4 things to note when traveling to Thailand

Things to note before traveling to Thailand in 2023. Photo: Waranont (Joe)/Unsplash

Thailand has become a popular destination for many tourists with affordable travel costs, bustling entertainment venues, attractive cuisine, friendly people and vibrant culture. To ensure the most complete experience, here are some notes for you when planning a trip to Thailand this year.

Pay Thailand travel fee

According to the Foreign Affairs Office, the Thai Government Public Relations Department, the cabinet has given the green light to the regulation of collecting tourist fees for international visitors to Thailand starting from June. The fee of 300 baht (equivalent to 200,000 VND) will be applied to visitors entering by air and 150 baht (about 100,000 VND) for visitors entering by land or water.

The Thai government plans to use the money from the tourism fee to provide health and accident insurance for tourists, as well as maintain conservation activities and develop local tourist destinations.

Respect local culture and etiquette

Travel Off Path has compiled some cultural and religious things that tourists need to pay attention to when coming to Thailand. First, tourists need to remember to always respond when receiving Wai from Thai people. Wai is a unique cultural feature of Thailand, when they show the action of clasping both hands in front of the chest, while bowing their heads to greet in a friendly and polite manner.

Second, the Thai Royal Family is always respected and adored by the people here. Having words or actions that offend the Thai Royal Family can be considered a crime, causing unnecessary trouble for tourists.

Tourists need to respect the culture when traveling to Thailand. Photo: Bucketlistly

Finally, when visiting Thailand, visitors should pay attention to their gestures. In Thai culture, each part of the body has its own meaning. The head is considered the most sacred part of the body, the feet are considered the most unclean part, the left hand is considered unclean, and the right hand is noble and sacred.

Actions such as patting someone on the head or giving them something with the left hand are considered disrespectful and do not create a good impression. Before entering a house or temple, visitors are required to remove their shoes and not point their feet towards others, especially towards a Buddha statue or a king's portrait when sitting.

Choose the right means of transport

If this is your first time in Thailand, you are advised not to rent a motorbike to get around on your own. Difficult traffic rules, heavy traffic, and a high accident rate are reasons why you should not travel by personal vehicle.

Instead, visitors should consider using public transport, especially during peak hours from 7am to 9:30am and 5pm to 7:30pm, to save money and avoid traffic jams. Thailand has a very diverse public transport network with buses, sky trains, subways, and even river buses, making it convenient for visitors to travel.

Various means of transportation in Thailand. Photo: Tsion Chudnovsky/Unsplash

Traveling by tuk-tuk, a typical vehicle of the Golden Temple country, is also suggested as an experience worth trying. However, Travel Off Path encourages visitors to ask for the price and negotiate before getting in the car to avoid being overcharged. Choosing to travel with ride-hailing apps such as Grab, Bolt or NaviGo should also be considered to be proactive about time, grasp information about fares, drivers and vehicle numbers to ensure your safety.

Comply with regulations on alcohol, beer, tobacco

Regulations on alcohol, beer, and tobacco in Thailand are very strict, with penalties ranging from administrative fines to prison sentences and even deportation if tourists violate them.

Thailand has strict regulations on alcohol, beer and tobacco. Photo: Klook

The government of this country stipulates that alcoholic beverages are only allowed to be sold to people over 20 years old, with the time of 11-14h and 17-00h every day. On some religious holidays or important days of the country, Thailand does not allow the sale of alcohol and bars will be closed.

As a member of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control since February 27, 2005, Thailand has stipulated that people over 18 years of age are allowed to use tobacco. Smoking is completely prohibited on beaches and some public areas such as sports facilities, parks, children's playgrounds and markets... Smoking and improperly throwing away cigarette butts will also be punished according to regulations.

In particular, smoking or possessing e-cigarettes is considered illegal and completely prohibited in this country. Travel agents and tour operators are urged to warn visitors about this ban before entering the country./.