For my next visit. For someone else. For life.
Don’t need to be too conservative, but don’t be too revealing (clothing-wise)
Good walking shoes (especially sandals) are essential
Flashlight recommended for sunrise at Angkor Wat; this isn’t the United States where safety is top priority
Bring $600 USD; try to protect it of course
Cambodia accepts USD. Seriously.
So does Laos
USD is worth a lot even though it might not to us Americans
Visa fee is $25 and passenger service fee is $20 at the Siem Reap airport
Ask the Angkor Wat guide anything; she always has a good story and maybe will say yes to a proposal
Eat and drink everything, especially if it’s a fruit you don’t recognize
Learn the numbers for the language of the country you’re visiting
You will get more respect if you know the numbers in the native tongue
Two prong plugs are abundant in Thailand, but not the grounded ones
The best things I brought were neck pillow, USD money, anti-itch cream, toilet paper, and moist towelettes/facial wipes
The worst thing to have brought were long pants
Bring your own towel. You really will never know when you would need it.
Water in the ocean can be really clear
You can get used to showering without a bathtub or a shower
Letting water splash all over the bathroom floor is efficient since bathrooms are supposed to be wet anyway
200 baht should be the maximum you pay for a taxi from the airport to a hotel in Sukhumvit
Laundromats are never close to hotels
Start at 50% of initial quoted price when bargaining
Start at 25% of initial quoted price when bargaining at a touristy locale
7-Eleven has everything
They sell stamps: 15 baht for a stamp for a postcard sent internationally
5 baht should be the maximum you pay for a postcard
Don’t spend any money at home for a month before going to Thailand and Cambodia
Then you can shop as much as you want here
Keep a small notebook with you at all times
Don’t be afraid to borrow money from your friends ;)
Standard meals should not cost more than 100 baht
A coconut a day makes the exhaustion go away
Get a haircut in Bangkok; you will remember it for the rest of your life
Don’t be afraid to go to an area where there is no English
Everyone understands gestures
If you’re asian and suddenly have dark skin, people will think you’re Thai
English is the international language here even between Vietnamese and the Thai
Stray dogs and cats are the saddest things on the streets of Bangkok and the islands
Try to go out on the water as much as you can
Find a native living near by…who will show you more than what everyone sees
