However, he inspired me to write about my general impressions of Thailand. And to question myself whether it is legitimate that I continue to motivate people to visit Thailand so much. Maybe Thailand really isn't for everyone I am recommending it to?
Going to Thailand isn't cheap. Not for people from the Balkans. In the best case you will pay your ticket 600 EUR, and it is much more realistic to pay it more than that. One-entry visa costs 45 EUR, and two-entry visa - 80 EUR (I included Gea tours agency' services fee, and using their services is still the fastest way to obtain Thai visa). You need to budget between 20 EUR and 30 EUR a day for accommodation and food if you are not very demanding traveler, and don't plan to eat in fancy restaurants, if you are really on a tight a budget, you can in some location live on 15 EUR, but not everywhere.
If you expect luxury, budget minimum 50-70 EUR a day. What you pay for luxury here is still cheaper compared to visiting western countries. The prices also vary depending on the location in Thailand you visit. If you are traveling alone, that raises the price of accommodation and sometimes transportation. As anywhere else. If you are using ferries, buses, public transportation, you will not be spending a lot of money on traveling from A to B, but if you prefer speedboats, taxis, tuk tuks, local flights that you do not pay in advance and miss the low prices, all that can cost you a lot. If you are a beer drinker, in caffes and restaurants you will be paying between 1.5 EUR and 3 EUR for your beer, and from the perspective of a beer snob, beer isn't that great either. So, make your own calculation.
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Thailand is a tourist machinery and everyone in it will try to get their piece of cake. And they will lie to you in the process and promise a lot of things. Tuk tuk drivers will often give you a offer that would sound unrealistically cheap, but be aware that there is always something else hiding behind. This, actually, applies to any tourist location in Southeast Asia. However, I have to admit that I have witnessed the least amounts of attempts to trick tourists in Malaysia and Singapore, but I do not have a lot of experience there to be able to really judge and confirm whether this is true.
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Photo: tuk tuk in Bangkok
So, tuk tuk drivers take you everywhere but keep failing to arrive at a destination they promised and that you were looking forward to. On the way, you spend tons of money on some natural products that cost about fifth of the price they ask, they take you to sites where entrance fee is charged and the drivers get commission from all these visits. That is why you got the cheap price in the first place, because paying for transportation is certainly not going to be all the money you would be spending. As the matter of fact, with the money the driver gave you, he cannot cover the price of gas or tuk tuk rental (yes, it is very likely that the vehicle does not belong to him). However, after first experience like this, you learn your lesson. If you start a friendly conversation with a driver, he would reduce the number of redundant locations, he would be your guide, and if you give him a small gift from your country that doesn't even cost much, such as pack of cigarettes, small bottle of rakija, wet wipes (they do not have them at all in Sri Lanka, for instance), he will do all he can to return a good gesture with something characteristic for their culture. And in the end, give driver a tip, so he could actually earn some money and not barely cover the costs.
This guy describes how all islands in Thailand resemble Budva in Montenegro and that Serbian language is the dominant language there. Well... I heard Serbian once during my first visit to Thailand, and once during second. And, it is true that some islands resemble Budva. But Thailand offers so much diversity, and if you do not like the fair-like craziness and to listen to horrible electronic music that one can hear only at local fairs in the Balkans, just pick an island of your choice. And the choice is vast.
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And - sex tourism. Yes, it's there. One needs to have the stomach for it when you happen to witness it. But, this is not something Thailand insists on, unless you want to investigate it yourself and notice it.
This guy made me laugh big time when he mentioned that he even got some fungus diseases on this feet because he had to take his shoes off when visiting Buddhist temples. How did he remember that :)?
When is the best time to visit Thailand, or, when is the best time to visit certain parts of Thailand? Whereas high season lasts six month on one coast, it is low season on the other coast, and vice versa. The best website for getting the necessary information and making the decision where and when to go in Southeast Asia is definitely SELECTIVE ASIA:
So, if you have an idea that Thailand should give you the feel of Maldivi almost free of charge (yes, I am referring to the text I read again), than you neither use Internet. nor common sense, and you have forgotten all geography and history lessons and you do not watch news. Thailand is densely populated tourist destination, a poor country with beautiful nature, wonderful people and it offers you opportunity to get to know an interesting Eastern culture that is hidden under the surface in tourist places, because local folks work even 16 hours a day, and they are simply too tired to even notice that you want to get to know them as people, and it reveals itself unselfishly the further from these touristy places you go. After all, just as any other tourist destination in the world.
