Q&A – Questions & Answers
About the Wedding
Our wedding will take place on October 24th, 2024 in Thailand, on an island called Koh Chang.
More details about the wedding venue can be found here.
Our wedding will take place on October 24th, 2024 in Thailand, on an island called Koh Chang.
More details about the wedding venue can be found here.
The wedding starts with the Thai ceremony in the morning at 9:09am.
More details about the wedding program for the entire day can be found here.
The night before and the night after the wedding (23rd-24th of October), you will be staying free of charge at Blue Haven Bay, which is where the wedding takes place. The package includes accommodation and breakfast. During the wedding day of the 24th, there will be a small lunch buffet as well as a big wedding dinner.
Shortly before the wedding we will send you the exact check-in details for your arrival at Blue Haven Bay.
If you want to extend your stay at Blue Haven Bay, please contact us directly, if you haven’t already done so.
More details about the wedding venue can be found here.
For details about the wedding theme and dress code, click here.
In general, Thailand is very hot and humid, so it is recommended to plan for short and light clothing.
Since we are currently planning for a family and our own home, and have also taken the step into self-employment, we are most happy about financial gifts. But we’re also happy about any other kind of gift and of course about the fact that you are attending our wedding.
There is nothing planned for the night before the wedding from our side, so this night is completely at your own disposal.
In terms of food, there are several options in and around Blue Haven Bay or in Khlong Son, the nearby village on the main road.
Within Blue Haven Bay, there are three beach restaurants, that can all be accessed by strolling down Chang Noi beach, and a Thai restaurant just outside Blue Haven Bay.
- The Beach Club. Closest restaurant to the wedding location and also host for our wedding dinner. Check out the menu here: https://www.bluehavenbay.com/the-beach-club/menu/
- Little Sunshine Restaurant. Located between villas 4A and 4C. Small restaurant with cozy atmosphere, serving both Thai and international food, with rather limited choices
- Shambhala Beach Bar & Restaurant. Located at the southern end of Chang Noi Beach. Big selection of Pastas and Pizzas, as well as international Fondue options. Check out the menu here: https://www.shambhalabeach.com/menus
- Montee Restaurant. Authentic Thai food. This option is for the adventurer looking for the real Thai experience. It’s located just outside of Blue Haven Bay, approx. 10 minutes walking distance from the Beach Club. Just go back to Blue Haven Bay reception, go up left after the security check point and turn left at the intersection. If you don’t feel like walking, feel free to call a shuttle.
There is more authentic Thai and international food options available in the village. Good food options include:
- Khun Tee’s Kitchen. Authentic Thai food
- Casamia Restaurant. Thai-Italian food
If you don’t have your own transport, Blue Haven Bay offers a free shuttle service, that takes you to the village and back. For more details about the BHB shuttle service, go to Wedding > Location > Getting around Blue Haven Bay.
Once you’re in the village, there is also a 7-Eleven convenient store, where you can buy food, drinks or many other useful items for your daily needs.
About the trip
It’s definitely worth spending a couple of days in Bangkok. Bangkok is one of the greatest cities for dining, shopping, sightseeing and partying. As a hub for tourists from all over the world, it is very international. At the same time, Bangkok provides unlimited options to get to know the Thai culture. For people that are new to Bangkok, we put together a quick travel guide with some useful tips and recommendations under the following link: Bangkok Travel Guide.
You can either travel from Bangkok to Koh Chang by car or by plane.
By car, it’s about 320km from Bangkok city to the ferry pier on the mainland, which takes you approx. 4.5hrs. Your car options include driving your own rental car, using the public minibus service, or hiring a private taxi.
For taxi rental, we recommend Taxi999 (https://www.taxi999service.com), which have multiple easy-to-use and responsive service channels.
For the public service, you can find more details like bus schedules and pick-up points here: https://minibustrat.com
The flight from BKK to TDX airport takes less than an hour. The best airline to go with would be Bangkok Airways, which offers two flights daily from BKK to TDX and back. From TDX airport it is only a 20-minute drive to the ferry pier.
To have internet available at all times definitely makes travelling in Thailand a lot more convenient. Only the use of useful apps like Google maps and translate alone makes life a lot easier.
Unless you’re able to use international roaming, it’s recommended to get a SIM card for your phone from one of the main service providers, that offer tourist SIM card deals with different packages in terms of length of stay and data/call requirements.
“AIS” and “true” are the largest service providers in Thailand with the best coverage. AIS’s network is probably slightly better. AIS offers tourist SIM cards with limited data (e.g. 8 days, 15GB data, THB 299), while true also offers unlimited data packages (e.g. 8 days, unlimited data, THB 449). Beyond the standard packages, it is also very common that the stores offer special deals with more favorable rates, so checking in with the store in terms of your individual requirements always pays off.
You can get a SIM card either old-school in chip form or electronically, if your phone supports this function.
Physical SIM cards can be purchased directly at the airport at one of the providers stores or at most convenience stores like 7-Eleven. The SIM cards usually need to be activated when purchased, and you’ll be asked to provided your passport for the registration.
Electronic SIM cards (eSIM) can be purchased and downloaded online from the providers websites. Since this requires you to have internet, do this before your flight to start enjoying your mobile internet the minute you touch down in Thailand.
For AIS and true, eSIM cards can be purchased here:
- https://www.ais.th/en/consumers/package/international/tourist-plan
- https://www.true.th/en/international/roaming/tourist-sim
About Thailand in general
Towards the end of October, the climate in Thailand is approaching the end of the rainy season, so occasional rainfall is likely. However, rainfall is usually limited to short periods with sunny sky between showers. Despite chances of rain, it is still quite hot and humid during that time with temperatures between 25 and 35 degC, that means a sweater or jacket is definitely not necessary. However, it is recommended to still bring some lighter long sleeve clothing, since it can be quite fresh on the plane and in air conditioned shopping malls.
You get very far with credit cards for shopping, restaurants, hotels, etc. However, sometimes certain cards are not accepted (e.g. American Express). Visa and Master usually are. The standard payment system in Thailand is QR code. But that’s not an option for most of you, since this requires a Thai bank account. It’s always good to have some cash with you (for motorbike taxis, street stalls, tips, etc.) but you can easily exchange USD and EUR at the numerous exchange booths in the city. The rates are very fair. Don’t Exchange large amounts at the airport or in the hotel, rates are usually a lot worse there. Exchanging a small starter amount directly at the airport is of course totally fine. Some exchange booths want to see your passport.
Tipping is generally not expected in Thailand, especially where a 10% service charge is already included in the bill.
On all other occasions, tipping is not a must and is at the discretion of the customer. If it feels appropriate, it is perfectly fine to tip. But don’t overdo it. For most small situations, a 20 Baht tip is more than sufficient. For larger services (such as longer taxi rides worth several thousand Baht), a tip of 50-100 Baht would be appropriate.
There is not really anyhing in Thailand, that will upset you. However, compared to life in Europe, the following ambient conditions are worth mentioning in order to be prepared and avoid a bad experience:
Sun: The sun in Thailand is freaking strong. In May and August it’s at its zenith. Make sure to protect yourself against the sun with sunblock, sunglasses or head covering.
Rain: When it rains in Thailand, it pours, and streets can flood quickly. But don’t worry, it usually doesn’t rain for very long, and streets dry up very quickly when the sun comes out again. It may be wise to have a small umbrella with you or buy a couple of those rain capes, that you can buy in every 7/11 for a few cents.
Mosquitos: Mosquitos are a staple feature in Thailand. They like dark, humid places, so especially during dusk and dawn is when they come out. There tend to be more close to water reserves, like rivers, lakes and beaches. Make sure to always have some mosquito repellent handy to protect yourself from bites.
Sand flies: On beaches, you will also run into sand flies. Similar to mosquitos, but not the same. Bites from sand flies are usually more itchy and take longer to disapppear than mosquito bites. But don’t worry, you don’t need an extra spray for that, the standard mosquito spray also repels sand flies.
Food: It is possible to upset your stomach in Thailand, especially when you’re not used to Thai food. It may be due to germs on street food, or simply due to too much chili or other exotic spices. Best and most effective remedy are active charcoal pills. They work wonders and prevent a full-blown intestinal infection incl. days of diarrhea. Take 2 or 3 pills as soon as you feel unpleasant pressure on your stomach after a meal and you should be good to go. Don’t buy them in Germany for a fortune, you can buy them in Thailand in every 7/11 for a few cents.
In Thailand, bidet hoses are used for toilet hygiene, and toilet paper, if anything, is only used to dry up after cleaning. Of course, it is totally fine to follow western habits while you are in Thailand, but keep in mind that in some toilets toilet paper may not be provided. So it is always advisable to have toilet paper, and even wet wipes, with you when travelling, if you are dependent on it.
In any case, you should never flush toilet paper or other tissues down the toilet, since Thai toilets are not designed for that. Instead, any kind of tissue should always be disposed into the small bin which is always provided next to every toilet.