Skip to main content

Thailand & Vietnam - Considerations before traveling

The next trip is coming up!
I will be going to Thailand and Vietnam for a week each!
 
Instead of a recap, I thought I share a few thoughts and ideas about both countries as they are fairly commonly planned together by others too.

The Route

 If you travel from overseas you will most likely start with Bangkok either way as this is the main airport in that area.
Here is the first thing you should know: Bangkok has two airports!  If you want to fly from there to your next destination just check that you choose the correct one.
 
The first day will be in Bangkok and the next day I will fly out to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam.
Due to the storm season (more on that later) the original plan to fly to Hue and then take the train to Da Nang after turned into another day in HCMC and straight to Da Nang.

From there I will catch the next flight to Krabi (aka back to Thailand) and end up in Bangkok again for the last part of the trip.
 
Currently this means:
1 day Bangkok
3 days HCMC
4 days Da Nang
4 days Krabi
3 days Bangkok
 
 

Airline considerations

 As a cautious traveler who has several destinations planning is key. For me this means
a) Always book accommodations with free cancellations
b) Choose reliable airlines to avoid flight cancellations or major delays
 
The "good airlines":
- Thai Airways
- Vietnam Airlines
- Bangkok Airways
 
The "middle":
- Air Asia
 
The "low budgets":
- Vietjet Air
- Nok Air
- Thai Lion Air
 
Make your own choices but I wanted to avoid the low budget airlines as I'm used to European standards.

Travel requirements

 Check your personal requirements but in general Thailand grants entry without a visa to most travelers - you do however need to fill out an online form up to 3 days prior to your arrival.
Vietnam requires you to apply for a visa (unless you're a Vietnamese passport holder of course). You can choose between a single-entry or multipe-entry visa. I choose the first as I will be traveling within the country and then leave to go back to Thailand after.

Travel time & weather

 I won't pretend I know the best times to travel to either country however both are fairly hot and you either get hit with hot temperatures, rainy weathers or you manage to go in the time in-between.
In general high high season is between November and February for Thailand while for Vietnam it's at least a month later. Both countries get hit with lots of rain during the rainy season but in the past weeks I learnt the hard way that it's not just rain but that Vietnam is also prone to typhoons and as I'm writing this the country is about to be hit with the 13th this year and is just getting the through the worst flooding the country ever had... and that affects on of the places was flying to (Hue in central Vietnam).
 
Therefore pro tip: BOOK FLEXIBLE FLIGHTS!! I switched one but there is a chance this one and the one after might be affected (I just cross my fingers and hope for the best at this point).
 Also download the Windy.app which is free as you will be able to see upcoming storms, typhoons etc (for the whole world). If you're thinking ohhh I don't I would see anything - yes, yes you will. This is what it looks like for me at the moment:
  
 

Activities

As there will be multiple locations and I'm keeping my itinerary as flexible as possible.
Apart from sightseeing points which I will share once I'm back, I have 1 activity booked with Get Your Guide and 3 more in the back of my hand (depending on the weather)
 
From Krabi: Phi Phi Island Day Tour (that's the one which has been booked)

What to bring with

 Since I will be there in November the weather is around 25-30 degrees. Though my tickets mostly include additional luggage, I narrowed it down to the normal hand luggage for the 16 days (considering that I will wash & re-wear clothes). I changed a few things in between but this will be in my travel bag:
 
 
And for the daily small items, this will come with too:
 
1) Toothbrush                      2) lip balm                    3) floss                   4) deodorant
5) sunglasses                       6) tooth paste              7) disinfection       8) shampoo bar
9) ear plugs                        10) straw                      11) body lotion      12) hair brush
13) lock                               14) cables                     15) sun creme       16) cleanser & cotton pads
17) hair tie                          18) motion sickness pills                            19) travel adapter 
20) hair clip                        21) power bank 
Labels:
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vilnius in a Day

 If you are wondering if Vilnius, Lithuania is worth a visit especially just as a quick city getaway you've come to the right place! I was there in April 2025 - let me break down the most important infos and share some tips for your (next) visit 💫 Can you see Vilnius in a day? Absolutely! My goal for Easter this year was seeing the three capitals of the Baltic countries (Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn) within 6 days (half a day for travels included). How to get to Vilnius?  I flew in from Dublin but you can also get there by train or bus. If you're flying in I recommend checking out Kiwi.com as they have really good deals and it's easy to compare the best flights for you.   From there you can take several buses (e.g. #1, 2 or 88) to the city center (Old Town). It takes about 20 min and the buses go regularly (even on bank holidays like Good Friday!) Airport to Old Town Vilnius - Picture credit: Maps.Google.com       How does public transport work in Vilnius? If yo...
Post a Comment
Read more

8 Things to see in Ljubljana (Slovenia) and How To Get Around the City in a Day

  Let me start off by saying Ljubljana is beautiful!! If you have ever been to Vienna, you’ll recognize the similarities due to the influences from the Habsburg Empire which shape the architecture and cultural traditions to this day. Ljubljana has been Slovenia’s capital since 1991, after the country declared its independence from Yugoslavia, though before it was also its capital but the country instead was called Socialist Republic of Slovenia. Roots go back to 2000 BC. Today (in 2025) it has a population of around 300.000 people. The national language is Slovenian and their currency is the Euro. How to get to Ljubljana Depending on your starting point you can get to Ljubljana by plane, train or bus. As I combined it with my stay in Zagreb (Croatia), I arrived by bus. Ljubljana’s bus network is closely connected to other areas (and countries) in Europe. That’s why you will find a lot of buses going not only to Croatia but also to Italy, Germany or Switzerland (to name a few). Espe...
Post a Comment
Read more

12 Things to See and Do Around Croatias Capital Zagreb

  Have you ever wondered what it’s like to visit Zagreb? I went in August 2025 - let me share with you what you can do and how to get around. About Zagreb Zagreb is the capital of Croatia, a roughly 4 million people country located in south Eastern Europe which is mainly located around the Adriatic Sea (Italy is on the other side of that sea). While it’s mostly known for the beaches and cities like Split & Dobrovnik, its capital is located in central Croatia. Like with most of those countries fortunate enough to have a ton of beaches, Croatia hosts thousands of tourists over the summer months but this drastically decreases come September. Temperatures get colder, school starts again and seasonal workers move to where they’re needed more. Zagreb on the other hand is the political and historical center which lots of times is the first stop due to getting there by plane before people head to the coast of surrounding countries. Zagreb's history Though it was only named Croatia'...
Post a Comment
Read more