Are you wondering if it is safe to travel to Thailand right now? The answer is a resounding yes. People from all over the world go to see the fantastic country of Thailand. As it is in traveling anywhere else, you have to be alert and have enough sense to get in and out of different places safely and in one piece, so to speak.
All tourists are welcome here especially families on vacation. Occasional crimes happen, but the place is safer than most western countries in a general sense. As far as crimes go, most of the problems include scams, petty theft and intentional travel accidents.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THAILAND
Thailand is considered to be one of the favorite travel destinations of most tourists to Asia. There must be a clear reason for this. Well for one, the sights are absolutely amazing. There are all sorts of wonderful surroundings such as a thick, luscious green jungle and forest as well as clear blue waters that can give you a warm bathing experience. The food excites the taste buds and can stimulate all your senses. Tea is a favorite drink in Thailand, so no matter what your cup of tea is, you will surely find it in Thailand.
Once you are there for even a day, you will realize it is indeed safe to travel to Thailand. The country is an exotic place, yet it is safe and cheap. Thailand is equipped with all the modern amenities that you can ever need. If you are on a budget, surely there is one that could suit you.
There is practically something for all price brackets. A beachfront bungalow is perfect for the backpacker in you. On the other hand, there are also some of the chic, sophisticated and luxurious hotels this side of the world.
In spite of the heavy wave of tourists, Thailand is able to retain their ethnic Thai culture. They have a colorful history and the people are known for their charming smiles and their fun-seeking lifestyle. When you come to visit, you may end up feeling like you should extend your stay. You can always find a reason to visit for a longer time.
SAFETY TIPS:
So far we have covered the good parts but Thailand has its downside too. One is the traffic jams. Thailand is an economy that is still progressing and one of the growing pains is the big contrast between the poor and the rich. Unfortunately, some of the criminals in sketchy areas prey on vulnerable tourists. Having a bit of common sense goes a long way so definitely do not loiter around areas that are notorious for heavy crime. It is also a good idea to have a “dummy wallet” just in case a pick-pocket tries to steal your money. By the time, they realize it’s a dummy wallet, they will be far from you.
Should you prefer to go bar hopping, you can just drink and be merry. Be careful though, you never want to get drunk enough to end up in a fight with the staff or locals. Remember, even though Thai people are welcoming, they definitely will take offense to an obnoxious, drunk tourist.
Thais have a happy go lucky lifestyle and they celebrate a lot of holidays. Thai New Year is celebrated officially around April 13 to 15. You can join in the fun. Wear something dark as light colored and white clothes are transparent when wet. This celebration has turned into a water fight so if you don’t like to get wet, stay out of the roads. Everybody gets wet there. Riding bikes and motorcycles is also very common in Thailand. If you are planning to do so, wear the proper gear and helmet. So now when somebody asks you if it’s safe to travel to Thailand, you already know the answer is absolutely.
The automatic passport screening system at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport went into operation yesterday without a snag, much to the rejoice of passengers for the speed and convenience it provides
Travelers pass through Autochannel’s second stage, in which a fingerprint and photo are taken.
The Immigration Bureau, which spent 76 million baht on the system known as Autochannel for initial use by Thai passport holders, voiced satisfaction with how it was easing passenger traffic at the crowded airport, especially in light of the coming Songkran holidays.
“It works fine and we received a lot of compliments from passengers who told us we should have had this system in place long before,” Pol Col Viboon Kittiisaengsuwan, who supervises departure immigration at Suvarnabhumi, told the Bangkok Post yesterday.
Anirut Thanomkulbutra, president of Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), said passengers have yet to get fully acquainted with the new system but the number using it will pick up quickly.
That process will be quickened by the guidance of attendants stationed 24/7 at each of the 16 Autochannel units, split equally at the departure and arrival halls, over the next several weeks, said Pol Col Viboon.
The attendants are provided by Chan Wanich, the Thai company that supplied Autochannel to the bureau.
A staffer shows how to use the passport scanner in the first stage.
Autochannel completes its two-step task _ first reading the passport and then scanning a finger and taking a photo _ in an average of 15 seconds, half the time it takes to be processed manually by an officer.
Autochannel should allow the bureau to allocate its limited human resources to international passengers, who comprise about 80% of the 160,000 travelers passing through the airport each day.
Suvarnabhumi has been operating in excess of its designed capacity of 45 million passengers a year. Passenger throughput last year was 47.2 million, and the number is expected to soar to 51 million this year.
According to Pol Col Viboon, plans are afoot to expand Autochannel at Suvarnabhumi to cover foreign passport holders, particularly expats and frequent business visitors, in the next few years.
“It’s a step-by-step process,” he said, explaining that the bureau has yet to see the result of initial operations involving Thai passport holders.
“There are complex issues related to the validity of visas and whether people are on the blacklists of Interpol or other global organizations, which means the introduction of Autochannel for foreign nationals will take time.”
BANGKOK, (NNT) – According to a recent survey by famous Scottish travel website, Skyscanner, Thailand is one of most polite countries for travelers whereas France, Russia, UK, Germany and China tops the list of the World’s rudest countries.
Skyscanner asked 1,200 tourists from Europe, North America and Australia to vote for the “World’s rudest countries for travelers” via an online poll. Among the 34 options provided in the survey, France was voted the rudest country in the world by almost 20% of the respondents. Skyscanner explained that the French are known for their “abrupt and curt nature”, especially while facing tourists.
Other countries with a reputation for impoliteness towards travelers include Russia (16.6%), the United Kingdom (10.4%) and Germany (9.93%).
Among Asian countries, China received the highest vote for impoliteness at 4.3%, occupying the sixth place on the World’s rudest countries for travelers list. A Chinese etiquette expert, Lawrence Lo, pointed out language barriers and cultural differences as the two major factors behind the ranking.
Thailand, on the other hand, ranked number 31 on the list of the 34 rudest countries in the world, which puts Thailand in the top five of the world’s least rude countries for travelers, among Portugal, the Philippines, Caribbean countries and Brazil.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched a “Best Deal” campaign to attract short-break visitors from regional source markets to Chiang Mai and the northern Thai provinces.
At a press conference here today, Mr Sansern Ngaorungsi, TAT’s Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific), said:
“This project is being organised by the TAT in cooperation with the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association and over 180 local tourism partners; such as, hotels, golf courses, spas, department stores, and food shops. Visitors can book online through various websites (listed below) and gain access to special benefits and offers with discounts of up to 50%.”
One highlight of the campaign is a set of special three-day two-night tour packages discounted 15-20% off the normal price. These are being offered in three variations to suit different budgets: a) 5,000 Baht package (accommodation, Thai massage and ticket for playhouse complex), b) 9,000 Baht package (accommodation, food, spa and car rental) and c) 15,000 Baht package (accommodation, private dinner, spa, and 1 day program tour).
For independent travelers seeking to design their own tours, the website also introduces a range of new products and routes like nature guide, adventure guide, and shopping guide. It also includes a list of events and festivals, tourist map, currency exchange information and airline timetable.
Mr Sansern added, “TAT is expecting at least 50,000 visitors from Asia and the South Pacific region to take advantage of this campaign. It is designed to be easily bookable by the growing number of online-savvy young people, especially those seeking to get away for short weekend-breaks from cities in the Asia-Pacific region.”
One key objective of the project is to generate business for the Northern provinces in the “Green Season”, the monsoon period, when arrivals from the European and North American markets decline.
“This will help both the airlines get a better return on investment on their flights but also more importantly, bolster the incomes of the thousands of small- and medium-sized enterprises and grass root workers who are employed in the travel and tourism industry.”
He added, “It is also in line with the national development plans to reduce economic imbalances among different regions of Thailand.”
Chiang Mai is the economic, communications, cultural and tourism center of Northern Thailand. In recent years, it has undergone considerable economic development but still retains its historic heritage.
It is also becoming increasingly well-known as a center of traditional Thai meditation, health and wellness. The accommodation sector is vastly improved with new properties ranging from specialist boutique hotels to health and wellness retreats to deluxe resorts.
Between May-October, the monsoon rains make North Thailand lush and radiant green.
Today, Chiang Mai is served by ten airlines including Thai Airways International, Silk Air, Orient Thai, Air Bagan, Lao Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Korean Air, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air and Thai Air Asia.(TravelWeeklyAsiaNews)
Passengers of low-cost airlines operating in Thailand must receive compensation and be provided meals if flights are delayed more than two hours but not exceeding three hours, or provided refunds if passengers do not wish to wait.
Thailand’s permanent secretary for transport, Supoj Saplom, said the Transport Ministry had recently instructed all budget airlines flying Thailand domestic routes to inform passengers about their rights in the event of flight delays.
Mr. Supoj said Ministry regulations require low-cost airlines to provide meals, drinks, and communication services for passengers of flights delayed for more than two hours but not exceeding three hours, and to provide a replacement flight or one to the nearest destination at no additional cost for flights delayed up to five hours.
If the low-cost airline purchases a ticket for a passenger on an alternate carrier and the new ticket costs less than the original, the original carrier must refund the difference.
In addition, for flights delayed of five hours or more each passenger is entitled to compensation of Bt600 (about $US19.76), but he said delays caused by a political situation, weather conditions, or work stoppages are not included.
Further, if a low-cost airline wants to issue refunds in the form of vouchers or other goods, it can only do so if the affected passenger agrees and all Thailand- low-cost airlines must provide disabled passengers with wheelchairs free of charge.
Mr. Supoj also said the regulation follows complaints from passengers about frequent flight delays, unfair ticket prices and extra fees charged by low-cost airlines in Thailand.
According to Mr. Supoj the Civil Aviation Department has been instructed to strictly enforce the regulation tot ensure the rights of passengers are protected.
Mr. Supoj said over the past years some low-cost airlines have collected a lot in additional fees resulting in low-cost airline passengers often paying fares higher than those charged by the national carrier, Thai Airways International.
Mr. Supoj also said that since that Thai AirAsia and Nok Air had increased the size of the fleets the problem of delayed flights has improved, though the ministry wanted to see it improve even more.
The regulations require low-cost airlines in Thailand to provide consumer protection agencies with details of their minimum and maximum fares and display the details on their websites, said Mr Supoj added. (Thailand Travel Online)
In response to repeated complaints over immigration processing delays at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, arriving and departing passengers will soon be confronted with self-service, biometric-reading passport kiosks.
Wilaiwan Nadwilai, deputy director of the Suvarnabhumi Airport, said the airport has invested Bt76 million (about $US2.508 million) in 16 machines, which will cut Bangkok Immigration processing time from the much rumored but rarely achieved 45 seconds, to about 25 seconds per person.
Biometric passports have been issued to Thai nationals since 2005, with many countries globally using what is colloquially referred to as an e-passport or ePassport due to the added security measures they provide.
E-passports utilize contact-less smart card technology comprising a microprocessor and an antenna, typically embedded in the center pages of a passport, containing biometric information on the passport holder such as facial recognition, iris recognition, and fingerprint recognition information.
The chip also stores the passport owner’s name, sex, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and the passport expiry date.
Typically kiosks contain a camera and require an e-passport holder to insert their passport into a slot in the machine or against a “hot spot” with information captured from the camera compared with information in the chip to determine whether the passport holder is in fact the passport owner.
Ms. Wilaiwan expects the kiosks four on the arrival side and four on the departure side to be in operation before the end of the year and said airport staff will be in attendance to assist travelers who have not used the devices previously.
In addition, preparations are being made to call for tenders for the airports air-conditioning, with Ms. Wilaiwan saying she expects work to also commence before the end of the year. (Thailand travel online)
THAILAND – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has invited about 300 overseas travel agents andmedia to join in the fun and frolic of Songkran, the kingdom’s most joyous annual festival which celebrates the start of the Thai (lunar) New Year.
This year, the Thai people will mark Songkran between 13-15 April 2011, a fun-filled national holiday to highlight the role of water in Thai social, cultural, economic, and spiritual life. Marked during the peak of the summer heat wave, it includes the annual bathing of Buddha images carried out at temples and homes across the country.
The word “Songkran” means a passage or course and refers to the position of the sun within the solar system. As the sun enters each of the houses of the zodiac constellation, a Songkran cycle is completed.
This year, TAT has decided to broaden the festivities with the “Songkran Grand Invitation 2011” to underscore the importance of this traditional festival in Thai culture and tradition and reinforce the long-standing reputation of the Thais as a fun-loving, easy-going people who are more than happy to involve foreigners in their local festivities.
The invited media and travel agents will in turn generate significant amounts of business and positive publicity for Thailand.
TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said, “We selected Songkran for this Mega Fam Trip because there is no better time for visitors to see Thailand at its happiest. No matter what else is going on, everything gets set aside for these few days as everyone takes a five-day time-out to cool off and have fun. The festivities involve all Thais nationwide, including foreign residents. And we know from experience that visitors have a lot of fun too, especially young people.”
A total of 292 representatives of international travel agents and journalists have been invited to join this Mega Fam Trip, with the breakdown being ASEAN (103), Europe (51), America (45), and East Asia region (93).
On 11 April 2011, the group will be formally welcomed by TAT, followed by a presentation on the Thai tourism industry. Their visit will include stops at an ecotourism conference, the famed temple of Wat Pho, and a river cruise. They will also enjoy a cocktail party at Nagaraphirom Park (near Wat Pho). This will be a great chance for both parties to witness first-hand the splendours of Thailand.
At the same time, TAT is cooperating with public sector agencies and private sector partners to organise a number of activities for Thai and foreign visitors to celebrate Songkran in Bangkok and 12 major provinces most popular with foreign and domestic tourists.(Travel Week Asia)
