Look up the cities where you'll be visiting on Google Maps and download the maps for offline viewing on your phone.
Actually, here's a map of places I like to eat in Chiang Mai, to get you started:
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Join some groups focused on things you're interested in (like, for me, it's foodie groups in Bangkok and Chiang Mai) and start saving stuff that sounds interesting in Google Maps. That way, when you're wandering around a city just enjoying the vibe, you can have sudden "Ooh! Awesome-sounding place x is right around the corner!"
Check to make sure you have an ATM card with a bank that refunds other banks' ATM charges and doesn't hit you with foreign transaction fees. (Schwab is really good for this.)
And a credit card with no foreign transaction fees is also helpful (Amazon and Apple both offer them.)