Here is a memory of my Thailand Trip in September 2019. Well, this was the first time ever I was going for a TOUR to an international location (though I have been to UAE, that was for work purposes). Like most of my travels, this one also was along with Goa’s Top Travel community – Goa Adventure Club.
I never thought that I’d be going to Thailand when I was first told about this tour. But there was something that pushed me in to opt for this, and so I signed up to fly to Thailand. And you know what? This was my First Solo Trip (Now when I say SOLO here, it means even though I was traveling with a tour group, I knew no one except for the tour operator). Thailand is beautiful and sexy. I made a list of the places to visit in Thailand. There is so much to see – beaches, food, city life and a lot more (if you know). Let me put in words, why my Thailand trip was so amazing & how I went about it. Here we go:
Leaving for Mumbai
So, we had a connecting flight from Mumbai and had to fly from the Goa International Airport. Late night flights – I don’t know, but many folks dislike late-night flights, I am not from that category. I prefer late night flights because I take a super-relaxing nap while boarded. So, we all met up at the airport. New faces and as always, I was nervous about mixing up with people; therefore, until Mumbai, it was kind of a silent journey. But I was busy shooting my Vlog, so it didn’t make a difference.
Mumbai to Thailand
On reaching the Mumbai Airport (Damn – such a big airport), the first thing I did was “Mission Search for Food”. Grabbed a king-sized burger and coke at The Burger King that satisfied me. Later we went on to exchange currency (FYI, the currency of Thailand is Thai Baht). I didn’t want to exchange as I already had done that in Goa itself. It was time for immigration. Here, another member joined our group, and luckily, we ended up becoming friends. Now I knew that I would not be dying of boredom. So, we got the immigration done and boarded a flight. I just couldn’t wait to see Thailand. While being so impatient, I just happened to sleep off. The next thing when I open my eyes, I see is the beautiful green fields, covering the land while we were hovering in the clouds. Damn, I was so happy knowing that we would land at any moment.
Thailand Travel Tip 1: Do not exchange currency at the airport. Rates are very high. You can instead exchange currency at any other foreign exchange outlet in your city. I got a good rate at the Unimoni outlet in Panaji, Goa. Checkout the current exchange rates for THB here.
Thailand Day 1 – Exploring the Pattaya Beach Area & WALKING STREET!
We got our ‘Visa on Arrival’ and moved to our hotel – The Crown Hotel in Pattaya, which was so beautiful, luxurious and just a few minutes away from the beach. Pattaya is one of the most popular tourist spots and a really chill place to visit in Thailand. We checked-in and got fresh. It was already 4:00 pm in the evening (Thailand time), and we had to hunt for food since we hadn’t eaten anything. We bumped into McDonald’s and grabbed a burger – it was yum and different from the one we get here in India.
Later in the evening, we took a walk by the Pattaya beach. It was no different from the beaches of Goa, but I guess the crowd there made us feel the difference.
Thailand Travel Tip 2: Please DO NOT litter the place. The beaches and streets of Thailand are so clean that you will not even find a minute piece of litter on the ground.
As it was getting dark, the streets were getting lit. It was looking so dazzling. For a moment, I felt as though I was walking down a beach street in Las Vegas. Pattaya is undoubtedly an astounding place to visit in Thailand. We were 4 of us who were continually roaming together throughout the tour. As time passed, we build bonds with the others as well. Lovely and friendly people!
Next destination for the night was WALKING STREET (Let’s get naughty!). Who doesn’t know about walking street – more of a nightlife place but more exotic with many pubs, clubs, bars and all the fun you want to have is right here. You shouldn’t miss this place if you’re in Pattaya. We explored the place, wonderful and lit. I went off to bed after grabbing 2 bottles of chilled beer.
Thailand Travel Tip 3: Drinks are cheap here, so go and grab yourself a beer!
Thailand Day 2 – Water Activities in Pattaya
For the 2nd day in Thailand, we put up in Pattaya itself. Woke up early morning, had our breakfast and got all set for Water Activities. Water activities meant parasailing, water rides and the most wanted – Underwater walking, the full package which cost around 700 – 800 THB/person. Water rides are available in Goa, I don’t have the B***s for parasailing, and so, I was left with Underwater walking. It was truly a fantastic experience walking on the seabed, feeding fish and touching the coral reef. Oh my my! The best experience in Thailand was this.
One advice – you can skip the other sports activities as they are also available in India (especially Goa) but make sure that you do not miss out on the ‘Underwater walking’. Followed by this, the boat headed us to the most magnificent hidden Pattaya beach, which is another delightful place to visit in Thailand.
Well, this beach isn’t really hidden because it is crowded with tourist, except for the fact that the route makes is appear hidden. One good thing about this beach is the crystal-clear water, perfect for taking a dip.
Thailand Travel Tip 3: The water activity organisers will insist on taking part in all the water activities. Don’t go for all of it – not worth the cost (Full package costs around 750 – 800 THB). Highly recommended to only opt for Underwater walking – totally worth it!
After being exhausted, we moved to an Indian restaurant for lunch. This was a part of the package as offered by Goa Adventure Club followed by leisure time for the rest of the evening. Once again, we were set out to explore the rest of the vibrant streets of Pattaya before we hit the bed.
Thailand Day 3 – Sriracha Tiger Zoo & Bangkok City
We woke up at 7:00 a.m. and started packing our bags as we were finally moving to Bangkok – the heart of Thailand. Bangkok is totally different from Pattaya. While Pattaya is more like a casual beach area, Bangkok, on the other hand, is a fascinating city with towering buildings & expanding markets.On the way to Bangkok, we decided to make a stop at the very popular zoo in Pattaya, which is the Sriracha Zoo. This is a must-visit tourist location in Pattaya & indeed an exciting place to visit in Thailand, especially if you are around with your kids. At this zoo, you will find a variety of animals, right from crocodiles to tigers
If you’ve seen many people who visit Thailand, clicking pictures with the tigers; it is here! You can capture a memory with the tigers at this zoo, which will cost you approx. 200 – 800 THB. Apart from this, you can witness the elephant, tiger and crocodile show as well, which is included in the entry fee that you purchase at the start. Feeding the baby tiger is another thing you can do here (at an additional charge).
Thailand Travel Tip 4: I felt 200 THB only to click a picture with a tiger was too much of a charge. I would advise, not to go in for it. However, you can feed the baby tiger instead.
Moving forward, we continued our journey to Bangkok, and after 2 hours, we finally arrived at our hotel in Bangkok, which was situated in the heart of the city. We immediately unpacked and couldn’t contain our excitement to explore this shining city. This day was allocated for leisure time to sightsee and hop around the town and market area. We did quite some shopping because this was the only time that we would get to make our purchases as we would be heading back to India the next day.
Thailand Travel Tip 5: Bangkok is the best place for shopping of clothes and accessories. The price is affordable, even after converting it to INR. Therefore, if you see something that you like, don’t hesitate to pick it up.
There is a lot of choice for clothing, accessories and other fancy items that you would like to purchase out here, at an affordable price. Most of the Thailand-manufactured clothing, which is exported to India, comes from these markets. The streets are filled with a variety of clothes which would amuse anyone. Hence, I would recommend all the shopaholics to list this as one of the shopping places to visit in Thailand.
Another place to visit in Thailand for shopping would be the very popular Platinum Fashion Mall where you would find a ranging variety of clothing and accessories that you could purchase, without burning a hole in your pocket.
Thailand Travel Tip 6: In Bangkok, you are not allowed to wear and try clothes before you buy. If you like it, you buy it else leave it.
We headed back to our hotels and slept off a bit earlier as the following day would be hectic. Here is why.
Thailand Day 4 – The Main Attractions in Bangkok
It’s time to explore the main attractions in Bangkok. Even though the bustling city of Bangkok is layered with tall buildings, there are many parts of the city which hold some pristine architectural monuments and captivating Buddhist temples; one needs to visit.
We first visited the magnificent Wat Traimit Withayaram Worawihan Buddhist temple; I simply couldn’t take my eyes of this temple with a pointed roof which looked as though it reached the clouds. I would highly recommend you count this as one of the prime places to visit in Thailand. At the entrance of the temple, you will find a set of bells which are believed to pass on the prayers to Lord Buddha by the devotees. As we walked through the tall, golden-platted doors, we saw a giant Golden Buddha. Such temples are the places you definitely need to visit in Thailand.
Followed by this, we went on the visiting another group of temples which represented the beauty of this incredible city, having such fascinating architectural design and structure. If you visit Bangkok, do not miss out on these temples.
Thailand Travel Tip 7: Most of the temples DO NOT allow photography or videography inside. However, some do allow to click pictures on your mobile phone.
Back to India
The end of the trip is always very heavy and tiring, and the same applied to us. We were sad that this was ending and exhausted enough to wait back any longer. To summarise, the group trip was fun. I met many new people – funny, enthusiastic, and jolly, made many friends and compiled some fantastic memories. Well, I would say that there are tons of other beautiful places to visit in Thailand that we did miss due to time constrain, because being a die-hard traveller, I felt as though my trip was incomplete. But I think I would definitely plan a solo trip to Thailand once again and this time would make sure that I visit every nook and corner of this splendid country.
To know more about my travel to Thailand, you can always get in touch with me or follow me on Instagram!
