Managing a Trip to Thailand as an Autistic Person
I absolutely love seeing and exploring new places, but when my boyfriend suggested that we plan a trip to Thailand, I was initially hesitant. Being autistic means that some things can be more challenging, and I felt anxious about many things, like…
different foods and water (all water tastes different!!!)
the uncertainty of not knowing what to expect
being so far from home/family even for a short time
ALL of the things that could go wrong!
However, my love of adventure meant that on the 8th November we flew to Thailand for 17 days and I can honestly say it was two of the best weeks of my life.
In-case you’re looking at planning a trip to Thailand, here’s what we decided to do. We flew direct to Bangkok on a night flight where we stayed for 2 nights at the Admiral Premier Bangkok near Sukhumvit. In Bangkok, we visited The Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Lumphini Park. Then we flew to Chiang Mai for 4 nights - we stayed in Pastell Oldtown Chiang Mai. There, we visited Wat Pha Lat in the jungle, Elephant Nature Park (please do your research about elephant sanctuaries; many claim to be ethical and are not) and Smile Organic Farm Cooking School. From Chiang Mai we flew to Koh Samui for 3 nights in Smile House (Fisherman Village) where we relaxed, visited Chaweng Beach, the night markets and the Big Buddha and Wat Plai Laem. Then we took the ferry to Koh Tao for 5 nights on a beach resort. We did a day snorkelling trip and scuba diving with Black Turtle Dive. We then got a ferry and 8 hour coach back to Bangkok for 1 night before flying home. I wrote about how I managed the long-haul flight here.
So what helped me with the trip as an autistic person?
A short time frame. If you’re in your twenties and feeling like everyone around you is jetting off travelling, know that you don’t have to travel in the same way. Of course, travelling and holidays are a luxury and a privilege, but there are different options like slow travelling or working to save and using your annual leave to see the world. I can’t lie, being in Thailand did give me a longing to travel properly, but backpacking isn’t for everyone. In 2.5 weeks, we got to see SO much, didn’t have to worry as much about budgeting, could afford slightly nicer accommodation and I knew my routine would return at the end of it! Figure out what works for you and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing.
Pre-trip prep. I watched a lot of TikTok videos and spoke to friends who had visited Thailand. With their recommendations, I created a guide on Apple maps for each location of recommended places to eat and visit (you pin the restaurants and places to the guide so you can easily see what’s around you when you’re there). This was honestly the most helpful thing I could have done. The only thing I booked in advance was the Elephant Nature Park as this was the only elephant sanctuary I trusted (many claim to be ethical and are not, so please do thorough research) and I knew I wanted to go there. Everything else, like the Thai cooking class, snorkelling tour, scuba-diving etc, we just booked a day or two before.
Identifying safe foods. Exploring new countries and cultures means different foods which can be scary and overwhelming (for me this is because of sensory needs, change/uncertainty and OCD). I had a meltdown on our first full day in Bangkok at the food court because I was overwhelmed by the noise, unfamiliar environment and food options, and the amount of choice. Thankfully my boyfriend is wonderful and told me to sit down while he got me some fried rice. I had fried rice pretty much every day either for lunch or dinner and it was SO good. I tried new foods too, and fried rice, pad thai, spring rolls and khao soi became my safe options. I find the process of finding somewhere to eat quite stressful, so having the Apple maps guide I’d made of recommended places to eat was SO helpful. We also found ourselves in an Italian once or twice!
Taking familiar snacks with me. I can feel nauseous or faint at times, either from walking in the heat, travel sickness or anxiety, and I always carry snacks on me even at home! I took about four packs of cereal bars from home and having familiar plain foods on me when needed was so helpful.
Loop earplugs and AirPods. You know I’m a firm lover of my Loops! I always had these in or an audiobook through my AirPods on transport. Bangkok is LOUD, as was the boxing match, but with these in noise doesn’t make me so anxious.
The 7-11’s and pharmacies! There are literally 7-11’s and pharmacies around EVERY corner, so I needn’t have been worried about taking everything.
Compression packing cubes and a laundry bag. Maybe this is just a generic tip rather than because I’m autistic, but I do like to be organised!! Packing cubes helped everything stay organised when moving around a lot.
Having a portable pharmacy. This came in handy on the flight but also throughout the trip and I highly recommend having one of these! In it was my prescribed medication, ibuprofen/paracetamol, melatonin, Imodium, anti sickness tablets, cream and plasters. Also, antibacterial wipes are a life-saver. Especially if you (like me) can’t stand the feeling of stickiness.
Scheduling downtime to relax and engage in your special interests. This should be easy for me because books exist and I love reading, but I have a habit of wanting to do everything and anything and not realising that I’m over-doing it until I crash. So schedule time in to the itinerary and make sure you stick to it!
Meditation. I always listen to Headspace to fall asleep at night, but in Thailand I also used it during the day to quieten my brain when I wanted to be present in the moment. I tend to always be thinking of the next thing or become restless sitting or standing still, but meditation helps to ground me so I can enjoy each moment more.
It would have helped me to know that to scuba dive I’d need to be signed off by a medic. If you have certain diagnoses, health conditions or take medication, you have to be medically cleared in order to scuba dive. We didn’t decide to scuba dive until we were out there, but it was really easy to get booked in at the local clinic to get signed off (probably easier than trying to get signed off by a GP here). Scuba diving was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done and I found it a LOT sensory-wise, but I’m so proud of myself for doing it.
I had a few meltdowns and there were a few tears, like in the food court on our first day, on the snorkelling trip and on our travel day to Koh Samui, but I think that was to be expected and I still had the best time ever.
Remember, you can make whatever adjustments you need to make in order to enjoy a trip.
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