When somebody first comes to Thailand, they are normally here on holiday. When you’re on holiday, everything feels exciting. The weather is warm. The food is great. The people are friendly, and life seems very easy compared with where you came from. You’re not dealing with your own normal routine. You’re not dealing with work,…
1. It’s Not 2026 in Thailand It’s 2569 For more practical background, see our Thailand travel checklist. Thailand uses the Buddhist calendar, which is based on the death of the Buddha and runs about 543 years ahead of the Western calendar. So when you first see official documents or bank paperwork here, the dates look…
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….
Now, let’s be clear about something. The vast majority of older guys who come to Thailand are just normal people. Most have worked hard their whole lives, paid their taxes, raised kids, gone through the ups and downs that life throws at everyone. They’re not running away from anything. They’re just trying to enjoy their…
The Thai cabinet just voted for a major overhaul of the country’s visa-free entry rules. After months of speculation, Thailand’s cabinet has made an official decision on the visa exemption policy, ending the current travel rules which allowed nationals from 93 countries to enter Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days – with a vote…
Number 1: The Smells from the Drains Number one was the smells from the drains. I didn’t think about that, but yeah, there is you know, I tell you where it’s really bad. I haven’t been there for about a year now, but it used to be Pattaya. You’d walk along the beachfront and there…
Number 1: The Sidewalks (Pavements) Number one on my list and I am referring to my trusty clipboard here with it all typed out is the sidewalks. In the UK we call them pavements, but generally we’re talking about the area next to a road that’s designed for pedestrians to walk along safely so they…
Many of these will be common sense. Several of them you’ll have thought of yourself already, or you will have watched other videos and discovered things for yourself. And I’m sure many of them you haven’t thought about. Hopefully you’ll take these tips onboard when you go to Thailand for the first time, and they’ll…
I’ve been going to Thailand for years, and along the way, I’ve learned the hard way and by watching friends get caught out that there are scams everywhere, especially in the entertainment areas. This guide runs through the most common scams and, more importantly, how to avoid them. Some of these are obvious. Some are…