Questions About Thailand

[sjp52]

In a while I would like to go to Thailand for a vacation with my wife and the Kids ( need to get my B stamp also ). I was wondering what my wife and the kids would need in the way of identification like passport and how easy is it for them to get it. There will be a 6 month old coming along ( maybe ).

Also any one have some good recommendations for a family of 5 to stay at, Like resorts or house and cities in Thailand.

[FlyAway]

I can tell you that holders of Philippine Passports do not need any special sort of VISA to enter Thailand. They have a tourist VISA on arrival program that Philippines is part of.

[dalidali]

In a while I would like to go to Thailand for a vacation with my wife and the Kids ( need to get my B stamp also ). I was wondering what my wife and the kids would need in the way of identification like passport and how easy is it for them to get it. There will be a 6 month old coming along ( maybe ).

Also any one have some good recommendations for a family of 5 to stay at, Like resorts or house and cities in Thailand.

Not too long ago I was a frequent traveler to Thailand. Maybe about 5 times over the course of a couple of years..

You have some research ahead of you for accomodations. For 5, it will be a bit more of a challenge to get rooms connected or at least one door over.

Not many places can accomodate 5 in one room but it's worth an inquiry at least. Check that...I suppose a cot or two could be put in a two bed room to get 5 of you off the floor!!!

For cities....I would recommend Hua Hin on the west side of the Gulf of Thailand (or Siam)

It is/was the home of the current King of Thailand.

Right on the shores of the Gulf....calm waters with virtually no surf.

The accomodations run the gamut from elegant to smaller guest houses. Google will really be your friend here.

For you and your bride, there is a small nightlife area with the normal run of bars. But it is not in your face Pattaya.

Phuket is another destination if you like ocean front. It's loaded with Yurpeeans in the winter months as all of northern Europe seems to flock there to escape the cold up north.

It's more pricy also...for everything, but spectacularly beautiful with some of those "koh" islands not too far off.

To the north is the don't miss city of Chiang Mai. A city with a rich history and the old town area even has a wall around it to keep out ancient warriors.

It's cooler up there also..but not so cool as you will need a parka. Just in comparison to Bangkok..it is definately cooler.

Lots to see.....temples on mountain tops and river rafting voyages and elephant camps for the kids.

Not to mention the finest collection of glorious orchids this side of Shanghi, all in an orchard "farm"

Night life is there if you look for it...a few bars where the girls can be rent by the hour...it's all there but not as much in your face as Pattaya.

The northeast is rural Thailand...flat and often very dry in the dry season (duh hello) This is the area that a whole lot of city workers come from. They were or are farmers who are looking for work....in the big cities and the tourist areas. The girls from this area are the predominate participants of the sex for sale business.

There is a definate "class" discrimination going on in Thailand...the SoHo's (high society) in Bangkok "look down" on their darker skinned compatriots from the NE. It's there, this discrimation....I have witnessed it more than once.

I was unimpressed except for Ubon Ratchathani. This city is close to the Viet Nam and Cambodia borders and the Mekong river is right on the Viet Nam border.

An impressive river to put it mildly.

Tropical and hot....just like a jungle but that is why it is so green.

The in- country airlines are cheap really.....Nok air and the Malayasian carrier, Air Asia. I am not sure if 1-2 3 Go airlines are still operating.

I never took the train but it does operate all over the country. A slow go for sure.

Buses run all over also and are cheap really...but tough if you are timid and the terminals can be daunting.

Pattaya has an infamous reputation as sin city east and it is..I know all about it.

It is about a 2 hour drive south of Bangkok on the east side of the Gulf.

But a stroll down Walking street should be on anyones bucket list. Cover the kids eyes!!!

This street is closed to vehicle traffic after dark and that is how it got it's name....Walking street.

If you have never seen a Thai ladyboy or "katoy"...a guy made up like a girl.....then this is the place to see that. They are world famous here.

Some people put them down but I always found they speak good English and were fun to talk to.

They are knock your socks off gorgeous....often times you or your wife won't know.

The sea right in front ot town is kinda the pits..a bit trashy and I would not take a dip. Give that a pass with the kids. However some of the outlying beaches are clean and very nice..both south and north of the main part of town.

Pattaya is/was relatively cheap for most everything...from hotels to food....keeps the local ladies smiling with returning tourists.

Yes it is crawling with sex tourists....but don't tell anyone. They are incognito.

Bangkok is an amazing city...it is HUGE and right on a big river that is spanned with spectacular bridges.

A must do is take a river dinner cruise on one of the river boats....it is awesome navigating down the river and going right under the bridges all lit up.....wow is all I can say.

A big China town is near the river if that is to your liking.

You can even jump into a canal boat and go for a wild ride....the kids would love it. And cheap too.

Hotels run the gamut again...from the opulent to the infested.

Sukumvit road is home to many many tourist oriented hotels..

Lots of tourists and lots of street vendors and lots of ladies in waiting.

Look at the hotel sites and pick one or five.

Another neat place is the Bridge over the river Kwai.

It is near Kanchanaburi west of Bangkok.

The river is spectacular and you can walk the railroad bridge right were Alec Guiness watched over the construction. lol.

The place is a tropical paradise...

Sooowannapoo airport ( Suvarnabhumi) is a modern miracle of an airport....you will need a map!!!! lol

Lots of WAY over priced shops and it is a maze really.

I am constanly amazed how smoothly that gigantic mass of steel operates.

Great transport right outside...millions of taxis...lots of buses.

Asia rooms and Agoda are decent sites for a whole bunch of hotels.

You will love Thailand....not quite as tropical as the Phils but far and away more advanced in infastructure.

Bangkok is a very modern metropolis....scads of high rise buildings and a good system of transport including the

elevated train...known as BTS....very cheap and fun!! The kids will love it. And if you don't like elevated, Bangkok also has a great underground

train known as MTS....cheap and easy....with stations connected to the BTS for ease of getting around.

Bangkok is wildly way more advanced than Manila even thinks to be....IMO of course.

If you have never been there....it is pure awesome!!!! I never ever imagined a SE Asia city could be as modern and advanced as Bangkok is.

Truly eye opening.

Enjoy!!!

dalidali

Edited June 12, 2012 by dalidali

[sjp52]

In a while I would like to go to Thailand for a vacation with my wife and the Kids ( need to get my B stamp also ). I was wondering what my wife and the kids would need in the way of identification like passport and how easy is it for them to get it. There will be a 6 month old coming along ( maybe ).

Also any one have some good recommendations for a family of 5 to stay at, Like resorts or house and cities in Thailand.

Not too long ago I was a frequent traveler to Thailand. Maybe about 5 times over the course of a couple of years..

You have some research ahead of you for accomodations. For 5, it will be a bit more of a challenge to get rooms connected or at least one door over.

Not many places can accomodate 5 in one room but it's worth an inquiry at least. Check that...I suppose a cot or two could be put in a two bed room to get 5 of you off the floor!!!

For cities....I would recommend Hua Hin on the west side of the Gulf of Thailand (or Siam)

It is/was the home of the current King of Thailand.

Right on the shores of the Gulf....calm waters with virtually no surf.

The accomodations run the gamut from elegant to smaller guest houses. Google will really be your friend here.

For you and your bride, there is a small nightlife area with the normal run of bars. But it is not in your face Pattaya.

Phuket is another destination if you like ocean front. It's loaded with Yurpeeans in the winter months as all of northern Europe seems to flock there to escape the cold up north.

It's more pricy also...for everything, but spectacularly beautiful with some of those "koh" islands not too far off.

To the north is the don't miss city of Chiang Mai. A city with a rich history and the old town area even has a wall around it to keep out ancient warriors.

It's cooler up there also..but not so cool as you will need a parka. Just in comparison to Bangkok..it is definately cooler.

Lots to see.....temples on mountain tops and river rafting voyages and elephant camps for the kids.

Not to mention the finest collection of glorious orchids this side of Shanghi, all in an orchard "farm"

Night life is there if you look for it...a few bars where the girls can be rent by the hour...it's all there but not as much in your face as Pattaya.

The northeast is rural Thailand...flat and often very dry in the dry season (duh hello) This is the area that a whole lot of city workers come from. They were or are farmers who are looking for work....in the big cities and the tourist areas. The girls from this area are the predominate participants of the sex for sale business.

There is a definate "class" discrimination going on in Thailand...the SoHo's (high society) in Bangkok "look down" on their darker skinned compatriots from the NE. It's there, this discrimation....I have witnessed it more than once.

I was unimpressed except for Ubon Ratchathani. This city is close to the Viet Nam and Cambodia borders and the Mekong river is right on the Viet Nam border.

An impressive river to put it mildly.

Tropical and hot....just like a jungle but that is why it is so green.

The in- country airlines are cheap really.....Nok air and the Malayasian carrier, Air Asia. I am not sure if 1-2 3 Go airlines are still operating.

I never took the train but it does operate all over the country. A slow go for sure.

Buses run all over also and are cheap really...but tough if you are timid and the terminals can be daunting.

Pattaya has an infamous reputation as sin city east and it is..I know all about it.

It is about a 2 hour drive south of Bangkok on the east side of the Gulf.

But a stroll down Walking street should be on anyones bucket list. Cover the kids eyes!!!

This street is closed to vehicle traffic after dark and that is how it got it's name....Walking street.

If you have never seen a Thai ladyboy or "katoy"...a guy made up like a girl.....then this is the place to see that. They are world famous here.

Some people put them down but I always found they speak good English and were fun to talk to.

They are knock your socks off gorgeous....often times you or your wife won't know.

The sea right in front ot town is kinda the pits..a bit trashy and I would not take a dip. Give that a pass with the kids. However some of the outlying beaches are clean and very nice..both south and north of the main part of town.

Pattaya is/was relatively cheap for most everything...from hotels to food....keeps the local ladies smiling with returning tourists.

Yes it is crawling with sex tourists....but don't tell anyone. They are incognito.

Bangkok is an amazing city...it is HUGE and right on a big river that is spanned with spectacular bridges.

A must do is take a river dinner cruise on one of the river boats....it is awesome navigating down the river and going right under the bridges all lit up.....wow is all I can say.

A big China town is near the river if that is to your liking.

You can even jump into a canal boat and go for a wild ride....the kids would love it. And cheap too.

Hotels run the gamut again...from the opulent to the infested.

Sukumvit road is home to many many tourist oriented hotels..

Lots of tourists and lots of street vendors and lots of ladies in waiting.

Look at the hotel sites and pick one or five.

Another neat place is the Bridge over the river Kwai.

It is near Kanchanaburi west of Bangkok.

The river is spectacular and you can walk the railroad bridge right were Alec Guiness watched over the construction. lol.

The place is a tropical paradise...

Sooowannapoo airport ( Suvarnabhumi) is a modern miracle of an airport....you will need a map!!!! lol

Lots of WAY over priced shops and it is a maze really.

I am constanly amazed how smoothly that gigantic mass of steel operates.

Great transport right outside...millions of taxis...lots of buses.

Asia rooms and Agoda are decent sites for a whole bunch of hotels.

You will love Thailand....not quite as tropical as the Phils but far and away more advanced in infastructure.

Bangkok is a very modern metropolis....scads of high rise buildings and a good system of transport including the

elevated train...known as BTS....very cheap and fun!! The kids will love it. And if you don't like elevated, Bangkok also has a great underground

train known as MTS....cheap and easy....with stations connected to the BTS for ease of getting around.

Bangkok is wildly way more advanced than Manila even thinks to be....IMO of course.

If you have never been there....it is pure awesome!!!! I never ever imagined a SE Asia city could be as modern and advanced as Bangkok is.

Truly eye opening.

Enjoy!!!

dalidali

Thank you very much for your time and effort. I appreciate it

[Americano]

If you know Paul Petrea from another forum, he is visiting or living in Thailand now. I'm sure he could give you some good information about visiting Thailand. And, maybe you could post some pictures of you and Paul together in Thailand.

[sjp52]

If you know Paul Petrea from another forum, he is visiting or living in Thailand now. I'm sure he could give you some good information about visiting Thailand. And, maybe you could post some pictures of you and Paul together in Thailand.

Yes I will contact him about it. Thanks. I didn,t know he was living there

[OnMyWay]

Did you see this post?:

http://www.philippines-expats.com/index.php/topic/12981-why-i-look-forward-to-a-thailand-vacation/

The condo option seems like a good one for 5 people.

[Panserhansen]

In a while I would like to go to Thailand for a vacation with my wife and the Kids ( need to get my B stamp also ). I was wondering what my wife and the kids would need in the way of identification like passport and how easy is it for them to get it. There will be a 6 month old coming along ( maybe ).

Also any one have some good recommendations for a family of 5 to stay at, Like resorts or house and cities in Thailand.

Although we're going to Jomtien/Pattaya with my family, the place is not to everyone's liking. We choose the destination mostly because my father lives there. If not, we might head down to Koh Samui instead, which is more laidback and quiet. Other places are Hua Hin or Phuket. Just do some searching. We're also heading north close to Phitsanulok for a week, to meet some other family members. And finish it off with one night in Bangkok, which you also should include. For a family, look for holiday condo or house rental options. It will save you money and provide you with more space than a hotel room.