Which is better for a vacation – Thailand or Goa (state in India)?

The debate as to which is better – Goa (popular among tourists state in the south-west of India) or Thailand, does not cease. While it is impossible to take sides without reservations, we’d rather make an objective comparison between Goa and Thailand on the main points.

sea

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The first place in our comparison of what is better than Goa or Thailand is the sea – this is the main reason why most tourists go. Leaving Pattaya’s beaches aside, in our opinion, Thailand gives Goa a hundred points head start. In this country, there are two significantly different bodies of water – the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. The western coast of India is washed by the Arabian Sea, rather poor in wildlife, and its color is far from the rich turquoise that can be seen, for example, on Ko Lipa.

Climate

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What if climate is your priority between Thailand and Goa? Both there and there, the year is divided into two seasons – dry and rainy. However, the annual rainfall in Thailand is greater. While in Goa there is almost no rain from November to April, and cloudless weather prevails in the sky almost every day, in Thailand it can also occur at the peak of the tourist season. But a refreshing rainfall after a few days of heat – it’s even pretty good, in our opinion.

Freedom air

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In the debate over where to vacation best, Goa or Thailand, the apologists for anarchism are especially active. India is the unrecognized world capital of hippies (and also the historical homeland of gypsies… brrr). There’s an air of freedom, almost entirely absent the inhibitions that we have in Thailand. You can just live on the beach, having a mat and a couple of rupees in your pocket. Thailand is a country of monarchy, with a strict domestic order, for the slightest offense you can go to Thai prison, or get away with a heavy fine, such as a harmless firing a quadcopter without permission or smoking on the beach.

Prices

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Many people wonder where is it cheaper in Goa or Thailand? If you’re not particularly squeamish and you have an iron stomach, then life in Goa (and even more so in the hinterland of India) will cost you less than in Thailand. But for the absence of insects or lizards in the room, a dumpster under the porch and phlegmatic cows on the beach, you have to pay a lot. In Phuket, however, the cheapest hosthouse will be at least clean, and the food prepared is of much better quality.

local

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For Thais, all foreigners are second-class people or farangs. Outwardly it does not always manifest itself. Most often everyone is friendly and smiling (read the article on “Why do Thais smile so often?”). But only as long as you don’t cross the mental line. The Hindus, on the contrary, we found genuinely friendly and naive to the point of indecency.

Communication

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There are a lot of Russians living in Goa permanently or seasonally. Do you want to find friends or a compatriot group? No problem! In Thailand, mostly short-term vacationers – you just met a person, then became friends, and he served his two weeks or a month vacation and go home.

Alcohol-and-drugs

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In Thailand, you can binge drink unabated, but you absolutely cannot get involved with pot or heavier drugs. It is punishable by up to the death penalty. In Goa, the use and distribution of drugs is not as tightly controlled, and regular drunks are much less common.

Food

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It costs more to eat in Thailand, but it’s tastier, more varied, and safer. And if you want to enjoy authentic Indian food without risking your life, you have to pay a lot more for lunch. As for fruit, many who have been there and there, say that in Thailand it tastes better and the choice is wider.

Many people who have been there and there, say that in Thailand they are tastier and wider.

Police and corruptionIn terms of the ranking of corrupt countries, Thailand is noticeably inferior to India, but if you experience corruption in these countries on your own skin, in fact it may seem to be exactly the opposite. In India you can get out of almost any situation if you have dollars in your pockets. In Thailand it is harder to negotiate on the spot with a police officer. In both countries the cops stand up for the locals, even if they are wrong a few times.

Service

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For Thailand, the tourism business is part of the country’s economy (about 6% of the country’s total budget, to be exact). Therefore, the discipline in service is ironclad. The rooms are cleaned, the complaints are listened to, the restaurants are served quickly and politely. Service in India is more like an unobtrusive Soviet.

Infrastructure

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Goa and Thailand are as different as two different planets. In India, there are barns built where they put plastic tables and chairs in season, and in the off-season they can be taken apart for firewood. On the shore there are huts made of straw, in the depths of city blocks there are natural slums, piles of garbage, homeless people and beggars. Packs of stray dogs and cows everywhere – in the streets and on the beach. Thailand, in our opinion – is no longer a third world country, it’s a piece of Europe in Asia. Almost everywhere is clean and orderly, you can’t see the dumpsters, the stench of tropical flavors does not interrupt.

Nightlife

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The highlight of the cultural program in Goa is the sunset. Crowds of tourists gather on the beach and watch the celestial action and have parties. After sunset, some stay in place, some get together by interest, but for the most part, everything remains at the level of village amateurism. In Thailand the nightlife is more diverse, there are more bars and discos, just a mega-party Full Moon Party on Ko Phangan Island. A lot of hot spots like tranny shows, erotic massage parlors and the like with a slight flavor of permissiveness.

Transportation

There are municipal buses in Goa. But they look unpresentable, and their size is similar to our PAZ. The trip is cheap and without much comfort. There are cabs and scooters tuk-tuk. But you’ll meet only in Thailand. Thai buses are more comfortable. In both countries you can rent a bike and in Goa you can rent a bike. In Thailand, you just can’t get to some areas by public transport without a motorcycle.

Trade

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In both Goa and Thailand it is customary to haggle, in both countries the prices in the markets are specifically inflated for the sake of it. However, in Thailand the rules of this game are much clearer, and in general the process of trade is more pleasant. Read more about How to haggle at Thai markets.

Visa

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You need a visa to travel to India. Getting one is getting harder and harder every year. The authorities are fighting so hard against those migrants who want to settle in Goa permanently. Visa to Thailand for Russians is not required, but in this case you can’t stay there for more than a month. Usually they go to Cambodia for one day, and then come back for another month. But after a few marks in foreign passport you may be asked to return home forcibly.

What to choose in the end, Goa or Thailand?”Goa if:

  • You’re adventurous and household inconveniences don’t embarrass you.
  • Leisure time is severely limited.
  • I want freedom.

Take a trip there if:

  • You are squeamish.
  • You get tired of small domestic problems.
  • You are alien to noisy and inconsiderate society.

Pick Thailand if:

  • You want to relax throughout your vacation and not be distracted by minor problems.
  • You’re traveling with your family and young children.
  • Fear of cows, stray dogs and beggars.
  • Fear of insects in dwellings and dumpsters in the streets.

Discourage a trip to Thailand if:

  • You have a limited budget.
  • You don’t have a traveling companion.
  • If the limits of the law are tight for you.You suffer from homophobia.
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