Getting around

Thai transport is cheap, abundant and occasionally theatrical. The repeat visitor's insight: the journey options are part of the travelling, not just logistics — chosen well, the sleeper train and the songthaew are attractions.

The modes, ranked by romance

• Overnight trains: the classic — Bangkok to Chiang Mai or the southern line, berths made up by attendants, dawn over rice fields. Book ahead via the official SRT channels for the popular runs; second-class sleeper is the sweet spot;
• Budget flights stitch the country in an hour for surprisingly little — the honest choice when time is short; book the morning flights that weather delays less;
• Buses: a class system worth learning — the government/VIP tiers from official terminals beat the tourist-street offerings for reliability and safety;
• Ferries and speedboats run the islands; big slow boats beat small fast ones in rough season — check conditions and don't board overloaded boats;
• Songthaews (shared pickup trucks) are provincial Thailand's bus network: flag, hop in the back, pay at the end — route knowledge is local knowledge, and asking is the system;
• Ride-hailing apps cover the cities (and solve the taxi-meter negotiation genre); tuk-tuks are priced as experiences — enjoy them as such, agree the fare first.

Motorbike honesty

Renting a scooter unlocks the countryside and closes hospitals' beds daily. The honest checklist: real license (with the right class, for insurance validity), helmet always, no first-time riding lessons on holiday, rain changes everything, and islands' hills are steeper than they look. If any item fails, hire a driver — Thailand's are cheap and excellent.

The addict's rules

• Fewer places, longer stays — transit days are the tax on greedy itineraries (templates);
• Overnight transport buys a day but spends a night's sleep — alternate, don't chain;
• In cities, trains + boats + feet; leave the traffic to those who must.