Top tips for your next Thailand tour (2023)
Thailand tour, thailand trip, planning a trip to thailand
Thailand tour is a great trip because of many things, like the amazing beaches, great food, friendly people, a tropical environment, and amazing culture.
This country is a dream destination for some people, and it makes an amazing memory for others.
Thailand, according to us, is a country tailored to any tourist (or backpacker). Traveling here is relatively easy from an organizational point of view, however, the first impact with a new country, culture, or city like Bangkok can be quite overwhelming.
For this reason, we decided to write this post as we want to share our travel experience during our Thailand tour. In this post, we give you several tips on how to travel to Thailand in the best possible way, some steps you have to take before this incredible trip, and recommendations to save some money once there, which is always helpful.
This post may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commission if you purchase something through the affiliate link.
Traveling in Thailand is a unique experience and we believe that everyone should visit this country once in their life. This place has everything for everyone and much more.
Here we share our advice, recommendations, and secrets so that you can enjoy your next tour to Thailand, the smiling country.
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1. Security – Thailand tour
Is it safe to travel to Thailand in 2023?
Traveling to this country was safe before and still is and although sometimes you hear about scams or thefts. The micro crime rate is quite low and is more common in areas with high tourist concentration.
Thailand is a super quiet country but, of course, common sense should be used as in any other part of the world, and thus you will avoid any problems. For us, it has been a very relaxing and comfortable experience, and we never had the feeling of danger or alertness.
If you should be aware of something, then it has to be the tours, agencies, tuk tuk and price inflation for foreigners. It is very common that they take advantage of the situation, and they offer you super high prices just because you are a tourist. So our advice is to try various tour agencies or check the internet before you try to negotiate the price, so you don’t get ripped off.
If you are interested in the current situation in the country, you can take a look at the official website of your government or directly at the Kingdom of Thailand.
Grab our Travel Checklist and Let the adventure begin!
2. Visa – Thailand tour
The visa is always a bit particular and personal, especially after the COVID-19. In August 2022, when we entered Thailand, there were no Covid or travel restrictions and we entered the country with a visa on arrival for 30 days (then we renewed another 30 days at an immigration office once in Thailand). Just as things change very quickly, and each country has its agreements and regulations, we recommend that you visit the official website of the immigration office. Link here
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3. Vaccines – Thailand tour
Until the date of the publication of this post, the only compulsory vaccination to travel to Thailand is yellow fever. The yellow fever vaccine is mandatory for people who live or have lived in the previous 12 months in the country where this disease is considered endemic.
The health authorities recommend several type vaccines, typhus, rabies, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, typhoid fever and Japanese encephalitis.
The COVID vaccine is no longer mandatory to enter Thailand, at least until the time of writing this post. In this specific case, and given that things can change very quickly, we advise you to get information from government official websites. For example, in Italy the site of the farnesina (interior affairs), Viaggiare sicuri is often used, since you can find current and detailed information on emergencies, catastrophes and much more.
4. Coins and Exchange – Thailand tour
The currency in Thailand is the Thai Baht THB and the current exchange rate is $1 =39 THB or 1 Euro = 37.5 THB. If you want to know the change on the date of your arrival, we recommend this App Xe.com converter, we use it practically every day on our trip.
Changing money in Thailand is pretty easy because there are many shops where you can exchange your currency to THB. One piece of advice is not to change all your money at the airport, simply because the exchange rate is always higher. If you need some Thai baht for the first transport, change just enough to get to your accommodation and look for a better exchange rate in the city later on.
If you are like us, and you don’t carry cash, in Thailand you can easily withdraw the local currency at any ATM.
Keep in mind that all banks charge you a commission of 220 THB (Oct 22) so our advice is to withdraw as much as possible so that the ATM allows you to amortize the commission. Keep in mind that your bank will also charge you their commission.
We use Wise, and we can recommend this card for long and short trips. It turns out to be online banking with an incredibly good exchange rate and low fees, perfect for all the countries we’ve had the pleasure of visiting so far.
In Thailand, you can usually pay by card in restaurants, hotels and shops, generally with a 3% commission. Even so, we advise you to always have cash with you to be able to buy street food or small things at the market.
Our Tip: Wise is a great card when you are travelling to a country with a different currency than yours. We use this online bank during our trips and we never had problems, even in remote places around the world.
5.Internet and Sim Card – Thailand tour
Thailand has 5G, the internet works practically anywhere, it is superfast and on average for a good price compared to other Western countries.
You can buy sim cards for traffic only, calls or both upon arrival in the country (we bought it at the airport). Upon your arrival, you will find many shops from different companies with more or less the same offer. We used the company called True Move, which at that time seemed the best value for money.
At that time, we paid 300 THB per month with unlimited Giga. Really a good price, especially considering that we never had connection problems.
Tip: If you constantly need internet and want to connect it to your PC, remember to check if the company you choose allows this type of option before buying it, because not all of them have this type of service in Southeast Asia.
The True move company was not enabled to connect our PC via hot spot with the phone, fortunately in Thailand we have found stable connections and free Wi-Fi in many places, so it was not necessary.
Recently, during our trip in Southeast Asia, we discovered that there are electronic sim cards (e-sim) . You can just use an App and you can get a phone number, data and calls without having a physical sim card in your phone. At the moment they are only compatible with some latest generation smartphones (iPhone, Samsung and some others).
Our expensive 🙂 smartphones from China are obviously not on this list so they are not compatible, for now we are patiently waiting until we buy a new phone and they add our phones to the list. This is also why we had no opportunity to test e-sim in person, but we will update this post when we get a chance. Despite this, e-SIM seems to be a great invention and it will be a total revolution when moving from one country to another. Here is the link suggested by other travelers.
TIP: If you decide to use the True Move company and want to spend less.
Buy a card at 7 eleven, then go to the page you find in this photo, or use the QR code and choose the plan that interests you the most. Recharge your card, select the plan and you already have it.
6. Transportation – Thailand tour
The transportation system in Thailand is one of the best in Southeast Asia. It is generally quite punctual, and cheap (compared to Europe), and you also have many possibilities when you want to move from one place to another.
Here we list the most common types of transport:
TAXI: A long time ago when apps and technology did not exist, to avoid problems and scams it was better not to use a taxi at all or at least bargain the price beforehand. Nowadays, everything is much easier with technology and Apps like Grab and Indriver. These are two great apps which we totally recommend to use during your Thailand tour (it’s not working everywhere in the country yet).
TUK TUK: Fun, unique and fast, sometimes too fast:) You absolutely have to take a ride with a tuk tuk, but remember, negotiate the price before because the drivers usually ask for astronomical figures to see if you pay it.
PLANE: If you are in a hurry, flying is the best and fastest option, and the cheapest fly companies in Thailand are AirAsia and NokAir.
The plane is the best option to visit the beautiful islands of this country, such as Phuket for example. If you are interested in this destination, read this article with the list of the best beaches you can find in Phuket.
BUS: Probably, it is the most used transport throughout the country, the prices are generally cheap, and they increase with the VIP options and similar. Remember, VIP doesn’t always mean comfort.
MINIVAN: Another transport option, especially for short-medium distance. The seats are usually not very comfortable, since they are small and made for Asian people, but it is still one of the cheapest transport options in Thailand.
BOAT: Thailand is full of islands, so you will probably use a boat at least once during your Thailand tour. Prices are more or less cheap, and more or less comfortable depending on what you use. Don’t expect a yacht, but the boats will get you to your destination.
SCOOTER: Comfortable and relatively cheap transportation (200 THB). We use it a lot everywhere in Thailand. It allows you to move freely and visit attractions and sites that would be impossible to see otherwise unless you go with organized tours.
Tips for motorcycle rental:
- When you rent a motorcycle in Thailand, nobody asks you for a driving license, however, if you want to avoid problems with the police, we recommend that you always have a driving license with you.
- Remember that to be able to drive a motorcycle in Thailand, you need to have an international driving license with the stamp on the letter A and B, the stamp only on the letter B is valid for cars only.
- We discovered this after we got a fine from police, because in Italy with the stamp on letter B, you can drive both cars and scooters up to 125cc. Keep in mind that we are not telling you this just because of the fine, but sometimes an accident happens and if you don’t have a stamp on letter A and B in your driving license, the fault will always be yours even if you are right.
- Another thing that we advise you is to never give your passport as a guarantee for the rental of a motorcycle, car or any kind of transport. If the owner of the rental store is dishonest, he/she could retain the document and remember one thing, there is nothing more important in your trip than your passport, because it is your only way out in case of problems.
Returning to transport in general, tickets can usually be purchased at your hotel or hostel or directly at the station or pier. If you want to organize everything in advance, the 12go.asia website can help you to see all transport options.
7. Accommodation – Thailand tour
Thailand is a country for all budgets, and you can find any type of accommodation here (or almost :-)). In general, prices are rising (as in the rest of the world), even so you can probably find much cheaper accommodations than in your home country.
In August 2022, a double room with air conditioning cost just €20/$, a bed in a hostel in a shared room between 5-10 Euros/dollar.
All the accommodation companies work in Thailand, we usually use Booking.com, for convenience, because we have discounts and because they generally have great choices.
We also use Airbnb when we need apartments with a kitchen, so we can cook something at home. If you are looking for cheap hostels, we advise you to use Hostelworld. If you have a tight budget and some time, do an online search and book your accommodation in person by calling, so you can save a few euros or dollars.
8. Food – Thailand tour
If you know us a bit or follow us on social networks, you know that we travel indefinitely, visit many places and eat a lot. Thailand is a paradise for us and for everyone who loves food. Food is an important part of life in Thailand, and Thai people take eating very seriously.
There are food options for everyone, from some of the best restaurants in the world to amazing street food bars. Everywhere you breathe, you can smell food.
Honestly, in two months we haven’t had any stomach problems, and we’ve eaten and drank wherever we wanted. We don’t want to give it as advice because every human being is different, but in general the food places are pretty clean. We have seen it as a country quite focused on foreign tourists and their well-being, in fact they use a lot of ice to keep the food in good condition. The only downside is that a lot of plastic is still used everywhere and for everything, so we hope that there will be a solution soon.
Street food 2-4 €/$
Restaurants 7- ♾️ 🙂
9. Insurance
In our opinion, the only mandatory thing every traveler should have is good travel insurance, also including a COVID policy. Many countries don’t set travel insurance as a mandatory requirement to enter the country and a lot of travelers decide not to invest in this, which is a serious mistake. We basically do not travel without travel insurance, it is a basic thing for us and in case of health problems on your trips, it will get you out of trouble and save you a lot of money.
Our insurance is TrueTraveller, and we definitely recommend it, because they offer a good insurance policy for backpackers and long-term travel. Also, it is one of the few insurance companies that you can contract your policy while traveling, so it is perfect for travelers and digital nomads like us.
10. Cultures and Habits
The Thai people are very nice and smiling people. They are always willing to help you, and although they have their traditions and rules, they know perfectly well that tourists cannot know their culture very well, so they usually don’t make any drama if you do not respect it.
Here are a few tips we learned during our trip to Thailand. Thai people are very religious, 90% Buddhist, and they have a lot of respect for their temples and monks. That is why when you visit the temples, it is better that you dress in a decent way and cover your arms and legs. Another important thing and symbol of respect is to always take off your shoes when entering a pagoda.
Remember that it is you who has to adapt to their habits and not the other way around, and this is true not only when you visit Thailand but throughout the world.
11.Other tips
- Although Thailand, by Western standards, turns out to be cheap and a good destination for backpackers on a tight budget, sometimes, and in some areas of the country, you can be surprised that the prices are extremely high.
Did you know, for example, that Bangkok is the second most expensive city in all of Southeast Asia after Singapore? Make sure to negotiate and ask for the price before buying or choosing anything.
The seasons in Thailand are basically divided into two, the dry season (November-April) and the rainy season (May-October). Although the dry season is the best time to fully enjoy the country, you can always take advantage of more tranquility and cheaper prices during the rainy season.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate prices at the markets, it is a common habit in Thailand. Our personal advice is to start with a super low price and continue to bargain until you reach the price you had in mind for that thing. You should not negotiate prices of food in restaurants and street stalls, instead, keep your strength to bargain the price for tuk tuk.
Sun and rain within a few hours in august (rainy season)
Our tip: When we travel we always make sure to have travel insurance. Our personal recommendation is Truetraveller as they have great support and health coverage around the world. And don’t worry if you forget about it, you can purchase the insurance during your trip!
11. General prices
The prices are based on our experience of more than three months of travel to Thailand (August/October and December/January).
We remind you that due to various factors, such as the location, or for example the change of season (dry season prices are much higher), prices could go up or down suddenly.
These numbers below are just to give you an idea, remember that they are based on an approximate average of our entire stay there.
1$ =35 THB approx
Street food: 20- 100THB or 0.5 – 4$
Local Restaurants: 50-350 THB or 2-10 $
International restaurants (pizza, burger etc.): <200 THB or <6$
Water 0.5 LT: 6 THB or 0.20 $
Water 1.5 LT: 14 THB or 0.40 $
Espresso coffee: 40-80vTHB or 1-2.4 $
Fruit smoothie: 50-80 THB or 1.5 – 2.4 $
Fresh coconut: 30-70 THB or 0.8-2 $
Beer: 50-100 THB or 1.5- 3.5 $
Tuk Tuk: ??? Depends on the place and how much you haggle
Buses: 100-1000 THB or 10 – 30 $ Depends on the distance
Scooter (motorbike) 125 cc: 200-300 THB or 6-8 $
Gasoline: +-40 THB or +-1$ per lt
Accommodation 2 pax/day with a/c and private bathroom: 500 – 1400 THB or 15 – 40 $
Bunk Bed in Shared Room: 200 – 500 THB or 7-15 $
Unlimited Gig SIM Card: 350 THB or 10 $
Laundry: 40 THB x kg or 1 $ x kg
Conclusion
Thailand is an amazing country and we are sure you will enjoy it.
Our advice and recommendations end here, we hope you can use some or all of them during your next stay in the country of smiles. Remember that this entire post is based on our personal experience and our travel style. If you want to add any information or advice, do not hesitate to write them in the comments below, and we will answer you as soon as possible.
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Thanks for reaching the end of this article, if you are interested in more travel and food tips around the world, every month (more or less) we come out with a new post in Spanish and one in English.
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