Thailand Country Guide

Follow the link to our Thailand weather page for detailed information about the climate in Thailand, the average yearly temperatures, and the best time to travel Thailand. We also have a six-day Bangkok weather forecast.

The international country code for Thailand is +66. To dial overseas from within Thailand, dial 001 followed by the relevant country code and phone number.

Emergency numbers in Thailand are: Ambulance (191); Fire (199); and Police (191).

The currency of Thailand is the 'Baht'. One Baht is divisible into 100 Satang. Major credit cards are accepted by hotels and large shops, but 'hard cash' is the preferred tender almost everywhere. Travellers cheques are not widely accepted outside of hotels, so change them for cash at a bank exchange. To view the current Thai exchange rate, click on this link to OANDA.com - The Currency Site.

Coins come in five denominations: 25 and 50-Satang coins are very small and made of brass. The one and five-Baht coins are silver, while the ten-Baht coin consists of a silver ring around a brass centre.

Bills vary in size and colour according to denomination: 20-Baht is green, 50-Baht is blue, 100-Baht is red, 500-Baht is purple and 1,000-Baht is white. There is also still a 10-Baht bill in circulation, which is brown in colour, but these are quite rare.

Actually, there are several versions of coins in circulation, and a few variations in bills as well. They're all legal tenders, so don't worry if you start comparing the change in your pocket and notice some differences. All bills and all coins have a picture of His Majesty the King, and are therefore supposed to be shown some respect.

Plan to travel on a shoestring or economy budget? No worries, you can manage with very little Baht in almost any place in Thailand. If you are looking to stay at good hotels and eat at restaurants, then the cost would increase for accommodation outside the capital city, whereas within Bangkok, the cost will be almost double. On the other hand, if money is not a concern, you can check into one of the city's luxury hotels, enjoy the vast spread of sumptuous delicacies and take off for a round of shopping at the high end shops. Beyond the city, however, there are not many luxuries to pay for and hence automatically the spending spree slows down; even quality restaurants and luxury hotels are hard to find.

If you are adept at bargaining, then most items can be obtained for a good price. Prices of items are usually negotiable, be it from regular shops or from roadside vendors. Allow the vendor to quote a price and then follow it up with a query for a discounted price. Remember to start your offer from a lower price. Thais appreciate a reasonable bargain, but if you don't intend to buy anything, don't even start the deal. There are no standard discounts offered, since the prices quoted by the vendors vary from the actual price of the goods. Some vendors choose a higher margin, while others settle for a more reasonable asking price, closer to the actual price.

Population - 64.6 million people
Total Area - 514,000 square kilometres
Capital - Bangkok (5.8 million people)
Time Zone - Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +7 hours

To view the current time in Bangkok, click on this link to TimeAndDate.com.

Northern Region: Mountains, forests and fertile valleys. Bordered by Myanmar and Laos, characterised by forested mountains and fertile river valleys, northern Thailand encompasses part of the fabled Golden Triangle.

North-Eastern Region: A high, semi-arid plateau used mainly for cattle and growing crops such as rice and maize. This is the poorest region of Thailand mainly due to some bad droughts in the past. Known by Thais as I-San, the sprawling Northeast Plateau is bordered to the north and east by the Mekong River and Laos, and to the south largely by Kampuchea (Cambodia).

Central Region: Mainly flat and fertile due to the large Chao Phraya River. This is the main rice-growing area of Thailand. Geographically, the Central Region extends from rugged western mountains bordering Myanmar (Burma) to the northeast plateau to the east; northwards to Nakhon Sawan where the Ping, Wang, Nan and Yom rivers unite to form the Chao Phraya River (River of Kings) which flows southwards to dissect Bangkok before entering the Gulf of Thailand; and southwards to Prachuap Khirikhan where Thailand is compressed to its narrowest point, some 60 kilometres wide between western mountains and the Thai Gulf.

Southern Region: Hilly and mountainous, covered mainly in rain forests. The land is rich in mineral deposits. Geographically, southern Thailand extends through the Kra Isthmus from Chumphon, 460 kilometres south of Bangkok, to the Thai-Malaysian border, and is bordered in the east by the Gulf of Thailand, to the west by the Indian Ocean.

The most common complaint is stomach troubles. All Thai pharmacies have over the counter medications. Remember to stay hydrated. Condoms are available at pharmacies. Tampons/Contact lenses may vary by brand but are readily available in department stores and pharmacies. Don't drink unbottled/unboiled water.

Health risks: AIDS, cholera, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, rabies.

There are no required inoculations to travel in Thailand, although if you do start an anti-malarial course you won't be able to dive until you're done (some medicines induce the bends).

The health industry in Thailand is one of the booming tourist businesses. For relatively little money you can have plastic surgery or spend your holiday in a spa resort indulging in thai massages, cleansing therapies, saunas and a long list of other treatments.

Thailand has been home to many immigrant clans like the Khmers, Thais and Mons, who originally hailed from the Chinese mainland. Their journey through the rich rivers valleys of southern China eventually led them to the land now called Thailand. Khmers first established their rule over the region that extended from Angkor during the 11th century and continued to gain prominence in the 12th century.

Early 12th century saw the rise of two chieftains who revolted against Khmer supremacy and founded the independent kingdom of Thais. The kingdom was located at the northern state of Sukhothai (meaning "Dawn of Happiness").

Even before the rebellion, the Thais had already established three small city-states at Phayao, Lanna and Sukhothai to house the new seat of power.

During the mid 13th century, another young kingdom, Ayutthaya, was gaining prominence. Located in the valley of the Chao Phraya River down south, it eventually became the capital of Thais, and Sukhothai was declared a vassal state of Ayutthaya. The Thai kingdom, with Ayutthaya as its capital, witnessed the rule of 33 kings over a period of 417 years. It was during this golden era that the Thais established an identity for themselves, enriched their culture, and fostered ties with Europe, Japan, China, Arabia and India. They also totally uprooted the Khmers from Thailand.

In 1767, however, Ayutthaya met its end at the hands of the invaders from Burma. Ayutthaya was as important to the Thais as London is to the British, or Paris to the French. Its destruction shattered the people, but within a short time, Thai supremacy was re-established by King Taksin, who expelled the Burmese troops and began his rule from the new capital, Thon Buri.

Present day Thai rulers belong to the Chakri dynasty. Rama I, the first king of this clan, came to power in 1782. His capital Bangkok (which translates as the ‘Village of Wild Plums') was a humble hamlet on the banks of a river.

Constitutional monarchy is the form of governance prevalent in Thailand. The monarch controls the legislation by means of a national assembly; a prime minister and his cabinet of ministers implement his executive decisions; and the law courts execute his judicial verdicts. This tradition has been in practice since 1932, and is still followed by H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the present ruler of Thailand.

Though it's not really necessary to get by, you will undoubtedly have an easier and more enjoyable experience in Thailand from any time you spend learning Thai. Most Thais don't expect a foreigner to be able to speak any of their language, and are often visibly surprised if you can string a few sentences together.

It's also encouraging how many people will tell you that you poot tai geng (speak Thai well), no matter how limited your command of the language really is. Even with only a fairly small vocabulary, you will find it a lot easier to get discounted prices at shops and markets (rah kah poot tai dai - Thai speaker prices) and to make friends amongst the locals.

Thai, like Chinese and Vietnamese, is a tonal language meaning that the same word can have a completely different meaning depending on it is pronounced. In total, there are 5 tones: Mid tone, high tone, low tone, rising tone and falling tone.

A common example of the difficulty of tones in Thai is the word mai, whose meanings include 'wood', 'not', 'silk', 'burn', and 'new' depending on what tone is used to pronounce it. Some common Thai words/phrases handy for travellers to know include:

Excuse me - khaw thoht
Yes/That's right - chai
No/That's not right - mai chai
Thank you - khawp khun
Many thanks - khawp khun maak
I don't know - mai roo
Hello - sawut dee
How are you? - sa bai dee mai
Goodbye - pai kawn nah (informal)
Goodbye - sawut dee (polite)
I don't understand - khaw thot chan mai khao jai

The 60 million of Thai population embraces four major ethnic groups. Almost 80% are Thais; ethnic Chinese make up about 8-12%, Malay make up about 4-6%, and the minority group constitute 3-5%.

The origin of Thai people has been a problematic subject among the academics as there are several theories about Thai origin. The most widely accepted theory is that Thai people migrated south from southern China due to the Mongol invasion in the 12th century into mainland Southeast Asia.

Three of the greatest religions in the world exist here: Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Buddhism, however, is the oldest of the three. It was founded 2,500 years ago by Lord Buddha. Buddha was a son of an Indian king.

Buddha was the name he called himself after his Enlightenment, meaning 'The Enlightened'. His real name was Prince Siddhartha. His father was King Suddhodana of Kapilavasdu, and his mother Queen Siri Mahamaaya, formerly a daughter of the King of Devadaha.

The official breakdowns of religion in Thailand are: Buddhist (94.6%); Muslim (4.6%); Christian (0.7%); and other (0.1%) - 2000 census.

Visas are not required by all nationals from UK, Australia, USA, Canada and EU countries for touristic stays of up to 30 days, provided they hold valid passports, sufficient funds and confirmed tickets to leave Thailand. Please note that if you arrive by land into Thailand then you only get 15 days stay and not 30 days as arriving by air.

All visitors are required to have a passport valid for six months from entry into the country.

Visa Note
(a) The total duration of stay in Thailand for persons who enter Thailand without a visa cannot exceed 90 days during any six month period, counting from the date of first entry. (b) If you intend on staying or working in Thailand for longer than 30 days you must obtain an extension of stay or a valid visa.

Types of Visa and Cost
Single-entry tourist visa: £28; double-entry tourist visa: £56.

Validity
Single-entry: three months. Multiple-entry: six months.

Applications to:
Consulate (or consular section at embassy or high commission).

Extension of Stay: Those who wish to stay longer or may wish to change their status of visa must file an application for permission at the Office of Immigration Bureau located on Soi Suan Plu, off South Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120 , Tel (662) 287-3101-10 (or at http://www.police.go.th/thaiimb/frconten.htm). The extension of stay as well as the change of certain type of visa is solely at the discretion of the Immigration officer.