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Tips and facts about Thailand |
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Thai Customs and Etiquette |
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Thailand is a Bhuddist country where Buddha images are held sacred. Sacriligious acts are punishable by imprisonment even if comitted by foreign visitors. |
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Thai people hold their King and Queen and the Royal Family in great reverence and will not tolerate foreigners showing disrerspect to them. |
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In general, Thai women are conservative. So don't touch them without their consent. |
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In all walks of life it is considered bad manners to lose your temper. |
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Dress properly when entering a Bhuddist temple. Mini-skirts and shorts are not allowed. Take your shoes off before going inside the hall of worship. Ladies must not on any account touch a Bhuddist monk, give things direct to him or receive things direct from him. |
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Intimacies between man and woman should not be shown in public. Sunbathing in the nude is prohibited. |
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All forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand. You nay well get arrested for playinf a seemingly friendly game of dominoes for 10 baht a game. This is a fact - I have witnessed it! |
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Traditionally, Thais greet each other with a wai (by pressing the palms together at the chest). If someone wai-s you, you should wai back (except when wai-ed by a child). |
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Call Thais by their first name; us the title "khun" for adults. |
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Thai people smole to express gladness and happiness or to thank you for small services. |
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Don't touch a Thai person's head, nor ruffle their hair. The head is the noblest part of the body. A sincere apology should be offered immediately if you touch someone's head unintentionally. |
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Avoid placing your feet on the table while sitting. Never use your foot to point things out or to touch any part ot the body of a Thai, which is condidered to be rude. |
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When entering a Thai house you are expected to remove your shoes. |
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Bangkok hotels
Book on-line for the best hotel deals in Bangkok. List the hotels by price, star rating or alpabetically; you can also look for hotels in a specific area of Bangkok. |
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Currency and Money Exchange in Thailand |
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Foreign visitors to Thailand may freely bring in foreign currencies or other types of foreign exchange. Cheques or drafts brought in, if the owner decides to sell, must be sold to a bank. Upon leaving Thailand, tourists may freely take out all foreign exchange that they have brought in. |
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Foreign visitors may bring in an unlimited amount of Thai currency. For travellers leaving Thailand, both Thais and foreigeners, the maximum amount permitted to take out without prior authorization is 50,000 baht per person or, if they are going to one of Thaiuland's neighboring countries, 500,000 baht per person. |
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The basic monetary unit in Thailand is the Baht. A Baht is divided into 100 satang. The following coins and notes are currently in use: |
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Coins: |
25 and 50 satang, 1,2,5,and 10 baht |
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Notes: |
20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 baht. |
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Major foreign currencies can be exchanged for Thai baht at banks and authorised money exchangers. Major credit cards are also accepted in tourist centres. |
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Customs Regulations |
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Cameras, video cameras and portable computers must be declared to the customs officer in order to confirm outbound accompaniment upon re-entry to Thailand. |
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Jewelery and ornaments are required to go through the customs formalities at the outbound section, Pasanger Control Division, at every international airport. |
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Prohibited Goods are good which either the import into or export out of the Kingdom of Thailand is prohibited. E.g. drugs, pornoographic materials, protected wildlife and relasted products, etc. Vio;ation of laws related to to illicit drugs. e.g. having and holding, holding for use, or being a producer, seller or transporter are subject to the death sentence. |
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Restricted Goods are goods the import and export of which are restricted by law and therefore require a permit from the related government agencies. The following items require a permit from the government agency concerned in order to go through the customs formalities. todot |
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Firearms, ammunitions, explosive objects (Office of national Police) |
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Buddha Images, artifactsand antiques (Fine Arts Department) |
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Radio yranceivers and telecommunications equipment (Post and telegraph department) |
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Plants and planting materials (Department og Agriculture) |
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Live animals and animal products (Department of Livestock Development) |
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Medicines and chemical products (Office of Food and Drugs Administration) |
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Visas |
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Nationals from 39 countries can now stay in Thailand for 30 days without an entry visa. For visitors from another 14 countries, a temporary tourista visa valid for 15 days may be obtained at any of the designated immigration check points including the 6 international airports at Don Muang (Bangkok), Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket, Hat Yai and Suvarnabhumi. |
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Documents required for a visa application are: valid passport (not expiring within the next 6 months), visa application form ciompletely filled in, confirmed air ticket, a recent photo 6x4 cm, and the application fee (currently 800 bht but may change) for a transit visa valid for 30 days or 1000 bht (subject to change) for a tourist visa valid for 60 days. |
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A tourist who wants to have his visa extended must apply to an office of the Immigration bureau with the following: passport with a photocopy of pertinent pages, a photo 6x4 cm. The Bangkok office is located off South Sathon Road and for pattaya the office is in Jomtien. |
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For further information on visas visit the website thaivisa.com. |
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Dining |
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Most Thai food is already cut into small pieces before serving or else made soft enough to be cut with a spoon or fork: thus a knife is generally unnecessary. |
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Salt-shakers are rarely found on Thai dinner tables, a caramel-coloured fish sauce (called nam-pla) is generally used instead. |
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English is spoken in large restaurants in tourist provinces and most establishments have menus in Thai and English with the exception of street-side vendors and some small restaurants. |
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Beckon waiters with a wave of a hand. Don't clap, snap fingers or hiss. |
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Normally, a tip of 10-20 bht or 5-10% of the bill should be left when dining in a middle or high-class restaurant. |
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Shopping |
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Bargaining is an art long practised in Asian countries including Thailand. So feel free to ask for a proper discount when shopping in places where prices are not marked. |
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Be careful in dealing with sidewalk vendors who may not offer genuine goods at fair prices. In particular clothes, handbags, watches etc. are often fakes and DVDs are generally copies unless bought from a reputable store. |
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Receipts should be obtained for the goods you buy. For jewlery you must get a certificate of guarantee as well. |
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Some shops do offer a money back guarantee, but this is extreemly rare in Thailand. You should clearly determine all conditions with the shopkeeper beforehand. |
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Miscellaneous |
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Clothing. Thin cotton is best. A jacket or pullover may be necessary in the cool season, especially when you are in mountainous areas in the North or Northeast. |
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Electricity. 220 volts 50 cycles throughout the country. |
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Internet Services. In most major cities the number of Internet cafes seems to increase every week. Most will post their rates in the window and, as competition is intense, the price is invariably low. |
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Climate |
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Thailand has three seasons: |
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November to February; when its hot and dry. |
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March to May; when its hot and humid. |
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June to October; when its hot and wet. |
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Health and Safety |
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Never drink tap water, always use bottled water which is readily available and inexpensive, particularly if you choose a local brand. |
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The sun is strong, even during the rainy season and when there is cloud cover, so use a good sunscreen and limit your exposure time. |
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Malaria is no threat in Thailand, but mosquito bites can be a major irritant. |
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Owning Property in Thailand |
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Land |
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In accordance with Thai law, foreigners are prohibited from owning land in Thailand. This includes foreign-owned companies, although, in theory, a company with a simple majority Thai ownership (i.e 51% Thai) can do so. However, in practice, to get through the necessary hurdles without complications, any such company should be 60 to 70% Thai owned. There is now a conditional and limited exception to this for holders of a Thailand Elite membership card. |
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Leases |
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In simple terms, it is permissable for foreign nationals to lease land in Thailand for 30 tears and such a lease can be renewed for a similar period upon expiration of the initial term. However, such a lease must be registered with the land department. If it is not, it will only be valid for three years, regardless of the term. |
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Condominimums |
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Subject to certain conditions, foreign nationals are entitled to own individual condominium units in Thailand outright. |
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| Book on-line for the cheapest room rates and latest hotel deals in all regions of Thailand. Over 2,500 hotels, guest houses and resorts across Thailand are listed and described, each with a map, including many with up to 75% discount. Cilck on your desired region/city and an illustrated list appears. You can then order the list by price or star rating and you can also select hotels in a specific area of your selected region/city. |
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| Visiting Northern Thailand? Then try the Phrae Hotel Thepvong Place in Phrae northern Thailand - our phrae hotel offers cheap hotel rooms, if you need a cheap hotel our Thailand hotel in Phrae has cheap accommodation. Alternatively you can try our Phrae Guesthouse Thepvong Place where we offer cheap rooms in the heart of the Town of Phrae Thailand, the guesthouse is operated by English speaking owners who can assist you during your time in Phrae. |
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Cheap Thailand Travel Tips
This web site is another that is designed to help and give tips to travelers touring Thailand. It gives information on transport, accommodation, shopping, activities, dining out, entertainment and sight seeing etc. and also has a holiday story section where you can submit your own story about your holiday in Thailand.. |
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