FAMILY HOLIDAYS TO THAILAND: 7 GREAT TIPS FOR BRINGING YOUR KIDS ON A THAI ADVENTURE
By Sheila Hendrick
We love hearing about our staff members’ holidays and adventures. Maura, one of our Asia/Australia experts is no different. Recently, Maura took a trip to Thailand with her husband and one-year old son. Trips to Thailand with kids were something that were unheard of a few years ago, as it was a destination which was traditionally seen as being a place where young people party, drink out of luminous buckets, and float around on various equally-luminous inflatables. However, today we are seeing more and more families booking trips to Thailand. What’s more is that they come back promising to return.
Maura and her family flew into Bangkok, and then flew down to Koh Samui, where they stayed for 7 nights before returning to the beautiful Hua Hin for another 7 nights.
Here are Maura’s thoughts and tips on travelling to Thailand with a child as young as a year old…
1. DON’T BE STRESSED
You are going on holidays for crying out loud. One of the most common worries is that Thailand is just too far to bring your children. Yes it is a long flight, but you’ll get over it! Also, we get asked questions all the time about the health system and “what if we get sick”. There are lots of hospitals around, so DON’T WORRY! Another worry for many parents is food. Again, don’t worry; Thailand is surprisingly westernised, meaning that if your kids don’t like Thai food, they will not go hungry. They have “normal” food too! As well as that, all the things that you use in Ireland (nappies, baby powder, etc.) are all available in Thailand, so don’t feel like you have to bring the kitchen sink with you!
2. GET THE MOST DIRECT FLIGHT POSSIBLE
There is nothing worse than having to wait around an airport for hours and hours with a young tired child (or three!). Getting the most direct flight possible to your destination ensures that that waiting around is avoided. Less waiting = happier children = happier mammy and daddy!
3. GET AN EVENING FLIGHT
By getting an evening flight, you have the whole day to run around after your little munchkins, meaning you will tire them out. This means (with any luck) they will probably be exhausted by the time they get to the airport, and will be asleep by the time they get on the plane. Happy days!
4. VALUE FOR MONEY
This is more a thought than a tip! Thailand is great value for money. Even though it will cost you more to get there than it would a European city, you most definitely will not spend as much as you would in a European city. So spread your wings further afield and embrace Thailand!
5. CHILD-MINDING FACILITIES
We stayed in the Sofitel hotel, and it was nothing short of spectacular. Most of the hotels which are targeted at families are 4 or 5 star, and they all offer child-minding facilities – which tend to be much cheaper than those facilities you would pay for in Europe! Furthermore, the Thai’s are GREAT with kids! This means there is loads of free time for dinner and drinks!
6. PLAN SOME ACTIVITIES
While in Thailand, be sure to bring the kids for a visit to some of Thailand’s national parks, elephant riding, to the zoo (or an aquarium or even Monkey Mountain), to child-friendly theme parks, and even butterfly farms. There really are so many child-friendly activities in Thailand.
7. KEEP THEM HYDRATED
It is really important to keep the kids hydrated. If you don’t, they could become cranky or ill. Stick to bottled water - you can get bottles of water quite cheaply from any 7/11 store.
SO DOES A FAMILY HOLIDAY TO THAILAND SOUND RIGHT UP YOUR STREET?
You should consider it! It really is lots of fun!
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