Getting immunised for a trip anywhere other than in the Western World is always advised. Personally, I did not have any vaccinations for my trip to Thailand and was absolutely fine – but if you air more on the side of caution, it might be worth reading this website. But don’t let it scare you – staying to Thailand’s many tourist areas is easy, just follow the white faces & blonde hair!
Thai people speak Thai (d’uh!) Respect them by saying Thank you: ‘khob-kun-Ka’ if you are a woman and ‘khob-kun-Krub’ if you are a man. Generally just uttering ‘Kraab’ or ‘Kaab’ whilst smiling seems to work. Just be friendly, they are gentle people who are happy you are there. The literacy rate is high at about 94% and the average Thai local will usually have a good grasp of English – so feel confident that they’ll know what you mean. For a more detailed look at how to speak thai, please see here.
Thailand’s food is stunning. It’s simple, cheap and spicy! But they will dull the flavours down for the tourists sometimes at your request. The food on the street carts is best, local produce made by local people following family recipes, you can’t beat that. They also have expensive restaurants serving basically the same food but for inflated prices, we tended to avoid this. Many places around the world try to copy the Thai-style, but this is the genuine article! For more info see here and here.
Transport between venues in always avaialble, Tuk Tuk drivers will be happy to pick you up and drop you off for a minimal fee. Taxi’s can also be arranged easily. The roads can get quite busy but don’t let that put you off. Thailand’s bus system is really good and daily travels from Bangkok to Phuket, we paid only £2 to travel for 3 hours from Koh Lak down to Phuket. Great info found here.
Thai people are naturally friendly – a mix of constant sunshine and a simple life gives them reason to be happy all the time! Thailand for this reason is called ‘The Land of a thousand smiles’. The country has a population of about 59 million, with some 6.7 million of these people living in the Bangkok area. Approximately 75% of the citizenry are ethnic Thais, 14% are Chinese, and the remaining 11% are mostly Indian. Thai people are very religious and mainly follow the Bhuddist faith. They generally will bow to you as they greet you, it’s customary to bow back but usually a big smile will do!
Traveling to Thailand does not require you to have a specific visa, this is taken care of during your flight and upon arriving in Thailand, so there is no reason to worry. Visitors who arrive in Thailand without a visa will be granted a 30 day stay if they have proof of onward ticket and adequate funds.
Copyright © 2011 Craig Philips, iPhaze.com. All rights reserved.
