Thailand with kids. Travel guide to Asia for families
If you are thinking about taking your baby / kid to Asia for the first time, you probably asked yourself a question: Where should I go first? Where to start our family adventure in Asia? We asked ourself the same question and although Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar sounded very tempting, we wanted to pick a country that would be easy to travel to with small kids: a baby and a toddler. By easy I mean a country where:
- There is no malaria: we would not risk going to a country where it is possible to get malaria without taking appropriate medications. However, I wanted to avoid pumping my small kids with anti-malaria meds. That’s why we made sure that areas we’re going to visit in Asia are malaria free.
- Baby food and diapers are easily accessible.
- There is a quite safe hygienic and political situation.
- There are good transport connections between destinations.
- Healthcare has a high standard.
Keeping this in mind, Thailand was definitely the country we were looking for. So, if you’re planning to visit Asia for the first time, take a closer look at this beautiful and extremely easy to travel with kids country.
What to be cautious about. Health and vaccinations
Although you can easily avoid malaria in Thailand, there are other diseases you should know about. For many of them you can get additional vaccinations, such as: hepatitis A, hepatisis B, typhoid, and rabies (plus the standard ones). To be sure which vaccinations you need before your trip, we strongly recommend you to visit a good travel clinic to get professional medical advice. Don’t base your knowledge on Internet articles, VISIT A PROFESSIONAL!
Be aware that mosquitoes in Thailand may transmit dengue fever. Take precautions and ani-mosquito sprays. We know DEET is not recommended for small kids but if one must choose between DEET and dengue, DEET is the safer choice.
Make as well sure that you have a good travel and medical insurance!
Travelling through Thailand with kids
Knowing all this, the rest is very easy. Thailand is uncomplicated to travel through. Everything is doable here and doing it with kids is not difficult. You can take a plane or a night train for longer trips. We took a night train from Bangkok to Surat Thani, where a bus and later a ferry was waiting to take us to Kho Samui. Everything is perfectly organized. Many other countries could actually learn from Thailand how to make life easier for travellers.
If you are travelling shorter distances, for example Bangkok – Ayutthaya, don’t hesitate to take 3rd class trains. They are great. 2nd class has air conditioning that is too cold and is far more expensive. 3rd class on the other hand is cheap, cleaner, with open window, and mainly locals travelling. One time we had to take a 2nd class train as the next 3rd class was too long to wait for. We didnt know at that time the price difference: 2adults+2kids, 3rd class for 40 THB compared to 1000 THB for 2nd class… That was the last time we made the misteak to not check the schedule. The rest of the trip we travelled 3rd class, which is as actually more comfortable for smaller kids, who have more space here to move.
If you are travelling in the city, use taxis, boats, or tuk-tuks (they are sometimes more expensive than meter taxis, but it is much more fun driving them). Remember to discuss the price beforehand. Bargaining is a common thing and should be considered a small game, as the starting prices are often ridiculously high. Bargaining should be and actually is real fun.
Food in Thailand.
It is impossible to starve in Thailand. You will always find something to eat for you and your kids. There is lots of street food, take outs, and restaurants. Fresh food (vegetables, fruit, meat) you can buy on the market. Other groceries, cosmetics and diapers you can buy in 7-eleven which is on every corner or in Family Mart. Buying staff in Thailand was never a problem.
Family friendly accommodations in Thailand
We booked our accommodation on booking.com. There are many places worth staying at in Thailand, so decide on the area and price range and you’ll definitely find something you and your family will enjoy.
What to visit in Thailand with kids
Many people underestimate Bangkok. They say its loud, crowded, and tiring. But we must say we loved it. Leaving out Kao San road, it’s beautiful, interesting, and full of life. We promised ourselves that on our next trip, we’ll going to stay there at least one week.
Historic places such as Ayutthaya and Lopburi are as well worth visiting. The ruins of the old temples can be interesting for kids as well.
Thailand is famous for its beaches and islands. There are so many of them, that sometimes it’s difficult to decide which one to visit. Plan enough time to enjoy this paradise.
