Thailand is a Southeast Asian country that many people dream of and engage with visiting. Traveling to Thailand can be a life-changing adventure; however, this is not always a good thing. Accidents happen, and it is always better to be over-prepared than under. There are so many things to do which is why, here’s the travel itinerary for your trip to Thailand so that you can get to know this beautiful country.

Street stalls in Old city of Chiang Mai
| things to know before traveling to thailand

So, what to know before going to Thailand, what to know before traveling to Thailand, what to know before visiting Thailand, what you need to travel to Thailand? Let’s check out our suggested 17+ Thailand travel tips (Thailand trip tips, tips for visiting Thailand) including things to know before going to Thailand, things to know before traveling to Thailand, things to know before visiting Thailand as follows!

Khao San Road | things to know before traveling to thailand

Read on to learn all about our Thailand travel tips and the things that you’ll need to know before your trip to Thailand so you’re prepared for anything. Here are 17 Thailand travel tips that you should keep in mind to travel to this country.

Bring insect repellent and wear long-sleeved clothes (#things to know before traveling to thailand)

| things to know before traveling to thailand

The hot climate and heavy rain of Thailand are due to a tropical area that causes multiple insects. Even grilled insects are a typical favorite food in Thailand. However, such insects are also pathogens. Mosquitoes, ticks, and even some flies can spread diseases.

| things to know before traveling to thailand
Mosquitoes also like humid and heavily wooded areas, as opposed to windy and drafty ones. This is why there are more mosquitoes in the north of Thailand (nature and jungle) than there are in the south (islands) | things to know before traveling to thailand
Long-sleeved shirts and pants or skirts past the knees are the perfect clothing for visiting Thailand, especially to [email protected] | things to know before traveling to thailand

In addition to insect repellent such as cream spray, it is also smart to cover up with clothing when possible to avoid bites and carry topical medication.

Immunization (#things to know before going to thailand)

| things to know before traveling to thailand

Before traveling to Thailand, you need to get some vaccinations. Malaria in Thailand occurs frequently and year-round, visitors need to learn and get vaccinated before coming here. For tourists, diarrhea is also a matter of concern.

| things to know before traveling to thailand
| things to know before traveling to thailand

Even in luxury resorts, you need to be careful about Thailand’s diverse cuisine not only in food safety but in their diversity and characteristics. Vaccines against hepatitis A and typhoid are also two essential vaccines for travelers.

Sunscreen (#things to know before visiting thailand)

| things to know before traveling to thailand

Thailand’s tropical climate can be brutal, and overexposure to the sun can cause visitors to get some bad sunburns. Sunlight will burn your skin. The scorching heat in Thailand is from March until June, which is the most crucial time to apply sunscreen and plenty of it. Sunscreen can be purchased at affordable prices in Thailand for those who forget to bring it along for their journey.

| things to know before traveling to thailand
| things to know before going to thailand

The use of sunscreen is not only to protect healthy skin but there are extremely effective whitening and skin-toning creams.

Drink clean bottled water (#what to know before traveling to thailand)

| things to know before going to thailand

The locals tend to avoid drinking water out of the sink. Just to be safe, we suggest following their guidelines. Diseases like typhoid and hepatitis A can also be contracted through contaminated water in Thailand.

Travelers can drink clean water at water filling stations that seem to be everywhere in the residential areas | things to know before going to thailand
The five best-bottled water brands in Thailand | things to know before going to thailand
| things to know before going to thailand

Travelers should carry clean bottled water, which is even more essential for children’s travel due to hepatitis A affection to almost children. Moreover, Thailand’s climate makes you thirstier.

Choose your street food wisely

| things to know before visiting thailand

Thailand is a country with extremely diverse cuisine, especially street food. Therefore, not all stalls sell food that is safe to eat. According to a survey by the Thai Ministry of Health, 85% of street food shops ensure food quality and safety. However, the survey number cannot cover all tourist areas, so visitors still need to pay more attention to this issue.

| things to know before visiting thailand
| things to know before visiting thailand
| things to know before visiting thailand

Discovering new dishes at the resort can cause a slight change in taste, especially those with weak stomachs should be more careful. If you eat unsafe food, it can affect your whole vacation trip.

Do not drive motorcycles in Bangkok city

A heavily congested road in Bangkok. Therefore, please be careful with your driving a motorcycle while visiting Thailand | things to know before visiting thailand

Bangkok is both the capital and the most populous place in Thailand and the number of tourists increases yearly. Therefore, visitors may get into some traffic troubles, even accidents while driving a motorcycle.

| what to know before traveling to thailand
| what to know before traveling to thailand

Thailand is home to the world’s second-most-dangerous roads in terms of deaths per capita, according to a 2015 report from information collected by the World Health Organization. Many of these accidents involve motorcycles, and Bangkok’s crazy roads and frequent reckless drivers are not the places to find out whether or not you can drive a motorcycle. It’s probably better to hire a driver to be on the safe side.

Drinking alcoholic beverages responsibly

| what to know before traveling to thailand

Drinking is of course not allowed during driving. In addition, in Thailand, you should not drink in temples or places of worship, pharmacies, public offices, educational institutions, gas stations, stores, and public parks as it is illegal.

| what to know before traveling to thailand
Drinking alcohol at an event in Bangkok until 11:00 pm allowed | what to know before traveling to thailand

Many policies have been executed to reduce alcohol consumption here. The drinking age in Thailand is twenty. The purchasing hours for alcoholic beverages in Thailand are 00:00—11:00 and 14:00—17:00. A fine of up to US$298.32 for a violation.

No gambling

| what to know before traveling to thailand

All types of gambling are prohibited in Thailand. There were rumors in the past that casinos would soon be legalized in Thailand because of the revenue they would bring in tourists, but that has yet to happen. Any gambler in Thailand risks paying a 1,000 Baht fine (approx. US$29.34) and could be jailed for up to a year. Football betting is also banned.

Please note that even though there is no direct law against online casinos in Thailand, they are still considered to be prohibited by the government officials | what to know before traveling to thailand
A raid on a condominium with many Thais, and foreigners held in Pattaya gambling bust | what to know before traveling to thailand

Cross-body bags should be necessary

When you go to the street, you can use a cross-body bag with shoulder straps or better yet, be more secure with a belt bag. A nice mini cross-body bag to fit up a wallet, phone, or passport is necessary when you walk out.

| what to know before visiting thailand
| what to know before visiting thailand

The number of street crimes, including theft, robbery, and car break-ins has significantly dropped in, however, tourists still need to be more vigilant. Do not put your wallet in the back pocket because of an easy pickpocket.

Safe sex

| what to know before visiting thailand

Prostitution has been illegal in Thailand since 1960. Hence, it is best for tourists not to participate in these activities, which are not for non-locals, and can lead to problems.

Sex work is practiced openly in the country, but it is illegal and subject to fines or jail | what to know before visiting thailand
| what to know before visiting thailand

Do not touch monks

| things you need to know before going to thailand

Monks in Thailand are forbidden to touch, even to give something to a woman directly. They can freely talk to men, but keep a distance to show respect. People cannot stand in the same queue as monks.

| things you need to know before going to thailand

Pay attention to the face of the Buddha statue

| things you need to know before going to thailand

Spiritual tourism is extremely popular in Thailand. However, you should remember many tips to visit here. For example, you need to wear discreet clothes when you enter or exit sacred places; do not touch the Buddha statues; do not sit with legs apart; and point your feet towards the Buddha statues and more.

| things you need to know before going to thailand
Buddha statues are gently washed with scented water. Photo: holidayme.com | things you need to know before going to thailand

For couples, they are not allowed to show intimate actions such as hugging, or kissing in front of Buddha statues because Thai people think that these are disrespectful actions to Buddha.

Communication

According to Thai people, using fingers to point at other people is disrespectful. Do not touch others’ heads, and do not whistle if you want to call others, simply because they think this action is only used for animals. Visitors need to be more careful when talking about the royal country. Should not be too carefree, joking, and mocking people in the royal family.

| things you need to know before going to thailand
Do not touch others’ heads | things you need to know before going to thailand

You can suffer very heavy penalties for your mistake. You are not allowed to step on coins with the image of the king of Thailand. If you step on the coin, you insult the king and can be punished with 13—15 years in jail.

Purchasing

When you shop at the markets or shopping malls in Bangkok, you should remember to bargain for an affordable price, but not for supermarkets and commercial centers due to the fixed prices.

Before you start bargaining, work out what you are willing to pay by comparing it against your native currency and using that as your benchmark

You should not agree and listen to shopping offers because you will involve in more expensive prices. If you can speak the Thai language that is a great advantage for your purchase at the same price as a local.

Do not feed the monkeys

There are plenty of places in Thailand where visitors can get close to monkeys in their natural habitats. You might be tempted to give them a scrap of food because, well, they are just so incredibly cute. When people feed monkeys, however, these animals start to associate people with food, and this leads to an onslaught of problems.

| things you need to know before going to thailand

If you happen to be infected, you need to get vaccinated as soon as possible. If they are fed continuously, they can also lose the skills they need to be able to feed themselves in the wild.

Take a taxi

All taxis legally operating in Thailand must have a fare and a distance meter. Thailand prohibits negotiating prices in the use of taxi services. Therefore, it is better to choose taxis with meters and meters for distance and price. Before starting the journey, please pay attention to whether the clock has reset or not to avoid controversy at the end of the trip.

There’s no need to negotiate the fare as all taxis in Bangkok have meters. A driver refusing to use it is an indication of a suspicious agenda | things you need to know before going to thailand

Go to the zoo

| things to know before traveling to thailand

The zoo focuses on many kinds of rare animals and especially they also contribute to attracting tourists. They are trained to perform circus performances for people watching. However, they were tortured, possibly during training.

| things to know before traveling to thailand

We put together this travel guide with some effective tips, highlighting the best of what you must do in Thailand to avoid incidents to get a perfect journey.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Bangkok you can refer to

royal palace bangkok
Royal palace Bangkok

Are you finding more Bangkok travel guide: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out our Bangkok travel blog — The fullest Bangkok travel guide blog for a budget trip to Bangkok (BKK).