Thailand is one of the easiest and most activity-diverse countries to travel to in Southeast Asia.
Cool temples and monasteries? Check.
Great hiking? Check.
Diving and snorkeling? Check.
Kayaking and river rafting? Check.
Beautiful tropical beaches and islands? Check.
Night markets and entertaining walking streets? Check.
Modern malls, shopping and being able to find anything you need in Bangkok? Check.
Bridge on the River Kwai and other history? Check.
Excellent and affordable medical care? Check.
Great food? Check.
Fantastic people? Check.
There’s a reason Thailand is so popular. It’s got everything.
Okay, it doesn’t have snow. But we’re talking tropical paradise here, so who needs snow? That’s a different trip.
One of the most challenging things in Thailand was getting across how spicy we wanted our food. I like spicy, Tim does too, but a little less spicy than me. The problem comes when you say a ‘little’ spicy. Some Thai chefs play it safe and take all the spice out, not wanting to offend the delicate tourist palate. Then there are the ones who make it what they consider ‘a little spicy’ but that can be at (or past) my upper limit of spice comfort, and too much for Tim.
We took the varying spice levels in stride. The biggest issue is that there’s no common scale for tourists to use, no common language where everyone’s on the same page. If you don’t like spice at all, you can say ‘no spice’ and you’ll be fine. Trust us, if this is the biggest problem we had in the country, it’s an easy country.
Thailand travel has its adventure, but it’s adventure at whatever level you choose.
Hospitals and clinics in Thailand are excellent. Tim broke his leg in Laos, but they sent us to Thailand for treatment. We can vouch for the quality of their medical facilities. Quality doctors, staff and modern medical supplies make this one of the best destinations for someone with health concerns while traveling.
If you’re wondering, Thailand travel is very affordable. Sure, you can get high end luxury hotels, but you don’t really need them. There are a lot of great rooms in the $15-30/night range. Street food is excellent, and safe and small local restaurants are plentiful, tasty and inexpensive. The big splurges are when you search out western-style food. A nice change, but you don’t go to Thailand to eat quarter-pounders and drink Starbucks. Actually, the big iced coffee they sell at stands on the side of the road is excellent and only costs 20 baht (about $.67).
We can recommend Thailand as a destination for almost anyone. It has culture, fun, adventure, and all-around awesomeness. If you’re questioning whether Thailand is a good choice, stop doubting. Just buy your ticket and go!
We have some Instagram posts about our wheelchair adventures here and we’ll be writing some blog posts soon. Wheelchair users will be challenged in any Southeast Asian country, but Thailand is more manageable than some. Keep an eye on our Wheelchair Travel category for more information.