Thailand - Before you go
Highlights | Know before you go | Trips
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
EU Citizens are not required to obtain visas prior to departure for Thailand.
Travellers other than EU citizens should check requirements with the Thai
Embassy. Passports should be valid for at least six months beyond the
return date.
CUSTOMS
The import of drugs, guns, pornography and harpoons are prohibited. Thailand
has few restrictions on exported items except for images of Buddha and
other religious deities.
AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX
A 500 Baht departure tax is payable at Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Phuket International
Airport
LANGUAGE
The Thai language is tonal and is quite difficult for most Westerners
to learn. This should not pose a problem as the level of English spoken
in Thailand improves yearly, though communication will present problems
in some of the more remote areas that we visit. Try and learn some of
the following basic greetings before arriving, the rewards are well worth
the effort.
| Hello How are you? I'm fine Thank You Excuse me Please How much is this? Too expensive Zero One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten |
Sawasdee Pen yangai? Sabay Dit Kawp khun Khaw Thawt Kor Nee Taorai? Paeng Pai Suun Neung Song Sam Si Ha Hok Jet Baat Gow Sip |
LOCAL TIME
Thailand is seven hours ahead of GMT.
INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE CODE
+66
RELIGION
Theravada Buddhism, the state religion of Thailand, is practiced by 90% of the population
CLIMATE & WEATHER
Thailand's season are split into three distinct zones, the dry season (December to February, the hot season (March to June) where temperatures may reach 35-40 C and the wet season (June to November). Variations within the seasons and between years can alter these monthly guidelines.
MONEY
The Thai basic unit of currency is the Baht which is divided into 100 stang. Denominations include 10 Baht (brown), 20 Baht (green), 50 Baht (blue), 100 Baht (red), 500 Baht (purple) and 1,000 Baht (beige).
HEALTH
No compulsory immunisations are required for Thailand. However, the following immunisations are recommended and your doctor or local Health Authority will be able to give you details: Hepatitis A, polio & typhoid and you may wish to consider anti-malaria pills. Please note that immunisation against Yellow Fever is compulsory if you are coming from an infected area. Please contact your local Doctor for further details.
INSURANCE
It is a condition of booking that you take out an adequate personal insurance policy for the full period of travel.
SUGGESTED THINGS TO BRING
Sunglasses Umbrella Rucksack Lightweight hiking boots or trainers Binoculars Sun Cream Sun Hat Reading materials Camera & plenty of films (slide film is difficult to obtain) Mosquito Repellent, both lotion and electical Light casual clothing, preferably cotton is suitable all year round. A cardigan or light jacket is recommended when visiting Northen Thailand in the cold season. Sandals or slippers are convenient when visiting temples Modest bathing suit Swiss Army Knife Photocopies of essential documents
