What to know before you travel to Thailand

LANGUAGE:

Thai is the official language. English is often not spoken, especially in local areas, so Google Translate is your best friend. You will hear more English in touristy areas, but don't rely on it.

CURRENCY:

Thai baht. 1 EUR = approximately 38 baht (thb), 1 USD = approximately 33.5 baht (THB) Cash is king in Thailand and card is rarely accepted except for in some hotels or in some bigger supermarkets.

❗️Make it a habit to check for nearby ATMs, especially if you're about to travel to a rural area, and make sure to always carry enough cash with you. We made this mistake when visiting Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai, where our cash ran out and it turns out there wasn't a single ATM in the whole national park, so we had to go without dinner and hope that the petrol in our moped would last until the nearest town with an ATM 40 min away the next day. So don't be us. Bring enough cash.

VISAS:

A lot of countries can visit Thailand for 60 days visa free. Check what applies for your country.

SAFETY:

Thailand is generally considered very safe to travel, including for solo female travellers. Seeing Thai people leave helmets and even bags on their scooters outside of shops is not uncommon. Be more aware of pickpockets and scams in tourist areas though.

SIM CARDS:

You can buy physical sim cards in any 7/11. Gigago - https://gigago.com also offers good eSIMs for Thailand, including a 30-days true unlimited data eSIM for around 30EUR.

PACKING GUIDE:

Pack light and breathable fabrics and avoid packing clothing like jeans or things made out of cotton, as it can make you hotter and sweat more.

HOWEVER, make sure to also pack a raincoat, a hoodie and long trousers, especially if you plan on spending time up in the north of Thailand during the winter months. It can get surprisingly cold up there, with night temperatures dropping down to 10°C (50f) in the mountains.

Also, carry your own toilet paper since it's often not available in public toilets.

Always throw toilet paper in the bin, not in the toilet bowl.

AVOID GETTING SCAMMED:

Scams happen mostly in tourist areas and can range from anything like tuktuks and taxis trying to scam you to people telling you a tourist attraction is closed (don't ever listen to them). If renting a moped, always take pictures/a video of the moped before driving away so you have proof of scratches that were already there in case the rental place tries to cause trouble. We didn't encounter this ourselves and checking the reviews on google of a scooter rental beforehand will help.

Also prices for food, fruit and literally anything will most likely be elevated in the main tourist areas (check my price guide to help!).

Outside of the main tourist hubs Thai people are very honest and kind and will not let you overpay, even if you accidentally give them the wrong amount of money.

Tipping culture in Thailand is also not really a thing and tips are not expected.

WATER:

Tap water is not drinkable in Thailand so bring a filter water bottle (like we did!) or if you don't have one, buy a big 5L water bottle and then use reusable water bottles that you fill up.

ILLNESS PREVENTION/VACCINATIONS:

Thailand is a tropical country and apart from the risk of getting a stomach bug from badly cooked or unsanitary food, mosquitos may carry diseases such as Dengue fever. Use mosquito repellent and wear long trousers in the evenings. Check your hotel room for mosquitos and sleep under a mosquito net if you can. Be aware of the symptoms of Dengue Fever.

Rabies proposes a risk too. Immediately seek medical attention if you are bitten or scratched by a dog, cat, monkey (or bat).

Check your local country's recommendations for vaccines for Thailand. I got vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, cholera, typhoid and Japanese encephalitis. Dengue vaccine is generally not recommended unless you have already had Dengue once. Malaria prophylaxis is not generally needed for Thailand (but can be good to bring if you plan on spending time elsewhere where it might be needed! Like the south of Laos).

TRANSPORTATION:

Between cities:

There's good bus connections and relatively good train connections throughout Thailand. Trains are generally very cheap, especially class 3 (which we rode most of the time. It's nice with open windows). Check bus, ferry and train connections on 12go.asia, ask your hotel or just go to the local train/bus station where you are. Quite often there are train and bus connections not shown online, especially if travelling to a less touristy place (and in this case booking in person is often cheaper). 

We often found that a lot of prices were more expensive on 12go.asia, so I recommend asking locally if possible.

Inside cities:

• Grab/Bolt (like Uber): most reliable, you pay upfront. Bolt is potentially slightly cheaper but Grab is most common. Not available on most islands sadly since songthaew taxis have monopoly there.

• Taxi: Traditional taxis are more or less common depending on where you go. ALWAYS only take a metered taxi. If a taxi driver tries to tell you that the meter is broken - get out. They are trying to scam you.

• Songthaew: A songthaew is like a converted van with an open-aired seating area in the back. They're a popular form of transport for locals and are often very cheap. In some cities they're basically used as public transport, such as in Chiang Mai and between Krabi town and Ao Nang Beach in Krabi. However, you will probably also see songthaews used as "taxis" but without a meter. These drivers might try to overcharge you so be careful. Common on islands.

• Bus: Bigger cities might have regular buses too. Bangkok is one of them and the buses are very cheap, although they can be slow. Bangkok also has other unique forms of transport like a metro and a skytrain.

• Tuktuk: A cool experience but often more expensive than both Grab and taxis. Tuktuk scams can sadly be common in tourist areas where tuktuk drivers try to overcharge tourists and trick you into going elsewhere by saying that the attraction you want to visit is closed and ask if they can take you on a tour instead. This is a scam, the attraction is definitely not closed and the tour will only take you to their friends' gift shops where they get a commission. Be firm with where you want to go or take another tuktuk/form of transport.

For exploring:

A lot of the time a moped/scooter will be required to get around and explore outside of cities, especially on the islands. We rented a moped almost everywhere we went and they normally cost around 200-300 baht/day.

Don't worry if you have never ridden a moped before, neither had we. If you can drive a car and ride a bike, you're off to a good start. Before renting your first moped, find somewhere to get quick lessons. There might be some moped rentals that can help. Then practise on quiet roads until you feel confident to try the real roads.

DO NOT sit on a scooter for the first time and instantly hit the road. Scooter accidents happen daily in Thailand.

To legally rent a scooter you will need a driver's license that includes the right to drive a moped, as well as an international driver's license, issued by your home country.

Although many people rent scooters without any of the above and scooter rentals often don't check, you might get fined by the police if they stop you and you could also get into trouble with your travel insurance if you get into an accident without a legal license. Always wear a helmet when riding a scooter.

You obviously don't have to rent a scooter, but it will make exploring hidden gems and visiting islands more complicated and more expensive. You can always ask a private driver/Grab/tuktuk to take you places but it will cost 3 times or more what renting a scooter would. Most Thai islands operate some kind of songthaew taxi monopoly as well where they are the only modes of transport except for scooters. The songthaew taxis are often crazy expensive and charging 200 baht for a 5-minute journey is not beyond them. Therefore exploring islands without a scooter will become very expensive very fast, so unless riding a scooter feels like a definite hard no for you, I would recommend giving it a go.