Asia / Destination guide
Thailand
Plan your journey city by city. Explore destination facts, arrival planning, and practical travel guides.
10 of 46 guides checked against official sources · others are editorial previews- Capital
- Bangkok
- Currency
- THB
- Languages in source
- Thai
- Geographic region
- South-Eastern Asia
Source-imported reference data; not an entry or visa guide. Source & verification notes ↗
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Bangkok / Nightlife
Thailand Alcohol Sale Hours in 2026: 11am to Midnight, and the Dry Days
Since 29 May 2026 Thai shops may sell alcohol from 11:00 to midnight. What changed, the five Buddhist no-sale days, election bans, the drinking rule and fines.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Late-night travel
Landing in Bangkok after midnight: what is still running
The trains stop but the taxi queue does not. What to do when your Bangkok flight lands after midnight, including waiting it out at the airport.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Weather & what to wear
Bangkok's canals, sinking ground and flood walls: what visitors see
How Bangkok keeps the river and rain out: 88 km of flood walls, drainage tunnels, a groundwater ban, conflicting subsidence figures and what the 2011 flood showed.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Money & payments
Paying for things in Bangkok: cash, cards and ATM fees
How much cash to carry in Bangkok, where cards actually work, what ATM withdrawals cost you, and the service charge rule worth knowing.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Shopping
Chatuchak Weekend Market: Hours, Days and Getting There
Chatuchak Weekend Market opens Saturday and Sunday 9:00–18:00 with free entry. Use MRT Kamphaeng Phet Exit 2 or BTS Mo Chit Exit 1; plants sell on Wed–Thu.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / Tax refunds
Bangkok VAT Refund for Tourists: Airport Steps and Limits
Spend 2,000 baht or more per shop per day, get a P.P.10, show goods to Customs before check-in if they total 20,000 baht, then claim after immigration.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / Layovers
Changing airports in Bangkok: Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang
Bangkok's two airports are far apart. How the free shuttle works, who can use it, and how much time to leave between separate tickets.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Day trips
A day trip from Bangkok to the old capital at Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya's historical park opens at eight and the ruins are spread out. How to plan the day, get there and avoid the worst of the heat.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Airports
Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok: Red Line, A1–A4 Bus or Taxi
From Don Mueang, the A1–A4 buses cost 30–50 baht, the SRT Red Line to Krung Thep Aphiwat is 33 baht, and a metered taxi adds a 50 baht airport surcharge plus tolls.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / SIM & internet
Getting online in Bangkok: eSIM, airport SIM or pocket wifi
Which connection to choose for Thailand, what passport registration means in practice, and where to pick up a SIM after you land in Bangkok.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Practical information
Grand Palace Bangkok Tickets: Price, Hours and Closures
Grand Palace tickets cost 500 baht for foreign visitors, Wat Phra Kaew included; Thai nationals enter free with ID. Tickets are sold 8:30–15:30 daily, except ceremony days.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / Practical information
Jim Thompson House Tickets: Price, Guided Tours and Hours
Jim Thompson House tickets cost 250 baht for adults and 150 baht for ages 10–21; under-10s are free. Entry to the main house is by guided tour only, daily 10:00–17:00.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / Luggage
Where to leave your bags in Bangkok before check-in
Your Bangkok hotel room is not ready until afternoon. Where to store luggage, what the airport charges, and what to keep with you.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Weather & what to wear
Visiting Bangkok in the rainy season: what actually changes
Thailand's rainy season runs from mid-May to mid-October. What that means for a Bangkok itinerary, and where to check the official forecast.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Transportation
Chao Phraya Express Boat in Bangkok: Flags and Fares
Chao Phraya Express Boat fares are flat by flag: orange 19 baht, yellow 24, red 33, green-yellow 17–36. How to pick a flag, which pier is shut and the weekend catch.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / Practical information
Thai surnames, nicknames and Khun: what the name law actually says
The 1913 surname law was repealed in 1962. What Thailand's Personal Name Act requires of surnames, why nicknames have no legal status, and how to use Khun.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Airports
Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok: Train, Taxi, Bus or Car
From Suvarnabhumi, the Airport Rail Link runs 05:30–24:00 for a published 15–45 baht; taxis cost the meter plus a 50 baht surcharge and tolls, 24 hours.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / Transportation
Taxis, ride-hailing apps and tuk-tuks in Bangkok
How Bangkok's metered taxi fares are set, which ride-hailing apps are approved, what a tuk-tuk really costs you, and where to complain.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Practical information
Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun Dress Code: What the Rules Say
The official dress codes, fees and hours for Bangkok's Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, plus the rules on shoes, monks and photography, from the sites' own texts.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / After checkout
Bangkok's last day: check-out at noon, flight at midnight
How to spend the hours between a Bangkok hotel check-out and a late departure without dragging luggage around in the afternoon heat.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Transportation
Bangkok BTS and MRT: Paying by Card, Cash, QR or Rabbit
On Bangkok's MRT Blue and Purple lines you can tap a Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay credit card; the BTS Skytrain takes cash, QR or a 120-baht Rabbit card.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / Safety
Can You Bring a Vape to Thailand? The Ban, the Penalties, and What Else
Thailand bans importing e-cigarettes, and even carrying them in transit. The laws, the penalties, 2026 enforcement, cannabis rules and duty-free tobacco limits.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Practical information
Wat Pho Tickets: Price, Hours, Dress Rules and Massage
Wat Pho costs 300 baht for foreign visitors; children under 120 cm are free. Open daily 8:00–19:30, with Thai massage on site from 340 baht for 30 minutes.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / Practical information
Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) for Bangkok Arrivals
Every non-Thai national needs a free TDAC, filed at tdac.immigration.go.th within 3 days before arrival. Plus the visa-exemption change of 15 September 2026.
Official sources checked 2026-10-12Bangkok / Shopping
Who owns Bangkok's 7-Eleven, Lotus's and Tops Daily convenience stores
Bangkok's 7-Eleven and Lotus's Go Fresh sit in the same CP group, FamilyMart became Tops Daily in 2023, and Big C Mini is BJC's. Store counts from annual reports.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / Food
Why Bangkok street food is leaving the pavements, and where it went
Bangkok limits pavement stalls under a 1992 cleanliness law and 2024 rules. What changed, how Yaowarat kept its night stalls, and the new Lumphini hawker centre.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingBangkok / First-time visitor
Your first 24 hours in Bangkok, in a sensible order
What to sort out first in Bangkok: getting online, getting cash, learning the transport, and one temple visit that has a dress code.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / Airports
Chiang Mai airport to the Old City: taxi, bus or Grab
The airport sits close to Chiang Mai's Old City. Compare the airport taxi counter, the 30 baht city bus and the app pickup point at Gate 14.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / Day trips
How to check an elephant camp near Chiang Mai before booking
Sanctuary marketing is unregulated language. The questions to ask an elephant venue in northern Thailand, and what an honest answer sounds like.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / Transportation
Thailand Traffic Fines: Police Tickets in Chiang Mai
Thai traffic fines since the 2022 law change, the drink-drive limits, what happens at a Chiang Mai checkpoint, and how to pay a ticket properly in a rental car.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / First-time visitor
First time in Chiang Mai: how the city is actually laid out
The Old City, Nimmanhaemin and the river explained, plus what to sort out on day one and which season you have arrived in.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / Practical information
Chiang Mai's old city walls, moat and Lanna sites: what still stands
Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 and is on UNESCO's Tentative List, not the World Heritage List. The gates, corner bastions, moat and Lanna sites you can still see.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / Transportation
Leaving Chiang Mai: the roads to Pai, Chiang Rai and beyond
Minivans, buses and the overnight train out of Chiang Mai, plus what the mountain road to Pai does to people who get travel sick.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / Money & payments
Money in Chiang Mai: why you need more cash than in Bangkok
Markets, songthaews and small kitchens run on cash in Chiang Mai. How much to carry, what ATMs cost, and where cards are fine.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / Transportation
Getting around Chiang Mai: red trucks, apps and scooters
How the shared red songthaew works, when a ride-hailing app is better, and what the law actually requires before you rent a scooter.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / Shopping
How Chiang Mai's Sunday Walking Street and Wualai Saturday Market Work
Chiang Mai's Sunday market runs on Ratchadamnoen Road, not Tha Phae Road, and Wualai hosts Saturdays. Route, hours, who runs them, getting there, what is unpublished.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingChiang Mai / Weather & what to wear
Chiang Mai's smoke season: what to check before you book
Northern Thailand's air quality drops sharply in the dry months. How to read Thailand's PM2.5 colour bands and plan around a smoky week.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingPhuket / Airports
Phuket airport to Patong, Kata and Karon: your options
The airport is at the north end of Phuket and the busy beaches are not. Compare the Smart Bus, the limousine counters and a private car.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingPhuket / Late-night travel
Landing in Phuket at night: sorting the transfer in advance
The Smart Bus has finished for the day and the beaches are an hour away. How to handle a late arrival at Phuket airport without overpaying.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingPhuket / Accommodation
Which part of Phuket should you actually stay in?
Patong, Kata, Karon, the quieter north and Phuket Old Town compared by noise, transport and what your days will look like.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingPhuket / First-time visitor
Your first day in Phuket, and the things nobody tells you
Phuket is a big island with expensive short journeys and a serious sea. What to sort out on day one before you settle into the holiday.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingPhuket / Transportation
Getting around Phuket without renting a scooter
The Smart Bus, songthaews, apps and hired drivers. How to move around Phuket when you have decided not to ride, and what riding requires.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingPhuket / Day trips
Phi Phi and the islands: ferry or speedboat from Phuket?
Speedboats are faster and rougher, ferries slower and steadier. How to pick an island day trip from Phuket, plus the park fees and closures.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingPhuket / Safety
Red flags on Phuket beaches: monsoon season and the sea
What Phuket's beach warning flags mean, when the Andaman coast gets rough, and where to read the official marine forecast before you swim.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingPhuket / Transportation
Renting a Car in Phuket: IDP, Insurance and Excess
Which licence you need to drive a rental car in Phuket, what Thai compulsory insurance does and does not cover, and how to size the excess waiver and deposit.
Editorial preview · factual review pendingPhuket / Practical information
Why Phuket Old Town Has Sino-Portuguese Shophouses: Tin, Penang, Baba
Phuket Old Town's shophouses grew from tin-mining wealth and Penang links. What officials say about the name, the streets, the Baba-Peranakan story and Lard Yai.
Editorial preview · factual review pending