Thailand - A Cheap Travel Destination That Delivers

Thailand - A Cheap Travel Destination That Delivers
By : Richard Chapo

Fuel prices are up and the economy is down this year. That makes getting the most bang out of your travel buck important. Thailand represents a fascinating and excellent travel destination that is also an incredible deal.

Known as the land of smiles, Thailand is one of those truly unique Southeast Asian countries that boogle the mind. From the warm beaches of the southern coast to the mountain palace of the King in Chang Mai in the north, there is a lot to see and do. Best of all, you can do it all for one of the lowest travel costs in the world.

In the late 1990s, the Asian economies were absolutely crushed over a one year period. Part and parcel to this disaster was the loss of currency value. Much like the dollar is falling now, the Thai "Baht" suffered. Instead of a down period, however, it fell like a rock dropped from a plane and hasn't really come back.

Put simply, this currency issue has made Thailand a cheap, cheap place. Your biggest expense will be the flight. It can run $650 round trip at a minimum. It should also be noted that the flight is very long if you are coming from North America. A flight from Los Angeles can easily take 24 hours or more.

Once in Thailand, the good news is you'll be getting a lot for your dollar. Yes, even now. You can always go nuts in any location, but I'll assume you are going to be reasonable. A good, fresh meal will set you back $2 to $5 and be a lot less if you avoid the touristy areas.

There is one meal item that is expensive - beer. You can expect to pay $2 to $3 per bottle. It isn't outrageous, but it seems like it after you are conditioned to the cheap food.


Getting around is also incredibly cheap. Trains are popular, but also packed. One of the secrets of Thailand is the domestic airline industry. Simply put, it is excellent and cheap. I've splurged on flights from Bangkok to Chang Mai in the north of the country and spend a whopping $38 for a one way ticket. Traveling on trains is great, but you also lose a lot of time. Cheap domestic flights are a good way to avoid this.

Thailand is definitely a great destination for those that want to maximize their experience on a minimum of expense. There are the usual high priced tourist areas, but even a small effort to avoid them can result in a trip that is cheaper than you could ever imagine.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of [http://www.nomadjournals.com]writing journals to record your travels in.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo http://EzineArticles.com/?Thailand---A-Cheap-Travel-Destination-That-Delivers&id=1013463

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Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok was founded in 1782 by the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty.  It is now the country's spiritual, cultural, diplomatic, commercial and educational hub.  It covers an area of more than 1,500 square kilometres, and it is home to approximatlely ten million people or more than 10% of the country's population.
Over the last few decades, Thailand's capital city, Bangkok, has changed into a modern, exciting and sophisticated city.  It offers to visitors not only the cosmopolitan amenities they would expect from other big cities, but also a unique treasure trove of cultural attractions.  Thailand, in the heart of Southeast Asia, was never colonised and thus kept its unique culture and heritage intact. Bangkok offers visitors the opportunity to experience fascinating glimpse of Thailand's gentle culture amidst the bustle of a great and dynamic metropolis.  This great city has had astounding success in combining the ancient and modern world.


For tourists, Bangkok has a feast of attractions to offer.  The city is dotted with 400 glittering Buddhist temples of great beauty and fascination, magnificent palaces, classical dance extravaganzas, numerous shopping centres and traditional ways of life, especially along the "Venice of the East" timeless canals and the Chao Phraya River of the "River of Kings" winding through the city.  It is worth taking a trip along its waters before exploring further into different canals to take a glimpse of old Bangkok.

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Budget Travel - Try Thailand Trains For Cheap Asia Travel

Budget Travel - Try Thailand Trains For Cheap Asia Travel
By : Fred Tittle

I love Thailand trains and they give you a retro experience and they are more interactive than a plane as you can walk around do things like take a shower or go to the restaurant car. I know of only one plane where it is possible to take a shower and that is going to cost you a few bucks for the privilege on the Airbus A380 in first class.

You can take trains to the north almost to Myanmar or you can go into Malaysia if you are heading south, or you can get off and head to the holiday resorts near Phuket or the Gulf of Thailand beach resorts on the Thai Gulf coast.

When buying your tickets you want to have a bottom bunk and you want a car that is further back in the train, the further the better as you will be listing to the horn all night if you are at the front of the train. If you can afford first class and there are two of traveling then it is worth paying a little extra as you sleep better knowing that the door is locked and you trust everyone in the compartment. In 2nd class I always sleep with half an eye open even though I have never has a problem.

I figured out with sleeping on a boat that it is more comfortable sleeping in the direction of travel beam to stern as opposed to across the travel direction. It works out the same on a train as the Rocking side to side is reduced when you are sleeping with the direction of the train. There is more force stopping and starting then side to side so the first class is not better in that regard as far as sleeping is concerned. If there is a lot of rocking you are tense all night trying to keep your balance.

Things to bring to help stretch the budget with would your own coffee or tea which ever that you prefer. I buy Nescafe in the single serve packets, they last for ever and they take no space and it could not be easier to prepare. They are also a great deal at a touch over 3 baht a cup that works out to $0.20.

As they have hot water available on most trains in Asia I also purchase a cup of soup, I always get that in a plastic rather than a paper container so I can reuse it for the couple of packages of ramen noodles that I buy as well. It is 14 baht for the cup of soup and 6 baht for the ramen about $0.20.

I always make a point of stopping for some munchies before I get to the train station to save money there as well. I am partial to orange slices maybe for you it is gummy bears. You will want something to snack on the long ride. They normally have a food steward that comes around as soon as you leave Bangkok offering a set dinner and breakfast, 150 for the dinner, and 90 for the breakfast. I always try to take a pass on that although asking others they find it to be a nice meal. I do however go to the dinning car and grab a plate of whatever and feed my computer electricity. The dinning car is usually very entertaining at night as the locals all sit around and drink cheap beer and cheaper whiskey which they will ask you to join in as well which I am sure will result in a few laughs on your way on the train in Thailand.


Fred's new project http://www.CheapCharliesHotels.com/ where he reviews cheap hotels , budget guesthouses, discount accommodations and cheap international flights, but is really an excuse to go scuba diving on vacation more, Fred is in Phnom Penh Cambodia planning his next adventure travel tour. Keep up to date with Fred and to view some great pictures go to Cheap Charlies Hotels & Asia Cheapest Flights

Fred Tittle has lived and worked in holiday vacation resorts his entire life, from Lake Geneva's Playboy Club, as a rock jock for KSPN FM in Aspen Colorado, he became a PADI Pro Scuba Diver in Hawaii, diving on Maui, Kauai, Kona on the big island, and Waikiki on Oahu. He founded Eco Adventures South East Asia in Sihanoukville Cambodia. he still teaches SSI and PADI scuba diving courses and runs liveaboards in the gulf of Thailand and Asia adventure tours, http://www.ecosea.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Fred_Tittle http://EzineArticles.com/?Budget-Travel---Try-Thailand-Trains-For-Cheap-Asia-Travel&id=1311071

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