Thailand Travel Information

Thailand Travel Information

General Information

Climate

Thailand enjoys a tropical climate with 3 distinct seasons - hot from March to May, wet from June to September, and cool from October to February. The average annual temperature is 28°C (83 F). In Bangkok the temperature ranges from about 30°C in April to about 25°C in December.

What to wear

Light, loose cotton clothing is best. Nylon should be avoided. Sweaters are needed during the cool season evenings or if visiting mountainous areas or national parks. Jackets and ties are required in a few restaurants and nightclubs. Neat clothing is required for entering temples or palaces.

Visiting temples

Always take your shoes off before entering a temple building and leave them outside. Dress respectfully - do not, for example, wear shorts, open shirts or revealing clothes. On entry it is polite to show respect to the Buddha and monks by placing palms of hands together, as if praying and bowing. Sitting is usually on the floor so sit in a way so your feet point away from the Buddha and the monks. Ideally sit with your legs tucked under you to one side. You should never try to shake hands with or touch a monk. If you offer food or a gift to a monk, he will offer you a cloth on which to place the offering. Never touch a Buddha image in a temple. Always ask permission before taking photographs.

Local time

GMT + 7 hours (BST + 6 hours)

Business hours

Most offices open from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, except on public holidays. General banking hours are Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 3.30 pm. Many stores open 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Currency

There are 100 satangs in 1 baht. (B=baht) Notes are issued in denominations of B1000 (grey), B500 (purple), B100 (red), B50 (blue), B20 (green), and B10 (brown). There are 10, 5 and 1 baht coins, and 50 and 25 satang coins. Most foreign currencies and traveller cheques are easily changed at banks, hotels or money-changers. All major credit cards are widely accepted throughout the Kingdom.

Electricity

The electric system is 220 Volt AC (50 cycles). There are many plugs and sockets in use. Travellers with shavers, tape recorders and other appliances should carry a plug-adapter kit. 

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Travel Tips

Visas

Official visa information is available on website www.thaiconsul-uk.com

Tipping

Tipping is not a usual practice in Thailand although it is becoming more common. Most hotels and restaurants add a 10% service charge to their bill. Taxi drivers do not require a tip, but the gesture is appreciated.

Bargaining

Fixed prices are the norm in department stores, but at most other places bargaining is to be expected. Generally, you can obtain a final figure of between 10-40% lower than the original asking price. Much depends on your skills and the shopkeeper's mood. But remember, Thais appreciate good manners and a sense of humour. With patience and a broad smile, you will not only get a better price, you will also enjoy shopping as an art.

Language

Thai is a tonal language belonging to the group of Ka-Tai languages. The five tones are monotone, low, falling, high, and rising. This can be a rather complicated language for the visitor; however, English is quite widely understood, particularly in Bangkok where it is almost the major commercial language.

Do's and Don'ts

The Monarchy

Thai people have a deep, traditional reverence for their Royal Family, and a visitor should be careful to show respect for the King, the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.

Religion

Visitors should dress neatly in all religious shrines. They should never go topless, or in shorts, hot pants or other unsuitable attire. It is acceptable to wear shoes when walking around the compound of a Buddhist temple, but not inside the chapel where the principal Buddha image is kept. Each Buddha image, large or small, ruined or not, is regarded as a sacred object. Never climb onto one to take a photograph or do anything which might indicate a lack of respect. Buddhist monks are forbidden to touch or be touched by a woman, or to accept anything from the hand of one. If a woman has to give anything to a monk, she first hands it to a man, who then presents it.

Social norms

Thais don't normally shake hands when they greet one another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called a wai. Generally a younger person wais an elder, who returns it. Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body, literally and figuratively. Therefore, avoid touching people on the head and try not to point your feet at people or an object. It is considered very rude. Shoes should be removed when entering a private Thai home. Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon

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Advice to Visitors

If you intend staying in Thailand for more than 30 days it is recommended that you register your presence with your respective embassy as soon as possible. Persons wishing to register with the British Embassy in Bangkok can do so

through the internet – www.britishembassy.gov.uk/thailand

  .

You are advised to use only authorised transportation services for transfer from airport to other areas.

If, on arrival in Thailand, you need help with accommodation you are advised to consult the Thai Hotel Association counter at the airport.

Beware of unauthorised persons who offer to show you around.

Visitors are advised to use hotel taxi services wherever possible.

Observe all normal precautions as regards personal safety and the safety of your belongings.

Avoid walking alone in quiet or deserted areas.

Ensure that all valuables including passport and airline tickets are properly protected from loss.

Do not get involved with drugs - the penalty for drug offences is very severe in Thailand.

If you plan to visit a bar or night club make sure you are aware of the rules otherwise you could find the experience very expensive.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to visit Thailand ?

During the cool season between November and March

What vaccinations do I need before coming to Thailand ?

There are no required vaccinations, unless you are coming from a Yellow Fever area in which case a certificate may

be required. Please check the latest regulations with your local health office.

Do I need a visa ?

You are advised to check with the Royal Thai Consulate on website www.thaiconsul.co.uk or telephone 01482 581668.

What are the Thai Customs regulations ?

Prohibited items: All kinds of narcotics, obscene literature, obscene pictures or obscene articles.

Firearms: Firearms and ammunition can be imported only with a permit obtainable from the Police Department of the

                 local Thai Registration Office.

Personal effects: A reasonable amount of clothing and toiletries for personal use may be brought in free of duty.

Cameras: One still-camera or one movie camera can be brought in without duty. Five rolls of still-camera film or three

                 rolls of 8 or 16 mm movie-camera film may be brought in free of duty.

Tobacco: Cigarettes must not exceed 200 in quantity or cigars/smoking tobacco must not exceed 250 gms in weight.

Alcoholic beverages: One litre each of wine or spirits may be brought in free of duty.

Household effects: A reasonable amount of used household effects, accompanied by the owner on change of

                                 domicile are also free of duty.

Plants: Certain species of fruits, vegetables and plants are prohibited. Please contact the Agricultural Regulatory

             Division, Bangkhen, Bangkok, Tel : +66 2579 1581 or +66 2579 3576.

Animals: Permission for entry of animals coming in by air or sea can be obtained on application to the Department

                of Livestock Development, Bangkok, Tel: +66 2251 5136 or +66 2252 6944. Vaccination certificates are

                required.

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Buyer Beware

The Tourism Authority of Thailand receives over 1,000 complaints a year about fake jewelry purchases. To avoid being a statistic, you must stay alert to the warning signs of a swindler at work. Heeding our warning could help you stave off unpleasant surprises and make your vacation what it should be - full of sparkle.

The following are valuable pointers for your protection :

Be wary of any encounter that ends up requiring your presence in a gem shop. Most probably it is a scam.

Buying gems or jewelry to resell at double or triple the purchase price is an impossible proposition under any

circumstances. Buy jewelry only for personal satisfaction for your own use or for loved ones.

Make price comparisons in various shops before deciding to buy. Never be in a hurry.

Never mail sapphires or other precious stones. Carry valuable items with you.

Do not believe special (jewelry) sales of any kind. Reputable dealers hardly ever offer sales and never send

touts to lure tourists to their stores.

There are no promotions, shows or special sales on jewelry authorised by the Thai government or any official

agencies at any time of the year.

The Thai government does not own, operate, subsidise or authorise any jewelry stores.

As far as you can, take time to verify all claims. Words, promises, personal guarantees, unchecked documents,

unauthorised verbal or written statements, casual references, encounters and the like do not constitute

verification. Remember, you are your own best protection. All Thai embassies, consulates or any delegations

abroad are neither bound nor responsible for refunding goods that are bought in Thailand. When in doubt

about a gem shop, check it with: -

Tourist Assistance Centre

Tourism Authority of Thailand

Le Concorde Building

202 Ratchadapisek Road

Bangkok 10310

Tel: +66 2694 1222 extensions 1090 to 1094

Bm  01/Jan/2009

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DUMB BARGIRLS

PATTAYA AMBIENCE

66 YEARS OLD

Thailand's love of the supernatural

Sscaption

Situated in the nondescript outer western suburbs of Bangkok, Sawang Arom temple is already well known for its collection of kuman - plastic child-dolls in historic costumes, usually clutching a bag of gold, and believed to be inhabited by the ghost of an unborn foetus.

People visit the temple throughout the day to pray to the kuman for good fortune, lighting incense sticks and kneeling before the garishly-coloured figures.

Some buy lottery tickets, and run their hands along the trunk of a fallen ironwood tree, festooned with coloured scarves and smoothed by years of handling. They believe they can see the winning number in the faded grain of the wood.

Thais, like many people in South East Asia, are superstitious. But the monks at the temple have found their doll collection growing recently, as people have quietly left behind child-sized figures, known as luk thep, or 'child angels'. The monks have moved them to a small room in a tower, where, like the kuman, they are served the red fizzy drinks they are believed to prefer.

"Each person has their own beliefs", one of the monks, Phra Prasit Warayan told me, "but the belief in the power of luk thep is very strong. When things go well for the owner, they worship them, but when things turn bad, they abandon them. Because they are afraid of what might happen, they leave them here, because they know we accept them, and the abbot is always careful to put them in an appropriate place."

The dolls look incongruous in the temple, in their formal children's clothing and with their wide-eyed, Western features. But how did the luk thep craze start? And is it just a continuation of the kuman belief, that inanimate objects can be inhabited by a ghost, or spirit?

Image captionIn an uncertain world, luck can seem a powerful force

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionJust to be extra sure, this doll owner has dressed hers in amulets and prayer beads - also believed to bring good luck

I hoped to find that answer at a dazzling pink house in a gated community in another suburb.

A chubby, blond doll's head sits on a shrine, next to offerings of food and water. Various other limbs lay drying outside after being given a special cream massage. In one room, two young women sat surrounded by different parts of doll's anatomies, carefully applying nail varnish, nose studs and weaving real human hair into soft, plastic scalps. The dolls are often given yantra - Buddhist tattoos - and are filled with rice, a symbol of prosperity.

In the next room Mananya Boonmi lovingly brushes the hair of her favourite doll, Pet. She has collected these dolls for fourteen years, but she did not always see them as she does now, as living beings, who will reward their owners with good fortune - as long as they are looked after as if they are a human child. She believes she was one of the earliest believers in luk thep.

She says she was selling small souvenirs around four years ago, when she had the feeling that one of her dolls, Ploy, was trying to help. She began to treat the doll like a real child, and her business took off. She says she was also able to overcome difficulties she was having raising her son.

"We can rely on luk thep mentally", she says. "They make us happy, as if they are alive, and we can carry them around with us. I love dressing them up, and talking to them. And if you look after them properly, they will come into your dreams."

Image captionThe dolls are believed to like red fizzy pop

The luk thep craze really took off last year when a few Thai celebrities were seen carrying their dolls with them everywhere, even to expensive restaurants or on flights. As they saw them as near-human, and felt they needed to treat them well to ensure good fortune, they refused to put the dolls in their check-in luggage or in the overhead compartment. They wanted to buy seats for them.

Last month the airline Thai Smile made headlines by allowing this. But there was a quick change of heart after a consultation with air safety officials. It turns out that the inanimate luk thep are luggage after all, and must be stowed as such. So Mananya says she will no longer fly.

Mananya now sells the dolls to customers for prices that can exceed $1,000. She holds ceremonies to impart a 'soul' into the dolls, but she does not feel this is the same as the spirit inhabiting kuman. Others have taken their dolls to Buddhist monks for blessings.

The belief in kuman thong, to give them their full name, dates back hundreds of years. In the old days, practitioners would try to obtain a real dead foetus, bake it dry, and then lacquer and gild it. It was believed to have very strong magical powers, but needed to be carefully fed and clothed.

There are striking similarities with the pampering some luk thep get, with wealthy owners giving their dolls botox injections or buying them jewellery.

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionThe dolls cost anything from 50 to 500 dollars, or more

Professor Attachak Sattayanurak from Chiang Mai University sees strong parallels between the two kinds of dolls. He says that in Thailand there was a surge in demand for objects that might bring better luck in the chaos that followed the end of World War Two. Interest in the kuman tradition increased, although it was obviously necessary to find substitutes for a real foetus.

"More than 65% of Thai people work in the informal sector", he says. "Their lives are always uncertain. And recently the whole country has been going through a turbulent period. People are looking for comfort, for protection."

Nine years ago, when Thailand was also under military rule, I witnessed another sudden craze here. This was for an amulet called jatukam, which was first made by a police chief who claimed it had helped him solve difficult cases. Prices for the amulets, which were blessed by one temple in Southern Thailand, soared to astronomical levels.

At one point an image of the amulet was projected onto Thailand's tallest building. People ascribed all manner of powers to them. Then, just as suddenly, they lost interest, prices collapsed, and today they are more or less forgotten.

A similar fate may eventually await the luk thep dolls.

THAI BAR GIRLS

1) Their Golden Rule is to make the most money while doing the least amount of work.  Yes, I know that most of you are thinking that this is rule number one for anyone working any job.  You would be right!  The girls are no different.  They all want money and most are generally very lazy so maximum income for minimum effort is the key.  Men who send money from abroad are the Holy Grail.  Huge money for virtually no effort.  Ever wonder why they always ask what hotel you are staying at?  There are two reasons for this.  First is to set the price, as punters staying in four or five start hotels will definitely be charged more.  Just as important is that they want to know how far it is to your place.  Men staying two minutes away are much more desirable than Men staying across town.  If you are willing to use the short time room that is 50 feet away you are a dream come true.

2) Try to have fun.  Thai girls are fun loving and easily bored, so it is very important for them to have at least some fun while making money.  Many girls will quit a job that they consider no fun (“mai sanuk” in Thai) even if it is the 28^th of the month and they have no money for next month’s rent!  This may seem insane to us responsible foreigners, but believe me when I tell you that the biggest insult you can receive in this country is to be labeled “mai sanuk.”  Most gals have chosen the venue that they work in because they have at least one friend there.  Often if the friend quits or moves to another bar the girl in question will move on with her.  What fun will it be to work in a bar with no friends? 

3) Never ever ever ever say you have a boyfriend!  They all realize that they are not just selling their bodies, but are also selling a fantasy to the customer.  I wish I had one baht for every girl I have heard say “I no have boyfriend. Thai man no good.”  They may have a steady Thai boyfriend, several Thai lovers, four western guys sending money every month and dozens of customers, but they will absolutely tell you that they are unattached.  This also works in reverse.  Many of the customers are married or have a girlfriend but very few ever talk about it when meeting new girls.

4) Seize every opportunity to benefit financially from the time spent with a customer.  Receiving clothes, jewelry, mobile phones, etc. will all increase the bottom line.  The customer really should be prepared for this one.  If you go to a tailor shop to buy a shirt, he is going to attempt to sell you suits, shoes, etc.  It’s his job. One of my favorite girls always says “my job to ask, your job to say no.”

5) Collect phone numbers and email addresses from every customer even if he only bought you a cola.  I don’t need to tell you the HUGE reward that comes from sending out 357 emails and 642 sms messages requesting money.  Just a one or two percent response rate and bills are paid for the month.  One girl joked with me “my Mom is sick and the buffalo died, or the buffalo is sick and my Mom died, can’t remember which one but it’s really bad!”

6) Learn to put your mind away in a separate place.  Whether the girl is bored, tired, listening to a punter drone on and on about his pathetic life, staring at the ceiling while a stranger has his way with her, or perhaps just not in the mood to work, it is essential to be able to separate the mind from the body.  I once asked a girl what she thought about when she was making love with a strange man. Her response was “I think about how I am just about to walk out of there with xxx baht in my hand. And what I am going to buy with that money.”

7) Always say to the customer that the reason you are working in the bar is to help out your desperately poor family.  Some girls actually do send some money home.  Some give it away to their Thai boyfriends.  Many others just blow their money on the latest fashions and mobile phones.  Regardless, everyone must learn to say the following: “I no have boyfriend. I no like Thai man. Thai man no good. I no like work in bar but need money to send to family.”  No girl will be allowed to work in the bar until she memorizes that script.

8) Learn to prey on the emotional weaknesses of Western men.  You must learn how to make customers feel lust, guilt, responsibility, jealousy, and a myriad of other emotions.  This isn’t that easy as no Thai man would ever fall for the silly little games that come from this but many (certainly not all) Western men are unequipped to handle these games. One of my best mates likes to say (when referring to Western customers dealing with Thai bar girls) that “the girls have the home field advantage and many of us don’t even know the rules to this game.”

9) Don’t trust all the other girls in the bar.  Yes friends, they lie, cheat and steal from each other as much (if not more so) than they do with customers.  One more reason it is so important to have at least one true blue friend in the bar.  There is no such word as “LOAN” in the bar girl dictionary.  It was not a loan, it was a gift.

10) Always accompany the customer to the airport.  Men are so emotional when they must leave Paradise that they are known to lavish girls with money and gifts while waiting for the plane to boringville. I was in G-Spot in Nana Plaza one night when a girl came in and started throwing bank notes around the bar and the whole place went nuts.  She later told me that her customer gave all of his local currency to her while he cried at the airport. It was over 76,000 baht.

Until next time have fun and be happy

10 Reasons to drop your Thai Girlfriend

1. Your Thai girlfriend worked as a prostitute or worked within the vicinity of prostitutes

If your Thai girlfriend used to work in a bar or GoGo club then you must dump her immediately period. I don’t care if she was the cashier at the club or “just a server” she is surrounded by Thai’s who in the western world would be considered “bad news”. Would you date a girl like this back home?

2. Your Thai girlfriend cheated on you

Once a cheater always a cheater and in Thailand that could mean you end up with an exotic disease. I’m not talking about a drunk make out session i’m talking about going to lengths to meet other guys, if she says she’s “just friends” kick her to the curb.

3. Your Thai girlfriend is super jealous

In my experience most Thai girls I’ve ever dated have been jealous but that’s a natural thing for all girls Thai or Farang. The difference or perhaps the line that get’s crossed is when she starts calling the other girls, following you around and general stalker behaviour. If it’s already at this point you’re going to have a tough time even getting rid of her so that’s why you should do it immediately before it gets to the chopping your dick off stage.

4. Your Thai girlfriend is abusive

Does your Thai girlfriend hit you? Does she scream at you? Does she cuss at you a lot? As soon as this starts happening you should get rid of the girl immediately, it might even mean you have to move apartments as well, she’s a psycho bitch and things will only get worse. Time to tell her to pack her bags.

5. Your Thai girlfriend gets annoyed at everything you do

This could work both ways as well like if you get annoyed at everything she does as well. This is a sign that things just arn’t working out. It’s a physiological response to the fact that either you or her just don’t like each other anymore. Take the warning sign and give her the divorce papers immediately.

5. She’s ugly

I can never understand with all the beautiful women in Thailand and the available selection of good looking Thai girls that decent looking guys come to Thailand and end up dating some really hideous girls. Hey I know some less than average girls, and sure i might have done them also but to make one my girlfriend, sorry bro that ain’t going to happen. If she’s ugly get rid of her now.

6. Your Thai girlfriend has unresolved addictions

Does she smoke, do drugs, or gamble? Especially gambling then get rid of her now. People rarely come out of addictions especially those with an addictive personality more than likely you’re going to end up paying for these addictions as well. Maybe you like her because your into these things as well, is she really going to make you a better person if she’s just like you? This kind of girl can be fun so make her a gf not a wife.

7. Your Thai girlfriends family are leeches

Actually this reason for dumping your Thai girlfriend should even be ranked higher than 7 but it’s just a list and not in any order. The family asking for money is the one reason why you should break up with her immediately. Things are never going to improve and even if you gave her family a million dollars there will be a time they’ll come back and ask for more. Does your Thai girlfriend have a mother that calls her only when she needs money? And you don’t need to speak Thai to know this because after she get’s the call that day she will ask to send money. A family who is not fiscally sound or fiscally responsible will transcend to their kids. Stay with this girl and you’ll be broke in a few years. Break it off now!

8. Your Thai girlfriend is lazy

If you’re girlfriend keeps a messy house, can’t cook, and lacks any ambition then what are you doing with her? If it’s just for the sex hell you can have 10 gfs to do that for you without the emotional hassle. You’re better off single.

9. Your Thai girlfriend lies about everything

If your Thai girlfriend tells you little lies that you know about then don’t let her on because she’s likely to slip up on a big lie as well. Thai girls who lie will lie forever you can’t change them nor can you trust them. The only good thing to do with a liar is to get rid of ‘em.

10. She doesn’t love you the same way you love her

If a relationship is unevenly balanced where someone loves the other person more than the other person loves them then save yourself a lot of heartache and call it quits immediately, it’s never going to work out.

Finally if you have to dump your Thai girlfriend it’s OK it’s not the end of the world, there are so many good Thai girls out there simply sign up to any of the Thai dating sites and you’ll see first hand how many girls wanna date you.