My Thailand Budget Travel

Thailand budget travel

Thailand Trip Day 1

 

Day 1 : Take 2.45pm flight to Bangkok. The flight takes 2 hours to arrive Bangkok Thailand. Thailand time zone is one hour behind Singapore time zone. However, Thailand daylight and night are same to Singapore. It means at 7 pm at Thailand, the sky as dark as 8pm in Singapore. My smartphone timing is automatically adjusted to Thailand time zone timing. I take the Airport Rail Link to Hua Lamphong railway station.

After 4 hours waiting at Hua Lamphong railway station, I onboard to 10pm train to Chiang Mai. The experience in the train is not bad though. Sometimes I feel the sleeper bed bumping up and down when lying. This will especially obvious if you take upper decker sleeper seat. The train contains three difference section/kinds of seat – air-con sleeper seat, non air-con sleeper seat, and normal sitting seat. I realize all westerner take non air-con sleeper seat. Non air-con seats have open window to let the fresh air flow in. The train is clean and comfortable.

The train takes 17 hours to arrive Chiang Mai railway station, after traverse through villages, paddy fields, and greenery jungle road. The panoramic near to Chiang Mai along the journey is really nice and like picturesque. Looking far forward, it was flat land covered by greenery paddy field, and scarecrow squatting at the passageway of paddy field, some wear clothes and some without. They are like a guardian help their owner to take care of the paddy field from intruder. The air is so fresh when I stand at the connecting cabin section looking outside, breathing and taking photo.

The train was delayed two hours to reach Chiang Mai railway station. It is common for the delay of train in Thailand. The delay normally can go up to 4 hours for Bangkok to Chiang Mai journey.

Day 2 : After arriving Chiang Mai railway station at 3pm, I take a Tuk-tuk to my hotel with the journey of 15 minutes drive away. It costs me 100 baht (actually less than 50 baht can get the Tuk-tuk already, and Songthaew roughly 30 baht, being ripped off).

When check in hotel, receptionist request for credit card details. I let them write down my credit card detail (this is really wrongdoing). After checking into my hotel room and bathed, I called my credit card bank to cancel my credit card functionality. Remember to insist of not providing credit card details to hotel receptionist (it is not compulsory and many tourists not given). It is my mistake for not thinking further and wisely. At the end they told me this is for deposit purpose in case I consume the drinks and snack inside the hotel room.

After that, I meet with another lady backpacker who takes upper decker sleeper seat with me on the train, and go to visit Chiang Mai University. Chiang Mai University is one of the recommended must go tourist spot in Chiang Mai. It covered large space of areas and have a lot of plants and greenery spaces. Here also places for me to understand their university’s environment, facilities and study culture.

At night, we go to Wat Phra Singh and Sunday Market. Wat Phra Singh was raised to the status of royal Wat (first class) under the royal patronage in 1941 AD. Sunday Market is just in front of Wat Phra Singh and stretch along the way to Tha Pae Gate. At Sunday Market you can see stalls selling local design clothes, handicraft, arts, wooden carving handicrafts, foods, fruit drinks, shoes and etc. You must bargain to get better price and the bargain normally around 20% of the selling prices.

Day 3 : Wake up early morning, today I take Songthaew (pickup taxi) to Doi Suthep temple Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (160 baht for round trip). Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the most famous temple in Chiang Mai. It located at the middle of Doi Suthep hillside. Doi Suthep’s scenery is so picturesque and serene. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep receives a lot of tourists either Asian or westerner. 

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was built by King Phaya Kue Na of Lanna kingdom. King Phaya Kue Na engaged the Lord Buddha’s relics that he kept in his shrine for 13 years to the pagoda of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. He took the relics on the back of elephant and prayed for the sacred place. The elephant walked to the sacred Doi Suthep mountain and showed the significance that this is the most suitable place to keep the sacred relics by acclaiming and walking around for 3 times.

For traveler and backpacker, you can rent a motorbike costs 150 baht per day to go to Doi Suthep and Chiang Mai University. Chiang Mai University is next to the foot of Doi Suthep Mountain. From foot of Doi Suthep to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (entrance fee 30 baht) takes around 20 minutes journey. On the way up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most sacred monument of Kruba Siwichai was established as another place for the people to worship. You can relax at the beautiful natural waterfall of Montatarn as well as another sacred temple, Wat Palard, which is the first stop of the sacred elephant while took the journey of sacred relics to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

Futher up of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is Bhuping Palace (entrance fee 50 baht). Bhuping Place is the royal winter residence in Chiang Mai where the Royal family stays during seasonal visits to the people in the northern Thailand. There is many beautiful flowers planted in Bhuping Palace. 

Thailand Trip Day 4 

 

Day 4 – Day 9 : Today mark the start of my meditation course. At 9.30am I take Songthaew to Wat Rampoeng, Northern Insight Meditation Centre. Wat Rampoeng provides 10 days and 26 days basic meditation course. It accepts international students (foreign meditation people). They do have monk able to speak English and as translator between foreigner and abbot when reporting.

Before you decide to go Wat Rampoeng to meditate, you should have resolution and dedicated mindset to meditate. It is really tough for those who like to talk. There are no talking, no handphone and no communication. What you do since you wake up at 4am until sleep at 10 pm is meditate, meditate, and meditate.

The meditation starts with mindfulness prostration. After that, proceed to walking meditation and then sitting meditation. Walking meditation and sitting meditation interchange every 15 minutes. The walking meditation and sitting meditation duration are increase everyday by 5 minutes. Sometimes depend on condition whereby when reporting and abbot review your progress, abbot allows you to maintain for same meditation duration.

At the last 3 days of 26 days basic course, you will be requested to meditate for 3 days 3 nights non stop without sleep. However, it is still dependence on individual meditator.

Meditation is really worth to experience, because it strengthen your mindset, allow you to face all the challenges with calm and resolution.

Day 10 – I am discharge from Wat Rampoeng. It is mistake cause by English language misunderstanding. Although later the foreign meditator officer ask me to stay back since it was cause by mistake, I decided to leave since I already done the closing ceremony without giving reason to abbot when asked why to leave the day before.

After left Wat Rampoeng, I headed to Tha Pae Gate as recommended by monk Phra Lim from Wat Rampoeng by motorbike (arranged by Phra Lim, really thanks to him) and then Songthaew. 

Tha Pae Gate is a place where guesthouses were flourished. The guesthouses here range from 200 baht for single fan room to 550 baht for twin air-con room. It also depend on quality of guesthouses, some even expensive than hotel. Tha Pae gate is located central of Chiang Mai. You can reach Night Bazaar, Sunday Market, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Warorot Market and Ton Yam Lai market within walking distance. Each guesthouse do have own restaurant that provides foods (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and drinks with prices range from 50 baht to 150 baht. I strongly recommend all backpacker and traveler to rent a bicycle with 50 baht per day to tour around Chiang Mai ancient city. 

Chiang Mai ancient city is a tranquil and beauty city surrounding by moat and wat.

My recommendation is Julie guesthouse and Kavil guesthouse (for backpacker who looks for cheap accommodation). They look more promising in quality and cleanliness. If you see some ants and mosquito, it is normal in northern Thailand. All houses here‘s door and windows are covered by mosquito net to prevent mosquito and ants and insects entry. Julie guesthouse (180 baht per single fan room) is most popular among the tourist especially westerner backpacker.

All of the guesthouses here do provide hot water bath and Wi Fi (signal always very low). Some of guesthouses are awarded with certificate by Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor, Rough Guides and sticker of recommendation. You can take this as clue and gauge for the quality. I am late when arrive here, so I don’t notice it at the time.