Travel & Accommodation : About Thailand

Situated the heart of Southeast Asia, the Kingdom of Thailand is a natural gateway to Indochina,Myanmar and Southern China.

Its is divided more or less naturally into four natural regions: the mountains and forests of the North; the rice fields of the Central Plains; the semi arid farm lands of the Northeast plateau; and the long coastline and coastal islands of the Southern peninsula.

Thailand’s neighbors are Myanmar to the west and north, Laos to the north and northeast, Cambodia to the southeast and Malaysia to the south.

The country consists of 76 administrative provinces or changwat each of which is divided into districts or amphoe, sub-districts or tambon and villages, mu ban. Appointed provincial governors administer all the provinces save one, Bangkok, where the Bangkok Metropolitan administration is headed by an elected governor.

Bangkok is the capital city and centre of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. It is also the seat of Thailand’s revered Royal Family. Thailand Rama IX, the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty, the present king. His Majesty is recognized as Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Upholder of the Buddhist religion and Upholder of all religions.

Parliaments are composed of two houses the House of Representatives and the Senate, both representatives and senators are elected by the people. A prime minister elected from among the representative leads the government. The National Flag is in horizontal red, white, and blue stripes symbolizing the nation, Buddhism, and the monarchy.

The people of Thailand are 80% Thai, 10% Chinese, 3% Malay. The remainders are ethnic communities such as Mon, Khmer and several small hill-tribes. Historically, the area has been a migratory crossroads, and this accounts for much of its ethnic diversity. Integration is such, however, that the country is firmly united culturally and socially. Buddhism is by far the most important religion with 95% of the population. Four per cent of Thais are Muslim with one percent Christian and other faiths.

Spoken and written Thai is largely incomprehensible to the casual visitor. English is widely understood especially in Bangkok where it is probably the major commercial language. English and some European languages are spoken in most hotels, shops and restaurants in major tourist destinations, and road and street signs are in both Thai and English throughout the country.

Thailand enjoys a tropical climate with three distinct seasons – hot and dry from February to May with average temperatures of 34 degrees Celsius and 75% humidity; rainy with plenty of sunshine from June to October, average daily temperature 29 degrees Celsius and 87% humidity; and cool from November to January. Temperatures then range from 32 degrees Celsius to below 20 degrees Celsius and with a drop in humidity. At night, much lower temperatures are experienced in the North and Northeast. The South has a tropical rainforest climate with temperatures averaging 28 degrees Celsius almost all year round.

The Thai unit of currency is the baht, divided into 100 satangs. Notes are in denominations of 1,000 (grey), 500 (purple), 100 (red), 50 (blue), 20 (green) and 10 (brown) baht. There are also coins of 25 satang, 50 satang, 1 baht and 10 baht.

The electric current is 220 volts AC (50 cycles) throughout the country. Many different types of plugs and sockets are in use and travelers with electric showers, hair dryers, tape recorders and other appliances should carry a plug adapter kit. The better hotels will provide 110-volt transformers.

Tap water is clean, but drinking it directly is not advisable. Bottled water is recommended WEIGHTS & MEASURES. The metric system is used throughout Thailand and numerals on speedometers, highway makers and speed limits are all in kilometers.

Light, cool clothing advisable, and a jacket may be needed for formal meeting and dining in top restaurants. Shorts (except knee length walking shorts), sleeveless shirts, tank tops and other beach-style attire are considered inappropriate dress when not actually at the beach or
in a resort area.

The time in Thailand is seven hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+7 hours GMT)

Most commercial concerns in Bangkok work a five-day week, usually from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Government offices are generally open between 8.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. with a noon to 1 p.m. lunch break. Monday to Friday from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. except on public holidays. Many stores are open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Thailand’s small service is reliable and efficient. Major hotels provide basic postal services on their premises. Provincial post offices are usually open from 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

• At present, home telephone numbers for local and long distance calls within the country have nine digits while mobile phone numbers have 10 digits.
• Bangkok calls are prefaced by the number 02. For provincial calls an area code is added to the existing numbers. For example, area code for Chiang Mai is 053 followed by the number. The area code for Phuket is 076 followed by the number.
• The international, dialing code for Thailand is 66. When making international calls to Thailand, add 66 and omit the leading 0. When making international calls to Thailand, add 66 and omit the leading 0. When making international calls from Thailand, first dial 001 then the country code, area code and the telephone number.
• For calls to Laos or Malaysia there is a special code which is charged at a semi domestic rate.
• When calling Laos, first dial 007+856+are code+telephone number.
• When calling Malaysia, first dial 09+06+area code+telephone number.
• For direct assistance, call 1133 for local numbers, 100 for overseas.
• MOBILE PHONES
• On December 1, 20006, mobile phones in Thailand changed from a 9 digit to a 10 digit system.
• Mobile phone numbers begin with 01, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08 and 09. With the new 10 digit system users of all mobile phone systems must now dial the prefix 08 followed with the existing numbers. For example the number 01 123 4567 changes to 081 123 4567 and 09 123 4567 changes to 089 123 4567.

• Central Emergency (Police, Ambulance, Fire): 191
• Highway Patrol: 1193
• Crime Suppression: 195 or 0 2513 3844
• Tourist Police (English, French and German spoken): 1155
• Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Call Centre: 1672
• Immigration Bureau: 0 2287 3101-10

A Subscriber Identity Module Card (SIM Card) is available for Thai and foreign customers whose work requires travel. 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.

• The Monarchy: Thai people have a deep traditional reverence for the Royal Family and a visitor should be careful to show respect for the King, the Queen and all members of the Royal Family.
• Religion: Visitors should dress neatly at all places of worship. They should not wear skimpy tops or shorts or any revealing clothing.
• It is acceptable to wear shoes when walking around the compound of a Buddhist temple but not inside the chapel where the principal Buddha image is kept. Each Buddha image, even if it is a ruin, is a scared object. Never climb onto one to take a photograph or do anything, which might indicate a lack of respect.
• Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by women and they may not accept anything directly from a woman’s hand. When a woman wishes to make an offering to a monk she must first hand it to a man and he will present it.
• Thais do not normally shake hands when they greet one another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called wai. Generally a younger person will wai an elder, who will return the greeting but even casual acquaintances wai politely when they meet.
• Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body literally and figuratively. One should never touch a person’s head and should take care not to point the feet the lowest part of the body at anyone or anything. Shoes should be removed when entering a Thai home.
• Public displays of affection between men and women are more common today but still frowned on.

• Beware of unauthorized people who offer their services as guides! For all tourist information, contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tel: 1672. For information about Bangkok, contact the Bangkok Metropolitan Tourist Bureau, Tel: 0 2225 7612-4.
• Observe all normal precautions regarding personal safety and the safety of your belongings. Walking alone on quit streets or deserted areas is not recommended. Be sure that all your valuables, money, jewelry and airline tickets are properly protected from loss. Visitors needing assistance should call the Tourist Police, Tel: 1155.
• While walking in the city, put food wrappers or anything you wish to discard into a waste bin. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is enforcing anti-litter regulations to keep the city clean and tidy. Fines will be imposed on anyone caught spitting, throwing away cigarette stubs or drops litter in public places.
• Penalties for drug possession are very severe in Thailand.
• Never buy any products made from wild animals including reptiles like snakes or monitor lizards,
or turtle shells and ivory. Avoid local restaurant serving wild animal delicacies, as killing wildlife for food is illegal in Thailand.

Tipping is not standard practice in Thailand, although it is becoming so. Most larger hotels and
restaurants add a 10% service charge to the bill. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip, but the gesture is always appreciates. A tip of 20-50 baht is acceptable for porters.

Fixed prices are the norm in department stores, but at most other places bargaining is to be expected. Usually you can obtain a final price of between 10-40% lower than the asking price. Much depends on your skill and he shopkeeper’s mood, but remember that Thais appreciate a sense of humor. With patience and a smile, you will not only get a better price, but you will also enjoy making a purchase. Providing you have the time, it is best to shop around at different places selling the kind of items you want before making a final decision.

Most shops are experienced at shipping overseas and will attend to all necessary documentation such as insurance, customs and permits. The Central Post Office also offers a parcel wrapping services for those who want to make small shipments themselves. For larger items bulk shipments you will need to contacts a specialist shipping company.

Visitors entering the Kingdom on tourist visas are entitled to refunds of the 7% value-added tax (VAT) paid on goods purchased at shops and department stores displaying a VAT Refund for Tourists sign. The refund may be claimed on purchases amounting to 5,000 baht or more. Tourists will received a form PP10 when purchases of 2,000 baht or more are made at the same store on the same day.

Before checking in at an international airport (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket, U-Taphao), visitors must show their purchases, with the completed PP10 form and tax invoices to the Customs officer for inspection. Refunds may be in the form of a bank draft or credited to a credit card.

Two of the VAT Refund Officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport are located on concourse D, Gate D1-D4 and D5-D8, 4th Floor. The Customs Office is at the Passenger Terminal, 4th Floor, behind check-in, Row H near Gate 4th.

For more information, contact the VAT Refund Tourists Office
Tel: 0 2272 9388, 0 2272 8195-8 or visit www.rd.go.th/vat/engindex.html

For More Information Please Visit www.tourismthailand.org