Not long ago my wife and I were at a restaurant/bar on Koh Chang which was on the beach, and I was watching a glorious multicolored sunset while listening to some nice beach music on their sound system. In came a European family of 5 on vacation. They ordered their meal and one by one pulled out the electronic devices and stared at them for the next hour without talking to each other. Here they were on vacation in a great location but instead choosing screen time over quality time with family. So please, for the love of god, put down your phones and interact with nature and the real world.

A wooden hut in the mountains with a mosquito net is exactly why I am coming to Thailand.

You know Paddy?  Those suggestions could map to planning a trip to anywhere.  You're doin' good, lad.

Great tips!!!!

Hi Paddy, my wife and I have been watching you for years and travelling Asia for years, thanks for your inspirational videos. How about a video on the updated regulations for entering Thailand, and other asian countries.......visas, resources etc

Thank you paddy, for all that you do, much love ❤

Great advice, Paddy.
One extra thought (from a Bangkok resident) - DON’T even think of hiring a scooter in & around Bangkok   .  
The traffic and the road etiquette is unbelievably manic.
Taxis, buses, BTS, MRT will get you wherever you want to go - & very cheaply.

Thank you for the confession of mistakes that even seasoned travellers occasionally and unknowingly made. Your highlighted precautions and advices not only helpful to those travellers visiting Thailand but also travelling to other countries. When the trip planning becomes too much of a hassle, skip it and just invite a few buddies over for some merriments over a few crates of cold beers and watch Paddy's travel vlogs. Cheers 🍻!

Looks like your home is shaping up nicely. Very happy for you both. Fortunately, I follow all of your tips, but definitely great reminders. Thanks for all you do to showcase this exceptional country, it's people and culture.

Three months ago I had never even heard of Patthalung. Now I've just come back from a little road trip across the province thanks to your Patthalung video. Thank you for encouraging us to explore this beautiful country beyond the usual hotspots. We had such an unforgettable time and will remember this as our 'Paddylung' trip in honour of you 😆

Very informative paddy,i love these type of vlogs as they are so helpful not only for me but to pass on to others in my circle. Would be nice if you could fit this type of vlog in once a month. GOOD JOB 👌

Great Video Paddy as usual. Your content is never, ever boring, always genuine and always informative. Congratulations to you and Mrs P as well on your new renovated Condo.

Regarding this video, I am not as well travelled in Thailand as yourself but I have been to Thailand 3 times in the last 5 years, spending 3-4 weeks there each time; in Udon Thani, Prachinburi and in Phuket . During that time I traveled around each location by car (includind days visiting Pattaya, Ayuttaya and Bangkok. So I got to see a fair amount. Your list is very comprehensive but hope you don't mind me adding a couple of things -

1. Remember you are a guest in Thailand and Thai people value politeness enormously. Politeness includes greeting respectfully with the Thai greeting of Swasdee Ka or Swasdee Krap if you are a male. And putting your hands together slightly below your face as you express your verbal greeting. Likewise saying thankyou - Kap Kun Ka or Kap Kun Krap if you are a male is also very helpful. Engage the locals to experience Thailand. Don't be a stranger whilst you are in Thailand. You will be rewarded for trying.

2. Obey the laws and customers of Thailand. This is particularly topical as there has been a big increase in westerners thinking they are free to do as they please with regards to their behaviour and defiance of Thai laws. Every mistake and every breach of Thai laws you make reflects on all western visitors.

3. Try the Thai food - not in your Hilton or Marriott Hotel but in a small village street night market. The food is ridiculously cheap 99.999999% of the time but more than that you will be supporting the heart of Thailand. Food vendors make up a significant amount of the overall Thai workforce/small business/sole trader.

4. For those who have not been to Phuket or Pattaya (pronounced - Pat-tay-ya) - believe me, the core centres are not Thailand (as Paddy has indicated). They are western focused towns now that have transformed to serve western tourists looking to enjoy Thai beaches before retiring back to your Western hotel. Get away from those core locations. If you are in Phuket, drive or ride for 90 minutes up to Phang Nga and marvel at the beautiful tropical forest mountains and Avatar like Island formations. If you are in Pattaya, drive/ride south for 90 minutes and see the myriad of fishing type villages and coastline.

If you haven't planned your trip yet, scroll through Paddy's library of YouTube videos until you see some locations you have never heard of, like Koh Lanta, Sichon, Hua Hin/Cha Am, Surat Thani etc and put them on your itinerary.

Thailand is an amazing place culturally, spectacular geographically, astounding historically and captivating spiritually. But you need to make the effort to experience it to have a true Thailand experience.

Cheers Paddy. Look forward to all your future videos.

Great advice!

You have covered most of the mistakes that I have advised people travelling to Asia for many years not to make.  Most people don't listen though  they have to make their own mistakes. One tip I would add , never eat very spicy food the day before you move or you might have to deal with a situation where a sudden acute movement might result in an embarrassing situation in a taxi , bus or airplane. Anyone that has eaten spicy Thai food  will know what I am referring to .

sometimes the fun is in the Travel

Hey Paddy, great video as usual!
But as most time when you raise "licence" and motorbike riding you are could be more on top and not so vague, insurance companies will not be so lenient if you don't have the right licence! Some countries have 125cc baked in the car licence but far from all and to my knowledge you also need to get a international licence for the vehicle you are nationally licenced for, issued in your home country, for the insurance to cover if the worst were to happen. You can also get a thai motorcycle licence (if you have the time) but there are some hoops to go through. Other then that, you are spot on and every video you are adding the bucketlist with places me and my wife want to visit when we are not in our house near Hua Hin. Keep it up!

If people rent scooters, they should buy a padlock and chain and lock the scooter somehow before leaving it! Especially outside the hotels! It has been known for the thieves to be the same people that rented the scooter out! They have the duplicate keys!  Just don't be done for the cost of a new scooter because the one you rented was easily stolen!

Thanks Paddy.  We've been watching you for a couple of years now, and we're always impressed how clean shaven and fresh you are on your travels. If that was me, I look like holy hell every morning.  😂❤🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

So true !! Great Informations and video Paddy☝👍👍❣  I know several mistakes you mention - the worst was in Lao, by boat to the jungle and mountains, it was so cold and raining the whole day - horrible ! 😂 they told us such is the normal weather this time of the year....no jungle trip a.s.o.. ...we left two days later by boat

Most tourists from UK ( to anywhere tbf) dont realise that their travel insurance only covers renting bikes/ mopeds abroad IF they are qualified to ride one in UK. Any local insurance when you rent only covers crash damage and possibly some very minor medical costs.
Just because local laws allow you to ride doesn’t mean you're covered by travel insurance.
It's something that needs a huge awareness campaign to prevent the tragic stories we all know of.
As you say it's not much more for a taxi- especially if share.