Thailand
Links to Thailand Embassies and Consulates
Fast Facts
Coutntry Full name: |
Weights & Measures: Metric |
| Population: 65,000,000 |
Country Dialing Code: +66 |
| Languages Spoken: Official - Thai |
Time Zones: GMT/UTC +7 (Indochina Time) |
Electric Plugs:  220V 50Hz |
Currency: Name: Baht Code: THB Symbol: ฿ |
Exchange rate:
Weather
Thailand's monsoons arrive around July and last into November (the 'rainy season'). They can be uncomfortably, unpredictably sticky. This is followed by a dry, cool period from November to mid-February, followed by much higher relative temperatures from March to June.
By far the best time to visit is between November and February when the weather is kind and the beaches are at their finest. This period is Thailand's main season for national and regional festivals.
The peak season is November to late March, with secondary peak months in July and August. If your main objective is to avoid crowds and to take advantage of discounted rooms and low-season rates, you should consider travelling during the least crowded months (April to June, September and October). On the other hand it's not difficult to leave the crowds behind, even during peak months, if you simply avoid the most popular destinations (eg, Chiang Mai and all islands and beaches). This is also the prime time for diving in terms of visibility and accessibility.
Climate-wise, the best time for visiting most of Thailand is between November and February when it is not too wet and not too hot. The south is best visited when the rest of Thailand is miserably hot (March to May). If you're spending time in Bangkok, be prepared to roast in April and do some wading in October - probably the most challenging two months, weather-wise, in the capital.
Money & Cost
For buying baht, US dollars are the most readily acceptable currency and travellers cheques get a better rate than cash. British pounds are the next-best option. Credit cards are becoming increasingly acceptable in quality shops, hotels and restaurants. Visa is the most useful, followed by MasterCard.
Currency
Name: Baht
Symbol: ฿
Baht notes come in denominations of 20 (green), 50 (blue), 100 (red), 500 (purple) and 1000 (beige).
There are 100 satang in one baht; coins include 25-satang and 50-satang pieces and baht in denominations of 1, 5 and 10.
Changing Your Money
Banks or legal money-changers offer the best rates. ATMs that accept Visa and other credit cards are widespread throughout Thailand, and many exchange booths will give you a cash advance on your credit card.
Money Tips
If you're travelling on a budget, you should be able to get by on around ฿500.00 a day anywhere in Thailand. Visitors staying in comfortable hotels and eating at restaurants should budget around ฿600.00 - ฿1000.00 a day outside Bangkok and around double this amount when in the capital. If money is no object, you can spend to your heart's content in Bangkok, since the capital has several of the world's most sumptuous hotels and some unbeatable shopping diversions. Your spending levels will be curtailed by the scarcity of luxury accommodation and quality restaurants when you get off the beaten track.
Items sold by street vendors in markets or in many shops are flexibly priced - that is, the price is negotiable. Thais respect a good haggler. Always let the vendor make the first offer then ask 'Is that your best price?' or 'Can you lower the price?'. This usually results is an immediate discount from the first price. Now it's your turn to make a counteroffer; always start low but don't bargain at all unless you're serious about buying. Negotiations continue until a price is agreed - there's no set discount from the asking price as some vendors start ridiculously high, others closer to the 'real' price.
Sample Price Guide
national park admission
฿ 400.00
1l bottled water
฿ 5.00-10.00
street vendor noodles
฿ 25.00-30.00
souvenir t-shirt
฿ 300.00
1st-class bus Bangkok to Surat Thani
฿ 450.00
beach bungalow on Ko Pha-Ngan
฿ 300.00
one-day Thai cooking course, Chiang Mai
฿ 800.00-900.00
Average Room Prices |
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Low |
Mid |
High |
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฿130-600 |
฿600-1500 |
฿1500+ |
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Average Meal Prices |
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Low |
Mid |
High |
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฿25-180 |
฿180-500 |
฿500+ |
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Tipping
Tipping is not generally expected in Thailand. The exception is loose change from a large restaurant bill; if a meal costs ฿488.00 and you pay with a ฿500.00 note, some Thais will leave the change. It's not so much a tip as a way of saying 'I'm not so money-grubbing as to grab every last baht'.
At many hotel restaurants or other upmarket eateries, a 10% service charge will be added to your bill and tipping is not expected. Bangkok has adopted some standards of tipping, especially in restaurants frequented by foreigners.
Getting there and around
Getting There
It may be a bit pricey to get to Thailand by air, but once you're there you can take advantage of bargain-basement flights - Bangkok is one of the cheapest cities in the world to fly out of. Just bear in mind that flights in and out of Thailand are often overbooked so confirm, confirm and reconfirm.
Thailand shares land borders with Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Myanmar. With improved highways, it is also becoming easier to travel from Thailand to China. Plans for land and rail links between China and member countries of ASEAN, including Thailand, have been increasing since the turn of the new millennium.
Thai-Cambodian border crossings are typically straightforward. Most visitors cross at Poipet (Cambodia) to Aranya Prathet. This is the most direct land route between Bangkok and Angkor Wat.
The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge spans a section of the Mekong River between Nong Khai, Thailand, and Tha Na Leng (near Vientiane, Laos) and is the main transport gateway between the two countries.
Due to the unrest in the southern provinces of Thailand, many border crossers are opting for flights from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, Penang or Singapore instead of crossing by land.
The land crossings into Myanmar have peculiar restrictions that often don't allow full land access to the country.
bus
You can enter Thailand by bus through Laos and Malaysia at the moment - your bus will stop at a Thai immigration post at your point of entry so that each foreign passenger can receive an entry stamp in their passport. Thai visas are not normally included in bus fares. For overland routes through Cambodia, you'll need to hire a shared taxi. You can exit Thailand into portions of Myanmar by bus or shared taxi.
boat
All foreign-registered vessels, skippers and crew must check in with the relevant Thai authorities as soon as possible after entering Thai waters. Although major ports throughout Thailand offer port check-ins, most leisure boating visitors check in at Phuket, Krabi, Samui, Pranburi or Pattaya. Because Phuket's Tha Ao Chalong brings customs, immigration and harbourmaster services together in one building, Phuket is the most popular check-in point nationwide. Before departing from Thailand by boat, you must also check out with immigration, customs and harbourmaster. Vessels caught without harbour clearance may be fined up to ฿5000.00 .
There are several ways of travelling between Thailand's southern peninsula and Malaysia by sea. The simplest is to take a boat from Satun to Kuala Perlis or the island of Langkawi.
car
Road passage into Thailand is possible through Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos. Passenger vehicles (eg car, van, truck or motorcycle) can be brought into Thailand for tourist purposes for up to six months. Documents needed for the crossing are a valid International Driving Permit, passport, vehicle registration papers (in the case of a borrowed or hired vehicle, authorisation from the owner) and a cash or bank guarantee equal to the value of the vehicle plus 20%. For entry through Khlong Toey Port or Suvarnabhumi Airport, this means a letter of bank credit; for overland crossings via Malaysia, Cambodia or Laos a 'self-guarantee' filled in at the border is sufficient.
ferry
It's legal for non-Thais to cross the Mekong River by ferry between Thailand and Laos at the following points: Beung Kan (opposite Paksan), Nakhon Phanom (opposite Tha Khaek), and Chiang Khong (opposite Huay Xai).
It is possible to float along the Mekong River from the northern Thai town of Chiang Saen to Jinghong in China's Yunnan Province.
bicycle
Many visitors bring their own touring bicycles to Thailand. No special permits are needed for bringing a bicycle into the country, although it may be registered by customs - which means if you don't leave the country with your bicycle, you'll have to pay a huge customs duty. It's essential to bring a well-stocked repair kit and be sure to have your bike serviced before departure.
train
The only rail option into and out of Thailand is via Malaysia. The State Railway of Thailand (www.railway.co.th) and Malaysian Railway (www.ktmb.com.my) meet at Butterworth, 93km (58mi) south of the Thai-Malaysian border, a transfer point to Penang or Kuala Lumpur.
It's not possible to buy through-fare tickets for rail journeys between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, unless you ride the luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express, but the trip can be made on express trains via the Thai-Malaysia border at Pedang Besar. The journey usually requires an overnight stop in Butterworth in order to comfortably make train connections.
plane
While the prices of flights to Thailand are competitive from Australia, New Zealand and Europe, it can be quite expensive flying to Bangkok from other points of departure. The good news is that once you're in the city you can shop around for an inexpensive return ticket. A host of international carriers land at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport (www.bangkokairportonline.com), which has replaced Don Muang as Bangkok's major airport terminal. Flights in and out of Thailand are often overbooked so it's imperative that you reconfirm ongoing flights as soon as you arrive.
All passengers leaving Thailand on international flights are charged a departure tax, which is not included in the price of air tickets, but paid at a booth near the passport control area. Only baht are accepted. However, the departure tax is slated to be included in ticket prices. The departure tax on international flights is waived if you're in the country for less than 12 hours.
Getting Around
The only fault of the trains that ply around Bangkok is slowness - otherwise, they're a delightful option: cheap, comfortable and efficient. Buses are a sterling way to get around. Motorbikes are popular, but if you want to take to the roads, even in a car, beware of the anarchic Thai traffic. A cruisier option is to take one of the many forms of taxis - there are cars, rickshaws (both the motorised and the people-powered varieties), and small pick-ups.
bus
Buses are phenomenally (read hair-raisingly) fast, well serviced, affordable and air-conditioned. The most reputable bus companies depart from Baw Khaw Saw (BKS) public bus terminals. Private buses and minivans that pick up customers from tourist centres such as Th Khao San experience a higher incidence of reported theft, lateness and unreliability. You can book air-con BKS buses at any BKS terminal. Ordinary (non-air-con) buses cannot be booked in advance. A unique feature of Thai public transport is the women-only buses that revved up in June 2000 - an attempt by the government to protect female passengers from crime and sexual harrasment.
boat
The true Thai river transport is the reua hǎang yao (long-tail boat), so-called because the propeller is mounted at the end of a long drive shaft extending from the engine. Long-tail boats can travel at a phenomenal speed. The long-tail boats are a staple of transport on rivers and canals in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces.
Between the mainland and islands in the Gulf of Thailand or Andaman Sea, the standard craft is an all-purpose wooden boat, 8m to 10m long, with a large inboard engine, a wheelhouse and a simple roof to shelter passengers and cargo. Faster, more expensive hovercraft or jetfoils are sometimes available in tourist areas.
car
Cars, jeeps or vans can be rented in Bangkok and large provincial capitals. Thais drive on the left-hand side of the road - most of the time. Other than that just about anything goes, in spite of road signs and speed limits. The main rule of thumb to be aware of is that right of way belongs to the bigger vehicle.
Indicators are often used to warn passing drivers about oncoming traffic. A flashing left indicator means it's OK to pass, while a right indicator means that someone's approaching from the other direction.
taxi
Local transport includes taxis, tuk-tuks (motorised rickshaws), săamláw (bicycle rickshaws) and săwngthăew (small pick-ups). Taxis are (mostly) metered in Bangkok and săwngthăew tend to run regular routes, but săamláw, tuk-tuks and taxis outside Bangkok require bargaining and agreement on a fare before departure
bicycle
For travelling just about anywhere outside Bangkok, bicycles are ideal - cheap, nonpolluting and slow enough to allow you to see everything.
Bicycle touring is also a popular way to see the country as most roads are sealed with roomy shoulders. Grades in most parts of the country are moderate; exceptions include the far north, especially Mae Hong Son and Nan Provinces. There is plenty of opportunity for dirt-road and off-road pedalling, especially in the north, so a sturdy mountain bike would make a good alternative to a touring rig. Favoured touring routes include the two-lane roads along the Mekong River in the north and northeast - the terrain is largely flat and the river scenery is inspiring.
You can take bicycles on the train for a little less than the equivalent of one 3rd-class fare. On ordinary buses they'll place your bike on the roof, and on air-con buses it will be put in the cargo hold.
The 2500-member Thailand Cycling Club (www.thaicycling.com), established in 1959, serves as an information clearing house on biking tours and cycle clubs.
train
Trains are comfortable, frequent, punctual, moderately priced and rather slow. Sleeping berths are a bargain and a wonderfully comfortable way to traverse the countryside.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT, www.railway.co.th) covers four main lines - the northern, southern, northeastern and eastern. The train is a convenient alternative to buses for the long journey north to Chiang Mai or south to Surat Thani and is ideal for trips to Ayuthaya and Lopburi from Bangkok. Almost all the long-distance trains originate from Bangkok's Hualamphong station.
The SRT operates passenger trains in three classes. Fares are calculated first by a base price then surcharges are added depending on the train type (special express, express, rapid, ordinary), class and distance. Advance bookings may be made up to 60 days before your intended date of departure. The SRT issues a Thailand Rail Pass that may save on fares if you plan to use the trains extensively over a relatively short interval.
air
Hopping around Thailand by air is becoming more and more affordable these days thanks to airline deregulation. Most routes originate from Bangkok, but Chiang Mai, Ko Samui and Phuket also have flights to other Thai towns.
Thailand's national carrier is Thai Airways International (THAI), which operates many domestic air routes from Bangkok to provincial capitals. Bangkok Air provides some alternatives between Chiang Mai and the south that bypass Bangkok. One-Two-Go, Nok Air and Air Asia all tend to be cheaper than the older, more established carriers.
motorcycle
Motorcycles can be rented in major towns and tourist centres. Always check the condition of the bike thoroughly before you take off, and remember that the Thais are notorious scoff-laws when it comes to road rules - but, in actual fact, it is reckless tourists who come off motorcycles most frequently, especially in places like Ko Samui and Phuket.
History
Pre-20th-Century History
The earliest civilisation in Thailand is believed to have been that of the Mons in central Thailand, who brought with them a Buddhist culture from the Indian subcontinent. In the 12th century, the Mons met a Khmer group moving from the east, the Sumatran-based Srivijaya culture moving north, and people from the Thai state of Nan Chao migrating south. The first Siamese capital was created by Thai princes in Sukhothai with later centres created in Chiang Mai and, notably, Ayuthaya.
The Burmese invaded Siam (as Thailand was known until 1939) in both the 16th and 18th centuries, capturing Chiang Mai and destroying Ayuthaya. The Siamese eventually expelled the Burmese and moved their capital to Thonburi. In 1782, the current Chakri dynasty was founded by King Rama I and the capital was relocated once more, this time across the river to Bangkok.
In the 19th century, Siam maintained its independence by deftly playing off one European power against another.
Modern History
The 20th century brought great change to Thailand. In 1932, a peaceful coup converted the country into a constitutional monarchy and in 1939 Siam became Thailand. During WWII, the Thai government sided with the Japanese. After the war, the country was dominated by the military and experienced more than twenty coups and countercoups, interspersed with short-lived experiments with democracy. Democratic elections in 1979 were followed by a long period of stability and prosperity as power shifted from the military to the business elite.
In February 1991 a military coup ousted the Chatichai government, but bloody demonstrations in May 1992 led to the reinstatement of a civilian government with Chuan Leekpai at the helm. This coalition government collapsed in May 1995 over a land-reform scandal, but the replacement prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa was no better. Dubbed a 'walking ATM' by the Thai press, he was forced to relinquish the leadership just over a year later after a spate of corruption scandals. Ex-general and former deputy PM Chavalit Yongchaiyudh headed a dubious coalition until late 1997, when veteran pragmatist Chuan Leekpai retook the reins.
In 1997 the Thai baht pretty much collapsed, dragging the economy (and many other southeast Asian economies) down in a screaming heap. The unfinished skyscrapers around Bangkok are a legacy of this downturn. In August 1997 the International Monetary Fund stepped in with a bailout package of austerity measures which - although it slowed Thailand's growth dramatically and hit the poor the hardest - seemed to have turned things around by early 1998. By the turn of the new century, Thailand's economy was no longer free falling, but rebuilding had only just begun. Genuine attempts to weed out corruption seem underway, but the poverty-stricken of Thailand are still wary of promises and agitating for more reforms.
Recent History
The relatively new Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; Thais Love Thais), led by Thaksin Shinawatra, emerged as a force in Thai politics in the late 20th century, and saw many sitting MPs defect to its ranks. In parliamentary elections held in January 2001, TRT trounced Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai's democrats.
Throughout his time in office Thaksin was able to broadly deliver on his promises and his popularity remained high among rural voters, his true power base. Among human-rights groups, however, he was less adored. He was dogged by rumours of corruption, drew criticism for restricting the media - Thaksin controlled Thailand's only independent TV station - and instigated a heavy handed 'war on drugs' that left thousands dead. Even more damning was his failure to end the mounting sectarian violence in the country's southern provinces.
In December 2004 the west-facing Andaman coast was hit by a tsunami, which killed more than 5000 people. Worst affected were small family-run businesses and fishermen, whose buildings and boats were lost to the waters. Aside from areas such as Ao Lo Dalam on Phi Phi island and the Khao Lak/Takua Pa areas in Phang-Nga province, the majority of tourist-reliant areas reopened within weeks or even days of the event.
Amid claims of corruption that sparked huge public demonstrations, Thaksin called a snap election on April 2, 2006. Although TRT won over 50% of the vote, the legitimacy of the victory was questioned as the major opposition parties boycotted the poll. Following an audience with the king, Thaksin chose to form an interim government with deputy Chidchai Vanasatidya as prime minister. In early May the courts overturned the April election result and called for a new vote in October. Thaksin then further angered his opponents by resuming control of the government. The situation came to a head on September 19. While Thaksin was in New York attending a meeting of the UN General Assembly, army commander-in-chief General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin carried out a bloodless coup, scrapped the constitution and appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont as interim prime minister.
The coup was condemned internationally but many Thais saw it as bringing to an end the rule of a corrupt leader and his government. This latter stance was given greater weight by the king's indirect support and approval for the coup, which again confirmed his key role in Thai politics. With escalating violence in the south and increasing controls on the media, many in Thailand wonder just what the future holds for their brittle democracy.
Source: http://www.lonelyplanet.com
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