Thailand Travel Guide
Information and Advice

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Thailand Tours | Thailand Map

Thailand Beaches | Thailand Beaches Map

Kumuka Worldwide offer an extensive range of small group tours of Thailand and other Asia destinations for your next vacation.
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Thailand Travel Guide, climate:

Best: Nov-Feb [except north mountains]
Worst: Apr-May [heat], and long rains at : east side beaches Nov-early Dec, west side beaches May-Oct.

More tour operators offering tours to Thailand can be found in our listings here: Thailand Tours

Length of stay:
Min. worthwhile stay, not incl. flights : 6 days [2days in Bangkok, 1 day trip to Ayutthaya, 3 days in Chiang Mai or on a beach].
Recommended: 10 days -6 weeks

Thailand Festivals Guide:
[dates based on the lunar calendar so vary year-by-year]
April, Songkran [New Year's Water festival], nationwide [especialy lively in Chiang Mai, 2 day+.
May, Bun Bang Fai [Rocket festival], Northeast region
June, Phi Ta Khon, Loei.
Mid Oct, Vrgetarian Festival, Phuket.
Late Oct, Buffalo Races, Chon Buri.
Nov, Loi Krathong, nationwide, 3days.
Late Nov, Surin Elephant Roundup, Surin.
Late Nov-early Dec, Banquet for Monkeys, Lop Buri, 1day.

For some precise dates, more suggestions and information see: Exotic Festivals

Thailand Activities Guide:
Canal travel: Around Bangkok waterways on noisy but unique long-tail boats..
Shopping: Bangkok, Chiang Mai.
Trekking: into the mountains in north Thailand to visit hill tribes. The best bases are Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Mae Hong Son.
Driving: either bike or car hire easily available, good value and safe, with great sights and guest houses en route - especially of cultural interest is the area west of Chang Mai, towards Burma.
Island excursions: Ang Thong National Marine Park from Na Thon port in Ko Samui, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley island from Phuket.
Scuba & Snorkelling: all around the south.
Elephant rides: Mostly from Chiang Mai.
Motorbike travel: trail bike hire available all over, as is gravel rash!

Electricity:
220v, 2 flat pins, occasionally 2 round pins.

Countries where Brits have most chance of getting into trouble or sick [and asking help from the British Embassy], according to the UK Foreign Office: Thailand, India, Greece, Spain

Thailand Travel Star Guide:

Why go to Thailand?

'The Land of Smiles' offers a massive variety of assets at a minimal price:
a full variety of incredible cuisine often served in gorgeous outdoor settings; an intense collection of sights, from glittering, elegant temples to colourful floating markets to lunatic festivals; local people who are more relaxed and charming than they should be under seige by a planeloads of impolite, drunk foreigners, but they keep on smiling, as the sun keeps on shining.
Thailand's beaches are huge, well serviced and in settings that are often strange but always comfortable, busy but relaxed.
The country has all kinds of holidays for all kinds of travellers on all kinds of budgets, from huts on a beach or a mountain to the best hotel in the world, Bangkok's Oriental.
And the shopping is sensational - silks, tailor-made outfits in a couple of days, jewelry, wood carvings...
This is one of Asia's best countries and a perfect base for travel to other Asian destinations.

Downside:
- Bangkok is infamous for traffic chaos [tho' the river boats and the new Skytrain are brilliant alternatives, so try to stay near a train stop]
- It has a reputation for petty thievery, but usually without violence, so just be alert.
- Avoid unmarked taxis and maybe tuk-tuks. Official taxis are safe, have aircon and are metered so you avoid mad tuk-tuk driving, air pollution and money squabbles - and will probably pay less for the trip anyway.

Where to travel in Thailand:
***Bangkok, noisy, chaotic city with great sights, temples, canals, fabulous foods, incredible shopping and horny night life.
Don't miss Khao San Road, a boat ride, some temples, eating off a food stall, Patpong nightlife and maybe Thai boxing at the stadium? Bangkok Pictures and more information
**Ayutthaya [1 day], atmospheric ruins, once the Orient's most magnificent capital.
*Sukhotai [1 day], an historic park with ancient ruined capital surrounded by lakes and woods.
**Chiang Mai [2 days], a lively city with beautiful temples and shrines, famous for night markets and as a base to explore further north. Also Chang Rai, more north, less developed.
***Beaches - the country has many superb beaches and quite a few horribly overdeveloped ones. See Thailand Beaches information or Beach Pictures for a visual idea of what to expect.

Travel Safety advice:
- Petty thievery is common in Bangkok, bigger resorts and small cheap hotels, so look out for your valuables, especially if you're busy getting wrecked.
- Also use a little common sense about going off to lonely places with friendly Thais, and do not take unmarked taxis, particularly women.
- Ensure hotel rooms are secured at night, sneak in thievery is common, especially in cheap hotels where locks are inefficient. Stick a chair or wedge under the door.
- Hill trekking is terrific but beware border areas with Myanmar and Cambodia where well-armed banditry is rife. The sensible approach would be to take a knowledgeable Thai guide along. See Bugbog's Safety page.
- And finally don't be rude about Thailand's royal family or Buddhism as Thais take these very seriously.

If you plan to travel in Thailand you may want to check advice in neighbouring guides:

Cambodia Travel Guide | Vietnam Travel Guide

China Travel Guide | Japan Travel Guide

Laos Travel Guide | Thailand Travel Links