What to Wear
Loose and light summer clothing (preferably natural fabrics) is recommended, especially for outdoor activities like bazaar shopping and sightseeing. Thailand is a conservative country and the people dress accordingly. Evening wear depends very much on the setting. Jeans, T-shirts and sandals are acceptable in casual eateries, most restaurants and discos, but discouraged in fine dining establishments (some hotel restaurants refuse anyone wearing a singlet) For woman, anything from dressy silk to casual cotton is always appropriate.

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General Info
Drinking Water
Drinking water straight from the tap in Bangkok is not advisable. Most mid range and higher hotels provide one or two bottles of drinking water per day. It is best to get in the habit of drinking bottled water especially if you will be visiting rural areas or other countries in the region.

Smoking
In the last few years Thailand has passed several strict anti-smoking laws in an effort to control or stop Thais from smoking. Those under 18 years of age cannot purchase tobacco products and smoking is no longer allowed on television (programs or shows). It is also illegal to light up in many indoor public areas including air-conditioned restaurants and barbershops.

That said, smoking is still quite common in Bangkok. Most large hotels offer non-smoking rooms on smoke free floors. If this is a concern to you (either way) make sure to have your preference known when making a reservation or entering a restaurant.

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Money Matters
The basic unit is the Thai Baht. One Thai Baht is divided into 100 satang. Coins come in values of 25 and 50 satang however more common are the 1, 5 and 10 Baht coins. Even though the 25 and 50 satang coins are virtually worthless (less than one US cent) you do get them as change.

Notes or bills come in 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 baht denominations are color coded for easy identification. It is recommended that you change some of your money into baht at the airport so that you can pay for transport and tip at your hotel etc.

US Dollars and major European and Asian currencies are readily exchanged into Thai baht at market rates that fluctuate daily. Banks and authorised money changers give the best rates. Many shopping centres have one or two bank kiosks or money changers conveniently located within the centre with competitive rates. When changing money be aware that you will get a slightly better rate for a USD100 bill than for a USD20 bill. Traveler cheques are widely accepted but it is better to exchange them for cash at a bank (remember to bring identification when cashing them).

If you happen to be traveling back to Bangkok after visiting other countries in the region (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam etc.) best to exchange any money you have in that country's currency into US Dollars before you leave the country and exchange your US Dollars into Thai Baht when you get to Bangkok.

Credit / Charge Cards
Credit and charge cards are widely accepted in Bangkok. Hotels, travel agents, retailers, restaurants readily accept most international credit cards. However that said, do be careful where you use your credit cards SE Asia is awash in credit card fraud and although Bangkok is by no means at the top of the list, it does happen. Our advice would be to use your credit card to take cash from an ATM and pay cash for your purchases (just make sure the ATM has instructions in English before you insert your card). FYI, An added benefit of doing this you will avoid a 3-5% surcharge often onto your bill by retailers to recoup the fee they are charged by banks for processing the transaction.

Tipping
Oddly for a tourist service economy tipping is not required or expected in Thailand or Bangkok (but it is not unknown). Most hotels and upmarket restaurants automatically add a 10% service charge to your bill and that should be sufficient. Taxi drivers often round up to the nearest 5 baht and wait for you to ask for the remainder. Considering how cheap the fare is to begin with, this is not unreasonable. That said, a tip should be exercised in instances where the bill doesn’t include service charge or the service is exemplary.

Restaurants
While we’re on the subject of service be aware that restaurants (except in hotels) present the bill written in Thai Sanskrit). A delightful meal can sometimes end on an off note by being overcharged. It’s not easy to detect if the items are different than what you ordered (another table’s check) but you might catch it if you remember how many items you ordered (for one or two persons this is not too hard but for a group it’s not always easy).

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Phone Home
The country code for Thailand is 66, the city code for Bangkok is 02. If you will be in Bangkok for more than a few days getting connected is quite easy. Foreigners (as well as Thais) can get SIM Card (Subscriber Identity Module Card). Be advised that you will need to provide identification to purchase a prepaid SIM Card.

The SIM Card works with GSM phones and is compatible with Digital GSM mobile phones with a 900-MHz range or Digital PCN phone with a 1800-MHz range. Most shopping centres have a number of SIM Card sellers and you can pick your own phone number (the 'better' the number, the more expensive the card).

IDD calls can be made with any number of prepaid phone cards. Even if you only make one or two international calls, a phone card is still the way to go, as hotel phone charges are very, very steep.

Internet access is widely available. Hotels have arguably the best service but it can be quite expensive. Most shopping centres have a internet spot somewhere within the centre with broadband access and some even coin operated computer access (10 baht for 15 minutes or so).

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Business Hours
Government offices open from 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday-Friday. Banks are open from 9.30am 3.30pm Monday-Friday Business hours are from 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday-Friday and Saturdays from 8.30 to 11.00am. Shopping centres and large department stores open daily from 10.00am to 9.00pm while convenience stores and pharmacies are open 24 hours. Free standing restaurants that serve breakfast usually open around 7.00am; those serving dinner close by 10.00pm, (11.00pm at the latest).

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Street Wise
Bangkok is like most large cities and being a tourist destination with over 10 million visitors a year, does attracts it share of petty criminals and con artists. Nonetheless Bangkok is still safer for visitors than many large cities in this world.

Pickpockets and petty theft are the main concerns - especially in open air markets and pubs. To reduce your risk use plain common sense and take the same basic precautions you would if you were visiting any big city. Keep a tight grip on your purse or camera, never leave any bags (whether valuable or not) unattended at the pool or when going to a buffet in a restaurant, use the hotel safety deposit box, don't walk around in unfamiliar areas - especially at night - and don't count money in the open.

Also men shouldn't carry their wallet in their back pocket (inside front pocket or money belt would be safer). Women should carry their pocketbook in front of strapped across the shoulder. Jot down your credit card, passport information (number, expiration date etc.) and traveler cheque information and keep it separate from the originals. Lastly be weary of overly helpful strangers and never bring a stranger (prostitute) to your hotel room (you'd think that last one would go without saying but you'd be wrong). Not so hard...

On the flip side don't even think of committing a crime in Thailand. You are a long way from home with far fewer rights than you think. Behave yourself and be a gracious guest.

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Medical Facilities
Feeling queasy? Not to worry you’re in Bangkok and Bangkok’s medical facilities are quickly becoming recognised as among the finest in Asia. Indeed more and more expats in SE Asia are turning to Bangkok as the medical centre of choice with well-qualified doctors and state of the art equipment at a fraction of cost elsewhere. Registered pharmacies are open until 10.00pm Most hotels have their own doctor on 24-hour call. For a brief list of hospitals click here.

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Outward Bound
Be advised that effective 01 February 2007 the PSC, Passenger Service Charge, (aka airport tax) for international departures will be included in the price of your airline ticket. As well the amount increases from 500 Baht to 700 Baht at the same time.

Transit passengers in Thailand for less than 24 hours and children under the age of two are exempt from paying the Passenger Service Charge upon departure.

For domestic flights the Passenger Service Charge is 60 Baht and can be paid at the airline check in counter.

Be advised that it is illegal for a person to carry more than 50,000 Thai Baht out of the country (100,000 Baht per family) however there is no limit to the amount of foreign currency one can take out of the country.

Also just a quick last minute reminder. It would be next to impossible not to get in the shopping mood when you visit Bangkok. Make sure you check with your home country’s customs department to understand how much duty you may have to pay upon returning home. For more shopping tips. click here.

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