🇹🇭 Sabbatical - Thailand

October 14, 2025

ThailandSabbaticalTripAsia

After six years of work and never taking a break longer than a month since university, I finally took a four-month sabbatical, spending two of those months on the road across four countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea. Thailand was my first stop. Getting there was almost a disaster: I flew from Berlin to Bangkok via Zurich, rushing through airports after a delayed flight, convincing a passport officer to let me skip the queue, and catching my Bangkok connection with barely five minutes to spare. The adventure began before I even landed. This first post dives into what I learned, what surprised me, and the real-life tips I wish someone had told me before I touched down in Thailand.

TL;DR

Cash is king: ATM fee is usually 220–250 THB. 7‑Eleven is quite common but requires a minimum 200 THB for a card payment. Some hotels/cafés add a 3–5% card fee.
Getting around: In Bangkok, Grab/Bolt work well; on islands, a scooter is the most flexible (only if licensed and experienced). For taxis/tuk‑tuks, agree on a price or insist on the meter.
Island transfer: From Surat Thani Airport, you can buy bus/van and ferry with optional hotel drop packages right outside arrivals, often cash only. You can also book on Seatran website and check in at the pier.
Weather: Rainy season = mixed sun and short showers; fewer crowds, but sunsets are not always postcard-perfect.
Vibe: People are friendly, but English can be limited. The internet is full of scam stories; with basic precautions, you’ll be fine. The local mentality sometimes feels like “scam where you can.”

Arrival & Connectivity

Arrival card: You need to fill this form out. I did it online before the flight and showed the QR code to the officer. Otherwise, you need to be sure that you have internet when you land, fill the form while waiting and it can be frustrating.
eSIM: I bought mine on KKday before my flight and had a 5G connection the moment we landed. There are plenty of eSIM counters at the airport, too.

Money & Payments

ATM fees: Expect 220–250 THB per withdrawal. The ATM Fee Saver app helped me find more reasonable machines. Highly recommend it.
Cash usage: Street food is cash‑only. On islands, many restaurants either accept cash only or have a minimum spend for cards.
Card quirks:
- 7‑Eleven requires a minimum 200 THB for card payments.
- Some hotels/cafés/restaurants add 3–5% for card.

Bangkok: Transport & My First Shock

Grab/Bolt/inDrive: Prices are fair; Grab’s scheduled ride worked for me. I used inDrive to sanity‑check what a trip should cost.
Mini‑story — my first Grab: On the way to the hotel, my driver was watching Instagram reels and texting while driving. Every time he lifted his head, he’d slam the gas. We almost hit bikes and cars a few times. Horns everywhere. I arrived in one piece, but it definitely set the tone for the rest of my rides. It made me think: “Okay, so this is how rides will be on this trip.”
Taxi/Tuk‑tuk rule: Only get in if the price is agreed or the taximeter is on.
River boats: The tourist boat stops by many sights and dodges traffic but it’s cash‑only of course. Different colored lines exist. On a more local boat (I guess it was the orange route), I learned it literally runs on whistles: when boarding finishes, the crew whistles and the captain moves. Primitive? Yes. Old school? Yes. Effective? Yes, I guess.

Islands: Getting There & Getting Around

Local transport: Songthaew (shared pick‑up trucks) are common. Regular taxis rarely use the meter and quote fixed, high prices.
Grab: Works on Koh Samui but is pricey. Koh Phangan has limited app options.
Roads: Especially on Koh Phangan, roads are hilly and patched. If you lack a motorcycle license/experience, I don’t recommend renting a scooter. I witnessed two motorbike accidents on my way to Fisherman’s Village market in a taxi.
Surat Thani → Islands: Right after arrivals, the second building sells bus/van and ferry with optional hotel drop combos; most take cash of course. Booking on Seatran with a card is possible; just arrive early at the pier for check‑in.
Direct flights to Samui: Only one airline (Bangkok Airways) operates all routes, so prices felt inflated.

Beaches & Areas

Lamai Beach: Clean water; lots of restaurants, bars, massage places, and a night market. 3/5 days the sea was calm as a pool.
Fisherman’s Village: The classic lively area if you want more buzz.
Haad Yao: It was disappointing to see that there are lots of waves and also you can’t do anything in the morning because of the tide. In the mornings (July, rainy season), the tide pulled the water back so much that swimming wasn’t really possible. In the afternoon, there’s enough depth but too wavy. Again, this might be related to the rainy season, I don’t know.

Tours

GetYourGuide had the widest menu of tours I saw.
Other apps to check: Klook, KKday, Viator.
An Elephant Sanctuary visit is worth doing once but check ethics and reviews.

Food & Drinks

Delicious overall, but expect a sweet profile: many sauces use sugar, sweet syrup or coconut milk. After a while, I genuinely missed salt, garlic, and black pepper.
I ate Pad Thai and other dishes in some… let’s say… highly questionable spots. My stomach survived; yours might not. If you’re not used to it, skip those stalls. Food poisoning is very much on the menu.
Coffee: Even for an Americano, they ask “sugar or no sugar?”, a fun culture shock 😄 why the hell does everything have to have sugar!
Fresh shakes + water: Lifesavers in the heat. Avoid dehydration. Hotels offering cold water are a big plus.

Weather

Rainy season meant half‑sun/half‑cloud with short downpours. Fewer tourists made the beaches nicer. Sunsets were okayish only for 1–2 days. Most days are not picture‑perfect because of clouds.
Pricing note: Rainy season usually brings lower hotel rates, but in mid‑2025 I noticed a bit of a “White Lotus effect”. Buzz around the show seems to have made the prices up a lot (especially Samui/Phangan). Deals still exist; book a little earlier or look one street back from the beach.

Safety & Beach Culture

Solo experience: I took AirPods, a bit of cash, phone to the beach; no issues. Didn’t hear theft stories around me either. Might be low-season related, though.
Sunbeds/Clubs: Instead of a fixed daybed fee (like in Turkey), I often just ordered a drink and stayed. Many beaches are accessed through a beach bar/resort. I felt odd the first day, but it’s simply how access works there.

Flying

I used AirAsia three times and checked my suitcase each time. Bag drop took less than 15 minutes. I checked in via the app; morning flights were on time. Felt like Asia’s Ryanair, but better.

Social & Language

I checked Couchsurfing Hangouts, TripBff, Fairytrail but found very little, probably because of the low season.
People were smiley (refreshing after Germany 😄), but the language barrier was real; small talk rarely flowed.
Tourist mix: I heard so much German that on some days it felt like more German than in Berlin.

A Small Story — The ATM Ate My Card

On my very first day, an ATM swallowed my card! For a moment, I thought my trip was over before it began. Luckily, the adjacent currency‑exchange staff called customer service for me, found an English speaker, and even called my hotel. The hotel panicked (cute), but the next day I got an email from the bank, and I went to the bank and got my card back! The level of helpfulness was great. But since then, I double-checked every ATM before using it. Highly recommend you do the same!

Scams & How I Avoided Them

Thailand is super touristy and the web is saturated with scam threads. My simple rules:

Taxi/Tuk‑tuk: Price written or meter on, or I walk.
Cash‑only places: always ask for a receipt/bill.
Motorbike: take photos and check the scratches, don’t give your passport.
Tours/Transfers: book through reputable platforms (e.g., GYG). Don’t buy from a random street tout in a hurry.
When someone says the palace or the museum is closed, don’t believe them.

When someone wants to sell you something, say thanks and keep on moving.
I had an aggressive old lady situation when I was trying to buy a ticket for the ferry. There were a few counters, so I wanted to check the offers before I bought it. In one of the counters, after I said, “Thanks, I’ll consider it”, she started yelling: “Every company has the same price!!!”. And guess what, she was the only one with this behavior and more expensive tickets. The best thing to do is just ignore them and move on.
ATMs: Prefer inside‑branch machines; double‑check on‑screen fees. Always decline the ATM’s conversion and let your bank do the FX.

My Favorites

Coffee:

Craftsman Roastery — Bangkok,
Bubba’s Roastery — Koh Phangan,
Limay Coffee Garden — Koh Samui (their natural pond is a lot better than their coffee’s taste, to be honest)

Street food:

Massage: One Way Health Massage — Koh Phangan

Beach spot: Lamai Beach — Koh Samui

Nice gesture: at my stay in Bangkok, I had an early check‑out and would miss breakfast, so they packed a sandwich for me. Small things like this are why I’d go back.

Resources

Bangkok street‑food overview, and the Michelin list.
Travel advisories & safety.

Final Take

Would I go again? Absolutely. In the dry season, I’d add Phi Phi, Krabi, Chiang Mai, and spend more time in Bangkok (it’s huge, I love the vibe, and there’s still a long list) and Koh Samui. Even in the rainy season, it was great: set realistic expectations + bring cash + stay cautious = a solid trip.

If you have read until the end, thanks a lot! Here is a ❤️ for you.