Flying to Thailand...Help!?!

Try Priceline and CheapTickets.

Don't know what you consider cheap, but November is heading into the peak tourist season for Thailand, which means higher prices on both travel and accommodation.

Yeah, that does suck.

Thankfully, my fiance is going on a business trip to the Philippines so her ticket to that side of the world is paid for (she'llneed to fly up to Thailand, but that ticket is much cheaper). It's almost like we'll both be flying over at a 50% discount.

Have you been to Thailand before?

Nope....this will be my first trip to Asia at all.

You?

Been to Thailand six times, with number seven already booked and paid for January. Great place. Friendliest people in the world (I married one!). What's your plans for while you're there? I've covered a fair bit of the country, and should be able to give you some advice.
BTW, when I was buying the ticket for my wife to come to Australia, I got it through an online Bangkok based agent (http://www.12flight.com/). Don't know whether you can buy tickets with an origin outside Thailand, but it was a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than buying the ticket on this end.

I've only heard great things about the country. We really don't have any plans as far as what to do while we're there. I'm sure the woman will want to spend some time on the beach. I would like to check out some Thai historical sites. I don't know much about the country unfortunately, so any insight you have would be great.

It looks like we'll be spending 6 nights there.

Thanks Wilso!

In six nights, you're going to struggle to see both historical sights, and spend time on the beach, since the best beaches are in the south, and the best historical areas are in the north and northeast. The tourist areas to the south of Bangkok (Pattaya, Chon-buri etc) have beaches, but personally, I wouldn't swim at them. I'd only swim at the southern gulf islands of Koh Samui and Koh Pha-Ngan or at Phuket. Phuket is easier to get to and has some lovely beaches on the west coast of the island. To see historical areas, you'd be thinking more about either Sukhothai or Chiang Mai. Obviously there's a lot more places, but you're not going to have time to get away from the main tourist areas in only six days. For internal flights in Thailand, look at Air Asia, Nok Air, Bangkok Airways. The first two are the cheapest.

Isn't there some issues with airports being closed due to the unrest about the recent election? Sad to see the Thais in such turmoil.

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I had a friend who was chatting to a Thai taxi driver in the election where Thaksin was voted in - he was of the opinion that Thaksin would be good because a multimillionaire would be more difficult to corrupt. Bad call.

The airports are open again. There's dissent between the groups supporting opposing political groups, but you generally won't see any danger for tourists. You can be assured that you wouldn't want to be a Thai citizen accused of a crime against a tourist.
On Thaksin, he was/is generally popular among the poorer classes, and unpopular among the wealthy.

I gotta agree with Wilso.
In Thailand, it really seems like hospitality is a religion, especially to foreign tourists.
If you need help getting around, someone will help you, and especially in the airports.
If you really want to see Thailand, DONT use one of the charter tour agencies, get yourself a local guide.

If you want to go to the beaches, then the only one I would recommend is Phuket.
It is an absolutely stunning beach (at least it was last time I was there, before the tsunami).
If I was going to Thailand for the first time, I would stay away from the beaches and go to the north, simply because everyone going to Thailand for the next few months is going to the beaches.

And the last thing you need to worry about is crime, because crime against foreign tourists in almost unheard of, and the Thai govt has no sense of humor about it.

Make sure your vaccinations are up to date, especially if you go to the northern part of the country, and STAY AWAY FROM THE SEX WORKERS.
STD's are rampant among the sex workers in Thailand.

Other then that, have a blast, and make sure you take your camera.
No matter where you go, try and see some of the old palaces and some of the Buddhist temples.
The monks are friendly and quite open to tourists.

While they are becoming more tourist oriented, some of the temples are quite beautiful.
My favorite is Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which if I remember correctly is in Bangkok, near the royal palace.
(Again, its been many years since I was there).

Around the main tourist beaches of Phuket, you'd never know that the tsunami had hit. They started their repairs at Patong beach, and worked outwards. Patong beach has got the jet skis, para-sailing etc. For a quieter beach, go south 10 minutes to Karon beach.
There's plenty of temples to see anywhere in Thailand. The older ones are in the north.

For vaccinations, Hep A and typhoid. Hep B if you're worried about it. Don't worry about Malaria unless you're going to the southern gulf islands.

When I was single, I made use of the pleasures available, but always used my own protection that I took with me. Didn't have a problem.

Tourist police - all speak English - 1155 - is a free call from any phone.

The one cast iron rule in Thailand, is NEVER lose your cool. Overt displays of anger are frowned upon, and won't achieve anything. They don't call Thailand the Land of Smiles for nothing.

I knew Phuket got hit hard, but since I havent been there in many years I didnt know how far along they were in rebuilding.
Its good to know they have rebuilt it.

I agree that there are beautiful and old temples all over Thailand.
I just thought that the temple of the Emerald Buddha was one of the most beautiful, at least of the ones I saw.

I haven't been to that one. Been to Wat Pho, where the 100ft reclining Buddha is.

Another great sight in Bangkok is the barge museum. A must see. Go to the central pier, and hire a long tail boat. Go to the floating market, the snake farm, barge museum as a minimum.