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Everything you need to know as a digital nomad travelling to Thailand... you're welcome!
I recently went on a 2-month trip in Thailand and am gonna share a couple of tips and some info here. This is less an itinerary and more general knowledge and info.
Note: I am a digital nomad so I didn't move around much or visit the typical tourist destinations, so just keep that in mind
APPS
Bolt - thailand's version of Uber. In some cities you can order a Bolt motorbike, which is a faster and cheaper way of getting a ride.
Lazada - Thailand's amazon. order things online (so cheap!) and they'll send it to you.
I forgot wjhat the food delivery app is called, but they have a few look on the app store.
VISA
When I went, the visa process was super annoying but very doable. Because of covid they had all these crazy requirements. I'm not sure if they're still necessary, but don't be put off by the paperwork. It was annoying but really not as bad as it looked! Look up current visa requirements by using this super useful tool: https://bit.ly/3aQu5AE.
If you want to stay in Thailand for longer than 30 days (not sure what the policy is now, but check) you need to go to the immigration office and apply for visa extension. You must dress modestly - long pants or skirt that covers to the knees or so, and full clsoed shirt - no tank tops! They won't let you into the office if you're not dressed "respectfully." Bring cash, passport photos, and ask your hotel for the documents you'll need. They should help you.
CASH
Don't expect to be able to use your credit cards in any of the islands or towns. You'll need a lot of cash--things cost a lot (because the Thai Baht is pretty inflated) so you go through cash really quick. My best tip: if you're american, get the Charles Schwab debit card - they reimburse all your foreign ATM fees each month. If you travel a lot, it saves you a lot of $$! Here's a link with more info. No, I'm not getting anything out of this, it's just something that's helped me a lot https://bit.ly/3OkaZAx
Credit cards are accepted in all the big malls and cities, so you can go wild there just be sure to use a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.
FLIGHTS
Flights between cities are the easiest fastest and cheapest way to get around. The thing is, it's best to book them in advance, because if you do, they'll be like $20. Super cheap. The closer to the departure you get, the more expensive they get. It gets really expensive if you wait so try to book in advance.
MOPEDS
I spent most of my time in Pai (north) and Koh Phangan (south). The easiest and cheapest way to get around is by moped / scooter/ motorbike (whatever you want to call it). The problem is, most people have no idea what they're doing and literally every 4th or 5th tourist is walking around covered in bandages because they got into an accident. People get badly hurt and even die at a scarily frequent rate from motorcycle accidents in thailand - it's kinda infamous for that. That being said, it's really difficult to get around in some places without. So here are my recs for safe motorcycle driving:
ALWAYS ALWAYS wear helmet. Period. and make sure it fits well. try on every helmet in the bike shop if you need to.
If you're a newbie, get a motorbike with a small engine. You don't need bigger than 115 cc engine (you can get smaller, even--but 115 was the smallest size I found). It will be more than powerful enough to get you where you need to go, but will minimize danger because it's easier to control.
take some lessons. I saw places in every village we went to that gave lessons. Take 2-3 lessons and learn how to drive right when you get there. It's not worth figuring it out on your own. Its simply not safe otherwise. Or at the very least, practice driving around a parking lot for a few hours. (for reference - I traveled with 2 friends who have motorcycle licenses from home. for the first 2 weeks, I just rode on the back of my friends bike while he pointed out all the things to know about driving. After that, he took me driving a few times, taught me how to drive and practiced with me before helping me get my own bike. So I was trained, familiar with the roads, had practice, and was ready to drive by the time I got my own bike).
Try out your bike before you rent it. In some places (espeically in the north), the bikes were crap. It's not safe to drive 'em, they don't work well. Ask around where you can get new, good bikes. I actually paid an extra 50 baht a day for a new bike and it was 100% worth it. Better, safer ride.
Fill up on gas before long rides (1 h+). you can get stuck in the mountains on empty otherwise. don't expect to find gas in middle of the countryside.
Please don't drive if you don't have insurance!!! Also, why don't you have insurance? Stop reading this post and go buy insurance. Thanks bye
IMPORTANT - take a video of the entire bike before you rent it. That way when you return it, the rental company can't tell you you caused damage that wasn't there beforehand.
Have fun and enjoy the ride I know it has inherent danger, but just drive carefully and remain aware and alert and you should be fine. Learning how to drive and being able to travel around on my own was so empowering and I think if you can do it safely, it's a really transformative experience for many women.
JEWISH / Kosher The chabad of Thailand is super organized. They have branches in Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Pai, Chiang Mai, etc. Book for shabbat or holidays directly through their website, which has tons of helpful info: www.jewishthailand.com. They have kosher restaurants at almost all of their locations.
There's also the קופנגן הבית הישראלי - The Bait which is an israeli/ jewish center with a fully kosher restaurant in Koh Phangan.
KOH PHANGAN
KP is a digital nomads paradise. there's great wifi, great beaches, everything is cheap, the food's delicious, etc. Theres a large jewish/israeli community living there so there's lots of israeli-style food (not necessarily kosher).
There are a few main sections of Koh Phangan.
Haad Rin - the touristy, party section. This is where you can find the famous Full moon party. Not my personal favorite.
Haad Yao/ Tong Sala - more of the expats, long term living, more hippy people, more chill. Good for digital nomads. my preferred side
Here's a google maps list (descriptions are in hebrew but you can still see which places are saved) of good places to stay/ eat/ do in KP: https://www.google.com/.../list/HHqIFKjwQ9WQmB30y5WNzQ
Some of my personal recommendations:
Indigo Cafe - excellent for working
Highlife - rlly lovely hotel and coworking space
Bayit Hayisraeli - jewish center with jewish events
Wowness - a bunch of israeli restaurants with delicious food
Jaffa Cafe - delicious israeli food
zen beach - fun beach to see sunset
tropicoco - awesome resort that we really liked
Hollystone saturday nights
Eden - really cool party saturday nights. You can go there in the nighttime/ early morning and then go to Barcelona club down the beach for sunrise/afternoon party. You'll have to take a boat from Haad Rin to Haad Yuan to get here but it's only a couple of minutes (altho a bit pricey ) and worth it.
There are TONS of parties. Ask around if anyone has the link to the Koh Phangan parties whatsapp group and you'll get updated on all of them
There are also tons of workshops and retreats on like every possible topic. Some are amazing, some are frauds. Do your research beforehand!
Honestly there's so much to do and see. markets, music events, beaches, nature, temples... go wild.
BANGKOK
Bangkok is a really freaking cool city. I loved it!
Here's my list of good cafes to work in in Bangkok: https://goo.gl/maps/kHPcAKbxLyQMA53X9
2. Bangkok is famous for malls. They're not only great shopping, but they're a really cool experience. Each one has so much to see and do--it's a whole culture. I spent 4 days just going to malls because they were so interesting!
My favorites were CentralWorld, IconSiam, EmQuartier, Terminal 21, Asiatique.
3. Markets - there are loooooads. Go to whichever piques your interest.
4. Red light district - interesting to walk through! 5. chinatown - interesting to visit
6. Rooftop bars - very cool.
honestly bangkok is like a playground for adults. You can see the weird, the wonderful, whatever floats your boat. So go explore and be open minded
Note: if possible, use Bolt motorcycle. Traffic here is terrible so motorcycles are not only cheaper but they're easier to get and will save you a ton of time. They also have great public transport - so you can try the trains.
Chiang Mai
Loved Chiang Mai. great for digital nomads! loads of cool hostels and cafes to work from.
there's a huge really cool sunday market - highly recommend
the old city of chaing mai is cool - lots of famous beautiful temples
I stayed in Neeman, a great area to stay in IMHO
cool art scene. lots of young people, art, food, culture.
PAI
Pai was one of my favorite places. It's a small town in the north, nestled among green mountains and tiny villages that aren't even on the map. There are gorgeous cafes scatterd among the mountains - here's my list of things to see and do and cafes to visit: https://goo.gl/maps/miX2RCQgK4KD8RYy8
There's lots of nature. I spent most of my free time just driving through the mountains and visiting random little villages. It's amazing. Note that the driving when you get deeper into the mountains (on the way to the famous Pha Mon underwater cave or the Doi Kew Lom viewpoint) is extremely steep and curvy with no shoulders along the orad and no gas stops. Not recommended for new motorbike drivers!
To do
just drive to nearby villages. they're really interesting and the view are gorgeous.
Pai canyon - visit for sunrise or sunset
My favorite hotel in pai is the Quartier
best motorbike rental in Pai - black monkey. a little bit more expensive but worth it bc they have new good bikes. all the other places rent absolute crap
best cafe for working (and american food) The Pedlar Cafe
there are lots of hot springs around
waterfalls
caves
mountain viewpoints
the shopping street is nice to browse and shop
General Safety:
I found the thai people to be super lovely, gentle, friendly, open, and kind. I felt very safe in Thailand. I would be careful about things being stolen (esp in bangkok) but as a whole i felt really safe and fine, even travelling alone as a female.
It's also easy to meet other travelers there.
Info and Connections
The expat and travel communities of Thailand have loads of whatsapp groups and facebook groups on every possible topic and for every specific city/ island. Just search "thailand travel" or the city you're in on facebook and find the groups that apply to you - they've got loads of helpful info.
Link to whatsapp group for digital nomads Koh Phangan: bit.ly/3BqxVJv. Once youre in there, you can get links to groups for other places/ interests.
Thai Stuff
take advantage of being in thailand to learn about their traditions and culture. one example: While I was there, I took Muy Thai (thai boxing) lessons. not only was it fun, great exercise, and something new, but it taught me a lot about thai mentality and culture and i met really cool local people. Try Thai yoga, spirituality, cooking, boxing, or whatever other classes are available. It'll open your eyes
That's all for now, folks.
That's most of the info I can remember offhand... if you have specific questions, feel free to comment below or slide into my DMs.
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