Thailand

Thai is the official language, written in its own script that shares no letters with the Latin alphabet, so street signs and menus outside tourist areas can be hard to read without a translation app. English is widely understood in Bangkok, at hotels, and around major tourist sites, but much less so in rural areas and local markets.

Prepaid tourist SIMs and eSIMs (AIS, dtac, True) are cheap and sold at the airport and convenience stores; bring your passport, since Thai law requires ID registration for any SIM purchase. Coverage is strong across cities and the main islands, patchier in remote national parks.

Tap water isn't safe to drink; stick to bottled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth in more remote areas. Pharmacies are widespread in cities and tourist areas, many open late, and pharmacists can advise on and sell many common medications without a prescription.

Routine travel vaccinations are recommended before visiting, and some travelers also consider hepatitis A and typhoid protection. Dengue fever is present year-round, so using mosquito repellent, especially during the rainy season, is a sensible precaution.

Many nationalities, including most of the EU, the UK, the US, Australia, and Canada, can enter Thailand visa-free for tourism and stay for a set period without applying in advance. Visitors from some other countries can get a visa on arrival at major airports, while longer stays or other purposes generally require an e-visa or a visa applied for at a Thai embassy before travel.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Cover shoulders and knees when visiting temples, and remove your shoes before entering temple buildings and many homes. Feet are considered the lowest part of the body, so avoid pointing them at people, Buddha images, or altars, and don't step over someone sitting on the floor. The head is considered the highest and most respected part of the body — avoid touching anyone's head, even a child's.

Thais deeply respect the monarchy, and Thai law treats insults to the royal family as a serious criminal offense — avoid any joking or critical comment about the king or royal family, including about banknotes and coins, which carry the king's image. The wai (a slight bow with palms pressed together) is the traditional greeting; visitors aren't expected to initiate it but returning one is polite. Bargaining is normal at markets and with tuk-tuk or unmetered taxi fares, but not in shops with fixed price tags.

Public holidays can affect banks, government offices, and some transport schedules, and alcohol sales are restricted on major Buddhist holidays and election days. Songkran (mid-April) and New Year are the busiest travel periods, with many shops and services slowing down or closing.

Most shops and malls open daily, including Sundays, typically from around 10:00 to 21:00 or 22:00; smaller family-run shops may close for a midday break or take one day off a week, often without a fixed pattern.

• By train: The State Railway of Thailand connects Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, the northeast, and the south, with overnight sleeper trains on longer routes; book popular routes in advance, especially around holidays. State Railway of Thailand
• By air: Domestic flights (AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, Thai Airways) are inexpensive and fast for long hops like Bangkok to Phuket, Chiang Mai, or Koh Samui, and often beat a full day of bus or train travel.
• By bus: An extensive network of intercity buses and minivans reaches almost every town, including overnight VIP buses with reclining seats between Bangkok and the north or south.

Thailand drives on the left.

Thai meals are built around rice or noodles, fresh herbs, and a balance of sour, sweet, salty, and spicy flavors, often in the same dish. Breakfast is often a bowl of rice porridge or noodle soup rather than something sweet, lunch is typically quick and inexpensive from a stall or market, and dinner is the main social meal, frequently shared family-style with several dishes and a shared bowl of rice.

Regional cuisines vary widely: the south leans on coconut milk and seafood, the northeast (Isan) favors grilled meats, sticky rice, and intensely spicy salads, and the north has milder curries with Burmese and Chinese influences. Street food and night markets are central to daily eating, not just a tourist activity — locals rely on them for cheap, fast meals, and some of the best food in the country comes from a stall with no English menu.

Drinks range from strong, sweet iced tea and coffee to fresh fruit shakes and, in the evening, Thai lagers or the herbal-spiced local spirit Sangsom. Restaurants range from open-air rice-and-curry canteens to food-court stalls in shopping malls, with formal sit-down dining reserved mostly for special occasions or tourist-oriented venues.

Bangkok is most travelers' starting point: the capital's temples, markets, and river make it worth two or three days before heading further afield.

The north centers on Chiang Mai, a laid-back base for temple-hopping, cooking classes, and trekking, and Chiang Rai, known for striking modern temples and the hills toward the Golden Triangle.

Central Thailand holds the country's historic capitals: Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage former capital an easy day trip from Bangkok, and Sukhothai, the birthplace of the Thai kingdom with an even quieter historical park. Kanchanaburi, near the Bridge on the River Kwai, combines wartime history with river and jungle scenery.

The south and the Gulf coast are Thailand's beach heartland: Phuket and Krabi for limestone cliffs and island-hopping on the Andaman side, Koh Samui for a more resort-style Gulf island, and Pattaya and Hua Hin for beach towns within easy reach of Bangkok.