Thailand travel tips

Following are regularly updated travel tips for Thailand.

The text below is from the comprehensive holiday travel tips to be found at
Cheap World Travel Tips.

May 22 2010 Thailand travel tips

Note: Foreigners have been advised to be cautious and consider their travel plans to Bangkok due to the risk of violent protests stemming from a court verdict on Friday, February 26 2010, in the trial of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mass street protests have rocked Bangkok in the months following the verdict and in mid-May 2010, the Thai army moved in to clear Red Shirt protestors from the central city, with dozens killed, hundreds injured, curfews imposed by the army and many foreign embassies closed. Extensive areas of central Bangkok have been damaged, including major shopping centres. The Thai Government declared the crisis resolved from May 21 but tension remains high throughout the country. Tourists should monitor media reports to determine if and when Thailand has again become safe for travel.

Muang Boran is a theme park on the southern outskirts of Bangkok at Samut Prakan. The park is an open air museum built over 320 hectares in the shape of Thailand, and displays 109 scale versions of the country's most famous ancient Siam buildings. This theme park, also known as Ancient Siam, usually doesn't have queues and is open daily from 8am to 5pm. The entrance fee in 2009 was 300 baht.

Street food in Bangkok is generally safe and very cheap. There are numerous great locations to eat around Banglamphu, also known as Backpacker Central. Stalls along Khao San Road have good food but if you want to escape the hawkers, look into spots such as the eastern end of Thanon Rambuttri, adjacent to Khao San Road. Delicious meals here cost between 25-50 baht (about US$1 in 2009), while a Chang beer costs about 40 baht. Another excellent destination for street food, particularly fried rice stalls, is Thanon Chakrapong. Even cheaper food can be bought from the many pushcart vendors who can always be found outside all the Metro and Skytrain stations.

A market rarely visited by tourists is Phahurat, about a 10 minute walk south of the Grand Palace. Little English is spoken or written here but the stalls serve fantastic stews and soups at bargain prices, and there is a huge offering of coconuts, bananas, melons, oranges, papayas, cakes and sweets.

Drive 90 minutes east from Pattaya and you'll arrive at Ban Phe pier, from where ferries make a 30 minute crossing to Koh Samed, which is a narrow, T-shaped, 8 kilometre island with 14 quality beaches. Koh Samed has numerous resorts, mostly on its west coast, but the island remains suitable for backpackers with bungalows priced from about US$7 per night (2009). Rice, noodles or beer can be enjoyed for less than US$2 each and daily motorcycle hire is less than US$10 (2009).

Nakhon Phanom, 735 kilometres north-east of Bangkok, is famous for its Lai Rua Fai - or Illuminated Boat Festival - in which a procession of boats illuminated by tens of thousands of candles float by and burn on the waters of the Mekong River. Lai Rua Fai is held in late October or early November each year.

Ko Samet off the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand and about an hour south of Pattaya, is the closest resort island to Bangkok. The island, narrow and 13 kilometres long, is a small marine national park and is carpeted with jungle, thanks in part to its unsealed and rutted roads that prevent interior development. Note that upon arrival, the national park entrance fee is 40 baht for Thais and 400 baht for foreigners (2007). Ko Samet is a comparatively cheap, clean and less crowded hideaway with quality beaches - particularly midweek. There are a few upmarket retreats but most accommodation is in small resorts and bungalows along the best beachfronts. Modest bungalows cost from 800 baht to 2,000 baht, including breakfast, and prices vary according to season with mid-October to March usually more expensive. Boat trips costing about 600 baht (2007) include fishing, snorkelling or just cruising around the island. The only town on Ko Samet is Na Dan and the most popular beach is Sai Kaew (meaning "glass sand") on the island's north-east shore, an 800 metre stretch of fine white sand, restaurants and bungalow hotels. The beaches become increasingly pristine and less crowded if you travel further south. Ko Samet's west coast is much rockier with less beaches, the exception being Ao Prao (Coconut Bay) where upmarket resorts crowd a 200 metre shoreline. Resort accommodation prices are between 2,000-7,000 baht (2007). Because of its proximity to Bangkok, weekends on Ko Samet are noticeably busier so it's better to visit mid-week if you haven't pre-booked accommodation. The island is not a place to go for clubbing or raving and the best way to get around is either in the back of a songthaew pick-up truck or by hiring a light motorcycle for around 400 baht per day (2007). Quad bikes cost about 1,600 baht per day.

Local hoteliers and resort owners in Khao Lak, an area heavily devastated by the Asian tsunami on Boxing Day 2004 with more than 4000 deaths, have renovated more than 3000 rooms to welcome back tourists in 2007.

Khao Lak is world-renowned for diving and dive company shopfronts line the main shopping street, which is also the southern route to Phuket and the northern route to Surat Thani. The main street also offers a tsunami museum and travel firms. Eco-tours and elephant safaris are available in the nearby national parks such as Khao Lak Lamru National Park about three kilometres out of town. Hotel rooms in Khao Lak can be found for as little as 500 baht (about US$18) per night in 2007, ranging up to 4500 baht (about $US160) for top-class resorts. Khao Lak is about an hour by taxi (1200 baht or about US$50 in mid 2007) from Phuket Airport. It's much cheaper to take a minibus to Phuket bus station (100 baht in 2007) and catch the air-conditioned Surat Thani bus which delivers tourists to the centre of Khao Lak for 90 baht.

Near the Grand Palace is the Wat Pho temple, perhaps the most impressive monument in Bangkok. Wat Pho houses the Reclining Buddha, a 45 metre stutue of a reclining Buddha coated with gold, its soles inlaid with mother-of-pearl and inscriptions. The temple is open every day from 8am to 5pm with a one hour midday break. Visitors must remove their shoes upon entrance. Revealing tops and shorts are banned but sarongs are usually available at the ticketing office for women. Wat Pho also houses several smaller shrines and expert massages are available for a small charge. The Wat Pho entrance is on Chetuphon Rd and entrance in 2007 is 20 baht (about 60 cents US).

A southern Islamic insurgency has claimed about 2400 lives since January 2004 and there have been ongoing bomb blasts and shootings into 2007 including six bombs claiming four lives in September 2006 in the southern tourist hub of Hat Yai and the killing of 16 soldiers and civilians on May 31, 2007, in the Yala and Songkhla provinces. Fearful tourists have avoided travel mainly in the provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, Songkhla and Pattani, with foreign embassies advising against non-essential travel through these areas.

About 5% of the Thai population is Muslim, most living in the five southern provinces bordering Malaysia's fundamentalist Muslim heartland.

Most of Thailand remains safe for tourists who should nevertheless be aware of the threat and check ongoing media and/or consulate advice before they travel to the region.

Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi International Airport opened in September 2006. Travellers to Thailand are advised to study new Bangkok maps before flying so they are better prepared for the new airport location east of the city and how to navigate to their holiday accommodation or other planned destination.

Note: Don Muang Airport resumed scheduled domestic flights in March, 2007, taking the pressure off Suvarnabhumi which is under repair for cracked runways, taxiways and other problems. Don Muang Airport has restaurants, snack bars, souvenir shops and taxi services but a levy of 50 baht extra will be charged. Don Muang (code DMKM / Suvarnabhumi is BKK) will handle about 140 flights a day operated by One-Two-Go, Nok Air and Thai Airways International.

The popular resort island of Phuket has fully recovered from the 2004 tsunami and tourists are again packing the hotels.

Note: Thailand has tightened its immigration rules affecting tourists from 41 countries who have previously been allowed to stay in Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days. Among the 41 countries are Australia, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the US. Tourists can extend their stay by travelling to the neighbouring countries of Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos or Burma and returning with new entry stamps. From October 1 2006, tourists from the designated countries may still enter Thailand without visas and stay for up to 30 days. However, their entry stamps will be renewable twice at most for a maximum stay of 90 days. Tourists who stayed for 90 days must leave Thailand for at least 90 days before being permitted back into the country.

Note: In late 2006, mobile phones in Thailand switched from nine-digit mobile numbers to 10-digit ones. The change was brought about by adding the number 8 after the initial zero. For example, a mobile number beginning with 01 was altered to begin with 081, rendering obsolete all mobile numbers stored in mobile phones or other databases.

Travel tip: don't make jokes of any sort about the Thai monarchy as some Thais can be deeply offended and strict laws are in place making it illegal to make any insult against the royal family. In 2007, a Swiss man was jailed for ten years for spraying paint on public portraits of the king in Chiang Mai while drunk.

Authorities have warned of a marked increase in the number of credit cards being "skimmed" of information to make counterfeit credit and ATM cards in Phuket and other tourist resorts such as Chiang Mai and Haad Yai. One way to prevent your card being skimmed is to make sure it's a "smart" card, and you should shield the keyboard when you enter your PIN code at ATM machines in Thailand.

In 2006, more than a hundred fibreglass sculptures have been placed on the seabed in Thailand's Andaman Sea as artificial coral reefs and these locations off the six Andaman coastal provinces are expected to become popular diving sites.

Chiang Mai is at 310 metres altitude and is home to 170,000 people. Chiang Mai, about an hour's flight north of Bangkok, has long been regarded as a cultural capital and is renowned for the graceful beauty of its women. The city boasts more than 300 temples and enjoys comparatively cool nights because of its altitude. Starbucks and McDonalds have invaded Chiang Mai but it is still home to hills tribes, elephant camps, quality artisans and craft workers.

The most important and popular temple is the 16th Century Wat Pra That Doi Suthep, 15km from Chiang Mai. At all temples in Thailand, you should be modestly dressed and enter barefoot.

The celebrated Night Bazaar of Chiang Mai is held on mid-town Chang Klan Rd, although tourist trinkets are the main product. Better products and lower prices can often be had at the Sunday Market at Tha Phae Gate. Plenty of bars and cafes can be found along Tha Pae and Loi Kroh roads.

There are still several tribes in the hills north of Chiang Mai and a daytrip to their villages is usually priced from 1000 to 1500 baht.

The hottest time of year is usually the third week in April when the temperature often hits 42 degrees Celcius, unless there is heavy cloud or rainstorms.

The peak summer temperature often exceeds 40 degrees Celsius in towns such as Tak, Lampang and Kanchanaburi. The highest temperature ever recorded in Thailand was 44.5 degrees Celsius in the town of Uttaradit in 1960, while the town of Tak saw 43.7 degrees Celsius in 1998, the third-hottest day in Thailand's history.

It's worth noting that more than 75,000 tourists visited Kho Samui, Pa-ngan, and Tao Islands during the New Year's holidays of 2006, the majority from Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and Scandinavian countries and a smaller proportion from India, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.

Beware of traffic in Thailand as the national road toll is horrendous. For example, a total of 283 people were killed in road accidents during December 29 to January 1, 2006, with 87 killed on New Year's Eve alone. During the Songkran holiday from April 7-13 2006 there were 343 road deaths and 4,199 injuries on Thailand roads.

By August 2006, bird flu had been found in most Thai provinces. All 76 provinces have been declared animal epidemic control areas with stricter rules on the transport and handling of birds. More than a dozen bird flu deaths have been recorded in Thailand.

More than half a million hill tribe people live in the mountainous regions of Thailand's far north and west, an area utterly different from the hustle of crowded Bangkok and the southern holiday beaches. These chao khao (mountain people) live according to tribal laws and customs, avoiding assimilation with mainstream Thai society and 21st Century standards. For just $US50 (2005 prices), you can find a three day, two day trek from Chiang Mai into the northern jungle villages, including an elephant ride, river journey and food. The best season for these northern adventure treks is from mid-November to March and you should only use a tour guide who speaks tribal languages.

Travel tip ... Prescription glasses, dental work and cosmetic surgery cost far less in Thailand than in most western countries and many tourists take the opportunity to pick up new spectacles or have their teeth repaired.

There are several excellent elephant villages in Thailand, including Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, where tourists can learn about the country's national mascot and enjoy a jungle elephant trek.

About 13 million tourists visit Thailand every year and it's worth noting there was a 29% increase in female tourists during 2004, most attracted by the country's fantastic shopping, cuisine, health facilities and spas.

Bangkok's Mass Transit System, better known as the Skytrain, has two lines with 23 strategically-positioned stations covering 23.5 kilometres through the city. These air-conditioned trains are a rapid and cheap way to get around the city while enjoying the scenery from an elevated position. The Sytrain runs from 6am to midnight and the central station of Siam Square provides access to Bangkok's busiest shopping area. Tickets, which are valid for 90 minutes, cost 10 baht for one stop and 20 baht for two or three stops (August 2006). A day ticket with unlimited trips costs 100 baht and there are English announcements on the train for each stop. The Skytrain will eventually link to the new Suvarnabhumi international airport.

Koh Chang is a spectacular tropical island where beach bungalows can be found in 2007 for between US$10 and US$16 per night. The nights can be humid and air-conditioned rooms cost a few dollars more. One of the cheapest spots on Koh Chang is Lonely Beach and the island has plenty of ATMs and broadband facilities.

Koh Samui Travel Tips

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