Thailand Travel

Foreign visitors from 57 countries can enter Thailand without a visa for a period not exceeding 30 days or get a Tourist Visa on Arrival for a period not exceeding 15 days. Transit Visas allow up to 30 days of travel in the kingdom with proof of an onward ticket. Tourist Visas permit a stay of up to 60 days and can be extended once by 30 days. Non-Immigrant Visas allow a stay of up to 90 days.

As in most countries, vaccination certificates are not required for people unless coming from or passing through a designated "contaminated" area. Some border areas of Thailand are malarial and appropriate precautions should be taken if visiting there. Bangkok, major cities, and resorts have excellent medical facilities and most hotels have doctors on 24-hour call. Thailand has a total of 455 private hospitals—121 in Bangkok, 165 in the Central region and East Coast, 62 in the North, 57 in the Northeast, and 50 in the South. Visitors can be assured of round-the-clock international standard medical services.

The electric current is 220-volt AC (50 cycles) throughout the country. Many different types of plugs and sockets are in use. Travelers with electric shavers, hair dryers, tape recorders, and other appliances should carry a plug adapter kit. The better hotels will make available 110-volt transformers.

The Thai unit of currency is the Baht. Credit cards are widely used at hotels, tourist shops, all provincial banks, shopping centers, and money changers. There are ATMs everywhere. For spending small amounts, you are recommended to change to Thai Baht, since only Thai Baht is accepted for taxis and small shops.

Most commercial concerns in Bangkok operate on a five-day week, usually from 8 am to 5 pm. Many stores open seven days a week from 10 am to 10 pm. Government offices are generally open between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm with a noon to 1 pm lunch break, Monday to Friday except on public holidays. Banks are open Mondays to Fridays from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, except on public holidays.

Thailand’s museums cover every possible subject – the country’s monarchs, hill tribes, etc. There is even a forensic museum in Bangkok housing corpses of infamous murderers! Of course serious history and culture buffs will want to visit Bangkok’s National Museum, but it’s worth noting that almost every province has a National Museum covering important aspects of that area’s past. Thailand has an abundance of museums for you to discover.

Broadband Internet is readily available in major cities and towns, but is still to be sought after in smaller villages and in the countryside.

The telephone system in Thailand, operated by the government-subsidized Telephone Organization of Thailand (TOT) under the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) is quite efficient, and from Bangkok you can usually direct-dial most major centers with little difficulty. The telephone country code for Thailand is 66. If your phone is not locked, you can buy a SIM for 100 baht and then buy phone cards as you need. If your phone is locked, you can easily buy a second-hand cellphone or a cheap cell phone in any major city and then buy a SIM.