Thailand or Vietnam?
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 410 324
UNESCO listings among them 10 22
Cost level Budget Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups January April
Currency Baht (THB) Dong (VND)
Plugs and voltage A, B, C, O - 230 V A, C, F - 220 V
Everyday languages Thai Vietnamese
Driving side left hand side right hand side
Region South-Eastern Asia South-Eastern Asia
Capital Bangkok Hanoi
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
Vietnam
Energetic, entrepreneurial and warm; the street is where life happens, on tiny plastic stools.
What we have written up
- An Dinh Palace palace
- An Hien Garden House garden house
- Angel Eye Mountain rock formation
- Ba Be Lake lake
- Ba Danh Pagoda pagoda
- Ba Den Mountain mountain
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash matters at markets; cards spread fast in cities
- Tipping is not expected but small notes are welcomed
- The dong has many zeros - check note colours carefully, 20k and 500k look similar
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.