Thailand is one of the top 10 destinations that is visited by tourists from all over the world. If you expect to have a beach all to yourself, as you may have been informed be prepared to be (mostly) disappointed. There are of course the hidden beaches that you can still have to yourself but you have to know how to find them. This something that only the “Locals” can help you with.

When it comes to the travelling in Thailand it is among one of the easiest and safest countries to explore on your own. Staying in hostels or low-budget guesthouses is probably the best way to meet like-minded people along the way.
With the high demand for the big tourists dollars a looming problem is that many of the sights and points of interest are now simply overwhelmed with tourist package groups and low budget options are being driven out in favor of glamorous new resorts.

Having said that Thailand is still one of the best places for backpacking as it’s safe, cheap (when you know where to look) and easy to travel around.

When visiting the south of Thailand you will find that this area is all centered around the beaches, islands and the life that goes with it. To the East you have the holiday resorts on the beautiful island of Koh Samui, the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangang and Koh Tao which is one of the cheapest and best places in the world to take a scuba diving course.
On the West (Andaman Sea) you’ve got the province of Krabi that is very popular for its limestone cliffs and sea canoeing. There is also nearby Phi Phi island that has become a party island. Again if you know where to look there are still some quit islands like Koh Lipe and Koh Lanta that may be more to your liking.

Concerning transportation, bus travel is cheap and convenient, and can be easily booked from most hostels or travel agencies. Air travel is also a low cost option compared to what you might find else wear and can be set up to include ferry connections to some of the popular island destinations. Trains are also an option although the passenger trains do not go to all locations. For local transport you can use taxis or tuk-tuks or small motorcycle rentals are available.

When trying to get to where you are going or are unsure of what to do just ask the local people. They are very friendly and for the most part are not too pushy on selling to you (except maybe in the main tourist places).

Don’t worry too much about how to get to places, even if you’re an inexperienced traveller. Everything in Thailand is very easy to get around and lots of people find their way everywhere all the time. If you’re not sure, just ask around or inquire at your place of accommodation. Anyone working in the tourism or service industry will be able to understand what you require and some basic English is spoken by many along with hand signals and gestures.
If staying in hostel type dorms you will find the prices in the North a lot less at about 150 TB to 200 TB. In Phuket you are looking at about 250 TB to 350 TB.
Food is inexpensive throughout the country although you will have to look for the small noodle shops as the restaurants are getting quite expensive. You can buy a small meal for about 50 baht from a street vendor while the same will cost you about 200 baht in a restaurant.

You should watch out when renting any type of transportation such as scooters, motorbikes, bicycles or toys for water fun. A popular scam by some not so good people is to claim you have caused damage and need to pay compensation for the repairs.

I hope this bit of a blurb of information is in a small way helpful to you and please feel free to contact us or leave a comment if you have any questions.