Thailand Travel Answers

On many travel forums you can ask for hotel advice for the cities you want to visit. But also include a price range for your hotels and not just use cheap or economy, budget or middle priced. Use a baht amount. In Thailand you can sign up for tours through local travel agencies. They are used to tourists wanting tours on short notice. Some hotels even have tour desks. Don't expect cheaper hotels or guest houses in Thailand to have fancy websites. In Bangkok you do have some hostels but after Bangkok not so many hostels but quite a few guest houses and smaller no star hotels. Look over some of the older posts on this forum. You will see people asking for hotel advice. Maybe you can use some of the same hotels. If you need a visa or not depends on the country passport you are using to enter Thailand. If you are flying in from long distance consider a round trip ticket to Bangkok and not two one way flights. Do the math; two one way flights on major carriers often cost more than a round trip. Since you mention going to Koh Phangan first, then Phuket then Bangkok. Phuket is usually more expensive for hotels than Bangkok. Also the transportation in Phuket is more expensive than Bangkok too. Read up on some of the older posts. Even a Google, Yahoo or Bing check will give you some suggestions for other travel forums.

I think that there are no comprehensive guides to download for free, but of course check VT site for info, as this seems to be the best travel site around, full of helpful tips. Some airlines like Air Asia, Tiger Airways (if i remember correctly) have mini guides to countries they fly to, including accommodation sections. In Thailand you will have no problem meeting tourists of your own age. always good to carry a guidebook with you, splash out and get one!

In the "olden days in the time before the internet" many millions of tourists made do with a simple printed travel guide. You can borrow a travel guide from a library for free! Fodor's and Frommer's if you are more wealthy and Lonely Planet or Moon Guides if your budget is tighter.

You have already found one of the best sites for travel information here on VT. Nobody publishes a guide for free, they have to make a profit but on VT travellers will give you suggestions. As stated above, many places organise tours although you cannot ever guarantee the age range of the other travellers or even where to meet them. When you speak of good quality accommodation, it all depends on budget. How much are you able to spend per night in each place? I would say, having ben there any times and always travelled solo, that Thailand is one of the easiest countries in Asia to travel round as a foreigner and I am sure you will love it. Hope this assists, fergy.