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"Thai" means "free", and therefore "Thailand" means
"Land of the Free" |
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Capital
Bangkok
Major Cities
In the Mountainous North: Chiangmai,
South: Songkla,
Central plains: Ayutthaya and Chonburi,
The vast northeast plateau: Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen
Climate
Thailand is a warm and rather humid tropical country with
monsoonal climate. Temperatures are highest in March
and April with an average temperature of 28 - 38 degrees
Celsius and the humidity averaging between 82.8 and 73
percent.
Seasons
Dry: March to May,
Rainy: June to October,
Cool: November to February.
Population
The population in Thailand is approximately 62 million, of which around 6 million live in the capital city, Bangkok. |
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Language
The official national language, spoken by almost 100 per cent of the population, is Thai, classified by linguists as belonging to a Chinese -Thai branch of the Sino -Tibetan family. It is a tonal language, uninflected, and predominantly monosyllabic. Most polysyllabic words in the vocabulary have been borrowed, mainly from Khmer, Pali, or Sanskrit. Dialects are spoken in rural areas. Principal other languages are Chinese and Malay. English, a mandatory subject in public schools, is widely spoken and understood, particularly in Bangkok and other major cities.
Business Hours
Government and business offices are open from 8:30 to 16:30 hours, Monday to Friday.
Time Differences
There is only one time zone in Thailand. Thailand is seven hours ahead of Greenwich Meantime
(GMT +7). (Five hours ahead of South African time).
Banks
The country's central bank is the Bank of Thailand. Major Thai commercial banks include the Bangkok Bank, Siam Commercial Bank, Krung Thai Bank, Thai Farmers Bank and Thai Military Bank. Business hours are 08:30 - 15:30 hours, Monday to Friday. Several international banks also have offices in Thailand.
Moving around in Thailand |
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By Air
Thai Airways - the domestic arm of big sister Thai International Airlines - operates
an impressive route network throughout Thailand. Thai air flies to five destinations
in the North, five in the Northeast and Seven in the South. Furthermore, private
airlines, such as Bangkok Airways, have also sprung up in competition. |
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By Rail
An efficient rail system links major northern and northeastern towns to the capital,
Bangkok. The Thai rail system is surprisingly good and even offers overnight
services to many cities from Bangkok. A southern route allows the visitor to
travel by train into Malaysia and Singapore. Domestic express trains comprise
first, second and third class carriages. While slow trains may only have third
class seats. |
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By Road
A modern highway system reaches into all corners of the kingdom. Domestic bus services offer fast means of travel while air-conditioned tour coaches offer more comfort. |
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River Taxis (long tail boats), speedboats & ferries
There are many longtail boats that can reach the more secluded bays and islands
whereas the speedboats & ferries operate daily between mainland and all
the different islands in the South. |
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Car & Motorbike Hire
Visitors possessing valid International Driving Licenses may prefer to hire automobiles or motorbikes. English-language road signs and maps are commonplace. There are many international car hire companies such as Avis and Hertz operating in major cities and resorts like Pattaya, Hat Yai, Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Samui Island. |
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| Communications |
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Telephones
The telephone system in Thailand is very modern and efficient for both local and international calls, which can be made from hotels, public phone kiosks and international phone offices.
Domestic phone calls can be tricky as all telephone area codes within the country begin with a zero. International calls do not require the use of this zero in the local area code. |
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E-mail & internet
Internet cafés are now found in almost every town and city, providing excellent service at very low prices.
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Health
Thailand is a surprisingly healthy country for foreigners, with generally high standards of hygiene. The country has excellent medical facilities, from pharmacies in almost every town to state-of-the-art hospitals in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and other cities.
The most common medical complaints are stomach upsets and heat exhaustion, and simple precautions will help.
A few tips: |
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Peel all fruit and avoid eating raw, unwashed vegetables. |
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Allow yourself time to acclimatize to the temperature and humidity. |
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Drink plenty of fluids (tap water is not safe to drink, stick to bottled water) |
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Use a high-factor sun block |
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Wear a hat in the sun. |
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Public holidays
Banks, government offices, schools, and most stores close on the following national holidays. |
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New Year's Day |
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Feb (Full moon)
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Makha Puja |
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April 6
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Chakri Day |
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Mid April
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Songkran (Thai New Year) |
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May 1
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Labor Day |
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May 5
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Coronation Day |
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Early May
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Toyal Ploughing Ceremony |
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May (full moon)
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Visakha Pujy |
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July (full moon)
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Asanha Puja |
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Aug 12
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Queen's Birthday |
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Oct 23
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Chulalongkorn Day |
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Dec 5
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King's Birthday |
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Dec 10
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Constitution Day |
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Major Festivals
See Festivals page
Local Customs
The Thais favour a cool heart, or ‘jai yen', so displays of anger and raised voices and even kissing and hugging in public are frowned upon. On the other hand, formality is not required in naming people-first names and nicknames are the norm.
The head is the most honoured part of the body and the feet despised, so don't sit with your feet pointing at someone or you may unwittingly be insulting them. Do not touch people (even children) on the head.
Temple etiquette-Temples, or ‘Wats', complexes are central to the community, especially in small towns and villages. They are places of worship and gathering spots for local people to chat and gossip. Monks have residences there, and they often contain community centers and schools. On some occasions, especially during festivals, they become retail outlets, with market stalls selling all manner of goods. Such openness can often be misleading to the visitor. Remember, many building on temple grounds are sacred places. |
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Always dress neatly (long trousers and shirt-sleeves for men, modest dress for women) and take your shoes off when entering a temple. (You will find it best to wear slip-on shoes during your travels). |
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All Buddha images in Thailand are sacred - never climb on an image. |
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If you pose for a photograph in front of one, do so with respect. |
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When sitting in a temple, remember to keep your feet pointed away from any image of Buddha. |
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| Money Matters |
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Local currency - The unit of currency is the Baht, which is issued in a variety of coinage and paper units. Bank Notes : 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 Baht, Coins : 1, 5, and 10 Baht |
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Credit Cards - Many ATM's accept major credit cards and international ATM card networks such as Cirrus and Magellan. Banks will give cash advances on major credit cards. You will need your passport to receive cash advances and to change traveler's cheques. |
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Tipping-A 10% service charge and
7% value added tax is automatically added to all luxury
hotel rooms and to most of the upscale restaurants
that cater for the tourists industry. The service charge
makes it unnecessary to offer a tip in most restaurants.
However, it still remains thoughtful to offer a small
gratuity to porters and chambermaids and small change
as an additional tip to most other service personnel
(10-20 baht). Leftover change is also appreciated in
cafes, by helpful taxi drivers, and by anyone else
who provides a useful service. |
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Security
As in any country, visitors should watch their valuables and use sensible precautions such as money belts and hotel safes to guard their possessions.
Visitors with Disabilities
Thailand is only just beginning to install special facilities for visitors with disabilities. While public rest rooms with wheelchair access have yet to make an appearance, limited numbers of public phones for disabled users have been installed in Bangkok. |
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People
Though the great majority of Thailand's 62 million people are ethnically Thai and Buddhist, the country has a substantial number of minority groups who have historically lived together in harmony. Of these, the Chinese are perhaps the most numerous (particularly in urban areas), though they have become so thoroughly assimilated it would be difficult to isolate them as a distinct group. Similarly, while there are Lao and Khmer groups in the Northeast and East, nearly all regard themselves as Thai, culturally as well as by nationality. More clearly defined as an ethnic group are the Muslims, who are mainly concentrated in the southern provinces, and assorted hill tribes who live in the far North; there are also sizeable communities of Hindus and Sikhs in large cities like Bangkok.
Some 80 percent of all Thais are connected in some way with agriculture, which, in varying degrees, influences and is influenced by the religious ceremonies and festivals that make Thailand such a distinctive country.
Food
See Thai food page
Religion
Theravada Buddhism, the national religion, is the professed
faith of 95% of the population. Other religions are Islam,
Hindu, Sikhs & Christian. There is total religious
freedom and all major religions can be found in practice.
Arts and Culture
The Thais have their own culture (including literature, drama, architecture, music, painting, sculpture, folk dances, and many handicrafts), their own language, their own cuisine, their own martial arts, and their own beliefs. Though many fortuitous Indian and Chinese cultural traits have partially influenced Thai culture in many aspects, it is the mixture of these and Thai culture that has, over the centuries, developed the interesting culture that is unique to Thailand.
Shopping
Thailand has become one of Southeast Asia's most popular
shopping paradise. With commodities as well as markets
becoming more sophisticated. The serious shopper can expect
to find not only Thailand's well-known host of unique handicrafts,
but also a superb choice of luxury buys. All items are
distinguished by fine Thai workmanship, the result of both
time-honored crafts and of modern technological skills.
Where to shop...
Shopping in Bangkok is not limited to one or two major streets and there are many areas throughout the city affording ample choice and easy access. One such area, for example, is along Silom and Suriwongse Roads in the vicinity of the Dusit Thani, Montien, and Tawana Hotels. This includes Robinson's Department Store, Central Department Stores, the Charn Issara Shopping Centre, dozens of silk shops, antique and decorative reproduction shops, boutiques of ready-to-wear women's clothes, men's tailors, and shops selling leatherwear and other goods.
Outside Bangkok, the main city for shopping
is Chiang Mai, the unquestioned center
of traditional Thai handicrafts. The Night Bazaar, is a
good place to sample the full range of local products such
as cotton, lacquerware, silver, hilltribe clothing, Burmese
tapestries, painted umbrellas, and woodcarvings. While
in Chiang Mai, make a point of going to some of the factories
that offer demonstrations of how these goods, particularly
lacquer, silk, silver, and paper umbrellas are actually
made.
Pattaya also has many shops selling Thai goods and wide selections of precious stones since the popular resort lies near Chanthaburi, where numerous gems are located.
National Parks
Thailand's National Parks form part of the country's heritage. There are presently 74 of them, evenly distributed throughout the Kingdom covering an area of more than 38,695sq km. The Parks encompass every type of topography found in Thailand, from mountain scenery in the north to coastal mangroves in the south. They are ideal places for the visitor to enjoy the vast variety of protected Thai flora and fauna: everything from wild orchids and waterfalls to butterflies and tigers. |
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