Japan or Thailand?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 403 410
UNESCO listings among them 27 10
Cost level High Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups October January
Currency Yen (JPY) Baht (THB)
Plugs and voltage A, B - 100 V A, B, C, O - 230 V
Everyday languages Japanese Thai
Driving side left hand side left hand side
Region Eastern Asia South-Eastern Asia
Capital Tokyo Bangkok
Japan
Consideration for others is the operating system; quiet, clean and precise.
What we have written up
- 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art art museum
- Abashiri Drift Ice sea ice
- Abeno Harukas skyscraper
- Adachi Museum of Art museum
- Ago Bay bay
- Akihabara district
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash still matters - many small restaurants and shrines take no cards; 7-Eleven ATMs accept foreign cards
- Convenience store food is genuinely good - a national institution
- The IC card (Suica/Pasmo, also in phone wallets) taps you through trains, buses and shops
Thailand
Sanuk - the sense that things should be fun - runs deep; anger loses face instantly.
What we have written up
- Ao Manao bay
- Ao Thalane mangrove bay
- Ayutthaya archaeological site
- Baan Dam, the Black House gallery
- Baan Kang Wat artist village
- Baan Silapin Artist House arts venue
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash is still king at markets and street food; cards work in malls and hotels
- Tipping is not traditional - rounding up or 20-50 baht is appreciated
- 7-Elevens are everywhere and solve most small problems
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.