Customs and Taboos

Do not casually discuss or criticize the royal family. If you encounter a royal family member in public, your attitude should be appropriate.

When entering a temple, you must take off your shoes, dress neatly and modestly, and not wear short-sleeved shirts or shorts.

Do not point at monks, and never touch their bodies. Women, in particular, should not...

When shaking hands with a monk, one should not sit next to him in a car; even if a monk comes to greet you, you should politely keep your distance.

When Thai people meet, they greet each other by placing their hands together in front of their chest. The specific method is...

When someone bows to you with their palms together in a gesture of respect, you must return the gesture; otherwise, it is considered impolite. (The act of bowing with palms together is impolite.)

Thai women are relatively conservative; do not have physical relations with them without their consent.

Do not touch other people's heads or mess up their hair. Thais are superstitious about strangers.

Touching a child's head is permitted only by the king, monks, and their own parents.

Thais believe that a person's right hand is clean, while the left hand is unclean; the left hand is only used to hold certain things.

Like the left hand, the soles of the feet are also considered unclean. Be careful not to kick people with your toes.

Gambling is prohibited in Thailand. Never play cards or mahjong (even if it doesn't involve money).

Wedding customs

When Thais hold a wedding, they need to perform rituals such as wearing double happiness garlands, sprinkling water, worshipping ancestors and gods, making the bed, guarding the bridal chamber, and entering the bridal chamber for the entire wedding to be considered complete.

In Thailand, marriage first requires religious recognition through a ritual; then it needs the approval of parents, relatives, and the government. The officiant first places auspicious garlands on the bride and groom, then sprinkles water from a conch shell on their hands. Wedding guests then sprinkle water on the newlyweds as a blessing, and finally, relatives sprinkle water as a blessing.

The bed-making ceremony usually takes place on the night of the wedding water-sprinkling ceremony, followed by the groom's vigil in the bridal chamber and the ceremony of escorting the bride to the bridal chamber. In the evening, the bride brings the groom a change of pajamas. The groom's vigil in the bridal chamber varies from 3 to 7 nights, until the auspicious day when the bride is escorted to the bridal chamber. Modern Thai wedding procedures have been simplified considerably, often completed in one day, so the groom no longer needs to vigil in the bridal chamber.

Long-distance calls

China Mobile: The rate for making or receiving calls within China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) is 1.99 yuan per minute, and the rate for sending SMS messages is 0.69 yuan per message; receiving text messages is free.

China Unicom: The rate for making or receiving calls within China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) is 2.16 yuan per minute, and the rate for sending SMS messages is 0.86 yuan per message; receiving text messages is free.

There are three commonly used SIM cards in Thailand: ① Truemove inter SIM card is the cheapest and most popular; however, its signal tends to drop off on outlying islands. ② Happy card has a higher rate but slightly better signal. The Happy card, priced at 69 baht, is most popular among Chinese tourists.

The Happy SIM card, priced at 299 baht, offers 7 days of unlimited data and includes 100 baht of call credit. The 1-2-Call SIM card also has many fans; although it's more expensive, it offers the best signal strength.

bank

Thai banks typically operate from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday to Friday, and are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. In bustling streets frequented by foreigners, such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Rai, and Koh Samet, there are many exchange bureaus directly managed by banks. These bureaus are open from 8:30 AM to 8:30 PM, and some stay open until late at night. There are no fees for exchanging cash; however, there is a 10 baht fee and a 3 baht tax per traveler's check.

Regarding tipping

Thailand is a country where tipping is customary, and it's considered polite. Below are some places where tipping is expected for your reference.

Thai massage: Tipping is flexible and depends on the quality and professionalism of the masseuse.

Currency and Exchange Services

The currency in Thailand is the "Baht," and approximately 25 Baht can be exchanged for 1 US dollar. Cash and traveler's checks can be exchanged at foreign exchange shops in airports, banks, hotels, and tourist attractions.

pharmacy

Kui Lim Hueng Pharmacy

Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Pom Prap Sattru Phai bangkok 66 2 2224018

beauty_lady Shop

Bangkok, Soi Phet Kasem 81, Nong Khaem 66 83 2939912

Thai Saha Bhasaj Co., Ltd.

Bangkok 9/11 Soi Saphankoo Rama 4th. Sathorn 66 81 9050994

Frais Pharmacy

Pattaya 328/24 m.10 pattaya secord rd, Nongprue Banglamung 66 87 5353255

Winai Pharmacy

Rim Tai, Mae Rim, Chiang Mai 66 56 212812

Santi Health Care

Phuket, Talat Yai 66 76 212345

Hospital

Bangkok Heart Hospital

66 2 3103000 2 Soi Petchburi 47, Bangkok www.bangkokhearthospital.com/

Bangkok Hospital Pattaya 66 38 427777

301 Tambon Naklua,Chonburi www.bangkokpattayahospital.com/

Chiang Mai Ram Hospital

8 Bunrueang Rit,Sriphum Chiang www.chiangmairam.com

Mungkala Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital

66 53 278494 21 Ratchamanka Rd,Muang Chiang Mai www.mungkala.com/

Items prohibited and restricted from being brought into Thailand

Thai customs regulations prohibit the import of pirated works and animals/plants. Duty-free allowances include 1 kg of sweet wine or spirits, 50 cigars, 250 grams of tobacco or 200 cigarettes, and 5 boxes of film or 3 rolls of movie film. Travelers may purchase 1 kg of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, one camera, one video camera, and personal jewelry from duty-free shops for export.

Emergency aid agencies

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has established a Consumer Protection Committee and a Tourist Assistance Center to handle tourist complaints and work with the tourist police to resolve problems encountered by tourists.

If you encounter police checks, have trouble with your identity documents, lose your luggage or passport, or are scammed while shopping...

For any questions or problems, you can call the toll-free number 1699 to seek help from the Tourism Authority of Thailand's assistance center in Mandarin. This hotline is available 24 hours a day.

Tourist police contact numbers are available at hotel front desks throughout Thailand and can provide prompt assistance.

Fewer accidents are possible (Tourist Police officers are easily identifiable by the "TOURIST POLICE" printed on their hats). ■ Thai Tourist Police Contact Number: Bangkok 66 022216206-9, EXT-SEC.5; Toll-free Chinese Hotline: 1699; Fax: 66 022219119

Ratchadamoen Nok Ave., Bangkok 10100 281 5051, 2828129

Tourism Complaint Hotline: 1155

The Thai government prioritizes resolving various issues encountered by tourists, providing them with comprehensive information and resources, and ensuring their safety and property. Therefore, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has been authorized to establish a Tourist Service Center with a hotline: 1155. From now on, tourists can call 1155 anytime, anywhere in Thailand, free of charge. The slogan is "Remember one number, travel all over Thailand." The aim is to provide convenient and efficient service to tourists, striving to meet international standards and instilling confidence in both domestic and international tourists when traveling to Thailand.

The Thailand Tourist Information Center is located within the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The main services offered by the Tourist Information Center and its hotline include the following four items:

We collect daily feedback from tourists to provide them with convenience and ensure their safety.

Provides police network services, accepts reports of crimes and criminal inquiries. If tourists encounter trouble,

Special Note

All places of prostitution are hotspots for infectious diseases. For your health and the health of your family, please do not...

While Thailand generally has a good social security situation, it's still advisable to avoid going to remote areas alone.

If you need travel information, you can file complaints against travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, and attractions.

If you encounter any trouble and need police assistance, you can call the free tourism hotline 1155 set up by the Tourism Authority of Thailand anytime, anywhere. There will be Chinese-speaking staff to assist you. You can also write a letter to the Tourism Authority of Thailand to file a complaint.

If you encounter any problems during your trip to Thailand, you can contact the Thai Embassy in China after returning home.

Alternatively, you can file a complaint with the consulate. Remember the names of the Chinese and Thai travel agencies, the name of the Chinese tour leader, and their license plate number. Thai tour guides must wear a tour guide license issued by the Tourism Authority of Thailand on their chest; you must remember the number, as remembering only the name is invalid in Thailand. Furthermore, only...

Only those with a Thai tour guide license can act as tour guides. Unlicensed tour guides and Chinese tour leaders acting as tour guides are both illegal, and the police have the right to detain them, resulting in losses for tourists.