The first trip to Southeast Asia is a real adventure! We share tips on where to go for the first time in Thailand. What you need to know in order not to inadvertently offend local residents and not have problems with the Thai police.
Where to go for the first time in Thailand
After we have lived in Thailand for several years, I would advise you to just come to this country. Choosing a place for your first visit to Thailand is not as important as it seems at first glance.
In any province, in a large resort or in a small town, you will learn a lot of interesting things and see an unusual culture and traditions for yourself. Shops, markets and huge shopping centers, hospitals and pharmacies are everywhere. True, in non-tourist towns there are usually few hotels, there are no currency exchange offices and excursion agencies.
Phuket and Pattaya - popular seaside resorts. They are famous for their developed infrastructure and many interesting attractions for tourists. It is good to come to Phuket and Pattaya together, with a youth company and with children.
If you are flying to Thailand solely for a beach holiday, choose Samui and other Thai islands. Here the beaches are cleaner and much quieter than in the seaside towns. True, on small islands you will not find such a service as in large resorts.
Tourists who do not plan to spend their holidays by the sea, but want to get acquainted with Thai culture, are advised to go to the north of the country - in Chiang Mai... This is the largest Thai city after Bangkok, where 132 thousand people live.
First time in Thailand: useful tips
The climate in the Land of Smiles is paradise. Do not take warm clothes! At any time of the year, moderately hot weather and a pleasant sea for swimming are waiting for you. Cheap beachwear and shoes are easy to buy locally.
There is only one currency in Thailand - thai baht... Read our helpful tips on where to withdraw and exchange money in Thailand.
Thai food is almost always sharp... Trivial advice, but it works - ask for no spicy or middle spicy if you want less fiery food.
Do not be afraid to eat in street mats and night markets - there tasty and inexpensive!
If it is important to you mobile connection, read which sim card to buy in Thailand.
What you need to know about safety
Thai society is very tolerant. If you are planning to stay in an ordinary town, you will see how the locals show respect for foreigners. A person of a different culture - farang - is always interesting and people try to help him.
Pattaya and Phuket are somewhat different. Popular resorts are corrupted by tourism. Here you can easily get on a dishonest person. Do not expect trouble from those who work on the streets. Shopkeepers and merchants of small goods, owners of guesthouses and hotels, masseurs and hawkers of food on the beaches value their business. Among them, "dashing people" are rare.
Beware of pickpockets during mass holidays. We saw the Thais catch a pickpocket on the crowded Beach Road in Pattaya on New Year's Eve and brushed him off like a man.
Do not carry purses on your shoulder and purses in your hands. They can be pulled out by passing motorcyclists. Find out if Thailand is dangerous.
What else you need to know for those who are for the first time in Thailand - do not touch wild animals, and they will not touch you. Read about the wild animals of Thailand - who are harmless and who should be feared.
Nowhere and never do not travel without health insurance. Use the services - Cherekhapa and SravnRu. They will compare all offers and help you choose insurance that is suitable for the price and conditions.
What you need to know about Thai mentality and religion
It is customary in Thailand to be respectful attitude towards Buddha and Buddhism... The inhabitants of the Land of Smiles profess Theravada Buddhism. You must not wear beach clothes in temples and monasteries. If the excursion program includes a visit to Buddhist Vata, think in advance about the dress code - shoulders and knees should be covered. In major attractions, sets of suitable clothing are rented. In the Grand Royal Palace in Bangkok, it will cost 200 baht.
If the doors of the temple are open, everyone is allowed to enter, regardless of what faith you hold. Do not turn your back to the statues and images of Buddha and do not speak loudly where people are praying.
When meeting with monks, do not extend your hand to greet them. Just nod your head. Women are generally forbidden to touch the monks.
The Thai mentality is different from ours. If you are visiting Thailand for the first time, know what is customary here. unshoe in front of entrance. People go barefoot to temples and sanctuaries, private homes, small shops and pharmacies. Even if the owner of the establishment says that you can keep your shoes on, take off your shoes. It is not hard! You will show basic respect and the Thais will be satisfied.
Not accepted in Thailand scream and raise your voice... People who do not know how to restrain their emotions immediately "lose face" in the eyes of Thais, and it can be difficult to restore their reputation. Here, from childhood, they are taught to behave calmly. We have observed the passengers of Thai buses and meniven many times. Locals sit all the way without moving, or sleep, and foreigners chatter and twist their heads incessantly.
Don't try to copy the behavior of the Thais! Traditional greeting - wai is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. If you have been given a wai, do not answer the same way, otherwise you may get into a mess. Just place your hand on your chest and tilt your head slightly in response.
It is believed that free morals are adhered to in Thailand, but one should not judge the whole country by the resort Pattaya. In the 21st century, Thais are very tolerant of sexual orientation, but display a puritanical attitude towards behavior between the sexes. Not worth it hugging and kissing in public... Tourists are forgiven for many liberties, but for topless, and even more so for sex on the beach, they will be forced to pay a fine.
What you need to know about local laws
We will tell you about the rules that cannot be broken if you do not want to deal with the police. These tips aren't just for first-time travelers to Thailand. Unfortunately, these rules are also violated by avid tourists.
In thailand respectful of the royal family... Although the power of the king has been limited by the constitution since 1932, the people of the country have great respect for their monarch and those close to him. You cannot show disdain for the images of the king, point your finger at them, crumple and even more so step on bills with portraits of the king and speak negatively about the royal family.
Did you write an emotional post on the web or did you say something in the street in the heat of the moment? A person who understands Russian can find out this, and he will report your attitude to the police. For such crimes, not just fines are provided, but real prison terms. Journalists and bloggers who have taken liberties with the monarch have been in Thai prisons for years.
Thailand punishes harshly for drug crimes... We witnessed how the police provoke and check tourists on the beach in Pattaya. I talked about this in this article. If you get caught, you will certainly find yourself behind bars. There will be no other option!
Since 2019 in Thailand no smoking in public places and in condominium areas. Not only cigarettes are banned, but also hookahs, vapes, IQOS and JUUL. Cigarettes are sold in 7-Eleven stores, but the product is hidden from the eyes of buyers. There is a large fine for smoking on the beaches.
Those who throw cigarette butts on the street are also fined. We saw a police officer in Bangkok who walked up to a foreigner, pointed to an abandoned cigarette butt and showed a sign in English, "fine 2000 baht". The man paid the money and received a receipt from the policeman.
Do you like taking pictures and video from a height? In Thailand, it is allowed to use only those quadcoptersthat have been officially registered. There is no time to do this during a short tourist trip.
A separate problem is driving in a state alcoholic or drug intoxication... For the first, a fine of 5,000 baht and imprisonment is imposed, for the second one is definitely a prison. The atmosphere of Thailand is relaxing, so many compatriots drive drunk or under the influence of drugs. Several times a year, groups of popular social networks collect money for treatment or deportation to their homeland of those who have been injured in accidents.
Insurance companies refuse to help would-be drivers, because such cases are not considered insurance. Injured pedestrians also remain without payments. If you drank beer, and a bike accidentally ran over you, do not expect help from the insurance company!
The main advice is never don't argue with the policeman and don't raise your voice! Despite rumors, the police in Thailand are respected and reckoned with. There is no presumption of innocence in the country. If you are sure that you are right, find a good translator and hire a lawyer to help you. Get on the rampage - the problem will only get worse.
Despite some difficulties, we can safely say that Thailand is a very comfortable country for tourism. Consider the mentality of the locals. Behave as you would at home, and your vacation will be great!
