Don't rule out the overnight trains with bunk beds which double as a nights stay in a hotel and transportation. Don't rule out long bus rides and land transfers either. The less you spend, the more you save, longer you can travel, the more you can see, the happier you will be! hey that rhymed! lol
Ugggg I just started writing you an in depth novel of a response. From the onward ticket issue, to where I'm going in Thailand and why, to where you may want to go and how people travel for different reasons and try get different things from their experiences.....To the Islands, to my ticket I just bought from Bangkok to Vientien Laos for 54 dollars, and why that led me to changing up my itinerary, siting things you should keep in mind for your own situation.....I can go on and on and on.
You have so many options. But yes you can buy a ticket more or less last minute. You do risk a higher price or it even being sold out, but 5 days in advance non-weekend, non-holiday, you should be fine. You've got visa issues possibly depending on length of stay and country. Onward ticket issues.......All travel problems have easy and often cheap solutions. You just have to know what to do.
Anyway, I'm done writing on steemit for the most part. I'm switching over into video blog. Where I'll sit for 5 minutes every morning and just talk into the camera, cover topics like travel questions, tips, up-dates.
I just can't be writing travel reports for 20 cents an hour. Editing then reediting my writings, dealing with photo sizes and html pull right and pull left, font this and heading that, then rewording my shit until I'm all stressed out. I have about 10 posts and reports in standby ready to go up but after I'm thinking no more.
So I was going to do that today and upload to youtube and steemit. But it will have to wait until I get to Thailand as my Dad's internet is so bad I can barely even get this message out to you. Already did a video on what's in my bag "What I travel with". I'll do a video giving you a detailed answer to your seemingly simple question. But my hands have been tied for 5 weeks with shitty internet here in the USA. go figure! lol
I'm out Sunday night. Arrive in Bangkok Tuesday Morning. So if I can find time to learn how to upload videos in Bangkok, I'd call it a success. Otherwise it will have to wait another week until I'm settled in Koh Phenagn. I changed up my itinerary just this week, and decided on the island just north of Ko Samui, Koh Phenangng or however it's spelled. That's a whole other story in itself.
I can answer your question much better on where to go in all of South East Asia if you give me a little insight into what you are looking to get out of your travels, how much time you have, and what your budget is.
I've got so much friggen info in my head it's almost ridiculous. So thank you for giving me an outlet and letting me share and help someone!
I've annoyed my folks quite a bit since I've been back because I start every other sentence with "when I was in such and such a country...blah blah blah" lol. The last couple weeks I've made a point to talk about the NY Yankees, and the latest pop culture BS and I seem to fit right in fine. lol!
Another long response! lol
Dan
Hope you made it to Bangkok okay and you're glad to be traveling again. I want to travel cheap, so I can splurge now and then. I'm fine with sleeping on couches and bunks in Hostels. I want to meet other travelers. I'm hoping to see the sites in cities and off the beaten path type things....
I've seen people talking on here about how you can record a video log and there's a program that transcribes it for you. I agree, the writing takes time for a few cents. I figure it's worth it for me to stay on here because, if nothing else, it will be my travel journal for myself, family, and friends. Also, I think we are here on the ground floor of something that's going to take off. I was also thinking I'd be posting vlogs once I'm on the road, for the sake of time, and (so my parents can see me). Hopefully we'll talk again soon.
(Btw, your posts are very good and you have a lot of value to offer. I've seen travel blog classes on other world traveler website-they guide you through everything you need to know to make money on your own website. I haven't looked into it much, but I might.) -Chris