Travel advice & practical information for travelogue:

'Crisscrossing Thailand'

Useful addresses

New York

Royal Thai Consulate General
351 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022
Tel.: 212-754 1770
Tel.: 212-754 1896
Fax: 212-754 1907
Web site: Consulate General of Thailand in New York

London

Embassy of Thailand
29-30 Queen's Gate
London SW7 5JB
Tel.: 020-7589 2944
Consular section: 020-7589 2944 / ext. 117
Fax: 020-7823 9695
Web site: Embassy of Thailand in London

Paris

Ambassade de Thailande
8, Rue Greuze
75116 Paris
Tel.: 01-4704 3222
Fax: 01-4524 3948
Bureau de Tourisme
90, Avenue Champs Elysées
75008 Paris
Tel.: 01-4562 8656

General Information

We traveled around three and a half weeks on the off chance. The only thing I booked in advance was our hotel in Bangkok, but that turned out to be unnecessary: there are more than enough hotels. There were four of us: parents and two kids of 12 and 15 years old.

We felt immediately comfortable in this friendly country; we never felt unsafe at all. We made travel plans in advance and in hindsight we more or less stuck to them. We took one interior flight, spontaneously, from Krabi to Chiang Mai (via Bangkok). It took less than an hour to book, for a same-day flight.

Population

Thailand is known as the "country of the smile" and during our trip we often met smiling and very friendly people. Everywhere (train stations, bus terminals) we were welcomed by friendly people (tuktuk drivers, travel agents, guesthouse managers) with the question where we were going.

Usually we had arranged for accomodation within a few minutes, sometimes even including free transportation. Whenever we had to change buses, we got help and people helped us find the right bus.

People also smile when they are insecure or don't know how to answer a question. Most Thai try very hard to speak English, but you have to pay attention to find out if they really understand you.

Buddhism is very important for most Thai. Respect for Buddha is shown by offering. That means burning incense or candles, or giving a lotus flower. We see this in temples and spirit dwellings.

Thai are also superstitious. In front of every building stand one or more spirit dwellings. These are small, colorful constructions in the shape of temples in which nine spirits live. By sacrificing to these spirits (incense, fresh lotus flowers or candles) they are appeased. The spirit dwelling will repel evil spirits now. You can see these little temples in front of houses, but also guesthouses and businesses.

Everyone can visit a Wat (temple), but you always have to take off your shoes. In general women have to cover their shoulders. Some temples have stricter rules than others. The Grand Palace in Bangkok has the strictest rules.

If aren't dressed according to the rules, you have to change. Usually clothes or cloths are available for a small deposit or fee. Never point your feet at the Buddha, this is considered insulting.

Thai revere King Bhumipol and Queen Sirikit. Everywhere in Thailand are huge posters with pictures of the royal family. Joking about the royal family is not done and this also goes for tourists.

Climate and best time to travel

We visited in July, which is the rainy season (June-November). But we only had a few days of rain. A couple of days on Ko Hai were really ruined by rain and hard winds. In Bangkok we had a few torrential showers.

Food and Drink

Thai food is delicious and often spicy. Usually it's rice or noodles (which come in all kinds) with fresh vegetables and meat or fish

We often ate at food stalls on the street or night markets without any adverse consequences.

Bottled water can be bought everywhere, usually cheaply. Most guesthouses provide free bottled water.

Internet cafés

Literally every place we visited had internet cafés. Prices vary, but are reasonable. In Bangkok we paid 15 Baht for 15 minutes.

Electricity

Thailand has 220 Volts electricity. It's a good idea to bring adaptor plugs.

Money

There is an ATM on almost every street corner. Sometimes more than one. ATMs are bilingual: Thai and English, even in smaller towns.

If you know which places you are going to visit, you can find out online if and where there are ATM's that you can use with MasterCard and Cirrus or Visa

Safety and security

Traveling in some countries or regions can be dangerous. That isn't always a reason not to go there, but part of preparing well for a trip includes finding out about possible risks.

The CIA World Factbook: Thailand is a good place to look. Of course you always should consult your own country's Foreign Department web site.

Health

Find current information on the web site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Thailand. Always consult your family doctor and your country's Health Department web site.

Plan your trip to Thailand online

Through online reservation systems like À la Carte Vacations you can book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars and holiday houses. You can build a fly-drive itinerary with maximum flexibility, book a flight plus a hotel hotel for a night or weekend. Without the limitations of package deals from travel organisations and most times for a much better price.