Thailand practical travel informationThailand practical travel information, Traffic Or should I say accidents involving traffic, they are probably the major cause of all hospital visits by the foreign tourist in Pattaya. First of all you really do need to remember that in Thailand they drive on the left side of the road mostly so dont just step off the sidewalk thinking its clear. Vehicles and especially motorbikes do regularly travel (at speed) the wrong way down a road and even on the sidewalks. So if in your home country you drive on the right, this is important to remember,,read a little on driving in Pattaya Crossing the road can also be an underwear changing event as the vehicles rarely if at all stop. There are "pedestrian crossings" but to the vast majority of drivers, driving in Pattaya these are just white strips of paint on the road serving no purpose! So please don't use them as you would back home. All in all getting around takes some getting used to so do take care.  Getting around using Thailand transport is quite easy and there are many ways to do it, travelling by taxi is relatively cheap, there is also an excellent network of buses including comfortable vip buses that are really excellent value for money. There are also many domestic flights again, excellent value for money. Thailand is not necessarily the safest place to be driving, especially in Pattaya, Bangkok or other large urban areas. I would suggest getting used to the road system and traffic before you do drive.  Getting here, the vast majority of tourists arrive in Thailand via Bangkok international airport, unless you are entering from a neighboring country of course. Read about cheap flights to Thailand and getting from Bangkok to pattaya. Thai visa. Thailands visa and passport information can be complicated to say the least, not made any easier by the fact the powers that be can change the rules remarkably quickly, and beleive me they do change. Your passport should be valid for at least six months, you may not be allowed to board the aircraft if its less. Remember to check your passports validity.Visa. First thing to do before leaving your home country is to check its on the visa exempt list. Most visitors to Thailand who arrive by air shall be issued a visa on arrival which is valid for 30 days (which includes the day you arrive) if you enter at one of the border crossings on land the visa on arrival shall be 15 days.  Has three seasons, November to February is basically warm and dry.. March to May is hot and humid.. June to October is hot with regular rainfall.Sex tourism in Thailand Prostitution,, is the oldest "profession" in the world as they say and I`m certain it did`nt start in Thailand, I suppose it started here in Pattaya during the Vietnam war and as the reputation for sex tourism grew it has come to be associated with the whole of Thailand. "Investagative" reporters relish sensationalising areas like Pattaya and Bangkok that are known for the tourist sex industry, but is only a small part the Thai sex industry. Unfortunately "sex tourism" has brought along with it Aids and many other STD`s, you can help to take care of your health in Thailand by always using condoms which can prevent most types of STD`s if used properly
CD`s, DVD`s and software. There are plenty of street vendors selling this type of pirated goods, and buying it is not a problem. But you may have a problem taking it back to your home country, especially if you have a few copies of the same product. You should also be aware of friendly strangers offering to take you to business premises, its generally a scam of some sorts. Remember that credit card fraud is rife, personally I pay for everything with cash. I have only used my card at the most reputable of places, and I never let it out of my site. get yourself some handy phone numbers Pickpockets This is also a very popular pastime particularly on baht buses and specifically on the journey between Jomtien and Pattaya and vice versa. Also be aware of these characters in crowded areas. Crime of the violent type towards tourists is low and is relatively low when compared with other countries, but that does`nt mean it does`nt happen and it does happen mainly in the tourist areas, and Pattaya has its share. It mostly involves unsavoury characters operating on the wrong side of the law. Keep well away! Thanks for looking.. Have a good time. Other pages Return from Thailand practical travel information-to-Home page |
