Thailand is one of my favourite holiday destinations and one that I go to nearly every Jan/Feb, because we are almost guaranteed good weather. We have tried to travel to various different parts of of Thailand with Bangkok being a base before we fly home so we have explored the city more than anywhere else.
Intro & Culture
Thailand is a Southeast Asian country. It’s known for tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins and ornate temples displaying figures of Buddha. In Bangkok, the capital, an ultramodern cityscape rises next to quiet canalside communities and the iconic temples of Wat Arun, Wat Pho and the Emerald Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Kaew). Nearby beach resorts include bustling Pattaya and fashionable Hua Hin.
CURRENCY
In Thailand they use Thai Baht. You will need to pay the currency respect as the Thai’s are very passionate about their king. What I mean by this is, if you drop a note or coin on the floor, do not stamp on it to stop it blowing or rolling away. This is seen as being disrespectful to the king and you can get in a lot of trouble.
Thailand’s currency is often shortened to TBH to make it easier to write on posters, menus and advertisement boards.
Download the app “Currency Plus” to get currency conversions on the go. It updates daily and when connected to WiFi or Network to give you the latest conversion and you can have multiple currencies shown in one go.
Download here: Apple App Store // Google Play Store
LANGUAGE
In Thailand they speak Thai and a small amount of English, depending on how good their education was some can speak very good English. It helps to know a few small phrases in Thai as they love to know you’re trying with the language and appreciate it more.
Here are some basic phrases to help you out:
Hello – [sa-wùt dee krúp] (if you are male) OR [sa-wùt dee kà] (if you are female)
Goodbye – [sa-wùt dee krúp] (if you are male) OR [sa-wùt dee kà] (if you are female)
Thank you – [kòrp-kOOn krúp] (if you are male) OR [kòrp-kOOn kà] (if you are female)
Yes – [châi]
No – [mâi]
TIMEZONE
Thailand is 7 hours ahead of the UK. Their time zone is Indochina Time (GMT+7:00)
CUISINE
There is a mixture of cuisines around Thailand but you definitely have to try Thai food whilst you are there. Recommended dishes to try include: Pad Thai, Penang Curry, Green Curry, Yellow Curry and Red Curry.
Budget Tips
Suggested Daily Budget – 47-51 TBH / 40-47 GBP (Note: This is a suggested budget assuming you’re staying in a hostel, eating out a little, cooking most of your meals, and using local transportation. Using the budget tips below, you can always lower this number. However, if you stay in fancier accommodation or eat out more often, expect this to be higher!)
01. Eat at street markets and with the locals – The best place to get cheap food is on the street markets or go where the locals go. The food will be around 50p or maybe a little bit more and you can eat so much of it as it’s so cheap. It might not be a quality restaurant atmosphere but the food is still amazing.
02. Don’t book taxis, book tuk tuks – Tuk tuks are so cheap, easy and quick to get around. They will cost you a few hundred Baht but it’s so much cheaper than a taxi and you won’t always get stuck in the horrible road traffic. Just ask the driver to take you somewhere and they will.
03. If you are looking to buy souvenirs, go to the street markets – They might sell all the same things but they will be priced really cheaply and you can buy lots of different things. Make sure you go around the stalls to find the best priced item.
04. Buy drinks in happy hour – Most drinks in Thailand will be cheap anyway but make sure you make the most of happy hour deals. Drinks that are imported will be a lot more expensive especially compared to local beers and it’s quite hard to find draught beer.
Travel Tips
VISAS
You will need a Visa to visit Thailand, whether you are going as a tourist or on a working holiday visa. Visas will usually last for 60 days in Thailand depending on what you are going there for. You must not exceed your timescale on your visa. The best website for booking your tourist e-visa on is www.e-visa-thailand.com or www.thaiembassy.com.
If you do exceed your stay in Thailand they will charge you per day you stay in the country, and payment will be required when you come to leave Thailand. The minimum charge is 500TBH per day. This can reach a maximum of 20,000TBH for overstays of 40 days or longer.
If you do want to stay for longer than 60 days as a tourist, and to avoid the overstay charge you will need to leave the country. And then apply for a new visa before you re-enter the country.
Check if you need a Visa or other documentation here…
With iVisa, all of your travel document requirements are all in one place. They help give you that piece of mind when checking you have everything you need to enter a country without any hassle.
You can apply for everything from visas, tourist cards, invitation letters and health declaration forms for COVID-19 from their website. It’s very quick and easy to use and they are very fast at processing your applications, some things can even be FREE for whichever travel document you need. You can even pay for speedy processing and delivery if you are in a rush.
INJECTIONS
You will need to visit your GP and get your injections before you visit Thailand. You may need boosters or completely new injections depending on what you have had before. I only needed booster injections as I had some of the injections when I was younger.The main injections you will need for Thailand are:
- – Tetanus and Diphtheria
- – Hepatitis A
- – Typhoid
- – Measles
- – Mumps and Rubella
Additional injections you may need are:
- – Cholera
- – Hepatitis B
- – Polio
- – Rabies
- – Meningococcal Meningitis
Depending on where you will be staying and for how long will determine what other injections you will need. Especially if you are staying in a more rural and jungle set area. Please talk to your GP for the other injections you may need for these parts of Thailand. Ideally you will need your injections as soon as you can before you travel as there could be a waiting list. The latest you should get your injections is about a month before you leave for Thailand.
READ MORE: A Guide to Vaccinations And Visas Around The World
CAPITAL/CITY
Thailand’s capital and city is Bangkok. Thailand is formerly known as Siam and changed it’s name back in 1939.
ACCOMMODATION
There are lots of amazing hotels to stay at wherever you go in Thailand, I have written an extensive list of affordable hotels you should check out and stay at there.
ACCOMMODATION I’VE STAYED IN
• Ban SaiNai, Ao Nang Krabi
• The Scene Cliff View Villas, Ao Nang Krabi
• Eastin Grand Sathorn, Bangkok (on the BTS line)
• Amara, Bangkok (in the Central Business District)
• Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Hotel, Bangkok (on Chao Phraya River)
• The Lancaster, Bangkok (near Petchburi MRT station)
• Navatara, Rawai District of Phuket
READ MORE: Staying In The Ban SaiNai Hotel In Krabi
EXPLORE THAILAND
Bangkok | Chiang Mai | Koh Lipe | Krabi | Phi Phi Island | Phuket
DRIVING
It’s best not to drive in Thailand as the roads are so manic, so I would recommend using taxis or tuk tuks depending on how long the journeys are. If they are longer I’d either use taxis or hire a personal driver for the day and if they are quick I’d use tuk tuks. If you are travelling around Bangkok, tuk tuks or the BST is a better option as it’s cheap, has air con, and is very fast.
FLIGHTS
Flights to Thailand can take up to 11 hours from English airports. Various airlines fly to Thailand including Thai Airways, Etihad Airways, Virgin, British Airways and Emirates, but you can also fly via other asian airlines such as EvaAir and Nok which are both very good budget airlines to use.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
The best public transport to use are tuk tuks across the country and the BTS train in Bangkok. They are both so quick and cheap to use and are a great way of getting around.
Packing Tips
WHAT TO WEAR
Make sure you wear lightweight and cool clothing in order to keep cool during the hot weather. When visiting temples and religious places make sure you have a thin scarf or sarong to cover your shoulders and legs and don’t show too much cleavage for a woman.
WEATHER
The best time to visit Thailand is during our winter in the UK, from the months December to April the weather is typically drier and warmer than the rest of the year which is usually Asia’s monsoon weather. Temperatures could usually reach around 27-29 ‘C throughout their warmer months.
Activities
ACTIVITIES & THINGS TO SEE
There are plenty of things to do throughout Thailand depending on what you are after during your stay. I have written up plenty of blog posts about Things To Do in Bangkok, Krabi, Phuket and Chiang Mai.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THAILAND
- • Grand Palace & Reclining Buddha, Bangkok
- • Phi Phi Island
- • The Big Buddha, Phuket
- • Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, Phuket
- • Tiger Cave Temple, Krabi
- • The Emerald Pool, Krabi
- • Tub Island, Krabi
- • Monkey Island, Krabi
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