Thailand is located in South-East Asia, in a tropical area. It shares its borders with Myanmar (former Burma), Laos and cambodia, in the North, and Malaysia, in the South.
Thailand covers 514 000 Skm and hosts about 65 millions people. It counts around 805 km from East to West and 1 770 km from North to South.

Thailand is mostly known to be a paradise for tourists, its more than 2500 kilometers of coast, in addition to its numerous heavenly islands actually attract more and more of them every year. And tourism is indeed one of the most important ressources of the Kingdom.


You can see above the Map of thailand with the localization of all main Tourist areas.

Just click on the place of your choice, to access to the concerned page and check our guide of the area or choose your hotel in Thailand.

For each destination, in addition to the hotel listing tab, you will find a tab for the guide of the area and a tab for the map of the area (with an interactive detailled map), where a Google Map™ is displayed with all points of interest and all hotels at their actual locations.


For more information on the use of the Google Map™, the browsing on this site and the various options which are available, check our accessibility page where you will find different help sections explaining how to fully enjoy all the functionnalities of this site.

Fore even more information about Thailand you can check our useful links page.

Passport and visas formalities to enter Thailand

To enter Thailand or to get a visa, your passport must have a minimum of six months validity left from your entry date.

If you stay less than 30 days.
You don't need a visa (for most European countries, USA and Australia). You will get a minimum 30 days free stamped visa on arrival at the airport or at the border if you arrive by road. With this type of visa, you can only get a 7 day extension.

If you expect to stay more than 30 days.
You'll have to get a visa from a Thai embassy or consulate anywhere in the world. You can easilly get a 2 month tourist visa with two entries, which means you can actually stay 6 months in Thailand : after 2 months, you get one month extension at the immigration office, then, after this extra month, you'll have to get out of Thailand to do a "visa run" (you simply cross the border to get a stamp on your passport and come straight back in) and get the two remaining months more on your visa. Finally, you can apply for your last month extension later at the immigration office.

Visa extension.
You can get Visa extension from any immigration bureau in Thailand. Each time, you will have to provide 2 photos, your passport with your current visa, fill in a form and pay 1,900 Baht. You will get between 7 days to one month extension, depending on your initial visa. Most Immigration bureau are open Monday to Friday, from 08.30 am. to 4.30 pm.

Get a new visa, VISA-RUN.
When you can not get extension anymore and you still wish to stay in Thailand, you'll have to make your way to a border to leave the country and come right back to get a brand new visa. Many agencies organize "Visa-Run" from everywhere in the kingdom, all included.

Warning, this kind of extension through a pedestrian border cross does not garanty that you will get a new 30 day visa, as it seems that time to time, only transit visas (15 days) are delivered if you make a too quick in and out at a border.

You can check all official information about Thai visa straight from the web site of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand, where you will even be able to Download Application for Visa Form.

Bangkok, center of Asia

If you are flyin to Asia, you will certainly arrive in Bangkok, whether you want to visit Thailand, or just want to visit a border country of Thailand...

Many companies have direct flights to Bangkok from all capital cities of Europe. Thai Airways is the Thai national company and covers numerous city in the whole world.
If you wish to travel for the cheapest fare in the best conditions possible, we warmly advice companies of the Persic Gulf (Etihad Airways is a very good deal...) wich offer a great service on board and around 2 hours transit maximum, at excellent air fares.
For a list of airlines leaving from and coming to Thailand and domestic airlines, check the International and domestic airlines tab of our useful links page.

Travel in Thailand

It is very easy to travel in the kingdom. Many connections exist by plane as well as train, gouvernement bus, private minibus or limousines... You will never be lost in Thailand, Thai people handle tourist business very well and it is really simple to get ticket for the destination of your choice with the mean of your choice in any travel agency everywhere in Thailand.

The Plane is the fastest mean but also the most expensive, but there are now many low-cost companies (Nok Air, 1,2 Go, Air Asia...) offering affordable tickets to many destinations in Thailand and around. Koh Samui still remains the most expensive destination in Thailand, as it is a private airport owned by Bangkok Airways and no other company does land there, except Thai Airways, since 2008, but only for 2 flights a day, compared to the 17 flights of Bangkok Airways...

The train is the second safest way to travel in Thailand, the network covers all the territory, tickets are cheap and the travel typical. Comfortable sleepers are available for night trips.

If you travel on a short budget, the bus will be the solution you will choose. Many private companies run Deluxe coaches or minibuses to all main cities of Thailand. VIP buses (24 seats half-sleeper) go to Chang Mai and down to the beaches of the South (Pukhet, Krabi, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan...) during the night.
Warning, nevertheless, be aware that the cheapest you will pay the ticket, the more risk you will have to be stolen during the trip...

The climate in Thailand

Thailand is a tropical country and it is hot all year long. You will not need to bring big jackets or wool jumpers in you bags...
Nevertheless, there are better times than others to come visit Thailand, depending on where and when you are travelling.

Weather in Thailand Mainland



There are basically 3 seasons in Thailand :
The Cool season : from November to February. It is the best period to travel in Thailand, you will get sunny days but not too hot and, most important, very few rain.
The Hot season : from March to June. The weather is more and more hot, and rainy showers occur more often, especially around June.
The Rain season : from July to October. The Western monsoon is reaching Thailand and you will get more rain. While the monsoon is not that hard in the north (rain showers followed by the sun) it can be very hard on the east coast in the Andaman Sea where it can rain for days without any sun beams. Some place are even closed at that time in Koh Lanta or Koh Lipe.

Weather in the Gulf of Siam



If the weather is similar in all the country, the islands in the Gulf of Siam (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao) do not exactly have the same weather, as they are submitted to the Eastern monsoon and not the western one :
The Cool season : from mid-December to April. It is the best period to travel in the Gulf of Siam, you will get sunny days but not too hot and, most important, very few rain.
The Hot season : from May to September. The weather is more and more hot, and rainy showers occur more often, especially around July-August, due to the Western monsoon reaching the mainland.
The Rain season : from October to mid-December. The Eastern monsoon is reaching the Gulf of Siam and you will get more rain, it can be very hard staying on the islands where it can rain for days without any sun beams.

The money in Thailand is the THAI BAHT (THB). The highest Bill is 1000 bahts and you will find 500, 100, 50 and 20 bahts bills.
The Baht is divided in 100 satangs. You will find coins of 10, 5, 2 and 1 baht, as well as tiny coins of 10, 25 and 50 satangs. Nevertheless, you have to be aware that satangs are accepted (and given back as change) only in international brand super and hyper markets, while smaller shop won't accept them and will make a round count or expect 1 coin of 1 baht and refuse 2 coins of 50 satangs...
You have below the current rate for all main currencies (with their ISO code) as of today's rate according to the European Central Bank (ECB):

1 EUR → 40.022 THB	1 USD → 31.184 THB	1 JPY → 0.369 THB
1 BGN → 20.463 THB	1 CZK → 1.62 THB	1 DKK → 5.376 THB
1 EEK → 2.558 THB	1 GBP → 48.034 THB	1 HUF → 0.141 THB
1 LTL → 11.591 THB	1 LVL → 56.488 THB	1 PLN → 10.127 THB
1 RON → 9.352 THB	1 SEK → 4.297 THB	1 CHF → 30.685 THB
1 NOK → 5.073 THB	1 HRK → 5.494 THB	1 RUB → 1.016 THB
1 TRY → 20.705 THB
1 AUD → 28.396 THB	1 BRL → 18.09 THB	1 CAD → 29.513 THB
1 CNY → 4.583 THB	1 HKD → 4.012 THB	1 IDR → 0.003 THB
1 INR → 0.669 THB	1 KRW → 0.027 THB	1 MXN → 2.39 THB
1 MYR → 9.997 THB	1 NZD → 22.359 THB	1 PHP → 0.699 THB
1 SGD → 23.172 THB	1 THB → 1 THB	1 ZAR → 4.32 THB

Electricity
Electricity in Thailand is 220 Volts. Bring your own transformer if you have supplies requiring 110 volts like in the USA.
The Thai plugs accept Thai format (flat plugs) as well as the Japanese and European (but british) format, so you won't need an adaptor.

Phone and mobile phones
Public Phones for local and international calls are widely available everywhere in the Kingdom, you can also phone abroad from most travel shops and hotels.

But, nowadays, due to the very attractive mobile phone market, most of the travellers do not rely anymore on public or fixed line pay phones, they rather buy a Thai Sim card (which you can put in your own mobile or just buy one of the cheap ones here) from the many shops in the country. Then, you just buy prepaid card of 50 to 300 bahts at any supermarket to refill your account.

Using special international network can also help you save money, as it will cost you from 7 to 9 bahts only per minute, if you use the 009 or 008 instead of the standard and much more expensive + or 001 to reach the international network !

If you have a 3G connection with your phone, do not be surprised if you find the access slower than in your home country, indeed, you will use the standard EDGE (or GPRS) network, and not the 3G, as the standard 3G system at 2100Mhz is not freed in Thailand, all communications providers have then developed their own 3G system using the 1800Mhz or 900Mhz available bands (but not recognized as 3G by your mobile)... To make a long story short, these 3G access are mostly used to offer High speed internet access to laptop using USB modems, rather than to offer 3G access through your Iphone.
Rumors arrive every years telling that Thailand will be fully covered by 2100 Mhz 3G before the end of the year, but it is the same rumor since 2008, and nothing has moved since then...

Internet and Wi-Fi
Internet café with ADSL are widely available in the country and you won't have any problems to get connected and check your Emails or the results of your favorite football team.

If you travel with a Wi-Fi device (laptop, Ipad, Ipod Touch, Iphones, etc....) you will have the opportuniy to use them in most of the internet café as well, but moreover, many restaurants in touristic places offer free wifi access to their customers.
Many hotels and holiday villas also offer wifi access (straight from the rooms, or in the lounge). Most places will not charge you for the wifi access while some other will sell vouchers for the use of the wifi.

Public Holidays in Thailand

1st January	New Year	10th May	Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day
Mid-January	(2nd Saturday), Children's Day	May Full Moon	"Visahka Puja", Buddha day, holiday for the birth of Buddha
16th January	Teachers' Day. Schools are closed	July Full moon	Buddha days, 2 days off, the full moon party is delayed for 2 days
Mid Jan-Mid Feb	Chinese New Year	12th August	Birthday of the actual Queen Sirikit, alcohol prohibited. Also Mother's Day
February Full Moon	"Magha Puja", buddha day, everybody go to the temple, no alcoholic beverages	23rd October	Remembrance of the dead of Rama V, the most loved King of Thailand with the actual one, Rama IX
6th April	Chakri Day, for the King Rama I, the first King of the Chakri Dynasty	November Full Moon	"Loy Krathong" festival. every Thai people put a "Krathongs" on the waterways to honor the spirits of the water - NOT a holiday, just celebration
13th to 15th April	"Songkran", Thai New Year. It's the water festival, for good luck, everybody throw water at each other	5th December	Birthday of the King Rama IX, alcohol prohibited all day
1st May	National Labour Day	10th December	Constitution Day
5th May	Anniversary of the coronation of the current King Bhumipol (Rama IX)	31st December	Last day of the Year

Thai language might sound difficult to most westerners, due to its tone rules. Nevertheless, it is not that hard to learn the basics, as most words are mono-syllabics (only one syllab), so very easy to remember and with a bit of practice you will soon be able to speak thai and have small conversation with locals.
There are numerous books to learn Thai in most of Thailand Bookshops and if you like foreign languages, Thai people will be very happy to see a Farang speaking their mother language.
If you want to experiment different relationship with locals and need Thai basics, here are some basic Thai words and Thai expressions for the everyday conversation:
The first word you definitely need to learn is FARANG which means literally FOREIGNER, you will hear this word everywhere you will go in Thailand...

ENGLISH	THAI	ENGLISH	THAI
Hello Goodbye (barely used) Yes No Thank you That´s nothing, it is Ok Sorry	Sawadee Laa Kawn Chaï Mai chaï Kop kun Mai pen raï Kow Tot	How are you ? I am fine, thanks What is your name ? My name is... Where are you from ? I am from... See you soon	Sabai dee maï ? Sabai dee Kun cheu araï ? Cheu ... Ma jak Tee Naï Ma jak ... Pop kan maï
Where do you go ? I go to ... Where is the ... ? the... is here here there this that	Paï naï ? Paï ... ... you tee Naï ? ... you tee Nee Tee Nee Tee Non. A-nee A-non	Do you Have ... Yes I have No, I haven´t How much is this ? this is ... bahts Just wait I come back Where are you coming from ?	Mee ... Maï Mee Mai Mee A-nee Tao laï ? A-nee pen ... bahts Dio Dio Klaap Ma Pai naï ma ?

You have to notice that you should add "Krap" (if a man is speaking) or "Khaa" (if a woman is speaking) at the end of each sentence as a mark of politeness.
i.e: you should say "Sawadee Krap, Sabai de mai, Krap ? instead of "Sawadee, Sabai dee mai ?. To make a long story short, consider using Krap or Khaa as you will use "sir" in proper british language.