Looking for Initial Advice for First Trip to Thailand
May 19, 2016, 9:10 pm
#16
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My number one piece of advice is to make sure you have adequate medical insurance for all members of your family.
There is a loosely affiliated group, of which I am on the periphery, that often helps Americans who are involved in medical/health emergencies here. Mostly we just facilitate communications, both locally and to the U.S.
A recent case, still on-going, involved a large motorcycle crashing into a Tuk-Tuk, carrying four Americans (actually some green-card Ecuadoreans), has been a real eye-opener. Medical treatment/logistics, transfers between hospitals, visa/immigration issues, payment, insurance, employers have all come into play.
http://www.thairath.co.th/content/605183
http://www.samuitimes.com/english-wo...ntral-bangkok/
http://www.epa.eu/disasters-photos/t...hotos-52698842
There is a loosely affiliated group, of which I am on the periphery, that often helps Americans who are involved in medical/health emergencies here. Mostly we just facilitate communications, both locally and to the U.S.
A recent case, still on-going, involved a large motorcycle crashing into a Tuk-Tuk, carrying four Americans (actually some green-card Ecuadoreans), has been a real eye-opener. Medical treatment/logistics, transfers between hospitals, visa/immigration issues, payment, insurance, employers have all come into play.
http://www.thairath.co.th/content/605183
http://www.samuitimes.com/english-wo...ntral-bangkok/
http://www.epa.eu/disasters-photos/t...hotos-52698842
May 19, 2016, 9:19 pm
#17
Join Date: May 2012
Location: BKK/SIN/YYZ/YUL
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Responsible adults do not take young children to Pattaya. Pattaya is disgusting. It caters to some of the worlds most vile scum. The water is polluted, there is no beach to speak of and the city is one sprawling polluted collection of shoddy construction and low quality hospitality establishments. Respectable Thais do not vacation there either.
In any case, it will be rainy season. Unless one is planning to hang out in Boyztown to have sex with teenage boys, or hit the darkside to exploit women trafficked in from Cambodia/Laos/Burma for the sex slave trade, one doesn't go to the city with the sewage that floods the streets during rainy season.
Hua Hin is one of the few regions that won't be waterlogged in August. It is 4 -5 hours away and offers a superior experience. Hotels are dirt cheap in August and there is a VIP express bus that operates between BKK and Hua Hin. A mini van with driver will cost you 3,000-5,000 baht if not more to move 7 people. The VIP bus is 269 baht per person and offers more room, more safety than a lunatic driver in a minivan and it has a toilet for the kids.
The tours that visit Bangkok and Pattaya on the cheap are what are termed zero baht tours and are best avoided. To make their profits, the tours stop at designated "rip off" retailers where prices are inflated so as to be able to provide a kickback to the tour operators. If your timing is right you will be there for one of the regular balcony divers or drunk driving crashes. Do not go to Pattaya if you do not want to be treated like a low end sucker.
I suggest you read Andrew Drummond's website blog for more information about Pattaya. He was a reputable freelance journalist who had to flee the country for the sake of his wife and kid's safety. He had exposed too much corruption. Phuketwan was another independent news source harassed out of existence because of corruption. Don't bother with Thai Visa forum for reliable info as it is filled with miserable whingers and the locals from Pattay are usually sexpats.
In any case, it will be rainy season. Unless one is planning to hang out in Boyztown to have sex with teenage boys, or hit the darkside to exploit women trafficked in from Cambodia/Laos/Burma for the sex slave trade, one doesn't go to the city with the sewage that floods the streets during rainy season.
Hua Hin is one of the few regions that won't be waterlogged in August. It is 4 -5 hours away and offers a superior experience. Hotels are dirt cheap in August and there is a VIP express bus that operates between BKK and Hua Hin. A mini van with driver will cost you 3,000-5,000 baht if not more to move 7 people. The VIP bus is 269 baht per person and offers more room, more safety than a lunatic driver in a minivan and it has a toilet for the kids.
The tours that visit Bangkok and Pattaya on the cheap are what are termed zero baht tours and are best avoided. To make their profits, the tours stop at designated "rip off" retailers where prices are inflated so as to be able to provide a kickback to the tour operators. If your timing is right you will be there for one of the regular balcony divers or drunk driving crashes. Do not go to Pattaya if you do not want to be treated like a low end sucker.
I suggest you read Andrew Drummond's website blog for more information about Pattaya. He was a reputable freelance journalist who had to flee the country for the sake of his wife and kid's safety. He had exposed too much corruption. Phuketwan was another independent news source harassed out of existence because of corruption. Don't bother with Thai Visa forum for reliable info as it is filled with miserable whingers and the locals from Pattay are usually sexpats.
Last edited by Transpacificflyer; May 20, 2016 at 6:40 am Reason: Correction
May 20, 2016, 7:37 am
#18
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Join Date: Feb 2000
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Ummm... yeah....
One of the guys in our diving group lives in Jomtien full time, and he's quite clear that only small parts of Pattaya consist of an open-air brothel catering to tourists.
Most of the city is just like any other Thai city. Using that description for the entire city is like saying Las Vegas is a den of sin which no parent would ever consider taking their kids to. Except, of course, millions of kids do end up visiting Las Vegas without being traumatized or being exposed to the extremely seedy parts of the city.
One of the guys in our diving group lives in Jomtien full time, and he's quite clear that only small parts of Pattaya consist of an open-air brothel catering to tourists.
Most of the city is just like any other Thai city. Using that description for the entire city is like saying Las Vegas is a den of sin which no parent would ever consider taking their kids to. Except, of course, millions of kids do end up visiting Las Vegas without being traumatized or being exposed to the extremely seedy parts of the city.
May 20, 2016, 11:45 pm
#19
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Responsible adults do not take young children to Pattaya. Pattaya is disgusting. It caters to some of the worlds most vile scum. The water is polluted, there is no beach to speak of and the city is one sprawling polluted collection of shoddy construction and low quality hospitality establishments. Respectable Thais do not vacation there either.
Unless one is planning to hang out in Boyztown to have sex with teenage boys, or hit the darkside to exploit women trafficked in from Cambodia/Laos/Burma for the sex slave trade, one doesn't go to the city with the sewage that floods the streets during rainy season.
Do not go to Pattaya if you do not want to be treated like a low end sucker.
Don't bother with Thai Visa forum for reliable info as it is filled with miserable whingers and the locals from Pattay are usually sexpats.
Unless one is planning to hang out in Boyztown to have sex with teenage boys, or hit the darkside to exploit women trafficked in from Cambodia/Laos/Burma for the sex slave trade, one doesn't go to the city with the sewage that floods the streets during rainy season.
Do not go to Pattaya if you do not want to be treated like a low end sucker.
Don't bother with Thai Visa forum for reliable info as it is filled with miserable whingers and the locals from Pattay are usually sexpats.
While I agree that Pattya would not be high on my list, there is much interesting to do there if you end up going. My friends and I stayed at the then Sheraton Pattaya (I think maybe it's an Intercontinental now) outside of the city on a hill going down to the ocean. It's beautiful. Things to do/see in the area?
And there are more. Your hotel will be able to help.
May 22, 2016, 5:37 am
#20
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Melbourne, AU
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Even if you manage to avoid the seedier parts of Pattaya - which is not that easy unless you steer clear of downtown altogether - the fact remains that it's hard to have a beach holiday with kids in a city where you wouldn't swim in the sea.
You can head out to the islands - although better they are not particularly clean either. And being Thailand, remember boating safety. Make sure there are enough life jackets for everyone. You need to take responsibility for yourself in or on the sea because, more so than elsewhere, no one else will.
You can head out to the islands - although better they are not particularly clean either. And being Thailand, remember boating safety. Make sure there are enough life jackets for everyone. You need to take responsibility for yourself in or on the sea because, more so than elsewhere, no one else will.
May 22, 2016, 7:49 am
#21
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The OP's kids are aged 6 through 12, which means they're not doing any serious swimming. They're running around on the sand and splashing in the near-shore water.
It's quite easy to avoid the "seedier parts" when you stay at a resort, go to the resort's private beach, and go to local attractions via a hired taxi during the day/early evening. It's similar to how one can easily enjoy a 3-day visit in Bangkok and not set eye on any of the adult entertainment areas.
It's quite easy to avoid the "seedier parts" when you stay at a resort, go to the resort's private beach, and go to local attractions via a hired taxi during the day/early evening. It's similar to how one can easily enjoy a 3-day visit in Bangkok and not set eye on any of the adult entertainment areas.
May 22, 2016, 10:35 am
#22
Join Date: Aug 2006
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I suggest, that the OP goes to Hua Hin for 3-4 days.
Transfer from Bangkok is only 3 hours and not very expensive, you can hire a van-taxi or maybe 2 for the 7 pax with their luggage.
Hua Hin has decent Hotels, nice beaches, a good night-market, where you can have dinner and buy all kind of stuff.
We stayed twice in Hua Hin for 3 nights in August, weather was fine, sometimes a rain shower in the afternoon.
Been to Thailand about 15 times already, normally we go to the Southern Islands like Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Phuket etc, but if we are short of time and just do kind of a stopover inThailand, we go to Hua Hin. They even have a Hilton there, with a rooftop Lounge, we got access there as Gold members and had drinks there during sunset.
Last time, we stayed at the Centara Hotel, which we liked better. Huge property with nice gardens and excellent service and food.
Transfer from Bangkok is only 3 hours and not very expensive, you can hire a van-taxi or maybe 2 for the 7 pax with their luggage.
Hua Hin has decent Hotels, nice beaches, a good night-market, where you can have dinner and buy all kind of stuff.
We stayed twice in Hua Hin for 3 nights in August, weather was fine, sometimes a rain shower in the afternoon.
Been to Thailand about 15 times already, normally we go to the Southern Islands like Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Phuket etc, but if we are short of time and just do kind of a stopover inThailand, we go to Hua Hin. They even have a Hilton there, with a rooftop Lounge, we got access there as Gold members and had drinks there during sunset.
Last time, we stayed at the Centara Hotel, which we liked better. Huge property with nice gardens and excellent service and food.
May 25, 2016, 12:51 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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I suggest, that the OP goes to Hua Hin for 3-4 days.
Transfer from Bangkok is only 3 hours and not very expensive, you can hire a van-taxi or maybe 2 for the 7 pax with their luggage.
Hua Hin has decent Hotels, nice beaches, a good night-market, where you can have dinner and buy all kind of stuff.
We stayed twice in Hua Hin for 3 nights in August, weather was fine, sometimes a rain shower in the afternoon.
Been to Thailand about 15 times already, normally we go to the Southern Islands like Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Phuket etc, but if we are short of time and just do kind of a stopover inThailand, we go to Hua Hin. They even have a Hilton there, with a rooftop Lounge, we got access there as Gold members and had drinks there during sunset.
Last time, we stayed at the Centara Hotel, which we liked better. Huge property with nice gardens and excellent service and food.
Transfer from Bangkok is only 3 hours and not very expensive, you can hire a van-taxi or maybe 2 for the 7 pax with their luggage.
Hua Hin has decent Hotels, nice beaches, a good night-market, where you can have dinner and buy all kind of stuff.
We stayed twice in Hua Hin for 3 nights in August, weather was fine, sometimes a rain shower in the afternoon.
Been to Thailand about 15 times already, normally we go to the Southern Islands like Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Phuket etc, but if we are short of time and just do kind of a stopover inThailand, we go to Hua Hin. They even have a Hilton there, with a rooftop Lounge, we got access there as Gold members and had drinks there during sunset.
Last time, we stayed at the Centara Hotel, which we liked better. Huge property with nice gardens and excellent service and food.
What do you mean you got access being Gold members? You weren't staying there so you need to be a Gold member to access the rooftop lounge??
I'm staying at Centara Hua Hin in August and I'm also a HHonors Gold so curious as to what you meant.
May 25, 2016, 12:09 pm
#24
Join Date: Jul 2008
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May 25, 2016, 6:10 pm
#26
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May 26, 2016, 6:41 pm
#28
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Udon Thani, Thailand
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With 3 kids 6 to 12 I would stay at a Bangkok base.
Lots of things to do/visit in Bangkok: Wat Traimit, wat Po, wat arun, Golden mount...unfortunately I can't recommend the Grand Palace any more, last time there were so many (mainly Chinese) tourists (thousands of them, not funny in such a crowd) walking on their heads and at 500THB/person rather expensive.
Again with a family of 7 hire a boat for a canal trip and/or have dinner cruise.
China town and the surrounding small shopping streets, visiting a few of the hundreds markets, there is so much to see/walk on Rattanakosin (Bangkok old city)
A nice day out at the Beach at a Thai beach would be Bang Sean, half the distance Bangkok-Pattaya. (I went 2x to P with a small kid - less than 5 - and will not return)
You could hire a minibus with guide to visit Ayutthaya (too many temples to hop to, you need a guide with a family of 7)
There is also Muang Boran (Ancient city) slightly out of town, a huge park with scaled down Thai buildings from all over the country, again hire a van with driver, you will need the van inside the park.
Lots of things to do/visit in Bangkok: Wat Traimit, wat Po, wat arun, Golden mount...unfortunately I can't recommend the Grand Palace any more, last time there were so many (mainly Chinese) tourists (thousands of them, not funny in such a crowd) walking on their heads and at 500THB/person rather expensive.
Again with a family of 7 hire a boat for a canal trip and/or have dinner cruise.
China town and the surrounding small shopping streets, visiting a few of the hundreds markets, there is so much to see/walk on Rattanakosin (Bangkok old city)
A nice day out at the Beach at a Thai beach would be Bang Sean, half the distance Bangkok-Pattaya. (I went 2x to P with a small kid - less than 5 - and will not return)
You could hire a minibus with guide to visit Ayutthaya (too many temples to hop to, you need a guide with a family of 7)
There is also Muang Boran (Ancient city) slightly out of town, a huge park with scaled down Thai buildings from all over the country, again hire a van with driver, you will need the van inside the park.
May 26, 2016, 8:29 pm
#29
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Golden mount
I am huge fan of Wat Saket/Phu Khao Thong, in fact it is always one of the favorites for those I show around.
But with 318 steps I'm not certain two grandparents in their 70's will enjoy the climb?
http://www.thaibis.com/a-z/t/the-golden-mount
That whole area is amazing: Pom Mahakan, Rama 3 memorial, Loha Prasa.
I am huge fan of Wat Saket/Phu Khao Thong, in fact it is always one of the favorites for those I show around.
But with 318 steps I'm not certain two grandparents in their 70's will enjoy the climb?
http://www.thaibis.com/a-z/t/the-golden-mount
That whole area is amazing: Pom Mahakan, Rama 3 memorial, Loha Prasa.
May 27, 2016, 7:54 am
#30
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Posts: 3,445
To be fair, not all of Pattaya is an open air brothel catering to tourists. Some of it is brothel catering to Thais, and part of it is enclosed indoor brothels as well.