THAILAND’S CLICHÈS AND HONEST TIPS: A TRAVELLER'S INSIGHT

Thailand, and more generally Southeast Asia, is well known for Pad Thai, crowded trains, monsoons, and legendary kindness. From my short experience, I can confirm that you will easily find all of these things here. However, it must be said that every cliché also hides some exceptions to the rule…

PAD THAI: it is a simple dish, perfectly balanced in macronutrients and every restaurant or bar is able to cook it at its best. If you aren’t a risk-taker or you have picky tastes, you won’t be disappointed by this dish. It is made of noodles pan fried with vegetables, egg, tofu, and fish or meat (usually beef, pork, or shrimp). If you are not a fan of spicy food, you’d better make sure to clearly say the words “Mai Phet” (not spicy) at the end of each order. This dish will also keep you safe from food poisoning, as it is cooked at high temperatures.

Despite all these qualities, after a week of eating only noodles, you might get tired of it. At that point, you will be ready to discover the many other flavours of Thailand and its street food: coconut ice cream, mango sticky rice, grilled dumplings, papaya salad, soups, and even fried grasshoppers. After the initial hesitation, let curiosity take over and try even the lesser-known dishes. In general, night markets, which appear in every town after dusk, offer a wide variety of traditional food at extremely cheap prices.

Don’t forget the fruit! Papaya, mango, dragon fruit, lychee, and various types of bananas are all surprisingly sweet here and have nothing to do with the often tasteless fruit found you home supermarket. Don’t be stingy—try new fruits whenever you get the chance.

Pad Thai.

TRAINS: The main regret I have is that we did not travel enough using local transport. It was a fairly forced choice, since we only had two weeks of holiday and wanted to visit as many places as possible. The most memorable trips, however, were those made by land: watching the landscape change from the window, passing through towns off the main tourist routes, and sharing a way of travelling that belongs to local people becomes an essential part of the experience. Of course, the journeys are longer, more complicated to organize, and not without unexpected setbacks, but perhaps part of the fun lies in being able to juggle it all!

We travelled overland from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and from Siem Reap to Bangkok. For the first trip, we took a night train from Ayutthaya at around 11:00 p.m., which brought us to Chiang Mai at about 7:00 a.m. It was very clean, quiet, and relatively comfortable.

Bangkok train station.

MONSOONS: Fully aware that the rainy season runs from April to September, we still visited Thailand in August, theoretically at the peak of the rainy season. However, we were lucky: the weather was usually cloudy or sunny, but very humid and hot (30–33°C). About once a day, for roughly an hour, the humidity would turn into a light rain, which was overall quite pleasant. Of course, it can happen that a monsoon hits and brings heavy rain for several hours, turning roads into rivers and bringing all activities to a halt. I suggest not being discouraged by this possibility and to book your trip to Thailand anyway.

As for Southern Thailand, it is generally recommended to visit the east coast during spring and summer, and the west coast during autumn and winter. We chose to stay in Koh Samui, where we found weather consistent with the rest of our trip.

HONEST TIP: any season is good for visiting Thailand, and there’s never really a “perfect” time, there will always be some unexpected setbacks along the way.

KINDNESS: everything you’ve heard about the legendary kindness of Southeast Asia is true, people are extremely kind and welcoming. It is not unusual for people on the street to smile at you as they pass by. Of course, it is always important to remain respectful and polite, as they are still capable of getting angry - and very angry at that.

Their philosophy of life and their warm smiles largely stem from Buddhism, which plays a major role in their daily life and culture. In fact, you will see Buddhist monks everywhere: in towns, villages, and even at major tourist sites. They are highly respected, to the point that some seats on public transport or in public places are reserved for them.

Don’t believe those who tell you not to look them in the eye or not to get too close. Often, they are the first to strike up a conversation with tourists, partly out of friendliness, and partly to practice their English. Don’t miss the chance to have a pleasant chat.

A group of young monks in Chiang Mai.

Further are the stops we visited during our trip to Thailand. To learn more about Bangkok, click here. If you’re looking for spiritual balance, you can’t miss Chiang Mai. And if you want to unwind on a tropical island, discover more about Koh Samui.