Tips when travelling to Thailand
TRAVELLING around Thailand can be thirsty work, but only drink bottled water to avoid getting sick, advises travel editor Danny Gocs in his blog of travel tips.
DANNY GOCS
Travel light
THE golden rule is to travel light. It’s hot day and night (except in the mountain regions) so you will spend most of your time wearing T-shirts, shorts and bathers. You can find local laundries wherever there are tourist shops, and it costs only a few dollars to get your laundry done, usually within 24 hours.
If it’s only a couple of items that need washing, hang it up in the bathroom or on the verandah. And if you need some extra clothes, just head to the markets for some shopping.
Wash your hands
Leaving aside the major diseases such as hepatitis, tetanus, typhoid, etc which require vaccinations before travelling overseas, there are simple steps that you can take to minimise the likelihood of your holiday being marred by a bout of gastro or diarrhoea.
First, be meticulous in washing your hands before eating any food. Those stall holders in the markets around Thailand are a friendly lot and will happily shake your hand as they welcome you to shop. Carry “wet ones” or a tube of antibacterial liquid hand wash and use it before eating anything.
Only drink bottled water
When it comes to having a drink of water -— and travelling around in the tropics is thirsty work — always drink bottled water. Never drink tap water. Even if it is only when cleaning your teeth, use bottled water. This rule applies even if you are staying in a five-star resort (bottles of water are usually provided free for guests) to minimise the likelihood of getting sick from gastro.
Go to a 7-11 shop (they are everywhere!) and stock up on lots of bottled water. The same rule applies to ice cubes in restaurants and bars -— don’t have ice in your drink because you don’t known if the cubes were made using tap water.
Remember, you only need one lapse in vigilance to end up sick, and that’s not much fun when you’re on holiday.
NEXT BLOG
Advice on mobile phones, taxis and a warning about shopping scams.
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