Thailand is one of those countries where you will need tours. However, don’t make the mistake of booking any of your tours in advance. There are many Tour Agency stands all over the cities and islands, so you are better off booking once you arrive. Not only will you find the right tour for yourself, but you will also save some cash! Below are the agencies I booked whom services exceeded my expectation.
Thailand - Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Pattaya
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary
Thailand is known for their elephants and there are a lot of sanctuaries and elephant parks all over the country for made for tourists attractions, but harming the elephants. So it can be hard to choose the right sanctuary especially since not all of them truly take care of these beautiful creatures. After reading many reviews, we went with Elephant jungle sanctuary and loved it. They truly takes care of the elephants. They are located in Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Pattaya. We visited the one in Chiang Mai and it was it was a beautiful place to watch the elephants in their natural habitat.
We did a full day tour and it was so much fun and ran very smoothly. We got to spend a lot of time with the elephants playing, feeding, bathing, and etc. The tour guides are actually the ones taking care of the elephants, so they pick you up, stay with you at the camp, and drop you back off at your hotel. They are young, hilarious and make the entire experience so much more fun and comfortable. You can book a tour online directly on their website or when you arrive in Chiang Mai. Normally, if you book online directly on their website, you will be able to get a free tribal shirt at the end of your visit. If you book in the city, some tour stands or your hotel/hostel might be able to give you a discount. We were able to get a pretty good deal on a full day tour through our hostel. For the experience you get, I advise you to book directly on their website. We didn't know this beforehand, but the money doesn't only go to the sanctuary but a nearby village as well.
Bangkok ( Bangkok Area )
Golden Thai Agency
I went on a solo trip to Bangkok and I got in touch with Suwan directly who owens the agency through my hotel, and I was impressed by his service. Because this was my first time in Bangkok I only booked him for a day and he took me everywhere I wanted to go hassle free. I am not a fan of tours and being able to have my own private guide was honestly the best thing ever! Honestly, he felt more like a friend than a tour guide because he was so chill and easy to talk too.
He took the time to tell me more about the insight of Thailand's history and culture which was very interesting to hear from a native. I honestly had a blast and my trip went far better than I could have imagined. He also took amazing pictures of me without me even asking for it! Totally a plus! I would highly recommend this agency if you plan to go on a trip to Bangkok! It's reasonable, affordable, reliable and overall enjoyable!
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Total cost: Starts at 500 - 1000 Thai Bhat ( $32) for a day to take you wherever you want in Bangkok and outside Bangkok such as Ayutthaya and more. Keep in mind this is a private car so the cost is pretty good deal in Bangkok.
Get in touch directly with Suwan
If you have him as your guide, tell him I said Hi
Chiang Mai
Elephants - Elephant Jungle Sanctuary
Sport Activities
Whether it is bamboo Rafting, ziplining, ATV, whitewater Rafting or bungy jumping, Chiang Mai has it all! And the best thing is, they have tour packets where you can do 2 or more of these. When it comes to sport activities, it is always best to book with your hostel or tour stands because you can get discounts! If you are staying in a hotel, always check your other options first, because hotels tend to have the priciest tour.
Khum khantoke Dinner and Show
This is a traditional Thai Dinner & Show. There are two places now, so we were told that there is an old one and the new one, but the new one was better, so that's what we went with. It's a nice place to relax and enjoy with family and friends for an evening. It doesn't matter which agency you book with because they are all the same. You are paying for the show, dinner and transportation, so the total cost is 900 Bhat ( US $30) so be careful if a tour stand or agency try to make you pay an additional separate fee. We ended up paying 700 Bhat ( US $23) because we got a good discount from our hostel. So, if you are staying at a hostel, see what kind of deal they have to offer first, and compare it to the tour stands, Then you can choose which ever has a better deal.
Cooking Class
We did our cooking class with Thai Orchid Cookery School. Each of us got to choose and cook our own dishes. We also went to the market and learned more about Thai spices, veggies, and fruits. The class is limited for 2- 10 people and the instructor is very laid back and funny, so the whole experience is fun.
We reserved it online, but paid cash at the end of the class and it was 900 Bhat (US $30) per person. This includes all the ingredients for the dishes cooked and the trip to the market. If you are in the city center, they provide free rides. You can always email them regarding any questions and they will get right back to you.
Night Safari
This is also one of those tours you should book in the city because you can easily get discounts. There are different shows you can check out and there is also a safari ride which was nice. Don't expect too much from this place. Despite the jungle scenery, it is more like a zoo and you can tell that some of the animals get mistreated.
Temples
Please do not book any tour for the temples. There are many temples in Chiang Mai and a lot of them look very much alike, so you should choose the once you find interesting and check them out. If you are staying in the old city, it's very easy to get around the temples since they are all within walking distance. We advice you to visit Wat Chedi Luang because it's different compared with the other temples.
Doi Inthanon National Park
If you are going to Doi Inthanon National Park, do a full day tour for the best experience with rice terrace, trekking and more. This is one fo those tours where you want to book at a tour stands because they always have better deals than the tours online.
Phuket and Krabi
When it comes to island hopping, it solely depends on what you want to do. For instance, I wanted to go to Monkey Beach and snorkeling but not canoeing. So, I checked out some brochures, stands, looked around, and found a tour that offered that at a reasonable price in addition to everything else I wanted to do.
Also, if you want to go to Phi-Phi island and Phang Nga Bay aka James bond island you can do both even though most tours do one or the other. So definitely walk around, check out some stands and brochures, and you'll find the right tour for you.
In Krabi, we booked with Pranang Travel & Tour. Now with Pranang, they offer fire shows and different activities compared to other tours. But like I said earlier, it all comes down to what you want to do.
I don't remember which agency I booked with for Phuket, but I remember I had a blast!
Most tours are half day or all day, but there are also tours that are overnight including camping. For those type of tours, it's best to book in advance online.
Sport Activities in Krabi
If you want to try something new or do some activities in Krabi we suggest you try ATV rafting with Klong Son Adventure ATV.
We were able to get a deal at a stand for 800 Thai Bhat ($25) per person for an hour. There are many activities you can mismatch to your liking and always get a deal, but because we were short on time we just did ATV on its own. It's always best to book by the tour stands on the island when it comes to sport activities because they have deals and offer you can not find online.