Joanna James
A visit to Thailand is an opportunity to explore an ancient culture, relax at the beach, get in plenty of spa time and eat good food. Here is a list of things you should be aware of before you visit Thailand.
If you possibly can exchange currency before you leave for Thailand. At least, take a small amount of Thai Baht for your initial refreshment and transport. Don't try to exchange money at the airport.
It is possible to find accommodation on the go in Thailand. However, you could look for good deals and avoid hassle if you book your accommodation ahead of the journey. Simply Google for hotels and resorts in the areas you wish to see and compare prices before making a reservation. For example if you search for a 'hotel Khon Kaen', you will come across plenty of options such as the AVANI Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre. Incidentally, Ubolrat Dam in Khon Kaen is the largest one in the northeast area. The river and the mountain View near the dam make it appealing destination.
For the longest time, tourists to Thailand were fascinated by its exotic animals. This led to a large scale mistreatment of tigers, elephants and other wild creatures. Even though, it may be tempting to try and take a photograph with a stripy 'friend' or ride a majestic elephant, this is not entirely ethical. You would be contributing to the mistreatment of animals.
Thailand is hot and humid and the result is bushels of sunlight during the day and creepy crawlies in the evening. If you want to avoid pain and risk being locked up in your hotel room with a nasty bug bite, take a travel sized bug spray with you. Mosquitoes usually like to come out and look for luscious sips of blood of an evening. You can stay clear of their bites and potential diseases if you carry a bug repellant.
During your first time to Thailand, hailing a taxi can be confusing. Once you go through immigration, find the taxi vending machines in front of the airport to book one. The machine will issue you a number and all you have to do is, wait for the taxi with the corresponding number on the ticket. Once you are in Bangkok, you can use the BTS skyline and the metro train called MRT which are the fastest options to travel the city. For long distance travel, you could book a taxi or board a bus.
Tourist traps may come in the guise of good deals. Before you visit a particular attraction, find out the official entrance fee. Buy a map and learn a few useful Thai phrases. If your taxi driver offers to take you to a better temple than the one you plan to visit, the driver probably is trying to cheat you. Be assertive about where you want to go.
Monkeys in Thailand are friendly and they would try to get you to feed them. But, giving in to their demand is no kind act. If they get used to being fed by humans, they will lose their innate ability to find food by themselves. Some monkeys even try to grab bags and food from humans as they have become so dependent of humans. The adorable creatures become menacing when they are tearing at your bag.
Bargaining is a way of life in Thailand, especially at street markets. For example, if you visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market and there are no visible price tags, bargain until you and the vendor are happy. The moment you make a vendor uncomfortable, know that you have crossed the line. After all, selling goods is the way they make their living, if you are a visitor, the proper thing to do is to be helpful.
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