NomadicMatt – Page 17 – Travel So So Fun

18 Free and Cheap Things to Do in Singapore

the skyline of Singapore lit up at night
Updated: 2/27/2019 | February 27, 2019

Singapore is an expensive place to visit. There’s no way around it. The small city state is priced relative to the United States, which is a lot more expensive than its neighbors!

On a small stop-over trip, this isn’t a problem.

But on a big trip through the region, a trip into Singapore can elicit sticker shock, and it can turn people away if they’re trying to do the area on the cheap. If you still want to visit this country, though, there are still many ways to travel around Singapore on a budget.

Singapore has many free and cheap things to do when you vsiit that that will allow you to make the most of this big city!

Here’s a list of my favorite cheap and free things to do in Singapore!

1. Cool Off in the Underground Malls

A busy underground mall in Singapore
The best places to cool off in this very hot city are the underground malls where the A/C’s cranking. You’ll be able to move around most of the city and never expose yourself to the heat and humidity. Since it gets cool at night, it can save you from having to pay extra for A/C at your hotel or hostel. Plus, you can spend your afternoon wandering underground Singapore without spending any money.

2. Eat Cheap Food in Little India

Food and spices in Little India in Singapore
Singapore has some great food, but many of the restaurants are expensive. However, one of the best places to eat is the area of Little India, where great Indian meals cost as little as 5 SGD. Make sure you find the places where you can eat with your hands! They’re the most authentic and local places. You’ll probably be the only Westerner in there, though, so be prepared for people to stare. Eating at these places was still the most fun I had in Singapore.

Make sure you stop off at the Tekka Center, a hawker center with Indian clothing, groceries, and food. The food here is cheap and delcious and makes for an authentic Little India experience.

For a sit-down restaurant experience, head to Ananda Bhavan. It’s the country’s oldest vegetarian restaurant and is definitely worth a visit for some delicious Southern Indian cuisine. Even if you’re not a vegetarian you’ll still love it!

3. Eat Cheap Food in Chinatown

Art and trinkets in Singapore's Chinatown
Another great place to eat cheap food is Chinatown. The dim sum here is great, most everything is in Chinese, the hawker food is also good, and there are a few cool temples here too. This is a wonderful place to not only eat but to also wander around. You’ll be able to cut down a lot of your food budget by sticking to the hawker stalls here and in Little India.

One of those food stalls is Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (aka Hawker Chan), the world’s most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant. You can order a world-class dish here for under $2 USD. Be sure to eat here! Get here early as the line gets extremely long!

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is another Michelin-starred hawker stall worth a visit if Hawker Chan’s is too busy. Like Hawker Chan’s, it’s located in the Maxwell Hawker Center.

In addition to exploring the Maxwell Hawker Center, you’ll want to also check out the Chinatown Complex Food Center and Chinatown Food Street. Those are the best places to find some of the cheapest and most delicious food in the city!

4. Eat Out for Lunch

A steaming bowl of delicious ramen in Singapore
If you’re looking for a nice place to sit down and eat, then the best time to eat at Singapore’s famed restaurants is during lunch when restaurants offer 20% off, making them a great deal. The set lunches will give you dinner food at a discount and allow you a bit more variety in what you’re eating. Make sure to check out the restaurants in the underground mall, where you’ll find even more lunch specials.

5. Walk Around the Gardens

A pond in the botanical garden in Singapore
The Botanic Gardens are free and are a nice place to walk around—especially in the mornings and evenings when Singapore’s tropical weather cools down a little. Early in the morning, locals practice t’ai chi on the lawn, and there are often free concerts on weekends.

6. Combine the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari

A lone tiger at the Singapore zoo The Singapore Zoo is a must-see. It’s an open-air zoo, which is great because animals aren’t locked up in tiny cages. It’s actually one of the best zoos I’ve ever been to. They also offer a night tour in a different section of the park where you get to see the nocturnal animals. These activities aren’t very cheap, but if you combine them together, you’ll save a lot of money. It’s worth the price.

80 Mandai Lake Rd, +65 6269 3411, wrs.com.sg/en/singapore-zoo. Open daily from 8:30am-6pm. Admission to the zoo is 35 SGD for adults and 23 SGD for kids while the night safari is 47 SGD for adults and 31 SGD for kids. A combination ticket for the zoo and night safari is 68 SGD for adults and 48 SGD for kids.

7. Hit the Beach

Sentosa Beach on a sunny day in Singapore
If you need an escape from the busy metropolis, head to Sentosa Island. There, you can kick back and relax on the beach. There are actually 3 beaches to choose from here, depending on what you’re looking for. Siloso beach is where you’ll want to go for activities, Tanjong beach is a great spot to chill and enjoy a drink, and Palawan beach is where you’ll go if you’re traveling with kids. While you won’t be getting the beach experience you’d find in Thailand (there are tons of cargo ships in the water here!) it’s still a great place to escape for a day and soak up some rays.

8. See the Supertrees

The massive Supertrees at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore
Gardens by the Bay is a 250-acre nature park build on reclaimed land. It’s famous for its massive supertrees, 25-50m-tall vertical gardens that look like massive trees. The supertrees are home to all sorts of exotic plants and ferns and make for a stunning sight. While you have to pay to explore the conservatories, admission to the supertree garden is free.

9. Visit the National Museum of Singapore

the National Museum of Singapore at night
While admission to the museum isn’t free, they do offer daily free tours which really makes a visit here worthwhile. This is the oldest museum in the country, having opened in 1849. The museum covers the history of the country, making it a great place to learn more about the country and how it came to be.

93 Stamford Road, +65 6332-3659, nationalmuseum.sg. Open daily from 10am-5pm. Admission is 15 SGD for adults and 10 SGD for students and seniors. Free tours are available at 11am and 2pm on weekdays and 11am, 1pm, 2pm, and 4pm on weekends.

10. Hike the MacRitchie Treetop Walk

Green trees and jungle surrounding the MacRitchie Treetop Walk in Singapore
The MacRitchie Trails cover over 11km of pathways around the largest reservoir in the country. It’s a place where the locals head for a run or a hike, and it’s a great place to get out and stretch your legs if you need to escape the city. Part of the trail includes a 250m aerial suspension bridge, which offers some nice views of the surrounding area. You can rent kayaks and canoes there, as well, and if you’re lucky you might spot one of the rare flying lemurs that call the park home!

MacRitchie Reservoir, +65 1800 471 7300, nparks.gov.sg. Open Tuesday-Friday from 9am-5pm and 8:30am-5pm on weekends. Admission is free.

11. See St Andrew’s Cathedral

Saint Andrew's Cathedral in Singapore
This is the largest cathedral in the country, dating back to the 1850s. The cathedral was built in the Neo-Gothic style, and it was the first Anglican evangelical outreach in the country. The cathedral’s choir is actually the oldest musical institution in the country too. During WWII, it was used as a makeshift hospital until the Japanese invaded.

11 St Andrew’s Road, +65 6337-6104, cathedral.org.sg. Open from Monday-Saturday from 9am-5pm. Tours are free though they must be booked in advance.

12. Snap a Photo with a Merlion

The famous white Merlion fountain in busy Singapore
The merlion is a mythical creature that has the head of a lion and the body of a fish. It’s the mascot of the country and often considered the personification of Singapore itself. There’s a statue of a merlion in Merlion Park (near the Central Business District) that you can check out and snap a photo with. (There are actually 5 official merlion statues around the city, though the 2 in Merlion Park are the most famous).

13. Go Stargazing

A beautiful night sky full of stars
Science Centre Singapore offers free stargazing every Friday (weather permitting) between January and November. This is a really cool activity and makes for a great educational experience for adults and children alike. Just keep in mind that there is limited space, so be sure to arrive by 7:30pm to claim a spot.

15 Science Centre Road, +65 6425-2500, science.edu.sg. Stargazing is every Friday from 7:45pm-10pm. Check their website for the most up-to-date details.

14. Take a day trip to Chek Jawa

A beautiful at the beach at Chek Jawa in Singapore
This wetland nature reserve is located on an island a short ferry ride away from the city. There’s a winding boardwalk you can explore as well as a large viewing tower you can climb to take in the panorama. Bicycles are available for rent outside the park as well, in case you don’t want to hike. The area was originally slated for redevelopment but the locals protested the decision and now it’s one of the last bastions of natural habitat in the area.

Pulau Ubin, +65 6542-4108, nparks.gov.sg. Open daily from 8:30am-6pm. Admission is free.

15. Explore the Singapore Art Museum

The facade and parking lot of the Singapore Art Museum in Singapore
The museum is home to the world’s largest collection of modern Southeast Asian art. Modern art isn’t my favorite style, but there were plenty of insightful and imaginative pieces here to keep you entertained. They also have regular guided tours in English, which definitely makes a visit worthwhile. If you want to save money, be sure to visit on Friday evening when admission is free!

8 Queen St, +65 6589-9580, singaporeartmuseum.sg. Open Saturday-Thursday from 10am-7pm and Fridays from 10am-9pm. Admission is 10 SGD per person, though there is free entry on Fridays from 6pm-9pm.

16. Visit Haw Par Villa

Dragon artwork at Haw Par Villa in Singapore
Also known as Tiger Balm Gardens, this theme park contains over 1,000 statues from Chinese folklore and mythology. The most popular section of the park is a depiction of the Ten Courts of Hell, an exhibit that shows what hell is like in Chinese mythology. The park was recently updated and renovated and is worth taking a stroll through.

262 Pasir Panjang Rd, +65 6773 0103, hawparvilla.sg. Open daily from 9am-7pm. Admission is free.

17.Buddha Tooth Temple

The massive Buddha Tooth Temple in central Singapore
Located in Chinatown, this Buddhist temple is also a museum that is home to a tooth of the original Buddha. The four-story building was built in the early 2000s though it imitates architecture from the Tang Dynasty of China. The museum is home to one of almost a dozen “tooth relics” in the world, and while its legitimacy can be debated it’s still a cool temple to visit and explore.

288 South Bridge Rd, +65 6220-0220, btrts.org.sg. Open daily from 9am-6:30pm. Admission is free.

18. Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve

The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in Singapore
This wetland is an ASEAN Heritage Park and another great place to escape the urban sprawl of Singapore. It was the first wetlands in Singapore to be made into a reserve due to its importance for migratory birds in Asia. There are dozens of bird species that call the park home, and there is also a family of otters you can spot playing in the water if you’re lucky!

301 Neo Tiew Cres, +65 6794-1401, nparks.gov.sg/sbwr. Open daily from 7am-7pm. Admission is free.

***
Singapore may not be the cheapest city in the world, but there are still some ways to make it less of a burden on your wallet. By eating cheap, walking, and taking advantage of discounts, you can easily do Singapore without busting your wallet!

Do you have any tips on how to visit Singapore on a budget? Leave them in the comments!

Book Your Trip to Singapore: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. My favorite places to stay are:

Coral Hostel – This is a quiet hostel with fast WiFi and free coffee/tea as well as a free all day breakfast!
Dream Lodge – This is a cool hostel with comfy beds that offer lots of privacy. There are lockers and plenty of outlets, and each bed has a curtain, which I really appreciate as a light sleeper!

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Want More Information on Singapire?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Singapore for even more planning tips!

Photo Credit 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20

The post 18 Free and Cheap Things to Do in Singapore appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

What Does Globalization Really Destroy?

a McDonald's sign in the streets of a tourist area
Posted: 2/25/2019 | February 25th, 2019

While walking down the streets of Medellín, I came across a Dunkin’ Donuts, a donut chain from my hometown of Boston. (It’s the best. Locals are quite attached to Dunkin. Don’t mess with a Massachusetts resident and Dunkin.)

As I looked at the store, a pit formed in my stomach and I got quiet and melancholy.

For days, I had been coming across Starbucks, McDonald’s, KFC, Papa John’s, and now, Dunkin’ Donuts!

Medellín had been overrun by the chains.

Another place ruined by globalization!

Another place where the local character was dying.

Or…was it? (Said in a Morgan Freeman narrator voice.)

Was that Dunkin’ Donuts really a bad thing?

Or that Starbucks I saw earlier? Or all those Papa John’s? (I mean that garlic butter sauce is amazing.)

As I continued down the street, a thought struck me: What had that Dunkin’ Donuts really ruined?

I mean the shops and stalls nearby were still full of life and brimming with customers buying snacks and coffee.

What was really bothering me?

Then it hit me.

I realized that maybe why I got sad was because what Dunkin’ Donuts really had destroyed was not Medellin but what I thought Medellin was.

As travelers, I think we tend to hate “globalization” because we imagine places to be a certain way from books, movies, and our collective cultural consciousness.

We often have this image — based on no firsthand experience — of what a destination should be like and how the people should act. We imagine deserted beaches, or quaint cafés, or rustic old towns, or gritty, worn-down cities because we saw that in a movie or read a book ten years ago. I mean, most Americans still think Colombia is teeming with narcos or that Eastern Europe is still like it was the day after the Iron Curtain fell.

view of skyscrapers in Medellin from the hills

We want the places we visit to fit into the box we mentally created for them. We want our image of them validated.

I mean we in part travel for a sense of adventure and exoticness. To be explorers and find spots devoid of any outside influence.

Globalization stops all that from happening.

Suddenly, we’re walking down the street — and we see a part of home.

Our illusion – the myth we created about the destination we are in – is shattered.

“Well, there’s a Starbucks. The tourists are here. This place is ruined now.”

But is that really a bad thing?

When we imagine how someplace should be — like Thai islands with little huts and empty beaches, or rural villages filled with only local food and pushcart vendors — we seek to freeze the world (and often with an air of leftover colonialism).

We forget that places aren’t Disneyland and it’s not 100 years ago. Things change. Places develop, mature, and move on. The world around us hasn’t stood frozen in time to act like our theme park. (And this doesn’t even touch the tip of the iceberg around the colonialism / Western stereotypes associated with these ideas.)

Would I rather see the world full of mom-and-pop stores and no Dunkin’ Donuts in Medellín?

On the surface, yes.

But if I really think about it, that’s because I want to escape my home, not be reminded of it. It’s because I’d like the world to match the one I see in books and movies. It’s because no one is completely immune to the views I just talked about. I’ve created a castle in the sky that I don’t want to see destroyed.

But part of the art of discovery is having your preconceptions shattered.

For example, most Americans (and maybe even most people in the world) view Colombia as this remote jungle full of coffee, crime, fruit, and narcos roaming the street. It’s gritty and dangerous.

But Colombia is nothing like people think it is. Medellín has one of the best transportation systems I’ve ever seen outside Scandinavia, and Wi-Fi is everywhere. There’s also some incredible Michelin star–worthy gastronomy taking place here. Bogotá has world-class museums. Digital nomads flock there. The roads are stellar. Many young people speak English, they are educated, and they are very informed of world events.

a McDonald's sign in the streets of a tourist area

So, as Colombia sheds its narco past and embraces the world as much as the world embraces it, should we – I – be surprised that the guy riding in a little jeep is playing Taylor Swift, or that burgers and pizzas and gin and tonics are really popular? Should we be surprised that Colombians want a taste of the world too?

We often think of globalization as a one-way street, where the Western chains “invade” other countries. Our conversation in the West is always about how we’re ruining other places.

Yet these places don’t survive on tourist dollars alone. Locals do eat there. Who are we to tell them no?

And I often think about the reverse: when people from other non-Western cultures travel, do they have the same reaction?

Do Colombians travel somewhere and go, “Ugh, a mondongo place here? This place is ruined.”

Do Italians hate the sight of pizza on vacation?

Do the Japanese lament seeing sushi abroad?

I don’t want to see the golden arches next to the Pyramids, but is it so bad that there are some franchises in Egypt? Who are we to say, “Hey, you can’t have that. I want to imagine your country as this Arabian Nights fantasy! Get rid of that pizza place! Where are the guys on camels?”

Whether it’s a chain or just a type of cuisine, I don’t think the mingling of cultures is such a bad.

Globalization is not perfect. And, of course, its benefits aren’t balanced. People have written volumes on this subject. Let’s leave that aside. I’m not here to discuss that. I’m here to ponder globalization and our perceptions of it as travelers.

That Dunkin’ Donuts reminded me that the globalized world that allows me to be in Medellín also allows Colombians to access not only my culture but other cultures as well.

I think we need to stop viewing globalization through the myopic one-way lens of being a Western traveler.

Do we really want places to stay impoverished / secluded / unconnected so we can have an “authentic” experience based on some fantasy we have about a destination? Do we really not want the locals to experience pizza, or burgers, or Scotch, jazz music, or Thai pop, or anything else not local?

I don’t think we should look at globalization as causing a place to be “ruined.” Cultures are always in flux.

The same process that has brought unfamiliar cultures to us has also brought parts of our culture (among others) there.

When you have more cultures interacting with each other, you get to understand that everyone is a human being and shares the same wants and needs.

And I think that is something we should celebrate.

Matt’s note: Before everyone freaks out in the comments, let me be clear: I am not saying globalization is all rainbows and unicorns. There are a lot of problems with multi-national corporations, specifically, when it comes to taxes, labor, and how much money they keep in a country. There are also a lot of environmental and social problems related to outsourcing. Those are important social and economic issues that need to be addressed politically so that everyone can share the benefits of a more globalized world. I don’t deny there are problems. But this post is simply about looking at the issue from a traveler’s perspective.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hotel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time.

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

The post What Does Globalization Really Destroy? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

How to Get Around Thailand on the Cheap in 2019

a sunny beach view in Thailand framed with rocky outcrops
Posted: 2/25/2019 | February 25, 2019

Thailand is one of the most popular backpacker destinations in Southeast Asia.

It’s also my favorite.

Of course, I’m biased.

Thailand was where I decided to quit my job and travel the world. I lived there for two years. I ran tours there. I speak the language. I feel at home there.

But that aside, Thailand remains popular some thirty years after the first hippies arrived on the “banana pancake trail” for a simple reason: it’s awesome.

The succulent food, the warm people, the postcard-perfect beaches, the lush jungles, the hot weather — Thailand is simply a wonderful place.

That said, Thailand is also a pretty big country.

What’s the best way to get around Thailand?

Well, how you will get around Thailand depend greatly on how long you’re staying. You have options!

So what should you do?

Here’s a breakdown of the best ways to travel around Thailand (including travel times) regardless of budget or the length of your stay in the country:

Table of Contents

Getting Around Thailand By Flying

a Thai Airways plane taking off in Thailand
Flying is obviously the most expensive but quickest way to get around. You can get pretty much anywhere in the country in two hours or less, making flying the perfect choice for people who are rushed for time.

Thai Airways is the largest (and costliest) carrier, but there are numerous budget airlines, like Thai Smile, Bangkok Airways, Thai Lion, AirAsia, and Nok Air. But avoid some of the smaller budget airlines like Orient Thai, as their safety records are pretty spotty.

Flights around Thailand generally cost 1,400-6,600 THB ($44-200 USD). Flights to the islands tend to be costlier than those between large cities like Bangkok and Phuket. Flights to Ko Samui are always more expensive than anywhere else, thanks to monopoly pricing by Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways.

Here are some sample fares (as of February 2019) so you can get an idea of how much flights cost:

Bangkok to Chiang Mai – 780 THB/$25 USD (one way), 1,560 THB/$50 USD (round-trip)
Bangkok to Phuket – 735 THB/$30 USD (one way), 1,311 THB/$42 USD (round-trip)
Bangkok to Koh Samui – 3,715 THB/$119 USD (one way), 7,274 THB/$233 USD (round-trip)
Chiang Mai to Phuket – 1,561 THB/$50 USD (one way), 2,997 THB/$96 USD (round-trip)

If you book early, you can save on fares as the budget carriers usually offer around 30-50% off tickets when they have sales — and they always have sales (especially Air Asia).

Keep in mind that each airline has different baggage fees and policies – budget airlines typically charge extra for like credit card processing (the stupidest of all fees), baggage fees, and preferred seating.

Getting Around Thailand By Train

a busy train yard in Bangkok, Thailand
Thailand is one of the few countries in the region with a decent rail network. It covers 2,796 miles and is one of the best and cheapest ways to get around the country.

There are three classes of travel: first class is the most expensive and is available only on night trains. Second class is quite comfortable and has softer seats, as well as air-conditioned cars. Third class is bare-bones cars, with hard seats and no A/C. However, these are the cheapest seats around! (I actually like third class, though, as you meet more interesting people and there are always vendors coming on and off selling delicious and cheap food.)

Trains here move very, very slowly. The Chiang Mai-to-Bangkok night train — a distance of only 430 miles — takes 12 hours.

Day trains are even worse, as there are frequent stops and waiting at stations for reasons I’ve never figured out.

There’s no high-speed train in this country so don’t be in a rush if you’re traveling Thailand by train!

That said, I love traveling by train in Thailand if I’m not in a rush. The trains are spacious, there’s always food and drinks available, most of the cars have A/C, vendors get on and off at each stop to sell meals, fruit, or drinks, and the scenery as you cruise through the tropical countryside is out of this world.

It’s also crazy cheap, especially if you take the day train. Heck, even the night train is super cheap! Here are some example fares for both day and night trains:

Bangkok to Chiang Mai – 890 THB/$28 USD (day train), 1,011 THB/$32 USD (night train)
Bangkok to Chumphon – 550 THB/$17 USD (day train), 920 THB/$28 USD (night train)
Bangkok to Surat Thani – 858 THB/$26 USD (day train), 1,058 THB/$33 USD (night train)
Bangkok to Ayutthaya – 30 THB/$1 USD (day train)
Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai – 866 THB/$27 USD (day train), 1,131 THB/$35 USD (night train)
Ayutthaya to Lopburi – 30 THB/$1 USD (day train)
Bangkok to Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) – 425 THB/$13.50 USD (day train), 1,010 THB/$32 USD (night train)
Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) to Surin – 300 THB/$9.50 (day train)
Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) to Ubon Ratchathani – 243 THB/$7.75 USD (day train), 593 THB/$19 USD (night train)

You can see train schedules and ticket prices on the State Railway of Thailand website (railway.co.th).

You can buy train tickets through a travel agent (there’s a slight upcharge) or directly at the train station. You can buy tickets the day of travel — there’s always space, especially on the day trains. That said, if you are looking for a bed on the night train, I would book at least three days in advance to ensure you have a reservation, especially during high season.

Getting Around Thailand By Bus

people aboard a crowded bus in Thailand with fans attached to the ceiling
As trains don’t go everywhere in Thailand, taking the bus is your second-best option. Actually, buses are the widest form of transportation here. You can go anywhere in Thailand by bus. Though they often show bad Thai movies with the sound turned up too loud and blast the A/C, they are a comfortable and spacious ride.

If you’re taking a day bus, note that they often stop in multiple towns along the way to pick people up and drop them off, and they also pick up people by the side of the road. Don’t expect to move in an efficient or quick manner. They aren’t in a rush.

Be sure to tell them exactly where you want to go, because often there are no signs when you pull into bus stations.

There are also “tourist buses” that, while more expensive, are usually a lot more convenient. They are usually best for long distances (they tend to travel at night), and when combined with island ferry tickets (say, Bangkok to Ko Phi Phi). They are more expensive than local buses, but they are more direct, and you don’t have to worry about where you are or if it’s your stop. They usually pick up in the tourist area and drop you off in the tourist area of the next place — plus there’s no stopping to pick up other people along the way.

You can book these via the many travel agents that line the tourist areas of town.

Here are some sample fares for bus routes in Thailand:

Bangkok to Chiang Mai – 534 THB/$17 USD (day bus), 830 THB/$26 USD (night bus)
Chiang Mai to Pai – 150 THB/$5 USD (day bus)
Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai – 229 THB/$7 USD (day bus), 312 THB/$10 USD (night bus)
Lampang to Chiang Rai – 237 THB/$7.50 USD (day bus)
Bangkok to Phuket City – 643 THB/$20 USD (day bus), 998 THB/$31 USD (night bus)
Bangkok to Chumphon – 373 THB/$12 USD (day bus), 427 THB/$13 USD (night bus)
Bangkok to Surat Thani – 858 THB/$27 USD (day bus), 1,058 THB/$33 USD (night bus)
Bangkok to Hua Hin – 289 THB/$9 USD (day bus), 400 THB/$12 USD (night bus)
Bangkok to Trat – 350 THB/$11 USD (day bus), 390 THB/$12 USD (night bus)
Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) to Surin – 291 THB/$10 USD (day bus)
Surin to Ubon Ratchathani – 200 THB/$7 USD (day bus)

Getting Around Thailand By Car

gridlocked traffic in the streets of Bangkok's Chinatown
Don’t rent a car in Thailand. They are expensive, and the roads in Thailand are crazy.

It’s much better to rent a motorbike and ride across the country. It’s quite a common thing to do. This is a good article to help you plan a trip.

Getting Around Thailand By Ferry

a small shuttle boat in Thailand
While you won’t be using the ferry to get around Thailand, it will definitely be an important mode of transportation when you’re exploring the islands. Due to the well-established travel trail, booking your ferry ride is simple and straightforward – you can often book tickets online or just show up. Most hostels and hotels will be able to help you with this if you need assistance. They will also have the most up-to-date schedules.

Here are some example routes and fares to help you plan your trip:

Koh Tao to Koh Samui – 500 THB/$16 (one way)
Surat Thani to Koh Phangan – 625 THB/$20 (one way)
Phuket to Koh Phi Phi – 780 THB/$25 (one way)
Krabi to Koh Lanta – 550 THB/$17 (one way)

How Long Does It Take to Get Around Thailand?

Trying to figure out how long it will take you to get from point A to point B? Here is a distance and time chart so you can get an idea of how long it takes to get from place to place.

Route

Distance
(km/miles)

Air (hrs)

Bus (hrs)

Rail (hrs)

Bangkok –
Chiang Mai

230/115

1:15

Bangkok –
Phuket City

840/525