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Passport and visa
Visitors require a
passport valid for at least 6 months after entry into Thailand.
Before traveling, check that your embassy can replace your
passport if it is misplaced. Make copies for yourself and your
family at home for identification. If you lose your passport,
contact the police and your embassy or consulate immediately.
Free, 30-day visas are available to 56 nationalities, including
citizens of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand (60 days)
and most European countries. This on-entry visa is extendable
for up to 10 days. Other nationalities get 15-day transit visas,
extendable if there is no Thai embassy and consulate in their
country.
Alternatively,
you can apply at a Thai embassy and consulate in your country
for a 60 day tourist visa, extendable for 30 days. Extensions
are available from immigration offices around Thailand, but the
main center is in Soi Suan Phlu in Bangkok. Whatever your
nationality, confirm entry conditions from your own country. |
Customs
and formalities
Importation of all kinds of narcotics (opium,
heroin, cocaine, etc.) and pornographic media are strictly prohibited.
Firearms and ammunition can be imported only after a permit has been
obtained from the local police department. A reasonable amount of clothing
for personal use, toiletries and professional instruments can be brought in
free of duty. In addition, 200 cigarettes or smoking materials in total of
250 grams, one liter of wine or spirits, one video camera, five rolls of
still film, three rolls of video film, and one item of electrical goods per
person are allowed in duty free. Buddha images, antiques or fragments
thereof are not allowed to be taken out of Thailand without authorization
from the Fine Arts Department.
Currency
The Thai monetary unit is the Baht. There are
100 satang to one baht. Coins are used in denominations of 25 satang, 50
satang, 1 baht, 5 baht and 10 baht. Bank note denominations comprise 10 baht
(brown), 20 baht (green), 50 baht (blue), 100 baht (red), 500 baht (purple)
and 1000 baht (gray). Notes are also scaled in size; the larger the
denomination, the larger the note.
Money and travelers cheques
of all major currencies can be exchanged at hotels, banks, exchange booths
and mobile exchange kiosks in tourist areas. Banks almost always offer the
best rates. Credit cards are widely accepted in department stores, major
hotels, up-market shops and restaurants. They can also be used for cash
advances at banks and exchange counters. The most commonly accepted cards
are VISA and MasterCard, followed by American Express, JCB and Diners Club.
Climate
Central Thailand, the north, northeast and
east have three seasons: hot (February and March to June), rainy (June to
September and October) and cool (October to January and February).
Countrywide, humidity is high almost all year.
Temperatures in Bangkok are mostly hot, with
highs of around 35° C in April, dropping to roughly 30° C in December.
This is the best time to visit, when cool breezes make sightseeing much more
pleasant. The monsoon rains usually come in brief but heavy downpours -
sometimes producing flash floods - followed by sunshine.
The north (especially Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai
and Mae Hong Son) and the northeast can become chilly around New Year, with
night-time lows of 11-13°C . Bring warm clothing. However, daytime
temperatures are in the high 20° C, reaching the mid-to-high 30°C in April.
Rainfall, although is not as heavy as in Bangkok.
The south, roughly from
Prachuap Khiri Khan to the Malaysian border, has two seasons; rainy and dry.
It is always hot and humid, and the rainfall here is heavier than the rest
of the country, especially from March through November. Temperature highs
range from 30-36°C on the eastern side of the southern peninsular and dip
slightly on the western side, from 28/29° C to 33/34° C.
Health requirements
No actual vaccinations are officially required.
Malaria prophylaxis is no longer recommended but visitors are advised to
check with their doctor or travel immunization clinic regarding the
advisability of inoculation against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A & B.
International flights
The biggest airport of Thailand is Bangkok's
Don Muang International Airport which is connected by daily flights to
Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. Flights, from Singapore, Kuala
Lumpur, Penang , Hong Kong, Vientiane and Luang Prabang, land on a regular
basis at Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Phuket and Hat Yai airport.
Overland
The other way to get into Thailand is by land
, from neighboring country of Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Below are the
entry points: Nong Khai ( from Laos), Aranya Pathet and Trat ( from
Cambodia). There is possible to enter into Burma for day trips or slightly
longer overland from Thailand, but not yet to continue on to Yangon,
Mandalay etc...Day trips are possible at the Mae Sai / Tachilek border
(north of Chiang Rai), Ranong and the Three Pagodas Pass (west of
Kanchanaburi).
Language
Thai is a tonal language belonging to the
group of Ka-Tai languages, the five tones are monotone, low, falling, high,
and rising. This can be a rather complicated language for the visitor;
however, English is quite widely understood, particularly in Bangkok where
it is almost the major commercial language.
Public holidays
Jan 1 : New Year's Day
Feb 14 :
Makha Bucha (Full moon day)
Apr 6 :
Chakri Memorial Day
Apr
12-14 : Sonkran Festival (Thai New Year)
May 1 :
International Labor Day
May 5 :
Coronation Day
May 13 :
Wisakha Bucha (Full moom day)
Jul 11 :
Wisakha Bucha (Full moom day)
Jul 12 :
Buddhist Lent Day
Aug 18 :
H.M the Queen’s birthday
Oct 23 :
Chulalongkron Day
Dec 5 :
H.M the King's birthday
Dec 10 :
Constitution day
Dec 31 :
New Year's Eve
Tipping
Restaurants often put a 10% service charge on
meal bills, in which case a tip is not necessary. Some say that if there is
no service charge, 10% of the bill is an appropriate tip, but this can be
expensive if your bill is quite high already. Many Thai people just leave
the loose change.
Twenty baht is usual for
hotel porters, while you may feel that the maid who has cleaned your hotel
room all week deserves substantially more. Pizza delivery boys should get at
least a dollar (approximately 40 baht). You can pay the exact amount of a
taxi fare, but it is now common to round it up to the nearest 5 baht. You
should always tip a private excursion driver; around 100 baht for a day’s
driving is fine.
Airport tax
Airport tax or departure tax is required to be
paid by all international and domestic passengers departing from any Thai
airport. The airport tax of a domestic flight ticket bought within Thailand
is usually added to the ticket fare automatically. For international flight
Baht 500.per person For domestic flight Baht 50.per person
Business hours :
Thailand time is 7 hours
ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), 6 hours ahead of Rome, Paris and Vienna,
5 hours ahead of Pretoria, 13 hours ahead of New York and 3 hours behind
Sydney. All these time differences are based upon Winter Time. Thailand lies
in the same time zone as its neighboring countries.
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