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.