Practical Information for visiting Thailand

The currency is the Thai baht (฿). ATMs are everywhere and charge a fixed foreign-card fee of around ฿220 per withdrawal regardless of amount, so fewer, larger withdrawals cost less.

Cards are accepted in hotels, malls and larger restaurants. Markets, street food and small towns are cash, and the street food is a large part of why anyone comes.

Tipping is not traditional but is increasingly common in tourist areas — rounding up, or 10% where no service charge has been added.

Bargaining is expected in markets and for tuk-tuks, not in shops with marked prices. Keep it good-humoured; aggressive haggling reads badly.

Coverage is excellent nationwide, including on most islands.

Tourist SIM cards with generous data are sold at every airport and convenience store and cost far less than roaming.

Free Wi-Fi is standard in accommodation, cafés and malls.

Thailand is generally safe for visitors, and violent crime against tourists is rare. The risks are traffic, water, scams — and two regions the advisories tell you to stay out of altogether.

Two carve-outs, both firm. Avoid all travel within 50 kilometres of the Thailand–Cambodia border: tensions are ongoing, Thai authorities have declared martial law in several districts along it, which gives local authorities enhanced powers, and land mines and unexploded ordnance are present in the disputed border regions. And avoid all travel to Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, and to southern Songkhla including Hat Yai city and everything east of Highways 408 and 4113, because of violent attacks by separatist insurgents. In the past, rail lines in the far south have been targets of sabotage and armed attack. On the Myanmar border in Mae Hong Son and Tak, occasional violence, banditry and clashes between government forces and drug traffickers occur.

The scam that is no longer a scam. The pattern worth knowing is new and serious: foreigners have been lured to Thailand with promises of high-paying jobs, then kidnapped and forced to work for scam operations or trafficked into neighbouring countries. Verify any job offer through official channels before you travel.

Road traffic is the genuine everyday danger. Thailand has among the highest road-death rates in the world, and motorbike accidents are the leading cause of serious injury to visitors. Which vehicle to get into, and the rest of the practical side of moving around, is on Getting Around.

Scams follow predictable scripts: a stranger says the Grand Palace is “closed today” and offers a tuk-tuk tour ending at a gem shop; jet-ski operators claim pre-existing damage. More ordinary fraud is common too, and the advice is to report every incident to the tourist police.

Petty theft — purse snatching, pickpocketing — is common, and thieves sometimes slit bags open with razors to empty them. Report any criminal incident to the Thai police in the jurisdiction where it happened before you leave Thailand, because you cannot do it afterwards.

Rip currents affect both coasts, and drownings are more common than any crime. Red flags mean do not enter the water, and many beaches have no lifeguard. Rent water sports equipment only from operators affiliated with a major international training organisation.

Demonstrations can turn violent at any time, block major roads and intersections, and close mass transit stations.

No vaccinations are required for entry, though hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended. Rabies is present — seek treatment for any animal bite, including from monkeys at temple sites.

Do not drink the tap water. Bottled and filtered water is universal and cheap; ice in established restaurants and bars is made commercially and is generally fine.

Dengue is present year-round and peaks in the rainy season. There is no prophylactic — repellent, particularly in the daytime, is the only defence.

Heat and humidity cause more visitor problems than any illness. Malaria risk is low and limited to some border areas.

Private hospitals in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket are excellent and inexpensive by Western standards. Travel insurance that covers motorbike use is worth checking specifically.

Lese-majeste is the most serious legal risk a visitor faces. Article 112 makes insulting the monarchy punishable by up to 15 years per count, it applies to foreigners, and it has been enforced over social-media posts. Do not comment on, joke about or share material critical of the royal family.

Drug penalties are severe, including long sentences for possession. Cannabis law has changed repeatedly since 2022 and is being tightened again — do not assume the position you read about last year still holds.

Temple dress and conduct: shoulders and knees covered, shoes off where indicated, feet never pointed at an image or a person. The head is the most sacred part of the body and should not be touched.

Vaping and e-cigarettes are illegal to import or possess, with fines and possible imprisonment — a rule that catches visitors out regularly.

Alcohol sales are restricted to certain hours, and are banned entirely on major Buddhist holidays and election days.

191 reaches police. 1669 is the emergency medical number. The Tourist Police on 1155 operate in English and are the right first call for most visitor problems.

Private hospitals in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Ko Samui meet international standards and treat foreigners routinely. Payment or insurance confirmation is usually required up front.

Pharmacies are widespread and dispense many medicines without prescription.

For a serious incident on an island, evacuation to the mainland is by boat or air ambulance and takes hours — a consideration when choosing where to dive.