Read about Thailand and you’ll soon hear it called the ‘Land Of Smiles’. It’s a cute name, but where did it come from? Thailand is known as the ‘Land Of Smiles’ thanks to a marketing campaign in the 1980s by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to promote the country as a tourist destination. The […]
If I had to ask you about Thailand, I bet it wouldn’t take long before the topic of “ladyboys” (or transexuals) came up. It’s the subject of countless stories and numerous jokes. To those who don’t know much of Thailand, it’s easy to stereotype this country of 60 million people into having an abundance of […]
Thailand is a country that straddles the West and East divide. It’s the entry point and hub for much of Asia and is simultaneous well-off (the ultramodern Suvarnabhumi Airport maybe) and desperately poor (the slums of Khlong Toey for instance). So taking everything into account: Is Thailand a third world country? The original definition of […]
Travel around Asia and you’ll be picking up your food with two long thin sticks. It’s the hardest thing at first, but you learn quickly. Otherwise, you ain’t eatin’! Then you make it to Thailand, confident in your ability to navigate any food combination they can throw at you… and you see a fork and […]
Are you planning a trip to Thailand? Some countries are just fabulous for needing a card and little else. Thailand is not, unfortunately. Should I use cash or card in Thailand? You should always carry plenty of cash in Thailand. Many places do not accept card payments. Those that do often have 300-500฿ minimums and […]
If you’ve spent time Thailand or know a little about the country, you’ll have seen they use a different date system. While they are cool with 12th of January or 23rd of February and so on… they (mostly) still like to use their system of years. What year is it in Thailand right now? The […]
Step out from your aeroplane into the Land Of Smiles and you’ll soon hear the word farang – ฝรั่ง (pronounced falang) or one of its variations. But what does farang mean in Thai? It’s a colloquial way of saying the word foreigner. Due to the cultural and language differences, Thai people will use farang to […]
Are you travelling to Thailand soon? It’s good to know what things cost so you can budget, especially something like alcohol. The cost of a tipple here varies a lot, so I’ve done my best to take over 5 years of (too much) drinking here and condense it down to this article. I’ve separated the […]
Coming to Thailand? It’s good to have an idea of prices before you get here. And the water quality is sketchy in this country, so you will be drinking bottled water. So how much is a bottle of water in Thailand? The prices are cheapest at grocery stores and 7/11’s. For a 500ml bottle of […]
The bright lights of red, green and orange of the 7/11s in Thailand seem to always shine. These handy shops are dotted all over the country, sometimes two or three right next to each other, and they always look like they’re open. But are they? What are the opening hours at 7/11 in Thailand? The […]