Cars 4 Rental - Cheap Car Rentals Online Bookings

General Money Health Climate Passport

(back to contents)

Cars 4 Rental Information on Thailand

General

Area: 513,115 sq km (198,115 sq miles).

Population: 60,606,947 (2000).

Population Density: 118.1 per sq km.

Capital: Bangkok. Population: 7,358,300, including Thon Buri (1998).

GEOGRAPHY: Thailand is bordered to the west by Myanmar and the Indian Ocean, to the south and east by Malaysia and the Gulf of Thailand, to the east by Cambodia, and to the north and east by Laos. Central Thailand is dominated by the Chao Phraya River.

Government: Constitutional monarchy since 1973. Head of State: HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) since 1946. Head of Government: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatri since 2001.

Language: Thai is the official language. English is widely spoken, especially in establishments catering for tourists.

Religion: The vast majority adhere to Buddhism (Theravada form), 4 per cent are Muslim and there are Christian minorities.

Time: GMT + 7.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. American- and European-style two-pin plugs are in use.

Communications:

Telephone

IDD is available. Country code: 66. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone

GSM 900/1800/1900 networks. Network operators include Advanced Info Service (website: www.ais900.com), Digital Phone Company Ltd (website: www.dpc1800.com) and Total Access Comms Co (website: www.dtac.co.th).

Fax

Facilities are widely available in hotels, post offices and travel agencies.

Internet

Internet cafes provide public access to Internet and e-mail services. ISPs include Asia Infonet (website: www.asianet.co.th) and Internet Thailand (website: www.inet.co.th).

Telegram

Telegrams can be sent from hotels, airports and CAT (Communications Authority of Thailand) offices.

Post

Airmail to Europe takes up to 1 week. The General Post Office in Bangkok (on Charoen Krung Road) hours: Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat-Sun and holidays 0800-1300. Post offices up-country are open Mon-Fri 0800-1630, Sat 0900-1200 .

Press

Many daily and weekly Thai newspapers are available, most notably Baan Muang. Other English-language dailies are Bangkok Post, The Nation and Thailand Times.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

Back to Top

Money

Currency: Baht (Bt) = 100 satang. Notes are in denominations of Bt1000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of Bt10, 5 and 1, and 50 and 25 satang. In addition, there are a vast number of commemorative coins which are also legal tender.

Currency exchange: Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks (which have the best rates), hotels (which charge high commissions) and, in larger towns, bureaux de change (generally open 0800-2000). Outside large towns and tourist areas, notes higher than Bt500 may be difficult to exchange, so visitors are advised to carry small change.

Credit & debit cards: American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted, while Diners Club has more limited use. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be available.

Travellers cheques: Accepted by all banks and large hotels and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars, Euros or Pounds Sterling.

Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is limited to Bt50,000 per person or Bt100,000 per family holding one passport. The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Baht against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date Aug ’03 Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May '04
£1.00= 66.31 66.68 71.42 71.76
$1.00= 41.62 39.87 39.24 40.18

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1530.

Back to Top

Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever No 1
Cholera 2 No
Typhoid and Polio 3 No
Malaria 4 No

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving from infected areas. Countries and areas included in endemic zones are considered to be infected areas.

2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to Thailand. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness; see the Health appendix.

3: Vaccination against typhoid is advised.

4: Malaria risk exists throughout the year in rural areas throughout the country, especially in forested and hilly areas and around the international borders. There is no risk in cities and the main tourist resorts, eg Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and Samui. The malignant falciparum form is present and is reported to be highly resistant to chloroquine and resistant to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Resistance to mefloquine and to quinine has been reported from areas near the borders with Myanmar and Cambodia.

Food & drink: Food and water-borne diseases are common. Use only bottled or otherwise sterilised (eg boiled) water for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice. Unpasteurised milk should also be boiled, although pasteurised or homogenised milk is available from some dairies. Tinned or powdered milk is safe as long as it is reconstituted with sterile water. Beware of dairy products that may have been made with unboiled milk. Stick to meat and fish that have been well cooked, preferably served hot, but not reheated. Avoid raw vegetables and unpeeled fruit.

Other risks: Amoebic and bacillary dysentery and hepatitis A and E may occur. Hepatitis B is highly endemic and trachoma is also reported. Japanese encephalitis may occur, particularly in rural areas. A vaccine is available, and travellers are advised to consult their doctor prior to departure. Precautions should be taken to guard against mosquito bites due to the risk of this disease and dengue fever. HIV infection is rife in Thailand, especially among prostitutes in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Rare cases of Bengal Cholera have been reported and an outbreak of leptospiros in the northeast of the country, following flooding in 1999 caused a number of deaths.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.

Note: Those suspected or confirmed of carrying AIDS will be refused entry.

Health Care: Health insurance is recommended. Medical facilities are good in main centres. All major hotels have doctors on call.

Back to Top

Climate

Generally hot, particularly between March and May. The monsoon season runs from June to October, when the climate is still hot and humid with torrential rains. The best time for travelling is November to February (cool season).

Required clothing: Lightweights and rainwear are advised.

Back to Top

Passport

Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required
British Yes No Yes
Australian Yes No Yes
Canadian Yes No Yes
USA Yes No Yes
OtherEU Yes No/1 Yes
Japanese Yes No Yes

Restricted entry: Nationals of Afghanistan will be refused.

Note: Passports issued by the Palestinian government are now recognised when applying for a visa but additional documents may be required by the national, including a bank statement and confirmed letter from employer.

PASSPORTS: Passport valid for 6 months beyond intended length of stay required by all except: holders of a Hong Kong (SAR) certificate of identity bearing a Thai visa issued in Hong Kong, holders of a Singapore certificate of identity with a visa, holders of South African temporary passports, holders of a UN laisser-passer and Macau (SAR) China Travel Permits.

VISAS: Required by all except the following nationals for touristic stays of up to 30 days, provided they are hold valid passports and confirmed tickets to leave Thailand within 30 days:
(a) nationals of the countries referred to in the chart above (1. except the countries who joined the EU on May 1 2004, although this is likely to change in the near future - nationals of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and Slovenia, who do require a visa);
(b) nationals of Bahrain, Brazil, Brunei, Hong Kong (SAR), Indonesia, Israel, Korea (Rep), Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, The Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.
(c) transit passengers continuing their journey within 12 hours, provided holding confirmed tickets and other documents for an onward journey and they do not leave the transit lounge.

Note: (a) The following nationals can obtain an entry visa on arrival at 23 designated immigration checkpoints throughout Thailand (consult nearest Embassy/Consulate for further information), provided holding a confirmed ticket to leave within 15 days, proof of sufficient funds, application form with recent photo, a valid passport and that their visit is for tourist purposes only: Bhutan, China (PR), Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Mauritius, Oman, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine. The fee for this service is approximately 300 Baht; note that this is subject to frequent change. Travellers should also note that there are normally long queues at the immigration checkpoints. (b) Anyone intending to stay longer than 15 days must obtain a visa prior to arrival.

Types of visa and cost: Tourist: £25 (single-entry; valid for up to 60 days); Non-immigrant: £40 (single-entry; valid for up to 90 days), £90 (multiple-entries); Transit (single-entry; valid for up to 30 days): £15. Prices are subject to change.

Note: (a) Transit visas are also granted for those entering Thailand in order to participate in sports activities. (b) Non-immigration visas are issued to those who, amongst other things, are travelling to perform official duties, work and study (eg attend a conference).

Validity: All visas are valid for 3 months from the date of application. Non-immigration visas (multiple-entry only) are valid for up to 1 year from date of application.

Note: For an extension of stay for those having travelled with a tourist or transit visa, an application must be filed to the Office of Immigration Bureau in Bangkok. The exact extension of the stay and change of type of visa is solely at the discretion of the Immigration Officer. Those having travelled on a non-immigration visa may be permitted an extension of 1 year (counting from date of entry); apply at the Office of Immigration Bureau. For further details, contact the nearest Embassy/Consulate.

Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.

Application requirements: (a) Passport (valid for at least 6 months from date of application). (b) One completed application form. (c) Recent passport-size photo (for non-immigration visas: two photos taken within the last 6 months). (d) Fee (cash or postal order only). (e) Proof of sufficient funds to cover stay (Bt20,000 per person, Bt40,000 per family). (f) Confirmed onward or return ticket. If applying for a transit visa, the ticket must indicate Thailand as a point of transit. (g) Registered, stamped, self-addressed envelope for postal enquiries. Note that for UK residents, postal enquiries must be directed to the Birmingham Consulate. (h) Valid international health certificate for yellow fever (certain nationals only). Non-immigration: (a)-(h) and, (i) For a business visit, a letter from the employer in country of origin and from the business partner in Thailand explaining the purpose of the visit is required. Other documents may also be required, depending on purpose of visit. Such requirements may include a birth certificate; marriage certificate or equivalent; and letter of acceptance from educational institution/Ministry of Labor & Social Welfare/company qualified to employ foreign nationals. Transit: (a)-(h) and, (i) Visa for next destination in passport or travel document. (j) Letter of invitation stating applicant's participation in sports, if applicable.

Note: (a) Nationals of Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority passport holders, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen must provide additional information. They must also file an application for extension of stay at their Thai Embassy/Consulate General in place of permanent residence, rather than at the Office of Immigration Bureau in Thailand. Contact Consulate for details. (b) Yellow fever vaccination certificates are required for applicants who have visited or come from an affected area. Other vaccinations, such as for Smallpox, may also be requested by the Immigration Doctor and compliance is essential. (c) Nationals who wish to work in Thailand should ensure that their employer submits form WP3 to the Ministry of Labor & Social Welfare.

Working days required: 2 days if submitted in person, approximately 1 week plus mailing time if applying by post.

Note: (a) The Royal Thai Embassy in London does not accept visa applications by post. (b) Visa application procedures vary depending on nationality.

Back to Top

Cars4Rental - Worldwide Car Hire

Cars 4 Rental Information on Thailand

Car Hire Thailand