HEART OF ASIA
One of the world’s hottest cuisines. Beautiful beaches and islands. Friendly, charming people.Warm weather all year round.Cheap prices for many things.Colourful, enchanting temples.An exotic culture preserved through the ages during a country that has never been colonised.Where are we talking about? Thailand, of course!
WHY THAILAND
You can visit Thailand, if you would like to experience lovely smiles and gentleness of Thai people and scenic & cultural treasures of Thai land. Thailand certainly is that the “land of smiles,” which may cause you to smile, too. It’s really is enamoring and exotic country, known for its inviting people, culture, scenery, cuisine, and overall lifestyle.
A FREQUENT CHOICE IN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
Located within the heart of Asia, Thailand has been captivating foreign visitors for many years . Previous visitors return year after year and because the word spreads, first-time visitors come flooding in. the amount of foreign visitors to Thailand continues to extend and year after year, records are broken as international visitors flock to the present fascinating country.
VACATIONS, MADE MEMORABLE ONES
Arguably the foremost exotic destination in South East Asia, Thailand offers travelers and holidaymakers an enormous range of vacation possibilities. It doesn’t matter whether you are a budget traveler eager to explore a far off land on a decent budget, or a well-heeled traveler who wants to be pampered and knowledge the absolute best , Thailand has something for you.It is still quite possible to seek out a pristine stretch of lovely white sand beach that you simply can have all to yourself. Lazing away the times on a hammock under a palm on a mile Long Beach , without anyone else in view ,swaying within the breeze under a cloudless sky because the waves gently break against the soft white sand.Such an experience can still be had. Welcome to Thailand!
MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS
This page could largely be separated into two separate sections. the primary part gives general information about travelling in Thailand while the second part goes into detail about a number of the places to go to and a few of my feelings about them and experiences there.
Bangkok
Phuket
Ko Samui
Ko Samet
Pattaya
Hua Hin
Isaan
Historic Places
Ko Chang
LEGAL LENGTH FOR YOUR STAY IN THAILAND
Visitors from most Western countries to Thailand get 30 days permission to enter Thailand upon arrival. this is often not a visa intrinsically . If you actually like Thailand you’ll exit the country and re-enter immediately thus getting another 30 days. you can’t do that indefinitely and after spending 90 days in Thailand during a 180 day period you can’t return for 90 days, unless you apply for a visa at a Thai embassy or consulate outside of the country first. (There is more on the entire visa issue within the living and dealing section.) Holders of South Korean, Brazilian and Peruvian passports get 90 days permission. tons of developing countries get permission to enter for a shorter period of your time and visitors from some countries may need to apply beforehand for a visa.You can apply beforehand for a two month tourist visa which may actually be extended within the country for an additional 30 days at any Immigration office. The extension costs 1,900 baht.I believe that you simply could also be ready to get a multiple entry tourist visa although I personally believe that strictly for tourism purposes, three months is plenty.
LANDING IN THAILAND
Most people arriving in Thailand fly into Suwannaphum international airport in Bangkok. Your first time in Thailand, which can be your first time in Asia, are often quite a touch confusing. you’re quite likely jumping off the plane after a reasonably lengthy trip and doubtless want to urge to your hotel as soon as possible.
ACCOMMODATION
No matter what your budget, you’ll find something to suit. Thailand and indeed Bangkok features a huge range of places to remain . Whether you would like the opulence of the Oriental Hotel, the filth of a Khao Sarn Road backpacker hole or somewhere in between, you’ll be ready to find it in Bangkok. And right throughout Thailand, you’ll be ready to find something to fit your needs, a minimum of most of the time in most places.Bangkok’s top end hotels still rate extremely highly. The Oriental Hotel, The Dusit Thani, The Peninsula and therefore the Shangri-La are often mentioned once you hear the highest hotels within the world being talked about. These are five star hotels in every sense and will suit the foremost demanding of travelers Throughout Thailand, you’ve got all of the large international hotel chains like Marriot, Sheraton, Regent, Hyatt represented. you furthermore may have some excellent Thai hotel chains like Amari. then you’ve got got tons of stand alone hotels. At the lower end of the range you’ve got guesthouses. I gather that camping grounds are available in some places but having seen one snake show too many, i feel I’ll give that one a miss, thank you.Of the beaches and islands in Thailand, the foremost popular spots like Pattaya, Phuket and Ko Samui are oozing with a spread of accommodation options. But this is often not always the case at a number of the more off the beaten track type places. It should come as no surprise that the further off the beaten track you get, generally the harder it’s to seek out quality accommodation. Even in a number of the islands the standard of accommodation isn’t always that good – and sometimes the costs , while cheap by international standards, are often expensive by local Thai standards. Places like Ko Samet and Ko Chang are classic examples where, in my personal opinion, accommodation prices really are above they ought to be.
Khao San Road
If you’re traveling on a budget then Khao San Road is really extremely well located for anyone visiting Bangkok because it is walking distance to the river and therefore the most interesting and historically significant parts of the town . The must see Grand Palace is a few mile or s away, easily walk able, even in Bangkok’s oppressive heat. Thailand isn’t an upscale country to travel through and if you’re on a true budget, you’ll do exactly fine. Let’s check out the value of accommodation in Bangkok first. an area within the top end hotels tends to travel for five ,000 baht or more an evening . The absolute best spots, just like the Oriental may even choose twice this. As i discussed earlier, hotels in Bangkok really are excellent and therefore the top end places are just fabulous. My pick is that the Sukhothai which features a wonderful combination of Thai style with modern convenience. it’s worth just going for a wander through because it really is that nice! As Bangkok are often quite difficult to urge around thanks to the dreadful traffic conditions and therefore the incontrovertible fact that the skytrain and underground only cover alittle a part of the town , one must think twice about the world where one chooses to remain . the foremost popular areas are Sukhumvit Road, Silom Road, the Siam Square / Pratunam area, Banglampoo and therefore the river the costs of ccommodation in Phuket and Ko Samui are much an equivalent as in Bangkok. These are now big international beach resorts with many fabulous places to remain and intrinsically the costs reflect what people are prepared to buy them. On the opposite hand, Pattaya and Chiang Mai both have top quality accommodation available at prices which simply don’t exist – a minimum of what you get for that cash – in Bangkok. this is often one reason to go to Pattaya and Chiang Mai – you get excellent value for money on your accommodation.
GETTING AROUND THAILAND
TRAVEL BY AIR
Thai Airways is that the main domestic airline and airfares for flights within Thailand are fairly affordable , the schedules are good with many flights to the foremost popular destinations. Further, the planes are generally in fitness . Thai Airways flies to most parts of the country, but almost all. The notable exception of where Thai doesn’t fly is that the tropical paradise of Ko Samui. there’s just one airline which flies between Ko Samui and Bangkok which is Bangkok Airways who i think own the airport at Samui. The fare to fly from Bangkok to Ko Samui on Bangkok Airways is costlier than the fare on Thai to fly from Bangkok to Phuket, something which many of us question, with some feeling that Bangkok Airways really stings you once you fly between Bangkok and Ko Samui. Bangkok Airways also flies to some neighbouring countries also as operating domestic flights within Thailand, but it’s the route to Ko Samui that they’re most famous. Bangkok Airways has tried to reposition themselves and now markets themselves as Asia’s boutique carrier. .
TRAVEL BY CAR
Hiring cars or maybe an enormous bike is a method to urge around Thailand. the standard of the roads in Thailand is usually pretty good. hire car is fairly cheap in Thailand which may be a little surprising as long as the value of shopping for a car in Thailand is far dearer than within the West. Generally, driving in provincial Thailand is straightforward , the drivers are less aggressive, there’s much less traffic – and therefore the further you get from Bangkok, the less traffic and congestion you discover . However, wherever you go, signs are generally in Thai only. during a few places, and Pattaya is one exception, some road signs are in Thai. Fortunately street signs are in both Thai and English nationwide, something which I even have been extremely impressed with. Petrol in Thailand is fairly priced and as at March 2007, the worth is around 26 baht a litre for the very best grade, 95 octane petrol.
HIGH-LOW SEASONS, THERE’S NONE SO SERIOUS DIVISIONS:
The tourist peak season runs from around late November through to mid April. At certain times, particularly Christmas, New Year, the Chinese New Year and Songkran the foremost popular beaches and islands are often extremely busy to the purpose that getting accommodation can become a touch of a drag . Hotels and even some guesthouses hike their prices – and other people are willing to pay it. So if you’re travelling over any of those periods it pays to book well beforehand . The Songkran period really marks the top of the tourism peak season for the year. There are variety of other holidays throughout the year and on a number of these holidays nightlife areas and bars and discos are often closed – and therefore the sale of alcohol is outlawed. Some bars slip the boys in brown a touch of money in order that they can remain open. Generally speaking it’s the Buddhist holidays and December 5th, the birthday of HM The King.