Top 10 Travel Tips For Your First Time In Thailand

Thailand has been a popular tourist destination for decades and with good reason. It has beautiful beaches, a friendly and exotic culture, historic temples and a lot of adventure.

But when traveling to Thailand, there are many rules and cultural differences you need to know before you go.

1. Do not Ride the Elephants

Dave and I were guilty of this in 2000 when we traveled to Thailand, we did not think about the health and well-being of the elephants and assumed it was a lot like riding a horse. After all, movies had been showing people riding elephants for years!

But elephants that are used for tourism conditions and conditions in chained to poles. They are forced to walk in circles and have broken their mahouts.

Instead of riding elephants, visit an elephant sanctuary where you wan witnessed retired tourists and logging elephants in their natural environment. They may never be released in the wild, but at least they will be allowed to live in peace while having some freedom to roam.

2. Do not Take Selfies with Tigers

I was surprised to learn that the tiger temples are still open. I knew of them when we first visited Thailand, but I assumed they closed long ago. But sadly, tigers are still being exploited in Thailand for tourists to take selfies with them.

The Tiger Temple outside of Bangkok has been closed down, but there are still some places of putting tigers on display to pose with tourists. You can read about it yourself here.

Unlike the elephant sanctuaries, the Tiger Kingdom is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

3. Eat with Your Spoon

The preferred choice of utensils in Thailand is the spoon. The fork is used to push the rice or the spoon in your mouth. People do not stab their meat with a fork, they scoop it up with a spoon.

Chopsticks are used for you, but when you go to eat in Thailand, you will probably be able to eat at your table setting.

4. Food Service is Slow

Another thing to be prepared for at Thai restaurants is that your food will never come out at the same time.

We chalk this up to the fact that locals eat family style. Everyone has their rice and they for the delicious sauces and dishes onto their plates.

If you order they will come out when they're ready. So someone may be finished eating, by the time

Our advice, share it and go with the flow.

5. Do not Mention the King

Even though King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away recently, he was revered by the people and to show any disrespect could get you thrown you in jail.

When talking about the royal family, it is better to not bring it up, if you do, be positive. But is not that a good rule for life in general?

6. Do not rent a scooter

We often see tourists walking on mopeds without a helmet. They wear camisoles and t-shirts and now you know they are coming up against the harsh reality of realizing they do not have the experience they think they have.

Thailand has one of the highest road death rates in the world and it is a hairy place to drive.

The traffic is terrible, you will share the road with everything from tuk-tuks to transport, there are no rules and the roads can be very bad. So, unless you have a lot of experience on a bike, hire someone to drive you instead.

7. GrabTaxi App

We used to take tuk-tuks when we were looking for cheap transportation around Bangkok and other cities, but the way forward is now with the GrabTaxi app. GrabTaxi acquired Uber in Southeast Asia, although Uber still owns shares. It's always the same service, just a different application.

It's a lot cheaper and you do not have to barter with the drivers.

It's also a lot better for your lungs. The two-stroke engine of a tuk-tuk can give you a breath of fresh air, and since it's just a three-wheeled motorcycle with a roof, you're sitting outside in the hot sun.

We found that GrabTaxi (Uber) was so reasonable that we advised the drivers to make it worthwhile.

8. take a tuk tuk

Even though Uber is our preferred means of transportation, you should still ride a tuk-tuk at least once in Thailand. It's a rite of passage!

Just make sure you agree on a price before entering the Tuk Tuk and do not let them persuade you to stop in stores. Check out our post travel scams to get ready.

If the price seems too good to be true, it is probably the case. That means they'll take you to perfumeries, antique shops, jewelery stores and anything else they can buy.

These tuk-tuk drivers can be very aggressive, so just say no.

9. Transportation in Thailand

Thailand is easy and cheap to travel. If you have little time, we suggest you travel from one place to another. It is easy to catch a flight from Bangkok to the islands or to Chiang Mai.

If you do not want to fly, the trains are efficient. We often took a night train by night train to Chiang Mai.

The buses are also good. Thailand has many first-class bus-beds that allow you to get from point A to point B.

And it's easy to book with a travel agent wherever you are in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai or the islands.

10. cover

Whether you are a man or a woman, the narrow clothes are badly seen. Especially when visiting temples and places of worship and in rural areas.

Be sure to respect the culture and cover your knees and shoulders when entering a temple or temple.

A sarong is an excellent takeaway item. I wrapped it around my trash to use as a skirt and put it on my shoulders to use as a must.

Wearing long pants and long sleeves in silk or lightweight polyester will keep you cool as you dress in shorts and protect yourself from the sun and mosquitoes. So go ahead, dress like locals!

Note: In beach areas and hikes, it is advisable to wear a swimsuit and shorts, but in cities and temples, cover yourself. Do not be "the backpacker" who looks like an ignorant tourist who does not know anything about the places he visits.

Tips For Your First Time In Thailand: