Russians, after decades of sitting behind the “Iron Curtain” very quickly formed the “Big Three” of the countries in which they prefer to vacation. First they mastered the ancient and beach resorts of Turkey, then made it to Egypt, and then, despite the long flight, came to love Thailand and Vietnam. Now Egypt is in a state of permanent rebellion and does not want to go there very much. So the question “Turkey or Thailand?” on the threshold of the tourist season is very relevant.
Deciding what is better Turkey or Thailand, we must, for clarity, make a list of possible plusses and minuses.
1. Road
.
The “Turkish Coast” is much closer to us than the Thai one. If it takes a little over three hours to fly to Antalya from Moscow, the journey to Thailand takes all of ten (how long does it take to fly to Thailand? ). At the same time there are more charter flights to Turkey from the regions, and to Thailand the main number of carriers flight from Moscow.
2. Exotic
.
If you like hotter entertainment, then the question “where better in Turkey or Thailand” disappears by itself. Palm trees, fruits and sea in Turkey are almost the same as in the Krasnodar region. But in Thailand you will enjoy elephants, Thai temples, decorated with gold and decoration of the skulls, dragons and other unknown monsters, Thai islands in the ocean and Poseidon’s gardens on the reefs, marmosets, crocodiles and snakes.
Poland, on the other hand, you may enjoy the trip to the island and the island at any time.
3. Climate and adaptation
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Turkey is almost European and Mediterranean in its climate. The time zones may differ, but no more than that. Thailand, on the other hand, has a very different climate. Heat, stuffiness and humidity are constant companions of travelers. If you’re asking, “Where better to vacation in Turkey or Thailand?”, the answer is obvious: the easier to adapt, but when you survive the symptoms of acclimatization in the Thai climate, you will not regret in the least that you chose Thailand!
4. Accommodation
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Turkey is a more hyped country in the tourism business. It has a “star” gradation system of hotels and so beloved by Russians the scheme “All Inclusive”. The “All Inclusive” system in Thailand, if it works, then only in singular hotels. Thais do not care about the rating of accommodations. For them, good is good. Do you want to live more comfortably, but do not have the right hotels? In Bangkok or Phuket you can easily rent a decent apartment (more on how to rent an apartment in Thailand).
5. Visas
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You can fly to both Turkey and Thailand without a visa. They put a stamp in your passport at customs. However, Turks allow Russians to stay for 60 days, and Thais – for thirty. But if you want to stay for a longer time, it would be better to buy tourist visa to Thailand or Turkey.
6. Level of Service
.
The way you’ll be served in hotels in both Thailand and Turkey is about the same picture. In Thailand there is more national coloring and a little bit worse with the crime situation. Often tourists are not advised to leave valuables in rooms or keep them in safes. In Muslim Turkey, there are household restrictions that are not fully understood by Europeans.
7. Language barrier
.
Turks know Russian well, and in tourist centers, in Antalya, for example, you can not even change currency, paying in rubles. In the resorts of Thailand, locals know only English, and even with difficulty. The exception is Pattaya, where there are a lot of farangs from Russia, especially a lot of them in Russian village.
8. Beach-Rest and Sea
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In terms of beach service and the amount of entertainment provided there, these countries are about equal. Although snorkeling on coral reefs is more exciting. In Turkey there are more often pebbly beaches, in Thailand there are sandy beaches (read more about the best beaches in Thailand). The Thai peculiarity is the greater number of dangerous marine organisms, such as jellyfish and sea urchins. In Turkish waters, “killer jellyfish” are much rarer.
9. Hangouts
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Thailand is a country with fewer domestic restrictions than Turkey. So it’s better with the youth parties there, what’s worth a Full Moon Party! Such a variety of nightclubs, varying in music styles, the degree of drive and the nature of the audience (there are places where the LGBT community gathers), as in Bangkok, in Turkey, just no. Turkey is for lovers of quiet relaxation, animation and evening shows. Read about nightclubs in Pattaya and about night entertainment in Bangkok in separate articles.
10. Body food
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There are some gimmicks in restaurants in Turkey, but for the most part, all the dishes are familiar and familiar to us. In Thailand, there are more exotic and no restrictions on the type of food eaten. Roasted cockroaches or grasshoppers are quite common. The amount of spices consumed is also elevated. To say that Thai food is indigestible for Europeans, you can find a dish that you want to cook even at home. In Thailand, there are a lot of fruits of unusual appearance, taste and smell. One striking example of Thai exotics, is durian.
11. Forbidden Fruits
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In Turkey everything is patriarchal, but Thailand is a paradise for lovers of hotter fruits. The most harmless entertainment is transvestite shows in Pattaya, Bangkok and other resort areas. Well, sex tourism is a separate item of tourist income and, often, a direct path to dating Thai prison.
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