by Jack Pescatello
The best time to travel to Thailand, in my opinion, is the winter holidays. It is very warm in Bangkok, hot and sunny in the south, and nice to the north. Most notable is the lack of humidity.
There are plenty of flights from Narita. Any travel agent will be able to book a flight on ANA, JAL, Northwest, or Thai air. These are higher-priced and generally more comfortable. Air India has a direct flight (Wed, Sat) that is priced about US$200 lower, delivering less, but getting you there. Air Egypt and Biman Bangladesh have cheap flights also.
Bangkok is littered with cheap places to stay. There are many hotels in the $20-40 range that have all the amenities one needs. Kao San Road is very famous among backpackers and grungy dread-locked hippies. You can find some real holes for under $5. My advice - don't stay there. We are not poor students anymore and can afford cheap hotels. I suggest the Manhattan Hotel. It is about $25 and very clean and secure. It is located on Sukhumvit Rd, one of the main avenues in Bangkok. From there, you can reach the rest of the city by bus, sky tram and taxi.
Recently, tuk-tuk (those 3-wheeled mud riders) drivers are very insistent on taking you to a tailor or gem shop. Not agreeing to stop there results in being overcharged. Take air-con buses or a taxi.
Kao San Road is worth at least a look as it does have some good shopping: silver, T-shirts, fake CDs. Some other things you might want to check out are the Catachak weekend market, Thai boxing, sunset atop the golden temple on a small hill in the city, a boat ferry across the river, Wat Arun, the Emperors palace, and Wat Pho.
For nightlife, Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy are the infamous choices along Sukhumvit. Patpong has the most notoriety, as well as go-go bars. But I found Patpong to be too seedy and crawling with touts, and offers. The other two are much more relaxed, although still a little shady. Great restaurants are everywhere.
Most Thai food is edible, but some of the shellfish might cause trouble for a weak stomach. Thai food is spicy, but you can find many menu items that aren't. Just ask. Many people in any tourist hub can speak some English.
Outside of the city is a whole country for exploring. If you like trekking and heading into the hills, then go north. Chiang Mai is a good base city for any kind of excursion.
If you like beaches, then you have come to the right place. The long southern peninsula has the best. Phuket and Samui are here. They are the big name resort islands with big hotels. Still, you can always find a cheap place to stay. Phuket and Samui also come with throngs of tourists, completely free.
Ko Phan Ngan, just north of Ko Samui, is much more small scale. Those full-moon parties are here. Although I have never been to one, I hear a wide range of things about them. The little corner of the island that holds the full moon party, and the mass of cheap bungalows and tourist services, is crap. Every other place is beautiful.
Ko Tao, just north of Ko Phan Ngan, is a scuba dive center. Other names of famous southern islands are Phi Phi and Khrabi.
To the east of Bangkok, the most (in)famous beach is Pattaya. If you have heard anything about Pattaya, it is most likely that the beach district is the largest open brothel in the world. There are hundreds of small go-go bars. The beach itself is nothing special, so if you want the peaceful sun and sand, don't go to Pattaya. If you want sin, sex, and salvation, go to Pattaya.
Ko Chang and Ko Samet, nearby to Pattaya, are much better. Local Thais visit them from the Bangkok area. This is nice if you want to get away from Westerners, but they are still rather busy islands.
As for getting a hotel or bungalow at any of these places, it is easy. If you want a nice hotel, get a reservation on the Internet. Most sites charge pennies for making a reservation. If you don't reserve, you might have to settle for a dingy bungalow.
If you have plans to travel to Cambodia from Thailand, go to talesofasia.com. It is the best site on Cambodia, and has sections for most other SE Asian countries.
One last warning: recently, a lot of travel agencies, mostly on Kao San Rd, are selling scams. They tout great, cheap deals, but what you actually get is a headache and a bad rip-off. If you plan to travel to any out of the way destination - DO RESEARCH!
Winter break is a great time to travel. I'll be in Cambodia and Thailand from Dec 19-Jan 7. Anyone else? Let me know.