Come, Explore Thailand !

Thailand Travel Explorer will help you to explore the golden beaches, lush jungles and tropical islands of Thailand's countryside or indulge yourself in a myriad of experiences from chic city restaurants and dynamic bars to boutique hotels and soothing spas. Read More...

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Food in Thailand is customarily HOT, spicy HOT. Most Westerners cannot handle the level of spice that Thai people enjoy. To help you order a tasty and pleasurable meal, I would advise any visiting Westerner to use one of the following two phrases (based upon your preference):

1. "my pet", meaning "not spicy:; and
2. "pet nit noy", meaning "a little bit spicy".

The food is awesome in Thailand and this tip should help you enjoy it even more.  Be aware that if you do ask for no or little spice the dish may likely to still be quite spicy.  There is residual chilli oil in the dishes they use to make their delicious foods.

Building your tolerance to the Thai spicy levels helps immensely to enjoy the food here.  Fortunately I am now able to eat at the Thai level of spice but it did take as much as a year (and I do recommend a slow build up).  In fact I would now put myself in the upper percentile for being able to handle the spiciness. Believe me, my body still reacts to the chilis, initially with hiccups to the first few bits then after I get used to the spiciness my nose starts to run, and will continue to run through the rest of meal. Why do I do it you might ask? Well I have found that the chili enhances the other flavors and I now fully understand why the Thai people eat spice at that level. 

​There are two airports that service the Bangkok Greater Metropolitan Area, Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports.  Don Muang is located about 30 minutes north of Bangkok's Center City and Suvarnabhumi Airport is about 30 minutes south of Bangkok.  Getting into the Bangkok Greater Metropolitan Area using public transportation can be easy, and here is how:

Bangkok's Airport Link began operating on April of 2010, making travel to the  Suvarnabhumi Airport much easier for those living here.  There are two lines that run to the airport from Phaya Thai and Makkasan Stations located in center city Bangkok, the Express Line and the City Line.  The Express line cost 90 baht one-way and the City Line cost per stop and ranges from 15 to 45 baht.  The City Line takes about 35 minutes and is likely adequate with only a little bit of preplanning to get to the airport on time for a scheduled flight.  The Express Line reportedly takes 17 minutes. These train line operate from 6 am to Midnight every day. 

The City of Bangkok has made traveling to Bangkok City very easy by providing a Bus route from both terminals at the airport to both the BTS (elevated commuter train) and the MRT (Subway Commuter Train).  The Bus is designated "A1" and picks up at the arrivals area of each terminal.  The ride is only 30 Baht and the trip to the trains takes only 20 minutes to the trains.  

I have purposely left out "getting there" information in my blogs but religiously placed Google Map links to the various destinations. This is because I think it is often the traveling that makes the destination more interesting. But here is some advice for getting to the Thailand destination and back again, once you have decided on which destination you want to explore.​

• Understand the vast majority of taxi drivers do not understand English, so a little preparation is necessary.
• Take a location card from your hotel, written in Thai, for your return trip.
• Determine if the destination of interest is near a train station (for Bangkok destinations) and use the train, getting close helps with the taxi.
• Use the Google Map on your smartphone which often presents the place name in English and Thai. If you do not have Internet access while you are roaming overseas, create screen shots at the hotel before you leave.
• If Google Map does not have the place name in Thai, ask the hotel concierge to write it down. Hotels will often help with setting up the trip for you as well. This isn't as fun, only because it isn't really striking out on your own and it will cost you more money.
• Car rental companies will rent a car with a drivers license that is in English. Driving yourself makes things easier as you can use the Google Navigator function. Google Map is quite accurate in Thailand these days. Just keep mind that if the destination is in one of the bigger cities parking will likely be an issue. 

Examples of my maps are found below:

​After disembarking the plane in Thailand you will likely want to know your options for getting around. There are many including regular taxis, tuktuks, motorcycle taxis, buses vans and trains. 

Watch where you walk - The sidewalks of Bangkok are uneven and full of obstacles, so pay attention! Also, the streets have many stray dogs - the dogs are not aggressive, but they may leave little smelly landmines on the sidewalks.

There are many roads without sidewalks and many sidewalks with dangerous holes and construction to be aware of.  Keep half an eye downward to ensure your safety while you enjoy your tour.

As always when you are in a strange land, be aware of your surroundings and stay in more lighted area. Thailand is fairly safe country but don't push it.  Also, be ware that the majority of the crime in Thailand is the snatch thief. So ensure you are protective of your belongings.  

​With the very real possibility of you meeting another vehicle coming towards you on the same side of the road, driving in Thailand is not for the sane (I was going to say faint of heart, but surely any normal person would avoid such circumstances)? Saying that though I, like many other travelers in Thailand, love to drive around this great country.
 
There are a few things you need to bear in mind before embarking on your epic road journey, things that will hopefully keep you safe and make you ride as smooth as possible. There are laws for driving in Thailand; however it would appear for the most part that these rules are there to be broken. Officially, everyone drives on the left, although there will be occasions when a car or motorbike will head towards you on the same side of the road. Normally they will drive slowly on the hard shoulder – don’t be alarmed, just carefully pull around them to let them pass.
 
Although it may seem as if parking is a bit of a free for all in Thailand, there are some general points to be aware of. Unless you want the police to issue you with a ticket, don’t park by a curb or in front of railings that are painted in red and white stripes. The Thais have an ingenious solution to the fact that parking is limited, by double and triple parking. The owner of a car that has been blocked in simply has to push the offending vehicle out of the way – therefore when using a car park keep you car parked in neutral.
 
Drinking and driving in Thailand is illegal, but many still do it, and in the interests of self preservation, it is better to assume that every other driver on the road is a little worse for wear. Expect to see people running red lights and stop signs, trucks piled dangerously high with all manner of goods, motorbikes precariously balancing whole families and packs of dogs running wild in the middle of busy highways. It is also not unknown for someone to try to overtake as you are overtaking them or to undertake you by driving on the hard shoulder. In every circumstance the best survival technique is to constantly check your mirrors while liberally employing your horn. It may seem odd at first beeping and tooting everyone, but it helps to keep you safe and is a common practice on Thai roads. Flashing your headlights in Thailand is a warning sign meaning ‘don’t go’.
 
Should you be unfortunate and have a road accident in Thailand, it will be considered your fault – as a Westerner you are seen as rich and therefore responsible for paying for a crash even if your car was parked and you were no where near it at the time. You can also be stopped and fined by the police for doing what everyone else is doing. (However, this prejudice works in your favor during road blocks as Ferangs (Westerners) will be generally waved through). If you do get stopped by the police, don’t argue, pay any fine and in the case of an accident pray that your hire firm has got good insurance.
 
Also, be aware that whether you are hiring or borrowing a car, one thing that will remain prevalent is that your windscreen wipers will not work in the rain. This is because for most of the year the sun will have slowly melted the rubber of the wipers, welding them on to the windscreen. So, when it rains, all you will be effectively doing is smearing a couple of small strips of perished rubber across your eye line – handy if you are trying to create the impression of a badly tuned in TV in stripy mud, not so good if you are trying to negotiate your way through unknown roads during a tropical thunderstorm.
 
With that all said driving in Thailand is generally easy and good fun. The roads are wide and in overall great condition, most of the tourists sign posts are written in English and Thai, and you never have to pump your own gas. Just drive with your eyes open, expect the unexpected and enjoy your Thai road trip. 

​Taxi Drivers - Most taxi drivers are fine. Generally, in Bangkok it is always better to use the metered taxis. Tuk tuks are always more expensive than cabs and with Bangkok traffic you could be breathing in a lot of smog on the way. If you are traveling a significant distance, try to negotiate the fare. Also, bear in mind that the taxis marked, "We love farang, we speak English", may not - they will however, have a radio connected to a person who will knows a little English.
 
Taxis are the most common, but there are many types of taxis. There is the common taxi that uses a meter and are usually yellow or pink in color. The metered fare is reasonable and they will often try to negotiate a flate rate before getting the ride. The rate is almost always way too high. Then there is the tuktuk. Said as it's spelled. The tuktuk is a three wheeled modified motorcycle, that runs on natural gas, making them a bit loud. The tuktuk can be expensive but pricing is negotiable. The motorcycle taxi is a quick alternative for getting short distances around the city but requires a bit of courage, especially during rush hour. While I often take a motorcycle in the morning to the office, it took several years to build the courage.

There are also Motorcycle Taxis...  They are quick to get around but are quite dangerous, especially during rush hour.  They are usually used for short distance travel from the train station or bus stop to your home, store of office.  

​​Taxis of Klong Sansab - Klong Sansab is a canal that runs through the heart of Bangkok. The canal is used for a taxi boat service which runs between Bangkok's old town area and Bang Kapi districts in Bangkok.  two things to understand about the boat taxis 1. It is quite tricky getting in an out of the boat.  The boat is moving in the water. and 2. you need to tell the money collector your destination in Thai.  

The bus - there are different types of buses - city buses, route buses and tour buses. The city bus is the most difficult mostly because they have numbered routes and the destinations are mostly only in Thai. Route Buses operate outside Bangkok, will take folks from Bangkok to all parts of Thailand and back again. These are relatively easy to get IF you know the correct bus station for the part of Thailand you want to go. Tour buses are the easiest for they are usually set up entirely by someone else - the tour agency. They can be quite organized with pre-programmed stops at appropriate intervals etc. If you like that go for it! The bus, of any sort, is usually the cheapest way to travel in Thailand.
​
Vans are a great alternative to buses but they do not operate on a given schedule. When they fill, they leave. They are usually fastest if they are going where you want to go and can be comfortable but are crowded. The tour agencies often use vans as an alternative for smaller groups. Vans usually operate at a competitive price and there are many van companies so if you can, shop around. The main hub in Bangkok to catch a van is Victory Monument Circle.

There are three main routes, the MRT (Bangkok subway), BTS (Skytrain) and the Airport Link. The map above shows they are well connected to each other allowing access to a big part of the city. The MRT and BTS are currently being expanded to the west.  The MRT will underlie the Chinatown area and actually extend under the Chao Praya River.  The BTS continues to add stations to the west. 

For getting around outside of Bangkok there is the SRT. In Bangkok the main train station for the SRT is the Hua Lampong Station, located in the heart of the city, next to Bangkok's Chinatown and at the southern end of the subway (MRT) also called the Hua Lompong Station. The Train station can be quite intimidating and I will be honest I have only taken the train once but here is a good website to help you understand what to look for... 

Below are some general travel tips for you to be aware of to enjoy your time exploring Thailand:

• Firstly, you have to accept that Eastern culture is different. Thai people show less emotion and are more polite, and while they know Westerners are different, they are often uncomfortable when we stray from their norms.
  
• Be Polite - Thai people hold being polite above all else. Their very language has politeness built into it. If you follow what is considered "common courtesy", you will be fine.
  
• Thai King - The Thai People Love their King, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). Never show any type of disrespect to His Majesty or the Royal Family. When attending a public event where a member of the Royal Family is present, the best guide on how to behave is to watch the crowd and do what everyone else does.
  
• Safety - Be aware of stealth crimes. For example pick pocketing can be a problem, especially in the bigger cities, so it's worth keeping a close eye on your belongings at all times and being aware of the people around you. Unprovoked violence against tourists is very rare, but it pays to exercise common sense.
  
• National Religion - Buddhism is Thailand's national religion, with nearly 95% of Thailand's population being Buddhist. All images and sculptures of the Buddha are considered sacred and there are laws against removing them.
  
• Buddhist Monks - Buddhist Monks are easily recognized by their shaved heads, bare feet and bright orange robes. It is forbidden for a woman to touch a Buddhist monk; this includes a woman handing anything to a monk. If you are a woman and you want to give something to a monk, it must be first given to a man, who can then pass the item to the monk on your behalf. Also, Western men should never attempt to shake hands with a monk.
  
• Buddhist Temples - Wearing shoes around a temple is acceptable, but they should be removed when entering the Buddhist church (the area where the Buddha image is kept).
  
• Be Quiet - Loud people are considered impolite. Speak softly and do not laugh loudly. Of course there are occasions such as in bars, parks or during celebrations when being loud is appropriate and expected.
  
• Greetings - To the Western eye a greeting in Thailand can seem quite formal in appearance. The 'Wai' (pronounced 'way') is a basic gesture in which you put the palms of your hands together, fingers up, then you raise your joined hands in front of your face and give a slight bow of your head. The words "sawa dee (krap)" (or "kah" for women) are spoken during the bow. It is more complicated for Thai people, with three levels based on age and position, but Westerners attempting this greeting are not expected to know these levels and so a general 'Wai' is acceptable. (For those interested, the levels are: 1. to monks - Thais will perform a 'Wai' where their thumbs touch their forehead during the bow; 2. to someone the same age or older - Thais will perform the 'Wai' with their thumbs touching their lips; and 3. to a younger person - Thais will perform a 'Wai' with their thumbs touching their chin.)