Thailand Travel Changes

The weather is so important if you are coming these days to Thailand, starting from now maybe till the end of May. You have to know what to expect once you arrive in Thailand and get out from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

We are heading into the season, and today is officially the first day of summer. If you are running away from the harsh winter in your country, from Europe especially, then the weather now is very hot in Thailand. It’s getting hotter and hotter starting from now till the end of May.

So, the weather is changing, the season is changing, and the most asked question these days is what is the best place or what are the best places to visit once you are in Thailand, as I said, between now and the end of May. Definitely, Phuket and Krabi are one of the best places you can visit. The weather is hot, the water is calm, but the prices are so-so.

Surely Koh Samui is also a good place to visit in this season, in these couple of months. It’s good, it’s cheaper than Phuket, and that’s why next month I’m visiting Koh Samui. Another place that you can visit in the south of Thailand, and I really recommend it, is Koh Lipe. It’s so beautiful. I was there recently. It’s a paradise. So, if you like to travel a little bit further south, Koh Lipe is a really beautiful paradise.

That was about the south. Now, if you are coming to Bangkok, as you saw, it’s super hot. At daytime, it’s a very bad idea to go out, but as you know, in Bangkok, there are lots of modern markets, and surely you can skip the heat and roam around till sunset. So, Bangkok is also a good idea if you are going to visit in this season.

For the people who are thinking to visit north of Thailand like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, definitely, this is not the good season because these days the weather gets hotter, especially from the fires that they do in this season, the smoke, the pollution. So, I think this is not the best time to visit north of Thailand. So, that was a quick idea about the places that you can visit or you should visit in this season. Except the north, everywhere is amazing, especially the islands. So, if you are coming soon, enjoy the weather, enjoy the prices because in Samui, even it’s hot, but the prices go up.

Thailand Visa Exemption Changes and Long-Term Property Visas

Let’s talk about the visa rules. The weather is normal as I said at the beginning. These changes, the season, the weather, all these things happen every year. But what is going to happen to the visa rules is a little bit strange.

As I mentioned in one of my previous vlogs that the visa exemption, which is still 60 days, is going back to 30 days. In that time, it was only talks, and now it’s almost confirmed, 99%, it’s a matter of time. And for everyone who is going to travel to Thailand, I think starting from the low season, things will change.

Is that going to make Thailand a better place for tourists? Is that going to encourage tourists to come more and more to Thailand? I don’t know. What I know is that you are going to have 30-day stamps once you arrive in Thailand. After that, if you want to stay more than that, you have to apply for an extension. It’s not a complicated procedure, by the way, but definitely you are paying more money.

Lots of people blame me when I update about these things. Guys, if it’s up to me, welcome to Thailand. You can stay as long as you want, but it’s not up to me. It’s up to the locals, and the locals are seeing lots of wrong things or lots of illegal actions from the people who are coming to thing for a long term. That’s why the rules are changing.

And this is one of the stories that’s related to this topic, where if you buy a property in Thailand starting from 3 million Thai Baht, you can apply for 1-year long-term visa. So, that was a good idea. People buying condos in Thailand starting from 3 million Thai Baht had the privilege to apply for long-term visa or as they say for “1-year long-term visa”.

But lately, as I read, the travel agencies in Phuket and the business owners are against this idea. So, they are telling that it’s not a good idea for foreigners to get a long-term visa for 3 million Thai Baht because there will be lots of people here, a locality as they say, because 3 million Thai Baht is not that much high. And they are advising the Thai government to reconsider this rule. So, as you see, what we conclude is that the tour operators, the hotel owners, and the locals are the people who are advising the government for the coming changes. And it’s all happening because of the people who are abusing the visa rules.

Suvarnabhumi Airport Fast Track and Taxi Services

The fast track service is not for free. For the people who are buying the fast track service in order to avoid the crowded situations once they arrive to Suvarnabhumi Airport, especially in the rush hour, they are paying between 40 to 60 USD to get that service.

But if you are a senior traveler, if you have a newborn baby, or if you are a long-term resident, then you can use the fast track for free. Now, I don’t know how much it’s effective for real, but these things are written on the fast track service boards.

So, do you think the taxi services are good in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, or once you arrive at the airport? No. Now, the taxi services in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, are ranked in third place. It’s not a good thing, guys, because they are ranked in third place concerning scams and bad service.

That’s why the Thai government now has good news for you about the taxi services. It will be on QR codes, so that once you are taking any kind of taxi in Thailand, starting from the airport or in Bangkok or anywhere in Thailand, then you can use the QR services, and then surely you know how much to pay or you won’t be scammed or have surprises once you arrive at your destination.

QR Code Payments Across Thailand

But what is a QR code and how can you use it once you are in Thailand? It’s very easy. Just bring your passport, your phone, and go to the nearest KASIKORNBANK Thai Bank.

Once you are there, tell them you want to use the QR code. So, you’re going to download the Thai Tech application on your phone. After that, you can deposit as much as you want, with no commission, and you can use the QR code once you are out.

Even the street food vendors use QR codes wherever you go these days in Thailand. That’s it. No need to carry cash wherever you go. Use QR code.

Thai Baht Strength and Tourist Spending

Since we are talking about banks and money, let’s check what the rates of the Thai Baht are these days. As you can see, today it is 30.40. Still the Thai Baht is strong, or let’s say the USD is weak against the Thai Baht, and lots of people are annoyed because of this. I think this year it will go like this until further notice.

Well, that doesn’t mean that people are not spending money in Thailand anymore or enjoying the promotions, the foods, and the shopping, as you can see. Or maybe they are changing their mind and not traveling to Thailand. That’s not true. Still the airport is super busy against all odds.

The season is changing, that’s normal. But also some of the rules are becoming a little bit tough, but still things are under control.