It is over whelming visiting Thailand and large urban centers like Bangkok and almost get lost in the jungle and strange cultural and day to day activities. There is so much contradiction and confusion to traveling in Thailand and there’s no usual straight forward answer to make travel related activities. To make your visit to Thailand smooth and effortless, take a look at the Thailand travel – 10 tips and suggestions I have outlined for your visit and hopefully it will be a wonderful and smooth vacation.

 

Follow these top 10 tips and suggestions when visiting Thailand

 

Traveling by tuk tuk in Loei province

Traveling by tuk tuk in Loei province

 

 

1. Taxi service – Don’t agree tourist price and ask for the meter to be turned on. Also don’t agree to having them take you someplace where you can find great deals, they always get a kick back from these visits. If things look sketchy or the driver doesn’t respond to your requests, just pick another taxi so you can avoid all the hassles of getting to your destination. Here’s some cool tips by a local on taking taxis in Bangkok courtesy of Thaifai.

If you don’t want the hassle, get the Grab app and book your service with no hassle or bargaining.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. ATM’s – ATM’s are available everywhere in Thailand but surprisingly they don’t all work well with all international banks. Make sure you notify your credit card company of all the locations you will be visiting in Thailand in advanced. Also look for the ATM’s that do carry the various trade symbols on credit card so it will be able to accept your ATM card and dispurse your cash.

Many ATM charges hefty fees for the cash debits, so if you have time go the bank directly and withdraw funds using your cards and the participating bank will not charge you the exorbitant transaction fee on their end.

 

 

3. Bargain and negotiate – It’s part of the culture to bargain for things outside of shopping centers and typical stores, but in the outdoor markets and typical tourist spots always make sure you bargain to what you think what you are buying is worth. If you go to tourist markets, you definitely are paying tourist prices so always bargain since the prices are really marked up. This is when comparison shopping really makes sense before you buy.

Here’s a video on how to haggle like a pro courtesy of my friend Christine Kaaloa

 

 

 

 

4. Etiquette and avoid the taboos – It’s worthwhile to learn a little about Thai customs and typical etiquette while visiting the country. There are a few basic requirements, mostly when you visit cultural places and what to wear or do when you visit a historic place or how to greet people. Here is a fairly good guide on basic etiquette and cultural practices in Thailand you can review before you travel.

 

Flying regionally in Thailand - Thailand travel - 10 tips and suggestions

Flying regionally in Thailand

 

5. Flying around Thailand –  It is faster and cheaper to actually fly with the various regional carriers and international carriers through various destinations around Thailand instead of bus, train or private transport services. Check online using popular online sites like Skyscanner, Kayak or Momondo which allow you to search the more popular air travel consolidators for flights around the country.

With so many cheap regional carriers like Lok Air, Air Asia, Bangkok Air and Lion Air, you can use the search engines or directly through each airline website since many offer special deals at different time frames.

 

 

 

Traveling by long tail boat in Thailand

Traveling by long tail boat in Thailand

 

6. Enjoy being on the water – In many places around Thailand, being on the water on a long tail boat or water taxi will give you a different take on they way the locals travel and enjoy the scenic landscape in perspective and views. This also can take place in many urban environments like Bangkok where the canal waterways are extensive and fun to explore some of the cool and quirky neighborhoods of the city.

Many of Thailand’s historic centers offers water taxi or ferry services and many islands offer different types of island hopping and boat touring experiences that you can find online or when you are at your destination.

 

 

 

Taking a tuk tuk in Bangkok

Taking a tuk tuk in Bangkok

 

7. Try a local tuk tuk – The very popular tuk tuk taxis are cheap and quick rides outside of taxis in urban and rural areas. Usually easy to flag down these typically don’t have meters so you need to negotiate up front what the fee will be. Check the tip above taxis and apply some of the tips to booking a tuk tuk ride around the cities of Thailand.

 

 

8. Avoiding scams in Thailand- Unfortunately you may come across a variety of scams at popular sites, markets and areas around Thailand. The best thing is to just avoid any contact or communication and just smile and continue going to your destination. There are quite a few scammers targeting solo or unsuspecting tourists even for basic things like tuk, tuk or taxi rides, so be careful and take your time and follow your intuition. Here are a few more typical scams that happen regularly in popular attractions or other typical situations courtesy of Scam city.

Typical tourist scams you should try to avoid below.

 

 

 

 

Street food in Chiang Khan's night market

Street food in Chiang Khan’s night market

 

 

9. Try the street food – the hawker stands are definitely a wonderful experience to try street food throughout Thailand. Just take precaution by observing and watching vendors for the ones that have high traffic and food turnover, using fresh ingredients, a good selection and last, the food is prepared on the spot and not just sitting in heat trays all day long. Then you know it will be relatively safe to try the food that this vendor is preparing for you.

Check out these popular street foods of Bangkok

Check out all these popular street foods to try in Chiang Mai area

 

 

 

Local markets - Thailand travel - 10 tips and suggestions

Local markets in Bangkok,Thailand

 

10. Visit the markets – there are so many wonderful outdoor markets to explore, even some markets that are accessible only by boat which is quite unique. A fantastic place to try the tropical fruit, street and local delicacies, the outdoor markets are a wonderful opportunity to take photographs, try the local food and even bargain for a wonderful souvenir.  Make sure you pack well (here are some packing tips) so you can bring home some fantastic finds at the many outdoor and night markets around Thailand.

 

There’s so many amazing outdoor markets to explore around Bangkok and here’s just a few you should check out

 

If you are a night person, here’s the best night markets to enjoy around Thailand now

 

Or, if you are a day time person, check out these popular day to afternoon markets in Bangkok

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, please check these Thailand must see attractions

A first impression of Bangkok

Exploring Bangkok’s Chinatown district

Visiting Wat That Doi Suthep 

Eco tours in Northern Thailand

Hill tribes of Northern Thailand

A Loatian village in Northern Thailand

Hill tribe stay in Northern Thailand

Untapped Loei in Northern Thailand

 

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Conclusion on Thailand travel – 10 tips and suggestions

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