ℹ️ Thailand in a few lines
Thailand covers half a million square kilometres between Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia, with two coasts — the Andaman Sea in the west and the Gulf of Thailand in the east. It is the only country in South-East Asia never to have been colonised by a European power, which shows in the architecture, the calendar and the way the state talks about itself. Until 1939 it was called Siam; the present name means roughly „land of the free".
Entry
Citizens of most European countries, the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom enter without a visa for stays of thirty to sixty days, depending on nationality and mode of arrival; the exact allowance changes, so check before booking. The passport must be valid for six months. Arrivals are also asked for proof of onward travel, which airlines do sometimes check at the gate.
Getting there
The main gateway is Suvarnabhumi in Bangkok; Don Mueang handles most low-cost traffic, and Phuket, Chiang Mai and Krabi take direct international flights. Domestic flights are cheap and frequent — Bangkok to Chiang Mai takes an hour and often costs less than the night train.
Money and payment
- Currency: the baht (THB). ATMs are everywhere and charge a fixed fee of around 220 baht per withdrawal, so take out larger amounts less often.
- Cards: accepted in hotels, malls and larger restaurants. Street food, markets, songthaews and small guesthouses are cash only.
- Tipping: not traditional. Rounding up a taxi fare or leaving small change in a restaurant is enough; upmarket places add ten per cent service.
- Bargaining: expected in markets, never in shops with marked prices. Keep it good-humoured — losing your temper loses you the deal.
When to come
The cool season, November to February, is the best time almost everywhere: dry, sunny, twenty-five to thirty degrees. March to May is hot, often above forty in the interior. The monsoon runs from May to October on the Andaman coast — Phuket and Krabi — but the Gulf side is different: Koh Samui and Koh Phangan get their rain from September to December, so when one coast is wet the other usually is not.
Getting around
- Bangkok: the BTS Skytrain and the MRT metro beat the traffic; they close around midnight.
- Tuk-tuk: agree the fare before getting in. Metered taxis are usually cheaper — insist on „meter, please".
- Songthaew: a pick-up with two benches, the local bus of small towns and islands.
- Trains: slow but comfortable; the overnight sleeper to Chiang Mai is an experience in itself.
- Scooters: everywhere for hire, but you need a licence with a motorcycle category and a helmet, and island roads take a heavy toll every season.
Practical odds and ends
Power is 230 V with sockets that take flat and round pins. Do not drink the tap water. The Thai year is counted from the Buddhist era, 543 ahead of the Western one, so a receipt may say 2569. Every temple visit needs shoulders and knees covered, and shoes come off at the door. Speaking disrespectfully of the monarchy is a criminal offence and is prosecuted — including online.