andamandiscoveries.com. As well as community-based tourism programmes, this organization offers the chance to volunteer in rural schools, an orphanage, a Burmese learning centre or a special education centre.Charities and volunteer projects
Reassured by the plethora of well-stocked shopping plazas, efficient services and apparent abundance in the rice fields, it is easy to forget that life is extremely hard for many people in Thailand. Countless charities work with Thailand’s many poor and disadvantaged communities: listed below are a few that would welcome help in some way from visitors. Longer-term placements, volunteer jobs on charitable wildlife projects and organized holidays that feature community-based programmes are also available.
Andaman Discoveries Khuraburi andamandiscoveries.com. As well as community-based tourism programmes, this organization offers the chance to volunteer in rural schools, an orphanage, a Burmese learning centre or a special education centre.
Baan Unrak, Home of Joy Sangkhlaburi baanunrak.org. Works with ethnic-minority refugee women and children from Myanmar. Volunteers and donations welcome.
Foundation to Encourage the Potential of Disabled Persons Chiang Mai assistdisabled.org. This foundation provides, among other things, free wheelchairs and home visits for disabled people. Donations and sponsorships for wheelchairs are sought.
Children’s World Academy Kapong, near Khao Lak yaowawit.com. Set in quiet countryside on the Takua Pa–Phang Nga road, Yaowawit School was set up for tsunami orphans and socially disadvantaged children. It accepts donations, sponsorships, volunteer teachers and guests who wish to stay at its lodge, a hospitality training centre.
Hill Area and Community Development Foundation Chiang Rai naturalfocus-cbt.com. Aiming to help hill tribes in dealing with problems such as environmental management, HIV/AIDS, child and drug abuse, the foundation has set up a community-based tourism company, Natural Focus, to offer mountain-life tours and volunteer opportunities.
Human Development Foundation Mercy Centre Klong Toey, Bangkok mercycentre.org. Founded in 1973, Father Joe Maier’s organization provides education and support for Bangkok’s street kids and slum-dwellers. It now runs two dozen kindergartens in the slums, as well as one in Ranong for sea-gypsy children, among many other projects. Contact the centre for information about donations, sponsoring and volunteering. Father Joe’s books, Welcome to the Bangkok Slaughterhouse and The Open Gate of Mercy, give eye-opening insights into this often invisible side of Thai life.
Koh Yao Children’s Community Center Ko Yao Noi koyao-ccc.com. Aims to improve the English-language and lifelong learning skills of islanders on Ko Yao Noi. Visitors, volunteers and donations welcome.
Addresses in Thailand
Thai addresses can be immensely confusing, mainly because property is often numbered twice, first to show which real-estate lot it stands in, and then to distinguish where it is on that lot. Thus 154/7–10 Thanon Rajdamnoen means the building is on lot 154 and occupies numbers 7–10. However, neither of these numbers will necessarily help you to find a particular building on a long street; when asking for directions or talking to taxi drivers, it’s best to be able to quote a nearby temple, big hotel or other landmark. There’s an additional idiosyncrasy in the way Thai roads are sometimes named: in large cities a minor road running off a major road is often numbered as a soi (“lane” or “alley”, though it may be a sizeable thoroughfare), rather than given its own street name. Thanon Sukhumvit for example – Bangkok’s longest – has minor roads numbered Soi 1 to Soi 103, with odd numbers on one side of the road and even on the other; so a Thanon Sukhumvit address could read something like 27/9–11 Soi 15, Thanon Sukhumvit, which would mean the property occupies numbers 9–11 on lot 27 on minor road number 15 running off Thanon Sukhumvit.
Mae Tao Clinic Mae Sot maetaoclinic.org. Award-winning health centre providing free care to Burmese refugees. Donations and long-term volunteer health-workers welcome.
The Mirror Foundation Chiang Rai and Bangkok themirrorfoundation.org. NGO working with the hill tribes in Chiang Rai province to help combat such issues as drug abuse, lack of citizenship and trafficking of women and children, with a branch in Bangkok dealing with urban problems. It offers a guesthouse, trekking and homestays in Chiang Rai; volunteers and donations sought.
The Students’ Education Trust (SET) thaistudentcharity.org. High-school and further education in Thailand is a luxury that the poorest kids cannot afford so many are sent to live in temples instead. The SET helps such kids pursue their education and escape from the poverty trap. Some of their stories are told in Little Angels: The Real-Life Stories of Twelve Thai Novice Monks. SET welcomes donations.
Thai Child Development Foundation Pha To thaichilddevelopment.org. This small Thai-Dutch-run village project near Ranong helps educate and look after needy local children. The foundation welcomes donations, takes on volunteers, and has an ecotourism arm.
Tour de Thailand tourdethailand.com. Join a long-distance cycle tour through one of Thailand’s five regions and raise money for Hua Hin Rotary Club’s local projects and End Polio Now.
There are three main seasons in most of Thailand: rainy, caused by the southwest monsoon (the least predictable, but roughly May–Oct); cool (Nov–Feb; felt most distinctly in the far north, but hardly at all in the south); and hot (March–May). The Gulf coast’s climate is slightly different: it suffers less from the southwest monsoon, but is then hit by the northeast monsoon, making November its rainiest month.
Thailand can be a very cheap place to travel. At the bottom of the scale, you can manage on a budget of about B650 (£15/US$20) per day if you’re willing to opt for basic accommodation, eat, drink and travel as the locals do, and stay away from the more expensive resorts like Phuket, Ko Samui and Ko Phi Phi – and you’d have to work hard to stick to this daily allowance in Bangkok. On this budget, you’ll be spending around B200–250 for a dorm or shared room (more for a single room), around B200 on three meals (eating mainly at night markets and simple noodle shops, and eschewing beer), and the rest on travel (sticking to the cheaper buses and third-class trains where possible) and incidentals. With extras like air conditioning in rooms, taking the various forms of taxi rather than buses or shared songthaews for cross-town journeys, and a meal and beer in a more touristy restaurant, a day’s outlay would be at least B1000 (£23/US$32). Staying in well-equipped, mid-range hotels and eating in more upmarket restaurants, you should be able to live comfortably for around B2000 a day (£46/US$64).
Travellers soon get so used to the low cost of living in Thailand that they start bargaining at every available opportunity, much as Thai people do. Although it’s expected practice for a lot of commercial transactions, particularly at markets and when hiring tuk-tuks and unmetered taxis (though not in supermarkets or department stores), bargaining is a delicate art that requires humour, tact and patience. If your price is way out of line, the vendor’s vehement refusal should be enough to make you increase your offer: never forget that the few pennies or cents you’re making such a fuss over will go a lot further in a Thai person’s hands than in your own.
It’s rare that foreigners can bargain a price down as low as a Thai could, anyway, while two-tier pricing has been made official at government-run sights, as a kind of informal tourist tax: at national parks, for example, foreigners pay up to B500 entry while Thais pay just B20–100. A number of privately owned tourist attractions follow a similar two-tier system, posting an inflated price in English for foreigners and a lower price in Thai for locals.
Shoppers who are departing via an international airport can save some money by claiming a Value Added Tax refund (vrtweb.rd.go.th/index.php/en), though it’s a bit of a palaver for seven percent (the current rate of VAT, though this may increase to ten percent). The total amount of your purchases from participating shops needs to be at least B2000 per person. You’ll need to show your passport and fill in an application form (to which original tax invoices need to be attached) at the shop. At the relevant airport, you’ll need to show your form and purchases to customs officers before checking in, then make your claim from VAT refund officers – from which fees of at least B60 are deducted.
As long as you keep your wits about you, you shouldn’t encounter much trouble in Thailand. Pickpocketing and bag-snatching are two of the main problems – not surprising considering that a huge percentage of the local population scrape by on under US$10 per day – but the most common cause for concern is the number of con-artists who dupe gullible tourists into parting with their cash. There are various Thai laws that tourists need to be aware of, particularly regarding passports, the age of consent and smoking in public.
To prevent theft, most travellers prefer to carry their valuables with them at all times, but it’s often possible to use a safe in a hotel or a locker in a guesthouse – the safest are those that require your own padlock, as there are occasional reports of valuables being stolen by guesthouse staff. Padlock your luggage when leaving it in storage or taking it on public transport. Padlocks also come in handy as extra security on your room, particularly on the doors of beachfront bamboo huts.
Theft from some long-distance buses is also a problem, with the majority of reported incidents taking place on the temptingly cheap overnight buses run by private companies direct from Bangkok’s Thanon Khao San (as opposed to those that depart from the government bus stations) to destinations such as Chiang Mai and southern beach resorts. The best solution is to go direct from the bus stations.
On any bus, private or government, and on any train journey, never keep anything of value in luggage that is stored out of your sight and be wary of accepting food and drink from fellow passengers as it may be drugged. This might sound paranoid, but there have been enough drug-muggings for TAT to publish a specific warning about the problem. Drinks can also be spiked in bars and clubs; at full moon parties on Ko Pha Ngan this has led to sexual assaults against farang women, while prostitutes sometimes spike drinks so they can steal from their victim’s room.
Violent crime against tourists is not common, but it does occur, and there have been several serious attacks on travellers in recent years, notably on Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Tao. However, bearing in mind that thirty million foreigners visit Thailand every year, the statistical likelihood of becoming a victim is extremely small. Obvious precautions for travellers of either sex include locking accessible windows and doors – preferably with your own padlock (doors in many of the simpler guesthouses and beach bungalows are designed for this) – and taking care at night, especially around bars. You should not risk jumping into an unlicensed taxi at the airport in Bangkok at any time of day: there have been some very violent robberies in these, so take the well-marked licensed, metered taxis instead.
Among hazards to watch out for in the natural world, riptides claim a number of tourist lives every year, particularly off Phuket, Ko Chang (Trat), Hua Hin, Cha-am, Rayong, Pattaya and the Ko Samui archipelago during stormy periods of the monsoon season, so always pay attention to warning signs and red flags, and always ask locally if unsure. Jellyfish can be a problem on any coast, especially just after a storm.
Unfortunately, it is also necessary for female tourists to think twice about spending time alone with a monk, as not all men of the cloth uphold the Buddhist precepts and there have been rapes and murders committed by men wearing the saffron robes of the monkhood.
Though unpalatable and distressing, Thailand’s high-profile sex industry is relatively unthreatening for Western women, with its energy focused exclusively on farang men; it’s also quite easily avoided, being contained within certain pockets of the cities and beach resorts.
As for harassment from men, it’s hard to generalize, but most Western women find it less of a problem in Thailand than they do back home. Outside the main tourist spots, you’re more likely to be of interest as a foreigner rather than a woman and, if travelling alone, as an object of concern rather than of sexual aggression.
It’s advisable to travel with a guide if you’re going off the roads in a few border areas or, at the very least, to take advice before setting off. As these regions are generally covered in dense unmapped jungle, you shouldn’t find yourself alone in the area anyway. In the immediate vicinity of the Burmese border, fighting on the other side of the frontier very occasionally spills over and there are rare clashes between Thai security forces and illegal traffickers. Certain areas of the border between Cambodia and southern Isaan are littered with unexploded mines, and there have been recent clashes between the Thai and Cambodian armies over the disputed line of the border, especially at Khao Phra Viharn (Preah Vihear).
Because of the violence in the deep south, all Western governments are currently advising against travel to or through the border provinces of Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, unless essential. For up-to-the-minute advice on current political trouble-spots, consult your government’s travel advisory.
Despite the best efforts of guidebook writers, TAT and the Thai tourist police, countless travellers to Thailand get scammed every year. Nearly all scams are easily avoided if you’re on your guard against anyone who makes an unnatural effort to befriend you. We have outlined the main scams in the relevant sections of this guide, but con-artists are nothing if not creative, so if in doubt walk away at the earliest opportunity. The worst areas for scammers are the busy tourist centres, including many parts of Bangkok and the main beach resorts.
Many tuk-tuk drivers earn most of their living through securing commissions from tourist-oriented shops; this is especially true in Bangkok, where they will do their damnedest to get you to go to a gem shop. The most common tactic is for drivers to pretend that the Grand Palace or other major sight you intended to visit is closed for the day, and to then offer to take you on a round-city tour instead, perhaps even for free. The tour will invariably include a visit to a gem shop. The easiest way to avoid all this is to take a metered taxi; if you’re fixed on taking a tuk-tuk, ignore any tuk-tuk that is parked up or loitering and be firm about where you want to go.
Reporting a crime or emergency
In the event of a crime, contact the English-speaking tourist police who maintain a 24-hour toll-free nationwide line (
1155) and have offices in the main tourist centres; getting in touch with the tourist police first is invariably more efficient than directly contacting the local police. The tourist police’s job is to offer advice and tell you what to do next, but they do not file crime reports, which must be done at the nearest police station. In a medical emergency, call either the tourist police or the nationwide ambulance hotline (1669), which is likely to be quicker than calling an individual hospital for an ambulance.
Governmental travel advisories
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs smartraveller.gov.au.
British Foreign & Commonwealth Office gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs travel.gc.ca.
Irish Department of Foreign Affairs dfa.ie/travel.
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs safetravel.govt.nz.
South African Department of Foreign Affairs dirco.gov.za.
US State Department travel.state.gov.
Self-styled tourist guides, touts and anyone else who might introduce themselves as students or business people and offer to take you somewhere of interest, or invite you to meet their family, are often the first piece of bait in a well-honed chain of con-artists. If you bite, chances are you’ll end up either at a gem shop or in a gambling den, or, at best, at a tour operator or hotel that you had not planned to patronize. This is not to say that you should never accept an invitation from a local person, but be extremely wary of doing so following a street encounter in Bangkok or the resorts. Tourist guides’ ID cards are easily faked.
For many of these characters, the goal is to get you inside a dodgy gem shop, nearly all of which are located in Bangkok, but the bottom line is that if you are not experienced at buying and trading in valuable gems you will definitely be ripped off, possibly even to the tune of several thousand dollars.
A less common but potentially more frightening scam involves a similar cast of warm-up artists leading tourists into a gambling game. The scammers invite their victim home on an innocent-sounding pretext, get out a pack of cards, and then set about fleecing the incomer in any number of subtle or unsubtle ways. Often this can be especially scary as the venue is likely to be far from hotels or recognizable landmarks, and there have been stories of visitors being forced to withdraw large amounts of money from ATMs. You’re unlikely to get any sympathy from police, as gambling is illegal in Thailand.
An increasing number of travel agents in tourist centres all over the country are trying to pass themselves off as official government tourist information offices, displaying nothing but “Tourist Information” on their shop signs or calling themselves names like “TAD” (note that the actual TAT, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, does not book hotels or sell any kind of travel ticket). Fakers like this are more likely to sell you tickets for services that turn out to be sub-standard or even not to exist. A word of warning also about jet skis: operators, who usually ask for a passport as guarantee, will often try to charge renters exorbitant amounts of money for any minor damage they claim to find on return.
Age restrictions and other laws
Thai law requires that tourists carry their original passports at all times, though sometimes it’s more practical to carry a photocopy and keep the original locked in a safety deposit. The age of consent is 15, but the law allows anyone under the age of 18, or their parents, to file charges in retrospect even if they consented to sex at the time. It is against the law to have sex with a prostitute who is under 18. It is illegal for under-18s to buy cigarettes or to drive and you must be 20 or over to buy alcohol or be allowed into a bar or club (ID checks are sometimes enforced in Bangkok). It is illegal for anyone to gamble in Thailand (though many do).
Smoking in public is widely prohibited. The ban covers all public buildings (including restaurants, bars and clubs) and trains, buses, planes and popular beaches and can even be extended to parks and the street; violators may be subject to a B2000–5000 fine. Possession of e-cigarettes is currently illegal, and several foreign nationals have been arrested. Dropping cigarette butts, littering and spitting in public places can also earn you a B2000–5000 fine. There are fines for overstaying your visa, working without a permit, not wearing a motorcycle helmet and violating other traffic laws.
Drug-smuggling carries a maximum penalty in Thailand of death, and dealing drugs will get you anything from four years to life in a Thai prison; penalties depend on the drug and the amount involved. Travellers caught with even the smallest amount of drugs at airports and international borders are prosecuted for trafficking, and no one charged with trafficking offences gets bail. Heroin, amphetamines, LSD and ecstasy are classed as Category 1 drugs and carry the most severe penalties: even possession of Category 1 drugs for personal use can result in a life sentence. Away from international borders, most foreigners arrested in possession of small amounts of cannabis are released on bail, then fined and deported, but the law is complex and prison sentences are possible.
Despite occasional royal pardons, don’t expect special treatment as a farang: you only need to read one of the first-hand accounts by foreign former prisoners or read the blogs at thaiprisonlife.com to get the picture. The police actively look for tourists doing drugs, reportedly searching people regularly and randomly on Thanon Khao San, for example. They have the power to order a urine test if they have reasonable grounds for suspicion, and even a positive result for marijuana consumption could lead to a year’s imprisonment. Be wary also of being shopped by a farang or local dealer keen to earn a financial reward for a successful bust (there are setups at the Ko Pha Ngan full moon parties, for example), or having substances slipped into your luggage (simple enough to perpetrate unless all fastenings are secured with padlocks).
If you are arrested, ask for your embassy to be contacted immediately, which is your right under Thai law, and embassy staff will talk you through procedures; the website of the British government even includes a Prisoner Pack for Thailand (gov.uk/government/publications/thailand-prisoner-pack). The British charity Prisoners Abroad (prisonersabroad.org.uk) carries lots of useful information on its website, and may be able to offer direct support to a British citizen (and their family) facing imprisonment in a Thai jail.
The duty-free allowance on entry to Thailand is 200 cigarettes (or 250g of tobacco or cigars) and a litre of spirits or wine (see en.customs.go.th for more information).
To export antiques or newly cast Buddha images from Thailand, you need to have a licence granted by the Fine Arts Department (the export of religious antiques, especially Buddha images, is forbidden). Licences can be obtained for example through the Office of Archeology and National Museums, 81/1 Thanon Si Ayutthaya (near the National Library), Bangkok (02 628 5032), or through the national museum in Chiang Mai. Applications take at least three working days in Bangkok, generally more in the provinces, and need to be accompanied by the object itself, some evidence of its rightful possession, two postcard-sized colour photos of it, taken face-on and against a white background, and photocopies of the applicant’s passport; furthermore, if the object is a Buddha image, the passport photocopies need to be certified by your embassy in Bangkok. Some antiques shops can organize all this for you.
Mains electricity is supplied at 220 volts AC and is available at all but the most remote villages and basic beach huts. Where electricity is supplied by generators and/or solar power, for example on the smaller, less populated islands, it is often rationed to evenings only. If you’re packing phone and camera chargers, a hair dryer, laptop or other appliance, you’ll need to take a set of travel-plug adapters with you as several plug types are commonly in use, most usually with two round pins, but also with two flat-blade pins or three round pins.
There are three main entry categories for visitors to Thailand; for all of them, your passport should be valid for at least six months. As visa requirements are subject to frequent change, you should always consult before departure a Thai embassy or consulate, a reliable travel agent, or the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website at mfa.go.th. For further, unofficial but usually reliable, details on all visa matters – especially as the rules are not consistently enforced across all Thai border checkpoints and immigration offices – go to the moderated forums on thaivisa.com.
Most Western passport holders (that includes citizens of the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) are allowed to enter the country for thirty days without having to apply for a visa – officially termed the tourist visa exemption (not to be confused with “visas on arrival”, another category of entry that’s not available to citizens of the countries listed above); the period of stay will be stamped into your passport by immigration officials upon entry. You’re supposed to be able to show proof of means of living while in the country (B10,000 per person, B20,000 per family), and you are also required to show proof of tickets to leave Thailand again within the allotted time, and in theory you may be put back on the next plane or sent back to get a sixty-day tourist visa from the nearest Thai embassy. However, the Thai immigration authorities do not appear to be consistent about checking these requirements (it seems to be more likely at land borders, especially Aranyaprathet). However, if you have a one-way air ticket to Thailand and no evidence of onward travel arrangements, it’s best to buy a tourist visa in advance: many airlines will stop you boarding the plane without one, as they would be liable for flying you back to your point of origin if you did happen to be stopped.
If you’re fairly certain you may want to stay longer than thirty days, then from the outset you should apply for a sixty-day tourist visa from a Thai embassy or consulate, accompanying your application – which generally takes several days to process – with your passport and one or two photos. The sixty-day visa currently costs B1000 or rough equivalent; multiple-entry versions are available, with more stringent requirements. Ordinary tourist visas are valid for three months; ie you must enter Thailand within three months of the visa being issued by the Thai embassy or consulate. Visa application forms can be downloaded from, for example, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website.
Thai embassies also consider applications for ninety-day non-immigrant visas (B2000 or rough equivalent for single entry, B5000 for multiple-entry) as long as you can offer a reason for your visit, such as study, business or visiting family (there are different categories of non-immigrant visa for which different levels of proof are needed). As it can be a hassle to organize a ninety-day visa, it’s generally easier to apply for a thirty-day extension to your sixty-day visa once inside Thai borders.
It’s not a good idea to overstay your visa limits. Once you’re at the airport or the border, you’ll have to pay a fine of B500 per day before you can leave Thailand. More importantly, however, if you’re in the country with an expired visa and you get involved with police or immigration officials for any reason, however trivial, they are obliged to take you to court, possibly imprison you, and deport you.
Extensions, border runs and re-entry permits
Tourist visa exemptions, as well as sixty-day tourist visas, can be extended within Thailand for a further thirty days, at the discretion of immigration officials; extensions cost B1900 and are issued over the counter at immigration offices (kaan khao muang or taw maw; 1178 for information, immigration.go.th) in nearly every provincial capital. You’ll need to bring one or two photos, one or two photocopies of the main pages of your passport including your Thai departure card, arrival stamp and visa; you may be asked for proof of tickets to leave Thailand again within the proposed time and evidence of where you’re staying, and it’s possible that you’ll be asked for proof of means of living while in Thailand. Many Khao San tour agents offer to get your visa extension for you, but beware: some are reportedly faking the stamps, which could get you into serious trouble. The Thai immigration authorities have recently clamped down on foreigners who stay in Thailand long-term by doing back-to-back border runs for tourist visa exemptions; however, it’s still possible for ordinary travellers to get one new thirty-day tourist visa exemption by hopping across the border into a neighbouring country and back (the limit seems to be two tourist visa exemptions using a land border within a year). Immigration offices also issue re-entry permits (B1000 single re-entry, B3800 multiple) if you want to leave the country and come back again while maintaining the validity of your existing visa.
THAI EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES ABROAD
For a full listing of Thai diplomatic missions abroad, consult the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website at mfa.go.th/web/2712.php; its other site, thaiembassy.org, has links to the websites of most of the offices below.
Australia 111 Empire Circuit, Yarralumla, Canberra ACT 2600 02 6206 0100; plus consulate at 131 Macquarrie St, Sydney, NSW 2000 02 9241 2542–3.
Cambodia 196 Preah Norodom Blvd, Sangkat Tonle Bassac, Khan Chamcar Mon, Phnom Penh 023 726306–8.
Canada 180 Island Park Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1Y 0A2 613 722 4444; plus consulate at 1040 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2R9 604 687 1143.
Laos Vientiane: embassy at Avenue Kaysone Phomvihane, Saysettha District 021 214581–2, consular section at Unit 15 Bourichane Rd, Ban Phone Si Nuan, Muang Si Sattanak 021 453916; plus consulate at Khanthabouly District, Savannakhet Province, PO Box 513 041 212373.
Malaysia 206 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur 03 2148 8222; plus consulates at 4426 Jalan Pengkalan Chepa, 15400 Kota Bharu 09 748 2545; and 1 Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, 10350 Penang 04 226 9484.
Myanmar 94 Pyay Rd, Dagon Township, Rangoon 01 226721.
New Zealand 110 Molesworth St, Thorndon, Wellington 04 476 8616.
Singapore 370 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238870 6737 2158.
South Africa 248 Pretorius/Hill St, Arcadia, Pretoria 0083 012 342 5470.
UK and Ireland 29–30 Queens Gate, London SW7 5JB 020 7589 2944. In Ireland, visa applications by post can be sent to the consulate in Dublin (thaiconsulateireland.com).
US 1024 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20007 202 944 3600; plus consulates at 700 North Rush St, Chicago, IL 60611 312 664 3129; 611 North Larchmont Blvd, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90004 323 962 9574; and 351 E 52nd St, New York, NY 10022 212 754 1770.
Vietnam 26 Phan Boi Chau St, Hanoi 04 3823 5092–4; plus consulate at 77 Tran Quoc Thao St, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City 08 3932 7637–8.
Although Thailand’s climate, wildlife and cuisine present Western travellers with fewer health worries than in many Asian destinations, it’s as well to know in advance what the risks might be, and what preventive or curative measures you should take.
For a start, there’s no need to bring huge supplies of non-prescription medicines with you, as Thai pharmacies (raan khai yaa; typically open daily 8.30am–8pm) are well stocked with local and inter-national branded medicaments, and they are generally much less expensive than at home. Nearly all pharmacies are run by trained English-speaking pharmacists, who are usually the best people to talk to if your symptoms aren’t acute enough to warrant seeing a doctor. The British pharmacy chain, Boots, now has branches in many big cities (see th.boots.com for locations). These are the best place to stock up on some Western products such as tampons (which Thai women do not use).
Hospital (rong phayabaan) cleanliness and efficiency vary, but generally hygiene and healthcare standards are good and the ratio of medical staff to patients is considerably higher than in most parts of the West. As with head pharmacists, doctors speak English. Several Bangkok hospitals are highly regarded, and all provincial capitals have at least one hospital: if you need to get to one, ask at your accommodation for advice on, and possibly transport to, the nearest or most suitable. For emergency numbers in Thailand. In the event of a major health crisis, get someone to contact your embassy and insurance company – it may be best to get yourself transported to Bangkok or even home.
There are no compulsory inoculation requirements for people travelling to Thailand from the West, but you should consult a doctor or other health professional, preferably at least four weeks in advance of your trip, for the latest information on recommended immunizations. In addition to making sure that your recommended immunizations for life in your home country are up to date, most doctors strongly advise vaccinations or boosters against tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis A and, in many cases, typhoid, and in some cases they might also recommend protecting yourself against Japanese encephalitis, rabies and hepatitis B. There is currently no vaccine against malaria. If you forget to have all your inoculations before leaving home, or don’t leave yourself sufficient time, you can get them in Bangkok at, for example, the Thai Red Cross Society’s Queen Saovabha Institute or Global Doctor.
Mosquitoes in Thailand can spread not only malaria, but also diseases such as dengue fever and the very similar chikungunya fever, especially during the rainy season. There is also a risk of Zika virus transmission, a mild infection which may be more serious to pregnant women as it can cause birth defects. The main message, therefore, is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. You should smother yourself and your clothes in mosquito repellent containing the chemical compound DEET, reapplying regularly (shops, guesthouses and department stores all over Thailand stock it, but if you want the highest-strength repellent, or convenient roll-ons or sprays, do your shopping before you leave home, or at a branch of Boots in Thailand). DEET is strong stuff, and if you have sensitive skin, a natural alternative is citronella (available in the UK as Mosi-guard), made from a blend of eucalyptus oils; the Thai version is made with lemon grass.
At night you should sleep either under a mosquito net sprayed with DEET or in a bedroom with mosquito screens across the windows (or in an enclosed a/c room). Accommodation in tourist spots nearly always provides screens or a net (check both for holes), but if you’re planning to go way off the beaten track or want the security of having your own mosquito net just in case, wait until you get to Bangkok to buy one, where department stores sell them for much less than you’d pay in the West. Plug-in insecticide vaporizers, insect room sprays and mosquito coils – also widely available in Thailand – help keep the insects at bay; electronic “buzzers” are useless. If you are bitten, applying locally made yellow oil is effective at reducing the itch.
Thailand is malarial, with the disease being carried by mosquitoes that bite from dusk to dawn, but the risks involved vary across the country.
There is a significant risk of malaria, mainly in rural and forested areas, in a narrow strip along the borders with Cambodia (excluding Ko Chang), Laos and Myanmar (the highest-risk area, including the countryside around Mae Hong Son, but excluding, for example, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Kanchanaburi towns, and resorts and road and rail routes along the Gulf coast). Discuss with your travel health adviser which anti-malarial drugs are currently likely to be effective in these areas, as prophylaxis advice can change from year to year.
Elsewhere in Thailand the risk of malaria is consi-dered to be so low that anti-malarial tablets are not advised.
The signs of malaria are often similar to flu, but are very variable. The incubation period for malignant malaria, which can be fatal, is usually 7–28 days, but it can take up to a year for symptoms of the benign form to occur. The most important symptom is a raised temperature of at least 38°C beginning a week or more after the first potential exposure to malaria: if you suspect anything, go to a hospital or clinic immediately.
Dengue fever, a debilitating and occasionally fatal viral disease that is particularly prevalent during and just after the rainy season, is on the increase throughout tropical Asia, and is endemic to many areas of Thailand, with around 200,000 reported cases a year. Unlike malaria, dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes that can bite during daylight hours, so you should also use mosquito repellent during the day. Symptoms may include fever, headaches, fierce joint and muscle pain (“breakbone fever” is another name for dengue), and possibly a rash, and usually develop between five and eight days after being bitten.
If you think you may have contracted the disease, you should see a doctor: the treatment is lots of rest, liquids and paracetamol (or any other acetaminophen painkiller, not aspirin or ibuprofen), and more serious cases may require hospitalization.
Rabies is widespread in Thailand, mainly carried by dogs (between four and seven percent of stray dogs in Bangkok are reported to be rabid), but also cats and monkeys. It is transmitted by bites, scratches or even occasionally licks. Dogs are everywhere in Thailand, and even if kept as pets they’re often not very well cared for; hopefully their mangy appearance will discourage the urge to pat them, as you should steer well clear of them. Rabies is invariably fatal if the patient waits until symptoms begin, though modern vaccines and treatments are very effective and deaths are rare. The important thing is, if you are bitten, licked or scratched by an animal, to vigorously clean the wound with soap and disinfect it, preferably with something containing iodine, and to seek medical advice regarding treatment right away.
Thailand’s seas are home to a few dangerous creatures that you should look out for, notably jellyfish, which tend to be washed towards the beach by rough seas during the monsoon season but can appear at any time of year. All manner of stinging and non-stinging jellyfish can be found in Thailand – as a general rule, those with the longest tentacles tend to have the worst stings – but reports of serious incidents are uncommon; ask around at your resort or at a local dive shop to see if there have been any sightings of venomous varieties. You also need to be wary of venomous sea snakes, sea urchins and a couple of less conspicuous species – stingrays, which often lie buried in the sand, and stonefish, whose potentially lethal venomous spikes are easily stepped on because the fish look like stones and lie motionless on the sea bed.
If stung or bitten, you should always seek medical advice as soon as possible, but there are a few ways of alleviating the pain or administering your own first aid in the meantime. If you’re stung by a jellyfish, wash the affected area with salt water (not fresh water) and, if possible, with vinegar (failing that, ammonia, citrus fruit juice or even urine may do the trick), and try to remove the fragments of tentacles from the skin with a gloved hand, forceps, thick cloth or credit card. The best way to minimize the risk of stepping on the toxic spines of sea urchins, stingrays and stonefish is to wear thick-soled shoes, though these cannot provide total protection; sea urchin spikes should be removed after softening the skin with ointment, though some people recommend applying urine to help dissolve the spines; for stingray and stonefish stings, alleviate the pain by immersing the wound in hot water while awaiting help.
In the case of a venomous snake bite, don’t try sucking out the venom or applying a tourniquet: wrap up and immobilize the bitten limb and try to stay still and calm until medical help arrives; all provincial hospitals in Thailand carry supplies of antivenins.
Some of Thailand’s beaches are plagued by sandflies, tiny, barely visible midges whose bites can trigger an allergic response, leaving big red weals and an unbearable itch, and possible infection if scratched too vigorously. Many islanders say that slathering yourself in (widely available) coconut oil is the best deterrent as sandflies apparently don’t like the smell. Applying locally made camphor-based yellow oil quells the itch, but you may need to resort to antihistamines for the inflammation. Leeches aren’t dangerous but can be a bother when walking in forested areas, especially during and just after the rainy season. The most effective way to get leeches off your skin is to burn them with a lighted cigarette, or douse them in salt; oily suntan lotion or insect repellent sometimes makes them lose their grip and fall off.
Worms can be picked up through the soles of your feet, so avoid going barefoot. They can also be ingested by eating undercooked meat, and liver flukes by eating raw or undercooked freshwater fish. Worms which cause schistosomiasis (bilhar-ziasis) by attaching themselves to your bladder or intestines can be found in freshwater rivers and lakes. The risk of contracting this disease is low, but you should avoid swimming in the southern reaches of the Mekong River and in most fresh-water lakes.
By far the most common travellers’ complaint in Thailand, digestive troubles are often caused by contaminated food and water, or sometimes just by an overdose of unfamiliar foodstuffs.
Stomach trouble usually manifests itself as simple diarrhoea, which should clear up without medical treatment within three to seven days and is best combated by drinking lots of fluids. If this doesn’t work, you’re in danger of getting dehydrated and should take some kind of rehydration solution, either a commercial sachet of ORS (oral rehydration solution), sold in all Thai pharmacies, or a do-it-yourself version, which can be made by adding a handful of sugar and a pinch of salt to every litre of boiled or bottled water (soft drinks are not a viable alternative). If you can eat, avoid fatty foods.
Anti-diarrhoeal agents such as Imodium are useful for blocking you up on long bus journeys, but only attack the symptoms and may prolong infections; an antibiotic such as ciprofloxacin, however, can often reduce a typical attack of traveller’s diarrhoea to one day. If the diarrhoea persists for a week or more, or if you have blood or mucus in your stools, or an accompanying fever, go to a doctor or hospital.
HIV infection is widespread in Thailand, primarily because of the sex trade. Condoms (meechai) are sold in pharmacies, convenience stores, department stores, hairdressers and even street markets. Due to rigorous screening methods, Thailand’s medical blood supply is now considered safe from HIV/AIDS infection.
MEDICAL RESOURCES
Canadian Society for International Health 613 241 5785, csih.org. Extensive list of travel health centres.
CDC 800 232 4636, cdc.gov/travel. Official US government travel health site.
Hospital for Tropical Diseases Travel Clinic UK thehtd.org/travelclinic.aspx.
International Society for Travel Medicine US 404 373 8282, istm.org. Has a full list of travel health clinics.
MASTA (Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad) UK masta-travel-health.com.
The Travel Doctor traveldoctor.com.au. Lists travel clinics in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Tropical Medical Bureau Ireland 01 271 5200, tmb.ie.
Most visitors to Thailand will need to take out specialist travel insurance, though you should check exactly what’s covered. Insurers will generally not cover travel in Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces in the deep south, as Western governments are currently advising against going to these areas unless it’s essential. Policies generally also exclude so-called dangerous sports unless an extra premium is paid: in Thailand this can mean such things as scuba diving, white-water rafting and trekking, sometimes even riding a motorbike.
Internet access is now almost ubiquitous in Thailand. The country is covered by 3G networks and wi-fi is available free in nearly all guesthouses, bungalow resorts and hotels; in cheaper places, the signal may not stretch to all bedrooms. Loads of cafés, restaurants, bars and other locations across the country, especially in big towns and tourist resorts, also provide wi-fi free of charge. Given all this, internet cafés are inexorably disappearing. If you’re travelling without a mobile device, ask at your accommodation for advice or keep an eye out for online games centres, favourite after-school haunts that are easily spotted from the piles of orange schoolboy pumps outside the door.
Guesthouses and cheap hotels all over the country offer low-cost, same- or next-day laundry services, though in luxury hotels it’ll cost an arm and a leg. In some places you pay per item, in others you’re charged by the kilo (generally around B30–50/kg); ironing is often included in the price.
Rough Guides travel insurance
Rough Guides has teamed up with WorldNomads.com to offer great travel insurance deals. Policies are available to residents of over 150 countries, with cover for a wide range of adventure sports, 24hr emergency assistance, high levels of medical and evacuation cover and a stream of travel safety information. Roughguides.com users can take advantage of their policies online 24/7, from anywhere in the world – even if you’re already travelling. And since plans often change when you’re on the road, you can extend your policy and even claim online. Roughguides.com users who buy travel insurance with WorldNomads.com can also leave a positive footprint and donate to a community development project. For more information, go to roughguides.com/travel-insurance.
Most major train stations have left-luggage -facilities (around B30–80 per item per day); at bus stations you can usually persuade someone official to look after your stuff for a few hours. Many guesthouses and basic hotels also offer an inexpensive and usually reliable service, while upmarket hotels should be able to look after your luggage for free. There’s also left luggage at Chiang Mai, Phuket and both Bangkok airports (B75–200/day).
Buddhist tolerance and a national abhorrence of confrontation and victimization combine to make Thai society relatively tolerant of homosexuality, if not exactly positive about same-sex relationships. Most Thais are extremely private and discreet about being gay, generally pursuing a “don’t ask, don’t tell” understanding with their family. The majority of people are horrified by the idea of gay-bashing and generally regard it as unthinkable to spurn a child or relative for being gay.
Hardly any Thai celebrities are out, yet the predilections of several respected social, political and entertainment figures are widely known and accepted. There is no mention of homosexuality at all in Thai law, which means that the age of consent for gay sex is fifteen, the same as for heterosexuals. However, this also means that gay rights are not protected under Thai law.
Although excessively physical displays of affection are frowned upon for both heterosexuals and homosexuals, Western gay couples should get no hassle about being seen together in public – it’s much more acceptable, and common, in fact, for friends of the same sex (gay or not) to walk hand-in-hand, than for heterosexual couples to do so.
Katoey (which can refer both to transgender women and to effeminate gay men, so often translated as “ladyboys”) are also a lot more visible in Thailand than in the West. You’ll find transgender women doing ordinary jobs, even in small upcountry towns, and there are a number of katoey in the public eye too – including national volleyball stars and champion muay thai boxers. The government tourist office vigorously promotes the transgender cabarets in Pattaya, Phuket and Bangkok, all of which are advertised as family entertainment. Katoey also regularly appear as characters in soap operas, TV comedies and films, where they are depicted as stereotyped but harmless figures of fun. Richard Totman’s The Third Sex offers an interesting insight into Thai katoey, their experiences in society and public attitudes towards them.
Thailand’s gay scene is mainly focused on mainstream venues like karaoke bars, restaurants, massage parlours, gyms, saunas and escort agencies. For the sake of discretion, gay venues are often intermingled with straight ones. Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya have the biggest concentrations of farang-friendly gay bars and clubs, and Chiang Mai has an established bar scene. For a detailed though slightly outdated guide to the gay and lesbian scene throughout the country, see the Utopia Guide to Thailand by John Goss.
Thai lesbians generally eschew the word lesbian, which in Thailand is associated with male fantasies, instead referring to themselves as either tom (for tomboy) or dee (for lady). There are hardly any dedicated tom-dee venues in Thailand, but we’ve listed established ones where possible; unless otherwise specified, gay means male throughout this Guide.
The farang-oriented gay sex industry is a tiny but highly visible part of Thailand’s gay scene. With its tawdry floor shows and host services, it bears a dispiriting resemblance to the straight sex trade, and is similarly most active in Bangkok, Pattaya, Patong (on Phuket) and Chiang Mai. Like their female counterparts in the heterosexual fleshpots, many of the boys working in the gay sex bars that dominate these districts are underage; note that anyone caught having sex with a prostitute below the age of 18 faces imprisonment. A significant number of gay prostitutes are gay by economic necessity rather than by inclination. As with the straight sex scene, we do not list commercial gay sex bars in the Guide.
INFORMATION AND CONTACTS FOR GAY TRAVELLERS
Bangkok Lesbian bangkoklesbian.com. Organized by foreign lesbians living in Thailand, Bangkok Lesbian posts general info and listings of the capital’s few lesbian-friendly hangouts on its website.
The Gay Passport thegaypassport.com. Regularly updated listings for the main tourist centres.
Gay People in Thailand thaivisa.com/forum/forum/27-gay-people-in-thailand. Popular forum for gay expats.
Travel Gay Asia travelgayasia.com/destination/gay-thailand. Active, frequently updated site that covers listings and events all over the country.
Utopia utopia-asia.com. Lists clubs, bars, restaurants, accommodation, tour operators, organizations and resources for gays and lesbians.
The most common source of employment in Thailand is teaching English, and Bangkok and Chiang Mai are the most fruitful places to look for jobs. You can search for openings at schools all over Thailand on ajarn.com (ajarn means “teacher”), which also features extensive general advice on teaching and living in Thailand. Another useful resource is the excellent thaivisa.com, whose scores of well-used forums focus on specific topics that range from employment in Thailand to legal issues and cultural and practical topics.
If you’re a qualified dive instructor, you might be able to get seasonal work at one of the major resorts – in Phuket, Khao Lak and Ao Nang and on Ko Chang, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta, Ko Samui and Ko Tao, for example. Guesthouse noticeboards occasionally carry adverts for more unusual jobs, such as playing extras in Thai movies. A tourist visa does not entitle you to work in Thailand, so, legally, you’ll need to apply for a work permit.
STUDY, WORK AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMES
In addition to the programmes listed below, voluntary opportunities with smaller grassroots projects and wildlife charity projects are available.
AFS Intercultural Programs Australia 1300 131736, Canada 800 361 7248, NZ 0800 600 300, South Africa 11 431 0113, US AFS INFO; afs.org. Intercultural exchange organization with programmes in over fifty countries.
Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) US 207 553 4000, ciee.org. Leading NGO that organizes paid placements for a semester or more as English teachers in schools in Thailand, for US citizens, among other programmes.
Phuket Has Been Good To Us ,phukethasbeengoodtous.org. Has voluntary and paid positions teaching and assisting on its English-language programmes and after-schools clubs at schools on Phuket, as well as welcoming donations and sponsors. The aim of this non-profit foundation is to improve kids’ standards of English so that they can get jobs in Phuket’s tourist industry.
Volunteer Teacher Thailand volunteerteacherthailand.org. Continuing the good work begun by the thousands of volunteers who came to Khao Lak to help rebuild lives and homes following the 2004 tsunami, this non-profit organization teaches English to kids in and around Khao Lak to enhance their future prospects. Teaching experience is appreciated but not essential.
Volunthai volunthai.com. Invites volunteers to teach English in rural schools mostly in northeast Thailand. The minimal fees help to cover homestay accommodation.
The most popular places to study Thai are Chiang Mai and Bangkok, where there’s plenty of choice, including private and group lessons for both tourists and expats; note, however, that some schools’ main reason for existence is to provide educational visas for long-staying foreigners. The longest-running and best-regarded courses and private lessons are provided by AUA (American University Alumni; auathailand.org), which has outlets in Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai.
For most major destinations, the maps in this book should be all you need, though you may want to supplement them with larger-scale hard-copy maps of Bangkok and the whole country. Bangkok bookshops are the best source of these; where appropriate, detailed local maps and their stockists are recommended throughout the Guide. Decent maps of the whole country include the 1:1,500,000 versions produced by Nelles and Bartholomew, and the bilingual 1:550,000 Thailand Deluxe Atlas published by thinknet (thinknet.co.th). Trekking maps are hard to come by, except in the most popular national parks where you can usually pick up a free handout showing the main trails.
Thailand’s unit of currency is the baht (abbreviated in this guide to “B”), divided into 100 satang – which are rarely seen these days. Coins come in B1 (silver), B2 (golden), B5 (silver) and B10 (mostly golden, encircled by a silver ring) denominations, notes in B20, B50, B100, B500 and B1000 denominations, inscribed with Western as well as Thai numerals, and generally increasing in size according to value.
At the time of writing, exchange rates were around B31 to US$1 and B44 to £1. A good site for current exchange rates is xe.com. Note that Thailand has no black market in foreign currency.
Banking hours are generally Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 3.30 or 4.30pm, though branches in out-of-town shopping centres and supermarkets are often open longer hours and at weekends. Streetside exchange kiosks run by the banks in the main tourist centres are always open till at least 5pm, sometimes 10pm, and upmarket hotels change money (at poor rates) 24 hours a day. The Suvarnabhumi Airport exchange counters also operate 24 hours, while exchange kiosks at overseas airports with flights to Thailand usually keep Thai currency. Note that Scottish and Northern Irish sterling notes may not be accepted in some places.
Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards are accepted at upmarket guesthouses and hotels as well as in posh restaurants, department stores, tourist shops and travel agents; American Express is less widely accepted. It’s common for smaller businesses to add on a surcharge of three percent, which amounts to the fee that Visa and Mastercard charge them for the privilege. Beware theft and forgery – try not to let the card out of your sight, and never leave cards in baggage storage. With a debit or credit card and personal identification number (PIN), you can also withdraw cash from hundreds of 24hr ATMs around the country. Almost every town now has at least one bank with an ATM outside that accepts overseas cards (all the banks marked on our maps throughout the Guide have ATMs), and there is a huge number of standalone ATMs, in shopping malls and on the streets, often outside supermarkets and post offices. However, Thai banks now make a charge of B150–200 per ATM withdrawal (on top of whatever your bank at home will be charging you); to get around this, go into a bank with your card and passport instead and ask for a cash advance, or check with your bank before you come to Thailand – some overseas banks will not pass on to customers the B150–200 levied at Thai ATMs.
Opening hours and public holidays
Most shops open long hours, usually Monday to Saturday or Sunday from about 8am to 8pm, while department stores and shopping malls operate daily from around 10am to 9pm. Private office hours are generally Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm, plus perhaps Saturday 8am to noon, though in tourist areas these hours are longer, with weekends worked like any other day. Government offices work Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm (often closing for lunch between noon and 1pm), and national museums tend to stick to these hours too, but some close on Mondays and Tuesdays rather than at weekends. Temples generally open their gates every day from dawn to dusk.
Many tourists only register national holidays because trains and buses suddenly get extra-ordinarily crowded, especially if the holiday is moved from a Saturday or a Sunday to a Monday or a Friday as a substitution day, thus creating a long weekend: although government offices shut on these days, most shops and tourist-oriented businesses carry on regardless, and TAT branches continue to hand out free maps. (Bank holidays vary slightly from the government office holidays given below: banks close on May 1 and July 1, but not for the Royal Ploughing Ceremony nor for Khao Pansa.) Some national holidays are celebrated with -theatrical festivals. The only time an inconvenient number of shops, restaurants and hotels do close is during Chinese New Year, which, though not marked as an official national holiday, brings many businesses to a standstill for several days in late January or February. You’ll notice it particularly in the south, where many service industries are Chinese-managed.
Thais use both the Western Gregorian calendar and a Buddhist calendar – the Buddha is said to have died (or entered Nirvana) in the year 543 BC, so Thai dates start from that point: thus 2019 AD becomes 2562 BE (Buddhist Era).
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
Jan 1 Western New Year’s Day.
Feb (day of full moon) Makha Puja. Commemorates the Buddha preaching to a spontaneously assembled crowd of 1250.
April 6 Chakri Day. The founding of the Chakri dynasty, the current royal family.
April (usually 13–15) Songkhran. Thai New Year.
May 5 Coronation Day.
May (early in the month) Royal Ploughing Ceremony. Marks the traditional start of the rice-planting season.
May (day of full moon) Visakha Puja. The holiest of all Buddhist holidays, which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha.
July (day of full moon) Asanha Puja. The anniversary of the Buddha’s first sermon.
July (day after Asanha Puja) Khao Pansa. The start of the annual three-month Buddhist rains retreat, when new monks are ordained.
July 28 King Vajiralongkorn’s birthday.
Aug 12 Queen Mother’s birthday and Mothers’ Day.
Oct 23 Chulalongkorn Day. The anniversary of Rama V’s death.
Dec 5 The late King Bhumibol’s birthday and Fathers’ Day. Also now celebrated as National Day (instead of Constitution Day).
Dec 10 Constitution Day.
Dec 31 Western New Year’s Eve.
Most foreign mobile-phone networks have links with Thai networks but you need to check on roaming rates, which are often exorbitant, before you leave home. To get round this, most travellers purchase a Thai pre-paid SIM card (providers include AIS, DTAC and True Move) either for their mobile phone (moe thoe), for an old phone brought from home or for a new set cheaply purchased in Thailand (which can most easily be done in a shopping centre, especially Mah Boon Krong opposite Siam Square in Bangkok –). Available for as little as B50 (sometimes free at airports) and refillable at 7-Elevens around the country, Thai SIM cards offer very cheap calls, both domestically and inter-nationally (especially if you use low-cost inter-national prefixes such as 008, 009 or DTAC’s 004, rather than the standard 001 or 007 prefixes). They also offer data packages (4G is now available in most places), very cheap texting and are, of course, free of charge for all incoming calls. A data package or wi-fi on your own mobile device will also allow you to make free or very cheap video or voice calls via Skype or a similar service.
When dialling any number in Thailand, you must now always preface it with what used to be the area code, even when dialling from the same area. Where we’ve given several line numbers – eg 02 431 1802–9 – you can substitute the last digit, 2, with any digit between 3 and 9.
Mobile-phone numbers in Thailand have ten digits, beginning “06”, “08” or “09”. Note, however, that Thais tend to change mobile-phone providers – and therefore numbers – comparatively frequently, in search of a better deal.
One final local idiosyncrasy: Thai phone books list people by their first name, not their family name.
Most towns and all resorts have at least one camera shop where you will be able to get your digital pictures downloaded from your memory card for around B150; new cards can be bought in electronic shops in shopping centres or in dedicated IT malls such as Panthip Plaza in Bangkok or Chiang Mai.
Overseas airmail usually takes around seven days from Bangkok, a little longer from the more isolated areas (it’s worth asking at the post office about its express EMS services, which can cut this down to about three days and aren’t prohibitively expensive). Post offices in Thailand (thailandpost.com) have recently been quite successfully privatized, and many now offer money-wiring facilities (in association with Western Union), parcel boxes, long-distance bus tickets, amulets, whitening cream, you name it. They’re generally open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm, Saturday 9am to noon; some close Monday to Friday noon to 1pm and may stay open until 6pm, and a few open 9am to noon on Sundays and public holidays. Almost all main post offices across the country operate a poste restante service and will hold letters for one to three months. Mail should be addressed: Name (family name underlined or capitalized), Poste Restante, GPO, Town or City, Thailand. It will be filed by surname, though it’s always wise to check under your first and middle names as well. The smaller post offices pay scant attention to who takes what, but in the busier GPOs you need to show your passport. Post offices are the best places to buy stamps, though hotels and guesthouses often sell them too.
Calling home from abroad
To make an international call, dial the international access code (in Thailand 001 and 007 are two standard prefixes; for more information), then the destination’s country code, before the rest of the number. Note that the initial zero is omitted from the area code when dialling the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand from abroad.
Australia International access code + 61
New Zealand International access code + 64
UK International access code + 44
US and Canada International access code + 1
Ireland International access code + 353
South Africa International access code + 27
Thailand is in the same time zone year-round, with no daylight savings period. It’s five hours ahead of South Africa, seven hours ahead of GMT, twelve hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time, three hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time and five hours behind New Zealand Standard Time.
It is usual to tip hotel bellboys and porters B20–40, and to round up taxi fares to the nearest B10. Most guides, drivers, masseurs and waiters also depend on tips. Some upmarket hotels and restaurants will add an automatic ten percent service charge to your bill, though this is not always shared out.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT (tourismthailand.org), maintains offices in several cities abroad and has dozens of branches within Thailand (all open daily 8.30am–4.30pm, though a few close noon–1pm). Regional offices should have up-to-date information on local festival dates and perhaps transport schedules, but service varies widely; none of them offers accommodation, tour or transport booking. You can contact the helpful TAT tourist assistance phoneline from anywhere in the country for free on 1672 (daily 8am–8pm). In Bangkok, the Bangkok Tourism Division is a better source of information on the capital. In some smaller towns that don’t qualify for a local TAT office, the information gap is filled by a municipal tourist assistance office; some of these are very helpful, but at others you may find it hard to locate a fluent English-speaker.
TAT OFFICES ABROAD
Australia and New Zealand Suite 2002, Level 20, 56 Pitt St, Sydney, NSW 2000 02 9247 7549, 
info@thailand.net.au.
South Africa Contact the UK office.
UK and Ireland 1st Floor, 17–19 Cockspur St,
London
SW1Y 5BL 020 7925 2511, info@tourismthailand.co.uk.
US and Canada 61 Broadway, Suite 2810, New York, NY 10006 212 432 0433, info@tatny.com; 611 North Larchmont Blvd, 1st Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90004 323 461 9814, tatla@tat.or.th.
Thailand makes few provisions for its disabled citizens and this obviously affects travellers with disabilities, but taxis, comfortable hotels and personal tour guides are all more affordable than in the West and most travellers with disabilities find Thais only too happy to offer assistance where they can. Hiring a local tour guide to accompany you on a day’s sightseeing is particularly recommended: government-licensed tour guides can be arranged through any TAT office.
Most wheelchair-users end up driving on the roads because it’s too hard to negotiate the uneven pavements, which are high to allow for flooding, poorly maintained and invariably lack dropped kerbs. Crossing the road can be a trial, particularly in Bangkok and other big cities, where it’s usually a question of climbing steps up to a bridge rather than taking a ramped underpass. Few buildings, buses and trains have ramps, but in Bangkok some Skytrain stations and all subway stations have lifts (though you might have to ask someone to unlock them).
Several tour companies in Thailand specialize in organizing trips featuring adapted facilities, accessible transport and escorts. The Bangkok-based Help and Care Travel Company (081 375 0792, wheelchairtours.com) designs accessible holidays in Thailand for slow walkers and wheelchair-users, as well as offering accessible taxis, vans and hotels, personal assistants, medical equipment and many other services. Mermaids Dive Centre in Pattaya runs Disabled Divers International programmes and certifications for disabled divers and instructors (038 303333, mermaidsdivecenter.com).