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Adventures In Thailand: Unmatched Beauty In The Land Of Smiles

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Overview

Towering boulders covered in lush greenery create passageways for the crystal clear blue water to flow on the island of Thailand

Introduction

Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles, because the country keeps a promise of exotic adventures in beautiful natural settings for tourists and scuba divers. It doesn’t matter what you’re seeking–an ideal beach holiday or a trek to the village hill tribes atop an Asian elephant, Thailand offers it all. And, what you’ll experience isn’t limited to staying on shore; what you’ll see below the surface of the waves captures the beauty of Thailand perhaps even moreso than what’s inland of its 3,200 kilometers of shoreline.

Geography

Geographically, Thailand is split into five major regions: North, Northeast, East, Central, and South. Furthermore these are divided into 75 provinces, each with its own geographic distinctness. Each Thailand province contains unique cultural, historical, and natural attractions from the northern peaks that are home to the exotic hill tribes and teeming with wildlife, the central plains which are also called the “Rice Bowl” of Asia, the northeastern plateau stretching to the Mekong River and Laotian border, and the renowned beaches and islands of the south, which attract scuba divers and snorkelers from around the world.

History

Known in earlier centuries as Siam, Thailand was able to maintain its independence from European colonialism. In the 1930’s Thailand got its current name, which translates literally to “Land of the Free,” reflecting the newly adopted constitution following a bloodless coup. In recent decades, the economy of Thailand has seen sharp and steady increases. Many refugees from neighboring countries have and continue to flee to Thailand, looking for the opportunity for a better life for their families.

Economy

Today, Thailand has much to offer anyone from the burned-out corporate type to the environmental backpacker. The warmth of the Thai people and their laid back attitude, lavish festivals and amazing cuisine are found amidst opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins, metropolitan settings or remote villages. Although the economy is varied in Thailand, tourism is one of its fastest increasing industries.

Factfile

Capital

Bangkok

Language(s)

Thai, English

Currency

Baht

Time Zone

UTC+7

International Dialing Instructions

Dial Exit Country Code + 22 + City Code + The Number

Power

Voltage

220V

Frequency

50Hz

Plug Type(s)

A, C

Climate

tropical, rainy, warm, southwest monsoon, dry, northeast monsoon, hot, humid

Diving Season

Year Round

Tourism Office(s)

Website

http://www.tourismthailand.org

Phone

+1 66 2 250 5500

Police

191

Fire

199

Hospital

1669

Hyperbaric Chambers

Phuket

66 (0) 76 254425

66 (0) 76 209347

66 (0) 81 895 1075

Bangkok

66 (2) 310 3000

Koh Samui

66 81 081 9555

Trip Planning

Customs and Immigration

Nationals from approximately fifty countries can enter Thailand for 30 days without a visa, as long as they present a valid passport. Upon arrival, you will get a tourist stamp in your passport (required). Nationals of other countries, most of which don’t have a Thai consulate, can obtain a 15-day visa stamp upon arrival. If you plan to live, work, or retire in Thailand, however, you will have to apply for a non-immigrant visa. For more information regarding visa and entry requirements in Thailand, please visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Visitors are prohibited from bringing drugs, wildlife, plants, various animal products, and specific fruits and vegetables into Thailand. Although there is not a limit on the amount of currency that you can bring to Thailand, you must declare all amounts over $10,000. For more information regarding the customs requirements in Thailand, call the Customs Department at 66-02-667-78804.

Health and Insurance

Although yellow fever is not a disease risk for travelers to Thailand, the Thai government requires travelers arriving from South America or Africa to present proof of yellow fever vaccination. All travelers are advised to ensure that their routine vaccines are current before traveling to Thailand to help avoid infection.

Several rural, forested areas that border Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar (Burma) post the threat of contracting malaria. If you plan to visit an area of Thailand that is rural or forested, discuss with your doctor whether you should take a prescription anti-malarial drug. The use of mosquito bed nets and insect repellent is also recommended in these areas. Street food and several water sources are not considered safe for consumption; be sure to conduct thorough research before indulging. All travelers living locally or traveling in rural areas are encouraged to take anti-diarrhea medication and iodine tablets for treating water. Bottled water is the safest.

There are more than 100 hospitals and clinics throughout Thailand. Most of the well-established and larger hospitals are located in Bangkok. Some of the hospitals located in rural areas away from the capital have limited supplies and beds.

It is recommended that all tourists purchase a travel insurance policy that will cover theft, loss, accidents, and medical emergencies. If you plan to participate in adventure sports while on vacation, please verify that your policy will cover you for these events. All necessary prescriptions along with a letter from your physician detailing your medical condition and the medication being carried with you should accompany all visitors to Thailand.

Traveling There

There are 105 airports in Thailand, however many of them do not regularly accommodate commercial passengers or have paved runways. While there are flights from several major world cities to Phuket (HKT), Thailand, you can save money or entertain more flight choices when flying to Bangkok (BKK or DMK) and continuing over land via tourist bus to your destination. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines are two of the major U.S. airways that fly regularly to Thailand. Several international airlines, such as Korean Air, Thai Airways and British Airways also regularly land in Thailand. Travelers should consider the length of the flight, mandatory stopovers, and price when selecting an airline carrier.

When traveling by land into Thailand, there are a few options. From Singapore or Malaysia there are train options, including a luxury service from Singapore to Bangkok. Road crossings from Malaysia in the south are at Songkhla, Yala, or Narathiwat. Crossings from Burma are frequently closed to political conflicts. From Laos, land crossing is available at the bridge at Nong Khai, and Aranyaprathet is the entry point when traveling from Cambodia.

Travelers arriving by sea must clear customs and immigration upon arrival. There are several ports of call for small to medium boats, including Phuket, Laem Chabang, Erawan, Kantang Port, Khanom Port, Krabi Map Ta Phut, Prachuap, Rayong, Songkhla, and Sriracha. Thailand is often considered an “exotic” locale for cruises, and grouped in with the Far East. Thus, a few of the cruise ships that travel to Thailand offer only pricier, luxury cruises. Some of the cruise lines that stop at Thai ports of call include Star Cruises, The Yachts of Seabourn Asia, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. Each cruise line has its own ports of call and most or all visit several other countries as part of their routes. Thai ports of call for cruise ships generally include Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket.

Traveling Around

In urban areas, motorbike taxis will take travelers from door to door, while for longer trips local bus service is the most economical way to travel over land. Hired tourist busses are a safe and easy option for travelers, although the cost is significantly higher than other means of local transportation. Some tourists and locals choose to travel by boat taxi in areas with streams and rivers. In extremely rural areas, travel via elephant is popular, especially among tourists.

Thailand also has a state railway system running between Bangkok and dozens of cities and villages throughout Thailand. Fares and maps can be downloaded online so travelers may plan their trip ahead of time.

Accomodations

In Thailand, there are 30 diver-friendly resorts, as well as nearly 60 “liveaboard” opportunities for more adventurous divers seeking to maximize their time on the water by staying on a boat hotel. In addition to diver-friendly resorts and liveaboards, cities like Phuket boast a range of hotels from super-economical, local lodges to five star luxury hotels and everything in between. Some resorts also offer all-inclusive or dive packages, which factor in the cost of your snorkeling or scuba diving expenses into the total cost of your accommodations. In Thailand, a 7% government VAT and 10% service charge are typically added to the bill unless included in the hotel or resort’s list price.

Local Attractions

The metropolis and capital city of Thailand, Bangkok, is a mix of ancient and modern, and East and West. Some of the most unique tourist attractions are located in Bangkok, such as the world’s largest crocodile farm. The World Heritage Historic City of Ayutthaya is located only about 30 miles from the capital. Other sites include the tallest Buddhist pagoda in the world (located at Nakhon Pathom), the Hin Phoeng Rapids of Khao Yai National Park, and the scattered islands with beautiful beaches in the South.

Other Activities

Thailand boasts an impressive range of activities, spanning from sailing and water sports to scenic hiking, spelunking, rock climbing, golf, and massage spas. Thailand’s beautiful and extensive network of national parks along with recent efforts to protect threatened wildlife have made activities like birdwatching and waterfall sightseeing popular. Some visitors to Thailand seek out the opportunity to educate themselves on Thai culture. From cooking classes to massage and Muay (boxing) lessons, there’s a lot to learn during your stay in Thailand.

Dining Out

Eating in Thailand is both delicious and inexpensive. Most Thai cuisine mixes the four basic tastes of salty, sweet, sour and bitter. Many of the locally made dishes are relatively low in fat and high in fiber. Some of the dominant ingredients throughout the country include seafood, rice, and curries. Thai desserts are also well-regarded sweets that reflect the vibrant colors of the country’s produce. Chinese restaurants, in addition to European and American style cafes, are also commonly found throughout Thailand. The CDC does recommend that travelers avoid street food or unpasteurized dairy products; although when eating in established restaurants, this should not be much of a concern.

Nightlife

Nightlife in Bangkok. Phuket, and Pattaya are especially vibrant and are home to dozens of fun nighttime hangouts. There are discos, go-go bars, night clubs, restaurants, and sports bars. Those who are opposed to viewing exotic dancing are encouraged to learn more about a bar or club’s types of regular entertainment before entering.

Shopping

For those who want to take a break from scuba diving to snag a deal on land, Thailand has long been regarded as paradise for bargain hunters. Favorable exchange rates allow tourists to purchase a range of items from Thai silk scarves to gold and silver jewelry to designer handbags at discount prices. The market-style shopping and Night Bazaars are two additional venues to check out, in addition to the shopping malls that have sprung up in nearly every city and town in Thailand.

Scuba Diving

Overview

Some of the best diving in Thailand is along the Andaman Sea coast. Sites can be accessed from Phuket, Sililan Islands, Hin Daeng, Khao Lak, the Phi Phil Islands, Krabi, and Koh Samui. Because Thailand has two distinct coastlines, diving across the Andaman Sea or the Gulf of Thailand offer different experiences. You can dive Thailand all year round. Divers have noted that the best time to visit Thailand is in the fall and winter, between the months of October and April and between February and May when whale sharks visit. Heavy rainfall hits the Andaman coast generally in the month of May and lasts until September. From May to September, therefore, the diving the Gulf of Thailand may be preferable. Thailand offers wall diving, drift diving, reef diving, shark watching, and snorkeling. Beginner divers are also encouraged to take the plunge with dozens of PADI scuba diving courses offered in Phuket and warm water dive sites like Samui and the Phi Phi islands. Marine life includes corals, sharks, barracudas, dolphins, groupers, octopi, moray eels, whale sharks, turtles, and many species of tropical fish including angelfish and parrotfish.

Dive Sites

There are over a hundred individual dive sites in and around Thailand, generally categorized by Northern, Southern, and Central Regions. Some small islands, including the miniature island of Koh Samui, boast nearly 20 dive sites itself. Most sites are accessible by boat; day trip boaters are the most popular choice among divers. Some sites are also accessed quickly from liveaboards. Visibility is generally fair to excellent (5 to 40 m), except during monsoon season when visibility can be reduced significantly in the Andaman Sea. Currents can be strong and surface conditions can be rough. Dives can be as shallow as 5 meters, with maximum reef depths less than 40 meters.

Top Dive Sites

Popular dive sites at the Similan Islands include Christmas Point, a 20-meter deep dive site with rock wallk, soft corals, sea fans and white tip or leopard sharks. Accessed from Phuket, Racha Noi is a beautiful uninhabited island surrounded by granite boulders and corals, and offers the best chance of seeing manta rays and whales. In the South, Hin Muang offers advanced dives only with great reef life and health, wall diving, and the opportunity to see more large animals such as grey reef sharks.

Special Requirements

There are no known diving restrictions or special requirements for diving in Thailand.

Dive Operators

There are more than 30 dive centers in Thailand. Centers are most numerous in Phuket, Krabi, and Khao Lak.

Hyperbaric Chambers

Recompression chambers are located in Phuket, Bangkok, and Koh Samui. In Bangkok, The Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Center is accessed through Bangkok General Hospital. In Phuket, the Badalveda Diving Medicine Center is available through the Bangkok Phuket Hospital. In Surathani on Koh Tao, the Badalveda Diving Medicine Center is the local facility for divers. Divers are advised to discuss, finalize, and agree upon an Emergency Assistance Plan, which includes obtaining all local medical emergency contact numbers, prior to beginning any dive. When a diving emergency arises, divers are strongly urged to follow any agreed upon Emergency Assistance Plan.

Conservation Efforts

Thailand lists over 20 marine parks, protected areas that assist in conserving marine life in its waters. The Volunteer Conservation Project in Thailand encourages dive training and volunteers assist with beach and reef cleanups and mangrove reforestation as well as education and research projects.

Maps

Location:

Asia
Thailand

Keywords: diving guides, asia dive travel, thailand dive travel, thailand diving, andaman sea diving, gulf of thailand diving, phuket diving, koh samui diivng, similan islands diving, krabi diving, khao lak diving Author:

Melissa Gwaldis

Related Tags: Diving Guides

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Adventures In Thailand: Unmatched Beauty In The Land Of Smiles

Accordion Content

thailand_travel_guide.jpg

Introduction

Geography

History

Economy

Customs and Immigration

Health and Insurance

Traveling There

Traveling Around

Accomodations

Local Attractions

Other Activities

Dining Out

Nightlife

Shopping

Overview

Dive Sites

Top Dive Sites

Special Requirements

Dive Operators

Hyperbaric Chambers

Conservation Efforts

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You are here

Warning message

Adventures In Thailand: Unmatched Beauty In The Land Of Smiles

Accordion Content

Introduction

Geography

History

Economy

Customs and Immigration

Health and Insurance

Traveling There

Traveling Around

Accomodations

Local Attractions

Other Activities

Dining Out

Nightlife

Shopping

Overview

Dive Sites

Top Dive Sites

Special Requirements

Dive Operators

Hyperbaric Chambers

Conservation Efforts

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