---
title: "A First Timer's Guide to Visiting Thailand (37 Tips to Know Before You Go)."
url: https://ohhshegoes.com/a-first-timers-guide-to-visiting-thailand-37-tips-to-know-before-you-go
description: "Thirty-seven practical things worth knowing before a first trip, grouped by the order you will need them."
published: 2026-09-06
updated: 2026-09-06
---

# A First Timer's Guide to Visiting Thailand (37 Tips to Know Before You Go).

Published 2026-09-06

Asia · Bangkok · Solo Travel Tips · Thailand

Published February 10, 2022 · Updated March 7, 2022

Thailand is a straightforward country to travel in alone, which is why so many people make it their first trip in Asia. Most of what trips up a first visitor is small and practical rather than serious: the shape of the day, the etiquette in temples, how the transport actually works.

What follows is thirty-seven of those small things, grouped by when you will need them.

## Before you leave

1. Check entry paperwork yourselfRequirements change, and they change on official government pages before they change anywhere else. Read the source rather than a summary of it.
2. Travel in the cool season if you canNovember to February is drier and noticeably more comfortable, particularly in Bangkok and the north.
3. The two coasts have opposite weatherThe Andaman and the Gulf do not share a rainy season. If one side is wet, the other is often not.
4. Pack lighter than you thinkLaundry is cheap, quick and everywhere. Three days of clothes is enough for three weeks.
5. Bring clothing that covers shoulders and kneesTemples require it, and a light long-sleeved layer is also the best defence against fierce air conditioning.
6. Take slip-on shoesYou will remove them several times a day, at temples and at the door of many homes and small shops.
7. Book only the first two nightsEverything after that is easier and cheaper to arrange once you are there and know how you want to move.
8. Photograph your documentsKeep a copy somewhere separate from the originals, and one offline on your phone.

## Money and everyday practicalities

1. Carry some cash alwaysCards work in cities and larger hotels. Markets, boats, buses and most street food do not take them.
2. Withdraw larger amounts less oftenForeign card withdrawals carry a fixed local fee per transaction, so several small withdrawals cost considerably more than one larger one.
3. Break large notes earlySmall stalls often cannot change the biggest notes, especially in the morning.
4. Get a local SIM at the airportData is inexpensive and the coverage is good. It makes maps, transport apps and translation trivial.
5. Download an offline mapUseful on islands and in the north where the signal thins out.
6. Tipping is not expectedRounding up is normal and appreciated; a percentage is not the custom.

## Getting around

1. Learn the Bangkok rail lines firstThe elevated and underground lines cover most of what a visitor needs and bypass the traffic entirely.
2. Use the river boatsThe public express boat along the Chao Phraya is cheap, frequent and by far the pleasantest way to reach the old city.
3. Agree the fare before getting inFor tuk-tuks, always. For taxis, ask for the meter, and if a driver refuses, wait for another.
4. Ride-hailing apps work wellThey remove the negotiation entirely, which is worth a lot at the end of a long day.
5. Overnight buses and trains save a hotel nightBook the train early in high season; the sleeper berths sell out well in advance.
6. Domestic flights are frequentBangkok to the south takes about ninety minutes and is often no more expensive than the overnight bus once you count the time.
7. Be cautious about renting a scooterCheck what your travel insurance actually covers, and whether it requires a licence you do not have.

## Temples and everyday etiquette

1. Dress code is enforced, not suggestedCovered shoulders and knees at every temple. Some sites lend wraps; most do not.
2. Remove shoes where others haveA pile of shoes at a doorway is the instruction.
3. Never point your feet at a Buddha imageSit with feet tucked behind you rather than crossed in front.
4. Do not touch anyone on the headIt is the most respected part of the body, and this includes children.
5. Keep your voice down in temple groundsThey are places of active worship rather than monuments.
6. Treat images of the monarchy with careRespect for the royal family is taken seriously and is a legal matter as well as a social one.

## Eating and drinking

1. Eat where there is a queueTurnover is the best indicator of a good stall, and busy carts cook to order.
2. Ask for less chilli if you want less chilliThe phrase is worth learning; the default heat level is genuine.
3. Drink bottled or filtered waterRefill stations are common and cut the plastic considerably.
4. Fruit from a cart is one of the best things you will eatCut to order, kept on ice, and sold on almost every corner.

## Travelling alone

1. Eat early rather than lateKitchens at small places wind down sooner than you expect, and eating alone at seven is easier than at ten.
2. Hostels are useful even if you book a private roomThe common areas are where day trips get arranged.
3. Tell someone your routeA message home with your next two stops costs nothing.
4. Keep a card with your accommodation written in ThaiDrivers may not read the Latin alphabet, and the written address settles it instantly.
5. Trust the ordinary caution you use at homeThailand is not a dangerous country for a woman travelling alone, and the same instincts that serve you in any city serve you here.
6. Leave gaps in the planThe best days on a first trip are almost always the unplanned ones, and a slow first day after a long flight is never wasted.

None of this is complicated, and none of it needs to be memorised. Read it once before you fly and the first few days will feel like the second week.