It looks like my DH's company is sending him to Bangkok the week before Thanksgiving. He's never been out of the country before and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. Especially with the recent coup there. Has anyone traveled to Bangkok recently? Any tips for my DH?
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I haven't been in almost 10 years. That said, they frequently have government and military power changes. He should stay out of getting involved in any protests or demonstrations.
The State Dept has a very long safety and security section on Thailand. Keep in mind that your husband is going to Bangkok for work, so a lot of these border areas (etc) won't affect him.
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/thailand.html
Hope this just helps inform and not worry you! I'm jealous of all the food he'll get to eat!!
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I haven't been there in 14 years years, so I'm not much help. I think he will be okay though if he is staying in the city. It is an amazing place and the food is delicious. I spent a month there in 2000, backpacked all around, and loved every minute of my trip.
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I wouldn't worry as long as he stays clear of protests. Not my favorite city in the world, but I'm sure he'll be just fine
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@MsHangry: Thank you for the link! That helps for sure.
@78h2o: Unfortunately, my DH is NOT an adventurous eater and probably won't partake of the local food there!
@Mrs. Yoyo: Yeah, it wouldn't be my #1 choice either, but obviously he (or I!) don't have a choice in it. His boss has been slowly warming him up to the idea of international travel for the company and this would be his first trip. I'm sad because we've never been apart for more than 2 or 3 days since we've met.
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I've been a few times in the last few years. Firstly, as @MsHangry mentioned, there are coups and protests all the time, every couple of years. He should stay away from protests (which tend to be obvious). So long as he is smart (ie acts confident, sticks to well known areas, doesn't flash wads of cash or valuables etc), he will be fine
Oh, and the food is awesome.
Forgot to mention - I have found Lonely Planet to be fairly spot on with regard to Thailand. Also, be aware that the concept of time can be different - If he needs to be somewhere at a certain tme, e.g. the airport, either take something reliable like the Skytrain (although I can't remember of the Skytrain itself goes all the way to the airport, or if there is a specific airport train? I have always taken cabs to the airport) or leaves early. Also be aware that tipping isn't customary the way it is in the US.
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I went to Phuket back in 2007 and never had any concerns while I was there. I love SE Asia! (I spent that whole summer living in Singapore and travelling around the region).
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If he's in the city, he'll be fine a la government coups. Happens all the time there. I would suggest that he visit Khaosan Road where a lot of expats hang out. It's got a bit of a European feel to it with the cafes. If he's there on the weekend, he should check out the weekend market for great deals on gifts. It's the best place to get gifts and bargain. He should take a water taxi, see some temples, and get a Thai massage. I had a great time there way back in 2002.
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I went last year and absolutely loved it. Thailand is one of my favorite places in the world. The food is absolutely incredible...it would be a shame not to try it. The people there are extremely nice.
Thai massages are awesome and the boat along the river is really fun! We did a food tour and it was one of our favorite days. The subway is easy and clean.
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I love Bangkok. I haven't been back since 2011 but I'm sure he will be fine. Amazing city, and these coups etc happen all the time so he will be fine. There are expats galore in Bangkok, he'll probably have a great trip! Also, Thai people are the kindest, nicest, friendliest people I have met anywhere.
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I've been to Bangkok many times, most recently 2 years ago. I've always felt safe...should be fine sticking to the central, business and tourist areas. Just make sure all cabs are licenced, that's my only tip. I generally avoid cabs and take the sky train or river taxis. Get him to read up on scams....nothing serious just annoying things to watch for.
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My husband and I were there together for business for him in early 2012. I really haven't kept up with anything political going on there so I have no clue but I would say I felt very safe in that city. The majority of the time I was just sight seeing and walking around with another girl or two while all the husbands worked and was never nervous.
I think the most frustrating thing there was that a lot of the times we tried asking for directions or a good authentic place to eat instead of the person telling us they didn't really speak or understand english well they would carry on like they did and then we would get dropped off in a taxi someplace totally different than we wanted or end up at a food court at the mall for a "good place to eat" lol.
Bangkok is definitely not my favorite city or a place I would return, but there are a ton of other places in Thailand that I hear are amazing.
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Thank you all for the info and tips! I'm going to pass them along to DH. He is going to be going with another person from his company and I think it will be mainly to/from the office there. Not sure how much down time he will have, but if he does have a little time, what are some things that are really *must see* in Bangkok?
I really want him to try the food because it does sound so good! But neither of us has ever had Thai food before. Thinking we should get some here, which i know won't be exactly the same, but at least we could try things that might be similar. What should we get as Thai food newbies?
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My dad is from Bangkok and I've been many many times, most recently last year (we took our DS!). If your husband stays away from the protest areas, he will likely not even notice there is anything going on. I'm probably biased, but Thailand is a wonderful destination for first time travelers in Asia. The people are very friendly and helpful and you can still find tons of western amenities. Bangkok is very cosmopolitan. The Siam Center is a huge, world class shopping center with a gigantic food court where your husband will be able to find western and Asian food. I'm probably the only person in the world who is half Thai who doesn't like Thai food, but it's too crazy for my tastes. Haha.
Things to do: check out the markets, especially the Sunday market if he is there on a Sunday, or the floating markets. Do a canal tour on a longboat, go to the royal palace, the golden mountain, Chinatown, a swanky hotel roof bar along the Chao Phraya river, take a ride in a tuk tuk, and there are plenty of temples (wats) to check out.
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Do the royal palace, Wat Pho, Wat Arun and Wat Suntat. They are all fairly close together and great sightseeing. He will probably be templed out after that!
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We were there a few years ago during a prior coup, and it just didn't affect the tourist areas at all. We really loved it. The big attractions (Grand Palace, the markets, etc) were amazing, but just wandering around the streets we discovered lots of tiny temples and street vendors. If he has any time to get to the islands (Phuket, Koh Lanta, Koh Samui) they are just incredible!
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@Little Misters Mom: I agree, the islands are amazing!
@abbydabbydoodlebug: I can't believe you've never had Thai food! Do you like curries? Do eat peanuts? I actually felt the food over in Thailand was similar to what we get over here, just better. I think trying the food here would be a good introduction. I think most people like Pad Thai, Panang Curry, and/or Drunken noodles (they have a different name over there).
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@78h2o: Well, I've had some things which might be considered Thai? Like Vermicelli, Spring rolls, stir fry. But I feel like the places here have things that cross over different Asian cuisines, so I'm not sure what is considered Thai vs Vietnamese for example. I'm not too familiar with asian food. We never had it growing up (we had 1 chinese place in the mall, haha) and so I never know what to get. I have never had curry! Well, my sister made curry once and made the house smell terrible and so I have a bad experience from that, haha.
DH doesn't like veggies or spicy, which i feel like is a major component of Thai food!
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