The most useful Thailand travel tips are the boring administrative ones: submit the digital arrival card before you fly, check what your passport actually gets you at immigration, and sort out mobile data before you land.
Thailand is a straightforward country to travel in. The transport works, the food is safe, and people are patient with confused visitors. What catches first timers out is the paperwork that changed recently, the etiquette nobody warned them about, and a small set of scams that have been running for decades because they still work.
Here is what actually matters, checked against official sources in July 2026. Entry rules are moving right now, so treat the government portals as the final word.
Do you need a visa for Thailand, and what is the TDAC?
Two separate things. The visa decides whether you are allowed in and for how long. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC, is a mandatory online arrival form everyone submits regardless of visa status. Since 1 May 2025, all non-Thai nationals arriving by air, land or sea must complete the TDAC online before arrival. It opens three days before your arrival date and covers children and infants too. Use the official portal at tdac.immigration.go.th, not a third party site. Transit passengers who never clear immigration are the exception. Turn up without it and you are sent to an airport kiosk, which is exactly the queue you do not want after a long flight.
On visas, the position is unusually fluid. Thailand's 60 day visa exemption, in place since July 2024, is being replaced by a tiered system in which most eligible nationalities drop to 30 days, two drop to 15, and three move to visa on arrival. The cabinet approved the revised framework on 16 July 2026, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand has confirmed it takes effect only 15 days after publication in the Royal Gazette, and that current conditions hold until then. So as of late July 2026 the 60 day exemption is still live.
If your passport is not on the exemption list, Thailand's e-Visa has been available worldwide since 1 January 2025, so you apply online rather than posting a passport to an embassy. Check the official e-Visa portal before you book. Passports need six months of validity on arrival and one blank page.
How do you get online in Thailand?
Buy data before you leave the airport, or before you leave home. AIS, TrueMove H and dtac sell tourist SIMs at the arrivals halls in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai, and all three sell eSIMs you can install in advance.
- eSIM is the low friction option if your phone supports it. You land connected, which matters when a driver is calling and you cannot find the pickup bay.
- Airport SIM counters are legitimate. Bring your passport, because SIM registration is required by law.
- Keep your home number reachable for bank one time passwords. An eSIM plus your usual SIM is the cleanest setup.
How do you get around Thailand?
In Bangkok, the BTS Skytrain and MRT metro beat everything else at rush hour, because the traffic is as bad as its reputation. Buy a stored value card rather than queuing for single tickets. They are separate networks, so interchanging means tapping out and back in.
For everything else, use ride hailing. Grab is the default across Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai and removes the negotiation entirely, since the fare is set in the app. Bolt also operates, though it has been under pressure from the Department of Land Transport through 2026 over driver verification and safety compliance, so keep Grab as a fallback. Metered taxis are fine when the driver uses the meter. If one refuses and quotes a flat rate, close the door and take the next one.
Between cities, domestic flights make sense beyond a few hundred kilometres. The overnight sleeper trains, especially Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Bangkok to Surat Thani for the southern islands, are comfortable in second class air conditioned berths and save you a night's accommodation.
Then the scooter question. Renting one is easy, riding one is not, and Thailand's road casualty record is among the worst in the world. You need your home licence with a motorcycle entitlement plus an International Driving Permit. Some governments, including the UK, now specify the 1968 Vienna Convention permit for Thailand, so check what your own authority issues. Riding unlicensed voids most travel insurance, which turns a minor accident into a serious problem. Helmets are legally required, and never leave your passport as a rental deposit.
How do people actually pay for things in Thailand?
Thailand runs on QR codes. PromptPay, the national instant payment system, is how locals pay for everything from a bowl of noodles to a taxi, and acceptance is close to universal even at street stalls. Visitors generally cannot register for it without a Thai bank account, though some overseas banking apps now scan Thai QR codes, so check yours.
So carry cash for markets, street food, temples, songthaews and small islands, and use cards at hotels, malls and supermarkets, where contactless is standard. ATMs are everywhere, but foreign card withdrawals carry a local surcharge on top of your own bank's, so fewer and larger withdrawals win. When a card machine offers to charge you in your home currency instead of Thai baht, always choose baht: the alternative uses a worse conversion rate.
What to wear and how to behave at temples
Temple dress code is enforced, not suggested. Shoulders and knees covered, men included, and sheer fabric does not count. The Grand Palace in Bangkok will turn you away at the entrance. A light scarf or long trousers in your day bag solves it.
- Take your shoes off before entering temple buildings, and often shops and homes. Slip on shoes are worth packing.
- Never point your feet at a Buddha image or a person. Feet are the lowest part of the body in Thai culture and the head the highest, so do not touch anyone's head either.
- Do not climb on Buddha statues for photographs. People are arrested for this.
- Women should not touch monks or hand anything directly to one. Put the item down for him to pick up.
- The wai, palms together at chest height with a slight bow, is a greeting and a thank you. Return one you receive. Nobody expects a foreigner to get the gradations right.
The same restraint applies generally. Raising your voice or making someone lose face will not get you what you want, while staying calm usually will. It is part of why Thailand reads as a safe country to travel in.
The monarchy, and the laws that catch visitors out
Criticising the Thai monarchy is a criminal offence under lèse majesté law. It is interpreted broadly, applies to past and present royals and to social media posts made anywhere in the world, and carries a long prison sentence. Foreign nationals have been prosecuted. Do not be clever about it. Treat images of the King with respect, banknotes included, and stand when the royal anthem plays in cinemas.
Three other laws surprise people. Vapes, e-cigarettes and pods are entirely illegal, with no tourist exemption, and possession can mean confiscation, fines and detention. Cannabis was rolled back to medical use only during 2025 and now needs a Thai prescription, so the shopfronts you may have read about no longer operate as they did. Drug offences carry severe penalties. A foreign passport helps you with none of this.
Which Thailand scams are still running?
Thailand's scams are remarkably stable. The same handful persist because they work on people who have just arrived and are trying to be polite.
| The scam | How it opens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Gem scam | A friendly stranger near a major temple mentions a one day government jewellery promotion | Walk away. Thailand has no government gem sales |
| Temple closed today | A tuk tuk driver outside the Grand Palace says it is shut for a ceremony and offers a tour instead | It is not shut. Check at the official entrance yourself |
| Jet ski damage | Existing scratches are blamed on you when you return the craft | Film the whole machine before you leave the beach, and never hand over your passport |
| Meter refusal | A taxi driver quotes a flat fare instead of running the meter | Take a different taxi, or use Grab |
| Scooter damage claim | The rental shop holds your passport, then finds damage | Photograph the bike from every angle and use shops that take a deposit instead |
| Drink spiking | Free spirits at bars and parties | Watch your drink being poured. Foreign ministries also warn about methanol in adulterated spirits |
The common thread is that every one starts with someone approaching you. Nobody genuinely helpful opens by asking where you are from and then steering you into a shop.
When is the best time to visit Thailand?
Thailand has three seasons, and they behave differently on the two coasts. The Andaman side, Phuket and Krabi and Phi Phi, and the Gulf side, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, have offset rainy seasons, so when one is wet the other is often fine. For island planning that matters more than the calendar does.
| Season | Roughly | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cool and dry | November to February | The comfortable months and the busiest. Book accommodation and internal flights early |
| Hot | March to May | Genuinely hot and humid inland. Songkran, the Thai new year water festival, falls on 13 to 15 April |
| Rainy | June to October | Heavy afternoon downpours rather than all day rain. Green, quiet, some island boats cancelled |
Northern Thailand adds a fourth factor: agricultural burning haze, usually worst from around February to April, which hits air quality in Chiang Mai. If you are asthmatic, plan the north outside that window. Our guide to the best islands in Thailand is the place to start shaping a coastal route.
Can you drink the tap water, and other health basics
No, do not drink tap water in Thailand. Bottled and filtered water is available everywhere and most hotels provide it. Ice is more reassuring: the cylindrical kind with a hole through the middle, used by restaurants and stalls, comes from regulated factories and is generally safe. Street food is safe where it is busy and cooked in front of you, which is most places, and is a large part of why Thai food is worth planning a trip around.
- Take insurance that covers hospital treatment and read the motorcycle clause specifically.
- Pharmacies are excellent and staffed by qualified pharmacists with workable English. Most minor problems end there.
- Dengue is present year round and peaks in the rainy season, so use repellent containing DEET.
- Heat is the real risk for most visitors. Temples and markets in April are unforgiving, so go early or late.
The Thailand travel tips worth remembering
Stripped down to what you would tell a friend the night before their flight: submit the TDAC in the three day window, verify your visa position on the official portal because the rules are mid change, have data on arrival, use Grab instead of arguing about meters, cover shoulders and knees at temples, say nothing about the monarchy, leave the vape at home, never hand your passport to a rental shop, and treat every street approach as a sales pitch. With the admin handled, our guides to places to visit in Bangkok and what to do in Thailand cover the routes most first timers take.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card compulsory for everyone?
Yes. Since 1 May 2025 every non-Thai national entering Thailand by air, land or sea must submit the TDAC online before arrival, including children and infants. The main exception is transit passengers who do not pass through immigration. Submit it on the official government portal, which opens three days before your arrival date.
How long can you stay in Thailand without a visa in 2026?
As of late July 2026 the 60 day visa exemption introduced in July 2024 is still in force. The Thai cabinet approved a revised framework on 16 July 2026 moving most eligible nationalities to 30 days, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand has confirmed it takes effect only 15 days after publication in the Royal Gazette. Check the official portal before travelling.
Do you need an International Driving Permit to rent a scooter in Thailand?
Yes, alongside your home driving licence with a motorcycle entitlement. Riding without the correct licence invalidates most travel insurance, which is the expensive part rather than the police check. Some governments now specify the 1968 Vienna Convention permit for Thailand, so confirm which type your own licensing authority issues.
Can you use cards everywhere in Thailand?
Cards work in hotels, malls, supermarkets and chain restaurants, but street food stalls, markets, small islands and local transport are cash or QR only. Thailand runs heavily on PromptPay QR payments, which visitors generally cannot register for without a Thai bank account. Carry cash for everyday things and use cards for the larger ones.
Is it safe to eat street food and drink the ice in Thailand?
Street food in Thailand is safe when it is busy and cooked in front of you, which describes most of it. Do not drink tap water, but commercially produced ice, the tube shaped kind used by restaurants and stalls, comes from regulated factories and is fine. Bottled water is sold everywhere.
What should you never do in Thailand?
Never criticise the Thai monarchy, in person or online, because lèse majesté law is broadly interpreted and carries a long prison sentence. Do not bring vapes or e-cigarettes, which are illegal with no tourist exemption. Do not touch anyone's head, point your feet at people or Buddha images, or climb on Buddha statues for photos.
'/%3E%3C/svg%3E)