9 Thai Customs to Know Before Traveling to Thailand

When traveling to a foreign country, it is always a good idea to read up on the country’s customs, culture, and traditions ahead of time in order to avoid doing anything that would be viewed as disrespectful.  When we were doing our research before traveling to Thailand, we found there were a number of Thai customs we needed to remember.  Since nine is a lucky number in Thailand, hopefully knowledge of these nine customs you should know before traveling to Thailand will keep you out of any uncomfortable situations. 

Chiang Mai’s Yaang Come Village Hotel (And Places to Eat Nearby)

So you’ve decided to travel to Chiang Mai.  But where should you stay?  Where should you eat? Here are my suggestions for a beautiful (and affordable) hotel in Chiang Mai and the inexpensive places to eat nearby.

Yaang Come Village

When we traveled to Chiang Mai we stayed at Yaang Come Village, a beautiful hotel located between the Old City walls and the Ping River.  Yaang Come Village provided the perfect home base for us as it is within easy walking distance of the walled Old City.  If you don’t feel like walking, there are always tuk tuks waiting outside ready to give you a lift.  It is also very close to the Ping River and Iron Bridge, which was the perfect place to join in the Yee Peng festival.

Our ginormous room and the view from our balcony at Yaang Come Village.
When in Siam, one must strike a Yul Brynner King and I pose, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Exploring Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is one of Thailand’s largest cities.  However, we stayed just outside the Old City and, to be honest, it didn’t feel all that big, especially having come from Bangkok.  One thing Chiang Mai does not have a shortage of is temples.  There are over 700 temples in Chiang Mai, the largest number outside of Bangkok, with over 30 within the city walls alone, an area less than one square mile. 

City walls and moat surrounding the Old City of Chiang Mai.

We took a short flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and arrived in the late morning.  As we would still have the afternoon to explore, I booked a private half-day tour with Oriental Escape to visit Bhubing Palace and Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep.  Bhubing Palace is the winter residence of the royal family and has extensive gardens. 

What I Hated About Phuket (And Why You Should Still Go)

The view above Phuket's Ya Nui Beach.

I have written a lot about our travels to Thailand and our unforgettable experiences in Phuket, including rock climbing Ko Panyi, kayaking Phang Nga Bay’s karsts and hongs, and snorkeling around the Ko Phi Phi islands.  I loved our time in Phuket and we have memories from there that will last us a lifetime.  When I’m old and wrinkly and can barely walk I will be telling anyone who will listen (and anyone who won’t) all about how brave I was rock climbing.  However, I would not be telling the truth if I said I loved every part of our time in Phuket.  There were things about Phuket that I disliked.  Likes and dislikes are varied and unique to different travelers, so I will relay the rest of our experiences and let you decide.

Kayaking Phang Nga Bay’s Karsts and Hongs

My favorite one-handed Thai monkey.

When planning our time in Phuket, I read about exploring Thailand’s karsts in Phang Nga Bay by kayak, which sounded like an adventure right up our alley.  I decided to book with Sea Canoe Thailand, the self-proclaimed original sea kayak tour operator, as recommended by Lonely Planet’s DiscoverThailand. 

Lonely Planet’s Discover Thailand describes Phang Nga Bay as having “[m]ore than 40 humpbacked limestone mountains [that] jut out of this sheltered bay to create a dramatic interplay of land and sea.”  Frommer’s Thailand describes stunning scenery “with limestone karst towers rising from the bay” and says sea kayaks are the perfect way to “explore the many breathtaking caves and chambers that hide beneath the jagged cliffs.” Sea Canoe’s sample itinerary for the Phang Nga Day Trip lists paddling to islands and entering caves and hongs.  That sounded like great fun.  But those descriptions did nothing to prepare me for what we would actually experience.

Snorkeling Thailand’s Ko Phi Phi Islands

Our lunchtime view during our day of snorkeling the Ko Phi Phi Islands with Simba Sea Trips.

No trip to the Phuket, Phang Nga Bay, or Krabi areas in Thailand can truly be complete without a boat ride to the Ko Phi Phi Islands and, if you are a fish and water lover, a day of snorkeling or scuba diving around the Ko Phi Phi Islands.  There are multiple options for traveling to the Ko Phi Phi Islands: ferries from Phuket or Krabi, large tour companies offering huge boats filled with dozens to up to 100 passengers, longtail boats that can be hired to make the trip privately, and, as we chose, smaller tour companies with boats for groups under 20 people. 

Rock Climbing Ko Panyi in Phang Nga Bay

The gorgeous view of Ko Panyi village and Phang Nga Bay which can only be seen by rock climbing.

When we decided to travel to Thailand there was one thing we had to do.  Actually, there was one thing I had to do, and I forced Romeo to do it too (he has a fear of falling, which he has explained is quite different from a fear of heights).  That one thing was rock climbing Ko Panyi (also Koh Panyi, Ko Panyee, and Koh Panyee).  Do you watch The Amazing Race?  One of the challenges during season 19 was rock climbing this huge limestone cliff jutting out of the water, which is part of a small island with a Muslim fishing village built on stilts.  Let’s just ignore the fact that I had never, ever rock climbed in my life, not even one of those indoor courses, and the other fact that I have absolutely no upper body strength.  

Taking a Thai Cooking Class in Chiang Mai

If you are traveling to Thailand, chances are you are going to want to take a cooking class.  Attending a class at a Thai cooking school is a popular activity for travelers.  If you will be spending time in Chiang Mai, I suggest taking a class at Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School. 

We chose a one day beginner’s course, Shopping at the Market.  We love visiting markets when we travel, but I sometimes feel a bit uncomfortable browsing food markets with my camera in hand but not making any purchases.  Visiting the market with our instructor Pon was a very hands-on experience, which we thoroughly enjoyed.  We were each given two ingredients to find and purchase.  Then Pon walked us around the market, explaining various ingredients with which most of us were unfamiliar, such as kaffir lime leaves, straw mushrooms, and tiny green eggplants.  I had no idea there were eggplants the size of peas.  He also explained the difference between coconut milk and coconut cream.  While walking around the market we needed to be on the lookout for our ingredients.  When we found them, we had to choose the freshest looking ingredients (with a little help from Pon or the vendor when necessary). 

Dragon Fruit | Mangosteen | Eggplant | Straw Mushrooms | Kaffir Limes and Lime Leaves

Playing with Elephants at Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai

Thailand, and Chiang Mai in particular, is well known for its Asian elephants.  Elephants in the past were domesticated and used for transportation and logging.  Logging has since been banned due to extreme deforestation.  Thailand’s elephants are now mainly employed in the tourism industry.  The plight of Thailand’s elephants causes a bit of a moral dilemma.  On one hand, the ideal would be for the elephants to be released back into the wild.  However, there is a huge shortage of natural habitat remaining for them to survive.  This is where places like Elephant Nature Park come in, and spending a day, or longer, at Elephant Nature Park is sure to be a highlight of your trip to Thailand, as it was for us.

It was very exciting to be so close to the elephants, but I was also very aware the one behind us could back up into us at any second.  Note my grip on Romeo's waist, ready to pull him out of harm's way in an instant.

Celebrating Loy Krathong and Yee Peng in Thailand

I planned our recent trip to Thailand to coincide with the Loy Krathong (also spelled Loi Krathong) and Yee Peng (also Yi Peng) festivals.  Loy Krathong is celebrated on the first full moon of the twelfth lunar month, which can occur in November or December.  In most of Thailand the celebration involves floating a krathong, which is a float made with banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense, in a body of water, which, as I understand it, symbolizes carrying away the previous year’s sins, thanking the gods for water for the crops, and sending out good wishes for the future.  In Northern Thailand, Yee Peng, sometimes called the floating lantern festival, is celebrated at the same time, as it occurs during the full moon in the second lunar month of a different calendar, but with the addition of releasing floating lanterns into the night sky.

When planning our trip, I had difficulty finding information about celebrating these two festivals, so I want to share as much as I can about what I learned from our experience. 

Floating Lanterns and Fireworks at Yeepeng Lanna International.

Bangkok’s Wat Saket (The Golden Mount) and Jim Thompson House

View of Bangkok from Wat Saket (Golden Mount)

On our last day in Bangkok we visited some of the places we had not yet seen that are located outside of, but not too far from, the historic center.  These include Wat Saket (The Golden Mount), the Jim Thompson House, Suan Pakkad Palace, and Ban Kamthieng.

There are hundreds of temples in Bangkok, but Wat Saket, also known as The Golden Mount, should be at the top of your list.  The temple grounds consist of a low hill topped with a large golden chedi, with other temple buildings at the base of the hill.  An easy stairway circles up the hill to the chedi.  Not only is the temple beautiful itself, but it also provides a fantastic view of Bangkok from the top of the hill. 

Where to Eat and Sleep in Bangkok, Thailand

It can be a bit overwhelming to choose a hotel in Bangkok.  There are so many locations to decide between, with a wide range of prices.  The first decision to make is whether you want accommodations along the water, or deeper within the city.  I prefer to stay in unique and economical hotels rather than large and expensive luxury hotels that do not necessarily reflect the culture of the country I am visiting.  I also like to find a hotel that is close to public transportation and near a lot of good food.  I decided to make the Sukhumvit area our home base, and we stayed at the lovely Seven hotel.

Our room at Seven, the view of Bangkok from our balcony, and the spirit house outside

A Day Trip from Bangkok to Bang Pa-In Summer Palace and Ayutthaya

While visiting Thailand, we wanted to build in a day trip to Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In Summer Palace.  I found the easiest way to do this was to book a private tour from Bangkok to Ayutthaya and Bang Pa-In Summer Palace.  I highly recommend booking private tours for any trips in Thailand that require driving a long distance or to places outside the reach of public transportation.  Private tours are not that expensive considering the price includes both a driver and a tour guide.  We had fabulous guides and learned a lot about the places we visited as well as the country and culture.  

A Day in Historic Bangkok, Thailand

Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn (The Royal Pantheon) in the Grand Palace

Our first day in Bangkok had given us a glimpse of the splendors we were going to encounter on our Thailand vacation.  But we were still not prepared for the colorful and awe inspiring sights to come.

We traveled by sky train and express boat to the historic center of Bangkok.  At the end of this post is more detail about using these modes of public transportation. 

Our first destination was Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace.  The Grand Palace is a huge complex of buildings including the royal residence, throne halls, government offices, and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.  There are so many beautiful buildings and bright colors, it is hard to absorb it all, and it is extremely difficult to capture the grandeur in a photo.  We spent the entire morning exploring the complex.

A First Glimpse of Bangkok, Thailand

Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, Dusit Palace Park

The more I travel, the more I want to experience every country and culture I possibly can.  Recently, Romeo and I decided it was time to go to Asia.  I had never been and he had only been to the Philippines as a very young child.  I have to admit I was nervous because big cities in Asian countries seem so intense, full of activity and crowds.  Since we like to experience things on our own, I was also very nervous about navigating a country where signs would be in characters rather than letters (or so I thought). But knowing that beautiful locations, vibrant architecture, delicious food, and friendly people awaited us, I tamped down these qualms and planned a trip to Thailand.  I chose Thailand as our first Asian destination together because it has a reputation of being tourist friendly and many Thai people know and are willing to converse in English.  Plus, I absolutely love and adore Thai food and wanted to experience it in its authentic form.