Capital: Bangkok
Geographical position
State in Southeast Asia. In the north and west, Thailand borders with Burma (Myanmar), in the northeast – with Laos, in the southeast – with Cambodia, in the south – with Malaysia. In the southeast it is washed by the Gulf of Thailand, in the southwest by the Andaman Sea.
The area of the country is 513115 sq. km. Thailand lies on the Indochina peninsula, and only the southernmost part of the country is on the Malay Peninsula. Thailand has a fairly large number of mountain ranges, especially in the north and west of the country. The highest point in Thailand is Mount Doi Inthanon (2595 m) in the mountain range on the western border. A fairly extensive mountain system is also located on the Malay Peninsula, where Mount Khao Luang (1786 m) and Mount Doi Pia Fai (1270 m) are located.
The region to the north and east of this mountain system occupies the low plateau of Khorat. The plateau makes up about a third of the territory. Not far from it is the valley of the Mekong River. Between the central and western mountain ranges lies the valley of the main river of Thailand – Chao Phraya. The population of the country is about 58 million people (Thais – 75%, Chinese – 14%, Malays, Khmers, Vietnamese).
Climate
According to EHOTELAT, Thailand is located in the tropical climate zone, and the year is conditionally divided into three main periods: summer – from March to May, the rainy season (with a lot of sunny days) – from June to September and the cool season from October to February. The best months in Thailand are October-April.
Language
The official language is Thai. English, Chinese, Malay and Japanese are widely spoken in tourism and trade.
Religion The
state religion is Buddhism, practiced by 95% of Thais. The remaining 5% is distributed among Muslims, Christians and Hindus. Buddhism first came to the territory of Thailand in the III century BC. from the island of Ceylon. Nakhon Pathom is home to the second largest Buddha statue.
Time
ahead of Moscow by 4 hours in winter and 3 hours in summer.
Currency
The monetary unit is the Thai baht. One baht is subdivided into 100 satang. The import of foreign currency is not limited (declaration – in the amount of more than 10 thousand US dollars), national – no more than 2 thousand baht. Export of foreign currency is not limited, national – no more than 500 baht.
Currency exchange: In Thailand, only local currency is accepted for payment. The most favorable exchange rate is offered by banks, and in Bangkok it is more favorable than in other cities. Banks are open on weekdays from 8.30 to 15.30. There is a network of exchange offices with a sign “EXCHANGE”. They are open from 8.30 to 20.00. It is more profitable to exchange foreign currency for traveler’s checks, and not for cash baht. At the airport, the exchange rate is unfavorable. Here, if necessary, it is better to exchange the minimum amount. Thailand has police for tourists. If the tourist considers that he was unfairly offended, cheated, he can ask for help.
Customs regulations
It is allowed to import duty-free personal items into the country: 1 photo or video camera, 5 films or 3 video cassettes, 200 pieces of cigarettes or 250 g of tobacco, 1 liter of wine or alcohol. The import of drugs, pornographic literature and weapons is prohibited. It is forbidden to export antiques, ancient Buddha statues, ivory and any products made from the skin of protected animals from Thailand. The import of foreign currency is not limited. However, if the amount exceeds $10,000, a declaration is required. Local currency is allowed to take out no more than 50,000 baht. There are no restrictions on the export of foreign currency.
Connection
Payphones. Red machines are for local calls only, green machines are for long distance calls. International lines. You can call by autodial or from hotels to almost any country. The international code of Thailand is 66, Bangkok – 2, Russia’s code – 7. It is cheaper to call from a telephone exchange, but the minimum call duration is at least 3 minutes.
Transport
Tourist buses run from Bangkok to all cities in Thailand. If you want to travel around the country on your own, you can rent a car. It is best to use a taxi. They don’t have meters and you can bargain with the driver. The only problem is that taxi drivers here also prefer their native language – Thai. Therefore, ask the interpreter in advance to write on a piece of paper where you should be taken. If you decide to take a taxi, you should not get into a private car, the driver may not have a permit for the right to transport passengers. The official taxi has a yellow permission plate, as well as a board with the inscription “Taxi” or “Taxi-Meter”. Exotic transport of Thailand – auto rickshaw. It is convenient for short trips. Traveling by train is cheaper, but trains run irregularly and are often crowded.
Shopping, souvenirs
Shops are open from 8.00 to 20.00. In the markets of the country, you can buy food and manufactured goods at the lowest prices. It is customary to bargain here. Europeans bring Thai silk, cotton fabrics, jewelry made of gold, sapphires, rubies, diamonds, as well as crocodile skin products from Thailand. Jewelry made of semi-precious stones at low prices can be bought in the city of Chonthaburi. If purchases in stores are paid for with a credit card, then an extra charge of 3-5% of the cost of the goods is introduced. Thailand has a system of small department stores “Seven-Eleven”. They work around the clock on weekdays and holidays.
