Sold condo in 4 days!!! Going to Thailand...Need Advice!

[shimmer]

Hi!

I am so excited, I put my condo up for sale, didn''t expect it to sell for 6 months and the first (and only) person that viewed it bought it!!!! YAY!

On to the advice part. I have NEVER traveled. I will be going to Thailand via a wedding in Korea in the beginning of May

Any tips on where to stay? Advice for a first-time traveler? I love the beach and will be there for 6-7 days. Love thai food, but am semi-veg. I have NO idea where to start, any advice or links would really be appreciated. Also, I did a search on PS and read stuff about malaria? Do I need to worry about that?

Thanks!

 

[elle]

Congrats on your speedy condo sale!

How fun you get to travel! Thailand is a blast! You'll probably transit through Bangkok to get to any of the beaches. Lots of interesting places to check out in Bangkok, temples, markets and of course the infamous red light district Patpong!

Beachwise, Koh Samui is gorgeous but can be pricy. If you don't mind roughing it out a little Koh Chang is what Samui was before it got developed. Phuket is fun but the beaches are disappointing to me - no white sand. You can take a side trip to Phi Phi for an island getaway from Phuket if you need to stay in Phuket for more "life" around you than just a beach community!

Lots to choose - have fun! I am dreaming of going back now!

 

[sera]

Your taxi driver may tell you he "has to stop" at a particular place (rug shop, jewelery store, etc.)... just grin and bear it is what I was told (and did)... also I was advised not to drink anything offered at these stops or anywhere.

MBK (Mall Bangkok) has some great deals! I saw the most hilarious poster at a bra shop there... cartoon drawings of women with different "shapes" and they all had names like "watermelons," "mosquito bites," "water bags" etc. As embarassed as I was to take a picture of it, I just had to because it was so funny.

Outside of the mall ya gotta get some Thai silk.

Bug spray, bug spray, bug spray! We slept in long sleeve/long pants pj''s... the AC was on all night because it would be too hot without it and opening a window would let in bugs.

Don''t worry about Malaria but DO take your Malaria meds! And get the type that doesn''t cause irritability or vivid, weird dreams... it''s only a tiny bit more expensive. I can''t remember the name off hand. You may also want to get Hepatitis, Tetanus and Typhoid shots. Hep is in a series so don''t wait.

When in Bangkok, taking a "James Bond Boat" on the Chao Phraya is neat... feed the fish at a Buddhist temple on the way and then pet a cobra at the snake farm and just see how many of the people live and work along the river.

The Lattes at Starbucks taste a little funny... not even gonna fathom why.

Do not step on anything with the king''s image on it (like money)... big time no no and I believe a crime (?).

You won''t want to stay where we did... we were on a mission trip so it''s wasn''t a 5-star hotel... not even sure it was a 1-star... maybe like a triangle.

The people are great... it''s beautiful... I can''t wait to go back.

 

[shimmer]

Thanks elle and sera! I truly have no idea, your tips have really helped Thanks for the silk tip, I love nice fabrics.

I definitely want a laid-back area. Any recommendations on nice, secluded hotels, on an awesome beach?? Would you suggest renting a moped?

Anything else that I must pack? I really want to pack light (carry-on only) so maybe a list of the essentials?

Bug spray, malaria drugs (do I go to a regular doc for that?), long sleeved stuff...