Thailand

Thailand is bordered to the north by Myanmar and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Myanmar.It also shares maritime borders with Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast, and Indonesia and India on the Andaman Sea to the southwest

Area: 513.120 km²

Population: 68 million (Dec 2019)

Capital: Bangkok. Time Zone: GMT+7 hours. Religion: Buddhists (93,2 %), Islam (5,5%), Christianity (0,9%), Hinduism (0,1%), Unaffiliated/others (0,3%)

Language: Thai.  Currency: Baht (THB) ($1 = 32,83 THB – July 2021)

Passport holders of the following countries and territories are entitled to enter Thailand without a visa for 30 days (via international airports) and 15 days (by land) unless otherwise stated : Argentina (90 days), Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil (90 days), Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia (14 days), Canada, Chile (90 days), Czech, Denmark ,Estonia, Finland ,France, Germany, Greece ,Hong Kong, Hungary ,Iceland ,Indonesia , Ireland ,Israel , Italy , Japan, Korea (ROK) (90 days), Kuwait, Laos, Liechtenstein ,Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Monaco, Mongolia, Myanmar (14 days via international airports), The Netherlands, New Zealand,  Norway ,Oman ,Peru  (90 days), The Philippines, Poland ,Portugal , Qatar ,Russia, Singapore , Slovak, Slovenia, Spain , South Africa ,Sweden , Switzerland ,Turkey ,United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom ,United States of America, Vietnam 

Nationals from the following countries will be granted period of stay not exceeding 30 days each time when entering Thailand by land - Malaysia (when crossing border neighboring Malaysia), USA, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan

Please note that Tourist Visa Exemption does not apply to foreigners holding Travel Document for Aliens issued by these countries 

Foreigners entering Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption category must possess adequate finances for the duration of stay in Thailand (i.e., cash 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family) 

Thailand is divided into three seasons.The first is the rainy or southwest monsoon season (mid–May to mid–October), August and September being the wettest period of the year. Winter or the northeast monsoon occurs from mid–October until mid–February..Most of Thailand experiences dry weather with mild temperatures.Summer or the pre–monsoon season runs from mid–February until mid–May,  temperatures can reach up to 40 °C (104 °F) during March to May. 

From November to March next year is the best time to visit. 

BY AIR

Traveling to Thailand by air is quite easy as many airlines offer direct or indirect flights such as Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air, Nok Air, Thai Airways, Qatar Airlines, Singapore Airlines… Thailand have 5 international airports : Suvarnabhumi Airport; Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok; Chiangmai International Airport, Chiangmai; Phuket International Airport, Phuket; Hat Yai International Airport, Songkhla

BY LAND

You can also travel to Thailand by land, with public transportation. Thailand has land borders with Laos,Cambodia, Myanmar and Malaysia.

Laos - Thailand Border gate: (you must have a visa before going through immigration and customs)

• Houixay - Chiang Khong, Bokeo Province to Chiang Rai.

• Kaenthao - Nakaxeng, Sainyabuli Province to Loei.

• Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge I, Nong Khai - Vientiane Capital.

• Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge II, Mukdahan-Savannakhet Province.

• Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge III, Nakhon Phanom-Khammouane Province.

•  Vang Tao - Chongmek , Champasak Province to Ubon Ratchathani.

Malaysia - Thailand border gate : (you must have a visa before going through immigration and customs)

• Pedang Besar Station

• Wang Kelian (Kaki Bukit, Perlis) - Wang Prajan (Khuan Don District, Satun )

• Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah) - Sadao (Songkhla)

• Rantau Panjang (Kelantan) - Su-ngai Kolok (Narathiwat)

• Langkawi - Satun : The ferry from either Koh Lipe or Satun (on the mainland) in Thailand to Langkawi runs several times per day, weather permitting, and is another popular crossing into Malaysia. A convenient and easy way to cross, however, if you’re entering Thailand from Langkawi and have a history of many visits to Thailand recently, expect to at least be questioned about what you’re doing in Thailand, if they’re not satisfied with your responses then you could well be denied entry.

Cambodia - Thailand border gate : (you must have a visa before going through immigration and customs)

• Poipet - Aranyaprathet (Sa Kaeo province)

• Koh Kong (Sihanoukville  province) - Had Lek (Khlong Yai District ) : This crossing allows you to travel from the island of Koh Chang in the east of Thailand to the beach town of Sihanoukville in Cambodia.

• Chong Chom border crossing : If you find yourself in Isaan, this border crossing is very convenient if you want to travel to Siem Reap and visit the temples at Angkor Wat. Close to Surin on the Thai side, it’s fairly easy to find a taxi or minibus on the Cambodian side which will take you on to Siem reap. Not usually very busy, but you may see a few westerners traveling with their Thai wives. Expect to pay around 350 baht (around $11.50) for public transport to Siem Reap, the buses tend to depart from opposite the O Smach Casino Resort.

• Choam Sa Ngam - Surin Province 

• Phsar Prum - Banpuggard Border Checkpoint (Chanthaburi Province)

• Kamrieng - Ban Laem (Chanthaburi Province)

Myanmar - Thailand border gate : (you must have a visa before going through immigration and customs)

• Tachilek - Mae Sai (Chiang Rai)

• Myawaddy - Mae Sot (Tak province)

• Htee Khee - Ban Phu Nam Ro (Kanchanaburi Province)

• Kawthaung - Ranong 

TRANSPORT IN BANGKOK

·  The BTS Skytrain

The BTS Skytrain has two BTS lines, the Silom and Sukhumvit lines. Retail fares range from 10 baht to 52 baht depending on your destination.

·  MRT

Single tickets cost from 16 to 40 baht, depending on the number of stations you will pass. A 1-day pass costs 120 baht; 3-day pass for 230 baht; 30-day 30-day pass costs 1400 baht.

·  Tuk tuk

Regarding the price, with a tuk tuk ride of about 5 minutes, you can pay 30 baht.

·  Taxi 

The price displayed at the start on the taxi is 35 baht, and this price will stay the same for the first 2 km. After that, every kilometer will increase to about 5 baht.

·  Bus

Prices range from 7 baht to 22 baht depending on the distance and type of vehicle.

·  Vehicles  explore the Chao Phraya River area, you can choose from 3 types of vehicles: ferry, river taxi or cruise ship.

TRANSPORT IN CHIANG MAI 

There are three main types of transportation in downtown Chiang Mai: tuk-tuk, songthaew, and taxi.

The Songthaew is the most recommended vehicle because it can be parked on the side of the road, as long as the driver knows the destination. The price of motorbike taxi is calculated according to the distance, a trip is about 20-60 baht, quite cheap. However, if you want to go to a remote place, you should find a rental at a travel agency for safety and convenience.

TRANSPORT IN PHUKET

Motorcycles

To be proactive in moving when traveling to Phuket, you can choose a motorbike with a rental price of only about 150 - 200 Baht/car/day, mainly Click and PCX. When renting a car, you will have to put in a passport, make a commitment to things such as: 1 hour late payment is 50 Baht, loss of car is 40,000 Baht / car. These prices may change slightly from time to time. Besides, visitors should also choose a reputable car rental place, check the car carefully to see if the car has any damage, is full of gas before receiving the car.

Tuk tuk

Taxi

In Phuket, taxis will be less than tuk tuks, so catching a taxi will not be as easy as catching a tuk tuk. To be able to call a taxi quickly, guests can contact the hotel they are staying and ask for help from the front desk. 

Taxi fare in Phuket is 50 Baht for the first 2 km, and 7 Baht for each subsequent kilometer. However, many drivers often haggle for the whole journey, so you still need to use your bargaining skills for your taxi choice to not be fooled.

Boat

To visit and explore the beautiful islands in Phuket, the boat will definitely be the means you have to use. One of the most visited islands is Koh Phi Phi. To visit this island you can go to Phuket Southern Pier to buy train tickets and depart here. Note, visitors should not buy tickets to Koh Phi Phi at the airport, because it will be much more expensive than buying at the pier.

From Phuket to Phi Phi takes about 2 hours, departure time from the pier in the time frames: 9h, 10h30, 13h30, 15h. Ticket price for adults is 400 baht / person / trip and children is 350 baht.

.  It is recommended to dress politely when visiting the Temple, do not climb on the Buddha statue to take pictures

·  Absolutely not insulting king and queen as these are the people who are highly respected Thai

·  Attitude of respect for those older than themselves, show their smiling, friendly

·  When you go to Thai’s house ,you should leave shoes outside or observing Thais if they wear slippers in the house or not

·  At a bank or post office, you need patient

·  Do not touch the top children's 

·  Don't hug and kiss in public and absolutely don't make a noise in public

·  Don’t accept any suggestions from strangers and avoid buy goods on the street

·  When leaving the hotel, you should lock your room door and leave the key to the hotel staff

.  You should not drink or eat food in the refrigerator hotel because it costs 3 times more than usual.

·  To make calls, you can buy sim cards sold on the street

LOCAL CURRENCY: Baht (THB) 

The money in Thailand is Baht. You can find notes of 1,000 baht, 500 baht, 100 baht, 50 baht, 20 baht, and coins are 10 baht, 5 baht, 1 baht ,50 Satang, 25 Satang. The official exchange rate is $1 = $1 = 32,83 THB – July 2021.

ATM AND CREDIT CARDS

International credit/debit cards such as VISA and MASTERCARD are accepted in most ATMs and shops/stores that accept card payments. With some foreign cards, a small percentage of the amount withdrawn/paid will be charged; The money withdrawn at ATMs is always in Bath.

BARGAINING

Shops in Thailand are usually open from 10-10:30 am so you should not go too early to avoid long waits. You should bargain when buying goods in the market, if you see a salesman wearing a card, that place cannot bargain the price.. Some Thailand people don't speak English, you should prepare  a calculator .

TIPS

Tips are not part of the tradition of Thailand. However, in some situations and thanks to the many generous travelers that have preceded you, tipping is becoming more popular.

For example, you can tip your guide after a whole day or several days of travel. You can also tip luggage porters and taxi drivers.

When visiting temples or pagodas, you will usually see some donation boxes near the entrance/exit in which you can place some money. In this case, we do not call it tips but donations, dedicated to the maintenance temples or pagodas

Prohibited Goods 

goods for which either the import into or export out of Thailand are prohibited. The following are some examples of prohibited goods: 

• Narcotics 

• Pornographic materials

• Counterfeit trademark goods and IPR infringing goods

• Fake notes or coins

• Reserved animals or CITES-listed wildlife

Restrictions

Thailand does not limit the amount of foreign currency . Visitors can also bring foreign currency out of Thailand, but not more than the amount declared in the customs declaration upon entry. Each tourist leaving Thailand is not allowed to bring more than 50,000 baht in Thai currency.

Tax & Currency Regulations Visitors are allowed into Thailand duty-free goods including 200 cigarettes and one liter of wine or spirits. Weapons, drugs, etc. are strictly prohibited. Travelers' cheques and foreign currency drafts are allowed into Thailand but must declare cash over 10,000 Baht on arrival and each person is not allowed to bring cash over 50,000 Baht out of Thailand.

Vaccinations

Officially, no vaccinations are required to enter Thailand apart from travelers coming from countries with yellow fever transmission risks. However, if you travel to Thailand you should do everything possible and take all required precautions to avoid becoming ill during your trip. Make sure that all your vaccinations are current and that you are vaccinated for Tetanus, Polio, and Diphtheria. Other vaccines recommended include Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B (if you are in-country for over 3 months), Typhus and Tuberculosis, vaccinations against rabies and Japanese encephalitis are also advised.

Health Advice

• Drink plenty of fluids during the day (2 liters).

• Do not drink tap water in Thailand. Only bottled water is drinkable.

• Wash your hands frequently

• Avoid eating unpeeled fruit or raw vegetables and ice.

• Most important: trust your gut feeling. If you don’t like your food, stop eating and do a double check when eating from street vendors.

– Keep a pull-over with you to cover yourself when the air conditioning is too cold or for cooler nights outside

Police: 191

Tourist Police : 1155

Ambulance: 1669

Fire department: 199

Pre-Departure Tasks

Make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months before the expiry date and  a Vietnam multiple entry visa (if available). If you do not have a re-entry Vietnam visa , you need to prepare 2 color photos, white background 4x6 cm to make a re-entry Visa.Have a look at the visa requirements for more information. Consider medical, baggage and trip cancellation insurances.

Check with your doctor the vaccinations and medicines needed.

Clothes

• Clothing should be lightweight and of the drip dry variety. You will be in the sun a lot so long sleeves and a wide hat would be more suitable.

• Underwear should be synthetic and easily washable.

• Sleepwear.

• Shirts should be long sleeved and lightweight with lots of closed pockets.

• T-shirts, short sleeved and again with pockets.

• Cool evenings necessitate the need for pullovers or a lightweight jacket.

• A lightweight vest with lots of pockets will be handy for carrying your camera (and film) and binoculars.

• Long trousers made from a lightweight, quick-drying fabric should have multi pockets for day trips. Long trousers that turn into shorts are ideal.

• For trekking lightweight long shorts (for modesty purposes) are acceptable.

• Bathing suit should be modest so as not to offend the locals.

• Hat for protection from the sun. Should have a wide brim and a strap.

• A sturdy poncho or parka will help to keep your gear dry in case of rain or waterfall spray.

• Footwear: You will need some sturdy comfortable boots for trekking or just walking around. They will need to support your ankles as well as having a nonslip sole.

• Waterproof sandals for those short trips and boating.

• Some smart casual clothes for the evenings and visiting restaurants.

Pharmacy

• Insect repellent with the percentage of DEET recommended by your travel medicine physician. It’s important that you bring an ample supply of good quality repellent.

• Antiseptic wipes for hand washing and emergency toilet paper.

• Personal First Aid Kit (bring in small amounts and in small containers)

• Aspirin/ibuprofen, etc.

• Cold-symptom relief tablets, antihistamine, cough drops. Adequate quantity of sweat-resistant sunscreen with at least an SPF 15 rating or higher, and lip balm with sunscreen.

• Prescription medicines in their original bottles. Acidophilus enzyme (available in capsules in health-food stores). This often helps your digestive system get in shape for “new” flora.

• Immodium, Lomotil, or similar anti-diarrhea medicine. Pepto-Bismol.

Vaccinations

Officially, no vaccinations are required to enter Thailand apart from travelers coming from countries with yellow fever transmission risks. However, if you travel to Thailand you should do everything possible and take all required precautions to avoid becoming ill during your trip. Make sure that all your vaccinations are current and that you are vaccinated for Tetanus, Polio and Diphtheria. Other vaccines recommended include Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B (if you are in-country for over 3 months), Typhus and Tuberculosis, vaccinations against rabies and Japanese encephalitis are also advised.