What is Transportation like in Thailand?
Scooters, scooters and more scooters- 90% of the automobiles on the road in Thailand are scooters/motor bikes. In fact, you can rent one for only about $6 a day. Forget about large fancy gas stations, here,they sell gas on the side of the road in small glass bottles. For 30B, you can simply pull to the side of the road and refill your tank! And honestly, for what I’ve witnessed, most drivers don’t seem to obey any traffic laws. For example, there are yellow lines painted down the middle of the road, but no one seems to notice them or bother staying on the correct side of the road. If you happen hear someone toot their horn, it is their way of gently letting you know that they are passing you.
Despite the craziness of all the traffic, the flow is steady, and although we have heard that the roads are very dangerous, we haven’t seen a accident yet. Everyone seems to just let everyone else merge or turn in front of them without road rage or getting upset in the least. In fact, you can carry whatever you can fit on your motor bike with you ( ladders, lumber, metal piping, laundry bags, trash bags, cases of beer, etc) and there seems to be no limit of the number of humans that can ride on a motorbike at once. Several times I have seen up to four people on one , including dogs, infants and small children.
Also, it is not necessary to wear a helmet!! However, due to the days of Corona Virus, it IS mandatory to wear a face mask. That seems kinda silly to me….everybody should wear helmets, right?! The one really funny thing is… once the children get too big to all fit on one motorbike, you don’t just go out and buy another motorbike, or that shiny new SUV like in America. You simply take your motor bike into the shop and they rig up a metal side-car of sorts, so that now everyone fits comfortably.
If you are too afraid to rent a motorbike and brave the crazy traffic, there are taxi’s, and Bolt services. In our experience, Taxi’s are more expensive to use than Bolt. But both are readily available anytime of day or night. Along the beach, there are also open taxis ( like small, open trucks, similar to TukTuk’s in Europe,except these are designed to be “super fun” with neon flashing lights and loud music playing) .
These Red or Yellow painted things are by far the most expensive of all. These seem to frequented by drunk American and German folks. We, personally, have used Bolt most of the time, which is similar to Uber. Sometimes, we get a car that arrives with a hip young guy and barely any leg room. Other times, the resort vans show up when we have ordered a Bolt. These vans are totally decked out, and often contract as bolt drivers on their off hours. So, you can get a cheap ride and a pimpin view. We are always very excited when one of those pull up.
What kind of Money do you use in Thailand?
The currency is Thai Baht (TBT). To give you an idea of the exchange rate, 100B is approximately $3.00 USD. Therefore, American money goes a lot further here. However, unlike most the other countries that we have visited, everything you buy MUST BE paid in cash. Now , yes, indeed there are a few major resorts or stores that accept debt or credit cards, but they are few and far between, and their prices are nearly double plus they will charge you 3%, which kind of takes away from any rewards you get from your cards . This has proved to be a struggle for us in the sense that I NEVER carry cash, or at least never used to. I still find it difficult to carry around 5,000 or 10,000 baht in my purse or bag without feeling paranoid of losing it or being robbed. On the bright side, there are ATM’s every few blocks,so we have learned to take out large amounts at a time, to save on the ATM fees.
On a small side note, I have to mention, you should always carry at least a small amount of cash on you because…. IT COSTS to use the BATHROOM, here! I’m not just talking public toilets, but even in bars and restaraunts. Nothing is worse than drinking 8 glasses of water on a steaming hot day to re-hydrate after laying on the beach, or having a few deliscious umbrella drinks at the local hot spot, and then having to do the pee-pee dance while holding your privates, because you don’t have change to use the Loo!!
What is Housing like in Phuket, Thailand?
Housing in Thailand is very small and very simple. Many people live in a small room above their business and hang their laundry on the tiny patio to dry. In fact, most also have their make-shift kitchens on these small balconies. After all, the only thing you really need is a rice maker, an induction or gas burner and a Wok, right?!?! In fact, we just went and purchased both to save money on eating out every night. Tonight Quinn made a wonderful beef stew. How awesome it was to taste something that reminded me of home!
Most places that are for rent are very affordable, and range from $250-1000/month. Again, keep in mind, most are very basic with only the bare necessities. One thing I feel obligated to also note, is to read the small print when making reservation at these places. Most require a cash deposit of $2000 to $10000 baht for electricity and water usage. For example, the first place we stayed at during our initial days of quarantine, we wound up staying for 11 days, although we paid for an entire month ( because it was the same price through Airbnb long-term stay program). Within those 11 days, we basically used up the entire deposit! IF we had stayed for the entire month, as originally planned, we would have owed even more. There are, of course , “American” hotels and resorts such as Holiday Inn, Marriotts, and such, for which you will pay a pretty penny to stay at. But… what fun is that?? It will cost you a fortune and why not spend the extra cash on adventures and tours! Besides…it is so much more interesting to live around the locals and get a real experience for the people and the culture that you are visiting.
What is the Culture like in Phuket, Thailand?
The most common religion in Thailand is Theravada Buddism ( although there are also a few Muslim communities). Nearly every single business has a shrine out front where fresh fruits or flowers are offered up every few days. There is even a HUGE Budda statue at the top on the mountain for all to see in Phuket. Most businesses and homes have shrines (spirit houses) with pictures of their ancient relatives, to worship and they leave them food and gifts.
There are massage parlors everywhere! Literally, every 10 steps in either direction, you will see ladies sitting outside offering their services. There are also motorbike repair shops, laundry facilities, street food vendors, restaraunts, boutique hotels,and 7-11. Yes, you read that right, they have 7-11!! But don’t get too excited just yet… there are no Big Gulps or Slushes sold there. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited and disappointed within the same 2 minute time frame. The ones they have here, are more like a convenience store/dollar general store. And the good news for some is that YES, they accept plastic payment!
What is the food like in Thailand?
Thai food mainly consists of rice or noodles and most of it can be very spicy. We always opt for just a tiny bit of spice, as we learned our lesson once after ordering “medium” spice. Needless to say, we haven’t made that mistake again. The main meats are seafood, pork and chicken. In our opinion, most dishes would be better if they added a few more servings of vegetables.
There are tons and tons of street vendors grilling meat throughout the day and night. The smells are fabulous!! You absolutely need to try a few of these while you visit. It won’t take you long to find a favorite. There are also several small fruit stands along the road – as fresh fruits seems to be plentiful here. Most vendors will even offer to cut up your fresh fruit or coconut for you. Street vendors are much less costly than dining in a restaraunt, or purchasing items from a large chain grocery store, and it is a good way to support the local economy.
Most restaraunts are open air facilities and you can literally see the person cooking your food behind the counter on a small griddle or stove. Some only serve Thai food, others offer a wide variety of western dishes. Several of these places are not listed on google or such online sites, so don’t waste time trying to search for one. The best way to find places, is to put on your flip flops, stroll down the road, and let the adventure guide you.
One of my favorite things are the fresh juice/shake stands lining the city streets . I love to simply walk up, point to whatever fresh fruit I would like for them to make me a shake of for the morning, and stand back to watch the magic happen. On a hot day, nothing is more refreshing, and the best part…. most sell for only 40-50 baht!!
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