How to Be a Tourist in Thailand

Planning to travel to Thailand soon? This page gives you a quick overview of everything you need to know before visiting: entry rules, money, transport, internet, safety, food, culture, and where to go. We link to our detailed guides throughout, so you can dig into each topic step by step.

Visa Requirements

Good news for travelers from over 90 countries: you can currently visit Thailand without applying for a visa in advance under Thailand’s visa exemption scheme.

This normally lets you stay up to 30 days, and you may be able to extend once for another 30 days at a local immigration office in Thailand.

If your nationality isn’t eligible for visa exemption, you can apply for a tourist visa online through the official Thai e-Visa website. A single-entry tourist visa normally gives you 60 days in Thailand.

In addition to a visa, immigration staff may ask to see a few things when you enter the country:

A passport valid for at least 6 months: if it’s valid for less than that, the airline may deny boarding.
A return or onward ticket showing a flight out of Thailand. Screenshot it and save it on your phone.
Proof of accommodation, such as a booking confirmation. Screenshot the confirmation and save it.
Proof of funds: at least THB20,000 in cash. This can be in other currencies, though it isn’t always checked.
Your Thailand Digital Arrival Card confirmation.

Read more: Read our guide to the Thailand tourist visa to find out more.

Immigration Form

Thailand no longer uses the old paper arrival form. Instead, tourists complete an online form called the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC.

I recommend completing it within 72 hours before your flight to Thailand. It takes less than 10 minutes through the official TDAC website. You’ll enter basic travel information, including:

your passport details
your flight number
your hotel address
the same kind of details you’d normally write on a paper arrival card

Once you submit it, screenshot the confirmation and save it on your phone, just in case immigration asks for it.

If you forget to do it before arriving, there are TDAC kiosks at international airports in Thailand. The queue can be long, though, especially when several flights land at once.

Read more: Check out our guide to the Thailand Digital Arrival Card to find out more.

Travel Insurance

You don’t strictly need travel insurance to enter Thailand, but I recommend getting it anyway.

I’ve seen plenty of tourists have an accident here, with a motorcycle crash being one of the most common, and end up unable to pay for treatment. Their family then has to wire money or start a GoFundMe to cover the bill.

You don’t need an expensive plan. Even a budget plan with solid medical coverage from Luma or ACS is enough.

Read more: Read our Thailand travel insurance guide to find out more.

SIM Card

There are plenty of SIM card options in Thailand. You have three main choices:

eSIM: my favourite option right now. You can buy an eSIM from Airalo and install it before you arrive. It’s just more convenient.
Buy at the airport: you’ll get a tourist package, but this is usually the priciest option. An unlimited 15-day plan runs around THB699.
Buy at a provider shop: for the cheapest deal, buy from a provider shop in the city. A 30-day plan now costs around THB599 or less.

The big three providers are Dtac, True, and AIS. There isn’t much difference between them, but if you travel in rural areas often, AIS has the best coverage.

Read more: Read our guides to SIM cards and eSIMs in Thailand.

Best Time to Visit Thailand

The travel experience in Thailand changes with the season. Broadly, there are three periods.

November to February

This is Thailand’s cool season and its peak season, when you usually get the best weather.

It’s also the most expensive time to visit, and popular spots can get packed, especially during the long holidays in early December and over New Year.

March to April

These are the hot months. Expect serious heat and strong sun, with temperatures climbing above 40°C on the hottest days.

The beaches are gorgeous this time of year, though. Songkran (April 13 to 15) is the busiest period within this window.

May to October

These are the rainy months. Expect heavy rain on many days, especially in the south of Thailand.

If you’re heading to the islands, check the forecast carefully and don’t go when the sea is rough. Some areas, including Pattaya, also see flash flooding.

The upside is that this is low season, so prices drop across the board.

Good to know: Northern Thailand (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and nearby) has heavy air pollution from agricultural burning between January and April, at its worst in February and March. If you’re sensitive to air pollution, avoid the north during these months.

Where to Go in Thailand

There are thousands of places worth visiting in Thailand, far more than one page can cover. Here’s a quick map of the main destinations by region.

The golden spires of the Grand Palace in Bangkok — The Grand Palace is the first stop for most first-time visitors to Bangkok.

Central

Central Thailand has two main draws for tourists:

Bangkok: the capital, and a great base for first-timers. Known for food, shopping, temples, and nightlife.
Ayutthaya: the former capital, about an hour from Bangkok. It makes an easy day trip to wander ancient temple ruins.

East

Pattaya, famous (or notorious) for its nightlife, is the most popular eastern destination.

But there’s more to the east than Pattaya. It has plenty of quieter, more affordable beaches and islands than the south, including:

Koh Samet in Rayong
Koh Chang in Trat
Koh Kood in Trat

West

The west is a mountainous area and my personal favourite, especially Kanchanaburi province. It has waterfall after waterfall, including Erawan and Sai Yok.

The Death Railway is here too. You can take a train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi in about three hours.

South

The south is beach country, packed with paradise islands. Phuket and Phang Nga are the most popular.

Most of Thailand’s famous beaches are here too: Koh Tao, Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Maya, and more.

A wide sandy beach on the Gulf of Thailand — Quieter beaches like Cha-am and Hua Hin sit at the northern gateway to the south.

If you want great beaches with fewer crowds, I’d point you to Krabi and Ranong. Hua Hin, a popular retirement town, sits at the northern gateway to the south.

North

The north is mostly mountainous, known for Lanna culture, cafes, and slower travel. Chiang Mai is the most popular destination and something of a digital nomad capital.

Stalls at a Chiang Mai night market — Chiang Mai’s night markets are a highlight of slower-paced northern travel.

Beyond Chiang Mai, you can visit Chiang Rai for its tea plantations, Mae Hong Son for mountain scenery, and Nan for beautiful rice terraces.

Northeast

The northeast, known as Isan, is Thailand’s largest region. Tourism here is less developed than elsewhere.

Most people who travel to Isan have already visited Thailand several times, or have married a Thai and settled there. The main cities are Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, and Nakhon Ratchasima.

Budget

Travel in Thailand is affordable, but there are also plenty of luxury options, from a THB200 hostel bunk to a villa that costs over THB100,000 a night. Your budget really depends on your travel style.

To give you some rough numbers, here’s what things typically cost:

Street food: THB60 per meal
International food: THB300 per meal
Drinks: THB50 per cup
In-city transport: THB30 to THB200 per ride
Intercity transport: THB400 to THB5,000 per ride
3-star hotel: THB2,000 to THB3,000 per night
Entrance fees: around THB200

As a planning figure, expect to spend around THB4,000 per person per day on a standard trip. It can be significantly more or less depending on how you travel.

Paying for Stuff

Thailand is going cashless fast, with QR code payments accepted almost everywhere, but that option mostly isn’t open to tourists.

So most tourists still rely on:

Cash for small payments
A credit card for big payments like hotels

If you do want to use QR payments, a few options exist for tourists. One is TagThai, though you’ll need to open an account with Kasikorn Bank first.

ATMs are widely available, but expect a withdrawal fee of around THB220 per transaction.

Read more: Read our guide to QR payments in Thailand to find out more.

Transportation

In big cities like Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai, calling a taxi with Grab or Bolt is the easiest way to get around.

For mass transit like the skytrain, metro, and airport rail link, only Bangkok has a full network, and it’s worth using given how heavy the traffic is.

Renting a car makes sense if you want to drive between provinces. You can find good deals on a site like Discover Cars.

Motorcycle rental is popular in Chiang Mai and on the islands. If you ride, always wear a helmet and carry a valid license.

Read more: Read our guide to transportation in Thailand to find out more.

Food

There’s no shortage of good food in Thailand. What I usually do is open Google Maps, search for nearby restaurants, and pick one with a 4-star-plus rating from a decent number of reviews.

A plate of pad thai noodles — Pad thai is the easiest first dish for most visitors, and it’s on almost every menu.

Here are some dishes worth trying while you’re here:

Pad thai: stir-fried noodles, the classic introduction to Thai food
Tom yum goong: hot and sour shrimp soup
Som tam: spicy green papaya salad
Green curry (gaeng keow wan): a rich coconut curry, usually with chicken
Massaman curry: milder and slightly sweet, with potatoes and peanuts
Khao soi: a northern curry noodle soup, best in Chiang Mai
Mango sticky rice: the dessert everyone falls for

For a quick meal, 7-Eleven is everywhere, and the ham and cheese toasties are a tourist favourite.

Tip: Drink bottled water only to avoid an upset stomach, and skip the free ice in cheaper restaurants if your stomach is sensitive. Smoothies are generally fine.

Thai Culture

A few points of Thai etiquette are worth knowing before you arrive. They help you avoid awkward situations and show respect to the people around you:

Keep your shirt on in public. It gets hot, but going shirtless isn’t acceptable.
Dress modestly when entering a temple or any royal site.
Never speak badly about the royal family.
Stay calm and avoid shouting or losing your temper in public. Thais value composure.
Show respect to monks, temples, and Buddha images.
Be polite when talking to locals. A simple khob khun (thank you) goes a long way.
Don’t point at people with your feet.
Don’t rest your feet on chairs or tables in public. It’s considered rude.

Read more: Read our guide to Thai language and culture to find out more.

Useful Apps

Here are the apps worth having on your phone for a trip to Thailand:

Grab and Bolt for transport. Download them and link a credit card in advance.
Google Maps for navigation. It’s accurate and even shows bus numbers and metro lines.
Google Translate with the Thai language pack downloaded ahead of time. You won’t need it much in big cities, where many people in tourism speak English.
LINE for messaging. It’s Thailand’s WhatsApp, handy for contacting hotels and tour operators.

Emergency Numbers

Keep these numbers saved in your phone:

Tourist Police: 1155
Medical emergency: 1669
Police: 191
Fire: 199
Your embassy
Your travel insurance emergency hotline
Your hotel front desk

Recommended Service Providers for Tourists in Thailand:

Agoda: book hotels and domestic flights across Thailand, usually at better rates than booking direct.
Booking.com: one of the largest hotel booking sites in the world, with deep coverage across Thailand.
Skyscanner: compare flights to Thailand across hundreds of airlines and booking sites to find the cheapest fare.
Discover Cars: compare car rental deals from multiple companies in a single search.
Airalo: install a Thailand eSIM before you land, so you’re online the moment you arrive.
GigSky: another reliable travel eSIM for staying connected without hunting for a local SIM.
Luma: affordable travel and health insurance with strong coverage at Thai hospitals.
WorldNomads: popular travel insurance for backpackers and active travelers.
NordVPN: keep your connection secure on public Wi-Fi and reach home services while abroad.
Wise: hold baht, pay at the mid-market rate, and cut down on ATM and card fees.