Country:  Thailand

OVERVIEW

Situated at the center of Indo-China peninsula in Southeast Asia, Thailand spans a total area of 513,115 square kilometers, bordering Myanmar in the north and west, Laos in the northeast and the east, Cambodia in the southeast, and Malaysia in the south. Its elephant-headed shape stretches over 1,800 kilometers from north to south.

Thailand is drained by a large system of waterways, but the country’s bloodline is Chao Praya River flowing through the central plain where the capital, Bangkok, is located. The central region is then a rice bowl of the country and one of the most fertile areas in the Southeast Asian region.

Lying in the tropical zone, Thailand’s climate is influenced by monsoons which bring three distinct seasons to the country: dry (December-February), hot (March-June), and rainy (June-December).

Thailand is administratively divided into five regions, the Central, the Northern, the Northeastern, the Eastern, and the Southern, each of which differs from each other in population, natural features, historical background, ethnicity and languages, and level of social and economic development.

All forms of development are concentrated in the Central region where Bangkok is the political, economy, education, transportation, and cultural center. Its fertile plain offers a great opportunity for agriculture. Despite the encroachment of development in the region, the large paddy-fields can be seen in the vicinity area of Bangkok and the upper part of the region.  With its strategically suitable position, the central region has been served as the location of the nation’s capitals throughout the history. Sukhothai is the first one, located in the upper part of the region. Then it was moved to Ayutthaya, Thonburi and eventually Bangkok nowadays. This region is then a hub where the typical Thai culture originated.

The Eastern region is nowadays served as the industrial park and the shipping port other than Bangkok. Despite the rapid growth, the region is still graced by the lovely beaches and islands, giving a birth to the world famous beach resort towns like Pattaya and Rayong.

The Northern region is graced by its distinctive culture and tradition as well as its spectacular natural landscapes, making one of the most favorite tourist destinations. Today, the mainstream culture from the central region has brought development to the region, allowing then an expansion of the city like Chiang Mai that traffic jam, overpopulated area and other big cities’ problems are also inevitable in the region. Tourism has also affected the hill-tribe people scattering around the region. Many of them have to survive their communal identity by setting their daily-life activities as the cultural shows for curious tourists. Despite a flood of development and materialism in the region, there are still unspoiled pockets to explore, and communal consciousness among the local people is being built to protect an over-development that will swallow their charming tradition.

The Northeastern region is regarded a laid-back region of the country due to its remoteness. In addition, due to its distinctive culture closely related to the neighboring Laos, people in this region feel neglected from the development of the central government. The region used to be a haven of Communist movement in Thailand in the 1960s. Since the end of Vietnam War, Thai government has tried to build good relations with northeastern residents with constructions of infrastructure and facilities. Nowadays, the ethnical and cultural distinctions are fading; the northeastern residents accept the benefits of Thai citizenship while retaining their ethnic pride. Meanwhile, the majority of Thai population considered the northeastern culture as their national heritage as well.

The Southern region, since the early times, has been the region of wealth and cultural glory as several vibrant ports of the former seatrade route were located in this region such as Trang, Krabi, and Phuket. Influenced by several dominant Asian cultures like Indian, Mon and Khmer, southern culture is distinctive from those of other parts of the country. With its difference in language, geography, and climate, the southern region has long been isolated from the other regions. It was discovered to be the country’s treasure when its intact nature has been revealed to the world; dazzling beaches and idyllic islands become the tourism’s magnet. Phuket and Samui are the hottest spots.  

TRAVEL INFORMATION

Visas: Most visitors can stay for 30 days without a visa.

Health risk: AIDS, cholera, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, and rabies.

Time: GMT+7

Money: Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks (the best rates), hotels (which charge with high commission), and bureau de change in large towns. Credit cards including American Express, MasterCard, and Visa are widely accepted. Travelers’ cheques are accepted by all banks, larges hotels, and shops. Travelers’ cheques in US Dollars, Euros, and Pounds Sterling are recommended. ATM machines are available at the airports, hotels, and in large towns throughout the country.

Internet access: Internet services are available at hotels and easily found in any tourist areas in major cities.

Telephone: Each time of domestic call, the area code is required even calling form the same area as the destination number. For example, you are in Bangkok and would like to reach a hotel in Bangkok; you must press 02 (Bangkok area code) and follow by telephone number. For international calls to Thailand can be reached by dialing international access code, follow with 66 (Thailand’s country code), area code (omit 0), and telephone number. International calls from Thailand are made by dialing 001 (International access code for Thailand), followed by country code, area code, and local number. International call services are available at private phone booths and public phone as well as hotels.

Office hours: Most government offices, including post office are open Monday to Friday 08.30-12.00 and 13.00-16.30. Banks are open Monday to Friday 08.30-15.30.

Transportation: Air - Thailand’s national airline is Thai Airways International (TG). Most of international airlines stop at Bangkok International Airport (Don Muang) which connects other international airports in major cities, including Chiang Mai International Airport and Phuket International Airport, Departure tax is Bt500.

Waters: The main international port is Bangkok. Limited passenger services are available. At several points along the Mekong River, there are passenger crossing between Thailand and Laos. Cruise lines calling at Thailand include Holland, America, Orient Lines, Princess, Radisson Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea, and Swan Hellenic.

Rail: There are trains running to Kuala Lumpur, with daily connections to Singapore, Malaysia, and to the borders with Cambodia (At Aranyaprathet) and Laos (At Nong Khai).

Road: Thailand also has international roads connecting to Cambodia, Malaysia, and Laos. Roads into Myanmar are not officially open to tourist traffic.