Over New Year’s I spent three weeks discovering Thailand; island hopping and exploring the mainland. Thailand is endless contrasts of sky high rooftop bars against local market stands, budget versus luxury eats and stays, sandy toes and dusty roads, and most scenes in between. Although many spend endless months exploring the beautiful country it is possible to experience the vast culture of Thailand in just three weeks.

Thailand at a glance

Language Thai

Currency Baht (affordability level: very affordable)

Value of the Baht 1 pound equates to 49.76 thai baht

Season & weather Thailand has two seasons:

Dry season, also known as high season, is between November and May

Wet season (monsoon season) makes up the rest of the year

How to pronounce popular phrases

Hello sa-wa dee kah for a girl and sa-wa dee krap for a boy

Thank you for a girl; kap kon ka and kap khun krap for a boy

It is polite to put your palms together and bow your head when greeting or thanking a Thai local.

What to plan in advance

Three weeks may be a quick island ‘hop’ but nonetheless with a rough plan and an openness and willingness to a busy schedule (and some early mornings) you can cover ground and experience the vibrant culture and beauty that Thailand has do offer. Before we headed off for Bangkok I felt like I needed to plan every detail of the trip out of fear of coming home having missed out on something unforgivable. It turns out flexibility is key– and actually nearly everything can be arranged when you’re out there. Plan your basics and be prepared but allow for wiggle room.

Your route

It makes sense to plan your route so that you don’t waste time figuring it out on poor wi-fi or potentially taking a very time-inefficient journey.  Figure out if you want to spend your time between the islands or dabbling in some mainland exploring too. Most international flights enter Thailand from Bangkok so it makes sense to spend a few days in the city. We flew to Bangkok (via Dubai) before heading to Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Phuket, Chaing Mai and then back to Bangkok; (‘koh’ means island in Thai if you hadn’t guessed). It turns out we got to experience Phi Phi and Koh Nang Yuan (oh, my favourite place), and a few others unexpectedly by heading out on boat trips when we checked into our hotels on Koh Samui and Phuket– completely unplanned and equally unforgettable.

Your Accommodation

Once you’ve planned your route I would advise arranging accommodation prior to heading out (even if only by a few hours). We actually booked one of our rooms when we landed on Koh Samui with nowhere to go using a laptop in the airport. Ideally book before you go as 1) you will want to plan your journey and accommodation to suit, 2) you will be able to compare rooms and deals much more easily and book the best option for your budget as opposed to turning up and hoping to strike lucky, and 3) you don’t want to be wasting time (sitting in airports) booking rooms. If you can plan your route and book your stay beforehand you can have peace of mind knowing you will always have somewhere to go at the end of the day.

Your Transportation

Your travel arrangements between locations are another element I would recommended prior planning for, especially if it involves flights (this is especially true if you are planning on attending a popular event such as a Full Moon Party where flights get booked up). During our time in Thailand we flew, ferried, canoed, elephant-rode, speed-boated, snorkelled, swam and walked our way from the highest point in Chaing Mai to the southern island beaches. From experience and talking with other travellers, arranging flights and catching ferries seem to be the best options for covering distance. Although night trains are a popular choice we had been warned that you barely get any sleep and then end up losing an extra day catching up on ‘z’s. Flights across Thailand take one or two hours and the check-in process is very speedy. Flights are best booked in advance however ferries and taxis can be booked there and then. I’d suggest asking around as in most airports and busy areas there are multiple locals offering your prices for transport – so shop around (and haggle).

A side note: the roads are dangerous; I learnt upon returning that Thailand is home to the second most dangerous roads in the world, so I wouldn’t advise renting a motorbike unless you are confident on one. Safety is cool, kids.

How much to budget

Thailand is very affordable. You can book rooms for as little as £4.50 and travel by tuck tuck for loose change. Market stalls sell clothing, trinkets, and authentic food for very little and haggling is part of the culture. If you want to travel on a budget, Thailand is more than accommodating. Depending on your budget and your to-do wishlist, you can get by on anywhere from £10-£15 a day. We spent more money on days in which was went on excursions, however these included food and transport and worked out more than worth it. I would highly recommend booking day trips through your hotel (or a local business) if you have budgeted for extra travel outside of your area.

As another side note: Thailand cash points dispense your notes first and then the card (this is backwards and oh so unfamiliar for us Brits) so check before walking off and losing a debit card (like we did).

What to pack

You could honestly turn up with an empty backpack bar your essentials, and just the clothes on your back and be able to get by your whole trip. I may have indulged in a bigger than I plan to admit if asked Asos haul in the weeks before heading off to Bangkok, but (cover your ears Asos dresses) the markets in Thailand have everything you could need. Locally crafted items for prices as low as £1-£2 all over Thailand – you could honestly go day to day picking up what you need when you need it. My advice here is leave space in your backpack for a market haul, because it would be rude not to.

Backpack essentials

Essentials to pack are; suncream, insect repellent, international adapters, a camera, and of course, you passport. Oh, and ensure than you have a cover up if you plan to visit temples so that you don’t end up sporting a towel on your shoulders – if you don’t have anything suitable, of course, head to a market when you arrive and pick from the haze of colour and prints that take your fancy.

Buy when your land

A simcard is very affordable in Thailand, and worth it to ensure you can always contact someone if you need to. We bought one each in Bangkok (look out for a Seven Eleven) purely for the Full Moon Party in case we got separated as, well, they were going to be cheaper than emergency flares.

Travel to discover

In term of day plans I would advise hitting Pinterest and coming up with a bucket list or wish list of places you want to go in each area you stay however that’s all you need to do. Wait until you arrive to plan as there are so many experiences that you can arrange when you get there and many more you may not have considered. We ended up at a coconut farm, canoeing down rivers and climbing phallic shaded rocks that (for better or worse) we wouldn’t have discovered if we had a strict schedule to abide to. Anyway, travelling’s all about exploring, and unanticipated discovery, isn’t it?

Explore Next: Thailand Photo Diary