Things to note when traveling in Thailand:

1. Preparation before traveling

If citizens choose to travel in a group, they must carefully read the itinerary provided by the tour agency before joining the group. For quotations, contracts, etc., select a group with a reasonable quotation, sign a formal contract, and keep the names and contact numbers of the tour group, tour leader, ground agency, tour guide, and the license plate number of the tour bus. Low-priced tours often include shopping and self-paid items, so you should be mentally prepared that "there is no such thing as a free lunch". If a travel dispute occurs, you can complain to the domestic tourism regulatory authorities and safeguard your rights and claims through legal channels.

If you plan to travel independently, you must do all your homework and collect practical information before setting off. Make careful preparations for various emergencies you may encounter. Do not blindly believe in some so-called "strategies" and "Quick Travel Guide".

2. Pay attention when entering and exiting

Foreign citizens entering and exiting a country must have a stamp of approval, otherwise they will be considered as illegal entry, and in addition to paying a fine, in serious cases Yes, they will even "go to court". At the same time, attention should be paid to checking the date of arrival visa to prevent overstay.

Thailand law stipulates that each passenger can purchase 1 carton of cigarettes (200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco) and 1 bottle of wine for personal use when entering Thailand. The excess amount will be taxed by airport customs in accordance with the law. It is recommended that citizens purchase tobacco and alcohol for their own use and not for purchasing on behalf of others. If the amount exceeds the limit, please consciously pay tax to avoid being severely fined by the National Taxation Department after passing customs.

3. Travel safety

1. Traffic safety. Thailand drives on the right and drives left. When crossing the road, look right first and then left. Those who do not hold a Thai local driver's license or an international driver's license are violating the rules and driving without a license when renting or self-driving in Thailand. If you rent a motorcycle or car to drive, you should sign a relevant agreement with the car rental company and do not use your passport as a mortgage for the rental car. When handing over the vehicle, please carefully check the condition of the vehicle and learn about vehicle insurance purchase and other information.

2. Wading safety. There are many leisure activities on Thailand's beaches. You should maintain safety awareness and pay attention to relevant warnings during snorkeling, swimming and other water-related activities. Do not enter the water in strong waves or undercurrents, or in dangerous areas (such as beaches with red flags and other warning signs). Go into the water, let alone go into the water after drinking. Snorkelers should receive simple training and master the use of equipment. Tourists who are elderly or suffer from high blood pressure or heart disease should not blindly enter the water, let alone try exciting rides.

3. Boating is safe. Please choose a regular travel and shipping company. Before signing up, you should find out whether there is travel accident insurance and the scope of claims; if the weather is bad, the wind is high and the waves are strong, you should cancel the trip; obey the instructions of the staff, strictly abide by safety requirements, wear life jackets, and prevent Bumps hurt.

4. Shopping safety. When purchasing valuable goods such as gemstones and high-priced local specialties, be cautious and ask in advance about the conditions and methods for returns and exchanges. If you encounter price fraud, you can contact the Foreign Tourist Assistance Center (TAC) at 0066-02-356-0650, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

1. Can I get a visa on arrival in Thailand?

The answer is yes

The following only discusses the situation of coming to Thailand by plane, which can be roughly divided into two categories: one is group tour, and the other is self-guided tour.

(1) If you travel with a group, whether you have applied for a visa in advance or not, the tour group can help you come to Thailand because it is guaranteed by the company.

(2) If you are traveling by yourself, you will almost never be refused a visa upon arrival here, but if you want to visit for more than 15 days, you still need to apply for a visa in advance. Because the visa on arrival is only valid for a maximum of 15 days, the visa issued in advance is valid for 2 months and can be renewed for another month.

It should be noted that there is also a long queue to apply for a visa on arrival, which may require a long waiting time, and you must fill out a form and attach a photo.

If you have plenty of time to prepare for your trip, you may wish to go directly to Taobao to apply for a Thai visa. This will save you the trouble of queuing up to apply for a visa on arrival, and you will be excited to have fun and stay for an extra ten or eight days. Yes, it can be dealt with completely.

2. How much money do you need to bring to Thailand?

The answer is at least 10,000 baht or its equivalent in foreign currency per person, or at least 20,000 baht or its equivalent in foreign currency per family.

According to the regulations of the Thai Immigration Bureau, foreigners entering Thailand need to carry no less than 10,000 baht (approximately 1,900 yuan) in cash or equivalent foreign currency. The relevant information is available on the website of the Thai Embassy in China illustrate. However, tourists who do not carry this cash do not need to worry. If they are randomly checked, they can withdraw it temporarily at the airport ATM.

Although this is a random check and the chance of winning is very small, it is recommended to prepare in advance. As the saying goes, a poor family has a rich road, so it is more convenient to bring more money with you when you go out to play.

3. Do you want to change some change in advance?

The answer is no

After getting off the plane, everyone must want to go to the city or go to the hotel first. It's best to have change when taking a taxi. The driver may not be able to find large bills, but there are 7-11 convenience stores all over Thailand, so you can change them at any time.

As for changing money, it would be best if you exchanged some Thai baht at home in advance. I can only praise you for being such a good boy. When you go out to play, it’s better to be on the safe side and don’t improvise. If you are too lazy to change in advance, it doesn’t matter. You can withdraw cash or exchange currency at the airport. If you withdraw cash directly from an ATM, there will be a handling fee of at least 50 baht, which is not recommended. If you have enough time, it is recommended to exchange RMB for Thai baht at Superrich at Suvarnabhumi Airport. As far as I know, Thai Superrich has the best exchange rate. The store is open at the airport from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is closed every Sunday. It is located at the lowest level of Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is the level connected to the Airport Express.

4. Do I need to buy insurance in advance when going to Thailand?

The answer is to purchase overseas travel insurance.

Travel insurance is generally low-priced, takes effect quickly, and has high compensation amounts. Since you have decided to go out to play, safety is the first priority. While playing carefully, you must also protect yourself. Don't be afraid to spend hundreds of dollars on insurance.

For example, some children like to rent motorcycles to ride in Phuket and Chiang Mai, but if their driving skills are not up to par, they may easily get into accidents. It is more cost-effective to buy insurance at this time.

5. Is it safe to travel independently in Thailand? What to do if you encounter a tourist trap?

The answer is generally very safe, but you should not relax your vigilance. If you encounter a tourist trap, you can call the tourist police hotline 1155 in Thailand, which provides services in Thai and English; the Chinese service number is 023560583, which is what I asked about when calling the tourist police hotline (you can write it down in advance).

Thailand is a Buddhist country. From my experience of working and living in Thailand for more than a year, most Thai people are gentle, polite and well-behaved. I have heard people tell the story several times about how they forgot to pick up their cell phones at a restaurant, and when they went back to look for them, the phones were still there.

However, just because the general environment is good does not mean that everyone is good. It is recommended that everyone be more careful when going out. If you encounter a scam or tourist trap, report it to the police in time. Here are a few examples for your reference:

(1) Rental trap

In Thailand, some tourists rent sea motorboats that are sometimes deceived in advance. Tourists may be asked for huge compensation by merchants due to tampering or accidental damage during use. This happened to my friend twice. Recently, the military has been cracking down on illegal businesses on the seaside. This phenomenon should be curbed. If you encounter it, please report it as soon as possible.

(2) Jewelry store trap

Although Thai people are quite enthusiastic, and everyone will be eager to help you when you ask for directions, but if someone takes the initiative to strike up a conversation, the so-called attentiveness for nothing, you will probably Be careful. Especially in places like the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, if someone tells you that there is an event today or the Grand Palace is closed, ignore it, otherwise you may be taken to a jewelry store without knowing it.

(3) The trap of buying garlands for the Erawan Buddha

The Erawan Buddha in Bangkok is said to be very spiritual. Many tourists go to worship it in Thailand, and some celebrities also come here because of its reputation. There are many stalls selling garlands and incense near the Erawan Shrine. It is recommended not to buy them because the prices are very high. And if you ask about the price casually, some merchants will directly stuff things into your hands, while some tourists can only buy them.

Remember, when you enter the main entrance of the Erawan Shrine, go straight and there are regular vendors. Generally, a set of items including incense, candles, and garlands only costs about 50 baht.

In addition, there are travel agency scams, massage scams, etc., which are not listed here. In short, everyone should remember a few points: don’t be greedy for petty bargains when traveling, don’t believe those whose prices are too low, don’t believe those who take the initiative to strike up a conversation, and don’t believe those who offer you pie in the sky.

6. Do I need to buy a local phone card in advance when going to Thailand?

The answer is based on a trip of about 7 days. It is most convenient to buy a happy card in advance in China. You can save about 20 yuan compared to buying it in Thailand. This card is basically enough, but you have to find a reliable merchant; if If you have internet speed requirements, you can go to the airport to buy an AIS card. The internet speed is relatively fast, and many islands also have signals, but calling domestically is the most expensive. If you don’t want to spend money, like to check Sina Weibo, and occasionally surf the Internet but don’t make many calls, you can You can get a TrueMove card for free at the airport, but the internet speed is said to be slow. Phone cards from the three major operators can be purchased at Suvarnabhumi Airport, and calls are free. You can recharge at 711 and FamilyMart convenience stores that can be found everywhere in Thailand.

Reason There are three major mobile operators in Thailand - DTAC, TRUEMOVE and AIS. The following are the tariffs of 7-day travel packages of each operator:

(1) DTAC: Taobao Most of the cards sold online are Happy cards with a face value of 299 baht. The average price is around 40 yuan, which includes 100 baht (about 20 yuan) of phone charges, and unlimited 3G Internet access for 7 days. However, the high speed is 42M/s within 1G, and there is a limit above 1G. The speed is 384K/second, which means that if you use the Internet a lot, you may find that the speed becomes slower later, but it is still free. It can be used after inserting the card in Thailand and turning on the phone and waiting for the English activation text message.

DTAC’s 3G standard is WCDMA850MHZ. You need to check whether your mobile phone supports this frequency band. IPhone is no problem.

Charge: Local calls in Thailand are about 1.25 baht/minute; calls to 0040086+domestic numbers are about 1.25 baht/minute (remove the leading 0 for landline calls, such as calling back to Beijing landline: 00400861landline) .

You can see the detailed instructions on the relevant Taobao store pages, which are more detailed than what I said.

(2) TrueMove: This operator distributes SIM cards launched in cooperation with Sina Weibo for free at its outlets at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Includes 20M traffic, 10 baht international long distance call charge, and free refresh of Sina Weibo. The 3G standard is WCDMA850MHZ.

Charge: local calls in Thailand are about 1 baht/minute, calls to 0060086+domestic numbers are about 1.50 baht/minute (remove the leading 0 for landline calls, such as calling back to Beijing landline is 00600861landline), Answers are free. Tourists can apply for a 7-day Internet package after receiving the card. The rate is 249 baht (about 50 yuan), with unlimited 3G Internet access. The speed is 42M/s within 1G, and the speed limit is 128K/s above 1G.

(3) AIS: This operator’s signal in Thailand is said to be the best, and this is the one I use. The 7-day package is 299 baht (about 60 yuan), including unlimited Internet traffic, 1.5G high-speed Internet traffic (speed limit above 1.5G), and 100 baht phone bill. The 3G standard is WCDMA900MHZ.

Charge: local calls in Thailand are 1 baht/minute, calls to 0050086+domestic numbers are about 3 baht/minute, and calls are free.

Note: After you get the card, please read the instruction manual that comes with the card carefully. It is usually in Chinese. Because the operator's rates may change, the specific details should be based on the instruction manual.

7. Is it convenient to buy sunscreen, slippers, beach skirts and other items locally? Is it expensive?

The answer is quite yes.

The reason is that when living in Thailand, items such as sunscreen and slippers are indispensable, and merchants will certainly not miss business opportunities. There are many Boots and Watsons in Thailand, which specialize in selling daily necessities and can be found in general shopping malls, so it is very convenient to buy sunscreen and the price is reasonable. As for slippers, they are also very convenient to buy in Thailand. They are usually found in night markets and sold on the street. Ordinary slippers cost 100 baht per pair, while better ones cost 400 or 500 baht. They are usually flip-flop.

When you go to Thailand, you will find that many people just wear slippers when going out. Thai slippers are very comfortable. I have been wearing this pair for a year and they are still very good, so it is also a good choice to buy a few pairs of slippers to take back home, haha!

As for beach skirts, you can buy them at the night market here. There are many for sale on the beach. They usually cost around two to three hundred baht, which is not expensive. You can also buy a piece of colorful cloth and wrap it around your waist. , I feel more charming.

If you want to go snorkeling, it is recommended that you buy waterproof mobile phone bags, disposable waterproof cameras and diving socks online in advance. I won’t explain the first two. I buy diving socks because sometimes there are sharp stones on the coast, and bare feet are easily injured.

In addition, travel companies will distribute snorkeling masks and return them after use. However, some masks are prone to leaking after being used for a long time. If you are a child with mysophobia, it is recommended to buy snorkeling masks online in advance. Mask set.

8. Is it really necessary to tip everywhere in Thailand?

The answer is to play it by ear.

Reason: Thailand is indeed a tipping country, but it does not mean that tipping is required everywhere. For example, after you finish eating at a restaurant, you should first check whether there is a service charge in the bill. If there is a service charge, you do not need to tip. Also, you don’t need to tip when eating from street vendors. Tipping is not required at fast food restaurants.

So, when do you need to tip? According to my experience, when you go to a restaurant to finish your meal, if the restaurant doesn’t charge the service fee, you just leave 20 baht on the table. When traveling and staying in a hotel, if you want to stay in the same hotel the next day, you can leave 20 baht on the bedside for the waiter who will help you clean the room. When doing Thai massage, you can leave a tip of 50-100 baht after the massage. The masseur will be very happy.