{"id":91,"date":"2026-09-08T19:14:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T17:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thailux.eu\/?page_id=91"},"modified":"2026-09-12T21:11:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T19:11:03","slug":"thailand-october-2024","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thailux.eu\/index.php\/travel\/thailand-october-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Thailand October 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The First Journey<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Luxembourg to Thailand \u2014 October 2024<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the end of July 2024, I book my first journey to Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The departure is scheduled for 9 October 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After months of chatting and calling almost every day, the moment finally arrives when I will travel from Luxembourg to Thailand and meet my girlfriend in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey begins at Luxembourg Airport.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Luxembourg Airport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first flight departs from Luxembourg Airport on 9 October 2024 at 14:55.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I fly with Helvetic Airways to Zurich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scheduled arrival time in Zurich is 15:50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the beginning of a journey that will eventually take me from Luxembourg to Zurich and then from Zurich to Bangkok.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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An Important Lesson About Airport Arrival Times<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When arriving at large international airports, I discover something important about connection times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The official arrival time of an aircraft is the time when the aircraft arrives at the airport. However, this does not necessarily mean that you are immediately at the gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After landing, an aircraft can still need time to taxi around the airport before reaching its parking position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, this can sometimes take approximately twenty minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is something worth remembering when planning a connection between flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scheduled arrival time alone is not always the time when you are ready to leave the aircraft and continue towards the next gate.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Zurich Airport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After arriving in Zurich, I pass passport control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I then take the airport train to the international gates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next flight departs at 17:55 with Swiss International Air Lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My destination is Bangkok.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Long Flight to Bangkok<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The overnight flight is the longest part of the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scheduled arrival is on 10 October 2024 at 09:45 at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a long flight, comfort becomes important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I usually wear long trousers, preferably stretch jeans, because I find them more presentable than jogging trousers while still being comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wear a T-shirt and a jacket with a hood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On some aircraft, the air conditioning can blow very cold air, and having an extra layer makes the journey more comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also prefer comfortable sports shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For long flights, I wear compression stockings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For entertainment, I use noise-cancelling headphones. They reduce the sound of the aircraft engines and other noise inside the cabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time of this journey, I use headphones together with a Bluetooth dongle connected to the aircraft entertainment system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some aircraft use different audio connections. For example, on some aircraft such as an Airbus A380, an adapter may be needed for the double audio connection used by the onboard entertainment system.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83c\udf92 What I Take On A Long Flight<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Arrival at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After arriving at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, I take the airport train from the international gates towards the main building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the way to passport control, I change my clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time of this journey, I am able to enter Thailand without obtaining a visa in advance under the entry conditions that apply to my nationality and travel period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After passport control, I collect my luggage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then comes one of the most important moments of the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My girlfriend is waiting for me at the airport exit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After months of conversations and calls, we finally meet in Thailand.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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From the Airport to Bangkok<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because my girlfriend picks me up at the airport, I do not have personal experience from this journey of travelling independently from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok by taxi, Grab, bus or MRT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, we leave the airport together in her car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey to Bangkok gives me my first impression of traffic and driving in Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travelling with someone who speaks Thai is very helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the larger cities, I find that English is not always widely spoken, and having someone who speaks the local language makes many situations easier.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Internet from the Moment I Land<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before leaving Luxembourg, I purchase a tourist data eSIM from AIS for 30 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying an eSIM before departure is more expensive than buying a prepaid SIM card after arriving in Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, for me, there is an important advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I activate the eSIM in Luxembourg before boarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I land in Thailand, I can use the internet immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not need to search for airport Wi-Fi after arrival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not need to find a mobile phone shop immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, this convenience is worth considering.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udcf1 Internet And eSIM<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Exchanging Money in Thailand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the journey, I exchange money at Superrich exchange offices or counters in shopping centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my personal experience, Superrich often offers a better exchange rate than the banks I compare it with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always recommend comparing rates when visiting a shopping centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, the denomination of the euro banknotes can also make a difference. I find that 100-euro banknotes can receive a slightly better exchange rate than 50-euro banknotes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is my personal experience and exchange rates can change.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83d\udcb0 Money In Thailand<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Our Journey Through Thailand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During this trip, we travel through Thailand and stay in different places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The route, destinations and places where we stay are shown on our interactive TravelMap.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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