I returned to Thailand… Is it still my favorite country?

I recently got back from my highly anticipated 2nd trip to Thailand. I’ll never forget how sad I felt leaving after 3 incredible weeks. Thailand really healed me. I felt a sense of calm and joy there that felt hard to come by at that point in my life. I swore I would return… over and over again.

2 1/2 years later, I returned. I spent 10 days traveling through Chiang Mai, Koh Tao, and Koh Samui. I left feeling… differently about Thailand. Not necessarily in a negative way. In fact, it’s still probably my favorite country overall. However, I did observe some things that I either didn’t notice my first visit, or they’ve appeared in the 2 1/2 year gap in between visits. Keep in mind, this is just my personal experience and it’s very possible that my eventual 3rd trip will be very different (because yes, there will be many more visits to Thailand!).

Thailand is more expensive

Keep in mind, I was coming from Vietnam beforehand so any country would probably seem expensive in comparison. Even then, compared to my last trip, I noticed prices have definitely gone up overall in accommodation, food, and transportation. Supply & demand… it makes sense. I still think it’s much more affordable than virtually any Western country, but the price increases are definitely obvious, especially in the islands.

There are (even) more tourists/expats

Thailand has always been a big tourist/backpacker/expat country, but it seems even moreso now. Especially in Koh Tao… I mainly only saw locals working in shops/restaurants… they don’t really wander around the main areas much. Even Chiang Mai seemed to have way more foreigners compared to my last visit. This isn’t necessarily a criticism, but it’s the main observation I made everywhere I went.

Thailand isn’t a secret, that’s for sure.

Culture seems harder to find

This might be on me since I was very much on the backpacker trail & staying in hostels. I felt like I had to seek out Thai culture.. whereas in other countries, the culture is all around me. The popular parts of Thailand feel much more westernized. For my next visit, I plan to do more research to intentionally seek out a more local experience.

It’s really easy to get sucked into the nightlife

This isn’t news to anyone… Thailand has incredible nightlife in every major area. If you’re backpacking, it’s VERY easy to get wrapped up in it all. This isn’t a criticism & it’s also not a highlight for me. I feel pretty neutral about it. I think the only reason why I feel the need to bring it up is because I was much more involved in nightlife on my 2nd trip compared to my first. On my first trip, I went out twice in 3 weeks. On my second trip, I went out 5 times in 10 days….

If you love nightlife, you’ll love Thailand. If you’re not into it, I would very mindfully seek accommodation/experiences that don’t encourage it. Nightlife is prominent, but still fairly avoidable.

Despite the cons, I am still dying to return

Yeah, I did experience more of the negatives this time around, but that doesn’t change how much I love Thailand. The Koh Tao beaches were some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Grabbing a big bowl of Khao soi after a yoga class in Chiang Mai is one of my favorite things to do. It’s impossible not to meet cool people in Thailand. It’s popular for a reason: the country has a lot to offer, to say the least.

Now, keep in mind.. I could easily prioritize visiting quieter, more remote places. And I’m sure I will one of these days. However, my favorite part of backpacking Thailand is meeting other travelers & getting to share the whole experience with them. Therefore, I tend to gravitate towards the places that are on the typical backpacker trail (Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Tao, etc.). Of course, that also means I’ll run into some downsides and annoyances here and there, but you have to take the good with the bad.

Despite Thailand definitely getting pricier & more overrun by visitors, it is still a breathtakingly beautiful country with friendly people, incredible food, fascinating culture, and endless amounts of things to do.

I’ll be back… cause it’s Thailand. I could never stay away for too long.