Thailand

A valid passport is required upon entry to Thailand expiring a minimum of 6 months past the date of entry into the country. There is no visa requirement to enter Thailand if your stay is less than thirty days. If you overstay your visa, you will be fined. You may also be arrested, detained, deported at your own expense, and in some cases may be banned from re-entering Thailand.

Every traveler planning to visit Thailand should be fully up to date on his or her routine vaccines prior to entering Thailand. Additionally, the CDC recommends that people visiting Thailand get vaccinated for Yellow Fever, Typhoid, Japanese Encephalitis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, and Rabies. Any travel clinic will be able to provide the needed vaccinations.

Thailand is tropical, meaning that it is usually humid with warm weather across the country for most of the year. The summer months in Thailand are March through June. The hottest month of the year is April. July through October make up the monsoon season when flooding across the country can be expected. November through February is usually the most ideal time to visit Thailand, as it is the cool season.

The country code for Thailand is +66. The cell phone service in Thailand is widespread across the country. Though the service may be slightly patchy in some rural areas, for the most part cell coverage widely available. The access to Internet is pretty good in Thailand, especially in urban areas, like Bangkok. However, Wi-Fi locations are all over Thailand. Most cafes, restaurants, malls, hotels all will have internet with adequate speed. Thailand also has some cellular phone companies that can provide wireless internet access.

Thailand’s voltage is 220-240AC, 50HZ. There are many different types of plugs in Thailand. There are three different types of plugs, some with two pins, some with three in Thailand. Due to the fact that the plugs are not standardized, it is important to bring an adapter/ converter with you on your trip to Thailand.

The Zika virus continues to be a health risk in Thailand, so it is important to take proper health precautions. Dengue fever is also still circulating in Thailand. It is recommended that travelers exercise a high degree of caution or avoid travel through certain southern provinces (Pattani, Yala, Songkhla and Narathiwat) due to an increase in criminally and politically motivated violent incidents. Make two photocopies of your passport, tickets, and visas. Keep one copy with you in a separate place to the original and leave another copy with someone at home.

The only legal currency in Thailand is the Thai BAHT (THB). Using US dollars, though unfavorable, may be accepted in some areas, but will likely be at a very poor exchange rate. It is best to exchange your money at an official money exchange location, bank or even at the airport in the US or upon arrival.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. The country has been ruled by a military régime since 2014. The basic government structure is comprised of executive, legislature, and the judiciary. The king, Maha Vajiralongkorn, exercises sovereignty through these three branches of government.

The official religion of Thailand is Theravada Buddhism. Approximately 94.6% of the population in Thailand identifies as Buddhist. 4.3% are Muslim, 1% Christian, and the remaining 0.01% is made up of individuals practicing other religions.

Approximately 91.5% identify as Thai, 2.3% Khmer, 2.1% as Malay, 1.5% as Bamar, 0.6% as Karen, 0.4% as Chinese, 0.3% as Hmong, and 1.3% as other.

Thai is the official language of Thailand. There are, however 24 different dialects of the Thai language. The most commonly known and widely used dialect is Thai Lao. After Thai, the most used minority language is Lao. Languages such as Malay, Chinese, Burmese, Japanese, English, and Vietnamese are spoken by a small percentage of the population as their first language.

Thailand relies heavily on exports. Thailand ranks as the world’s 22^nd largest export economy. The main industries in Thailand are agriculture processing, textiles and garments, automotive exports, and manufacturing of electronic goods. Tourism is also on the rise and continuing to grow and expand.