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If you’re looking for a Thailand group tour, you need to find the right company. You see, travel is a multi-billion dollar global industry. There is no shortage of service providers. I wish I could tell you that all Thailand group tour service provides and operators are created equal. I wish I could tell you that you can safely expect the same level of professionalism, comfort, and attention to detail from all the tour operators you’re considering. I wish I could tell you that buying tour services and experiences is not much different from going to your nearest grocery and buying packs of tomatoes or selecting typical boxed merchandise off the shelf. Unfortunately, if I were to do that, I would be flat out lying to you. In many cases, the difference between one Thailand group tour company and the next is like day and night. You are, after all, buying services.

If you want to get the most value out of every hard-earned dollar you spend on your upcoming Thailand trip, you need to pay attention to what I have to say below. You have to follow the tips below because they maximize your chances of not getting ripped off.

There are wide-range providers out there, and it’s too easy to get confused

It’s too easy to get confused among the different Thailand group tour operators because they describe the experience in pretty much the same way. They often package Thailand trips in confusingly similar terms. It’s easy to think that once you’ve tried one tour company, you’ve pretty much tried them all. Unfortunately, if you think this way, you increase the likelihood of getting ripped off or otherwise getting disappointed.

The truth is there can be quite a bit of difference between one service provider and the next. You just have to know how to ask the right questions. You also have to look at the whole process of filtering tour operators with the right mind frame. Think of it as like comparison shopping. Just as you would want to get the best price and value when looking for a new computer, you should have the same attitude when looking for a Thailand group tour provider. Keep the following in mind.

Tour experiences can be standardized

The first thing that you have to remember is that tour experience can be standardized. As long as an company meets certain standards, you can use these standards as some sort of template or objective criteria to judge one particular service source against another. Don’t fall for the trap of thinking that each and every business is unique. Don’t fall for the sales hype. This is exactly how they want you to think because they want to charge a premium for their service while essentially offering the same low-quality and low-priced service. Do you see how this works? You end up overpaying.

Risks can be quantified and worked around

Another hallmark of a great Thailand tour company is that they quantify your risks. They let you know what risks are involved and most importantly they teach you how to work around it. A truly responsibility service provider would anticipate risks and guide their customers on how to mitigate or override these risks. Beware of operators that assume that you know the risks or simply neglect to tell you.

System redundancy is crucial

You know you’re dealing with a professional outfit when they have a system in place. The moment your plane touches down in Thailand, the right Thailand group tour company would have a bus system. They would have a network of hotels that they’re going to send you to. Everything is taken care of, from travel to accommodation, to food. Everything is not only anticipated, but standardized.

Economies of scale are crucial

Proper service providers pack in all sorts of services into one price package. They get these services at a discount. They then pass some of the discount to their customers. Of course, some companies are more likely to do this than others. Beware of discount companies. Usually, discount companies have a lower margin and they make up for it in terms of volume. The problem with this situation is that they’re providing a service and their services are less elastic as far as quality is concerned than merchandise. Keep this distinction in mind.

It’s too easy to think that just because a particular Thailand group tour company has an economy of scale that you are going to get full value for you hard-earned dollars. You’re only fooling yourself if you think this way. This doesn’t happen automatically. Some do a better job of this than others, so know the difference.

Each part of the system’s quality must stand on its own

Don’t think that just because a tour company has a sleek package that everything is smooth. For example, you might be impressed by the slick design and extremely professional design of a company’s brochures and online presence. They might present you with all sorts of materials that seem to highlight a high degree of professionalism and attention to detail. You might want to reserve judgment until you have gotten back from your trip.

From my personal experience, I’ve gone on group tours where everything’s going well until the food arrived, and it was a complete disaster. In your experience, it may be the food, or it may be the transfer service from the airport. It can be any other detail. It’s important to understand that you have to assess a system based on each part of that system.

Finally, you need to pay attention to staff training. A lot of tour operators operate on a mass scale. As a result, they make their money through volume because they don’t charge that much per individual customer. The problem here is that in many cases, they cut corners by not training their staff adequately. This can take the form of a rude tour guide. This can take the form of a negligent tour guide. All sorts of disasters can happen because of improper staff training. Be aware of this.

Ideally, when people are traveling whether to Europe, Asia, or Africa, backpacking is the way to go. I can’t recommend it enough. The whole point of backpacking is to break out from your routine. It’s essentially to look at the world from a completely different set of eyes. This set of eyes might not necessarily be those of the residents of the place you’re visiting. Still, a new process takes over you.

You have to step away from your old identity and old life, so your sense of personal curiosity takes over. Of course, when I talk like this, I’m talking about the ideal.

Sadly, we don’t live in the ideal world. There are many contingencies that we have to be aware of. There are many realities that we have to face. One reality is of course the fact that it costs money to go backpacking. While you can backpack like a college student and save quite a bit of money jumping from hostel to hostel. If you’re past the age of 30, this is probably not an option. This is especially true if you have kids.

While backpacking is awesome, you might also want to consider group trips. If Thailand is high on your agenda as far as travel destinations go, here are some reasons why you should take group trips to Thailand.

Economy of scale

Let’s face it, traveling anywhere in the world costs money. Whether you’re traveling in your state, across the country, or the other side of the globe, be prepared to part with some of your hard-earned dollars. The good news with group trips to Thailand is that they operate within an economy of scale. Put simply, the amount of dollars you would spend traveling alone would probably be much higher if you traveled as a group.

The reason for this is actually quite simple. When you deal with a group tour provider, a lot of their costs go down because they centralize their costs. They rent one bus that can accommodate many people. The savings are then distributed among people in the group. Of course, the savings that you enjoy would probably be a bit lower than if you organize the group trip yourself. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have this level of expertise. Given the discounts involved, it’s good enough to go on group trips to Thailand with a credible and reputable local tour operator.

Group protection

As the old saying goes, “There’s security in numbers.” This is definitely true when you’re traveling in any unfamiliar terrain. I’m not just talking about traveling to a foreign country. I’m not necessarily talking about an exotic locale located halfway around the globe. You can be traveling to the other side of the city you live in the United States, and you would still face security issues. That’s just the reality that we have to face.

The good news is when you’re taking group trip to Thailand, you automatically have a large number of people around you. Everybody’s looking out for each other. Instead of you backpacking alone through Thailand and relying on your own singular set of eyes and ears, you have many pairs of eyes and ears looking out for you, and you also look out for them.

You’re less likely to get lost

When you go out on group trips, there’s always an experienced guide coordinating everything. This reduces the possibility of getting lost close to zero. There’s still always the possibility that something could go wrong. There might be some sort of miscommunication and some sort of logistical hiccup, but of the most part, your chances of getting lost are slim to none. Compare this if you’re going to be traveling alone or traveling with a buddy. Half the time you’ll be checking local guide books, and you don’t know how to get from point A to point B. This can lead to lots of wasted time. This definitely can lead to lots of wasted money and possible risks to your personal safety.

You’re less likely to get ripped off by tourist traps

When you go on group trips to Thailand, you’re less likely to get stuck with tourist traps. Tourist traps are everywhere. Tourist traps exist to milk as much cash from travelers who don’t know any better. If you are traveling with a reputable company, they will make sure that you steer clear of these tourist traps. They know that tourist traps cheapen the experience of their customers. Since they want you to come back, it’s in their interest to move you far away from tourist traps.

With that said, keep in mind that there are disreputable tour group companies. These companies get a commission for shuttling unsuspecting tourists through wood carving or jewelry shops. These jewelry shops offer jewelry that you can find in the United States or Europe. There’s nothing distinctive about their wears. If you’re dealing with such a tour group company, let your friends know. That way, they can avoid such scam companies like the plague.

The good news is that most of the companies that offer group trips to Thailand give you real itineraries. This enables you to get a distinct feel for the local culture of Thailand.

More efficient itineraries

Let’s face it, most people prefer a more structured experience when they are traveling. The last thing that you want is to travel where you’re basically chasing your tail. You end up revisiting the same city over and over again. When you take group trips to Thailand, these tour companies are self-interested in making sure that you have the most efficient experience possible.

They lose money if you just loop back to the same place over and over again. Use this to your advantage. This increases the likelihood that you would see more of Thailand and maximizes the amount of time you have. This is of course not guaranteed, but traveling with a group increases your chances of getting the most value for the amount of time you invest in traveling to Thailand.