Hi All,
Many tourists do rent motorbikes and nothing happens. But every now and then they end up seriously hurt or dead. Have a proper license. Some bike rental places will rent with a dog license but when in an accident you will be wrong without proper license. Current drivers license for your own country plus International Drivers License. (IDL) Even experienced riders end up dead. Thailand is not a place to learn how to use a bike!
Bangkok is cheaper than many good beach areas. Bangkok has good cheap transportation (Chiang Mai is also cheaper than Phuket.)
After Bangkok not so many hostels. There are more today than 10 years ago but sometimes you may end up using a cheap guest house for convenience and better location.
You are an adult so the decisions you make you live with. Since there are no little kids with you staying in dodgy places only affects you.
You may end up modifying some of the places you visit because you meet up with new friends or in some cases fall in love with some cutie you meet in a bar. If you do travel with random people you meet always keep an eye on your valuables, passport and money!
Research scams to avoid! (Palace closed, bus scams, rent bikes and watercraft scams, etc.)
Right now is low season for hotel prices. Some rain and heat issues common to this time of the year. Many tourists like to visit this time of year to save money. Rainy season makes the plant life look more alive too. (For beach areas research surf and other conditions that affect safety.)
Have a credit card for emergencies that may come up. (Such as hit by a bus, fall off a bike, eat bad food, etc.) Maybe have some sort of insurance good for medical care overseas. If you are using a debit card for available cash have more than one card. Lose one single card or have it stolen or even crack it you will be out of spending money. Notify your bank that you will be using their cards in Thai ATMs before you leave home. Otherwise your withdrawal may be suspected of fraud when cash is requested from overseas suddenly. In Thailand cash is king! If you do bring cash stick with the largest denominations you can find. This will save room in your wallet. No old currency, no dirty or torn bills, no writing on the money. (I do not use debit cards in Thailand for cheap purchases, I use Thai baht for cheap purchases.)
Change your currency in Thailand for better rates. Most Western currencies no problem finding banks and small bank run money changers to change money. Thailand is very accommodating for changing money. Many bank kiosks open 7 days a week with good hours into the evening. Bank money changers available at the airport 24 hours a day. (There is a fee to use an ATM so take out the maximum you can at one time. The fee is the same for a small amount or the maximum you can withdraw.) For some remote destinations maybe get some money ahead of time. Rates are not fixed and can change more than once in a day.
Have copies of your passport information pages, copy the Visa stamp page too. Keep copies separate from your passport. Safeguard your passport and do not get it wet! (I keep mine in a waterproof container. Even sweat will make some of the ink stamps run and blur.)
(Look at a map of Thailand and Google up time required to get from place to place.)
Have fun.
Suggest you book only your first two or three nights in Bangkok to allow adjustments to your itinerary. Finding accommodations won't be a problem.
Also suggest that you go online to double-check ferry, train, bus and flight schedules to your destinations. Also, double-check the schedules once you're there. That's important, since your proposed itinerary leaves little, if any, room for delays and error.
Please note that there is a 6-hour time difference between London and Bangkok. Most people need some adjustment to account for the time difference ("jet lag"). Good luck!
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