Drink to a brand new adventure! This blog documents my trip from Shanghai, China, to Phuket, Thailand, marking a major corner in my peregrination — Thailand is my 100th country!
I’ll take you through
✅ Shanghai’s crazy field experience.
✅ China’s high- speed trains, payment systems & challenges.
✅ Visa & immigration in Thailand.
✅ First prints of Phuket.
✅ MMA & Muay Thai training plans with musketeers.
Let’s go!
Shanghai Leaving China at 5 AM
I was in Shanghai for three days after visiting Beijing, China’s capital. Shanghai is China’s largest megacity , with a population of 25 million ( not 250 million as I inaptly said in the videotape).
Shanghai’s History & Importance
- Once a small fishing village , it came a global trade mecca.
- It has the busiest harborage in the world , driving China’s massive exports.
- Shanghai is ultramodern & transnational, whereas Beijing is more traditional & artistic.
Fastest Train in the World Shanghai Maglev
- Speed 460 km/ h
- Connects the megacity to the field in just 6 twinkles!
- Unfortunately, I couldn’t take it this morning as my flight was too early( 805 AM), so I took a Didi taxi rather( China’s interpretation of Uber).
- taxi Cost to Airport : 117 Yuan(₹ 1,300 or$ 16)
Shanghai Pudong Airport Check- in & Immigration
Airline : Spring Airlines
Flight : Shanghai( PVG) → Phuket( HKT)
Duration: 5 hours
At the check- in counter
✅ I requested an exit- row or window seat , but they were full.
✅ I congratulated the staff’s nails , and she smiled & gave me an aisle seat for free!
Airport Experience
- Immigration was slow , but the officer precisely checked my prints and let me go.
- Security was super strict — they checked everything completely.
- Shanghai Airport is huge but empty at 6 AM — not important food or entertainment.
Flight to Phuket, Thailand 🇹🇭
The flight was terrible :
❌ Seats were bitsy , with nearly no legroom.
❌ A sprat was playing in front of me.
❌ A grumpy old uncle sat next to me.
❌ No entertainment, no food.
But the stylish part? I was eventually landing in Thailand — my 100th country!
Arriving in Phuket Immigration & First prints
Welcome to Thailand!
✅ Visa on appearance: FREE for Indians 🇮🇳
✅ Immigration was smooth — they stamped my passport in just 15 seconds!
✅ Got a 2- month visa with no questions asked.
Money Exchange Tip
- 1 Chinese Yuan = 4.9 baton( Online)
- field exchange rate 4.4 baton ( Huge loss, so I did n’t exchange plutocrat then).
- Stylish to change currency in the megacity for a better rate.
Getting a Thai SIM Card
I checked multiple providers( AIS, DTAC, True Move) and got this:
✅ 999 baton(₹ 2,400) for 1- month unlimited data 50 calls
✅ 1150 Baht(₹ 2,800) for unlimited data & calls
I took the cheaper one as I don’t make numerous calls.
hack from Phuket Airport to Villa
snare App vs. Original hack
- -snare( Thailand’s Uber) showed 750 baton(₹ 1,800) for an hour-long lift.
-Original hack motorists quoted the same price , so I reserved on snare to pay via card rather of cash. - -snare made me walk to a volley point far down ( so inconvenient!).
- Total hack Cost : 783 baton(₹ 1,900 or$ 28)
Drink to Phuket! Checking into Our Villa
I reached Kamala Beach area in Phuket.
Our stay :A private pool manor with 3 bedrooms.
Super peaceful compared to Bangkok’s chaos.
I was the last one to arrive . My musketeers were formerly staying
- Emil & Kristi ( Romania)
- Utkarsh ( India)
- They’re all agitated for Muay Thai training — our main thing in Thailand!
Why We Came to Thailand Muay Thai & MMA Training
-We’ll train in Muay Thai — the public sport of Thailand.
-Emil has kickboxing experience ; the rest of us are newcomers.
-Training will be violent, with multiple sessions per day.
Our thing? Get stronger, learn new chops, and experience real Muay Thai culture.
Final studies 100 Countries & further to Go!
This trip was special — Thailand is my 100th country, a major trip corner.
Thank you for supporting my trip! If you’re planning to visit Thailand, I hope this blog helps you.
Key Travel Tips
✔️ Avoid field plutocrat exchange — you’ll get better rates in the megacity.
✔️ Bespeak hacks via snare for a safer & fixed price.
✔️ Get a SIM card at the field for flawless connectivity.
✔️ Prepare for bad legroom on budget airlines!
Coming Up Muay Thai Training Begins! Stay tuned.