you can get a 30 day visa on entering (and renewing it crossing the border and back
http://www.tigertemple.org/Eng/
http://www.tigertemple.co.uk/photos.htm
http://www.tigertemple.org/Eng/index.php
Right been to Thailand twice so here are tips to obey...
Before you go…important not so fun stuff.
1) Inoculations…
Sort this months before you go as some you have to leave weeks apart and some cost lots.
Rabies is good to have especially if you like stroking nice cute cats… You don’t just have to be bitten, licking will do it.
2) HOTELS
Do not book many days in hotels unless you will be on a tight schedule... Via the net most places are over 1000Bbhatt. I stayed in Kao San road for 150 Bhatt abet in a much smaller room without air con. But more spending money.
800bhatt will get you what you would deem first class hotel, a big cosy room, with double bead, shower, possible breakfast etc etc...and easy enough to find… hotels end to be near to each other.
The average for guest houses is 3-400 Bhatt. Though the cheaper hotels may not be keen on you bringing back ‘guests’ of the opposite sex. If they ask you not to be nice and don't.
If you are on a tight schedule you won't have time for the 2 night settle in and look round for somewhere cheaper and better routine... it takes a little time and not what you want to do whilst carting a big back pack around.
Note the Asoknana and Sukhumvit, Soi 23 area whilst good in terms of hotel quality, transport as near the monorail, private hospital and I think subway system…Therefore a good place to start
Is also the sort of red light minus the red light district areas in particular the Nana Hotel opposite Nana Plaza where the bar girls who ain’t pulled when the bars close go. Soi cowboy 23 and Nana Plaza being the Go go bar areas. Perfectly safe, people are friendly, the system works like bars you guaranteed to pull if a bloke … But you may want to think about that if going with teenagers, kids or on your honeymoon etc. As often they may not mention that in the brochure.
3) INSURANCE… Note medical treatment in Thailand, Australia and new Zealand seemed to add up to just under £40 = $100 or Bhatt 2800 often.
A weeks hostel in Aus or New Zealand $140, or nearly a week in decent accom in Bangkok… In Chang Mai got the same level of accommodation… bathroom, double bed, space, air con, breakfast etc etc for 150 Bhatt… = NEARLY 3 WEEKS ACCOM…
WHAT A CONINCIDENCE THAT THE ACCESS ON MEDICAL TRAVEL INSURANCE IS £40 EMMMN…..IE
PAY THE EXTRA £10 OR SO TO WEAIVE THE EXCESS OR YOU AINT COVERED FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT AND EACH TIME THAT’S ANOTHER £40 OUT OF YOUR SPENDING MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MAKE SURE IT ALSO COVERS EXPLICITLY ALL THOSE ACTIVITIES YOU WILL BE DOING AND WITH DIVING THAT INC DECOMPRESSION ETC.
2) TRANSPORT ONE
LEARN THIS PHRASE WITH BANGKOK TAXIS.... METER!!!!
AND NOTE DURING THE DAY THERE IS A BUS.
All Thais and those who are not
stupid tourists off the plane
know that any 'agreed price' with taxis that sounds cheap is several times over the 'meter' price on taxis. This is common in hotels where you see prices to go places.
If the taxi driver won't accept it will tough titty on him... 85% of the cars I could saw in Bangkok with Toyota Corrolla Blue and red taxis... just walk down the street, pref. away from tourist sites and hotels and flag down a taxi and give a wai (see below) and politely ask meter? when they agree then get in and say where you want to go. Maps help... Pictures do when you have not the words.
But no meter or conveniently broken (yeah right heard that one before) forget it or you will be paying at least twice.
3) Other transport includes motorcycle taxis which you have to negotiate with. I had to cough up at least 70Bhatt but they were good at zipping through traffic and often Bangkok is grid locked. Taxi meters still go up when stuck but much slower.
Busses are 7 Bhatt (ie 10 pence) compared to say 250 Bhatt by taxi, but busses are not air conned and can’t re route. Ie buss = mega cheap and genuine Thai travel. Just make sure you know the route and have a map. Remember you can point to where you want to go.
The monorail and subway/underground trains in Bangkok are above the standard of the docklands light railway and jubilee extension and spotless and impressive… they make us look bad. Again very cheap… 20-30 B that’s about 30pence.
Outside Bangkok is often Bhatt busses or I think its pronounced sawngthaew (song-tau?), http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/428492.html
decorated pickup trucks with a cover you can sit in the back.
These work by you flagging them down. If you get an empty one and there is nobody in it and you pay extra its like a taxi taking you straight there. If not you pay less and they pick up or drop off people along the way in an indirect route. (try and find out going rates but note … it beats paying extra as a richer tourist who can afford it then walking… So balance up between what Thais consider a you are richer so can afford to subsidise poorer Thais which is fair and someone taking the micky which is not.
3). Transport 2:
DO NOT , NOT, NOT, GO WITH PRIVATE BUS COMPANIES RUNNING OUT OF KAO SAN ROAD OR OTHER TOURIST SPOTS. OFTEN ILLEGAL, RIPPING YOU OFF AS YOU BOOK A NICE VIP BUS. INSTEAD OFTEN PICKED UP BY SMALL CRAPPY BUS THEN TRANSFERRED (IE NO CHOICE) ONTO OLD **** CRAMPED COACH WITH AIR CON THAT RESEMBLES A WATERFALL ON SOAKED SEATS HAVING TO PAY FOR YOUR OWN FOOD, AND MAYBE STUFF NICKED (ORGANISED) WHIST YOU SLEEP. Not getting dropped off at your Agreed destination. But say near by (got dropped off 10 min walk away) where planned taxis charge you a fortune to take a scenic route to a place that’s round the corner… Or worse.
Didn’t get done from Bangkok but by the official bus service from Phi Phi island
It appears cheaper for a reason!!!!!!!!!!
The worst services are between Bangkok Kao San and Chang Mai or Koh Phanyang, Samui on backpacker routes or with Krabi etc.
Instead you are in Thailand… so go do what Thais do. GO TO THE OFFICAIL THAI BUS/COACH terminals… Far better busses, efficient service and the VIP bus/coaches are really that…
Sleeper coaches that recline all the way, only 3 seats across, pillows, blanket, free food, stewardess, videos, headphones, comfy, free meal breaks, nice loos etc etc…
Thais ain’t stupid tourists.
Its also more of an adventure to make own travel plans…
And also go with sleeper trains. Again second class was very comfy, friendly, nice trip, safe etc.
TATs are tourist travel agents… most in Bangkok are dodgy… The Big not little one IN NOT OUTSIDE the main Train station upstairs( near china town towards south) is legit, did me ok with a chang mai jungle trip and accommodation whist the one next door was much more.
And avoid Tuk Tuks. They are for Thais… Tourists get taken not where they want to go but via all the dodgy jewel shops or TATs where they get petrol commission vouchers on route and make their real money.
4. Ok good stuff… FOOD
YUM YUM YUM, STREET FOOD…
In England feeding a street vendor sausage to a dog should rightly get you sent up for cruelty to dogs they’re that bad.
In Thailand however practically all the food you will want to eat comes from street food vendors and that’s what the Thais do and the food is most yummy and healthy and pretty safe. Many don’t bother cooking the food is around 25-40 Bhatt for say noodle soup or curry. That’s less than 50 pence. Healthy and did I mention yummy?
Condiments inc: sugar, fish sauce (nice on most things not just fish, chillis in sauce, peanuts and dried chilli bits.. Everywhere you go you won’t be far from lots of street vendors with lots of choice.
Pad Thai is more common in tourist areas… peanut and egg noodles but not common elsewhere and more oily. Thais tend to go for noodle soup and everyone loves the roti pancakes with bananas and chocolate… very very yummy.
Fruit is common but you need to eat it fast, its very fresh but in the heat going off in a few hours. Likewise make sure meat is cooked in front of you.
And ONLY BOTTLED WATER. The Thais Don’t drink tap water..
Basically if Thais are eating it it should be ok.
5.) Tiger temple… see
http://www.tigertemple.org/Eng/
http://www.tigertemple.co.uk/photos.htm
http://www.tigertemple.org/Eng/index.php
This is one of the best things I’ve done. Playing with, petting and cuddling adult tigers who were alert, and well cared for, and the cubs.
It’s a tiger orphanage where the tigers have been brought up by monks and yes you can mix with them
In Kanchanaburi.
Get a thai bus/coach to the town then share a sawngthaew or get a bus to the entrance (it’s a walk of a few km and walk or better still wait for a sawngthaew going past..
http://idegen.tyrell.hu/archives/2004/07/sawngthaew.jpg
http://morkus.wz.cz/Asie/Fotky/089_Sawngthaew.html
Go see a transvestite show… these are not kinky more a theatre show with singing etc .. and Bangkok is famous for them…
Chang Mai for the Temples and jungle treks, not a malaria area.
BUT ON TOP OF THE CASH YOU ARE TOLD TO BRING MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOME CASH AND OR GIFTS FOR THE VILLAGE CHILDREN WHO WILL PUT ON A SHOW AND WE WERE NOT TOLD ABOUT IT, AND ONLY TOLD TO BRING A LITTLE CASH FOR SNACKS AND TRINKETS…
Felt real bad about that.
Also thai cooking courses and go see the show and dinner.
There are holiday islands not far from Bangkok where the Thais go so should be good but there is malaria there so make sure you have medicine.
Pattaya is really about gogo bars at night and not much during the day. If not goingt there for that don’t bother.
Koh toh is a chilled out peaceful island mainly for scuba diving, next door to the hippy koh Phanyang and the next stop the island of Koh Samui the opposite of Koh Tah. Very busy and touristy.
Also go to Phi Phi Island next to where they filmed the Beach and the Krabi area with all the rock formations coming out of the water. This area got wacked by the tsunamie and wants tourists back… If you have the time help out with some volunteer work helping them to rebuild.
6) Naughty Thailand
Yes the go go bars where guys go to pull (in Pattaya not being sexist there is an area which caters for gays and women (boys town) often Japanese women with go go guys).
(dolls house a gogo being biggest gogo up some stairs in the town)
In Bangkok best go to Soi Cowboi… Is more chilled then Patpong and little hastel other then the pounce by bar owner/staff as you enter to get you to sit and get a drink the second you walk in… they Aint worked out how off putting this is..
Several have glass ceilings on the bottom floor. Girls dancing in no panties short skirts top floor.
Example
http://www.baccarabar.com/
Kinda explains the therapeutic massage everywhere … Must be for gogo bar sore neck syndrome.
Example
The gogo bars work with a stage with girls in bikinis, topless or often skirts no underwear, some nude and some have a first floor with a class ceiling.
The girls are free to choose, and there willingly if they want to go with you so respect that and treat it as if you were going out on the pull or a date. Ie clean up, shave, be nice. If someone is not comfortable with you let them be (plenty of others)
The deal is you pay the bar a bar fine ie less girls in bar to attract guys in. Ave 500 bhatt then go home to your hotel for short (ie bonk and bye) or long time (the night) 1500-2500 bhatt usually.
Again treat the girls as you would others ie be nice.
You are safe in these areas if you avoid the Pat Pong upstairs (ie golf ball shooting from areas of the body not designed for that at all) Those are ‘clip joints’. Like in other countries traps. You would go in, no prices shown, someone sits down with you then when you want to leave a massive bill is demands or you don’t get out with the way blocked by Thai boxers and the door locked from the outside… Get the idea?
This does not happen in regular go go bars. In Thailand you usually get conned if trying to be cheap it a git thinking you are getting one over on Thais.
Pat Pong has a market there, Nana Plaza is a circula 3 story block with a courtyard in the middle, Soi Cowboi is a mall in Bangkok and other areas have similar beer bar areas… ie no dancer stage. If that’s your thing.
As said you should not get hastle except to by drinks as soon as you enter, or danger unless you ask for it. Ie push or hurt a girl… the thai bouncers will work you over so hard your mum wont recognise you if you can still walk. And the police would probably be on their side as you hurt a girl.
SCUBA DIVING
Koh Toh next door island to full moon party Koh Phan yang is good for scuba diving lessons… leave a week to do this
7.) Ordinary Thailand… go explore off the beaten track ie mix with the locals. And note they have nice shopping malls where kids break dance outside so if you have good moves you may fit in.
Thai transport. Thai street food etc…
Ie don’t simply be a tourist be an explorer… see the city outside the obvious
Ie go in their new year around April 14 when everywhere for few days is aone big waterfight
2007-03-27 09:19:39
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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It depends upon your nationality. Citizens of the USA and some 40 other countries are exempt from visa if they wish to stay no more than 30 days as a tourist. If you go to work, you'll need a Non-Immigration Visa (which cost USD 50.00 - single entry - for most countries other than ASEAN nations which are free and good for 90 days). There are 14 other countries for which you can get a visa upon arrival (but, you have to pay for it - I think it is 100 - 200 baht or so, and you need cash).
I was there last week on business so needed a non-immigration visa but my wife was a tourist (US citizen) so she didn't need a visa.
2007-03-26 03:32:36
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answer #3
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answered by Rick 4
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One month tourist visas are granted free upon arrival. If you want to stay for longer, you have to apply for one---definitely can do at an embassy or consulate. Not sure if you can on arrival. However, if you want to stay longer than a month in SE Asia, just arrange a trip to Laos, Cambodia or Singapore (Laos and Cambodia require you purchase a tourist visa on arrival but there are things to see there--Angkor Wat, Luang Prabang) and re-enter Thailand. Voila. New 30-day visa.
2007-03-26 23:40:24
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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