Thailand – Joint Ticket And Thailand Tourism Authority Guide

When I first arrived in Thailand I was overwhelmed by the whole situation.  It’s totally understandable to be overwhelmed because you’re in a new country, you don’t understand the language and you can’t even read the alphabet.  When you first get to any major transport hub you’re likely to be pulled into a Tourism Authority of Thailand (T.A.T) office.  They’ll pretty much sort out everything you could ever want sorting out quickly and easily.  Great right?  They’re regulated by the government so they must be giving you a good deal.

Wrong.

Whilst they won’t rip you off, you won’t be getting the best deal.  Your boat, coach or train will always be there but you’ll likely pay considerably more than you would have done if you’d taken the time to go there yourself.

In Phuket, when I wanted to travel to Ko Phi Phi, I was whisked away from my coach to a Tourism Authority of Thailand office where I was charged 500 Baht for a ferry to the islands.  This seemed reasonable at the time.  It was quite a long ferry ride.  It turns out that I was massively over charged for this ferry.  The best price I could find for this ferry was 200 Baht.  Quite a difference really.  At the end of the day it is a good chance to work on your negotiation skills.

If you’ve got a bit of money and don’t want the hassle then there’s absolutely no trouble with booking your trip through the TAT but it’s definitely worth spending a bit of extra time dealing directly with the service providers.  You’ll be surprised at the difference in price you will find.

Another great company that you could find is the Joint Ticket Company.  They tend to work around South Thailand and will get you from Surat Thani to Ko Samui and the Islands as well as Pattaya and Phuket to Ko Phi Phi etc.  If you book tickets with the joint ticket people then they will pick you up from the train station in Surat Thani.  If you’ve got the over night train from Bangkok, like I did, then this is very useful.  You’ll arrive early in the morning and it could still be dark.  They’ll put you on a coach to the main ports to the islands and get you on the boat to your destination.

I was a big fan of Joint Tickets and I thought the price was decent.  I’m sure I could have got it cheaper but they were certainly one of the more reasonably priced middle men I came across.