What You Need to Know Before Traveling to Thailand in 2024

Thailand is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Vacation in Thailand is cheaper than in neighboring Malaysia and Vietnam, and the amount of entertainment is not inferior to them. They come here for the hot sun, warm sea, exotic cuisine, affordable shopping and nightlife. It is not for nothing that this state is called the Land of Smiles.

If you’re going to visit Thailand for the first time, there are so many things you should know in advance. Keep reading this post, highlighting the most useful traveler’s tips and up-to-date info.

When to go on vacation in Thailand: the rainy season and climatic features

Thailand is a country of eternal summer. In the winter months the temperature warms up to +28-30 degrees Celsius, and in summer it is hot up to +35 degrees. The water temperature never drops below +26.

From April to October is the rainy season in Thailand. It gets very hot, the country is covered with downpours, the wind blows, and the sea is stormy. During these months, the coast of Thailand is almost empty – only rare vacationers and surfers remain.

If you like to ride a board, you can come and in the summer – clear days at this time do happen. In addition, the prices of trips, food and hotels during the rainy season are much lower.

Surfing in Thailand is not as developed as in Bali or Goa, but there are good places for fans of the sport. The resort Rayong is suitable for beginners, for more experienced athletes – Phuket, Samui beaches or Pattaya. The best months for surfing are July and August. During this period, the highest waves and moderate rainfall.

The dry season lasts from November to March. During these months, the sea is calm, temperatures are not too high, and the rains are very rare. The biggest flow of tourists traveling to Thailand in December and January – to find a free place on the beach will be a problem. November and February are the quietest months of the high season. They are more suitable for family travelers with children.

Thailand’s culture: cuisine, religion, prohibitions for tourists

National food

Tourists call Thai cuisine one of the main attractions of the state. Its popularity has long transcended the borders of Thailand – almost everywhere in the world you can see a cafe that serves tom-yam, Thai-style noodles, or green curry.

The national cuisine of Thailand is rice, seafood, vegetables, sprouts and a huge number of spices. Thai dishes are based on a combination of five tastes – spicy, bitter, sweet, sour and salty. Here you can even find chili peppers in desserts, and main courses are often poured with sweet coconut milk.

You don’t have to go to an expensive restaurant to try authentic dishes based on ancient recipes. Street cafes and makashnikas, small mobile food carts, are common in Thailand. Lunch at the makashnahs costs from 15 baht.

If you can’t stand spicy food or if you come to Thailand with a child, then don’t worry about the food. In establishments, you can ask the waiter to make the dish not spicy, and then the chef will put less of the burning spices. Also in Thailand, there are many cafes with European, Mediterranean and even Russian cuisine.

Be sure to try the local fruits as well. Papaya, passion fruit, mango, dragon fruit, longan, mangosteen – the local markets are full of everything. And it’s all fresh, since there’s no place to store the fruit – it spoils quickly in this heat, and the street vendors have no refrigerators.

Religion and Prohibition

The locals are very religious. Almost all Thais are Buddhists and follow ancient traditions. Because of this, their laws are not like ours, and violations of some prohibitions can result in fines, deportation, or prison.

List of bans for tourists in Thailand:

• Beginning in 2019, a nationwide smoking ban was introduced. This applies to regular cigarettes as well as vapes, hookahs, smoking electronic systems and snuff. Smoking is not allowed in restaurants, on beaches, inside hotels, or even in your own apartment. You can go to jail for up to a year for smoking a cigarette in a public place. You can smoke in designated places with a picture of a cigarette or in a deserted street.
• Cigarette butts should not be thrown. If the police see this, they will write a fine of 2,000 baht. And you have to pay it on the spot, otherwise there are repeated fines or imprisonment.
• Illegal use of radio frequencies is prohibited in Thailand. Or simply – you can’t use walkie-talkies. Even if you go camping, where there is no normal communication. At the same time, walkie-talkies are sold at every night market. But you can use them only with a license, which sellers often are silent about. If you don’t have a license, you go to jail.
• In the Land of Smiles all expressions of feeling are forbidden. No loud arguments, kissing in restaurants, or having sex on beaches (even deserted ones). You will be fined up to 20,000 baht.
• Thais love and honor the royal family, so any disrespectful remarks in their direction are prohibited. The King of Thailand is also depicted on banknotes. Thai money cannot be torn, crumpled, or thrown away as it would be considered disrespectful to the king.
• Driving while intoxicated is prohibited. If you decide to drive a rented bike after a cocktail on the beach, you face a fine of up to 5,000 baht. You cannot drive without a Thai or international license, either.
• The import and export of local exotic fruits is prohibited. It is also forbidden to take any images of Buddha out of the country. If you buy a souvenir in the form of this deity, be sure to keep the receipt. It must be presented at customs so that the local police will understand that it is just a souvenir and not a real ancient statuette.

There other rules and laws you have to respect: you cannot bring in or take out weapons, use counterfeit money, use drugs and violate the visa regime. All this is punishable by prison sentences.

Thailand’s sights: the most interesting places

Despite the long list of bans, tourists still return to the Land of Smiles. And all because of the incredible number of attractions, monuments, theme parks, historic temples and beautiful natural places:

• Raleigh Beach. One of Thailand’s calling cards. This is the beach depicted on most tourist posters: snow-white sand, clear emerald water and rocks growing up out of the sea. The beach is located in Krabi province. The entrance is free.
• The Great Royal Palace. This incredibly large and beautiful temple complex is located in Bangkok. The snow-white structure with gold decorations on the roof will amaze you with its size. To explore all the halls and palaces, you will need at least 5 hours.
• Khao Yai National Park. Beautiful panoramic views, mountain peaks and elephants roaming freely. The park will appeal to all nature lovers. There is also the famous waterfall from which Leonardo Dicaprio jumped in the movie “The Beach”. It is located in the province of Nakhonratchasima.
• The ancient city of Sukhothai. The ruins preserved in Sukhothai are a real time machine. There are buildings almost a thousand years old. The stone remains of temples and Buddha statues are surrounded by picturesque jungle.
• Floating markets. It is a shopping mall located on the water. They sell fruits, vegetables, souvenirs, food, flowers and clothes right from the boats. There are floating markets in Bangkok, Samui and several other provinces. One of these markets is depicted in a James Bond movie.

And then there are many nightclubs, interesting restaurants, massage parlors, night markets, great beaches and much more. Come to the Land of Smiles to see it all with your own eyes.