Journal
Practical guidance and planning examples for travel in Thailand and Vietnam.
How Many Days Do You Need for Thailand and Vietnam
Fourteen to sixteen days for both countries. Seven to ten for one of them, depending which. Those are days on the ground, and everything below counts in nights. The bands are not a rule of thumb either. They are planning ranges built from the lengths of the circuits we publish…
Read the article
A few pieces that show how we think, vet, and run.
GuidesThailandVietnam
How to Read a DMC Quote (and Spot an Inflated One)
6 min read
GuidesVietnam
The Ha Giang Loop: How Many Days, Motorbike or Jeep, and When to Go
7 min read
UpdatesVietnamThailand
Vietnam Airlines: Direct Flights from Europe to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
7 min read
GuidesThailandVietnam
How to Vet a DMC in Thailand or Vietnam: A Buyer's Checklist
8 min read
GuidesThailandVietnam
Christmas and New Year 2026/27 in Thailand and Vietnam: What to Lock In Now
Plan the season around New Year. Thai banks close from Thursday 31 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, and government offices are expected to do the same. Vietnam's law gives one day off, Friday 1 January, and the weekend follows it.
11 min read
GuidesVietnam
Vietnam During Tet 2027: Should You Go?
Yes, visit Vietnam during Tet if the holiday itself is part of what you want to experience. Arrive for the preparations, settle somewhere comfortable for New Year, and leave space for plans to change. If your ideal trip depends on a particular restaurant, a craft workshop and a…
6 min read
UpdatesThailandVietnam
Vietnamese Passports in Thailand: 30 Days Since 15 September 2026
Since 15 September 2026, an ordinary Vietnamese passport gets 30 days without a visa in Thailand, under the bilateral agreement between the two countries. Until 14 September it had 60. EU, Schengen-area, UK, US and GCC passports have had the same 30 days since 15 September…
5 min read
GuidesThailandVietnam
Does a DMC Pay Commission? No, and That Changes Who Sets Your Price
Say it is your first call with a new ground handler. Dates agreed, group size agreed, and you ask the question that sounds like a formality: what commission do you pay?
7 min read
GuidesThailandVietnam
What Is in a DMC Contract? The Four Clauses That Decide a Bad Day
Nobody reads the contract. Everybody signs it, files it, and gets on with selling the trip, and for the overwhelming majority of bookings that is the correct use of a Tuesday.
9 min read
UpdatesThailand
Thailand's 450-Baht Tourist Fee: What Is Decided, What Is Not, and What It Does to a 2027 Contract
Checked on 4 October 2026: The Ministry's consultation has ended. It published proposed exemptions, but we could not verify a final collection notice. The timetable below is still the proposal. Confirm the final rules before adding a payable fee to a quote or promising an…
7 min read
GuidesThailandVietnam
Why Two Identical DMC Briefs Get Different Quotes
Two briefs land the same Tuesday morning. Same trip, near enough: two weeks across Thailand and Vietnam, twelve travellers, February. One gets a sharp number back. The other gets a number that is noticeably higher, and the agency who sent it will quietly assume our margin is…
8 min read
GuidesVietnamThailand
Transfer Times in Thailand and Vietnam: The Driving Time Versus the Day
Look up how long it takes to get from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay and you will be told three and a half hours. Or four. Both numbers are in circulation, both come from people who have made the trip, and the gap between them is not traffic.
6 min read
GuidesThailandVietnam
Thailand or Vietnam? Your Dates Have Probably Already Decided
Tell us your dates and your number of nights, and the choice is often already made. Not by preference. By the calendar.
5 min read
Showing 9 of 35