Who Writes GoSiam: Four Months in Thailand, Two Seasons, and Muay Thai

This website is written by a single person who spent about four months in Thailand over two trips, during two different seasons: once from December to January, in the middle of the dry season, and once from late September to November, toward the end of the rainy season.

Not a tour operator, not a visa agency, not an insurance comparison site. What you read here comes either from official sources that are named and dated, or from firsthand observations on the ground. This page is here so you know who you’re reading before following advice on visas or insurance.

Where I went, and how long

Bangkok—I’ve been there several times, staying for several days each visit: I’ve stayed in Sukhumvit and Thong Lor; I’ve explored the Siam area, Lumpini Park with its monitor lizards roaming free, and Khao San Road one evening—which was enough to realize that you wouldn’t want to stay there if you’re looking for some peace and quiet.

Isan, in the northeast—about ten days, staying with friends and their families. This is the region this website loves to talk about the most, yet one that almost no French-language guidebook covers: very few tourists, much more rustic, and the foreigners you encounter there are expats who’ve settled there, not travelers just passing through.

Krabi and its province, as seen from Ao Nang: the surrounding islands, Krabi Town, and the Tiger Cave Temple with its steps to climb early in the morning.

The Gulf, Koh Samui, and Koh Tao, which is still my favorite island.

A trip through Laos, with a return flight from Roi Et.

Muay Thai: Why It Belongs Here

I practice Muay Thai, and I’ve trained in Thailand. That’s the whole point of the pages dedicated to training camps, fights, and equipment: they’re written by someone who knows what’s cheaper to buy there, what to bring from France, and what a training session is like when you arrive without speaking Thai.

Seen on site

This also explains a strict policy not found elsewhere: most travel insurance policies exclude combat sports, even during training. It’s better to know this before you leave than to find out in the emergency room.

How This Site Was Created

Information regarding regulations is verified with the official source, and the date of that verification is displayed at the top of each relevant page, with the list of sources at the bottom. Entry requirements for Thailand change several times a year: an undated page is of no value.

Personal experiences are identified as such in a separate box. You will never confuse a memory with an administrative rule, and nothing in it is made up.

If it hasn't been verified, it isn't included. There are some topics this site doesn't cover, either because I haven't visited those places or because I haven't been able to verify the information. When a figure is missing, the page states so and refers readers to the relevant organization rather than filling in the gap.

How This Site Is Funded

Some links on this site are affiliate links: if you purchase insurance or book accommodations after clicking on them, we receive a commission,but the price you pay remains the same. The pages containing these links clearly state this.

What remains unchanged: recommendations are made before any partnership is formed, disclaimers are maintained, and a product that has been excluded remains so even if it pays a commission. A website that hides the exclusions in an insurance policy from you in order to collect its commission is of no use to anyone—and won’t stay that way for long.

An error, a question

Outdated information, an incorrect amount, a broken link: please report it. The correction will be made, and the page's last-checked date will be updated. Please emailàcontact@gosiam.fr.

In summary

GoSiam is written by someone who has spent four months in Thailand over two seasons—from Bangkok to Isan and from the islands in the Gulf to Krabi Province—who practices Muay Thai, and who dates and sources everything in accordance with the rules. The site is funded by partner links, which are clearly marked and have no influence on the content.