25th Birthday Trip Solo through Thailand

To ring in my 25th birthday, I headed half way around the world to Thailand, solo.

Flying straight from New Orleans to Bankgkok would have taken over 2 days, with several hours of layovers that I just did not want to be bothered with.

I used my trusty trick of breaking up my flight so that I can spend more time in different cities, versus spending half the day in an airport on a layover.

I booked a one-way flight from MSY to LAX and had to sleep overnight in the airport. 🥴 24- year old Sharett would and has definitely done this. Would damn near 30- year old Sharett do it again? Depends on how much I’m saving in flight costs!

From LAX, I took a flight on China Eastern to Bangkok with a 3 hour layover in Shanghai. In total, I paid $643 for round trip flights from New Orleans to Bangkok.

Flying on China Eastern is definitely an adjustment culture wise for westerners, specifically me. The food on board, was okay. I would say it’s the equivalent to flying American Airlines. Back in 2017, you were allowed one free checked bag along with one free carryon on international flights.

I arrived in Bangkok around 3 am, and did not have transportation prior to landing. I downloaded the Grab App and uploaded my credit card information to it, before leaving the U.S. Once I arrived at BKK, I input my hotel’s address and went to the designated pickup area, and I was off.

I’m not entirely sure what sparked the travel buzz to Thailand for westerners, but I’m pretty sure it was The Hangover movie franchise as well as Thailand’s tourism industry marketing the country as an affordable vacation option. For Western travelers, Thailand is absolutely affordable once you land. Flights in to and throughout the country are also pretty affordable considering how far away it is. You can find 4 - 5 star hotels under $100 USD per night with standard 5-star amenities. I stayed 3 nights at Hotel Icon Bangkok in Bangkok for $54 per night. Hotel Icon is located less than 5 minutes walking distance to the Skytrain, aka Bangkok Mass Transit System, or BTS. The hotel offers free breakfast, an outdoor pool as well as a fitness center. Because you are in Thailand, you must have a massage every day! Hotel Icon does not have a spa on site, but you can make a reservation for an in-room massage. I requested an hour-long Thai massage on my first full day in Thailand, with the masseuse coming to my room for around $14 USD.

I quickly learned that happy endings, lady boys, and “special massages” are all too commonplace in Thailand. When booking massages or entering parlors, you should be careful of the establishment because if you have to go to a backroom or the vibe seems sketchy, it probably is. Throughout my time in Thailand, I found more massage parlors in Phuket with signage on the front door specifically saying “No Happy Endings” or “No Extras”. I don’t know if the signage was to actually deter people away from sex services or an advertisement, but I recommend researching Thai massage parlors in advance or asking for recommendations from your hotel.

Naturally, I was a little scared and nervous before I left for Thailand. Obviously, I speak no Thai, so I was nervous about the language barrier as well as not being entirely familiar with the customs and culture and afraid that I would do or say something that would offend someone. Once I arrived in Bangkok, I felt completely safe in Thailand, and I felt at peace. The people are genuinely so kind and compassionate. The English language is commonplace in Thailand. While Thai is the official language, it is not uncommon to see Thai and English writings on buildings, menus, and signage. Interacting with multilingual Thai locals is more prevalent in larger cities and tourist towns versus smaller cities and villages.

I watched half of the movie, Brokedown Palace before I left, because clearly I like to self-sabotage. As a forewarning, please be mindful of local laws and customs before heading off to a new country. Your home laws do not apply to you once you leave your land. Many people visit Thailand and think it’s okay to do drugs, but their laws are quite strict and they enforce them to the highest level of the law.

I made reservations roughly 3 weeks in advance for the Bangkok Thai Cooking Academy. I spent 4 hours at the cooking class learning how to make 5 traditional Thai dishes, for only 1,000 Thai BHT which was equivalent to ~$33 USD. You can choose either a morning or afternoon class and your instructor starts off the day by bringing you to the local outdoor market to educate you on some of the ingredients Thai citizens use in their cooking as well as to pick up some ingredients for the cooking class.
When booking your reservation, you are able to choose which dishes you’d like to prepare from five categories (curry, soup or salad, rice or noodles, stir fry, and a dessert)— if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, there are many options for you to choose from.

The classes are taught in small groups, but you can also book one-on-one classes or private group classes. The instructors provide step by step instructions in English and use traditional Thai kitchen essentials.

After the class, the Cooking Academy emails you their recipe book which includes 30+ recipes.

I have to say that the best meal I had in all of Thailand, was at the Cooking Academy! I cooked Thai fried rice, a mild curry, a spicy chicken dish, a spicy chicken and peanut dish, and for dessert I cooked mango sticky rice, which was my absolute favorite! Everything that I cooked was delicious, and it was my first time eating Thai food. There were 4 dishes in each course to choose from before the class, so once we arrived all of our ingredients and tools were set up for us. After we cooked all of our food, some of us tasted our classmates’ dishes. I ended up trying the fried banana dessert, and I wanted a serving for myself. I learned that it is dipped in a batter then deep fried, and is traditionally a street food. So in order for me to get Thai fried bananas again, I was going to have to get it from a vendor off the street.
Before even going to Thailand, I’d watched so many YouTube vlogs and read blogs about people going solely for the street food, because of the variety and how affordable it is. I was adamant that I would be trying no street food or food from a cart on the corner. But, these deep fried bananas were making me reconsider.

I spent my second full day in Thailand visiting a few temples in Bangkok, including The Grand Palace and the Jim Thompson Silk Museum.

I took an Uber from my hotel to The Grand Palace, and was able to pay in cash once my ride was complete, like a traditional taxi. Cars are not allowed within a few blocks of The Grand Palace’s entrance, so be prepared to do a little walking to get there, as well as considerable walking throughout the Palace. Because it is religious grounds, men and women are expected to dress conservatively— that means not too much skin showing, specifically shoulders, thighs, and midriffs. There are hundreds of vendors selling sarongs before the entrance to The Palace. Before you enter, there is also a guard looking at everyone to make sure you are dressed appropriately. If not, the guard will not permit entry, and you’ll have to purchase additional clothing from a vendor, or come back another day with a different outfit. If you’d like to gain access to the temples, many of them require you to remove your shoes before entering. So, it’s best to wear loose fitting and lightweight clothing as well as comfortable shoes that you can easily put on and off.

Remember that episode of Sex and the City when Carrie went to her friend’s baby shower at her home and someone stole her Manolo Blahnik’s?? That was my first thought when I realized I had to leave my shoes outside, and the area wasn’t being monitored. What to do if someone accidentally takes your shoes at the temple? Chile, I have no idea because you would have to walk on the hot concrete to look for a security officer to make a claim first, and hope that since it is a sacred location, a good samaritan would return your shoes to you.

Admission to The Grand Palace is free for Thai citizens, but 500 Bht or ~$17 USD for foreigners. You can enter and take a self guided tour, using the free maps provided, you can book a private tour, or you can take a free walking tour which starts hourly.

There are a plethorea of eateries around The Grand Palace and temples. You can also purchase snacks and beverages from designated vendors inside the Palace.

When exiting The Grand Palace, there is a tuk tuk stand. Before you get in or sit down, make sure you tell the driver your location and ask a price beforehand. If you’re not sure of a reasonable cost, ask your hotel, your server at the restaurant, or The Palace staff for an estimate. If all else fails, I usually plug in my pick up location and destination into Google Maps, and estimate $1 USD per minute or mile. If something seems off, or too good to be true, it usually is. After The Grand Palace, I was headed to Jim Thompson’s Silk Museum. The first tuk tuk driver quoted me $50. I laughed and walked away. The next driver quoted me something like $40. Again, I walked away. The third driver asked me where I was going, and quoted me around $15 USD. I obliged, and I was on my way.

Tuk tuks are the official mode of transportation in Bangkok, so you have to go on at least one ride.

The Silk Museum also has guided tours. Entry to Jim Thompson’s home is 200 BHT, or less than $7 USD. They are open daily, and advanced ticket purchase isn’t required for entrance, or a guided tour.

The following day I headed to Cabbages & Condoms Cafe for lunch, a sought after restaurant in Bangkok from locals as well as tourists from all over the world. Their mission initially was to sell fresh vegetables, souvenirs and condoms to local residents of the Bangkok neighborhood. They then grew to a little cafe selling speciality dishes in the 1970s — and today, their location holds upwards of 400 people at one time, specializing in fine Thai cuisine. Their mission is still the same, selling fresh Thai food with the purpose of health, education, and HIV/AIDS prevention.

As you enter the restaurant, there is obviously a condom and sex education theme. There are different types of condoms from across the world showcased here, and the gift shop has mugs, keychains, t-shirts, and various souvenirs with phallus.
I was seated in the outdoor courtyard area, which is beautiful as there’s a fountain in the center and you can see to the second floor of the restaurant. Unfortunately, that’s where the excitement ended. Everything that I ate here, I didn’t like. My waitress brought a basket of fish chips and shrimp chips to me as a starter and they tasted and smelled too much like seafood, which was a turnoff. I ordered Thai rice with beef and a side of curry vegetables. The rice was gummy and salty, and the curry for the veggies was thick and I didn’t like the way it tasted. I’m sure I just ordered incorrectly, but I would come back here to try other things on the menu.

That evening I took the BTS to the end of the line to, Chatuchak Weekend Market which was my dream come true! I absolutely love going to markets in new cities, especially international markets. Chatuchak Weekend Market is accessible by the Skytrain, and like the name suggests, is only open on the weekends, Friday through Sunday. While the market is only open 3 days a week, it is Thailand’s largest market! There are over 15,000 stalls and over 11,000 vendors selling everything from clothing, jewelry and accessories, food and beverages, spices and fresh food, cooked food, silk and cashmeres scarves, home furnishings, ceramics, electronics, pets, and live animals. I was amazed by how large it was, and tried my hardest not to get lost. I of course picked up some souvenirs, authentic silk scarves and ties, and this was as far as I was going with trying street food: I got rolled ice cream, which I didn’t know was native to Thailand as well as Thai ice tea which is sweetened with condensed milk and brewed with black tea and spices like cardamon, anise, and tamarind.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, Thailand is a nature lover’s dream! The mountainous area north of Bangkok is filled with lush green trees for miles, animals, temples, and adrenaline activities.

There are so many things to do in Thailand if you want to enjoy the great outdoors.

Compared to Bangkok and Phuket, Chiang Mai is not completely walkable… depending on where you’re staying and what you’re doing. There are a few tuk tuks in the downtown and market region. Most hotels in Chiang Mai have an airport shuttle for guests, or will arrange taxi service when needed.

I stayed at The Chaya Resort and Spa in Chiang Mai. The Chaya has airport shuttle service which I arranged when I booked my accommodations. The Chaya is one of my top 5 favorite hotels in the world that I’ve visited. Everything here is honestly just perfect and oozes luxury to me. I felt completely relaxed while I was here and was taken care of by the staff. Free breakfast is served daily to guests, and the 3 days that I was there, breakfast was a little different each day, which was great because it provides guests variety.

There is faux/turf grass throughout the property, which is great for people who have allergies or just hate walking or being in grass. There are 2 or 3 pools with floaties in them and the most comfortable lounge seating where you just want to be outside soaking in the rays all day. The hotel is very unique and has touches of a 5-star hotel, but this boutique hotel only set me back $67 per night!

My first stop in Chiang Mai was to Tiger Kingdom. They are located ~30 minutes outside of downtown Chiang Mai, and they do not offer shuttle transportation. I used a Grab to and from without issue. On their website, they recommend hiring a driver because WiFi service can be iffy when trying to request a car.
Tiger Kingdom has a buffet and restaurant on site as well as a convenience store and ice cream shop.

When purchasing your ticket, you can choose which size tigers you’d like to interact with, from newborn cubs all the way up to giant tigers. I chose to interact with the cubs. Each ticket includes entrance to the park where you can walk around to look at all of the big cats in their enclosures and as well as exhibits throughout the park. You will only be allowed in the enclosure of the tiger size you paid for, for about 10 minutes, and once you get out of the enclosure you cannot go back in, even if your 10 minutes weren’t over. If you want more time, you can purchase a half-day or a full-day experience to meet with multiple tigers of all sizes. You can take your own pictures with your phone and camera, but if you’d like them professionally taken by a photographer there, you’d have to purchase a picture package.

I have a deeeep love and appreciation for elephants. I’m not sure why, but from a young age I’ve been obsessed with pachyderms! Knowing that I would be going to Thailand, and having the opportunity to visit elephants made my soul happy! I researched a lot of sanctuaries before choosing Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. They have four locations throughout Thailand, and appear to be the most ethical sanctuary. They do not allow you to ride elephants. The only thing that I did not like was under the shed where the elephants can get shade, were nails poking out of the posts. The reason told to us was to prevent the elephant from running into the poles and having the roof collapse on them. But not only did elephants have to watch out for these poles, humans have to be cautious as well.

On my first full day in Chiang Mai I headed to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, and this day was my 25th birthday! I felt like this was the greatest birthday present. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary offers round-trip transportation from your accommodations in Chiang Mai as well as lunch for those doing half-day excursions. You can also book a full day excursion for 8 hours where lunch and dinner are provided, or you can book their overnight accommodations to stay on site. The Chiang Mai location is about 90 minutes outside of the city.

After we arrived, the staff gave us information about the locals’ way of life, and how the elephants play a part in the community. We were told that elephants are not indigenous to Thailand. Elephants came to the country from Burma, I believe, hundreds of years ago with migrants looking for work. The government pushed the migrants to the more desolate parts of Thailand, specifically the forested parts of Chiang Mai and the surrounding areas.
All of the guides speak English, so there was little to no language barrier. The guides provided whole bunches of banana and sugar cane to feed the elephants. After we fed them banana and sugar cane, we made patties for them out of almonds, rice,

The sanctuary provides you with a tribal overshirt, Karen cloting to wear while you’re there to help the elephants recognize you. The tribal overshirt has to be returned when you leave the sanctuary, but they do give you a small purse as a souvenir featuring the same print.

You’ll start the day off learning about the locals’ way of life, and how the elephants play a part in the community. All of the guides speak English, so there was little to no language barrier.
Once the guides gave us the rundown and our expectations for the day, they released the elephants to us and all of them were wearing cowbells so we heard them coming to the shed. They were so stinking cute, and seemed sooo happy! We fed them whole bunches of banana, and they ate the peels and all. We also fed them sugar cane, and what was surprising to me was that the elephants knew how to break down the cane to eat it! After we fed them banana and sugar cane, we made patties for them out of seeds, nuts, rice, and greenery to supplement their diet to ensure they receive the necessary nutrients and minerals.
After we fed them all of their food, we walked them over to the nearby creek to play in the water with them and bathe them. We first poured mud on them to cool them down, then rinsed them off with the creek water. The little elephants loved the water the most.
Once the elephants ate and played in the water, it was time for the humans to have lunch. We were served rice with fish and salad.

On our ride back to our accommodations, the van took a stop at a gas station, and guess what I found… fried bananas! I ordered some, but they were not as good as what I had in Bangkok.

After my half-day with the elephants, I wasn’t done celebrating. To commemorate my birthday and keep it going as the best day ever, I booked a massage at Fah Lanna Spa in Chiang Mai. Fah Lanna is an award-winning luxury spa and you will receive a 5-star experience. One of the things Thailand is known for is their massages, and they do them right. Upon entering Fah Lanna, I was greeted with a hibiscus drink to help relax before the service in the lobby. My massure took me through the tranquil garden to my room. I booked the 90-minute traditional Thai massage for ฿1,000 ($27 USD). After my massage, I was again escorted to the relaxation area where ginger tea and Thai rice crackers were served to me complimentary. They were so good I purchased some as souvenirs as well as lotion and earrings. I walked around the neighborhood exploring then took a Grab back to my hotel where I passed out for the night and my missed birthday celebration, but the day was honestly worth it.

For my last day in Chaing Mai, I booked a half-day adventure with 8 Adventures that included a 3 hour long ATV ride through road and off-road jungle terrain followed by a 10 km white water rafting excursion. This was my first time riding an ATV as well as going white water rafting, so I really appreciated how thorough the staff was with going over safety procedures and making sure everyone knew the rules and how to operate the equipment. 8 Adventures is a full-service park with round trip transportation provided, lunch, as well as professional photographers on-site providing pictures as well as videos of your day for an added cost. Besides ATV and white water rafting, they also offer trekking, kayaking, and overnight stays on the property.

The ATV excursion began with a safety lesson, and we were able to test drive the ATVs first to make sure we were comfortable driving. We started off on road, then made our way into the jungle. We stopped to visit some elephant camps and rehab areas. I expected it to be scarier than what it was, but you’re able to go as slow as you want to take in the sights as long as you keep eyes on the guide and follow the designated trails. We also made our way to a waterfall, so we ditched our ATVs on the side of a mountain and hiked down to the waterfall and back up!
Next up was white water rafting. The river we went rafting on was natural, so it is pretty unpredictable, but overall it is safe. I was solo, and everyone else who did the rafting excursion was in a group, so I tagged along with a group of friends. We wore life vests and were taught the maneuvers for operating the raft. There is an instructor on every raft as well as other instructors on their own rafts and a few photographers and videographers taking the excursion with us on a separate nearby raft instructing you what to do as you navigate the river. It was very bumpy, and rocky but overall fun, and I would do it again in a heartbeat! There was one section of the river that was risky, so a team gets in the water to direct the rafts to ensure they don’t hit any rocks or flip over, which I was amazed to see, but very relieved to know that they took our safety seriously. Luckily my raft did not flip over, but I did see other groups try to be adventurous and ended up in the water. After our excursion we had lunch and were able to buy picture/video packages, and souvenirs then sent on our way.

Phuket

From 8 Adventures, I was brought back to my hotel so I can take the free hotel shuttle to the Chiang Mai airport and ended up getting a late flight to Phuket and landing around midnight on AirAsia. One-way flights from Chiang Mai to Phuket were over $100 when I was planning this trip, so I figured it would be best to wait it out closer to my departure date thinking the ticket prices will decrease. The ticket prices never decreased. Instead, when I initially booked all of my flights intercountry, this specific ticket never decreased, but incrementally increased.

Phucket’s airport is about 30 minutes away from the beach and most attractions, and there are no public buses available. If your hotel offers airport transportation, I would recommend arranging that, otherwise, you can expect to pay $30 USD for one-way trips via Grab or Uber. In Phuket, I stayed at the Lub d Patong Phuket Hostel, at $15 per night in a 4-person shared room. Lub d was absolutely phenomenal! There was a kickboxing area with an instructor if guests wanted to take group or 1:1 classes, other amenities included hammocks, a restaurant, a convenience store, lounge areas, as well as a pool with an acrylic wall. The views from the property were absolutely breathtaking and unbelievable that all of this was included for $15 a night.

My first full day in Phucket, I had lunch at Dang Restaurant. Of course I had to get mango sticky rice again, but I must admit that what I made in Bangkok at the cooking school has been the best mango sticky rice that I’ve had thus far. For my entree I ordered a shrimp and chicken dish which was served with veggies and a side of rice. After lunch, I walked around Bangla road in Patong, where there is pretty much a shop and vendor for everything you can imagine. There are so many fresh fruit, vegetable, and meat stands, souvenir shops, and most notably a lot of vendors selling passport covers for around $1 USD that you can customize with hot stamping. Bangla is pretty touristy and lively during both day and night, so its great to people-watch. If you want more western-style shopping, there is Jungcelyon indoor shopping mall that has clothing stores, an electronics store, movie theatre, bowling alley, and a department store as the anchor. The family-friendly shopping center also has sit-down restaurants inside with a water feature in the courtyard. After souvenir shopping, I headed to Patong Beach.

I made a friend at the hostel, and that night we ended up going to Simon Cabaret together. The show started at 9pm and we bought tickets at the box office. I was exhausted by this point and fell asleep during the show. But from what I was awake for and remember, the performers had glitz and glamour, the audience was lively and interactive. The show had comedy bits, dancing, and singing. The crowd was primarily tourists, so the host spoke in English and a little Thai for everyone to understand. After the show, you can meet some of the performers to take pictures and give tips.

The following day, after a good night’s rest, I booked a speedboat tour to Phi Phi Islands and Phang Nga Bay at my hostel with Phuket Sail Tours. For ฿4,000 which was ~$100USD, the full day excursion included roundtrip hotel pick-up and drop-off transportation, cruising on a big ferry to Krabi with beverages and snacks for sale, then a middle of the water transfer from the ferry to a speed boat, to view the islands and finally lunch.

The speed boat was the worst form of transportation I have ever taken. The driver was going fast for my preference, so we were hitting every wave insight bouncing up and down in the boat. We visited a few attractions such as Ko Phi Phi & Maya Bay’s beach which is uninhabited but was filled with speedboats bringing in tourists. We stopped to snorkel, visit monkeys at one of the beaches — but our boat did not stop and we couldn’t interact with the monkeys, and of course visited James Bond island, Phang Nga Bay.

We ended the day at a beachside restaurant for lunch that was included in our trip cost where we were allowed to order one appetizer, one entree and one non-alcoholic beverage. Once we finished eating we were able to stay out on the beach for a few hours before the speedboat took us back to the ferry for Phucket.
There are hotels in Krabi and many of the guests that were on the ferry used it for transportation to get from Phuket to Krabi. So, you can stay a few days in Krabi to explore the Phi Phi islands and Krabi itself.

Overall, this was an amazing trip, and I think of Thailand often and desire to go back again. As someone who was hesitant and nervous at first, it was one of my most memorable trips. Thailand can be done on a budget, luxurious, solo, or with a group of friends/loved ones. I found it to be very safe when staying in highly populated areas and tourist-friendly neighborhoods.
If you’ve visited Thailand, in the comments below, I’d love to know your favorite experience, and any recommendations for my next visit!