Best Time to Travel

The dry season in Thailand is considered to be the best time to travel to the country as the weather will be most cooperative and the temperatures tend to be a bit cooler than they are during the rainy and hot seasons.  Dry (high) season generally lasts from November through March.  The shoulder season (July and August) tends to be very hot and dry.  The other shoulder season (September and October) is considered to be the ideal time of year to visit the far north and the gulf coast.  Rainy season (July-October) means heavy bursts of rain, lots of flooding, and possible transportation cancellations — if you are traveling at this time of year, be as flexible with your planning as possible.

Electricity

230V/50hz plugs.

Exchange Rate and Currency

The currency in Thailand is Baht.

1 Baht = .029 USD

.023 GBP

.037 AUSD

.026 Euro

Daily Budget

Budget travelers: Up to 1000THB/day

Mid-range travelers: Up to 2000THB/day

Top-end travelers: 3000THB+/day

Visas

Check to see if your country is one of the 52 visa-exempt countries when traveling to Thailand.

Otherwise, you will be asked to present the proper documentation and pay $30 for your tourist visa on arrival at the airport or the land border.

Visas usually last 30 days when presented at international airports, 15 days at land borders, and 60 days if applied for ahead of time at a Thai consulate.

Traveling around Thailand

It is easy to travel through Thailand using any means of transportation that suits your time-limit and your budget.  Here is some general information about the different modes of transportation that can be found in Thailand:

Flights on budget airlines are quite cheap and travel daily (often more than once a day) between major cities and tourist destinations.

Bus are probably the most affordable option.  The bus network in Thailand is extensive and buses travel frequently between major cities and tourist destinations.

Car travel (private taxi) is a fast, efficient, and reliable way to travel overland in Thailand, but will cost quite a bit more money than other modes of transportation.

Train travel is slow, but scenic.  There are only a few train routes available in Thailand, between Bangkok and Chiang Mai and Bangkok and Surat Thani.

Local transport (shared and chartered taxis) is widely available, but one should be prepared to bargain in order to get a fair price.

Dangers and Annoyances

1. Assault of foreigners is rare in Thailand, but it does happen — often when alcohol is involved.  Educate yourself on the culture and avoid casual flirtation or any acts that may cause embarrassment for Thai people.
2. Ongoing violence in the far south of Thailand makes this overland border (between Thailand and Malaysia) quite dangerous and should be avoided by those traveling through. The Thai-Cambodian border at Khao Phra Wihan has also been a site of some military conflict and is not recommended for foreigners.
3. Drug possession is considered to be a very serious offense in Thailand, even for foreigners, and can result in up to a year of imprisonment.  Attempting to carry drugs over the border into Thailand is considered to be even more serious and can result in execution.  If you find yourself confronted with one of these situations, the police should allow you a phone call to your embassy or to a friend or relative in your home country.  Tourist police are also a good resource for travelers in sticky situations and often help a great deal in organizing your release with the local authorities.
4. Though Thai people do tend to be laid-back and have a relaxed, “anything goes” attitude about life, travelers should be wary of scams.  Kindly decline any offers of free shopping or sightseeing help to avoid getting duped out of your stash of Thai Baht.  Bangkok is particularly notorious for well-designed scams that will leave tourists baffled, confused, and usually with a considerably emptier wallet.
5. Carry your most important valuables (money, passport, etc.) on you at all times and be wary of pickpockets and bag-thieves, especially in bigger cities.  When making a purchase with a credit card, make sure that your cards stays in your site at all times and isn’t taken to be processed in a back room, as this will often lead to additional, unwanted charges to your account.  It’s also good to use a card that isn’t directly connected to your bank account in order to deny merchants any access to your main source of money.
6. Be cautious of tourism agencies that masquerade as tourist information offices.
7. If they try to book you transport or accommodation, they are not a legitimate TAT office.  Also be cautious of tuk-tuk and taxi drivers that try to convince you to stay in overpriced, inconveniently-located hotels.  They are merely doing this because they will make a commission, before getting in a taxi or a tuk-tuk make sure you know exactly where you want to go and communicate that to your driver.

Required/Recommended Vaccinations

Anyone traveling from Africa or South America within six days of entering Thailand will be asked to provide proof of a yellow-fever vaccination.  The World Health Organization also recommends the following vaccines:

• Adult diptheria
• Tetanus
• Pertussis
• Hepatitis A
• Measles, mumps, and Rubella
• Polio
• Typhoid

For long-term travelers:

• Japanese B Encephalitis
• Malaria
• Rabies
• Hepatitis B