Thailand travel guide

WEATHER

Thailand is the tropical and humid country and has very unique type of weather. There are three seasons in the North but only two seasons in the South.

In the North: During late October and early May, the weather is mostly dry, but it is split into 2 phases, from late October to early March and early March to May. It is hotter during the later of these two phases.

The remaining time, from May to October is affected by the southwest monsoon. During this period, the rain is frequent and heavy.

In the South: the wet and dry are typical features of this region. There is frequent rain with heavy storm from late March to October on the west coast due to the southwest monsoon. However, the rain falls during September and December on the east coast.

In general, November to February is the best time to visit Thailand. At this time, the Northeast monsoon brings cool and dry air. This leads to less rain in the whole Thailand. April should be avoided because of being hottest. During July and October, we can see the monsoon which brings annual rainfall with high humidity and floods.

TIME ZONE:

It is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +7).

LANGUAGE

Thais is the official national language. Apart from it, there are some dialects spoken such as, Lao, Malaysian and Lannathai

CURRENCY

The official currency of Thailand is Thai Bath. However, USD, EUR, Visa and Master card are widely accepted. There are some bills used in Thailand such as 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 notes.

VISA/PASSPORT

Thai immigration department only accepts visa on arrival of ceartain nationalities, please see the website of Thai Embassy.

Thai visas are required to be 60 days of validity from the date of issue. You need 2 passport size photos, valid passport (at least 6 months beyond the length of stay) and USD 30 fee paid at border check points at international airports.

CUSTOMS

When reaching the custom counters, you will have to complete the custom declaration. You are allowed to bring foreign currencies, jewels…You have to fill in a form if you bring over US $20,000 or its equivalent in any other foreign currencies.

OTHERS

Sim cards and Internet

AIS, DTAC/Happy and True Move are the biggest operators and provide great coverage predominantly in Thailand. Anyone can buy sim cards at service booths/stores at either airport or in the cities with different packages. The more you top up, the more minutes/credit you will get.

Wifi is available at most hotels or coffee shops. Also, you can you 3G with good coverage mostly all areas.

Water:

The tap water is not disinfected then you are advised to drink bottles water and mineral water which can be found at many shops outside hotels or restaurants.

Electricity:

The standard households (hotels) electrical supply in Thailand is 220 volts, 50 Hertz. The standard socket accepts two round pins and flat blade plug.

If your electric devices do not accept 220 volts and 50 Hertz, you can bring voltage converter or buy one in Thailand.

WHERE TO GO