Travelling solo to Thailand. Practical tips.

Practical tips on travelling solo to Thailand

I have a rule: everything usually goes right if I prepare myself right. I’m not talking about planning every step of my trips with all details in advance; I like spontaneity. It is more about setting the right mindset before the trip, all the knowing what, where and how can really make the trip trouble-free.

I have travelled solo to many places, but each time it somehow adds an extra layer of excitement and/or stress to the planning and trip itself. Knowing a few tips that help plan a solo journey can really make a difference, especially for those, who have less abundant travel experience.

Here are a few of my recommendations for Thailand, especially if you are a solo travelling girl.

Research means of transport

Do some reading about means of transport in Thailand beforehand to avoid looking once you are there. It will save you time and make you more confident. I spent some time reading travel blogs (I have a list of my favourite bloggers that I trust for travel tips, but also always look for new ones). I sometimes contact hotels to give me this information and advice me on different options. How would I know that Uber has a version called Grab? It really made my trip much easier and comfortable.

Know means of transport

I researched various options to move in cities and around and the most convenient for me and seemingly the safest was Grab app, similar to Uber. When not booking my car lifts through this app, I loved taking tuk-tuks from the street, but for shorter trips and in popular places.

Chose a convenient location for your hotel

It’s not uncommon to look for hotels in central areas or near all the attractions, but when I travel solo, being able to get to places on foot and staying in neighbourhoods that are considered safe, are my priorities. I care less about the price and amenities of a hotel if staying there allows me to save time gives me the comfort of peace of mind. That’s why during this solo trip to Thailand I first searched for what I wanted to see, then looked for hotels in the area. I also read travel blogs to get some information about specific neighbourhoods. Whenever possible, I try to avoid staying in big chain hotels or huge

In Chiang Mai, I stayed in a beautiful boutique hotel Ak sara Heritage and I would choose it again if I am lucky enough to visit Chiang Mai again. In Bangkok, I chose a skyscraper hotel with a roof terrace for amazing views. Amara Hotel was not exactly in the centre, but within a walking distance for me to get anywhere I wanted and in the heart of a bustling neighbourhood with restaurants and markets that I loved exploring after sunset.

Focus on one or areas to explore

Thailand is quite big and full of amazing places to visit, so it’s only natural to want to see it all. While probably in the past I would do that, having more experience with tri planning I know that visiting places a bit slower can change the whole perception and trip experience. Having only 10 days, I decided to focus on two areas only: Chiang Mai and Bangkok. As these two cities are quite far from each other, this time I opted for a flight between them. Then I had around 4 full days in each place, where I could explore surrounding attractions.

If you don’t have enough time, fly between cities

I know that this is not the best most ecological means of transport if you can easily find a better alternative, but with only 10 days I preferred to fly. I booked my internal flights as part of the return flight to Thailand through Qatar Airways, because I got a really good deal on the flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai (it was something like 20$ if I remember right).

I use Skyscanner as well to compare flight options and prices

Buy travel insurance

I have private insurance wherever I go, but for Asia, I additionally buy travel insurance with Digital Nomads that also covers my expensive stuff. Fortunately, I never got into trouble to use the insurance, but things happen from cancelled flights to getting sick to accidents(I think only once I needed it when got really sick in Uruguay after a trip to Brasil and needed to go to emergencies). When this happens, you have a plan for it to avoid an extra headache. In some places, you would not even be looked at if you don’t first either pay or present valid insurance.

Support local businesses

Many countries rely on tourism, but if hotels (usually chains and luxury) belong to foreign investments, local people don’t get much benefit from tourism. They do the work, but most profits go to the middle man. What can you do: stay in locally owned hotels, but from small local shops and markets, eat out or at the market (instead of hotel restaurants if it belongs to a chain), book tours with a local guide.

Join a tour

Travelling solo is great. I love taking my time, walking around with no one rushing me and having the flexibility to change my plan as many times as I want. At times though, not only for social reasons, I like to join a tour. I don’t tend to join tours when travelling with someone, but when alone, I occasionally do that. To be honest, I have booked a few tours during my trip to Thailand, mainly because I wanted to save time. I research a lot beforehand and booked tours in Chiang Mai and Bangkok with TravelTalk and GetYourGuide. It allowed me to visit so many places in such a short time, but at the same time, it didn’t feel rushed or overwhelming because I left some days for leisure strolling and immersing into the atmosphere of the places.

Be a responsible tourist

Thailand is known for its elephants and it might be tempting to visit a sanctuary to get close to them or even ride one of these amazing animals. Please DON’T. I got approached by many travel agencies to do elephant riding and to be honest, finding an ethical sanctuary was not that easy. Eventually, I stumbled upon Elephant Nature Park that protects elephants and you cannot even bathe with them (which is so common in most places). You are only permitted to watch them bathe from a distance, so a bigger lens camera can be useful. You will have an opportunity to get close to some of the elephants (but not when they’re bathing) and even feed them. All of these close encounters are brief and supervised.