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There are many ways to approach what you want to do... some people want to know every detail in advance... some people,  like me, just do it and adjust as we go... and then there are all of the people in between these two extremes.

Each method works... so just choose your comfort zone.

And no... you don't need a visa at this time... a phone is a modern device... I traveled all over the world without one and still had a good time... hahahaha.  Put your money in several pockets and socks and shoes... or use a debit card and ATM.

Hopefully covid19 will be history by then... so no hoops to jump thru there.

good morning - some thoughts:
1.Visa - depending on how long you come for you may need a Tourist Visa you can apply for to your local Thai embassy in Canada depending on which country you hold a passport from - check Thai embassy website to download Application Form and for requirements - should not require visa for 30 day stay
2. Covid - you will need to comply with Thai requirements for entry and again look at website - could limit your options - dont pay for ticket until you know you can travel
3. Travel Insurance - take out in your home country - not easy to get travel cancellation insurance because of covid
4. Money - your Visa or Mastercard credit card will work here - plenty of atms but fees - can be difficult to find money changers in some places - you can tell your bank you are going to Thailand and put a limit on how much you can withdraw each day - 10,000 baht at a time is probably plenty - you should do a daily budget eg food $15 + accomodation $20 + entertainment $10 + travel $10 etc - cheap to travel in Thailand depending on backpacker or upmarket then same as home
5. Itinerary - get a copy of Lonely Planet guide for Thailand - hard copy is best - depending on how long you come for and how old you are starting in Bangkok for a few days is a good idea - plenty of hostels good food and things to see - when I
did a trip through Thailand I spent at least a week in selected places - I travelled by bus - down to Phuket to stay at Kata Beach - then over to Koh Samui - then Ayuthaya + Chiang Mai + + + - plenty of day trips you can take - food is cheap and nice - so are massages
6. Backpack - travel light
7. Medicine - bring what you need and Doctors letter
8. Hostels - are good and cheap - Lonely Planet has good recommendations - check before you arrive and prebook
9. Phone - just get Thai sim card when you arrive
10. Vaccinations - get all your Doctor recommends

hope this helps

Keeping cash safe is generally easy with a hidden wallet on your waist and a a neck wallet for daily cash.

Watch out for skimmers on ATMs - This is a worldwide problem so getting a prepaid credit card may be a solution. Assuming you you can top it up from your bank app, you can limit how much is on there so a thief can only steal so much.

A smartphone, newish as they are, is an absolute essential. Buy a twin SIM phone unlocked to any network so you can keep your home number but drop in a local card as well. If you use the double Whatsapp feature, you can give the local number to anyone you care to.
Apart from the communications features on a phone, it keeps you on the internet and has two other massively useful functions.

Google maps (or whatever) means you never get lost. You can bookmark your hotel and other places you need to remember, and it stops taxi drivers taking you the tourist route. If they see you using the app they know they can't mess around.

Google translate is another exceptionally useful app. It saves all those language barrier headaches. It's still far from perfect but it's amazingly handy regardless. The camera scan feature from Thai to English means you can even read signs or whatever.

In answer to the questions you didn't ask, read THIS. It wasn't designed for Thailand but it was built for backpackers.

You must be young and full of beans. This world is forever changing and the covid virus may be with us for some time, China and Russia have aggressive moves on their mines so if you are planning a trip to Thailand in 2023 don't do it now wait until the end of 2022. The visa requirements for Thailand are changing often so wait and see is the best advice I could give you now. So good luck and always spell citizen with a C.

eliasgross7 wrote:

Hi, I am a current permanent resident in Canada (working on becoming a Canadian sitizen) I want to travel to Thailand in 2023 and back pack threw the country. I am not sure where or how to start. Anybody els done this? How dod you start?

Specific questions:

What kind of visa do I need ...do I need one?
How are you keeping your money safe/storing it?
What kind of travel insurance do I need and why?
Did you bring a phone with you and just get pre payed minutes there?
How did you plan your trip?

I'm honestly alittle lost and the deeper I go looking into this the more lost I become.
Any help is greatly apriceated.

Thanks elias

YouTube must be filled with pertinent videos put out by digital nomads who have already done what you want to do.

You'll get good answers here to some of your questions, but that's probably the place to hear from people who have specific experience backpacking the country

"'working on becoming a Canadian sitizen) I want to travel to Thailand in 2023 and back pack threw the country. I am not sure where or how to start. Anybody els done this? How dod you start?'"

It wasn't only me who was wondering why a Canadian guy cannot spell in English. (not to mention the poor grammar: Has anybody else done this?) You have common words misspelled like 'citizen', 'backpack', 'through', 'else', 'did'. Has the educational system in Canada become that poor?

In my opinion you cannot plan everything from outside, you got now many suggestions but the best way is to arrive in Bangkok or Phuket first having a room booking using agoda.com app. where to stay for at least one week and look around getting in touch with the local reality.
Then when you feel ready, move to the next destination. Step by step.
It's like driving on a new road, you don't know it but you just keep going cause you know how to drive.
For the visa you must check at that time, rules are constantly changing according to the Covid19 situation.
Now there is requirement to apply for the online visa "Thailand pass" by uploading Ticket, Covid health insurance, Vaccination certificate, PCR negative test, hotel booking in certain kind of hotels for the first day or week, depends where you arrive (Bangkok or Phuket have different arrival rules actually) but in one year many things can change...
In meantime you can read guide books or check on internet and start knowing the country and what's to visit and form your own idea and plan.
Good luck

Booking rooms with Agoda and other apps is fine, but I strongly recommend not adding your card details. One app charged my card after I'd deleted it as a payment method. That can only mean they keep details after you think they've gone from their records.
Also, watch the quoted prices. They aren't always what you pay.

Why are you criticizing the OP’s English and grammar? You don’t know how long he has lived in Canada (obviously less than 5 years) and YOUR superior education should inform you that Canada is a bilingual English / French speaking country. Many immigrants , particularly from French speaking countries , settle in Quebec where French is the working language and almost all Quebecers speak English as well. I attended an English high school in Ontario and we had to take French every year, just as kids in Quebec must also study English.  This is true in every province and territory and parents have the right to send their children to a school in the other official language.

JayEsCee wrote:

It wasn't only me who was wondering why a Canadian guy cannot spell in English. (not to mention the poor grammar: Has anybody else done this?) You have common words misspelled like 'citizen', 'backpack', 'through', 'else', 'did'. Has the educational system in Canada become that poor?

Perhaps the OP isn't Canadian, just resident there. A lot of people don't bother filling out their profile properly or simply misunderstand the questions.

Unless someone is claiming to be an English teacher, being understood is all that matters.

First off, it wasn't a criticism. It was an observation. Second, I'm a math and English teacher so that is what I do for my job. This was more of a wonderment than anything else. Also, it's a well known fact that the educational systems in many places in the USA and Canada are failing miserably. I was wondering if  this was the reason for all these mistakes or was there another explanation. Third, being understood was the problem because it was not clear what he meant. Fourth, you don't know that he isn't Canadian. Your making a guess. His profile says he's Canadian and that is all it says. Lastly, the previous guy made a more valid point by suggesting he might be French Canadian. However, French Canadians should also speak English, shouldn't they?

My beef was not with the guy who wrote the opening message in this thread. It's with what the educational systems over there in the USA and Canada and what they have become.

I also noticed that this guy only posted that 1 message on these boards and never followed up, so how serious was he about finding out this information?

Hi, I just wanted to clarify a few things. Canada is officially bilingual. It means that anyone may receive service from any level of government  in either English or French. Interestingly, the only province that is officially bilingual is New Brunswick. Ontario is English speaking but it has a large French speaking population. Quebec is French speaking but it has a large English population. The other provinces and territories are similar to Ontario…. Though , in Nunavut there are three official languages, the third being Inuktitut. Canada’s education system is generally superior to the US. 1. Students can attend French or English schools. 2. In Ontario Catholic schools are fully funded. In addition high school students can attend Public or Catholic schools ensuring competition and equal standards. 3. All Universities receive government funding meaning at the undergrad level there are no outrageous tuition fees. 4. I am a retired HS administrator. Previously I was a Mathematics head. All Ontario HS students must complete at least 3 math courses, 4 English etc. no Mickey Mouse courses. University bound kids usually complete advanced functions and calculus before graduating. Check the provincial scores at Gr8 and Gr 12  Level compared to other countries  Canadian schools hold their own. I think if you acquainted yourself with the fact that Canada and the USA are two separate countries -both great and free but also quite different -you  would not throw them together in any comparisons.