12 Important Things To Know Before Visiting Thailand

More than 30 million people visit Thailand every year and that number keeps growing. Subsequently, the number of articles, videos, and other content about Thailand keeps increasing. You’ll find a lot of articles online with tips for your holiday in Thailand from people who believe they share intimate knowledge about Thailand, when in fact, they barely scratched the surface. Even if you think you know everything you should know before visiting Thailand, this country will still always find a way to surprise you. It might appear Western on the surface but deep down, Thailand is very Asian. It’s quite enigmatic.

I’m not writing this article to tell you how to spend your holiday in Thailand and I don’t claim to be some kind of a travel-to-Thailand guru. You should spend your holiday in Thailand the way you want to. Just keep in mind that Thailand really can be a paradise but it can also be a disappointing place filled with drunk foreigners, tourist scams, and false promises. That’s why you should have an idea of what to expect before you arrive in Thailand (and also know which things you shouldn’t do). Here are some things to know before visiting Thailand.

The Wai Gesture

One of the first thigns to know before visiting Thailand is how to behave when greeted by Wai. Wai is a typical Thai way of saying hello and when approached in this way, always thank and be respectful. It involves joining the palms thus forming a praying-like pose after which you slightly bow. The posture of hands and the depth of bow depends on a social status of the person that you greeting. Mimicking this gesture when it’s proffered to you means thank you very much and shows respect towards the Thai culture It’s pretty easy but it reflects your curiosity about their culture.

Don’t Always Go For Cheap Deals

Being the tourist heaven that it is, a lot of outbound tourist agencies on the internet will offer deals that might seem very cheap at first glance. Even though some of these offers seem more than affordable, the cost of living in Thailand is relatively low and if you’re good at managing your budget, more often than not, you can spend even less if you organize your holiday by yourself. I would also suggest you to.

Avoid All-Inclusive Accommodations

There are so many places in Thailand where you can have mouth-watering, dirt-cheap food and you’ll be missing out if you go for an all-exclusive.
Talking about things to know before visiting Thailand, I have to tell you that an all-inclusive package in Thailand is like a flight to Venice that comes with a car rental. Not only do you not need this but you’ll actually be missing out if you take this offer. Instead, go to the street markets, find a place with no windows and walls, filled with locals, and try it out. You won’t regret it. So, if you ask me, I’d just book a hotel (accommodation is relatively cheap in Thailand) and plan my own meals.

One thing I struggled with in the beginning was the breakfast. Thai people don’t have what you’d call a traditional breakfast. Most of them start their day with a full meal. That’s why traditional breakfasts in Thailand are relatively expensive and tourist-oriented. Many times, my Western breakfast ended up costing more than my lunch. As you’re starting to see…

Dining In Thailand Is Very Different From What You Might Be Used To

First of all, if you want to be polite, you should eat off the spoon, not the fork. Use your fork to push the food onto the spoon.

Next, when you’re dining out with friends, it’s not ’what are you having’ but ’what are we having’. In Thailand, everyone shares the food that you ordered. Before ordering, everyone at the table agrees on a selection of meals to share. It’s awesome because you get to have a mini buffet at the table and you can never regret making a poor meal choice because there are more options. Another thing I noticed in a restaurant was that…

Thai People Are Very Fast-Paced And Expect You To Be Too

This came as a culture shock for me because before coming to Thailand, I spent a year living in India, where things are done in the slowest way possible. I was expecting a similar way of doing things in Thailand too but I was wrong. When I took a little more to make a decision about an order in a restaurant or even at the market I could see the look on the employee’s face. It was kind of embarrassing. Another thing that you should also know about Thais is that…

People Aren’t Used To Standing In Lines

Thai people don’t like standing in lines at all. Instead of queuing up, you’ll see people forming a crowd in many places. And when they absolutely have to line up, they’ll place their shoes in the queue and sit somewhere nearby.

It’s important to stand your ground, avoid arguments, and get used to the lack of personal space and the Thai way of doing things. After all, you are in Thailand and not back home.

The Most Famous Places Can Be The Most Disappointing Ones

If you’re a seasoned traveler, you might not like places like Phuket, Pattaya, and Koh Samui. These are hyper-touristic places that often bring up the worst of Thailand. Such places have zero authenticity, are completely Westernized, and are very expensive. All that is fine but they are being marketed as if they are not. A lot of people come here with high expectations and get disappointed. That’s exactly what happened to me when I visited Phi Phi Island.

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Instead of going for these touristy destinations, get off the beaten track in Thailand and head to the Northeast. The Issan Region which is the least visited region in the country might not have pretty beaches like some other places in Thailand but it’ll give you a real authentic slice of Thailand.

Also, take note that Chiang Mai is not a sleepy mountain town. Maybe it was once upon a time but not anymore. Today, it’s one of Thailand’s largest cities with dense traffic, busy night markets, haze, and a lot of con artists, just like Bangkok. It’s still a pretty town but don’t expect too much. While we’re at the topic of typical touristy things to do, you should also.

Enjoying this post? Then you may also like this list of hidden gems in Bangkok.

Avoid Elephant Rides Or So-Called Sanctuaries With Wild Animals

I know you want to document your exotic trip to Thailand and have a nice picture of you riding an elephant or hugging a drugged tiger. Don’t. Stay away from places that keep wild animals captive and limit their freedoms. You might not be informed but trust me, if you see how these animals are treated “behind the scenes”, you won’t want to have anything to do with these places. If you want to learn more about this, check out one of my previous articles about the truth about riding elephants. And since I’m talking about avoiding things.

Avoid Massage Parlors With “Girls” In Their Name

First-time visitors just can’t get enough of Thai massages and I really can’t blame them. Nothing can help you recover after a long day like a Thai massage and some of the parlors are so cheap, it’s ridiculous. However, you shouldn’t just walk into any massage parlor. If you see a massage studio with names like “Nice Girls” or “Happy Girls”, I would recommend you skip it. That is unless you’re searching for a brothel.

Don’t Trust Taxi/Tuk-Tuk Drivers

I’m not talking about them over-charging you. I think that bargaining before getting into a tuk-tuk is common sense and I shouldn’t even discuss it here. I’m talking about a situation in which you’re walking down the road looking for a tourist attraction you want to visit which you know it’s nearby and a tuk-tuk driver who’s trying to convince you that “the monument is closed today” and that he knows a better place.

The monument isn’t closed 99% of the time. If you agree to go with the driver, they’ll take you to their friend’s jewelry shop, their friend’s boutique, their friend’s souvenir shop, and when they see you’re getting tired, they’ll take you to a restaurant. It’ll be an expensive restaurant and there won’t be any other places to eat nearby. This is one of the most common scams in Southeast Asia. And since I mentioned scams, let me tell you.

How Not To Waste Money At The ATM

In my opinion, one of the most important things to know before visiting Thailand is the fact that ATMs in this country use Dynamic Currency Conversion. In case you didn’t know Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) happens when an ATM machine converts the local currency to the currency you have in your ATM card. That’s why every time you go to the ATM, there will be a pop-up saying “Continue with conversion”. Most foreigners are in a rush when they go to the ATM and they just click O.K. without knowing that they can choose the option “continue without conversion”.

Keep in mind that every time you go ahead with the DCC, you lose 11-12% of the transaction’s value. That’s a huge cost. Every time you go to the ATM to withdraw 10,000 baht you are effectively losing 1,100 baht if you don’t choose the skip option. That’s enough money for food for a week if not more! Do not accept the ATM’s conversion rate. If you want to save even more money.

Consider Visiting Around April

Some people might tell you April is the worst time of the year to visit Thailand. The humidity is ridiculously high which means you might have to pack a few extra items for your Thailand trip but the rainy season still hasn’t started and there aren’t many tourists around. That means everything is cheaper, including the airfare and hotel rates. It’s so cheap that you won’t have to stay in hostels to save money. Talking about hostels.

In Thailand, Every Hostel Is Also A Travel Agency

Well, not in the traditional sense of the word but they can arrange anything you want them to. It’s a great way for them to earn some extra money. Most of them even have restaurants and this makes them a true one-stop-shop. This is great because you don’t have to spend time searching for tourist agencies and planning activities. You can do everything at your hostel. Sure, they’ll charge a small, invisible fee for this service but they’ll never rip you off.

On the other hand, activities such as trekking, snorkeling, diving, rafting, etc. are surprisingly expensive compared to Cambodia, Vietnam (check out some affordable resorts here), and even Malaysia. This can make your trip a lot more expensive, so keep this in mind when you’re planning your budget.

Enjoying this post? Then you’ll surely like this post featuring things I wish I knew before visiting Cambodia and our guide to spending 2 weeks in Cambodia.

Did You Know That The Official Year In Thailand Is 2567?

Since the mid-20th century, Thailand officially accepted the Western New Year as a public holiday but the real Thai New Year happens between the 13th and 15th of April. The festival is called Songkran and the reference point is the birth of Buddha (543 B.C.). This means that currently, it’s not 2018 in Thailand. It’s 2561. This is another good reason to visit Thailand in April. There will be a lot of colorful events, parties, and the most insane water fight you ever saw.

The Best-Dressed Woman In A Given Public Area Is Often A Ladyboy

When talking about things to know before visiting Thailand there are a lot of things that can be said about ladyboys. One of them is that is that the best-dressed woman in a given public area is probably a ladyboy. This is not an insult to Thai women, who by the way are absolutely beautiful. It’s rather a compliment to the styling of ladyboys. My theory about this is as follows: when a guy gets drunk and is looking for some action, he’ll inevitably notice a woman who’s dressed up and approach her. Many drunk foreigners make this mistake and wake up with regrets the next morning.

Know the Significance of Feet

One of the most important thingst o know before visiting Thailand is that feet are perceived to be the lowest part of the body in Thai culture, both literally and figuratively. Exposing the soles of the feet or pointing them towards people and more so towards images of the Buddha or monks is seen as highly disrespectful. This cultural practice typifies the Thai value for respect and it shows hierarchy. Point your feet away from anyone or anything regarded as revered when sitting. On the contrary, sit cross-legged or put your feet behind to be polite and demonstrate cultural awareness.

Beware of Tourist Scams

Tourist scams are one of the concerns that tourists should be aware of worldwide, and Thailand is no exception in that. Often mentioned scams are overpriced taxi fares, gem sales and guided tours which are either significantly overpriced or underdeliver. To sidestep these traps, carry out your research well, agree on prices beforehand and seek professional and reliable companies for tours and activities. Knowing and being wary will ensure your experience in Thailand is pleasant and real.

Haggle With Respect

Being aware about haggling is one of the first things to know before visiting Thailand. Bargaining is commonly practiced in Thai markets and some retail outlets which are regarded as part of the shopping experience. Consequently, do bargain pleasantly and with respect. Beginning below what you’re prepared to pay, and then increasing it little by little, is a standard approach. Recall, though, the objective is to settle on an agreeable price, not to lowball the provider. Nicely successful negotiation displays comprehension of the local customs and is fun, cultural experience.

Observance Of Quiet Hours Within Residential Precincts

Speaking of things to know before visiting Thailand, you should know that Thai culture respects harmony and other people’s silence. Home areas, in particular late in the evening or early in the morning, one should not grow noise. This comprises of whispering, muting the music, and refraining from clamorous actions. Observing these quiet periods shows compassion towards the neighbourhood community which creates a pleasant atmosphere for everyone present.

Toilet Paper Etiquette

Like in many other parts of Southeast Asia, the sanitation system of Thailand cannot take toilets that have been flushed. Contrary, used toilet paper must be discarded in the bins which are next to the toilet. This exercise avoids further drainage issues and is a sign of courtesy to the local infrastructure and environmental considerations. Taking up this matter with regards to Thai sanitation practices falls in the category of the duties of a judicious and responsible visitor.

Insect Repellent is Essential

Considering Thailand’s tropic climate, mosquitoes and other insects are common, especially in rural and forest lands. The usage of insect repellent is vital to stop diseases like dengue fever, Zika virus, and malaria. Regularly using repellent, dressing in long-sleeved clothing in the evenings and sleeping under mosquito nets in affected areas can largely decrease the risk of illnesses that spread through insect bites. This precaution is just a simple though an effective way of ensuring that your health and comfort are taken care of while you are with us.

When Visiting Temples, Make Sure You Dress Appropriately

This list of things to know before visiting Thailand couldn’t be complete withotu a few words about temples. Going to temples in Thailand is much more than a tourist entertainment, it is an opportunity to get acquainted with the religion of the country. Proper dressing is an indication of respect towards the faith and its followers. Shoulders and knees must be covered as well as the clothes should be moderate and not be revealing. This dress code is applicable to the males and females. Several temples provide rental sarongs in their entrance if you do not abide by the dress code for visitors letting you get involved in the cultural experience on a par and respectfully.

Avoid Touching People’s Heads

Another one of the things to know before visiting Thailand is that the head is the most sacred part of the body in Thai culture, it is the spirit and person soul. If touching someone’s head is meant as a friendly gesture, it could still be seen as encroachment and disrespectful. This also comprises tapping the baby on the head which might be taken by others as a sign of affection, but is probably improper in Thai culture. Followership and familiarity with such cultural norm bring out respect for the Thai cultural beliefs and norms.

Don’t Say A Single Word About The King

Questions about the history of Thailand will be welcome and lead to a nice conversation but do not interject your own opinion about the royalty, even when someone asks you about it. In Thailand, there are defamation laws against speaking or even writing improperly about the royal family. The royal family united the country through multiple difficult political situations in the past and they are seen as their own family by Thai people.

A Few More Things To Know Before Visiting Thailand

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Did you ever visit Thailand? What do you think about this guide to visiting Thailand on a budget? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Have you ever been to Thailand? Do you think there are some more things to know before visiting Thailand that are worth mentioning? Did you like my list of things I wish I knew before visiting Thailand? Let me know in the comments!