When in Thailand- Phuket & Bangkok

Thailand is a melting pot where you can experience different cultures meshed into one and yet you'd still be able to feel the authenticity of their unique culture. I have to admit that it really has more tourists than we have in the Philippines.

I went to this trip with a friend from Europe and we agreed on flying to Bangkok, meeting up there, and then have a connecting flight to Phuket. The reason behind this was that we wanted to catch the infamous Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok, which was only open during the weekends(obviously!) when we fly back- so it's important to know the opening days and hours before finishing up your itinerary.

Because we weren't too trusting with online bookings, almost all of our itinerary were purchased via our hotel in Sira Grande Phuket except for our trip to Phi Phi which was done with an agency at the Phuket Airport.

I won't be able to share all of the details of our trip but I will share some of the famous attractions that we've been to and their cost so you have an idea of what to do and prepare for when you visit the county, specifically Bangkok and Phuket.

FOOD

Prices can range from as little as 80-300 baht per meal, and drinks are around 60-120 baht. If you are not so picky, unlike us, you can opt for the famous street foods of Thailand which is very popular and almost everywhere! But I cannot give you assurance that you will not get diarrhea! Better be safe.

Here are some pics of places we ate  from:

The photo on the left is in a tiny restaurant we found in Bangkok's riverside after visiting Wat Arun Temple right across the river. Food here is relatively cheap, around 80 baht per plate.

The photo on the right is in Sukhumvit, the high-end district of Bangkok. Food can range up to 600 Baht or more per plate.

TEMPLES

The lowest price will be at 50 baht and can go high up to 500 baht or more, depending on how the locals price it! Take note that they price differently for tourists and locals.

The Grand Palace is the most expensive of all Temples to visit, it costs 500 baht, although it also includes the Temple of the Emerald Buddha as well and there are a lot of picturesque buildings there.

Other temples cost 50 or 100 baht, such as Wat Arun(Temple of Dawn) or Wat Pho(Reclining Buddha).

Ayutthaya temples cost the same, around 50 or 100 baht, but you have to ride a tuktuk around the old city to get from one temple to another. It costs 200 baht per hour and we lasted for 3 hours. Ayutthaya temples were my personal favorite since I'm really into history and ancient buildings.

ADVENTURE TOURS

Adventure tours range from as low as 700 baht to 5,000 baht. As for us, we wanted to enjoy the experience but at the same time keep a decent budget.

Phuket's Tiger Kingdom cost 1,000 baht to have a picture with the big cats and a tour of the place.

Phi Phi Island tour cost 1,200 baht which included transfers via ferry and a sumptuous buffet on the island. Do take note of the fact that if you want to go into the water to play or snorkel, you would need to pay a tax of 400 baht! We also paid a very subtle amount of 20 baht on the dock of Phi Phi Island for our entrance fee to explore the island.

The Amazing Bukit Safari's Elephant jungle trek cost 900 baht including transfers. Our guide, "Tom Cruise", also offered to go down the elephant to take our pictures from afar for 100 baht. The tour also included playtime with the baby elephant.

CHATUCHAK WEEKEND MARKET

The market is popular for its very cheap merchandise which is divided into different tiers to easily navigate- clothing section, artifacts, art, jewelry, food, etc.

I was able to buy clothes as low as 100 baht per piece and a wooden craft I'm holding on the picture for 280 baht, among other things. Its original price was 400 baht but because I researched, I knew you can ask for a bargain! So yes, learn to bargain.

PARKS AND RECREATION

Bangkok actually has a lot of huge beautiful parks, and there's not much people who go there especially on weekdays.

We went to Bangkok's butterfly garden which was for free and rented a bicycle to go around the park for only 30 baht that you can use for an entire day.

There's a lot of beautiful places you can explore if you only look, so take time to research and ask some locals as well about which places to visit. Planning a trip and need some recommendations? You can write to me and I'd love to hear from you!

You can also check out my personal blog about Lifestyle and Leadership here- https://stevecang.wordpress.com/.