Thailand

From Wikitravel

Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia with coasts on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It borders Myanmar to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Cambodia to the west and Malaysia to the south.

With great food, a tropical climate, fascinating culture and, hey, great beaches, Thailand is a magnet for travelers the world over.

Table of contents

1 Regions 2 Understand 2.1 History 2.2 People 2.3 Climate 2.4 Holidays 3 Get in 3.1 By plane 3.2 By train 3.3 By ferry 3.4 By road 4 Get around 4.1 By plane 4.2 By train 4.3 By bus 5 Talk 6 Buy 6.1 Shopping 7 Sleep 8 Learn 9 Work 10 Eat 10.1 Thai cuisine 10.2 Vegetarian food 10.3 Restaurant chains 11 Drink 11.1 Iced drinks 11.2 Tea and coffee 11.3 Energy drinks 11.4 Alcohol 11.4.1 Thai whisky 11.4.2 Beer 11.4.3 Imported drinks 12 Stay safe 12.1 Scams 12.2 Drugs 12.3 Civil conflict 13 Stay healthy 14 Respect 14.1 Dress 14.2 Women 15 Cope 16 Contact 16.1 By telephone 16.2 By Internet 17 External links

Regions

Thailand is made up of 76 provinces, but may be conveniently divided into five geographic and cultural regions.

• The Central Plains — Bangkok, highlands and historic Thailand.
• The North — Chiang Mai, hill tribes, and the Golden Triangle.
• Isaan — The great undeveloped Northeast. Get off the beaten track and discover backcountry Thailand and some magnificent Khmer ruins.
• The East — Beaches and islands on the northern Gulf of Thailand coast, within easy reach of Bangkok And, oh yes, Pattaya.
• The South and Islands — Hundreds of kilometers of coastline on both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, with Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Krabi and many more of Thailand's famous beach spots.

Understand

Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in South-East Asia, and for a reason. Exotic yet safe and largely hassle-free, cheap yet equipped with every modern amenity you need, there is something for every interest and every price bracket, from beachfront backpacker bungalows to some of the best luxury hotels in the world. And despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential Thainess, with a culture and history all its own and a carefree people famed for their smiles and their fun-seeking sanuk lifestyle.

This is not to say that Thailand doesn't have its downsides, including the considerable growing pains of an economy where an agricultural laborer is lucky to earn $1 per day while the nouveau riche cruise past in their BMWs, and a highly visible sex tourism industry. Bangkok, the capital, is notorious for its traffic jams and rampant development has wrecked much of once-beautiful Pattaya and Phuket. In heavily touristed areas, some lowlifes have made scamming tourists into an art form, but in Thailand as anywhere the old adage is true — if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

History

A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power, and fiercely proud of the fact. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict. After a string of military dictatorships and quickly toppled civilian presidents, Thailand has finally stabilized into a fair approximation of a democracy and the economy, hobbled by the 1997 Asian economic crisis, is booming once again. Above it all presides the King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), the world's longest-reigning monarch and a deeply respected figure of near-mythic proportions.

People

Thailand's people are largely Thais, although there are significant minorities of Chinese and assimilated Thai-Chinese throughout the country, Muslims in the south near the Malaysian border and hill tribes such as the Karen and the Hmong in the north of the country. The overwhelmingly dominant religion (95%) is Theraveda Buddhism, although Confucianism, Islam, Christianity and animist faiths also jostle for position.

Climate

Thailand is largely tropical, so it's hot and humid all year around with temperatures in the 28-35°C range, a degree of relief provided only in the mountains in the far north of Thailand. The careful observer will, however, note three seasons:

• Cool: From November to the end of February, it doesn't rain much and temperatures are at their lowest, although you will barely notice the difference in the south and will only need to pack a sweater if hiking in the northern mountains, where temperatures can fall as low as 5°C. This is the most popular time to visit and, especially around Christmas and New Year's, finding flights and accommodation can be expensive and difficult.

• Hot: From March to mid-June, Thailand swelters in temperatures as high as 40°C. Quite nice when sitting on the beach with a coconut in hand, but not the best time of year to go temple-tramping in Bangkok.

• Rainy: From May to October, although it only really gets underway in September, tropical monsoons hit most of the country. This doesn't mean it rains non-stop, but when it does it pours and flooding is not uncommon.

Note that there are local deviations to these general patterns. In particular, the southeastern coast of Thailand (including Ko Samui) has the rains reversed, with the peak season being May-October and the rainy off season in November-February.

Holidays

Thailand has a lot of holidays, mostly related to Buddhism and the monarchy. Nobody celebrates all of them, except for banks, which seem to be closed a lot.

Makha Bucha falls on the full moon in February and commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 people before the Buddha, which led to their ordination and subsequent enlightenment. At temples in Bangkok and throughout Thailand, Buddhists carry candles and circumambulate the main shrine three times in a clockwise direction.

The most fun holiday is undoubtedly Songkran (สง�รานต์), the Thai New Year celebrated sometime in April (officially April 13th to 15th, but the date varies in some locations). Songkran is celebrated by throwing water at people for three straight days, what started off as polite ritual to wash away the sins of the prior year has evolved into the worlds largest water fight. Water pistols and Super soakers are advised and are on sale everywhere. The best places to participate are Chiang Mai, the Khao San Road area in Bangkok and holiday resorts like Pattaya, Samui and Phuket. Be advised that you will get very wet, this is not a spectator sport.

Another holiday of interest is Loy Krathong (ลอย�ระทง), on the first full moon day in November, when people head to rivers, lakes and even hotel swimming pools to float flower and candle-laden banana-leaf (or, these days, styrofoam) floats called krathong. According to tradition, if you make a wish when you set down your krathong and it floats out of sight before the candle burns out, your wish will come true.

The King's Birthday (December 5) is celebrated as Father's Day and the Queen's Birthday (August 12) is Mother's Day.

Get in

Ordinary passport holders of 39 countries including USA, EU, Australia, etc, do not need visa if their purpose of visit is tourism and if their stay in the Kingdom does not exceed 30 days. Visa-on-arrival is available at certain entry points for passport holders of 14 other nations, including India, China and Russian Federation. Check the latest scoop from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [1] (http://www.mfa.go.th/web/12.php).

By plane

Bangkok's Don Muang Airport (BKK) is one of Asia's largest hubs. Practically every airline that flies to Asia also flies to Bangkok, meaning competition is stiff and prices are low.

There are also some international flights directly to Phuket, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui.

By train

Thailand's sole international train service links to Butterworth (near Penang) and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, continuing all the way to Singapore. Tickets are cheap even in first class sleepers, but it's a slow ride; the 2-hour flight to Singapore will take you close to 48 hours by train.

The luxury option is to take the Eastern & Oriental Express [2] (http://www.orient-express.com/web/eoe/eoe_c1a_home.jsp), a refurbished super-luxury train that runs along the same route once per week, with gourmet dining, personal butler service and every other colonial perk you can think of. However, at around US$1000 one-way just from Bangkok to Butterworth, this is approximately 30 times more expensive than an ordinary first-class sleeper!

By ferry

Ferries cross over from Satun in southern Thailand to the Malaysian island of Langkawi. There are also occasional cruises from Malaysia and Singapore to Phuket and Bangkok, but no scheduled services.

By road

Driving up from Malaysia or even Singapore is entirely possible, although finding a rental car company that allows this may be challenging. There are regular buses across the border, mostly to the southern hub of Had Yai.

From Cambodia, the highway from Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor to Aranyaprathet in Thailand, once the stuff of nightmares, is now merely ordinarily bad and can be covered in less than 3 bumpy hours on a good day.

Crossing into Thailand from Laos from a number of points is now possible, the most popular being Nong Khai near Laotian capital Vientiane. The situation for land crossings into Myanmar remains unpredictable, but mostly poor: even when the border is open to foreigners, you will generally not be allowed beyond the immediate vicinity.

Get around

By plane

Thailand's a large country and, if sitting in a bus for 11 hours is not your idea of a fun time, you may well want to consider domestic flights. Never terribly expensive to begin with (at least by Western standards), the deregulation of the industry has brought in a crop of new operators and an accompanying price war: you can now show up at Bangkok's Don Muang airport, book your ticket and fly pretty much anywhere in the country for less than 1000 baht ($20). Note that airport taxes (around 150 baht) must be added to any advertised price.

The largest player is flag carrier THAI Airways (http://www.thaiair.com), which flies to 23 destinations throughout the country. The most reliable and frequent domestic airline, THAI also commands a price premium, although due to increased competition they've had to start discounting. At list prices, a fully flexible one-way ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai will cost around B2000 (plus tax), while a promotional non-flexible ticket will cost around B1500. Unusually, little to no discount is given for flying return. Travel agents can usually sell only THAI's tickets; you can also book e-tickets online, but you have to do it at least 72 hours in advance.

Probably the best deal at the moment (2004) is offered by Orient Thai (http://www.orient-thai.com)'s new lost-cost brand One-Two-GO, which has an admirably simple pricing scheme: all seats from Bangkok to Chiang Mai B999 and all seats from Bangkok to Chiang Rai, Had Yai or Phuket B1199, period. Do note that this is the walkup unreserved fare; reserving a seat in advance (by phone only, tel. 2267 2999) will cost an extra B100. One-Two-GO's ticketing counters at Bangkok are perennially congested (one-hour queues are not unusual), but if you just want to hop on the next flight, you can head to the express ticketing counter at check-in (at least 40 minutes before departure). Most flights are flown on 747 Jumbos, so there's usually room to spare. Two caveats: One-Two-GO's destinations only have 1-3 flights daily, so check the schedule first; and Orient Thai's on-time record is notoriously bad.

The second option is upstart Air Asia (http://www.airasia.com), the Malaysian version of Ryanair, which offers ridiculously cheap tickets if booked well in advance (some sell for less than 10 baht!), but prices rise steadily as planes fill up, topping out at B1500 for the ever-popular Bangkok to Chiang Mai flight. Booking can easily be done online.

THAI has joined the budget fray with Nok Air (http://www.nokair.com/) (Thai for "bird" — any similarity in pronunciation to "No Care" is purely coincidental), with easily identifiable planes thanks to a lurid purple paint scheme with a bird's beak painted on the nose. Nok Air took to the skies in July 2004 and employs an Air Asia-like pricing scheme, with popular flights costing more. Flights to Chiang Mai start at B598.

A smattering of small airlines -- Bangkok Airways, Phuket Air, Air Andaman and PB Air -- cover mainly destinations outside the THAI network and compete on convenience, not price. Bangkok Airways in particular positions itself as "Asia's Boutique Airline", with monopoly service to its own airports on Koh Samui (3000B+) and Sukhothai (~2000B).

By train

State Railway of Thailand (http://www.railway.co.th/eng/) (SRT) has a 4000-km network covering most of the country, from Chiang Mai in the north all the way to Had Yai and the Malaysian border in the south. Trains are slow but reasonably comfortable. There are three classes:

• First class (chan neung) is akin to Western standards of comfort, with plush seats and individually regulated air conditioning. Comfortable 2-berth sleeping compartments are available, but with all surcharges figured in prices for these approach plane tickets.
• Second class (chan song) is a fairly good compromise, costing about the same as buses but with greater comfort and a much lower risk of accident. Some 2nd class trains are air-con (and charge a 70B surcharge), others aren't. Sleepers may be available, with narrower upper bunks costing a little less than wider lower bunks. The food quality is low, and the WCs are dirty.
• Third class (chan saam) is the cheapest way to travel in Thailand, with fares around half the bus. This gets you a shot at sitting on a hard plank, and as there are no seats so there are no reservations either. In fact, 3rd class is never full and SRT will always happily sell you "standee" tickets! Usually packed with tuk-tuk drivers heading home to Ubon with a sack of rice and a bottle of cheap whisky for company, as a farang you're guaranteed to be the center of attention — quite enjoyable in small doses, but 10 hours of this might be a bit much. Tip: if the seats are full (often the case), sit at the doors on the right side of the train. There face the other track, and you can sit in the breeze without people clambering past you at every stop.

There is a complex set of surcharges applied to special express (rot duan phiset), express (rot duan) and rapid (rot rew) trains. Food is available in dining cars, at your seat in 1st and 2nd class, and (especially in 3rd class) from itinerant hawkers who roam up and down the corridors.

Making reservations in advance is strongly recommended, especially for night trains. Any travel agency will spare you the (not inconsiderable) trouble of queuing for a service fee of 50-100B, or you can reserve with SRT directly by e-mail at mailto:passenger-ser@railway.co.th for a 200B surcharge. The website will tell you seat availability, but e-tickets are not yet supported.

By bus

Buses travel throughout the country and the government's bus company BKS (Baw Kaw Saw) has a terminal in every town of any size. The basic classes are:

• Local: Slow, cramped and stop in every single village and cowshed along the way. Not suitable for long-distance travel, but may be the only cheap way to get around locally.
• Express (rot duan): Skip some stops, no other frills. Identifiable by their orange colour.
  • Example fare: 207 baht Bangkok-Chiang Mai.
• Second class air-con (chan song): Skips most stops, air conditioned. Blue and white in color, fare around 75% more than second class.
  • Example fare: 369 baht Bangkok-Chiang Mai.
• First class air-con (chan neung): Skips most stops, air conditioned, larger seats, snacks and drinking water provided and a toilet on board (whether it works is another question). Blue and white with an orange stripe, "999" often on the front window, fare around 100% more than second class. Probably the best deal for bus transportation.
• VIP: Like first class but with only 24 seats, all of them reclining and with lots of leg room. Also blue and white but prominently emblazoned with "VIP". Worth the extra expense for long overnight hauls, although you might want to look into discount flights as well.
  • Example fare: 570 baht Bangkok-Chiang Mai.

Generally speaking, BKS buses are the best option for both price and comfort. There are also many private bus companies, who mainly compete on price and are less reliable in terms of amenities, schedules and safety. In particular, beware of non-government "VIP" buses, which may be nothing of the sort. A special subclass is Khao San Road buses, targeted for backpackers and offering cheap travel particularly to Cambodia. These are the slimiest of the lot and you may find that your supposed VIP bus is in fact a cramped minivan — after paying in advance, that is.

Some notes for all buses: The last seats at the back are reserved for monks and you may have to give up your seat if any board. First-class buses, even the overnight VIPs, often have TVs and sound systems blaring Thai soap operas at full blast so bring earplugs if you're planning to sleep.

Talk

The official language of Thailand is, unsurprisingly, Thai. There are dozens of small language groups in the tribal areas of the north, and a couple of places where Thai speakers are few and far between. Just about anyone involved in the travel industry will speak English-- and likely German, French, Italian, and Chinese as well. Thai is a tonal language (think about the difference in your voice when saying "yes." versus "yes?" -- that's tonal.) which can make it tricky for Westerners to learn quickly. Despite this, everyone will appreciate any attempt you do make so pick up a phrase book and give it a go.

Thai script will look like complete gibberish, but most street signs and some shop signs will have roman transliteration (aka "western alphabet") as well. The up side is that, when there is roman script, it will usually be fairly phonetic. For example "Sawadee", or "hello", is pronounced just like it looks: sa-wa-dee. The downside is that no one can really agree on how to transcribe some Thai letters that just don't have a roman equivalent. So Kao Sarn Road might be written as Kao Sahn or Khao San. Make sure to get a map with both Thai and roman lettering. This will help locals help you

Buy

The Thai currency is the baht, which trades around 40 baht to the dollar or euro. Baht comes in coins and bills ranging from 1 - 1000 baht; the 25 and 50 satang coins are rare. The most useful bills are 20s and 100s, as many small shops and stalls do not have a lot of change. Taxi drivers also like to pull the "no change" trick, if caught you can just hop into the nearest convenience store to get change.

ATMs can be found all over large cities such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, but many areas — including smaller islands — won't have a bank you can withdraw money from, so cash or traveler's checks are essential. Many hotels and guest houses will change money if you are staying there, but expect a hefty commission and unfavorable rate. US dollars in small bills (1s, 5s, and 20s) are great to have if you will be continuing on to other countries such as Laos or Vietnam. Almost anyone in Thailand will take dollars in an emergency, but unlike neighboring countries prices are rarely quoted in dollars.

Shopping

Thailand is a shopper's paradise and many visitors to Bangkok in particular end up spending all their time in the countless markets and malls of the capital. Particularly good buys are clothing, both cheap locally produced streetwear as well as fancy Thai silk, and all sorts of handicrafts. Electronics and computer gear are also widely available, but due to heavier import duties they tend to be more expensive than Singapore or Hong Kong.

See also: Electronics and entertainment shopping in Thailand

Sleep

Thailand has a plethora of accommodation in every price bracket.

The cheapest options is guesthouses, which are usually less than 200 baht per night. This gets you a room with a fan, a squat toilet (often shared) and very little else — you will typically have to pay extra even for toilet paper. Always take a look at the room before you pay up.

The cheapest Thai hotels start around 200 baht and go up to around 800 baht. The upper end of this range should be air-conditioned, the lower end will not be. The primary difference to a guesthouse is that your bathroom should be private, bed linen and towels should be provided, and perhaps even hot water. These are often the only practical option if you head sufficiently far off the beaten track.

Tourist hotels are generally around 1000 baht and offer the basics for a beach vacation: swimming pool, room service and color TV.

Business and luxury hotels, 2000 baht and up, offer every modern amenity you can think of and are largely indistinguishable from hotels anywhere in the world. Some, notably Bangkok's The Oriental and The Peninsula are among the world's best hotels. The most luxurious resorts also fall in this price category, with some of the very best and most private adding a zero to the price.

Learn

• Massage
• Cooking
• Thai Language
• Teaching English certification

Work

Finding work in Thailand may be difficult, as wages are poor and a large number of occupations are legally off limits to non-Thais. The two largest industries are teaching English and scuba instruction, but both are very competitive and divemasters in particular are paid a pittance.

Eat

The food alone is really reason enough for a trip to Thailand. Curries, fruit shakes, stir fries, fresh fish made a zillion ways — and that's just the beginning. Food in Thailand can be as cheap and easy as 20 baht phad thai (Thai fried noodles) cooked at a street stall or as expensive and complicated as a $100 ten-course meal by a royal chef served in one of Bangkok's 5 star hotels.

Since most backpackers will be sticking closer to the first than the second, one of the great things about Thailand that food from stalls and tiny sidewalk restaurants is usually quite safe. Unlike some Asian countries, travelers should worry more about overeating or too much curry spice than about unclean kitchens and bad food. In fact, street restaurants, where you can see what you'll get and everything is cooked on the spot (usually in a pool of germ- and diet-killing vegetable oil) can be the safest option.

Thai cuisine

Thai cuisine is characterized by strong spices, especially lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander, the combination of which gives Thai food its distinctive taste. In addition, Thai food has a deserved reputation for being spicy, with hot little torpedo-shaped chillies called phrik phii nuu (lit. "mouse shit chillies") making their way into many a dish. Thais are well aware that these can be more than Westerners can handle and will often ask if you like it hot; answer "yes" at your own risk!

Thai dishes can be roughly categorized into central Thai food (around Bangkok), northern Thai food (from around Chiang Mai, with Burmese and Chinese influence), northeastern Thai food (from the Isaan region bordering with Laos) and southern Thai food (with heavy influences from Malaysia). The following list covers some better-known central dishes; see Isaan for Isaan food, which is widely available throughout the country.

• Tom yam kung is the quintessential Thai dish, a sour soup with prawns and lemongrass. The real thing is quite spicy, but toned-down versions are often available on request.
• Tom kha kai is the Thai version of chicken soup in a rich galangal-flavored coconut stock, with mushrooms and not a few chillies.
• Kaeng daeng (red curry) and kaeng khio-waan (green curry) are coconut-based curries with strong accents of lemongrass and kaffir lime. Red curry can be fiery, the green version is usually milder.
• Phat thai, literally "fried Thai", means thin rice noodles fried in a tamarind-based sauce. Ubiquitous, cheap and often excellent.
• Yam som-oh is an unusual salad made from pomelo (a mutant version of grapefruit) and anything else on hand, often including chicken or dried shrimp.
• Kaprow gai, literally "basil chicken" is a simple but intensely fragrant stirfry made from peppery holy basil leaves, chillies and chicken.

Vegetarian food

Vegetarians won't have too many problems surviving in Thailand, with one significant exception: fish sauce (naam plaa) is to Thai cuisine what soy sauce is to Chinese food, and keeping it out of soups, curries and stir-fries will be a challenge.

That said, Thailand is a Buddhist country and vegetarianism is a fairly well-understood concept, especially among Chinese Thais (many of whom eat only vegetarian food during several festivals). Tofu is a traditional Thai ingredient and they aren't afraid to mix it up in some non traditional dishes such as omelettes (with or without eggs), submarine sandwiches, and burritos. Since Thai dishes are usually made to order, it's easy to ask for anything on the menu to be made without meat or fish. Bangkok features several fantastic veggie and vegan restaurants, but outside of big cities make sure to check that your idea of "veggie" matches the chef's.

Some key phrases for vegetarians:

• phom kin jeh (m) / di-chan kin jeh (f) "I eat only vegetarian food"
• karunaa mai sai naam plaa "Please don't use fish sauce"

Restaurant chains

Thailand has a large number of indigenous restaurant chains offering much the same fare as your average street stall, but with the added advantages of air conditioning, printed menus (often in English) and some semblance of hygiene. All the chains are heavily concentrated in Bangkok, but larger cities and popular tourist spots may have an outlet or two.

• MK and Coca are near-ubiquitous chains specializing in what the Thais call suki, perhaps better known as "hotpot" or "steamboat". A cauldron boils in the middle of your table, you buy ingredients (10-30B a pop) and brew your own soup. The longer you spend, the better it tastes, and the bigger the group you're with, the more fun this is!

• S&P (http://www.sandp.co.th) outlets are a bakery, a cafe and a restaurant all rolled into one, but their menu's a lot larger than you'd expect: it has all the Thai mainstays you can think of and then some, and most all of it is good. Portions are generally rather small, with prices mostly in the 50-100B range.

• Yum Saap (signs in Thai; look for the big yellow smiley logo) is known for their Thai-style salads (yum), but they offer all the usual suspects as well. Quite cheap with mains around 50B.

• Kuaytiaw * (signs in Thai; look for the hungry rat logo) does dirt-cheap noodles with prices starting at 20B. Portions aren't too generous, but at that price you can get two! No concessions to English speakers in menu or taste, so point & choose from the pictures and watch out for the spicier soups.

• Fuji (http://www.fuji.co.th) and Zen specialize in surprisingly passable Japanese food at very cheap prices (at least compared to Japanese restaurants almost anywhere else); rice/noodle mains are less than 100B, and you can stuff yourself full of sushi for less than 500B.

• Black Canyon Coffee (http://blackcanyoncoffee.com/) is Thailand's home-brewed Starbucks, but while coffee is their mainstay they also offer a limited meal menu. Try the chaa yen (lurid orange Thai iced tea with milk).

And yes, you can find the usual McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut etc if you insist. If you do end up at McD's, at least try the un-Maclike fried chicken with McSomTam (green papaya salad).

Drink

Tap water is usually not drinkable in Thailand. Bottled water (น้ำเปล่า naam plao) is cheap and ubiquitous at 5-10 baht a bottle, and drinking water served in restaurants is always at least boiled (naam tom น้ำต้ม). Ice (น้ำ�ข็ง naam kaeng) in Thailand usually comes packaged straight from the factory and is safe; there is only reason to worry if you are served hand-cut ice.

Iced drinks

Coconut water (naam ma-phrao), iced and drunk directly from a fresh coconut is a cheap and healthy way to cool the body - available at restaurants and also from vendors that specialize in fruit juice.

Fruit juices, freezes and milkshakes of all kinds are very popular with Thais and visitors alike. Most cafes and restaurants charge 20-40 baht.

Tea and coffee

One of Thailand's most characteristic drinks is Thai iced tea (ชาเย็น chaa yen, lit. "cold tea"). Instantly identifiable thanks to its lurid orange color, this is the side effect of adding ground tamarind seed (or, these days, artificial color) during the curing process. The iced tea is always very strong and very sweet, and usually served with a dash of condensed milk; asked for chaa dam yen to skip the milk.

Naam chaa and chaa jiin are weak and full-strength Chinese tea, often served in restaurants for free. Western-style black tea is chaa ron (ชาร้อน). Coffee (�า�ฟ kaafae) is also widely available, and is usually served with condensed milk and lots of sugar. Ask for kaafae thung to get traditional filtered "bag" coffee instead of instant.

The Starbucks phenomenon has also arrived in Thailand, but for the moment local competitors Black Canyon Coffee and S&P still have the edge in marketshare. These are the places to look for if you want that triple-maccha latte with hazelnul swirl and are willing to pay 100B for the privilege.

Energy drinks

Thailand is the original home of the Red Bull brand energy drink — a licensed and rebranded version of Thailand's original Krating Daeng (à¸?ระทิงà¹?ดง, meaning "Red Bull"), complete with the familiar logo of two bulls charging at each other. The Thai version, however, is syrupy sweet, uncarbonated and comes packaged in medicinal-looking brown glass bottles, as the target customers are not trendy clubbers, but Thailand's working class of construction workers and bus drivers in need of a pick-me-up. Krating Daeng and its many competitors (including Shark, .357 and the inevitable Karabao Daeng, "Red Buffalo") are available in any convenience store for 10 baht a pop, although in some places you can now buy imported European Red Bull for five times the price.

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol in Thailand, especially if you like Western tipples, is actually comparatively expensive — but still very affordable by Western standards.

Thai whisky

The misnamed Thai whisky (lao) refers to a number of distilled rice liquors, the best known being the infamous Mae Khong ("Mekong") brand and its competitor Saeng Som. The only resemblances to whisky are the brown color and high alcohol content, and indeed many people liken the smell to nail polish remover, but the somewhat rum-like taste is not quite as bad, especially when diluted with cola or tonic water. This is also by far the cheapest way to get blotto, as a pocket flask of the stuff (available in any convenience store or supermarket) costs only around 50 baht.

Out in the countryside many villages distil their own moonshine (lao theuan), which is strictly speaking illegal, but nobody seems to mind very much. Especially when hilltribe trekking in the North you're likely to be invited to sample some, and it's polite to at least take a sip.

Beer

Beer (เบียร์ bia) is a bit of an upmarket drink in Thailand, with the price of a small bottle hovering between 50 and 100 baht in most pubs, bars and restaurants. The largest brands are Singha (pronounced just Sing) and locally brewed Carlsberg, but there is an ever-changing palette of competitors including Chang, Kloster and Leo. Thais like their lagers with relatively high alcohol content (around 6%), so the beer here may pack more of a punch than you are used to.

Imported drinks

Imported liquors, wines and beers are widely available but prohibitively priced for the average Thai. A shot of any brand-name liquor is at least 100 baht, a pint of Guinness will set you back at least 200 baht and, thanks to an inexplicable 340% tax, even the cheapest bottle of wine will set you back over 500 baht. Note that, in cheaper bars (especially the go-go kind), the content of that familiar bottle of Jack Daniels may be something entirely different.

Stay safe

Scams

More a nuisance than a danger, a common scam by taxi and tuk tuk drivers in Thailand is to wait by important monuments and temples and waylay Western travelers, telling them that the site is closed for a "Buddhist holiday". The helpful driver will then offer to take the traveler to another site, such as a market or store. Travelers who accept these offers will often end up at out-of-the-way markets with outrageous prices -- and no way to get back to the center of town where they came from. Always check at the front gate of the site you're visiting to make sure it's really closed.

Avoid any tuk-tuks in Bangkok. Tuk-tuk drivers might demand much higher price than agreed, or they might take you to a sex show, pretending they did't understand the address. (They get commisions from sex shows.) For the same reason, avoid any drivers who propose their services without being asked, especially near major tourist attractions.

Don't buy any sightseeing tours at the airport. If you do, they would phone several times to your hotel in order to remind you about the tour. During the tour, you will be shortly taken to a small temple, without a guide, then they would take you to a shop, and to another shop, and to another shop. (They get commisions.) They might refuse to take you back home until you saw all the shops. On your way back, they would pressure you to buy more tours.

Drugs

Thailand has extremely strict drug laws and your foreign passport is not enough to get you out of legal hot water. Possession and trafficking offenses that would merit traffic-ticket misdemeanors in other countries can result in years-long (or life-long) imprisonment in Thailand.

Civil conflict

Long-simmering resentment in the Muslim-majority southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat has recently (2004) burst into violence. Some of the rebel groups have threatened foreigners, but no attacks against them have yet been carried out. All three provinces are off the beaten track, although the trains to Malaysia do pass through the territory.

Stay healthy

Being a tropical country, Thailand has its fair share of exotic tropical diseases, but malaria is generally not a problem in any of the major tourist destinations. The exception is primarily in rural areas, especially near the remote border areas with Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Respect

Dress

It is best to play it safe with wats and other sacred sites in Thailand. Open-toe shoes, shorts, and sleeveless shirts are definitely not allowed. However remember that you will frequently need to remove your shoes when entering rooms, so don't wear shoes that are slow to get on and off. The rules are even more strict for foreign visitors, so even if you see a local in sandals or shorts it's not OK for everyone. Usually exceptions are made simply because some Thais cannot afford any other clothing.

Men may want to avoid very casual dress: you won't see any Thai men in Bangkok wearing shorts or sarongs unless they are very poor. Your best bet is to just wear the sarong on the beach.

It's hard to find agreement on what dress is conservative enough for women. For sacred sites, some recommend that women wear only full length dresses and skirts; you should at least make sure that your clothing covers your shoulders and your entire thigh and some places may require that you wear ankle-length pants and long sleeved shirts. Women should not go topless on the beach and are often advised to wear a T-Shirt over their swimming gear, although you will find that many women ignore this at the popular beach resorts.

Women

As in many countries, there are slightly different standards of behaviour for women. One of the most important is that Buddhist monks are meant to avoid the temptation of women, and in particular they do not touch women or take things from women's hands. Women should avoid offering anything to a monk to take. Monks will sometimes be aided by a layperson who will accept things from women merit-makers on their behalf.

Cope

Bring an open mind and a sense of humour. Don’t come with too many preconceived ideas about what Thailand is like, as media and friends’ experiences have a habit of distorting reality.

Otherwise, bring as little as possible. If you forget something, you can buy it in Bangkok, probably for less than it originally cost you. Take enough padlocks for every double zipper to stop wandering hands and lock up your sacred belongings, even in your hotel room.

Essentials are a swimming costume, a day pack, a raincoat/umbrella in rainy season and some warm clothes if travelling in October to December, as some areas get cool. You will only need a couple of changes of clothes as you can get washing done anywhere cheaply. Sandals for when your hiking shoes are too hot can be bought cheaply in Thailand, although large sizes for women are harder to come by.

Take snorkelling gear or buy it on arrival if you plan to spend a lot of your time in the water. Alternatively put up a notice looking for gear from someone who is leaving. A tent for camping if you are a national park buff is a good idea, as is a compass. You might like to bring compact binoculars too if wildlife is your thing. A good map of Thailand is also handy.

Take earplugs for when you’re stuck in a noisy room or want to sleep on the bus. Take a mirror for shaving, as often budget places won’t have any. String is very handy for hanging up washing. Travel scrabble can be great. Cigarette papers can be difficult to find, except in tourist centres. Climbing shoes for rock climbing are useful as Thailand has some of the best cliffs in Southeast Asia.

A spare pair of prescription glasses or contact lenses plus a copy of your prescription is a good idea. Bring a book you’re prepared to swap. A personal music player is great as a huge range of cheap music is available everywhere.

Into the toiletries bag throw sun screen and insect repellent. Mosquito coils are also a good idea. A small pocket size torch will come in handy when the electricity goes out or for investigating caves. Condoms, of course. Passport photos come in handy for visas.

If you plan to travel long distances by motorbike, purchase a good quality helmet, which you can do in Thailand. Last but not least, pack your stuff in plastic bags to stop them from getting wet, especially when travelling in the rainy season or on boats.

Aside from the above, the following are essential:

• Passport with minimum 6 month validity left
• Travel insurance
• Blood donor/type card
• Details of your next of kin
• Prescriptions for any medication you require. Most chemists will sell medicine over the counter without a script, but if you are searched by immigration it’s good to be able to show you require what you’re carrying. * A second photo ID other than your passport

Contact

Connectivity in Thailand is generally quite good.

By telephone

If you need to place an international call, you need a prepaid card and a Lenso phone. The cards are available for 300 baht at many convenience stores and guesthouses. The bright yellow Lenso phones are on the street and in many of the places frequented by travellers. You should rarely have trouble finding one unless you are really out in the countryside.

Thailand has three GSM mobile phone providers (AIS [3] (http://www.ais.co.th/eng/), DTAC [4] (http://www.dtac.co.th/) and Orange [5] (http://www.orange.co.th/)), which may be useful if you have a phone that can do international roaming (and you can afford it!). Alternatively, you can buy a prepaid Thai SIM card in any convenience store for as little as 200 baht and charge it up as you go, and if your phone has a SIM lock which would normally prevent this, the wizards at Bangkok's MBK will be happy to solve this for less than 500 baht. If you need to buy a phone, you can pick those up at MBK as well, they also have a huge selection of cheap second hand phones. International rates from a Thai carrier are surprisingly good, DTAC for example charges 10 Baht/minute ($0.25 USD) to call America. Coverage is quite good in Bangkok and many tourist destinations (including resort islands).

By Internet

Internet cafes are big business in any tourist town or city on the mainland. Large islands like Ko Samui and Ko Phi Phi will have plenty of options too. Smaller islands usually have one or two computers near the main ferry docking or in a larger hotel. Price in Bangkok can be as cheap as $0.5 (around 20 baht) for an hour. The smaller the island or the more remote the town, the more expensive, slow, or intermittent the connection.

External links

Tourism Authority of Thailand (http://www.tourismthailand.org/home.php)