Planning an extended trip to Thailand and Australia.. need tips/advice!

Hello all!

I'm planning to take a trip next year starting late fall or early winter (nov or dec). My idea is to fly from Canada (my home country) into Thailand and backpack all over the country in anywhere between 1-3 months and after that head to Australia where I will be backpacking as well but also looking for a job, so to make it a "working holiday". I do not know anyone here who has undertook this kind of travel before so I am really hoping someone with some experience could give me some advice :)

I am a 25 yr old male in excellent physical condition.. totally willing to do outdoor jobs like farm labour or fruit/vegetable picking. I'm wondering how hard it will be to find work once I am there in australia.. and also what times would be best to find work. Would it be a better idea to go to thailand first, australia second? Or perhaps the other way around?

I'm the kind of traveler that doesn't want the "package tour" or anything fancy. I just want to get out there and meet cool, new, and interesting people and enjoy myself for however long I can make it last.

Thank-you for reading and looking forward to responses!

1. Post the question about employment in Australia on the Australia branch of the TT. Ask about websites geared towards short term and seasonal work.

2. Whether to go to Thailand first depends upon various factors. One is the season. Thailand has a hot season and a hot and wet season in the south. While the rainy season means rain almost daily often it is only for an hour or less so it doesn't really interfere much with activities. Another is funds. How much money do you have set aside? Remember that in Australia it is probably possible to replenish your funds some by working but not in Thailand. And finally there are flight costs. You might want to check whether there is a difference in ticket costs. There are some budget airlines in Asia and it might be worth looking at various combinations to see what might be cheapest. Try whichbudget.com or fly budget.com for this.

3. Thailand will permit you 30 days on arrival but if you get a visa in advance you get 60 days. How does the WHV work? Is there a start date or does the clock start ticking when you arrive in Australia?

Ruth

i'd say work in australia first then relax in thailand when you're done :)

WHV's for Australia start when you enter the country. You have 12 months from being granted the visa in which to activate it.

If you're looking for fruit picking work, you shouldn't have any difficulty finding that type of job in Oz once you get there. It's very common "backpacker" work and farmers LOVE using backpackers to do their migrant labour. In fact, if you do 3 months or more of this type of work, you can extend your WHV for another year.
Go to the Oz branch and you'll find heaps of info on this I'm sure.
I agree with everbrite about considering seasons when deciding where to go first. For me, I wouldn't be so worried about the weather in Thailand, I'd just want to be in Oz during their summer...
Good luck and happy travels!

But you wouldnt want to be in Queensland and Northern Territory during their summer. The weather in hose states is also when the weathers good in Thailand.

Have I done it? See profile.

Just get the Hell away from the east coast of Oz. Jobs and cool "bush monkey" type folks are out there. Great people. With wisdom in the way they word things.

Top End is calling you.

Come to Oz first definitely! If you arrive in November, it will be when the summer is just kicking off, and there is heaps to do, fantastic weather and beautiful sunny days.Plus it is when everyone is out and about so finding casual work should be easy. Lots of Aussies go up to Thailand for holidays, you can get some really cheap flight deals from Oz capital cities like Melbourne or perth up to Bangkok for like $100 AUD sometimes, check out www.airasia.com

You could come to Qld first, then travel down the coast to Sydney, then to Melbourne, and across to Perth, up through the Kimberley region and then up to Thailand/other parts of Asia to conclude.

Sounds like an awesome trip!

All the best!

As per the above poster, AirAsia specials from Melbourne, Perth or Gold Coast to Kl can be had for sub $100. We regularly fly from the Goldie to Thailand that way.

As for jobs in Oz under the Working Holiday Visa scheme...plenty to be had. Just follow the Harvest Trail

Remember...You must apply for the Australian Working Holiday Visa from OUTSIDE of Australia