Getting to Thailand is not a quick trip. Before we ever saw a temple, a beach, or a tuk-tuk, we had to survive one very long journey across the world.
Our Flight Route to Thailand
Our journey started at home in Utah and unfolded in three legs:
- Salt Lake City to Los Angeles
- Los Angeles to Singapore
- Singapore to Bangkok
The longest leg of the trip was the flight from Los Angeles to Singapore, which lasted 17 hours and 10 minutes. That is a loooooooooong time on an airplane!
The Emergency Row Seat Strategy
We decided to sit in the emergency row seats, which meant there was no one directly in front of us and we had a bit more legroom. We did have to pay a little extra for this, but it was a much cheaper option than upgrading to premium or business class. For me, in all my 62 inches, it was pretty great!
Chris, however, had a very different experience. He is not a small man, and being confined to an airplane seat for that long was incredibly uncomfortable. He stood for many hours during the flight and was pretty miserable for the majority of it.
I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the duration either, but aside from the length, it was by far the best flight I’ve ever been on.
The flight crew were incredibly friendly, attentive, and professional. And their uniforms were stunning—beautiful, elegant dresses in traditional Singapore style that made the whole experience feel just a little more special. I wanted one of those dresses for myself!
The Moment We Became Time Travelers
By the time we finally arrived in Bangkok, we had traveled into the future.
Thailand is 13 hours ahead of Utah, plus with having been on airplanes for 24 hours, we basically lost a day.
Fortunately, when we flew home at the end of the trip, we traveled back in time and regained that lost day. So in the end, it kind of evened out.
The jet lag was pretty crazy to say the least.
Getting Local Currency
The very first thing we did after landing was exchange U.S. dollars for Thai baht.
Thai baht (THB) is the local currency used throughout Thailand, and having cash on hand is important for small purchases, markets, tips, and transportation.
Before the trip, we had read online about a specific currency exchange counter in the far corner of the airport that supposedly offered the best exchange rate. After hunting it down, it turns out we got ourselves an extra 10 THB – or about $0.30.
Not worth it. Instead, just use a reputable currency exchange and don’t stress too much about getting the absolute best rate.
And keep in mind that no matter where you exchange money, exchanging the remaining cash back into USD is never going to be a good deal – you will always lose money. So don’t exchange more cash than you expect to use, and you can always exchange for more later if needed.
Our Failed SIM Card Experiment
Another thing we attempted at the airport was switching out our phone SIM cards so we could use our phones locally without paying outrageous international fees.
We found a kiosk, handed over our phones, and watched as someone carefully took them apart to install local SIM cards.
…..And then our phones rejected the new SIM cards completely. After all that effort, we walked away without local service and had to rely on Wi-Fi for the duration of the trip.
Don’t be too surprised if you run into the same problem. I hear people give the SIM card advice all the time, so I know it works great for some.
Communicating with Kids at Home
One of the hardest parts of traveling internationally without our kids wasn’t the distance—it was the time difference.
With Thailand being 13 hours ahead, our schedules were completely opposite. When we were awake, they were sleeping, and vice versa. On top of that, calling home regularly wasn’t practical because international phone plans can get expensive very quickly.
Our solution only required Wi-Fi. Every day, we recorded short videos talking to the kids—telling them what we had done, where we were, and how much we loved and missed them. We kept it pretty simple. Then we sent the videos using Wi-Fi.
When they woke up, they had a message waiting from us, and they sent videos back.
It became a daily routine that helped us stay connected, even from the other side of the world.
Up Next
Now that we’d survived the flights and had our money and communication plans in place, it was time to explore Bangkok!
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