20 Things That Are Different in Thailand A First-Timer’s Guide

If you’re planning a trip to Thailand, you’ll notice plenty of differences from your home country. Here are 20 things that might surprise you from the climate to the culture, and everything in between.

1. The Climate in Thailand

The first thing you’ll notice the biggest difference, especially for people from Europe is the climate. It’s always very, very hot here in Thailand. There are two seasons high and low season so it is quite a bit cooler in high season, but it only goes down to about 28 degrees Celsius. And it’s always very, very humid the humidity runs at about 82%. So you’ll find it very, very uncomfortable if you’ve not been here before when you first arrive. But that’s not a negative thing don’t let it put you off. Thailand’s a great place to visit, and it just gets a bit sticky sometimes.

2. Street Food Culture

Number two is the street food culture. What you’ll find in Thailand other than the rainy season for a few months of the year when it virtually rains every day is that there are many food options, good cheap food options as well. You have stands everywhere you go in Thailand. It doesn’t have to be just Bangkok major cities, small towns, even villages there’s always places to sit down and grab a cheap meal for as little as 50 baht. You can work that out through Google in your own currency.

3. Cost of Living

Number three is the cost of living. You’ll find many things here are so much cheaper than they are in your own country. For instance, taxis are very, very cheap. Public transport in Bangkok itself is very, very cheap. As just mentioned, food is cheap. The only thing you’ll find fairly expensive is anything imported and a lot to do with entertainment where tourists hang out those can be quite pricey, especially chain restaurants and bars. But other than that, if you’re going strictly Thai, you’ll find it incredibly cheap.

4. 7-Elevens Are Everywhere

Number four is the incredible amount of 7-Elevens here in Thailand. In the UK, as far as is known, you’ll rarely see a 7-Eleven. But they’re open 24 hours here. They’re virtually on every street corner in every city, in every town, everywhere you go. A village here in Thailand has to be very, very small almost a hamlet to maybe not have a 7-Eleven. But they’re everywhere. There are something like 11,000 of them across the country you can look up the exact number yourself.

5. Tuk-Tuks and Motorcycle Taxis

Number five is the tuk-tuks and the motorcycle taxis. In Europe, because it’s cold and there are strict laws, you don’t normally find motorcycles acting as taxis it’s normally black cabs, Ubers, buses, trains, that sort of thing. But here in Thailand, most people know what a tuk-tuk is a two-stroke three-wheeler vehicle that’s open. Your other options especially in cities and towns, virtually on every other corner, you’ll find half a dozen to a dozen guys with luminous jackets on with a number on the back those are motorcycle taxis. You can jump on the back, and they’re very, very cheap. But they can be a little bit frightening if you get the wrong driver.

6. The National Anthem in Public

Number six is the national anthem being played in public. In the UK, it used to be played in cinemas years ago but not anymore. But here in Thailand, if you go to a park for a walk, at 6:00 on the dot, the national anthem is played through speakers in the park. Wherever you are, you’ll hear the national anthem, and you are expected to stand still out of respect until it’s over. It only lasts for about 2 minutes.

7. Toilets and Bum Guns

Number seven is toilets and bum guns. When Thailand was first visited by many Westerners years ago approximately 28 years back the public toilets were all squat toilets. They weren’t sit-down toilets, so you had to squat on them. And they were in all the malls. They didn’t supply toilet paper. If you wanted paper, there was a machine on the wall you could put in 5 baht and get a little pack of toilet paper.

The quality and standards of the toilets have really improved over the years. You’ve only got to go to somewhere like Terminal 21 or Central, and you go to a public toilet that you could almost eat your dinner off the floor they’re so clean. They have janitors who check them and wipe the floors and sinks. The public restrooms are of a very, very high standard.

The other thing is the bum guns. Without being too descriptive, imagine a small hose pipe next to the toilet to wash yourself with in the West people tend to just use paper. Every single toilet from a five-star hotel all the way down to the smallest cafe has what they call a bum gun.

8. The Bargaining Culture

Number eight is the bargaining culture. In the UK and many parts of the West, people just pay what’s on the ticket. If you go into a shop and it says £5, you either accept that you’re going to pay that or you won’t buy it. It’s as simple as that. Here, you are expected to bargain with the seller not so much in malls where they have designer shops and international shops, but more in the markets.

You should never ever try to bargain on food that’s a no-no here in Thailand. It’s cheap enough. Some visitors have been known to wait till the food is cooked and then offer 30 baht for a 50 baht dish absolutely terrible behavior. Don’t do that. You’ll be highly looked down on by not only the Thais but other foreigners as well.

But everything else if you go to a market like Chatuchak or the Patpong Market, and you’re buying clothes, jewelry, touristy things you can bargain. The one place you’ll visit when you’re in Bangkok is the MBK Center. It’s one of the oldest malls here, and it’s one of the most interesting. When you’re in there, you can bargain. A good rule is to start with half. So if they’re asking 1,000 baht, offer 500 and hope they’ll take 700 or something like that. There’s nothing to be ashamed of get into that bargaining culture when you come to Thailand.

9. Taking Off Your Shoes

Number nine it’s expected that you take your shoes off when you enter any building or anybody’s home here in Thailand. The feet are seen as the dirtiest part of the body by the Thais. You would never enter a temple or be a guest in somebody’s house wearing your shoes. The biggest clue: if you come to a building or residence, just look at the step if there are shoes there, you need to take your shoes off. Just make sure you’re not wearing socks that are full of holes bring some good socks to Thailand.

10. The Late Night Lifestyle

Number 10 is the late night lifestyle. In the UK, nightclubs used to close at 2:00 a.m. but it’s very, very big here in Thailand. They do have closing laws currently 2:00 but it’s just a nighttime culture, and you’ll find it’s very, very vibrant. If you’re a younger person, you’re going to find a lot of clubs and bars. Even if you’re not a bar person, you can go into a mall most malls stay open till about 10:00 at night. A lot of the markets stay open till midnight. It’s a very nighttime culture here.

11. Ice in Your Beer

Number 11 is ice in your beer. That’s a strange one for many first-time visitors. The Thais and a lot of foreigners do it now will pour the beer into the glass and put a couple of cubes of ice in it to keep the beer cool. Many don’t do it personally because it waters the beer down. But a lot of people especially the Thais constantly put ice in their beer. That’s quite a surprise if you’ve never seen it done before.

12. Spicy Food and Added Sugar/Salt

Number 12 is the spicy food aspect of Thailand and the putting of sugar and salt in every dish. If you’re coming here and you can’t eat spicy food, you need to tell them when you order a Thai meal: “Please don’t make it spicy, make it very mild.” Say it very simply so they understand you. Otherwise, they’ll make it to a Thai standard, and it will be very, very spicy.

The other thing is the Thais tend to put a lot of salt and sugar in all dishes that they cook. Pad Thai, for instance, has sugar and salt. So if you’re a diabetic, learn to tell them, “No sugar.” Learn the Thai word for sugar and salt. It’s unhealthy if you’re coming for a week or so, it’s not too bad. But if you’re coming for any length of time, having a lot of sugar and salt in your diet isn’t good.

13. Thai Smiles Are Everywhere

Number 13 Thai smiles are everywhere. It’s known as the Land of Smiles. Thais generally have a nice smile they’re very happy, outgoing, always smiling. Here’s a tip: if you walk down the street and you smile at 10 Thai people, all 10 of them will likely smile back at you. It’s very rare they won’t smile back. Very, very friendly they’ll always smile here in the Land of Smiles.

14. Electrical Wires

Number 14 you’ll find this very interesting and very strange: the electrical wiring here. This isn’t a criticism of Thailand it’s just an observation. Something that is very different here. It is getting better, especially in places like Pattaya Walking Street, but look up anywhere, especially in Bangkok. It’s just a mess coils and coils of wires hanging there. Often there are fires on these poles. It’s strange how they can actually find a broken connection because it’s like a massive amount of spaghetti hanging from the top of the post.

15. Lack of Pedestrian Rights

Number 15 is the lack of pedestrian rights. In the UK, the black and white lines for pedestrians zebra crossings mean if somebody steps onto one, cars must stop. It’s very strict pedestrians have right of way. That is not the case here. You might come from your own country and think, “Oh well, there’s a zebra crossing I can just walk across and all the cars will stop.” Most of the time, they won’t. You’ve got to be really, really careful.

When you cross roads here in Thailand, be very, very careful they can be dangerous. Don’t assume that cars will stop for you. They won’t. And if you’re in Bangkok on Sukhumvit Road a famous road right through the middle of Bangkok don’t attempt to cross it. Many people do. Not only is it dangerous, if you get caught, it’s a 200 baht fine. There are plenty of bridges that cross Sukhumvit Road you can cross over at a BTS station. There are lots of options but don’t cross on foot. You will see people do it, but it’s not advised.

16. The Sin Sod (Bride Price)

Number 16 is the sin sod, or the bride’s price. This surprises a lot of foreigners here in Thailand. If you marry a Thai woman, during the wedding ritual you’ll go up to the village or wherever she comes from, and it’s expected that you give the parents an amount of money and gold. Don’t ask how much it varies for different families.

What the trend tends to be with Thai families now is that they give a huge amount to the family, and after the wedding it’s given back it’s just a show of face. If you’re a foreigner, though, you’re not going to get that money back. So if you have a Thai girlfriend and you intend to marry, make sure you find out how much the sin sod is. That does shock quite a lot of foreigners that they can’t come up with the money.

17. Hospitals Are Like Hotels

Number 17 the hospitals here are like hotels. They’re very, very luxurious, very high standard. They’re all private hospitals most of them. There are government hospitals here, but they’re generally for Thai people on low incomes. A lot of wealthy Thai people and Thais who hold down good jobs also use private hospitals for their families.

They’re very, very luxurious a lot of them have several restaurants inside. There’s not really waiting time like you have with the NHS in the UK. Here, because it’s a paid service, it’s a very high standard. Normally a nurse will walk you from one section to the other. That’s a big surprise a great surprise but it can be very expensive if you haven’t got health insurance and something goes wrong.

18. Medicines Without Prescriptions

Number 18 on the same theme as hospitals is medicines without prescriptions. In the UK, any hardcore medicine needs a prescription from a doctor. But most things here in Thailand you can buy over the counter. Around 99% of everything you’d need, you can buy over the counter here.

Here’s a tip: if you need to buy some medicine and you ask for it, the first thing they’ll do is give you an imported foreign brand which might be 200 baht. What you should always do is say, “Could I see the Thai version?” Because they have a Thai version and a foreign version. The Thai version generally is the same all the ingredients are exactly the same except they’re made here in Thailand just as good, and about half the price. So good tip there ask for the Thai version.

Another tip on medicine: do bring some diarrhea tablets. When you come here, it’s such a massive change to the body the water, the air, the food. Generally speaking, many visitors get the runs for about 2 days. There’s nothing worse sitting in a hotel room unable to make it to the pharmacy. So get the medicine before you come or on arrival, carry it with you, and then if you get the runs, pop a couple of tablets and you’ll be good to go in a few hours.

19. Ghost Beliefs and Spirit Houses

Number 19 ghost beliefs and spirit houses. Many Thais believe in spirits and have small shrines or spirit houses outside homes, businesses, and even temples to keep the spirits happy. There’s a big belief here in spirits a lot of respect. You’ll see these little shrines everywhere on a post, in the corner of a field. Just be very, very respectful. Never touch them. Never put anything on top of them never put a can of drink on it. That’s just not something you do here in Thailand.

20. No Self-Service Petrol Stations

The last point number 20 is that there are no self-service petrol stations here. In the West certainly in the UK it’s all self-service. When you’re driving around Thailand if you hire a car or a scooter whatever garage you go into, you will have pump attendants. They’re very, very good they have a lot of staff. As soon as you pull in, they’ll offer to wash your windows. And if you put in more than 1,000 baht, you normally get a couple of big bottles of drinking water as well. That’s another observation the service is very, very good in most aspects of life here in Thailand.