Any suggestion of my 2 to 4 weeks in thailand?

hi,

do you have some suggestion for this, staying 2 to 4 weeks in thailand, starting from bangkok.
i like to stay couple days in bangkok and chiang mai, then maybe some islands.
problem is, i don't know which island is on a budget but still good.
thanks

Quoting travelzsh

hi,

problem is, i don't know which island is on a budget but still good.

Problem is that we have no clue about your budget.

Hi

My personal suggestion regarding where to visit would be as follows:

Bangkok - single day just to acclimatise yourself, maybe leave a couple of days at the end of your holiday to do "touristy" stuff before leaving Thailand.

Chiang Mai - there's loads of different stuff to do up here, it really depends on what you want, whether it's culture, shopping, trekking, Thai massage,places of interest or just chilling, Chiang Mai has it all. You could easily spend 3 days here.

In terms of the islands & beaches, I would suggest:

South:

Phuket - largest island in Thailand & most commercialised, its located in the south of Thailand, so its a good base to island hop from, not a place personally that I would rush to though.

Phi Phi - small beautiful Island just south of Phuket. Very beautiful & a popular spot for all age groups. If you want to go and have a really great time, have lots of diving, bars etc...this could be a great spot. It's a little too busy for my liking, but many love it, also not as good value as it used to be.

Krabi - On the mainland near Phuket and Phi Phi. It's as beautiful as Phi Phi, but much more laid back and cheaper. It's famous for rock climbing

Koh Lanta - South of Krabi, very laid back quiet and relaxing. Not the most attractive island, but it's a favorite for anyone who just wants to kick back with a beer and a sunset. On my last trip it was far and away my favorite island.

Koh Samui - 3rd largest island is located on the east coast, probably the second most built up island after Phuket. Not to my liking, but if you want a good time, it does remain a very popular spot. Has some lovely beaches particularly Lipa Noi beach.

Koh Phagnan - North of Samui. This is THE young backpacker party spot. Average age on the island is probably early 20's and you can party on the beach any night of the week (and especially at full moons) at Hat Rinn beach. It's a big enough island that there is also many quieter beaches as well.

Koh Tao - This is the diving mecca for the young budget minded traveler. It's small, laid back, but with enough going on for a good time. And it's one of the cheapest diving spots in the world.

Close to Bangkok:

Hua Hin - very popular beach resort, the oldest beach resort in Thailand, the King has a palace here, masses of construction working always going on, always full of tourists, beaches ok, but sea can be a little choppy compared to the South. NOT a favourite of mine by any stretch of the imagination!, and quite pricey.

Cha Am - next to Hua Hin, much quieter, Thai holiday city, much better value, loads of great value seafoods available on the beach.

Pattaya - only been once, will never return, need I say more ?.

Koh Chang - 2nd largest island in Thailand, been "developed" heavily within the last 5-7 years, to my mind its been destroyed for the sake of commercialism !.

Koh Samet - island close to Koh Chang & Bangkok, not as developed as Koh Chang yet, a popular place for Bangkok weekenders, much more like Krabi than Phuket !!.

Suggestion - if you wanted to see as much as possible then I would suggest:

Phuket - Phi Phi - Krabi - Koh Lantra - allow 1 week, then onto Koh Samui - Koh Phangan - Koh Tao - allow another week, then Hua Hin - Cha Am - Pattaya (?) - Koh Samet & Koh Chang allow another week, so adding the time in Bangkok & Chiang Mai as well, its a month long visit just to scratch thew surface !!.

Regards

Kevin

Do the north first after BBK. Stay at the Elephant Nature Park www.elephantnaturepark.org for a week. Fresh food such as fish caught in the river. Get to spend a close encounter for a week with them.

Head south to Koh Samoi, Koh Phan Gan and Koh Tao for Diving.

Then to Krabi on the West coast then Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and KOh Lanta.

Thats what I do (but spent 4 months do it).

2 nights per island is fine. Suggest you hire a jeep at each of the first 2 islands.

thanks a lot!
sorry about that, my budget is within $20 per day, if it is possible.

Hi

Including travel, accommodation & food ?.

If that is the case, I think you should cut the visit down to just two weeks, and increase your daily budget, I think it highly unlikely your budget will get you very far !!.

The "tourist" beaches & islands of the south are considerably more expensive to live in than either Bangkok or Chiang Mai, and there are only so many days you can exist on just noodles !!.

Regards

Kevin

yes, maybe 2 to 3 weeks?
how much per day you will be good then?
i think after thailand i am going down to malaysia, singapore, indonesia, and if fine, australia.
i've been to malaysia, so will spend less in malaysia and singapore.
so, budget is really tight.
thanks

[ Edit: Edited on 24-Mar-2009, at 10:05 by travelzsh ]

Hi

I would have thought that you should be budgeting 1,000thb/day for accommodation & meals, plus travelling costs of say 250thb/day, so per week you need to be allowing around 9,000thb, including moving between the various different islands/beaches.

Its not that the costs have increased in Thailand, the southern popular tourist areas have always been 20%-25% more expensive than up here in the north, and the Thai Baht has increased in strength against the major world currencies by as much as 30% in the last 12 months, so of course everything appears to be more expensive, and your money does not go so far !!.

Good luck with your planning.

Kevin

Hi,

KelvinRB has done an excellent job of recommending beaches worth visiting.

As for the timing, the Eastern side of Thailand is near the end of the Monsoon period. Pls check out weather for Koh Samui - Koh Phangan - Koh Tao islands.

My suggestion is

a) BKK to Chaam/Hua Hin Beaches

then to

b) Chaam/Hua Hin to Phuket - Phi Phi - Krabi - Koh Lantra Beaches.

Then, if you are travelling down to Malaysia , from Krabi to Malaysia(LCCT) ( Try Airasia ) by Air or by Bus/coach to Hat Yai. Then Hat Yai to K.Lumpur (Malaysia).

Have an Enjoyable & Safe trip.

Thanks everyone! I am in Thailand now!