Nobody knows Thailand like Lonely Planet. Our 13th edition will have you soaking up the sun on the island paradises of the south, trekking among the hill tribes and riding elephants in Chiang Mai, discovering the ancient temples of Sukhothai and snapping up bargains or being pampered in a spa in Bangkok.Lonely Planet guides are written by experts who get to the heart of every destination they visit. This fully updated edition is packed with accurate, practical and honest advice, designed to give you the information you need to make the most of your trip.In This Guide:Detailed advice on everything from food & drink to transport & healthSpecial 'Thailand & You' chapter with tips on culture and etiquetteExtensive Deep South coverage eases your travels in the conflicted region
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
For sheer global reach and dogged research, attention must be paid to Lonely Planet…' --Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2003
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Publisher
Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travelers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.
What We Do
* We offer travelers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travelers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travelers; not clouded by any other motive.
What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travelers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.
What We Do
* We offer travelers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travelers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travelers; not clouded by any other motive.
What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Of the four guides that I recently took with me to Thailand: Thomas Cook's, Let's Go, Rough Guide and Lonely Planet, Lonely Planet Thailand has a few areas that makes it a top contender.
Its `Bangkok' section is better organized than the other guides and its Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai coverage is superb. It has an excellent section titled, "Facts about Thailand", that introduces you to this exotic country and its section "Facts for Visitors" (Visas, money, health etc.) maybe the best out in a Thailand guide. The accommodations recommendations are reliable and normally good. Both accommodation and restaurant prices are given in Bahts (much better than Rough Guides 1-9 numbers), but because the guide is slightly dated (2003) the information is about three years old by now and you will have to adjust the prices by at least 20%.
Bangkok is a huge sprawling city, much like Los Angeles, and this guide logically separates the six regions within the city that you are most likely to visit. You will find the map, hotel and restaurant recommendations and sites closer together than Rough Guide, but neither guide makes it easy to navigate this concrete jungle.
The maps in Lonely Planet are plentiful but more difficult to decipher than in the Rough Guide's maps. Good, easy to use maps are critical, especially when you are trying to find a recommended restaurant while the 95 degree heat saps your patience, the traffic and noise assaults your senses and your frustration grows with this guide. Becuase of the tiny, small print, the small 1/3 page map that is designed to covers 5 square miles of Bangkok you turn the book 360 degrees and scream (don't work your voice will not be heard amongst the din). This is a important area that needs tweaking.
Rough Guide (see my review) does a much better job with restaurant recommendations than Lonely Planet. This guide will list a restaurant and write something banal about the place, like "has Thai food" and leave it at that - "duh". Occasionally, the guide sticks out its neck and says something risqué like; "has good food". Seldom, does the guide commend a dish to try. "Rough Guide" both tells you why they recommended the restaurant, i.e. "relaxed riverfront eatery under bamboo shelters... marinated pork or chicken", and often tells you what dish you should try, "the chef's signature green peppercorn sauce served with steak, chicken or duck." This is what good "guides" are supposed to do, guide you. Another area that needs tweaking.
If you are going to go to Bangkok, Chang Mai or Chang Rai then this guide would be my first choice. If you are going throughout Thailand and will not spend time in Bangkok then consider Rough Guide first. Finally, if you are going to do the sun and surf (Southern Thailand) and not go north of Bangkok then `Lonely Planet Thailand's Islands and Beaches' is the book to have (see my review).
Its `Bangkok' section is better organized than the other guides and its Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai coverage is superb. It has an excellent section titled, "Facts about Thailand", that introduces you to this exotic country and its section "Facts for Visitors" (Visas, money, health etc.) maybe the best out in a Thailand guide. The accommodations recommendations are reliable and normally good. Both accommodation and restaurant prices are given in Bahts (much better than Rough Guides 1-9 numbers), but because the guide is slightly dated (2003) the information is about three years old by now and you will have to adjust the prices by at least 20%.
Bangkok is a huge sprawling city, much like Los Angeles, and this guide logically separates the six regions within the city that you are most likely to visit. You will find the map, hotel and restaurant recommendations and sites closer together than Rough Guide, but neither guide makes it easy to navigate this concrete jungle.
The maps in Lonely Planet are plentiful but more difficult to decipher than in the Rough Guide's maps. Good, easy to use maps are critical, especially when you are trying to find a recommended restaurant while the 95 degree heat saps your patience, the traffic and noise assaults your senses and your frustration grows with this guide. Becuase of the tiny, small print, the small 1/3 page map that is designed to covers 5 square miles of Bangkok you turn the book 360 degrees and scream (don't work your voice will not be heard amongst the din). This is a important area that needs tweaking.
Rough Guide (see my review) does a much better job with restaurant recommendations than Lonely Planet. This guide will list a restaurant and write something banal about the place, like "has Thai food" and leave it at that - "duh". Occasionally, the guide sticks out its neck and says something risqué like; "has good food". Seldom, does the guide commend a dish to try. "Rough Guide" both tells you why they recommended the restaurant, i.e. "relaxed riverfront eatery under bamboo shelters... marinated pork or chicken", and often tells you what dish you should try, "the chef's signature green peppercorn sauce served with steak, chicken or duck." This is what good "guides" are supposed to do, guide you. Another area that needs tweaking.
If you are going to go to Bangkok, Chang Mai or Chang Rai then this guide would be my first choice. If you are going throughout Thailand and will not spend time in Bangkok then consider Rough Guide first. Finally, if you are going to do the sun and surf (Southern Thailand) and not go north of Bangkok then `Lonely Planet Thailand's Islands and Beaches' is the book to have (see my review).
40 of 43 people found the following review helpful
By Jason Duell
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
It would nice if Amazon put kindle-specific reviews on the kindle-edition page for a book, rather than just the regular reviews for the book. Because sometimes there's a big difference. Such as for this book.
I tossed my hardcopy of the Lonely Planet guide in favor of this kindle edition. I wish I hadn't. Using a guidebook requires lots of hopping to a specific page or pages, which is not the kindle's strong suit. It's very hard to find anything quickly in the kindle edition. So hard that I'm basically finding it almost useless.
Also the maps show up so small that they are effectively impossible to read. The kindle only has one level of zoom, and it isn't enough to help.
I found this purchase useless, and if Amazon would allow me to cancel it (I don't see a way to do so), I would.
meh.
I tossed my hardcopy of the Lonely Planet guide in favor of this kindle edition. I wish I hadn't. Using a guidebook requires lots of hopping to a specific page or pages, which is not the kindle's strong suit. It's very hard to find anything quickly in the kindle edition. So hard that I'm basically finding it almost useless.
Also the maps show up so small that they are effectively impossible to read. The kindle only has one level of zoom, and it isn't enough to help.
I found this purchase useless, and if Amazon would allow me to cancel it (I don't see a way to do so), I would.
meh.
49 of 57 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
You've just finished your final morning of two weeks basking on the Perhentian Islands in northeast peninsular Malaysia, and you're ready for Thailand. You'll get to the border late afternoon, giving yourself enough time to cross at Sungai Kolok and get to the first provincial capital of Narathiwat before nightfall. You've heard the BBC, CNN and your Mum talk about the troubles in Thailand's far south, but you're confident that as long as you travel in daylight and sleep in the major centres you'll be fine. After all, you've got the latest edition (August 2007) of Lonely Planet's Thailand guidebook stuffed in your pack -- what could go wrong?
Well, unfortunately a lot.
Despite having a swack of extra pages, overall Lonely Planet's 12th edition of its Thailand title succeeds only in delivering less than previous editions. While some sections, notably Chiang Mai province, have improved, other coverage drags down what should have been a far better title.
For starters, coverage of Thailand's strife-torn far south has been largely gutted. Maps of the provincial capitals have all been deleted and accommodation listings drastically cut, border-crossings are either vaguely treated or simply not mentioned. So there you are, in the very situation when you really need a guidebook -- crossing a border into an area known to have security concerns -- and the book is close to worthless. The coverage of this unstable region is far superior in Lonely Planet's previous edition, so if you're heading that way, be sure to pop into the library and photocopy the relevant sections, or refer to www.travelfish.org for maps and more detailed information. Of course it could be worse -- the recently released (June 2007) Footprint title, doesn't cover the region at all -- not even Songkhla province.
Compare this to Thailand 12's west coast border-crossing coverage: there's timetable information, costs and trip durations -- even notes on how many people a chartered boat will hold. Comparing these two sections, it's very difficult to take Lonely Planet's claim that "when we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time" at face value.
Listings
Lonely Planet has a number of overlapping books, including "Bangkok" and "Thailand's Islands and Beaches". Both of these, will probably, I'd hope, have more comprehensive coverage than the respective sections in this new edition.
Bangkok's Khao San area has just six budget guesthouses -- all of which were in the previous edition. Other examples: Mae Nam beach, Ko Samui (three listings), Ban Tai and Ban Khai, Ko Pha Ngan (one listing). On the other hand, Chiang Mai (which unlike Bangkok and Southern Thailand doesn't have it's own title) has two dozen budget listings (admittedly for the entire city rather than just one area).
While you could argue that somewhere like Khao San Rd is self-explanatory, I think a few more recommendations -- especially from among the bevy of places that have opened since the last edition -- would have been good. Bangkok does do better on its flashpacker and mid-range scene and a new section for Ko Rattanakosin, including little-known gems like Ibrik, Chakrabongse Villas and Arun Residence stands out.
Likewise when you're talking about beach bungalows you could argue "they're all the same" but the fact is they're not, and you may find yourself more than a little disappointed being supplied with a single listing for Ban Tai and Ban Kai on Ko Pha Ngan -- an area with well over 50 places to choose from. Entire beaches, including one of the best on the island, entirely escape mention. On Thailand's west coast, Ko Phi Phi's coverage pointedly avoids mentioning any of the budget haunts on the east coast of the island and instead steers budgeteers to Ton Sai village and it's immediate surrounds -- arguably the least attractive part of the entire island and certainly not the place to go if you're looking for a quality budget bungalow. Many of Phi Phi's luxury places though -- including Zeavola (16,000 - 37,000B a night) -- do get a mention, which leads to my next point.
There is a detectable shift in the focus of the book, at least regarding accommodation, with more space seemingly given over to flashpacker and mid-range places. Seeing over half a page dedicated to "Samui's top five top-end resorts" may have the old backpacker stalwarts rolling over in their hammocks, but it's a valid reflection of a tourist scene that is attracting travellers, backpackers, flashpackers and top-end-resort layabouts -- unfortunately this title will struggle to satisfy them all.
It's not all bad though.
The coverage of Chiang Mai is about as comprehensive as a guide can be.
The accommodation listings are thorough and numerous. Likewise the food, entertainment and shopping sections are all done well. Filling out the package nicely are cut-out sections for pummeling and pampering, quirky sights and markets -- should keep the flashpackers and shoppers happy.
The northeast section is also very good. Big-ticket destinations here are covered just as well as the more obscure, lesser known haunts, there's plenty of maps and some encouraging pointers to homestays dotted through the region. A long, informative, boxed text detailing the Phi Ta Khon festival is included. If you're planning significant time in Isan with this title, you'll be well served.
Maps
Thailand 12 carries 150 maps -- including 17 pages dedicated to Bangkok.
Aside from the above mentioned shortcomings in the far south, the majority of spots you're likely to need a map for are covered. The colour, countrywide map is easy to read though oddly doesn't mark the border crossings.
Photos
Thailand's a photogenic country and the selection of photos does a good job of selling the Kingdom. A 16-page full colour insert on "Thailand's Natural Wonders" succinctly covers Thailand's environmental state of affairs.
I was surprised though to see a photo of the Tiger Temple placed atop a list of environmental volunteering opportunities -- while I assume the placement is incidental, it's unfortunate given the ongoing controversy regarding the conservation "value" of breeding tigers in a stone quarry as the Tiger Temple does.
Conclusion
So if you're going to Thailand, are not going to the far south and don't plan to cross any borders, how is the book? Well it depends.
If this is your first time to the Kingdom and you don't consider yourself to be too demanding when it comes to guidebooks, then you'll find Thailand 12 to be just a satisfactory buy. Likewise, if you're happy just to be pointed in the right direction, you'll probably find it to be ok.
On the other hand, if you're a bit more demanding and you like to have a good range of accommodation recommendations to choose from, then you'd be well advised to either stick with the previous edition or consider an alternative guidebook.
I'd like to thank Lonely Planet for their complimentary copy of the Thailand 12th edition and co-ordinating author China Williams who generously spent time answering questions about the title via email.
Well, unfortunately a lot.
Despite having a swack of extra pages, overall Lonely Planet's 12th edition of its Thailand title succeeds only in delivering less than previous editions. While some sections, notably Chiang Mai province, have improved, other coverage drags down what should have been a far better title.
For starters, coverage of Thailand's strife-torn far south has been largely gutted. Maps of the provincial capitals have all been deleted and accommodation listings drastically cut, border-crossings are either vaguely treated or simply not mentioned. So there you are, in the very situation when you really need a guidebook -- crossing a border into an area known to have security concerns -- and the book is close to worthless. The coverage of this unstable region is far superior in Lonely Planet's previous edition, so if you're heading that way, be sure to pop into the library and photocopy the relevant sections, or refer to www.travelfish.org for maps and more detailed information. Of course it could be worse -- the recently released (June 2007) Footprint title, doesn't cover the region at all -- not even Songkhla province.
Compare this to Thailand 12's west coast border-crossing coverage: there's timetable information, costs and trip durations -- even notes on how many people a chartered boat will hold. Comparing these two sections, it's very difficult to take Lonely Planet's claim that "when we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time" at face value.
Listings
Lonely Planet has a number of overlapping books, including "Bangkok" and "Thailand's Islands and Beaches". Both of these, will probably, I'd hope, have more comprehensive coverage than the respective sections in this new edition.
Bangkok's Khao San area has just six budget guesthouses -- all of which were in the previous edition. Other examples: Mae Nam beach, Ko Samui (three listings), Ban Tai and Ban Khai, Ko Pha Ngan (one listing). On the other hand, Chiang Mai (which unlike Bangkok and Southern Thailand doesn't have it's own title) has two dozen budget listings (admittedly for the entire city rather than just one area).
While you could argue that somewhere like Khao San Rd is self-explanatory, I think a few more recommendations -- especially from among the bevy of places that have opened since the last edition -- would have been good. Bangkok does do better on its flashpacker and mid-range scene and a new section for Ko Rattanakosin, including little-known gems like Ibrik, Chakrabongse Villas and Arun Residence stands out.
Likewise when you're talking about beach bungalows you could argue "they're all the same" but the fact is they're not, and you may find yourself more than a little disappointed being supplied with a single listing for Ban Tai and Ban Kai on Ko Pha Ngan -- an area with well over 50 places to choose from. Entire beaches, including one of the best on the island, entirely escape mention. On Thailand's west coast, Ko Phi Phi's coverage pointedly avoids mentioning any of the budget haunts on the east coast of the island and instead steers budgeteers to Ton Sai village and it's immediate surrounds -- arguably the least attractive part of the entire island and certainly not the place to go if you're looking for a quality budget bungalow. Many of Phi Phi's luxury places though -- including Zeavola (16,000 - 37,000B a night) -- do get a mention, which leads to my next point.
There is a detectable shift in the focus of the book, at least regarding accommodation, with more space seemingly given over to flashpacker and mid-range places. Seeing over half a page dedicated to "Samui's top five top-end resorts" may have the old backpacker stalwarts rolling over in their hammocks, but it's a valid reflection of a tourist scene that is attracting travellers, backpackers, flashpackers and top-end-resort layabouts -- unfortunately this title will struggle to satisfy them all.
It's not all bad though.
The coverage of Chiang Mai is about as comprehensive as a guide can be.
The accommodation listings are thorough and numerous. Likewise the food, entertainment and shopping sections are all done well. Filling out the package nicely are cut-out sections for pummeling and pampering, quirky sights and markets -- should keep the flashpackers and shoppers happy.
The northeast section is also very good. Big-ticket destinations here are covered just as well as the more obscure, lesser known haunts, there's plenty of maps and some encouraging pointers to homestays dotted through the region. A long, informative, boxed text detailing the Phi Ta Khon festival is included. If you're planning significant time in Isan with this title, you'll be well served.
Maps
Thailand 12 carries 150 maps -- including 17 pages dedicated to Bangkok.
Aside from the above mentioned shortcomings in the far south, the majority of spots you're likely to need a map for are covered. The colour, countrywide map is easy to read though oddly doesn't mark the border crossings.
Photos
Thailand's a photogenic country and the selection of photos does a good job of selling the Kingdom. A 16-page full colour insert on "Thailand's Natural Wonders" succinctly covers Thailand's environmental state of affairs.
I was surprised though to see a photo of the Tiger Temple placed atop a list of environmental volunteering opportunities -- while I assume the placement is incidental, it's unfortunate given the ongoing controversy regarding the conservation "value" of breeding tigers in a stone quarry as the Tiger Temple does.
Conclusion
So if you're going to Thailand, are not going to the far south and don't plan to cross any borders, how is the book? Well it depends.
If this is your first time to the Kingdom and you don't consider yourself to be too demanding when it comes to guidebooks, then you'll find Thailand 12 to be just a satisfactory buy. Likewise, if you're happy just to be pointed in the right direction, you'll probably find it to be ok.
On the other hand, if you're a bit more demanding and you like to have a good range of accommodation recommendations to choose from, then you'd be well advised to either stick with the previous edition or consider an alternative guidebook.
I'd like to thank Lonely Planet for their complimentary copy of the Thailand 12th edition and co-ordinating author China Williams who generously spent time answering questions about the title via email.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Please buy this book and read it before traveling
I read this book and planned my trip using their suggestions and tripadvisor's, the history part and culture part are real easy to read and helpfull, specially if you are going to... Read more
Published 10 months ago by blizzard1076
1.0 out of 5 stars
Look to another guidebook
Poorly organized. Missing a lot of information on Koh Samui. It recommends taking a bus/ferry combo there and quotes a really low price and then does not say how to get that... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Matthew Knowles
1.0 out of 5 stars
A mistake to travel with Kindle edition.
Don't try to travel with the Kindle version of this guidebook. It's unbelievably frustrating to navigate, plus the maps get blurry when you blow them up to try and capture the... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mike McIntyre
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old Siam Sir
Here's yet another review of a travel book that is a country that I have never been in and will probably never go to. Read more
Published 22 months ago by David Field
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of LP's bests
I have been to several Asian countries and used several LP guides. This is one of their best works. Thailand is a relatively small country, and is easy to backpack around. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Dr. Smoker
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not comprehensive
This book assisted with our many trips to Thailand. It is fairly detailed for shopping and locating the main shopping mall. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Charlotte
2.0 out of 5 stars
not an easy reference
We brought this book to Chiang Mai, and it usually left us confused or frustrated because it took AGES to find anything useful. I personally don't think it is well organized. Read more
Published on April 15, 2011 by shellontherun
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lonely Planet Thailand
Regardless of your income status, Lonely Planet travel books are an absolute essential for travel in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Read more
Published on February 26, 2011 by Wizard
2.0 out of 5 stars
UNRELIABLE
The 13th edition of this guide is one of the worst and most unreliable LP Thailand guides ever printed. Read more
Published on January 28, 2011 by Nobody
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic source of information
This is the first Lonely Planet guide I have purchased in 20 years and I am not disappointed - these guys really deliver! Read more
Published on January 16, 2011 by Relfie
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