Let’s talk about Songkran.
In Thailand there is a holiday called Songkran. Songkran is the nationwide celebration of the changing seasons from rainy to dry in Thailand. YouTube depicts Songkran in one kind of light the reality of Songkran is completely different. As you travel away from central Bangkok to the suburbs you’ll find people laughing and spraying water at people passing by.
What is the main attraction to Songkran?
Thai people are already generally laid-back and happy but when they are on a holiday they are an absolute riot! If you are planning on traveling to Thailand between April 10 and April 20 roughly and planning on doing regular tourist stuff you may be disappointed. Many of the local attractions close so that type people can go and celebrate the Songkran holiday which last three days. This year, 2017, Songkran will be on April 13, 14th and 15th however because the holiday falls on a weekend it will be held over till the following Monday extending the holiday to April 18. During this time many shops and tourist attractions might be closed or have a limited staff available. Good thing for me though because I like to party with the locals! 150191709
Category Archives: Asia 2017
Booking My Third Flight To Thailand
My return trip to Thailand.
This will be my third trip to Thailand within one year, I guess you could say I really like it there. There is Songkran. Songkran is a nationwide water fight but you can see more on that here.
On previous trips I have shared with you pictures and videos of random places that I have gone. While these videos are great in the pictures outstanding this time I want to show you a little bit more of exactly how I book my trip to Thailand. On the last two trips I have used Google flights and monitored them throughout a couple months. To try and get the best pricing on flights to Bangkok. This time around I have used an app called Hopper. Hopper has been set up on my phone for a few months and sends me notifications as flights from Phoenix to Bangkok change. With the notifications it also has recommendations on when the best time to buy your flights to Bangkok will be. Financially you should be prepared to purchase your plane ticket at least six months in advance of your trip. This way when the best price comes along you can purchase on the spot and don’t have to wait for your next paycheck.
For more tips on being financially responsible while traveling click here.
Hopper sent me a notification on flights with United Airlines and ANA Airlines as having the best deal for around $660 USD. Considering I paid almost double that on my first trip to Thailand I feel that this time around these flight prices are a steal. While at first I found it hard to trust an app on my phone to book plane tickets with, hopper actually connects you with the official websites of the airlines that you are booking with. Even though I use the app Hopper, I dealt with united airlines when I paid for my airline tickets to Thailand. Going through the flight booking process with united airlines website was pretty straightforward. There was one minor mishap where I accidentally selected a seat for one of the legs of my trip. Because of that selection there reset it resulted in a additional charge of $69 USD. The receipt for that flight was a little cryptic and I was having trouble understanding where the additional charge came from. I waited until the charges process it through PayPal and then I called United airlines to get clarification on the additional charge for the flight. Customer service at United airlines was very helpful. The gentleman helped me distinguish what the additional $69 USD charge was for and then he offered to reverse the charge because of my accidental click. I really appreciate united airlines being flexible on their refund policy.
$69 USD goes a long way in Thailand! I did have to submit a refund request electronically and enter a long series of numbers in order to process the refund, however, it was not that difficult and their was on the screen instructions to assist me. So that wraps up how I booked my flight to Thailand this time around. Once I get to Thailand I’ll be able to book shorter flights, let’s say to Vietnam or Cambodia, something like that. But the main flight is out of the way. Now the waiting game begins…The excitement builds more every day…