14 Things To Know Before Visiting Thailand

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I recently visited Thailand and went to see Bangkok and Pattaya. One thing that I can say that’s different from my home country is of course, the churches. Instead of churches, they have temples. The facade of each temple is so unique. 94.5% of the Thais are Buddhist. But I am not going to talk about their religion lol. I am here to share information that may help you before traveling to Thailand.

I haven’t gone to all provinces of Thailand so let’s just focus on Bangkok and Pattaya. Here are some things that you must know before going to Thailand. Hopefully, I can visit Phuket soon.

• Buy a travel sim at the airport. It is best that you have a spare phone to use for wifi connection. There are sim cards that you can use depending on the days of your stay in Thailand. It can also be used in any part of country so there is nothing to worry about. You can also use it when booking a ride via Grab. We booked a ride from the airport going to the center of Bangkok as it is cheaper than the airport shuttles or vans most especially when you are arriving in the middle of the night.

• Temple visits are not free. You can actually visit 5 temples in one day. The entrance fees can range from 50-500 Thai Baht. What’s common in the temples are the Buddhas in different positions. Some are standing, sitting or reclining. The intricate designs of the temples are making each attractive. But if you are not a fan of temples and Buddhas, I suggest that you try to visit at least one. In visiting 5 temples, prepare to spend 1000 Thai Baht.

• Wear comfortable but not revealing clothes. In respect to their religion, never wear short shorts and tops that bare more skin. It is a temple and not a tourist spot after all. It is hot in Thailand, but make sure to wear pants, sarong and sleeved shirts. Flats are your great friends because it’s a long and tiring walk. There are shops outside the temples where you can buy boho pants and sarong but in order to save money, better bring comfortable pants on your travel.
• Book hotels near the river side. All the great happenings and places of interests are mostly located near the river side. If you are saving some money for the transportation and you are okay with walking, there are plenty of clean and good hotels, dorms and hostels with breakfast around this area. The temples, the weekend market, night markets, commercial areas and bars are located nearby. Not only that you save money, include time and energy too.

• Don’t negotiate for the fare before riding the taxi. Download Grab app as another option. I was told by a local not to ride a cab if the driver does not use the meter. To avoid this, just get on the cab and tell the driver where you are going. Do not give them the opportunity to negotiate for the price. Let them use the meter. If they didn’t, just get off and find another one. Better yet, book a ride via Grab. If you are in a group of 4, the sedan will be good enough for you. It is safe and you will immediately know the price just like when you’re booking a ride through Uber or Lyft. Uber is no longer available in Thailand. Fare in Pattaya is much higher than in Bangkok.

• Never make disrespectful comments about the royal family. It is common to see photos of the family around the country and it is highly discouraged to comment about them most especially if you are not going to say something nice at all. They give high respect to the royal family. Better not say anything about it when you see one. You’ll get used to it anyway.
• Never touch the monks you see walking around. It is said that they are divine and that touching them will lose their divinity when a woman touches a monk. So keep your distance from them as much as possible. Not exactly avoid them, but best not to be in contact with them.
• Don’t miss a chance to visit night markets and the weekend market. Not only that it is fun to look around and buy stuff at night markets, you will also enjoy a variety of foods like insects, exotic foods, Thai foods and so much more. This is another exhausting thing to do so make sure that you are well rested before going to one. The weekend market is also a must to see place in Thailand. Chatuchak weekend market is the best place to buy thai products. What you see in night markets are also available there. It is also easier to haggle at Chatuchak than night markets.

• Ditch floating makets if you aren’t buying anything there. It is kind of expensive to add this to your itinerary. When you ride a boat, usually the boatman will not leave a certain store until you buy something. This is not included in the cost of the trip. But if you plan to experience it though, there is nothing wrong to see one of their floating markets.

Klook.com

• Always bring a small trash bag. I’ve noticed that there aren’t plenty of trash bins so it’s est that you keep your trash first and just dispose it when you get back to the hotel or when you’re lucky to find one.
• Always find hotels near the beach when going to places like Pattaya so you don’t have to pay extra just to go to the beach. It’s always comfortable and efficient to stay near the beach. Since transportation is more expensive otuside Bangkok, it is best to just stay at hotels near the beach. It is also nice to drink at night along the shore with friends and meet new people too.
• Never miss a cabaret show. Your travel will not be complete if you mised this opportunity. Be amazed with the amazing talent of drag queens as they dance and showcase different talents during the show. There are plenty of places to choose from and the prices vary. But it’s worth paying for so, check it out!

• Convenience stores have the same price as the grocery stores. If you need to buy snacks or anything, 7 Eleven sells items for the same price. The stores are everywhere so it’s easy to buy stuff when you need it. When you go to the grocery, bring a grocery bag because they do not provide bags for the stuff you bought. They encourage people to bring their own bags which is actually good to not use plastic and paper bags.
• Always wear a smile. Thais are used to foreigners but, they love it when they meet people from a other countries who are also friendly. They will also help you learn some basic Thai phrases and greetings. They will also give you a crash course about Thailand if you are being friendly with them. 🙂

Having a little fun with my friends while in Thailand. To be honest, we’re amazed with how they talk and we struggled to copy their accent. It’s really wonderful how different nations speak different languages and are still able to connect and communicate.

Friends, I hope you find this information helpful. Apologies if it took a while for me to add another post. I recently posted safety traveling tips to prevent sickness during your travel. Don’t forget to read it as it is important to stay healthy when you are not home.