Practical logistics
Everything you need to know before and during your trip to Thailand — filter by topic or search below.
How to submit the mandatory free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) within 72 hours of landing, plus 60-day visa-exempt entry rules for 93 countries and 30-day immigration extensions.
How to book State Railway of Thailand (SRT) CNR red-and-white Special Express trains (#9/#10 Chiang Mai, #31/#32 Hat Yai/Surat Thani, #25/#26 Nong Khai) from Bangkok's Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.
Why Bangkok BTS and MRT use different payment systems, how to tap Visa/Mastercard on MRT, when to buy a Rabbit Card or ฿150 BTS Day Pass, and riding the ฿16 Orange Flag boat.
How to ride the ฿45 Suvarnabhumi Airport Rail Link, the ฿33 Don Mueang SRT Red Line, official metered airport taxis, and the free BKK↔DMK shuttle bus.
How to choose between the Andaman Coast (Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi, Lanta, Lipe) and the Gulf Islands (Samui, Phangan, Tao, Chang, Kood) based on your travel month and ferry routes.
Foreign visitor cash admission fees (฿200–฿500) for Maya Bay, Phi Phi, Similan, Ang Thong, Hong Island, Khao Sok, Erawan, and Doi Inthanon, plus annual reef closure dates.
When to visit Bangkok, Chiang Mai, the Andaman Sea, and Koh Samui—and why you should skip Northern Thailand during the March crop-burning haze.
How to use Grab and Bolt ride-hailing apps in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, when to insist on the ฿35 taxi meter, and how shared Songthaew pickup trucks work.
How to minimize Thailand's flat ฿220 foreign ATM surcharge using ฿30,000 Krungsri withdrawals, where to find SuperRich at BKK Airport Basement, and avoiding DCC.
How to qualify for Thailand's 7% VAT refund on shopping receipts of ฿2,000+, and why claims over ฿20,000 require a Customs stamp before checking bags.
How much to tip Thai massage therapists, drivers, and restaurants, plus how to bargain politely with a smile at Chatuchak and Chiang Mai night markets.
How to eat Bangkok and Chiang Mai street food safely, why tube ice with a hole in the middle is purified, and how to communicate peanut, shrimp-paste, or MSG allergies.
What to wear at the Grand Palace and Buddhist temples, rules around monks and Thai Baht banknotes, and why e-cigarettes/vapes are strictly illegal in Thailand.
Real 2026 prices in Thai Baht (฿ THB) for hotels, SRT sleeper trains, domestic flights, island ferries, street food, and national parks.
How to split 2 weeks between Bangkok (3–4 days), Chiang Mai (3–4 days), and either the Andaman Coast (Nov–Apr) or Koh Samui/Phangan/Tao (May–Sep).
How to celebrate Thai New Year (Songkran, April 13–15) in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and how to experience Chiang Mai's Yi Peng sky lanterns and Sukhothai's Loy Krathong.
How to spot the 'Grand Palace is closed' tuk-tuk scam, jet-ski/scooter passport deposit traps, and how to contact Thailand's 24/7 English-speaking Tourist Police at 1155.
Comparing AIS 5G vs. True-dtac Tourist SIMs and eSIMs, airport vs. 7-Eleven pricing, and why AIS has the strongest signal in Andaman marine parks.
Why Thai hybrid outlets accept both US flat-prong and EU round-pin plugs at 230V/50Hz, plus tap water vs. bottled water and 7-Eleven ice rules.
How to distinguish genuine observation-only elephant sanctuaries from riding camps, and the most respected sanctuaries in Northern and Southern Thailand.
