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Thailand
 
About Thailand
People & Culture
Passport / Visa
Getting Around
Currency
Time Zone
Telephone &
Communications
Tipping Policy
Climate
Shopping Tips
Do's and Don'ts
About
Thailand
Thailand is a country in
South-East Asia with coasts on the
Andaman Sea and the Gulf of
Thailand. It borders Myanmar
(Burma) to the north-west, Laos to
the north-east, Cambodia to the
south-east and Malaysia to the
south.
With great food, a tropical
climate, fascinating culture and
great beaches, Thailand is a
magnet for travellers the world
over.
Thailand is the most popular
tourist destination in South-East
Asia, and for a reason. Exotic yet
safe and largely hassle-free,
cheap yet equipped with every
modern amenity you need, there is
something for every interest and
every price bracket, from
beachfront backpacker bungalows to
some of the best luxury hotels in
the world. And despite the heavy
flow of tourism, Thailand retains
its quintessential Thainess, with
a culture and history all its own
and a carefree people famed for
their smiles and their fun-seeking
sanuk lifestyle.
People & Culture
Thai culture is heavily influenced
by Buddhism. However, unlike the
Buddhist countries of East Asia,
Thailand's Buddhists follow the
Therevada school, which is
arguably closer to its Indian
roots and places a heavier
emphasis on monasticism. Thai
temples known as wats, resplendent
with gold and easily identifiable
thanks to their ornate,
multicolored, pointy roofs are
ubiquitous and becoming an
orange-robed monk for a short
period, typically the three-month
rainy season, is a common rite of
passage for young Thai boys and
men.
Some traditional arts popular in
Thailand include traditional Thai
dancing and music, based on
religious rituals and court
entertainment. Famously brutal
Thai boxing (muay Thai), derived
from the military training of Thai
warriors, is undoubtedly the
country's best known indigenous
sport.
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Passport
/ Visa
Ordinary passport holders of 41
countries, including the United
States, European Union countries,
and Australia, do not need a visa
if their purpose of visit is
tourism and if their stay in the
Kingdom does not exceed 30 days.
Visa-on-arrival is available at
certain entry points for passport
holders of 14 other nations,
including India, China and the
Russian Federation. Check the
latest scoop from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs
V I S A
As a general rule, any foreigner
seeking entry into the Kingdom of
Thailand for business, investment,
study, medical treatment, mass
media, religion, employment and
other purposes is required to
apply for a visa from a Thai
Embassy or Consulate-General. To
do so, a foreigner must possess a
valid passport or travel document
that is recognized by the Royal
Thai Government and comply with
the conditions set forth in the
Immigration Act B.E.2522 (1979)
and its related provisions.
Getting
Around
By plane
Thailand is a large country, and
if sitting in a bus for 11 hours
is not your idea of a fun time,
you may well want to consider
domestic flights. Never terribly
expensive to begin with (at least
by Western standards), the
deregulation of the industry has
brought in a crop of new
operators; it's now possible to
show up at Bangkok's Don Muang
Airport, buy your ticket and fly
pretty much anywhere in the
country for less than 2000 baht.
By train
State Railway of Thailand
(SRT) has a 4000-km network
covering most of the country, from
Chiang Mai in the north all the
way to Had Yai and the Malaysian
border in the south. Trains are
slow but reasonably comfortable.
Skytrain
The Bangkok Skytrain (BTS,
pronounced bee-tee-et in Thai)
deserves a visit simply for the
Disneyland space-ageness of it.
Built in a desperate effort to
ease
Bangkok's insane traffic and
pollution,
the Skytrain covers most of
downtown and
is especially convenient for
visiting the Siam Square area.
By road
Bus
Buses travel throughout the
country and the government's bus
company BKS (บขส Baw Kaw Saw),
known in English simply as the
Transport Company, has a terminal
in every town of any size.
Generally speaking, BKS buses are
the best option for both price and
comfort. There are also many
private bus companies, who mainly
compete on price and are less
reliable in terms of amenities,
schedules and safety.
Some buses may have TVs and sound
systems blaring, so earplugs are
well worth having, just in case.
On long-haul buses, if your ticket
allocates you a front seat, you
may have to switch seats if a monk
boards. top
Very Inferior Product
Travel agencies, particularly
those on Bangkok's Khao San Road,
are keen to sell you VIP bus
tickets. These are more often than
not cramped minibuses that will do
their best to arrive late, often
by breaking down right next to a
conveniently located restaurant,
and sell you to the guesthouse
that gives them the highest
commissions. Theft, particularly
on routes to the south, is also a
major problem.
Thais never use
them, opting for public BKS buses
instead - and you should too.
Songthaew
A songthaew is a truck-based
vehicle with a pair of bench seats
in the back, one on either side.
By far the most common type is
based on a pick-up truck and has a
roof and open sides.
Songthaews are operated
extensively as local buses
(generally the most economical way
to travel shorter distances)
Tuk-tuk
Tuk-tuks on the prowl, Bangkok
The name tuk-tuk is used to
describe
a wide variety of
small/lightweight vehicles.
The
vast majority have three wheels;
some are entirely purpose built (eg
the ubiquitous Bangkok tuk-tuk),
others are partially based on
motorcycle components
(primarily engines, steering,
front suspension, fuel tank,
drivers seat).
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Taxi
Metered taxis are ubiquitous
in Bangkok, but rare elsewhere in
the country. When available, they
are an excellent means of
transport - insist on the meter.
By boat
Long-tail boats, Ao Nang,
Krabi.
One of the Thais' many names for
themselves is jao naam,
the Water
Lords, and from the river
expresses of Bangkok
to the
fishing trawlers of Phuket,
boats remain an indispensable way
of getting around many parts of
the country.
Currency
The Thai baht trades around 40 to
the US dollar.
There are six coins and six notes:
25 and 50 satang (cent, copper
colour) coins - only readily
accepted by supermarkets and 7-11s
1, 2 and 5 (silver colour) and 10
baht (mixed colour) coins
10 (brown - becoming rare) 20
(green), 50 (blue), 100 (red), 500
(purple) and 1000 (grey-brown)
baht notes
The most useful bills tend to be
20s and 100s, as many small shops
and stalls don't carry much
change.
V.A.T. Refunds : Visitors
entering the Kingdom on a tourist
visa are entitled
to refund of the
7% V.A.T. on goods purchased at
registered retail outlets.
Time Zone
The time in Thailand is seven
hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time
(+7 hours GMT).
Telephone &
Communications:
Connectivity in Thailand is
generally quite good.
Internet
Internet cafés are widespread and
most are inexpensive
- prices as low as 20 baht/hour
are commonplace,
and speed and reliability of
connection is generally
reasonable.
Emergency Telephone Numbers
Central Emergency (Police,
Ambulance, Fire) : 191
Highway Patrol : 1193
Crime Suppression : 195 or 0 2513
3844
Tourist Police (English, French
and German spoken) : 1155
Tourism Authority of Thailand
(TAT) Call Centre : 1672
Immigration Bureau : 0 2287
3101-10
Tipping
Policy
Tipping is not a usual practice in
Thailand although it is becoming
more common. Most hotels and
restaurants add a 10% service
charge to the bill. Taxi drivers
do not require a tip, but the
gesture is appreciated.
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Climate
Thailand is largely tropical, so
it's hot and humid all year around
with temperatures in the 28-35°C
range, a degree of relief provided
only in the mountains in the far
north of Thailand.
Note that there are local
deviations to these general
patterns. In particular, the
south-east coast of Thailand
(including Ko Samui) has the rains
reversed, with the peak season
being May-October and the rainy
off season in November-February.
Shopping
Tips
Thailand is a shopper's paradise
and many visitors to Bangkok in
particular end up spending all
their time in the countless
markets and malls of the capital.
Particularly good buys are
clothing, both cheap locally
produced street wear as well as
fancy Thai silk, and all sorts of
handicrafts. Electronics and
computer gear are also widely
available, but due to heavier
import duties they tend to be more
expensive than Singapore or Hong
Kong.
Department stores and a number of
shops in Bangkok have fixed
prices, but at most of others
bargaining is acceptable and
expected; some department stores
will even offer a discount on
expensive items like jewellery and
fine furniture. No fixed rules can
be given on the process depending
as it does on the bargainer’s
skill and the shopkeeper’s mood,
but the final price may be reduced
as much as 30% to that first
quoted. Providing you have the
time, a good general rule is to
make a survey of several shops
selling the sort of items you want
before coming to a final decision.
Do's and
Don'ts
The Monarchy : Thai people
have a deep, traditional reverence
for the Royal Family, and a
visitor should be careful to show
respect for the King, the Queen
and the Royal Children.
Religion : Visitors should
dress neatly in all religious
shrines. They should never go
topless, or in shorts, hot pants
or other unsuitable attire.
It is
acceptable to wear shoes when
walking around the compound of a
Buddhist temple, but not inside
the chapel where the principal
Buddha image is kept.
Each Buddha image, large or small,
ruined or not, is regarded as a
sacred object. Never climb onto
one to take a photograph or do
anything which might indicate a
lack of respect. Buddhist monks
are forbidden to touch or be
touched by a woman, or to accept
anything from the hand of one. If
a woman has to give anything to a
monk, she first hands it to a man,
who then presents it.
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Social Norms :
-
Thais don't normally shake hands
when they greet one another, but
instead press the palms together
in a prayer-like gesture called a Wai. Generally a younger person
wais an elder, who returns it.
-
Thais regard the head as the
highest part of the body,
literally and figuratively.
Therefore, avoid touching people
on the head and try not to point
your feet at people or an object. It is considered very rude
-
Shoes
should be removed when entering a
private Thai home.
-
Public displays of affection
between men and women are frowned
upon.
Special Advice :
-
Beware of unauthorized people who
offer their services as guides, as they are nothing but touts in disguise.
-
For information about Bangkok,
contact the Bangkok Metropolitan
Tourist Bureau, Tel : 0 2225
7612-4.
-
Observe all normal precautions as
regards to personal safety, as
well as the safety of your
belongings. Walking alone on quiet
streets or deserted areas is not
recommended. Be sure that all your
valuables-money, jewellery, and
airline tickets are properly
protected from loss. Visitors
needing assistance relating to
safety, unethical practices, or
other matters, please call the
Tourist Police at Tel: 1155.
-
Drop your garbage into a waste
container. The Bangkok
Metropolitan Administration is now strictly enforcing the law in an
effort to keep the city clean and
healthy. The fine will be imposed
on a person who spits, discards
cigarette stubs, or drops rubbish
in public areas.
-
Do not get yourself involved with
drugs. Penalties for drug offences
are very severe in Thailand.
-
Do not support any manner of wild
animal abuse. Never purchase any
products or souvenirs made from
wild animals including reptiles
like snakes, monitor lizards, and
also turtle shell and ivory. Avoid
patronizing local restaurants that
serve wild animal delicacies. It
is against the law to slaughter
wildlife for food in Thailand.
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