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Thailand is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet. Especially for budget travellers, but that doesn’t mean planning a trip to Thailand is always easy.
I made my fair share of mistakes when planning my first trip to Thailand. I could have made a lot more if I hadn’t done my research ahead of time though.
I’m going to share with you all the major mistakes you need to avoid when planning a vacation to Thailand.

Table of Contents
Mistake 1: Not Downloading Grab Before You Leave
Grab is the Uber of Southeast Asia. You’ll become very familiar with Grab and will learn to love it.
Seriously. It’s probably the most important app you need on your phone for your Southeast Asian trip.
Taxis can be a bit of a wild card in Southeast Asia. Especially in Thailand. There are a lot of taxi scams and a lot of drivers will refuse to turn on the meter and try to get you to agree to an inflated set price.
This is especially true if you’re taking the taxi from the airport.
Using Grab is the best way around this. You pay a set price in the app and don’t have to worry about being scammed. You do have to pay for any tolls your car passes on your drive so be aware of that.
The Most Important Thing You Need to Know About Grab
There is one catch with Grab.
You have to download Grab and input your credit card details while you’re in your home country. You cannot download and input your credit card details into Grab when you’re already in Southeast Asia.
I have no idea why this is, but it causes a lot of problems for tourists who learn about Grab when they’re already in Thailand.
If you do happen to read this article when you’re already abroad and aren’t able to add your credit card details to your account, there is a work around. It’s a bit annoying, but it’s better than nothing.
You can ask a friend or family member in your home country to create a Grab account with your email address for you and give them your credit card details to input into the account.
Then they log out of the account on their phone, and you log into your account on your phone.
It can be a pain (especially with the time zones), but it’s worth the effort. Grab will save you a lot of time and money on your trip to Thailand.
But you can avoid the headache of it all and just make sure you have Grab downloaded and ready to go before you arrive in Thailand.

Mistake 2: Not Using an Esim
Esims are my new favourite travel technology. I learned about them for my 2022 trip to the UAE and Turkey and have used them on every single trip since them.
I’ve also rather aggressively insisted that every single person I know who goes on a trip downloads an esim. Even my accountant.
Esims are cheap, affordable, and convenient.
You install it onto your phone by scanning a QR code after purchasing a package for your travel destination (in this case Thailand or a regional esim for Southeast Asia) and then it automatically activates when you turn it on in Thailand.
My favourite part about esims is that you can install them before you arrive in a country.
You can turn on your data as soon as you arrive and don’t have to worry about finding wifi in the airport and downloading an esim when you arrive in Thailand.
This is especially nice since the immigration lines in Thailand are always super long, so you can scroll on your phone and pass the time quickly.
An esim is also soooooo much better than getting a physical esim at the airport when you land. Most people get physical esims in Thailand, and the line to get the esim can be very, very long.
If you do want a physical sim, be sure to order it online in advance to cut down on some of the wait time.
But it’s better just to get an esim and install it on your phone before you arrive in Thailand. Trust me on this. It’s 100% worth it and not having an esim is in my opinion one of the biggest mistakes you can make when planning a trip to Thailand.
That’s how much I love them and swear by them.
Airalo is the best esim on the market and the one I recommend to everybody. I’ve used it in dozens of countries (including China) and have never had an issue with it.
You can even top up and add extra data to your esim directly in the app without having to reinstall a new esim.
Okay. I’ll stop gushing about esims now and move onto the next mistake you don’t want to make on your trip to Thailand.
Mistake 3: Not Dressing Modestly
Normally when I have to talk about dressing modestly, it only applies to women/female-presenting people, but that’s not the case in Thailand.
Everybody is expected to dress modestly when visiting temples.
Shoulders and knees need to be covered by everybody no matter your gender.
I can’t tell you how many people I saw getting turned away from temples because they didn’t have the appropriate clothing.
That’s why you see so many people in the famous elephant pants. They had to buy them from a nearby vendor to get into the temple.
I’m on team dress modestly every where you go because it’s respectful of the culture in Thailand. You won’t get stopped or scolded if you wear shorts and a tank top outside a temple, but modesty is always appreciated by locals.
If you do want to wear shorts and a tank top, here are a few ways to make sure you stay modest while visiting temples.

Modesty Tips
I know Thailand is hot. Very hot. But you still need to make sure you’re dressed according to their standards.
Covering your shoulders is easy if they aren’t already covered. Just keep a small scarf in your bag and throw it on whenever you want to go into a temple.
The knees are a little bit more challenging. I always suggest just wearing a skirt or pair of shorts that covers your knees, but some people don’t want to do that.
So either buy some elephant pants or carry a second long scarf around that you can wrap around your waist when you’re in the temple.
Also be aware that the majority of temples require you to take off your shoes. You’ll be walking around in bare feet if you’re wearing sandals.
If you’re like me and hate the feeling of your bare feet touching anything but socks or slippers, throw an extra pair of socks in your day bag/purse just in case you stumble on a temple and want to go in but are wearing sandals.
That saved me a few times in Bangkok. There are temples everywhere. Even on days when you aren’t planning on visiting a temple, there’s a solid chance you’ll stumble on one anyway.
Mistake 4: Thinking You Can Bus/Train Everywhere
Thailand is a huge country. If you’re used to primarily travelling in Europe, you’re used to overlanding everywhere and never thinking about flying to another city in the same country.
I was definitely under the impression that I could bus or train everywhere when I was in the early stages of planning a trip to Thailand.
I was quickly humbled and realized that sometimes it’s just easier to fly.
Technically, you can bus or train from Bangkok to pretty much anywhere in Thailand, but it takes a long time.
Trust me when I tell you that unless you’re on a super tight budget, flying is the best way to cover long distances. Then you can take the bus within the region you’re visiting.
For example, I flew from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand and then took the bus everywhere else in Northern Thailand that I visited.
I recommend flying between the different regions of Thailand (north, south, central) and then overlanding within the regions.
Trust me. Overnight trains that you see a bunch of travel content creators make videos about are not as cool or fun as they make them seem. If you have the budget, fly.
Buying Bus and Train Tickets in Thailand
While we’re on the top of transportation in Thailand, I want to quickly touch on the best place to buy bus and train tickets.
When I was planning my first trip to Thailand, I read blog after blog after blog that said I didn’t have to buy bus tickets ahead of time. That I could just show up at the bus station and get a ticket for the next bus for wherever I was going.
I showed up at the bus station in Chiang Mai half an hour before the bus I wanted to take to Chiang Rai was due to leave, tried to buy a ticket, and the lady at the counter said all the buses were sold out, and the next available bus was four hours later.
So, I learnt my lesson that you do need to purchase your bus tickets in advance, and now I’m sharing that information with you to save you from the pain of having to sit in an uncomfortable bus station for four hours before your bus leaves.
The best place to buy your bus tickets in advance is through 12Go.
It’s the most reputable and reliable place to purchase tickets online in Southeast Asia. I’ve used it tons of times and have never had an issue with it. It saves you having to go all the way to the bus station (which often isn’t walking distance to the touristy areas) and purchase a ticket in person.

Thailand Transportation Guides
I’ve written a few guides to help you figure out how to easily travel within popular cities in Thailand. Hopefully reading these will help you with planning a trip to Thailand!
Mistake 5: Staying in the Wrong Area (Especially in Bangkok)
Bangkok is one of the few cities in Southeast Asia that has a metro system (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Manila also have a metro system). Unfortunately, the metro system isn’t great.
The metro system in Bangkok is very limited. It doesn’t go everywhere you want to go as a tourist. It is expanding and will become more robust in the future, but, for now, there are definitely places where there isn’t a metro station within a reasonable walking distance.
Specifically, there isn’t a metro station within a decent walking distance of the Royal Palace.
There is one that’s about a 30 minute walk away, but it’s a brutal walk in the Bangkok heat and humidity. You’ll definitely be super sweaty if you try to walk it.
The first time I visited Bangkok, I decided to stay in the Khao San Road area rather than the Sukhumvit Road area. It didn’t take long before I really regretted that decision.
I thought it’d be nice to be able to walk to the Royal Palace and the nearby temples. I didn’t realize when planning my trip to Thailand that you could do everything in that area in a day.
The nearest metro station was a 20 minute walk from my hotel. I either had to walk to the metro station, take a bus, or call a Grab/TukTuk.
Without a doubt, the best place to stay in Bangkok is in the Sukhumvit area. It makes getting around so much more convenient. Trust me. Not staying in that area was the worst mistake I made while planning a trip to Thailand.
I guess the moral of my story is to stay along a metro line anywhere you travel if you can. This applies to anywhere you travel. Being able to get around quickly and easily is going to make your trip so much better.
Mistake 6: Only Visiting Bangkok
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when planning a trip to Thailand is only visiting Bangkok.
In my opinion, Bangkok is the least exciting place in Thailand. I know some people adore the city and want to keep going back over and over again, but it fell flat for me.
I left Bangkok wanting more, and I found what I was looking for elsewhere in Thailand.
Thailand has so much to offer outside of Bangkok.
There are stunning beaches, amazing nature, wildlife, and the best temples are outside of Bangkok.
You’re really doing yourself a disservice if you only visit Bangkok.
I know a lot of people don’t have a lot of time off work to travel and want to see as much of Southeast Asia as possible, but it’s worthwhile to slow down and really get a taste of Thailand outside of Bangkok.
It’ll elevate your entire vacation and make you want to go back to Thailand to explore more.
I know there are a lot of other really interesting places to visit in the region, but they’re all so diverse and special. It’s definitely worth the time and effort to stick to one or two countries in Southeast Asia if you don’t have much time then come back and explore more at another time.
I think you absolutely need between 10-14 days in Thailand at a minimum. That’s still only going to dip your toe in the water of Thailand, but it’s better than just visiting Bangkok for a few days then moving on.
I think the perfect two week trip to Southeast Asia (with Thailand as the main focus) is to spend 10 days in Thailand then 3 days in Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat.

Mistake 7: Getting Carried Away with Haggling
Haggling for souvenirs and clothing is a common practice in Thailand. In a lot of places it’s expected.
A lot of tourists take it too far though. They’ll keep pushing and pushing and demand a lower price then get upset if they don’t get the price they think they should get. Normally based on some outdated information on the internet that is giving them the wrong target price to hit.
I personally despise haggling so avoid it all costs, but if you do want to haggle, remember the situation.
You have enough money that you’re able to go on a trip to Thailand and buy souvenirs. The person who is selling you the souvenir may not have a ton of money and is trying to feed their family.
The amount you’re haggling over isn’t that much. Maybe a dollar or two.
Is it really worth getting upset and aggressively haggling with someone over a couple of dollars?
Probably not. And if it is, you may want to rethink whether you can afford to go to Thailand and buy that souvenir.
Haggling is fine but don’t be super aggressive about it. Treat everybody you haggle with with respect, and don’t come back to them and get angry if you find out that someone got a cheaper price at a different vendor.
It’s not that serious.
Find something you like, agree to a price you’re comfortable paying, and if you can’t come to an agreement, move on politely.
And please do not haggle over the price of street food.
Mistake 8: Trying to do Too Much
It’s easy to want to see and do everything Thailand has to offer. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make when planning a trip to Thailand is trying to cram way too much into their itinerary.
They’ll spend one or two nights in a ton of cities and constantly be on the move without really seeing much of Thailand.
You’ll probably fly into Bangkok. Spend three or four days there then choose one other region of Thailand to visit.
Stick to that region and don’t try to do every region of Thailand in one trip. You’ll be exhausted by the end of your trip and leave feeling like you didn’t really see anything.
I love Northern Thailand, but most people will probably enjoy Southern Thailand or going to one of Thailand’s many beaches and islands.
There are lots of possibilities.
They key is to identify what’s important to you to see on your trip to Thailand and then build out your itinerary from there.
You can’t do it all and don’t try to. Take your time. You’ll enjoy what you see far more than if you rush around the country trying to see everything in two weeks.

Conclusion
I hope this article helped with your Thailand trip planning.
And hopefully you learned something new. I tried not to include information that always comes up when you research planning a trip to Thailand.
Thailand wasn’t high on my list of places to visit, but it should have been. I loved my time in Thailand (especially the food) and think it’s the perfect country to introduce you to Southeast Asia.
It’s a relatively easy country to travel in (even as a solo traveller), has amazing tourist attractions with a variety of things to do, and it won’t break the bank.
Planning a trip to Thailand may feel daunting at first. There’s so much to see and do, but once you narrow down where you want to go and what you want to see, it becomes way easier.


