Thailand at a Glance

Languages:

Thai
Hotel staff and tour guides typically speak excellent English, but you’ll likely run into cab drivers and locals who don’t.

Currency

Baht (THB)

Major International Airports:

  1. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK)
  2. Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport (DMK)
  3. Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)
  4. Phuket International Airport (HKT)
  5. Ko Samui International Airport (USM)

Transportation

You shouldn’t plan on renting a car in Thailand; the streets are packed with cars and scooters that don’t abide by the rules of the road. You’ll rely primarily on taxis, though there is some public transportation (Bangkok’s SkyTrain is fast and clean, but it only goes to certain limited parts of the city).

When you take a taxi in Thailand, it is crucial to ensure the driver will turn on the meter. Drivers often try to negotiate a flat fee that’s about 3 times the meter price, and they’ll sometimes flat-out refuse to use the meter. While we didn’t have any trouble at the airport, convincing a cab driver we met in town or even at our hotel to turn on the meter was difficult. Cab drivers, especially in Bangkok, will use every reason they can think of (“The traffic is bad” or “that’s really far outside the city, so it’ll be hard for me to find another fare”) to try and suck you into paying a rate that’s much higher than the meter fare. The only way we found to make them turn on the meter: threaten to leave the car and find another ride.

Not-to-Miss Local Food and Drink

Thailand is well known for its curries and noodle dishes. Don’t drink the tap water here; stick to sealed bottled water.

Not-to-Miss Activities

  • Wildlife—If you make it to Chiang Mai, be sure to visit the tiger and elephant sanctuaries. Do your research and be sure to stick to those that treat the animals well and are environmentally conscious.
  • Beaches—Thailand has some amazing beaches; Phuket’s are some of the most beautiful in the world.
  • Temples—Thailand is chock full of Buddhist temples. Wat Pho and Wat Arun in Bangkok were among our favorites.