*Travel Advice - Help with the Ladyboys*

Musty Pie

Musty Pie

Musty Pie

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Joined
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Good morning you lovely GD bunch!

Now I know some of you are very well travelled so I am after a little bit of advice.

My partner and I have booked our holiday to Thailand. We are going this August for two weeks. This is a little bit different from our past holidays (Japan and Florida) but I am looking forward to it just as much.

The flights have been paid for (Qutar airlines) the hotels for both Bangkok and Phuket have been booked and paid for (Phuket: Boomerang villas and Bangkok: Legacy Suites) And all our internal flights etc have also been sorted and paid for, and all of this done before we leave (the wonders of having an organised fiancée :) )

Now the only thing I am really after is some advice on costs and average spending money to take. I know a lot of this depends on the individual so I will try and give you a breakdown of our past holidays and expectations.

Historically I have always taken over £1000 spending money each time we have been away (thats £1000 for each of us ie: £2000 or more in total). The reason for this was to buy as much shopping and soveneers as possible and because the exchange rate was very favourable to the £ on both occasions spending money was never really an issue.

We eat out nearly every day for all meals, went shopping (a lot) and never really had to keep an eye on the money. We are not massive drinkers, only occasionally having a few drinks in nice bars etc, and clubbing is never something that’s interested either of us. However things like beach parties, street parties with acts/markets etc is something we both enjoy.

When away we tend to break down our total money into “daily limits” and each day (regardless if we had money left over from previous days) we take another “daily limit” out with us.

Now I have read on various travel boards that Thailand is cheap. (Cheap food, cheap day excursions, cheap for pretty much everything.) So I was thinking of taking about £500-£600 spending money for myself, and my partner will take about the same. Will this be enough for 2 weeks? remembering that all our accomidation and internal flights etc are already paid for. Am I planning on taking too little? Or too much?

Any other general advice would be appreciated. Where to go? What to avoid? Good travel insurance companies (this is the only thing left i need to book)

Thanks in advance!
 
legacy suited is lovely, only criticisim is that the pool doesnt get the sunshine, but i suppose thats what Phuket is for :)

i have not been to phuket myself (we also go to the other side samui, phangan and tao) but i imagine its much the same

that budget will be fine..

its the kind of place where you can spend as much or as little as you wish

ie, go out for cheap thai food at local eating places or go out for high end tourist restaurants

alchol can rack up the bill too depending on what you drink

shopping is great in bangkok, that might be where you will spend money again depending on your shopping syle

also, on the islands there are things to do that can be expensive eg. jetskis, quad bikes and the like, but these are all optional


in bangkok take a tuk tuk ride for the experience but be aware that metered taxis are much cheaper

beware the tuktuk driver that wants to give you a city tour for what seems to cheap
 
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Ah thanks for that paul! nice to get some good feedback about one of the hotels too!

With reference to alcohol I can drink beer (but would much rather have a nice cider) and the misses normally drinks cocktails or vodka mixers.

How expensive are we talking for thins like quadbiking? We have both done this before and enjoyed it, so if this price is right we might dabble in it again!

One of my main concerns is the weather. As its meant to be the "rainy" season.... :D
 
from memory

quad bikes were about £8-£12 a day

jetskis about £15 an hour (i think)

not too bad really but it can add up

as for the weather, i wouldnt worry about it

even if it rains its still hot and the rain comes down hard for a while and then clears

it will still be a great holiday

for booze, local beers will be much cheaper and imported spirits more expensive, again depends on how much you are going to drink

i go every xmas , absolutely love it there
 
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Paul11 said:
from memory

quad bikes were about £8-£12 a day

jetskis about £15 an hour (i think)

not too bad really but it can add up

as for the weather, i wouldnt worry about it

even if it rains its still hot and the rain comes down hard for a while and then clears

it will still be a great holiday
Click to expand...


Ah thanks :)

that still sounds fairly cheap if you ask me, but yes all the little costs soon add up.

was thinking of getting some shirts tailored when in bangkok, did you get this done when you where there?
 
I went for 5 weeks in 2007 and the whole time I was there I think I spent about £1000.

This included all food and accomodation.

I was mainly on Ko Phangnan where the accomodation was 300 baht per night (Ex was 69 - 1 then). The scooter was about 150 a day and food was about 80 for a local dish or 150 for a more western dish. Stick to local beer like Chang or maybe Tiger and they should be about £1 - £2 Cocktails are obviously going to be expensive. Souvenirs you can haggle for so have some fun doing that, and make sure you get the redbull tshirt, no trip to Thailand is complete without coming back with one of those! Also watch out for the SangSom and local Red Bull combination - KILLER HEADACHE the day after.

I did however not go to any fancy restaurants (bar the Sky lounge at the Banyon Tree Hotel - highly reccomended, and a night club called Bed).

Awesome holiday. Not sure what the weather is like in August though, is it the rainy season?
 
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That's a shame, The exchange rate is pretty poor now too. I'm thinking of going back in Jan next year for a few weeks. What are you looking at for an average beach hut now?
 
Thanks for all the bits of info guys, keep them coming!

I think august is the "rainy season", but im not letting that put me off. We went to florida in the "rainy season" and it was fine and also japan in the "rainy season" with no issues so hopefully third time lucky :)
 
Paul11 said:
from memory

quad bikes were about £8-£12 a day

jetskis about £15 an hour (i think)

not too bad really but it can add up

as for the weather, i wouldnt worry about it

even if it rains its still hot and the rain comes down hard for a while and then clears

it will still be a great holiday

for booze, local beers will be much cheaper and imported spirits more expensive, again depends on how much you are going to drink

i go every xmas , absolutely love it there
Click to expand...

Just be very careful on the jet ski hire, it is the biggest scam in Thailand and people still get rinsed for it despite the warnings all over travel sites.

I spent 3 months in Asia on about £1200 and was drinking/eating out (local foods only) but I was staying in the local guesthouses so was much cheaper than hotels.
 
that is true, you do have to be careful of the jetski scam

but that is the same with motorbikes, quad, mopeds etc

i go every year, and so far, touch wood have never had a problem
 
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