Thailand is a country of contrasts, extraordinarily beautiful nature and tranquility. But here, among other things, there are a number of interesting things that our person may find outlandish and sometimes quite strange.
Firstly, in Thailand, if I may say so, you get into the future. If 2015 is the year in the rest of the world, then there are already 2558 here. The popularity of the country as a place for tourists was given, oddly enough, by the Vietnam War. Initially, Pattaya was the most popular holiday destination, and only then the rest of the resort cities.
Thais drink very little and very rarely. And this is a big plus when compared with the same Egypt or Turkey, where there are a lot of passers-by on the streets in the evening “under the influence of hops”. The police in Thailand are very responsible, but at the same time have almost unlimited rights.
An undesirable citizen who behaves contrary to the law or contrary to moral norms can get a couple of blows with a cue and spend time behind bars.
If you are in Thailand, remember that men are forbidden to appear in public with a bare torso. This will be considered a violation of the order. Thailand is called the land of smiles for a reason. There is nothing shameful in smiling at an oncoming passerby here, no. But talking too loudly is a sign of bad taste.
The most popular vehicle here is a tuk-tuk (a kind of motorbike). There are few cars here.
Thais prefer public transport or small two-wheeled vehicles. Interestingly, the word “hunger” does not exist in Thai.
The king is considered by many to be a real deity. If the monarch’s family is offended by something, you can go to prison for a long time. In Southeast Asia, only Thailand has never been a colony. Thais believe that the human soul is in the head. Therefore, touching a Thai’s head is a bad idea. Especially up to the child’s head
A few more facts:
The name of the Kingdom is spelled correctly: Thailand but, Russians in most cases write the name Thailand with a “y”: Thailand.
111 Russians asked Yandex in a month: “what kind of country is Phuket”
The correct answer is that Phuket is the most popular resort in Thailand
How to go to Thailand? Everything is very easy and simple. Choose here
Before 1913, most Thais did not have surnames, only first names (mostly villagers)
Thailand is the only country in the world where the King, the patron saint of all religions, according to the Constitution must be a Buddhist. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Thai alphabet is the second largest in the world. The world’s largest alphabet is Khmer The world’s smallest mammal is a bumblebee bat living in Thailand Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been anyone’s colony Myang Boran (Ancient City) in Samut Prakan is the world’s largest open–air museum
The territory of Thailand is equal to the territory of France, one and a half times larger than the United Kingdom, 2 times larger than Cambodia, 15 times larger than Israel, and its population almost reaches half of the population of Russia
The length of Thailand’s land border is 4863 km
Thailand ranks fifth in Asia (after Japan, China, South Korea and India) in car production (2006)
There are more than 32,700 Buddhist temples in Thailand, which are home to about 370,000 monks and novices. This is about 1 monk per 170 citizens
Contrary to popular opinion among tourists, Thailand, outside the “tourist zone” of Pattaya or Phuket, is a country of very strict family values and Buddhist religious morality
It’s safe in Thailand
The season in Thailand is all year round
The capital is Bangkok
You can rent almost any hotel with more than 4 stars
If breakfast is not included, do not worry, they will feed you inexpensively and tasty
Bounty ads were filmed on Koh Samui and Phi Phi Islands
In the North of Thailand, mountains, rivers, jungles and spectacular views
It takes 9.5 hours to fly from Moscow to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand
There are a lot of excursions in 9 out of 10 cases, you will only spend the night in the room.
The rainy season is an hour of rain per day, and as scheduled
People are good-natured and smile at you sincerely, hence the name “country of a thousand smiles”.
Climate: hot season maximum +34 degrees, cold +28.
The tourist season is called the period from November to February, but you can fly at any time.
The most comfortable time is December — January.
All-inclusive hotels are not worth taking
If you want to “get lost” — pay attention to the islands, you will find yourself far from everyone to
The living conditions meet international requirements
National peculiarities — All Buddha images are sacred
Everyone, including foreigners, is being punished for desecrating Buddhist shrines
The Royal family is respected and non—negotiable
Before entering a Buddhist temple or a private house, you must take off your shoes.
Touching a Thai’s head or showing the underside of a foot is the height of disrespect
If you went to the cinema, then be sure that the royal anthem will be played before the session, which means you will have to listen to it standing up, like everyone else
Money The import of currency into the country is not limited, and the export of money is limited to the amount of 50 00 baht (~ $ 1,200) per person, if a person goes to one of the neighboring countries of Thailand – 500,000 baht
The currency of Thailand is the Thai baht. 1 butt = 100 satangs. Currently in circulation are: coins- 25, 50 satangs, 1, 5 and 10 baht; banknotes – 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 baht
All major currencies of the world are changing everywhere in Thailand
Most banks are open from 9:00 to 15:30
Customs and Visas: It is prohibited to export any Buddha images, antiques and art objects without a license from the relevant department in the government.
If you bought any precious product in the store, then you will immediately be issued a license for export
Tourists are allowed to freely import and export gold products
It is forbidden to import the following items into Thailand:
- Drugs (marijuana, opium, cocaine, morphine, heroin, etc.)
- Pornographic literature
- weapons (without police permission)
- Some species of plants and animals
The death penalty is imposed for the import/export of drugs in large quantities
If you are traveling as a tourist and for no more than two weeks, then you can get a visa right at Bangkok airport upon arrival.
To do this, you need: a passport and a photo (if there is no photo, then you can take a picture there). The visa fee is $10-12.
After the expiration of the 16-day period, you must either report to the local immigration agency and extend your visa for 10 days, or rest in peace (the penalty for an expired visa is 200 baht per day)
If you are traveling to Thailand for more than a month or on a visa other than a tourist one, it is better to get a visa at the Thai Embassy in Moscow or a local representative office.
If the tourist visa expires on Sunday or any official holiday, it is automatically extended the next day, however, you may be fined 200 baht for an overdue day if you stay.
Address of the Thai Embassy in Moscow:
9 Bolshaya Spasskaya Street (Sukharevskaya metro station), tel. 208-08-17, 208-08-56; fax: 290-96-59 Working hours: weekdays, 9-17
Most Thai dishes are spicy. Most restaurants have menus in both English and Thai.
Tipping is not necessary, but if you want to come to this restaurant again, it is better to tip. Usually – 10% of the bill or 10-20 baht.
It’s not polite to tip a trifle
Instead of salt, Thai and Chinese restaurants have fish or soy sauce
In the restaurant menus (those that are more decent), pay attention to the VAT (service cape), whether it is included in the price (most often not), so the check is 10% more than the amount of the order on the menu
Shops are open from 10:00 to 20:00, small shops – 8:30-6:30, some can be knocked on at night and will be opened (the latter happens in the regions)
Government offices are open from 9:00 to 16:30, lunch 12:00-13:00
The best material for clothes is cotton.
If you are going to the northern and mountainous parts of Thailand in winter, it is better to take a sweater
In Thailand, traffic is on the left
Mains voltage – 220V
What can you get sick with – AIDS, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, malaria, Japanese encephalitis
The difference from Moscow is 4 hours
When departing from Bangkok International Airport, you must pay a fee of 500 baht (~ $ 14), on domestic airlines there is a fee of 30 baht
Address of the Russian Embassy in Bangkok:
108, Sathon Road North; phone numbers: 234-20-12, 258-06-28
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