Group Travel v’s Solo Travel
Whether you’re travelling to Thailand on your own, with friends and/or family, or meeting others once you’ve arrived, Thailand is a great place to meet new people just like you. Of course, travelling with friends and family means that you already have others around you to converse with, to join activities with and to travel from A to B with. Unfortunately, this can sometimes make it more difficult to meet others as, from the outside, you’re already seen to be in a group environment that others may deem difficult to join.
If you really want to meet other travellers during your time in Thailand, the 2 easiest way to do so are by travelling solo, or to join up to a group trip where you meet your travelling companions once you’ve landed in Thailand.
For many, the thought of travelling solo is hugely daunting, especially those who aren’t particularly comfortable in social settings or who struggle with the necessary ‘small talk’ that’s very often required to initially break the ice, especially if you’re the one who wants to initiate a converstaion. To those, the thought of chatting to strangers is terrifying and often leads to a quick about-turn and another day with no new connections.
The easiest way to overcome this is to throw yourself in to the deep end and sign up to join a group trip. These are generally trips that consist of very like-minded individuals who are yearning for a Thai adventure but want the support of a guide, to have the accommodation, activities and transport organised and are looking to make friendships with others just like them.
Group trips are excellent, if you join one operated by a professional company who insist on employing well-trained and professional guides who understand the local culture and customs and are heavily experienced. You should also check that the guides are local and can speak the language. There are many reasons why you should do this, but in Thailand, it’s actualy illegal for a tour company to operate a tour with a foreign ‘guide’ and these trips usually end up in disaster when the ‘guide’ is arrested and deported for illegally working in Thailand. This could leave you guidless, accommodationless, transportless, and in a world of mess! Always check that your groups guide is legally working and has the necessary qualifications.
If you do sign to join a group, you’ll instantly make new friends. You’re almost forced to be in a situation where you will get to know others, and in almost every single case, those in your group have very similar likes and often have a lot in common with each other. This clearly makes the trip fun and easy. All you need to do is sit back and enjoy the show. Don’t be daunted by the thought of travellers with strangers as in almost all instances, from the end of the first night, you’ll have a new collection of friends who will stay with you forever.
