22 Useful Tips For Visiting Thailand

Apr 18

Apr 18 22 Useful Tips For Visiting Thailand

I loved my trip to Thailand! Here’s a random collection of tips and observations I learned while there. Hopefully you will find some of these useful if you’re planning to go!

1. Bring cash!

I read some blogs that said credit card is taken more widely especially in the bigger cities, but I still found that it’s not as card friendly as I thought. Some places that take credit cards might also have a minimum spend to use it. Get cash to cover more than you think and do not rely on credit cards just in case.

2. Not every public restroom will have toilet paper and/or soap

If this makes you feel uneasy reading it, bring hand sanitizer or wipes for sure. This was especially true in the beach areas, which I know is not as surprising, but I did find instances where I thought there would be and there wasn’t. Luckily I brought some paper soap sheets and they came in handy!

3. Some hotels did not have hand soap.

While we’re on this subject; I did not have hand soap in 2/3 of the hotels I stayed in and it’s not like they were terrible hotels. We stayed in a pretty nice one in Bangkok which had it though.

4. You can bargain for certain things.

This applies for street vendors that sell items and tuk tuks/transportation. Up to you how much lower you want to start your bid but you’ll likely end up somewhere in the middle of their asking price and your first bid. Also keep in mind that vendors are out there for several hours and if it’s already very cheap, you don’t need to bargain so hard.

When we got out of the Krabi airport, they tried to charge us quite a bit for transportation. We were genuinely just showing hesitation thinking about our options and then they kept lowering the price.

5. Bolt, Grab, and tuk tuks are a great way to get around.

I had only been in one tuk tuk in Portugal and it was a bit nuts. These tuk tuks were pretty fun and not as crazy as some people make them out to be. They are basically everywhere. Bolt and Grab are like Lyft and Uber in the US. They have apps that you can use to request rides.

6. Tipping is appreciated in most cases and not expected.

Like most countries, tipping is appreciate, not expected. I read no need to tip street food vendors. They might be confused or think you didn’t like it. If you like the service at a restaurant, you can leave some change. Some cafes have tip boxes. If you’re on a guided tour, get a massage, or anything that is more personal, it’s great to give a little something.

7. When going to temples, you should cover your knees and shoulders.

Some places will have sarongs or pants for free. Outside of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, we forgot and bought them from vendors outside. The vendors had signs that showed you you couldn’t get in otherwise and had a variety of options. The sarongs were only $4 and we ended up with a souvenir.

8. Don’t drink the tap water.

I read that the filtration is fine, but it’s the pipes in Thailand that can be old and questionable. Drink bottled water! I brought my reusable water bottle so I just got a big bottle and kept refilling it.

9. Try the street food and go to the night markets!

You haven’t experienced Thailand unless you’ve gone to a night market! Western stomachs are more sensitive so use your best judgement. We picked items that were made to order, fried/cooked twice, things left on ice, etc. In general, things that are left out for hours can cause stomach issues. I was fine the whole trip!

10. Thai beverages are where it’s at.

We had a Thai tea every day. I had a fresh coconut nearly every other day. And they do fresh fruit juices and smoothies everywhere. These are so refreshing and tasty!

11. Get to the airports early.

Medium long line in Chiang Mai, no line in Krabi, and huge line in Bangkok. All of these were morning flights too so you just never know. Also, Bangkok has two airports - BKK and DMK. DMK is smaller but slightly closer to the city center. If you’re flying domestic, both are good options.

12. The pharmacies there are cheap and you don’t need insurance to buy things.

Cheap and affordable medication? What’s that like?! My friend needed to buy something and used Google translate and showed the person working there (lol). I don’t think it was the most accurate translation, but enough so that the person there knew what to get. If they don’t speak great English, this is a good way or you can point or act out your ailment haha.

13. The sun is hot hot hot.

This is not something I just learned in Thailand lol. Whether you’re in the city, beaches, jungle, etc wear sunscreen and bring extra with you. In general, it can get hot in Thailand and the sun is strong down there.

14. Massages are cheap!

You my have already heard or read about this in additional research. Even some of the fancier ones are cheap by (USD) standards. Unlike other massages I’ve had, you will be given a top and pants to wear. The traditional Thai massage is great. If you like a strong massage like I do, ask for strong/very strong. Know that there is some stretching and it could be a tad painful at times.

15. Don’t ride elephants!!!

Period. It is inhumane and it hurts them. There are many places now that don’t do that, but do your research. Elephants are amazing to hang out with and just watching them is fascinating and a huge treat. Some blogs also say bathing with elephants is a little weird. We went to Elephant Nature Park outside of Chiang Mai and it was a lovely experience. We did the Highlands tour so we were walking with and feeding a group of rescued elephants. Towards the end they had a bathing session but there was one that wanted nothing to do with it so they just let her chill by herself.

16. The bugs bite.

I was worried about this considering bugs love me. They loved me in Thailand too. Nothing has changed; I’m a global sensation. I didn’t buy it, but I read online that the convenience stores sell good bug spray.

17. They drive on the left side of the road.

Per usual, look both ways when crossing and you’ll be fine. Left is also the walking lane and right for passing.

18. Don’t look at your cell phone while walking.

A lot of the sidewalks are uneven and some places don’t even have sidewalks. I almost ate it many times even when I wasn’t on my phone. Motor bikes, tuk tuks, and cars do not always have stop signs on side streets so they roll into the walking area. Even at night markets you think there won’t be cars, but there are on the narrow streets. Just be alert!

19. The locals are very friendly!

You might’ve heard Thai people are very friendly. Yes, that is true. There are also some that just do their business and that’s also fine. We were able to more or less communicate with everyone. Learning hello, thank you, and some other basics are always great when going to a country where you don’t speak the language.

With our lovely tour guide, Ying, in Krabi.

20. It is not uncommon to have to take off your shoes before entering certain places.

Places like temples and massage spas (even before you enter the building or in the lobby).

21. Most people know some English and many signs will have English on it.

I cannot recall a time on the trip where we weren’t able to communicate with someone. You can always point at the thing on the menu too when in doubt. If you go to a restaurant, hotel, and even vendors, you shouldn’t have an issue communicating.