10 Things To Know About Thailand Before You Go

2020-04-10T08:42:03+10:00

Ready to set off to Thailand, the Land of Smiles, sparkling temples, paradise beaches and mountain adventures and may I mention the amazing food?

While travelling around Thailand is easy and safe, with many Thais speaking English and being happy to help push you in the right direction, there are a few things that you should keep in mind before you go.

Here are 10 things you should know about Thailand before you go.

 

#1 Always Bargain

You haven't really been to Thailand, if you didn't do any bargaining and haggling. Especially when shopping at local markets around the country or along popular tourist streets like Khao San Road in Bangkok, you can expect that the sellers on the other side have bumped up the prices, waiting for tourists like you to pass by.

Bargaining is fun, the Thais love it too, so just get right in there and make a counter offer. The reality in the streets of Thailand is, that the real price is somewhere between 25 to 50 percent cheaper than the original quoted price. Make sure you have checked the currency conversion to your home currency ahead of time, that way you won’t have to stand there with your iPhone trying to work it out and implying to the vendor that you do, in fact, have money – making it even harder to bargain down the price. Also, always bring cash to markets as cards won’t get you anywhere when bargaining, kinda obvious isn’t it?

If the seller doesn't want to drop the price, you can always show him your cash and say that this is all you've got, it worked many times for me! Or you simply say thank you and walk away, often they come after you just to make a sale. If that's not good enough, there usually are plenty of stores at the markets selling similar or the same things, just shop around. Always haggle but be fair, the locals also need to make money.

Haggling is mainly a thing at markets and with TukTuk drivers around Thailand, however, you never haggle at convenience stores or upmarket shopping malls.

How to bargain in Thailand

#2 Invest In Travel Insurance

When heading to Thailand, getting travel insurance is as important as checking if your passport is still valid for 6+ months after your return date. Ohh, how this has gotten people in trouble before!

But seriously, I have never boarded a plane without taking out travel insurance, it is the number one thing I do after booking a plane ticket. Why? You can read my Instagram post about my own travel insurance story. Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) have been experts in travel insurance for over 35 years and help give you peace of mind, so you can get the most from your travel experience without having to worry about what could go wrong.

With SCTI, you even have the option to add moped or motorbike insurance, which is highly valuable in Thailand. I actually learned to ride a scooter Chiang Mai, Thailand. While I don't recommend taking many valuables, you my want to take your camera or laptop with you to Thailand. SCTI lets you add cover for your valuables, which I know you'll be very thankful for, just in case anything happens!

#3 Know About Animal Tourism

You probably already know that tourism is a huge business for Thailand and that it provides about 20 percent to the national GDP, so not a small business at all.

If your dream of coming to Thailand involves riding and elephant or cuddling a tiger in a zoo, I want you to be aware that there can be a dark side to animal tourism in Thailand, and animal cruelty is widely spread throughout activities involving wild animals.

Always remember that wild elephants are never painting pictures with their trunks, monkeys don't dance to music and tigers won't just lay their head into your lap like a cat. So if the place you are going to offers any of these things, be a responsible tourist and give some thought to the ethics used there.

I would assume most people who opt in for riding an elephant in Thailand don't know what's going on behind the scenes and how badly those poor animals can be treated. Be sure to read up on the places you are visiting and don't support anything that doesn't look or feel right.

#4 Temple Etiquette

With Thailand having a hot and humid climate all year around it is easy to just pack your summer clothes. And that's all great when you walk the streets of Bangkok or Phuket, but when you want to visit a Thai temple, there are some rules that you shouldn't ignore.

The etiquette at all temples in Thailand, for locals and foreigners alike, is to cover your shoulders and knees by either wearing long flowy pants (no tight active wear!) or putting a sarong. This also counts for men!

If singlets are your thing, both men and women should cover their shoulders when entering a religious temple in Thailand. It's best to always carry a small scarf with you for that. This will also keep you warm if you enter one of the air-conditioned shopping malls.

In Thai temples and culture it is essential to take off your shoes when you enter a temple or someone's house. You can wear socks if you feel more comfortable that way but take off your hat and sunnies. Be respectful to the temple monks and others by talking quietly, and always get permission before taking photos of a monk or people praying.

Bangkok temples etiquette

#5 Why You Don’t Touch Anyone On The Head And Keep Your Feet On The Ground

Apart from dressing appropriately when visiting temples, there are some other etiquettes that may be foreign to you. For example, putting your feet on furniture or pointing with your feet, especially at statues of Buddhas in temples, is considered to be very rude.

When sitting down on the floor, a safe option to sit is with the bottom of your feet not showing to others around you. Why? In Thailand, the bottom of your feet are considered dirty and shouldn't be shown to anyone. When you see people sitting or sleeping on the ground and you need to pass, it's best to go around instead of stepping over them with your feet. Talk about feet-phobia here!

While you may encounter kids running up to you in some destinations, it's best to not touch their head as you may sometimes do in Western cultures. Peoples heads in Thailand are considered sacred and should not be touched.

#6 TukTuks, Taxi And What About Uber?

There is no Uber in Thailand anymore as they have now combined their ride-sharing services with Southeast Asian operator Grab. It works exactly the same as Uber but thought the Grab App. If you use GrabTaxi, you will pay by meter and it won't cost you more than Uber used to charge.

Riding a TukTuk can be an exhilarating experience, especially in a mega city like Bangkok. Those three-wheeled, open rickshaws have an engine and are something you need to experience in Thailand.

Best used at small distances, you will have to haggle your fare with the driver before you get on. Don't make the mistake and jump on without asking for the price as it will be a not-so-nice surprise when you arrive at your destination for sure. Every TukTuk driver inflates their rate for foreigners and tells you something about crazy traffic and that's why it's always more expensive than expected.

I have used TukTuks a number of times in Thailand, its certainly an experience and they often get through traffic much faster than a car, however the driving style of many TukTuk drivers is not for the faith-hearted. I would much rather opt for a taxi, especially in a big city, as it’s a more comfortable and safer way of getting around. Whatever you do, hold on to your valuables while flying through the streets on a Tuk Tuk as pickpockets are always on the lookout, even when you are driving.

Thailand tuktuks

#7 Sale Hours Of Alcohol

So, you want to let your hair down during your trip? You may find this very odd, but there are, in fact, specific alcohol sale laws that exist in Thailand. Therefore, you can only buy alcohol between 11am and 2pm and again between 5pm and midnight, every day of the week, as well as weekends

On some Buddhist holidays, the sale of alcohol is completely banned. Walking into a supermarket outside of those times, you will find the alcohol shelf neatly locked away with shades covering the bottles.

This might sounds crazy and very strict for a start, but being a foreigner visiting Thailand you will still be able to buy alcohol and drinks at most hotels, bars, restaurants and at the airport at any time of the day, no problem.

#8 A Note On Stray Dogs

Street dogs, stray dogs, soi dogs; they have many names and you will definitely encounter some of these free roaming, ownerless dogs in Thailand.

I have a lot of compassion for dogs but I also know how dangerous street dogs can potentially be. Usually, you can walk past them in the street without a worry, as long as you mind your own business and don’t approach them. I wouldn’t recommend approaching street dogs to pat or feed them, even when they give you the puppy-eyes.

Ever stood in front of a growling dog? Time to leave them alone and walk backwards out of their territory, don’t run and you should be fine.

You definitely don’t want to get unexpectedly bitten by a street dog, but in case you do it will be lucky that you got that travel insurance from SCTI right? This way your medical expenses for treatment, including rabies vaccinations and antibiotics are covered. Rabies vaccination is recommended when you are planning to travel to remote areas of Thailand and do a lot of outdoor activities that potentially puts you at risk for animal bites.

#9 Show Respect To The King & Royal Family

When Thailands King Bhumibol Adulyadej did in 2016 after decades on the throne, people in Thailand went into a year-long period of mourning. That alone is impressive and shows how worshipped the king and royal family are in the country.

The monarch plays a central part in Thai society and is treated as a god-like figure. It’s best to refrain from insulting or threatening the royal family in Thailand as it is a serious offence and there are harsh punishments with jail terms ranging from between three and 15 years!

To be super safe, simply don't talk about the king or royal family at all in public.

thailand royal temple

#10 Gambling Is Illegal

A country where you cannot gamble, is that even real? Yes, in Thailand, most forms of gambling are illegal. The exceptions are the government-supported national lottery and betting on race horses. So if you want to make this a gamble holiday, head to Macau instead!

You will find no casinos throughout the country, however, people still gamble in Thailand, many of them online.

 

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About the Author:

Carolin is a travel expert born in Germany. She has been travelling around the world since 2014 and now lives in her adopted soul home Australia. Her travel advice has been featured on Forbes, Daily Mail, News.com.au, Tour Radar, Expedia and she's also been named one of the top travel bloggers you need to follow by Tourism Queensland.