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| PSN: BadoorSNK(forPSVITA:BadoorUSA)
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|  "Re(2):Thailand travel tips thread" , posted Sun 26 Feb 07:46:  
quote:
Hello cafe members, I'm planning to go to Thailand soon, and I recall that a thread I made years ago when asking for tips about various places in China, Korea, and Japan was very successful. I'm hoping to replicate that here with Thailand. The plan seems to be to go to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.
Hey hey, I'd be happy to help you out! I live in Chiang Mai and also visit Bangkok frequently (have an office there). I just have a few questions for you:
-When will you be visiting?
-How much time do you have?
-Have you booked places to stay yet? Or would you like some recommendations for that too?
-What are your favorite foods?
-Do you have any dietary restrictions?
-Is there anything in particular you're hoping to see/do/eat?
-Are there any things that you want to avoid?
Oh cool, I was honestly hoping you'd respond but I didn't want to ask you directly. The plan is to go on the 3rd week of March for about 10 days or so. Planning to be in Bangkok but might be going to Phuket and Chiang Mai. I'm going with a friend of mine. Currently, we are in the process of booking things, so you don't need to recommend us any places to stay.
I like Thai food, but I guess that might be what constitutes Thai food as it is made outside of Thailand, possibly by the Thai diaspora around the world. I frankly don't know if it's the same as what people in Thailand eat, but even if not, I'm willing to try their local eats. I like Japanese cuisine as well, and personally more open to trying out all kinds of food than my friend who might stick to Halal food, otherwise he will probably be going vegetarian/pescatarian. Also that coffee place you posted on your twitter looks good!
As for things to do, it's probably ordinary touristy stuff. I like visiting and seeing temples for example (plan to go to Wat Phra Chetuphon in Bangkok for example), but we generally don't have much of a schedule planned, kinda deliberately. We will see things as it goes.
EDIT: Also if possible, we should meet and hang out. I kinda am doing pretty well so far with meeting cafe members during my travels around the world.
http://100daysofmegashock.wordpress.com/
http://badoorsnk.wordpress.com/
pretzelmotion.com
[this message was edited by badoor on Sun 26 Feb 07:49] |
| | "Re(3):Thailand travel tips thread" , posted Tue 14 Mar 03:04:
quote:
Hello cafe members, I'm planning to go to Thailand soon, and I recall that a thread I made years ago when asking for tips about various places in China, Korea, and Japan was very successful. I'm hoping to replicate that here with Thailand. The plan seems to be to go to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.
Hey hey, I'd be happy to help you out! I live in Chiang Mai and also visit Bangkok frequently (have an office there). I just have a few questions for you:
-When will you be visiting?
-How much time do you have?
-Have you booked places to stay yet? Or would you like some recommendations for that too?
-What are your favorite foods?
-Do you have any dietary restrictions?
-Is there anything in particular you're hoping to see/do/eat?
-Are there any things that you want to avoid?
Oh cool, I was honestly hoping you'd respond but I didn't want to ask you directly. The plan is to go on the 3rd week of March for about 10 days or so. Planning to be in Bangkok but might be going to Phuket and Chiang Mai. I'm going with a friend of mine. Currently, we are in the process of booking things, so you don't need to recommend us any places to stay.
I like Thai food, but I guess that might be what constitutes Thai food as it is made outside of Thailand, possibly by the Thai diaspora around the world. I frankly don't know if it's the same as what people in Thailand eat, but even if not, I'm willing to try their local eats. I like Japanese cuisine as well, and personally
-- Message too long, Autoquote has been Snipped --
Hey Badoor! Oh my goodness, you're gonna be here real soon! I'm happy to give you recommendations and possibly meet up too! I appreciate your consideration and politeness, but next time feel free to call me out directly! It's always a pleasure to meet up with folks from the Cafe!
Apologies for how long it took me to get back to you. Your post has been on my mind for weeks! Didn't realize how much time has already passed. Time for a big info dump!
A Quick Intro To Chiang Mai
If Bangkok is like Tokyo (big capital Mega City--IT'S HUGE) then Chiang Mai is the Kyoto of Thailand. It's a super chill town with a long history, a much more laid back vibe and TONS of temples and excellent restaurants and cafes (it is a GREAT town for coffee lovers!).
The locals here love to remind everyone that while Bangkok has been around for a little over 200 years, Chiang Mai has over 700 years of history and was actually a separate kingdom (the Lanna Kingdom) for most of that time! The culture, language (and food!) here are distinct from the rest of the country--which is true of all of the provinces. Thailand is very diverse and there really isn't a single "Thai" ethnicity or culture, but a mashup of a myriad of peoples.
A lot of people come to Thailand for the beaches, but Chiang Mai is located in the mountains of the north. It's totally land locked and is the highest altitude province, with some of the coolest weather in the country. While it never gets cold enough to snow, it can get surprisingly chilly (much like San Francisco in the US). This time of year it's usually fairly hot during the day (but not scorching) and nights are moderate and often the perfect temperature.
HUGE WARNING ABOUT THE AIR QUALITY
Before I get too far in singing the praises of Chiang Mai, I must warn you of the one major blight on our beautiful city. It's "burning season" right now, meaning farmers are burning their fields as well as forests to clear them out for the next season of planting crops. Since Chiang Mai is surrounded by mountains, they act as a wall keeping the smoke from escaping. As a result we have some of the worst air quality in the world right now. Literally topping the charts for worst air quality of any city in the world some days. If you have breathing issues at all, please be careful, especially if anyone has athsma. And no matter what, I highly recommend wearing an N95 mask while you're out. It's not just for COVID, you should wear one for the sake of your lungs! Some days are worse than others. You can stay on top of the air quality here:
https://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/
Onward to Recommendations
Now that I've gotten the worst out of the way, here are my recommendations on places for you to visit. Things to see/do/EAT!
Temples
You'll undoubtably want to see the city center of Chiang Mai, the "Old City" which is surrounded by the remains of an ancient moat with many of the old walls still standing, and a modernized water system. While you're there I highly recommend seeing...
Wat Chedi Luang ("wat" means temple).
It's a very ancient site (about 600 years old I think?) with a really grandiose ancient stone structure in the center.
If you dig local markets and don't mind crowds, you can visit that area on a Sunday and catch the...
Thapae Walking Street.
"Walking streets" are open air markets where they temporarily close off streets for vendors to sell their wares. Very popular throughout Thailand and the one at Thapae is one of the biggest in the country (over 1km!) with lots of local goods and great street food. It's touristy, but not inauthentic. You can get lots of cool, locally made stuff there for a good price! The walking street usually opens by 4pm.
Another must see in Chiang Mai is...
Doi Suthep
This is the most famous temple in Chiang Mai. It's a gorgeous, sprawling temple located at the top of a mountain overlooking the city. On a clear day the temple is actually visible from all over Chiang Mai! You could easily spend a few hours there. Lots to see and it's an actual place of worship so you could take part in prayers, even get blessed by a monk! (you don't have to be Buddhist to participate, they are welcoming of all peoples).
To get to Doi Suthep, I recommend taking a Songtaew (one of the ubiquitous red trucks that run throughout the city). It will be cheaper than using a ridesharing app. Some info on how to do so here:
https://www.tripsavvy.com/chiang-mai-wat-phra-that-doi-suthep-guide-4152049#:~:text=Taking%20a%20songthaew%3A%20One%20of,baht%20per%20person%20each%20way.
Now, if you love hiking, I have an alternate route for you. Instead of driving all the way up, you can take...
The Monk's Trail!
It's an ancient route that monks used to (and still do!) take to get from the base of the mountain to Doi Suthep! It's a moderate hike, takes a little less than an hour at an easy pace. I recommend bringing a small bottle of water with you and starting early in the morning if possible, though it's fairly shaded even if you go in the afternoon.
It's a really beautiful hike and the absolute best part is that it will lead to you...
Wat Pha Lat
This is actually my favorite temple in the city. It's hidden halfway up the mountain and was a resting place for monks and pilgrims making their way to Doi Suthep. It's a bit more humble and quiet than Doi Suthep, but it still has a lot of amazing sites including some gorgeous statues of guardian creatures that look straight out of a Go Nagai comic at times! It's usually not crowded at Wat Pha Lat so you can really drink in the culture and nature! Once you get to Wat Pha Lat there's access to the main road and you can take some red trucks all the way up to Doi Suthep.
If you like hiking and temples you can make a whole day out of this:
1. Breakfast
2. Hike the Monk's trail
3. Hang out at Wat Pha Lat
4. take red truck to the base of Doi Ithanon (where you can get snacks/drinks)
5. Take your time at Doi Suthep (warning the initial set of stairs is REAL STEEP--hence my recommending driving up the second leg of the trip!)
6. Head back to the city and get dinner
7. Drinks! Night life!
OK I gotta get some sleep. I'll get back to you soon with more recommendations on:
-Favorite restaurants
-Favorite cafes
-Fav bars
-Fav markets
-Day trips to surrounding areas (amazing temples and a bug zoo where you can handle live giant insects!)
-Nimman area (the new downtown area with tons of hip places!)
-Recommended Apps
-Other misc stuff (you wanna hear about book stores or nerdy/otaku stuff?)
Lemme know if you have any questions!
If possible, please DM me on Twitter (I think you're on Twitter?) and we can coordinate meeting up!
Take care!
www.art-eater.com
[this message was edited by nobinobita on Tue 14 Mar 03:26] |
| PSN: BadoorSNK(forPSVITA:BadoorUSA)
XBL: BadoorSNK(ForWiiU/Steam:BadoorSNK)
Wii: 3DS:4253-3532-0341
STM: n/a
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| "Re(4):Thailand travel tips thread" , posted Tue 14 Mar 05:54
quote:
Hello cafe members, I'm planning to go to Thailand soon, and I recall that a thread I made years ago when asking for tips about various places in China, Korea, and Japan was very successful. I'm hoping to replicate that here with Thailand. The plan seems to be to go to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.
Hey hey, I'd be happy to help you out! I live in Chiang Mai and also visit Bangkok frequently (have an office there). I just have a few questions for you:
-When will you be visiting?
-How much time do you have?
-Have you booked places to stay yet? Or would you like some recommendations for that too?
-What are your favorite foods?
-Do you have any dietary restrictions?
-Is there anything in particular you're hoping to see/do/eat?
-Are there any things that you want to avoid?
Oh cool, I was honestly hoping you'd respond but I didn't want to ask you directly. The plan is to go on the 3rd week of March for about 10 days or so. Planning to be in Bangkok but might be going to Phuket and Chiang Mai. I'm going with a friend of mine. Currently, we are in the process of booking things, so you don't need to recommend us any places to stay.
I like Thai food, but I guess that might be what constitutes Thai food as it is made outside of Thailand, possibly by the Thai diaspora around the world. I frankly don't know if it's the same as what people in Thailand eat, but even if not, I'm willing to try their local eats. I like Japanese cuisine as well, and personally
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-- Message too long, Autoquote has been Snipped --
Oh man, thank you so much for the tips, and yes I am on twitter. I'll make sure to DM you about any updates on our trip.
http://100daysofmegashock.wordpress.com/
http://badoorsnk.wordpress.com/
pretzelmotion.com
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