Thailand
Capital City: Bangkok
Thailand Key Facts
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Flag
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Size
513,120 km²
(51st largest)
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Population
66,720,153
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Thailand Location
Southeast Asia
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Travel Insurance
For Thailand travel insurance, select 'Asia' Region
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International Calling Codes
66
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Cities
Chiang Mai
Phuket
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Language
Thai
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Religions
94.6% Buddhism
4.6% Muslim
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Currency
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Driving
In Thailand they drive on the left hand side
of the road
Tourism website:
tourismthailand.org
When is the best time to visit Thailand?
While you can visit Thailand year-round, the best months are from December until April, when it is dry and there are a lot of festivals happening all over the country.
Transport Information
- Airports (11 international, 94 domestic)
- Trains
- Busses
- Tuk-tuk
- Highways
- Ports and harbors
- Skytrain (Bangkok)
World Heritage Sites
- Ban Chiang Archaeological Site, considered to be the most important prehistoric settlement in southeast Asia
- Historic City of Ayutthaya, which was founded in 1350 and was the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai
- Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns, which was Siam's capital in the 13th and 14th centuries
- Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex, an important tropical forest ecosystem that is home to many endangered and threatened animal species
- Thungyai-Huay Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries, which contains examples of almost all forest types of continental southeast Asia and home to tigers and many large birds
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Average Annual Temperature
27 degrees
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Average Annual Rainfall
1628 mm
Climate Information
Thailand generally has a tropical wet and dry climate. Temperatures during the dry season are at their highest during March and April, where they can reach in excess of 40 degrees. Monsoons arrive between May and July and it tends to stay wet well into October. Humidity will be high at this time of year, making it 'hot and sticky'. As the rainy season ends, the temperatures begin to climb again.
Official Holidays
- January - New Year's Day
- January 2 - Bridge Public Holiday
- March 4 - Makha Bucha
- April 6 - Chakri Day
- April 13 - Songkran
- April 14 - Songkran
- April 15 - Songkran
- May 1 - Labor Day
- May 5 -Coronation Day
- May 13 - Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day
- June 1 - Visakha Bucha
- July 30 - Asalha Bucha
- July 31 - Buddhist Lent Day
- August 12 - Queen's Birthday
- October 23 - Chulalongkorn Day
- December 5 - The King's Birthday
- December 5 - Father's Day
- December 31 - New Year's Eve
Why Visit Thailand?
Thailand is popular with luxury travellers as it is with backpackers. Backpackers enjoy the great transport system, cheap street food, and friendliness and helpfulness of Thais. Luxury travellers can enjoy top shopping in Bangkok and choose one of many exclusive resorts in south Thailand.
Things To Do In Thailand
- Explore Bangkok
- Enjoy Phat Thai from a street food vendor
- See the Emperor's Palace
- Hike in the hills of Chian Mai
- Party in Phuket
- Dive on Khosa Mui
- Go to a jungle reserve and see tigers
- Enjoy a traditional Thai massage
Travel Tips For Thailand
- If you jump into a taxi in Bangkok, make sure to either negotiation the price beforehand (if you know how much it should cost) or ask the driver to turn the meter on, just in case.
- Smiling is the way to go, in pretty much any situation. Shouting will never help you, as it is highly rude and disrespectful. Whatever may be happening, stay calm and smile.
Thailand's Food
Thai cuisine is world famous and eating is definitely important in Thai culture. The main thrust of the cuisine is the blending of sweet, sour, spicy, salty and bitter, and many dishes will have a delectable combination of those tastes. Thais are fond of lemon grass, lime juice and fish sauce, and you will find them in most dishes. There is big regional variation in the food, and you are likely to find different dishes in the north than in the south.
Thailand's most famous dish is probably Phat Thai, which are rice noodles cooked in fish sauce, sugar, and vinegar mix. Khao phat is commonly found in restaurants and at street food venues, which is a Thai version of friend rice that comes in a variety of flavors. Street food is very common in Thailand and a wonderful way of trying this highly diverse cuisine, do ensure to go to busier vendors though.
Thailand Travel Safety and Warnings
- Thailand is reasonably safe for travellers.
- Make sure to have travel insurance for Thailand before you embark on your journey.
- Do not speak about the royal family, it just is better that way
- Beware of scammers, particularly in Bangkok
- Malaria is common in rural areas, and dengue fever is also common throughout the country, so make sure to bring mosquito repellent with you
About Thailand
'The land of smiles' as Thailand is affectionately known, is quickly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and with good reason. Thailand is one of the hubs of Southeast Asia, both for business and leisure, making for a bustling, multi cultural, and ethnically very diverse country.
Travel Highlights of Thailand:
Bangkok is the nation's capital and the hub where everyone arrives. Many people immediately choose to head on to their destinations, but Bangkok itself actually has a lot to offer, if you know where to look. Khao San Road in the Old City is perhaps Thailand's most famous road, with cocktail bars, backpackers, clubs, and markets everywhere. It’s a wonderful place to head to meet fellow travellers and share stories from the road, but isn’t terribly representative of the city.
| The temples along Bangkok's rivers are absolutely spectacular and a great way of seeing them is by heading down to the harbor and jumping on to a water taxi. They stop at various locations and the end point is usually the Grand Palace and Wat Prakeaw, but you can jump off pretty much wherever you want. |  |
The Grand Palace is probably Bangkok's most famous tourist monument, and is well worth visiting. Be aware that there are quite a few scam artists around who will try to tell you the Palace is closed and that he will take you to some place better - it usually isn’t, you just happen to be at the wrong gate! The Palace is impressive to say the least, and the world famous Emerald Buddha oozes spirituality.
The red light district in Bangkok is home to many good street food vendors during the day, and turns into a really interesting place to explore in the evenings. Particularly famous is a road known as Soi Cowboy, where you will find an interesting mix of expats, Japanese and Western tourists and obviously many girls and many bars. However, it all feels very relaxed and if you’re just out for a drink and a spell of people watching, no one will bother you.
| When it comes to leaving Bangkok, you have a tough decision to make: head north to Chiang Mai and its spectacular hills and treks, or head south toward Phuket and the islands? Chiang Mai is the northern province of Thailand, bordering on Myanmar and Laos and it is here that you will find the famous ruins of Sukhotahi, Thailand's first capital. |  |
Otherwise, this area is known for some spectacular trekking routes, as well as the possibility to meet the quickly disappearing hill tribes of the area. The Golden Triangle, where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet is also there, but really not worth the trip. As always for any overseas trip, organise travel insurance for Thailand before you set off.
| The south of Thailand offers a very different experience from the north. As you head to the beaches and island resorts, you’ll see more and more backpackers and beach resorts, and the parties tend to become more raucous the further south you go. Phuket is the original Thai paradise island and a great place to spend a few days, or perhaps more. |  |
Ko Pha Ngan hosts the famous full moon parties, which are well worth attending if you happen to be in the area. Diving is offered here too and there are some very nice sites, just make sure you go at the right time of year to have the best visibility and that you have travel insurance for Thailand.
The south is also where you will find what is considered to be one of the most beautiful jungle reserves in Thailand: Khao Sok National Park. This jungle park is also home to many endangered species, most famously Tigers! There are nine trails that go through the reserve, the shortest being 2.8 kms and the longest 7 kms. If you do decide to walk any of them, make sure you have closed shoes and watch out for leeches – they’re almost everywhere and will be very interested in you! But in case you don’t feel like walking, you can go zip lining over the forest canopy, cave, kayak, or go tubing down the river.
| Thailand is generally very safe for travellers. Watch out for small-scale scammers and annoyances around the bigger cities, otherwise there is little to worry about. Just arrange travel insurance for Thailand before starting your trip though. |  |
