is hard to reach by public transport, and there is practically nothing there other than those very temples. The real town centre is around Silom area. To be honest, any accommodation that is in fact close to a BTS sky train station or MRT underground system would be a much better choice.
Taxis, taxis, taxis
Of course you can always go around on a taxi. A half an hour ride crossing half of Bangkok would probably cost you no more than £2. You have to be careful though, since not all of the taxis are driven by honest drivers. Those that have the red illuminated sign on the front are the ones you should be stopping. However, if they do not turn on the metre, or don’t do so when you ask them to and instead name a price, are the ones you should avoid. The best thing you can do is just get out and get another one, since they are trying to scam you. They will likely ask around 400 Baht, when a ride will cost you around 100 or less. This brings me to my next tip…
Bargain bonanza
You are likely to visit a street market – that’s where all the cheapest and some of the greatest things are sold in Bangkok. Food is definitely cheaper than restaurants, as are the wares. Haggling, however, is key to get a good deal. Foreigners are usually seen as rich, therefore you will always be given the tourist prices. You can try to haggle if you have the confidence, especially if you have learned a few key Thai phrases like “how much” and “that’s too expensive”. You would be surprised how some things can be bought at an even bigger bargain than you first thought!
One note though – keep an iron hold on your bag in many places in Bangkok, especially the market. There are many keen and sneaky hands, wishing to share your ‘wealth’…
Temple run
If you enjoy the cultural side of things, you will likely want to visit the temples. And for good reason! They are absolutely marvellous. You have to be careful with your attire, though. Open shoulders and tight trousers/shorts are not permitted. No wonder all the tourists are wearing all of those elephant pants!