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Traveller Cheques & Credit Cards
Thailand - An overview
Thailand… as rich in geographic diversity as it is rich in history and culture. There are few places on earth that offer the visitor so much… jungles and mountains, rivers and countryside, islands and beaches, temples and palaces, cities and technology… Thailand has everything a visitor could ask for - and substantially more besides. But most tourists and potential visitors would know these fundamental facts – but what about the REAL Thailand? What does the first time visitor know about Thailand? Here are some details…
Thailand was for centuries known as ‘Siam’, the official title changing to ‘Muang Thai’ (‘home of the free’) in 1939. The country is located in Southeast Asia and borders Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. It has a population of nearly 65 million in a country roughly the same size as France and has 3,219 kilometres of coastline.
Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with a long democratic tradition – political parties and elections. The current monarch is his majesty of the King Bhumibol Adulyadej – the world’s longest reigning monarch. He is revered within Thailand and thoroughly respected throughout the world. His solid guidance has seen his kingdom through some of the country’s more tumultuous episodes.
Thailand is a modern country with a thriving economy. Exports include computers, office machine parts, transistors, rubber, motor vehicles, plastic, seafood and rice. Annual exports total around $75.99 billion. Although Thailand is recognized globally as a tourist destination, tourism accounts for only 3.6% of GDP.
95% of Thais are Buddhist with a smaller Muslim minority (3.8%) predominantly living in Thailand’s southern regions. Aside from this Thailand has a small number of Christians (0.5%) and a few Hindus (0.1%). Thailand prides itself on religious freedom and newer religions (Jehovah’s Witness, etc.) are emerging.
Situated in the northern hemisphere but in the tropics, Thailand is a tropical country with often hot and rainy weather and annual monsoons. Thailand has a range of geographic regions - mountainous, plains and plateaus, as well as a number of beach areas.
| Weather |
| Temperatures in Thailand vary little outside 25-35 degrees Celsius;however,temperatures in the northern provinces can drop much lower during the cool season. The three seasons are: cool season(November to February),hot season (March to June) and rainy season (July to October). |
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| Best Time to Visit Thaialnd
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| As far as Thailand is concerned, the best time of year for a visit is between November and February. Generally, the weather is cooler during this period and there is certainly less rain than at other times in the year. However, Thailand is a big country with a diverse landscape. There is somewhere to visit whatever time of the year you visit the kingdom. |
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| Thailand’s Seasons |
| Thailand’s seasons are reasonably uniform through the country, but there are some regional differences. What follows is a summary of the seasons as they impact the kingdom’s various regions: more detail in Thai's Season. |
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| What To Wear |
| Light, loose cotton clothing is best. Nylon should be avoided. Sweaters are needed during the cool season evenings or if visiting mountainous areas or national parks. Jackets and ties are required in a few restaurants and nightclubs. Neat clothes are required for entering temples or palaces. |
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| Currency |
The Thai unit of currency is the baht, which is worth a little less than 3 US cents. One US dollar = approximately 40 baht. There are 100 satangs in 1 baht. (B=baht) Notes are issued in denominations of 1000 (gray), 500 (purple), 100 (red), 50 (blue), 20 (green), and 10 (brown). There are five coins: 10, 5 and 1 baht coin, and 50 and 25 satang.
Most foreign currencies and traveller cheques are easily changed at banks, hotels or moneychangers. All major credit cards are widely accepted throughout the kingdom. |
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| Traveller Cheques & Credit Cards |
US dollar traveller cheques can be conveniently cashed at all provincial banks and authorised money changers. Traveller cheques in other currencies are best changed in Bangkok where better rates prevail. Generally, hotel exchange rates are lower than those offered by banks and authorised money changers. Major international credit cards, such as American Express, Diners, Carte Blanche, Master Card and VISA are accepted by major banks, restaurants, hotels and shops.
Thai and foreign banks provide standard services nationwide, Monday through Friday, except public and bank holidays, between 9.30 AM and 3.30 PM. Major banks such as Bangkok Bank, Thai Danu Bank, Thai Farmers Bank and Siam Commercial Bank operate currency exchange centres in most tourist areas from 7.00 AM to 9.00 PM, seven days a week, including holidays. Many first-class hotels provide 24-hour money exchange services, but only for major currencies such as American dollars, British pounds, German marks and Swiss francs. Travellers cheques are generally accepted only from bona fide hotel quests. |
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| Vat Refunds for Tourists |
| A person who is not a Thai national is a non-resident or has not been in Thailand for more than 180 days in a calendar year is not an airline crew member departing Thailand on duty. departs Thailand from an international airport. purchases goods from stores displaying a "VAT REFUND FOR TOURISTS" sign. more detail on VAT Refunds |
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| Business Hours |
Most commercial concerns operate a five-day week.Government offices are generally open between 8:30am and 4:30pm with a noon to 1:00pm lunch break. General banking hours are Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 3.30 pm. Many stores open 12 hours a day, seven days a week.
Local Time: GMT + 7 hours. |
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| Electricity |
| The electric system is 220 Volt AC (50 cycles). There are many plugs and sockets in use. Travelers with shavers, tape recorders and other appliances should carry a plug-adapter kit. |
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| Telecommunications |
| The country code for Thailand is +66 |
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| Emergencies |
The Tourist Police is a unit of English-speaking policemen set up to protect and assist visitors to Thailand. There are branches in Bangkok,Pattaya,Chiang Mai,Hat Yai,Phuket, Kanchanaburi,Koh Samui.
Hot Line:1155
Police : 191
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| Hospital |
| There are two types of hospital in Thailand for medical emergencies:government public hospitals and private hospitals. Most major provincial cities have international standard private hospitals. |
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| Bangkok Hotels Reservation |
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