What you need to know before your first trip to Thailand

The thought that Thailand is always warm bothered me. I knew that sooner or later I would go to this country. My dream came true, but the expectations were not met the first time. Before the trip, I knew that the sea was warming up to +27 °C and above, and it seemed to me that the rest was not important. I am sharing tips after 3 trips to Tai that I would like to read before the trip.

The first thing that greets you is the heat

I like walking in the clouds while flying on an airplane. I felt comfortable, but there was no trace of comfort on the streets of Bangkok. Literally 5 minutes later, I was sweating profusely and felt like a wet dumpling. The hair has become unrealistically porous.

Moreover, according to the forecast it was only about +32, but in fact +39.

"So what," I thought at first. "We have such temperatures in summer too, even more."

No. It doesn't happen, because here you come out of an air-conditioned room and immediately get the feeling that someone has covered you with an incredibly warm blanket. Comfortable clothes are not a recommendation, but practically a matter of survival. And you don't have to take half of your wardrobe with you "just in case." In Thailand, you'll still wear about the same thing: a light T-shirt or a white shirt, shorts, comfortable shoes, and something that you can quickly throw on at the temple. Because temples are a separate story.

You can't come to a temple like you can to a beach

I knew that, of course. I found out almost immediately that my shorts and T-shirt are great for breakfast, walking, and even boat trips, but they are completely unsuitable for some temples.

And here I am standing at the entrance, looking at the sign, looking at myself, the sign is looking at me. We both understand that it's better to have a light shirt or cape in your backpack before traveling. And clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, especially if you're going to visit temples. You also often need to take off your shoes before entering.

By the way, this is very convenient until you discover that you have arrived in Thailand in shoes that cannot be removed quickly. You stand like this in front of the temple, unlace it, while a small queue of people forms behind you, who have already managed to take off their shoes in order to gain enlightenment and, it seems, start a new life.

Don't try to eat all Thai on the first day.

This is where I showed real courage. I saw a small outdoor cafe, it smelled like something incredible.

I'm asking:

"Is it spicy?"

They answered me:

– No (No spicy).

I believed it, and that was my first mistake, because "not spicy" in Thailand is a very philosophical concept. After 5 minutes, I was sitting with a red face, trying to smile and pretend that everything was fine with me. I washed everything down with water, which, of course, did not help at all.

But then I realized the main thing: if you don't eat spicy food, talk about it several times and as convincingly as possible. And it's better to learn the phrase mai phet – "not sharp." Although you know, sometimes even after that you can still have a pepper.

Water is always with you.

Not "if you get thirsty," but always. You can leave the hotel for 10 minutes and come back looking like you just ran a marathon. A bottle of water in a backpack quickly becomes the main travel accessory. Also, I wouldn't experiment with tap water. It's easier to buy bottled water for drinking.

But the shops here are a separate joy.

Especially the 7-Eleven. If this is your first time in Thailand and you still don't know what to do in the evening, just go to the nearest 7-Eleven. I'm serious.

Sometimes it seems that any life problem can be solved there. Except, perhaps, the problem of "where did the money go after two days in Bangkok".

It's better not to argue with a taxi

In Bangkok, I first tried to deal with taxis as if they were negotiations at an international summit.

–How much?"

- 500 baht.

– No, it's expensive.

– 400.

— no.

– 300.

- OK.

And then, after driving for a couple of minutes, I realized that it was possible to call a car through the app and not participate in this performance at all. So install the taxi app in advance and use it whenever it's more convenient.

And if you take a regular taxi, make sure that the driver turns on the meter, if this is provided for the trip. And don't be surprised by traffic jams, believe me, Bangkok knows how to stand. Very beautiful and very long.

Sometimes you sit in the car, look at the skyscrapers, listen to the air conditioner and think, "Well, at least I'm not late." But no, then you remember that you have a tour in 20 minutes. At such moments, I begin to involuntarily philosophize about life.

And then the sea appears

And this is where Thailand finally captivates. After Bangkok, you arrive on an island or by the sea, go outside in the morning and realize why you came all this way in the first place. The sea, palm trees, boats, the smell of fruits, warm air.

It seems like you were going to get up early and go out, and then you sit on the terrace with coffee. You look at the sea and decide:

"I'm not going anywhere today. I've been traveling enough."

After an hour, you go anyway, because Thailand is too beautiful to stay in a hotel.

But don't try to see the whole of Thailand in one trip.

This is probably my main conclusion after the first trip. Bangkok is one mood, Phuket is another, Koh Samui is a third, the north of the country is generally a separate story. And if you try to cram all this into one week, you won't get a trip, but a suitcase packing competition.

• Today is the temple.
• Tomorrow is the island.
• Flight the day after tomorrow.
• Then the suitcase again.
• Then the transfer.
• Then you sit on the beach and don't remember where you are at all. It's better to choose a few places and leave some time just to live. Because the most interesting thing in Thailand often happens not when you go to point number 7 of your route, but when you take a wrong turn.

And one last thing

Don't expect Thailand to look like a postcard every minute. It will be hot, there will be traffic jams, strange smells. Be prepared to encounter insects that look like they have undergone military training.

There will be food that you will not be able to identify even after explaining, there will be rain that starts suddenly and ends just as suddenly. And there will definitely come a moment when you just stop in the middle of the street, look around and think.:

"Wow. I'm really in Thailand."

It's worth going on a trip for this moment. The first trip to Thailand is not so much about the ideal route, but about how you first try to control everything, and then gradually realize that it is much more pleasant to just live here according to circumstances.