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
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
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
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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
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
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 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
Exploring Bangkok’s Chinatown district
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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Great article on traveling in Thailand! The tips you provided are very practical and easy to follow. I especially liked the suggestion to use regional airlines and explore the waterways by long tail boat. It’s a great way to experience a different perspective of the country. The etiquette and cultural practices guide is also a valuable resource for travelers to be aware of and respect local customs. Overall, a very helpful article for planning a trip to Thailand. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the comment, there are so many ways to travel around Thailand and having some tips to getting around and visiting the country is always a great start
Great tips. Will definitely help the visitors to Thailand. You have really covered all aspects and important issues very well
Hopefully these 10 tips and suggestions for Thailand travel will be helpful for many researching visiting here.
Thailand has been growing up to be one of the most popular tourist destination im southeast Asia.
Bankok, Chiang Mai and Pattaya are some of its interesting area to explore
Great tips, especially the one about bargaining. We are in Thailand right now and if you don’t bargain you are paying at least three times as much as the locals.
Great tips, you should also mention the serious mistreatment of elephants in this country. If they offer elephant rides then there is a great chance those elephants are mistreated. Please do not ride the elephants. Look into this for more information.
Great tips! I’ve never been to South East Asia but I would love to start in either Thailand or Vietnam. I have so many Vietnamese friends in LA, they may take pity on me and take me on a tour of their land. But on the other hand Thailand seems so much more attractive to me. hmmm what to do.
Hi Noel,
great post, explained the overall activities with do’s and dont’s.
Seriously love that Tuk Tuk… 😉
Wow this is such a great comprehensive list. I always include the street food as part as must do travel tips for my friends and family.
Great tips! And visit the markets is a must.. because that’s where the pulse of the people lie! We love to buy back fruits to snack on later too.. lovely photos Noel! Tuk tuks have to bargain.. otherwise it’s just breathing in car fumes and getting ripped off! LOL
All great tips. I’d add one more. Don’t ignore top hotel restaurants. Expensive, yes, but great experiences of food, service, architecture and design.
I’m heading back to Thailand this year and can’t wait to see if things have changed a lot. I went 8-9 years ago and really loved it. Great tips and photos/videos here. Thanks for sharing
Hi Noel,
This is a very helpful primer. Having spent over a year in Thailand I vibe with each rule. Enjoy that street food! I can smell the mixed veggie curry as I write 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Ryan
So many great tips! Thailand is on my short list of destinations for the next few years – (and eating the street food is high on my priority list while there!)
Thanks for these tips! I haven’t been to Thailand yet, but it’s definitely on my list! Love those taxis!
Thanks for including Air Asia in this – it is such a great deal. True, it’s not exactly a comfortable ride but distances are usually short and it’s a great way to see so much of the region.
The great thing about this post is that the tips are short and sweet! It helps that you also have amazing pictures. I will be coming here next time I hit Thailand!
I love haggling. It is half the fun of buying things. I wish the US had more places to haggle.
Great tips for a first timer like myself! Thailand is one of my dream destinations so all of this will come in handy!
I went to Thailand last summer for the first time, and these are all great tips & suggestions 🙂 I love street food! They’re so cheap and good, but like you said, make sure you observe them to ensure they’re fresh and safe to eat. My travel partner and I luckily haven’t been scammed yet, but they did tried to take advantage. We always bargain and negotiate – if it feels funny, we would walk away.
Everyone who want to visit Thailand really have to try the streetfood. Its delicious and amazing. Good tips. Really enjoy this post.
Noel! Thanks for the advice, I have yet to go but it’s a dream I’m going to make happen in the next couple of years. Great tips, especially on the haggling part, it’s not something a lot of travellers are used to depending where they go. Thanks 🙂