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Listed below is some helpful information about Thailand. Here you will find details on the following:
Country Full Name: Thailand (Prathet Thai, meaning "land of the free")
Capital City: Bangkok (Krung Thep, meaning "city of angels")
Coverage Area: 513,115 sq. km.
Geography: The kingdom of Thailand lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, making it a gateway to it's neighboring countries Myanmar (Burma) in the West and North. Laos in the North and Northeast. Cambodia in the Southeast and Malaysia to the South. The country comprises 76 provinces that are further divided into districts, sub districts and villages. It is divided into four natural regions: Mountains and forests of the North, Rice fields of the Central Plains, Farm lands of the Northeast plateau, and Tropical islands of the South Peninsula.
Population: A large majority of over 62 million citizens of Thailand are ethic Thai, along with a mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian. There are currently about 7 million people residing in the capital city of Bangkok. On the island of Phuket there is approximately 275 thousand residents.
Language: Spoken and written Thai is largely incomprehensible to the casual visitor. However, English is widely understood, particularly in Bangkok where it is almost the major commercial language. English and other European Languages are spoken in most hotels, shops and restaurants in major tourist destinations.
Religion: Buddhism (95%), Muslim (4%), others (1%)
Head of State: HRH King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Prime Minister: Thaksin Shinawatra
National Flag: Red, White, and Blue stripes
Time Zone: Greenwich Mean Time (+7 hours GMT)
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Visas:
Not required for tourist planning to stay for a short period. On arrival you will get a visa stamp for entry permitted up to 30 days. Passports should be valid for at least 6 months from the date of arrival in to the Kingdom. Please check with your local Thai Embassy for further details.
Weather and Climate:
Thailand enjoys a tropical climate all year round. There are three distinct seasons-hot and dry from February to May (average temperature 34 degrees Celsius and 75% humidity); rainy with plenty of sunshine from June to October (average day temperature 29 degrees Celsius and 87% humidity); and cool from November to January (temperatures range from 32 degrees Celsius to below 20 degrees Celsius with a drop in humidity). Much lower temperatures are experienced in the North and Northeast during nighttime. The South has a tropical rainforest climate with temperatures averaging 29 degrees Celsius almost all year round.
Electricity: The current is 220 volt AC country wide
Tap Water: Clean but refrain from drinking it. Bottled water is recommended
Clothing:
Light, cool clothes are sensible and a light jacket is needed only sometimes. Beach attire should not be worn to places of respect such as temples.
Weights & Measures: The metric system is used throughout Thailand.
Business Hours:
Shops are open seven days a week normally from 10 am to 10 pm. Banks are open Mondays to Fridays from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm except on public holidays.
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Postal Services: Thailand's mail service is reliable and efficient. Provincial post offices are usually open from 8.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
Using your Mobile Phone:
A Subscriber Identity Module Card (SIM Card) is now available for Thai and foreign customers who are traveling. Expect to pay somewhere in the region of 500 THB which includes some free calls! The SIM Card must be used in conjunction with a Digital GSM mobile phone within the 900-MHz range or a Digital PCN mobile phone within the 1800-MHz range.
Internet / Email: Internet Cafes are available everywhere, some now have a ADSL link. Expect to pay 1 / 2 THB per minute.
Fax Services:
All of Thailand's leading hotels offer facsimile (fax) and e-mail services. Numerous private businesses offer such facilities, most often in conjunction with translation services.
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International Dialing:
The international dialing code for Thailand is 66.
When making international calls from Thailand, first dial 001+country code+area code+telephone number.
This can be done from your resort or hotel, some internet cafes also offer this service a little cheaper. The most cost effective way is to buy an international telephone card and use a public payphone or GSM mobile.
Emergency Telephone Numbers:
Central Emergency (Police, Ambulance, Fire): 191
Tourist Police (English, French and German spoken): 1155
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Call Centre : 1672
Immigration Bureau: 022 87 3101-10
Currency:
The Thai unit of currency is the baht. 1 baht is divided into 100 satang. Notes are in denominations of 1,000, 500, 100, 50 , 20 and 10 baht. Coins consist of 25 satang, 50 satang, 1 baht, 5 baht and 10 baht. Major currency bills and travelers cheques are cashed easily at hotels, foreign exchangers, all provincial banks, and shopping centers. The best rate of exchange can be found at banks (you will need your passport). Hotels, restaurants, and most shops except major credit cards.
ATM machines / cash points can now be found everywhere.
Credit Cards:
Credit cards are widely accepted. For lost cards please call the following corresponding numbers.
American Express Tel: 0 2273 5100 or 0 2273 0022
Diners Club Tel: 0 2238 2920 or 0 2238 2680
Master Card Tel: 0 2256 7326-7
Visa Tel: 0 2256 7326-7
Tipping:
Tipping is not a usual practice in Thailand although it is becoming more common. Most hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill. Taxi drivers do not require a tip, but the gesture is appreciated and 10-20 baht is acceptable for porters.
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Bargaining:
Fixed prices are the norm in department stores, but at most other places bargaining is to be expected. Generally, you can obtain a final figure of between 10-40% lower than the original asking price. Much depends on your skills and the shopkeeper's mood. But remember, Thai's appreciate good manners and a sense of humor. With patience and a broad smile, you will not only get a better price, you will also enjoy shopping as an art.
Speaking Thai:
Most Thai nationals speak some basic English. However do not be afraid to try and speak some yourself. Below are a few basic Thai phrases. Thai is a tonal language belonging to the group of Ka-Tai languages; the five tones are monotone, low, falling, high, and rising.
Useful Thai Phrases
| English |
Thai |
| Hello (male speaker) |
sawatdee kup |
| Hello (female speaker) |
sawatdee ka |
Yes |
chai |
No |
mai chai |
Mr./Miss/Mrs. |
khun |
How are you? |
sa bai dee mai |
Fine thanks |
sa bai dee |
Thank you |
kop koon kup / ka |
Never mind |
mai pen rai |
I can't speak Thai |
phoot Thai mai dai |
I speak Thai a little bit |
phoot Thai nit noy |
I don't understand |
mai kao chai |
Do you understand? |
kao chai mai |
Where is the toilet? |
hong nam yoo tee nai |
I am going to |
chan-cha-pai |
No, I won't go |
chan-mai-pai |
Please drive slowly |
prot-khap-cha-cha |
Be careful |
ra-wang |
Slow down |
cha-cha |
Stop |
Yut |
How much does this cost? |
nee tao a rai |
What is this ? |
nee arai |
Very expensive |
paeng maag |
Any discount? |
Lot-ra-kha-dai-mai |
The bill please |
gep taang / check bin |
please speak slowly |
Prot-phut-cha-cha |
Very Good |
di-mak |
Not Good |
mai-Di |
Good-bye |
la gon |
See you again |
laew phob gan mai |
Good luck |
chok dee |
Sorry/excuse me |
kor thoad |
We do hope that this page has been useful to you. However if you feel that we might of missed out some essential information then please let us know . Thank-you.
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