Thailand Travel Guide - Travel Insights and Tips

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand, and it is home to ornamented shrines and a bustling street scene. Natives call this city Krungthep, or "City of Angels". The complete name, which is 169 characters long, is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest name for a place.

Thailand spans a total area of 513,120 km², with 3,219 kilometers of coastline. It is ranked the 50th largest country in the world by land area.

You can call Thailand from another nation using the country code 66. After the IDD, dial the country code for Thailand, which is 66. An area code comes after the calling procedure for Thailand (66).

The official currency of Thailand is the Thai baht. In Thailand, using cash to make purchases is far more practical than using a credit card, as the majority of tourist attractions, local eateries, and street markets only accept cash. ATMs are widely available in popular regions.

Bangkok Airport, also known as the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, is the largest in Thailand. It is located about 26 kilometers outside of town. Code: BKK. Closest City: Bangkok.

Most Westerners with valid passports, including those from the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, can enter Thailand without a visa. However, since visa regulations are subject to change, it is a good idea to check the latest visa requirements before making a reservation.

You can find English-speaking people in Bangkok's tourist areas, but do not count on most of the bartenders, waiters, shopkeepers, bankers, or taxi drivers to speak anything more than the bare minimum of the language. Knowing a few Thai phrases will come in handy once you have left the main tourist destinations. For instance, “Sawadee Khrup/ka” is hello in Thai, and “Khop Khun” means thank you. Remember, ‘Khrup” is used to address males and “Ka” for females.

In case of an emergency, dial 191. If you need to speak with an English-speaking operator, call the Tourist Police at 1155. Or else, if there is an accident, contact an ambulance service from one of Thailand's many foreign hospitals. You can also reach out to the ambulance and rescue team at 1554.

Only Thailand has never experienced European colonial rule, making it the only country in Southeast Asia to have done so. Actually, the country is called Prathet Thai, which means "land of the free" in Thai. Thailand is also home to both the smallest and the largest species of animals. The bumblebee bat, the tiniest mammal in the world, is a native of Thailand, while the whale shark, the largest fish, can be found in Thai seas as well.