DEPARTURE & ARRIVAL
From the second you first pack your bags to the moment you finally arrive at your hotel, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide on what to expect through every leg of your adventure. With our help, you’ll have a clear understanding of the entire international travel process so you can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying your trip.
PRE-FLIGHT
Planning your trip and being prepared will help to take some stress out of the trip. Here’s a few things to consider for a smooth and worry-free trip.
PASSPORTS
Typically a US passport takes 6-8 weeks, however, please do make sure that you review, renew, or apply for your passport as soon as possible. It’ll cost ya $110 for a new application or renewal.
VACCINATIONS AND HEALTH
It’s a good idea to check with your doctor to see if they recommend any type of travel precautions for you. We’ve been recommend and sometimes get booster vaccinations before our trips. We’ve never gotten sick in our travels but it’s nice to know we’re prepared in case.
TRAVEL NOTICES
Even if you don’t plan on using your ATM or credit cards while traveling, it’s a good idea to call your bank or set up travel notices online for your accounts. It only takes a minute and it’s nice to know that you can pull out cash or make purchases abroad on your cards if you need to.
PACKING APPROPRIATE CLOTHES
Even though in January it’ll be brutally cold in the Northern regions of the US, it’ll be extremely warm in Chiang Mai. Pack appropriately and be sure to bring along plenty of breathable and light clothing to help you survive the tropical heat. Expect highs of 85F and lows of 57F with intense tropical sun and clear skies. Whenever visiting Thailand, almost my entire wardrobe consists of “dry fit” tees, hiking shorts, and bandannas to combat the inevitable sweat.
*Tip
Pack about 3 days worth of clothes with you on your carry on bag just in case you find yourself in the very unlikely but possible scenario of having your checked bag delayed or lost (we’re talking just the necessities). We’ve learned this the hard way and now we make sure we have at least a few days worth of gear on us at any given time while flying so we can easily to continue on our trip. Also keep expensive gear in your carry on as well, such as digital cameras,
*Pro Tip
Book your flights with a strong travel credit card that includes lost luggage insurance that will give you a daily allowance of $100 while your bags are delayed.
DESIGNING YOUR ITINERARY
The wedding will be in Chiang Mai but there are plenty of other amazing places to visit while you’re in Asia. Liz and I will most likely be making a stop to Vietnam or Bali to make the most of our trip but we’re still deciding. Since you’re already making the journey to Asia, you might as well sprinkle in a few other destinations within the region. You really only need 3 or 4 days in a city and it’s surprising inexpensive, reasonably quick, and relatively quick to fly around on regional airlines. Other Thai hot spots like Bangkok (a bustling metropolis definitely worth seeing), Phuket and Pattaya (beautiful beach and fun party towns), or Krabi (a sleepy beach town) are only an hour and a $50 plane ride away. Otherwise we highly recommend checking out nearby countries in Southeast Asia just an hour or two away such as Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, or Singapore. If you have time to spare, you can even plan your trip to stop at a country just a few hours away such as Fiji, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, or South Korea. The sky’s the limit and it’s much easier to make a stop now rather than making the long trip over the Pacific another time. We’re a little adventurous and ambitious but we always try to visit at least 3 different countries and 4-6 cities in a 2 week window to maximize our trips.
PICK YOUR FLIGHT AND ARRIVE EARLY
We prefer to book late evening flights so we can get some deep sleep and get ourselves rested for the trip. Whichever flight you take to choose, just make sure you get to the airport at least 3 hours in advance.
GETTING TO AND PARKING AT THE AIRPORT (CHICAGO O’HARE)
If you cant get a ride to and from the airport, here’s what we recommend:
-Drive yourself to Chicago and park at one of the many parking lots. (We prefer Economy Lot G)
-Drive yourself to Chicago the night before you fly, stay at a hotel that has free extended parking, and take their free shuttle to the airport terminal. (Check out the many options at ParkSleepFly.com)
-Take the Coach Bus from Milwaukee to O’Hare.
SLEEPING THROUGH THE FLIGHT
On my first flight to Asia, I couldn’t sleep for any of the 18 hours and was absolutely miserable! The second time, I tried over the counter sleeping pills but they didn’t work out at all. Finally after a few miserable flights, I finally sought medical help since I’m naturally a light sleeper, get fidgety, and my body gets sore if I sit in one place too long. Normally I despise pills and putting chemicals into my body but I just couldn’t stand the thought of suffering through another miserable transcontinental flight. Traveling is so meaningful and important to me that I didn’t want to let the long flight prevent me from doing what I love so I saw my doctor. I told him about my inability to sleep on the plane and how miserable it was making my travels so I specifically asked for the strongest sleeping pills that I could get. It took a little convincing since sleeping pills can be addictive but I bargained with my doctor that I’d only need 4 pills, two for the ride there and two for the ride back. I even showed him my itinerary and he finally wrote me a prescription. This was one of the best travel decisions that I’ve ever made and now the flight is a breeze.
THE FLIGHT
The most difficult yet easiest part of the trip is the flight. It’s difficult because you’ll be stuck on a plane for about 18 hours (13+5) but it’s also the easiest since you’re literally sitting on your butt the whole time. Don’t worry, we’ll share our tips on how to make the flight a breeze and what to expect when connecting in a different country. We’ll break down the flight and turn it into a piece of cake for you so just sit back, relax, and enjoy the journey.
FLIGHT HOURS 1-2
This is the easiest part of the flight and goes by quickly. After you board, stow your bags, get settle in, and take off, you’ll be in the sky in no time. About 30-45 mins the seat belt lights should go off, people will start to get more comfortable, and the excited really starts to kick in. After a little people watching, getting acquainted with your surroundings, and watching an episode of your favorite show, two hours will have gone by already and it’s time for dinner.
FLIGHT HOURS 3-4
The flight crew starts to come alive and is soon bustling around the plane getting ready to serve the passengers dinner. Dinner service a delicate and time consuming process but it’s a nice way to break up the trip and get a decent hot meal to eat. After dinner service is finished and the crew collects the trays and rubbish from the passengers, this is an ideal time to use the bathroom, get any last minute necessities from your carry-on bag, and get comfy! Of course, this is the perfect time to take a dose of your handy dandy prescription strength sleeping pills. Put in those ear plugs and face mask and get comfortable because you’re about to get some much needed sleep.
FLIGHT HOURS 5-12
Try your best to get at least 8 hours of sleep or more and you’ll be in good shape for the rest of the trip. Not only are you getting recharged for the next of your trip but you’re passing the time and a getting a little closer to your destination.
FLIGHT HOURS 13-15
This is the home stretch! You’ve just waken up from a nice deep 8 hour sleep and you’re feeling refreshed and awake. You’ve only got 3 hours left and now the flight crew is starting their second meal service. The crew will then repeat the meal service routine and you’ll be another hour closer to your destination. Before you know it, the flight attendants will be coming around and asking you to turn off your electronic devices, move your seats back to the forward position, and prepare for landing. This is when I put on some music, relax, and start getting my things in order to get ready to deplane.
INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION
(LAYOVER)
Connecting in a different country can be a little intimidating but it’s essentially the same as domestic travel. We’ll break it down for your so you can have an easy and smooth connection experience.
CONNECTING IN THE RIGHT COUNTRY
The fastest and most direct route to Thailand is to choose a flight that crosses over the Pacific. You’re welcome to go the other way over the Atlantic but we’ve never taken that way nor do we want to since Asian airlines are revered for their service and hospitality and we want to spend as little time actually traveling to our destination. As we mentioned before, try your best to *not* connect in China and instead try to find a connection in Taiwan, South Korea, or Japan. The reasoning is that these particular countries have more beautiful and modern airport facilities, fellow passengers tend to be more professional and pleasant, and the connection process overall is much more smooth. Trust us on this one but if you find yourself wanting to connect in a different country, just let us know and we’ll be happy to share our thoughts.
INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER
Immediately after grabbing all of your belongings and heading off of the plane, you’ll want to head to the International Transfer area. The exact location will differ at each airport but typically you just have to make sure to follow the signs or read the maps for International Transfer. International airports are usually massive but all of the signs will have clear English translations and all of the staff will speak English. Usually you can just follow the other passengers from your plane but just for your own piece of mind, read the signs or ask for help.
SECURITY (AGAIN…)
Yes, you’ll have to go through security again but it usually goes very quick and you’ll quickly realize how efficient Asian airports are. You can keep your shoes on but get rid of any liquids that you’ve picked up along the way (water, coffee, etc) and get any larger electronics and battery banks ready in case they need them out. Also keep your boarding passes ready as security will do you a favor and make sure that you’re heading to the right airport terminal.
A MINI-ADVENTURE
Hopefully you selected a flight that doesn’t have a frantic 45 minute layover and you have some free time to explore. Again if you’re connecting at one of the airports that we’re recommended, you can take this time to grab a hot local meal, explore the world class airport shops, pick up some unique souvenirs, or even take a free shower (just remember to pack a towel). What we usually do is immediately go to our gate so we can establish a physical reference and confirm that our flight is listed and then go around to explore the airport. Of course, just make sure that you get to gate with plenty of time to spare, we recommend at least 30 minutes to an hour.
*Tip
Sometimes airlines won’t print up your connecting gate details on your boarding pass from your departure airport (another reason why we don’t fly through China anymore) so just be sure to ask any of the airport staff for help. Actually, just ask the airport staff for any help that you need and they’ll be happy to assist.
ONE MORE FLIGHT & THE THAI IMMIGRATION – ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE CARD
Of course this flight will be much quicker compared to the previous long haul flight at only around three to five hours in duration depending on where you connect. I usually watch a movie or two and at this point am getting very excited and planning out what I’m going to eat first when I land. However, this last flight does have one extremely important aspect: the Thai Immigration – Arrival and Departure Card. This is a small double sided form that you’ll have to fill out with your basic information and intentions for visiting Thailand. It asks for basic information such as name, address, passport number, intentions for visiting, and other small pieces of information that you should already know from the top of your head. The only tricky piece of information that you might not have readily available is the name, address, and phone number of your hotel so try your best to have a hard copy with you.
ARRIVING IN CHIANG MAI
Congratulations! The most difficult and time consuming part of your trip is over but now you’re probably wondering how do I get to my hotel, where do I exchange money, and how am I going to get cell phone service?!
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS
The first thing you’ll have to do on arrival is go through Thai Immigration and customs. Essentially, you’ll exit the plane and end up in an area with a few different queue lines to choose from. Get into any of the lines that say Foreigner Passport. Get your passport, Thai Immigration – Arrival and Departure Card, wait your turn, and be ready to listen for any requests. When it’s your turn, take off any hats or glasses, politely hand over the two items, and look directly at the little camera that they have at the kiosk. The Immigration and Customs official will go over your information, type some buttons, write some stuff, look at your some more, and then you should hear a few loud stamps indicating that you’ve successfully made it into Thailand and have gotten another stamp in your passport. Don’t stick around the Immigration and Customs area even if you’re waiting for someone as these are high security areas. Head out immediate to the luggage carousels.
*Tip
I do not mess around when it comes to Immigration and Customs in another country. When interacting with these officials, I try to be exceptionally courteous, professional, and minimal. With this attitude, I’ve never had any issues or delays and I highly recommend that you do the same.
LUGGAGE
This part is pretty straight forward. Usually the origin airport sticks your luggage tags directly onto your boarding pass so get those ready in case any airport staff asks for your ticket for proof, which has happened before. Get your luggage and head out to the main airport area.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE
Now it’s time to exchange some US dollars into Thai Baht. Immediately after leaving the luggage carousels into the main airport area, there will be a few different bank kiosks offering currency exchange services. All of them should pretty much have the same rates and fees so take your pick. We usually just choose the place that has the least amount of people waiting in line. Please note that you’ll need to show your passport for all currency exchanges at the airport. Get your cash situated and don’t leave the area quite yet.
*Tip
We recommend exchanging at least $100 US dollars immediately. You can choose to exchange more at this time but we wouldn’t recommend exchanging more than $500 at the airport as there are tons of currency exchange shops in the area. You also don’t want to exchange an exorbitant about of cash during your stay just in case you don’t end up using it all up. Otherwise you’ll end up with a bunch of useless foreign currency when you get back home or have get hit with more exchange and fees converting it back to US dollars. We typically only exchange around $200 to $500 every few days.
CELL PHONE SERVICE & SIM CARDS
The bottom line is that you’re not going to want to use your American cell phone SIM card in Thailand for a lot of reasons. Trust us when we say that it’s in your best interest to pick up Thai SIM Card. In the main airport area near the Currency Exchanges, you’ll find that there are a lot of SIM Card kiosks. Browse around to see what packages are available from the many kiosks but they’re typically competitively priced. For example, you can get a week of unlimited data/internet with 4G service on your own cell phone with a Thai SIM card for around ฿179 ($5.81) and it’ll work throughout the entire country if you choose to travel to another city. There are many different packages but you’re essentially looking at less than a US dollar per day for lightning fast data/internet at your fingertips. After you choose and pay for whichever data/internet package you want, the employees at the kiosk will install and configure the SIM card for you on the spot. They’ll always make sure that you’re phone is working correctly on the Thai networks before you walk away. You might also need to present your passport so just have it ready in case.
*Notice
The only way for your US cellphone to accept a Thai SIM card is if your phone is unlocked. Generally, if you own your phone outright and aren’t financing it, you should be able to have your carrier unlock the phone for international use. Unlocking a phone varies from carrier to carrier so please check with your provider before the trip. We can confirm that we’ve successfully used many Apple phones from the Verizon network along with many Samsung phones from T-Mobile that were paid outright successfully with Thai SIM Cards. We also bring a backup phone just in case one of ours get’s broken or lost.
AIRPORT TAXI SERVICE
After you’ve got your cash and cell phone working, you’re finally ready to head out and get your adventure started! Work your way towards the Taxi kiosk by Door #1. This is the only way to get a taxi out of the airport so jump in line whenever you’re ready and there will be a ฿150 ($4.87) flat rate to anywhere within the main city. When it’s your turn to walk up to the kiosk, simply show your GPS on your phone with the location of the hotel or have a hard copy ready. The kiosk worker will then quickly write up a contract for you and the taxi driver and show you to your taxi. The ride should be relatively quick since the airport is near the main city. Always keep your GPS handy in case the driver needs clarification, pay the driver the flat rate of ฿150 ($4.87), and be sure to grab all of your belongings. Congratulations, you’ve just arrived at your hotel and it’s time to get settled in!
* Tip
Regardless to what time of day you actually arrive at your hotel, they should be able to accommodate you. –If you’re too early for your check in time, they should be able to keep your bags in a safe location while you explore the city and return later when the room is ready.
-If you arrive late in the evening, most hotels will have 24 hour front desk staff or can make personalized arrangements.
FIRST STEPS IN THAILAND
You’ve checked into your room but then you realize that you’re excited, exhausted, hungry, and are in a foreign country with no idea where anything is. What do you do now? Let us help you find your bearings and get you more comfortable with your new surroundings.
7-ELEVEN TO THE RESCUE
Fighting off jet lag and adjusting your body to the new local schedule is crucial! From our personal experiences, it’s important to immediate force your body to understand the new sleep schedule so we can maximize our time. Upon landing, try your absolute best not to take any naps and instead to focus on staying active our occupied until it’s time to go to sleep in the new time zone. If you normally go to sleep around 8pm at home, try to go to sleep at 8pm when you’re in Thailand. No matter how difficult it might be, we’ve learned that it’s in our best interest to get that first good night’s rest to reset our bodies. After this first night, it gets much easier to adjust your body and minimize jet lag.
FIGHTING JET LAG
The flight crew starts to come alive and is soon bustling around the plane getting ready to serve the passengers dinner. Dinner service a delicate and time consuming process but it’s a nice way to break up the trip and get a decent hot meal to eat. After dinner service is finished and the crew collects the trays and rubbish from the passengers, this is an ideal time to use the bathroom, get any last minute necessities from your carry-on bag, and get comfy! Of course, this is the perfect time to take a dose of your handy dandy prescription strength sleeping pills. Put in those ear plugs and face mask and get comfortable because you’re about to get some much needed sleep.
ACTIVITY GUIDE
We’ve written up a complete activity guide so you can experience the most out of the city. From major tourist attractions to our own personal favorites, you can use our Activity Guide to Choose Your Own Adventure.
FOOD GUIDE
The food choices are going to everywhere and sometime downright confusing and intimidating so we took the time to write up a Food Guide. Thailand is a land of amazing food options so we’ve picked out the local favorites as well as our own.
TRANSPORTATION AND NAVIGATION
You’re ready to venture out and get your adventures started but how exactly do you navigate and get around in this strange new city? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered and we’ll show you the best and easiest ways to get around.
GPS & NAVIGATION
Hopefully you picked up a Thai SIM card at the airport so you can have access to GPS and data/internet on your phone, otherwise you’re not going to have a good time. There’s plenty of SIM card shops around town but it’s most convenient to do it right at the airport as we mentioned. You’ll be surprised to how fast the internet service is in Thailand and you should definitely use it to help yourself get around town, search for local business and restaurants, and searching useful things on Google.
GRAB (ASIAN UBER AND LIFT)
Grab is the equivalent to Uber and Lift and has an enormous presence in Southeast Asia. If you’ve used any ride sharing apps in the US, then you’ll be right at home with Grab. Just pick your pickup location and destination of the app and request a driver. You’ll even see your trip price beforehand and you can pay in Thai Baht, which we recommend over plastic. In fact, Grab is so easy and convenient to use that you literally don’t need to speak a single word to get from one point to another, although most Grab drivers speak English from our personal experience. This is our preferred method of transportation around town and it also extremely affordable. You can get from one side of town to the other for under ฿100 ($3.25).
*Tip
If you request a ride and can’t find any drivers to accept your ride, try walking over to a busier road that has more traffic. In Chiang Mai, there has never been a time when we couldn’t get a ride from a Grab.
TUK TUK (MOTORCYCLE RICKSHAW)
The Tuk Tuk is ubiquitous in Thailand and is an icon to the country. They’re the most fun method to get around town but also the most dangerous and expensive (relatively speaking). Our first few times in Thailand we got around town almost exclusively using Tuk Tuks. However after a while we realized that while fun, they were a little more inconvenience and expensive to ride. The first challenge with Tuk Tuks is that the drivers aren’t always readily available all over the city. They tend to hang out near the most popular places so if you’re not by a busy market or attraction, they will most likely not be around. The price is also a challenge as well since the driver sets the price and it’s usually at least double that of a Grab. You can of course negotiate the price but it’s a bit of a hassle especially if you’re exhausted or in a rush. We usually only hire a Tuk Tuk now if we’re in a rush to go home from a very busy area which takes longer from a Grab to access. With that said, I still recommend that every take a ride in a Tuk Tuk at least once while they’re in Thailand. They’re extremely fun to ride and offer a unique perspective to the city.
SONGTHAEWS (SHARED TAXI PICKUP TRUCK)
This method of transportation is how most of the locals get around town. These red pickup trucks are seen all over town and literally operate like a city bus that meanders around town. The flat rate is extremely affordable ฿30 ($.97) but you’ll be at the mercy of how many other passengers are on the truck with you and how many more will be picked up. This method of transportation tends to be a little more of an adventurous way to get around town since it’s mainly catered towards locals so sometimes the driver’s English (or our lack of Thai) might be a barrier. We rarely use this form of transportation but there have been times when it made the most sense to take since we were in a highly congested area and a Grab would’ve taken much longer to get to us.
WALK
One of the best ways to fully experience and get an authentic perspective of the city is to walk. Of course it’ll most likely be mid 80s and clear skies with the tropical beating down on you so use your discretion. If my next destination is within 15 minutes of walking distance and I’m not overly exhausted or hot, I like to walk. I’ve always felt extremely safe walking in Chiang Mai and having Google Maps on my phone makes the trip super easy. Plus I get to see and get a candid understanding of the people and the city, which is one of my favorite aspects of traveling. Just to be sure to pack comfortable shoes and don’t use up all of your energy for later adventures which require walking.
Mystic Mekong 