Lonely Planet Thailand 17

Lots of information. The websites are in general up to date. There is a lot to see in Thailand so this book covers a lot of the popular areas.

I have bought many guidebooks over the years and would say that lonely planet has the best. No, it is not one of those guidebooks filled with pretty, glossy photos but a clear, concise guidebook with pertinent information designed for all travelers whether you are a budget traveler or a jetsetter. Very user friendly, always updated. If you are only going to use one travel guide, cut to the chase and pick up lonely planet.

Very useful for new tourists. Book is organized by location and subdivided by events, sights, restaurants, hotels and more. It has a detailed map and lots of pictures too. It gives a good honest summary about different locations, what's worth your time, and what to be careful about as well. Very useful- highly recommended.

For my first trip to Thailand 10 years ago, I purchased just about every guide book available. Only one book has stood the test of time - Lonely Planet Thailand. Over the years, I have picked up new editions as they have become available. From personal experience, I would argue that the quality of my trips has increased along with the quality each subsequent edition. As tourism, culture and economics in Thailand evolves, so too does Lonely Planet Thailand, keeping pace with changing social trends, places of interest, as well as places to avoid. All this, of course, in addition to the vast body of information critical to planning where to stay, what to eat and what to do while in-country. More than a strong recommendation, this book is a must-have for any traveller to Thailand.

Beating up on whatever LP guidebook applies to wherever you find yourself is a favorite pass-time of the road-weary or the jaded ex-pat. You instantly become a cool-guy for bashing the guidebooks. Yawn. Then you try to offer (or sell) you own advice! Let's back up for a second and review this guidebook for what it is: a guidebook. About me, I'm a perpetual farang (Thai for westerner). I've used at least 4 of LP's Thailand books, a handful of competitor's Thailand books, and at least a dozen regional guides and city guides that overlap with this most rececent LP Thailand. I've been making trips to Thailand for more than a decade. I've worked there, taught there, and been a student there. I love Bangkok. I love it when a guidebook can tell me something new about BKK or Thailand. And ust when I think I knew it all, this one manages to show me a thing or two! This LP Thailand is moving in the right direction. From the first few pages you can tell that LP has cut and cleared some dead wood from the old editions and has freshened things up significantly. The voice is new and lively, not like some loudspeaker at a bus terminal calling out bays and destinations. Production value is up. Content is fresh but still reliable. Hello LP: The key to being a good guidebook is to avoid what's ultra-new and trendy and instead give the reader dependability. When I want to know about the hot new club or the latest border-crossing info I go to the web or I talk to other travellers. Those things change weekly. It seems like LP has figured this out with this volume. When others say that it's missing from this book I wonder if they really know what they're asking for. Looking back, the older LP Thailand books listed a bunch of places to stay in the main tourist spots like Khao Sarn. I always thought that was a silly waste of space. By and large those backpacker boxes are all the same. And as soon as one of them gets in the LP, the price goes up and they stop changing the sheets. It's that simple. Ever go to one of the listed spots and look around (look up from your LP book) and see everyone else there with their LP book? Please folks: do yourself a favor and use this book as a guide --it's not the phonebook. There are hundreds of excellent places to stay in BKK and in Thailand that aren't listed in this book or in any other book. Use this book to get a feel for types of accomodation being offered and corresponding prices. Then make your own choices. This book will help you make choices; it won't choose for you. I applaud LP for thinning some of its listings and focusing more on important attractions and providing valuable and interesting cultural insights. Going forward, with message boards and emails flying around the world in a blink, listing-type info (just bare facts about place and price) really isn't what I need from a guidebook. LP seems to be keen to this idea and appears to be working hard at giving me more than that. Final