Thailand:

From the unreal sprawl of Bangkok, a teeming 21st century city dotted with golden temples, to the white sand beaches of the south washed by a jade-green sea, Thailand offers all the stunning scenery you'd expect of a tropical paradise combined with colourful South East Asian culture. Thailand has long been a favourite destination of travellers, and you could stay with hill tribes in their villages in the forests north of Chiang Mai, explore beautiful islands on the Gulf of Thailand or head into the jungles of Khao Sok. This diversity of landscape combined with the legendary friendliness of the people means that Thailand is a place you’ll want to keep coming back to.

What you need to know:

CLIMATE:
Thailand is situated between the tropics, and therefore experiences warm/hot weather all year round. The northern half of the country has a tropical monsoon climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry season lasts from November until April and the wet season stretches from May to October.

Additionally it's important to note that in the mountainous areas of the far north, temperatures can drop as low as 7 degrees Celsius at night between December and February, so warm clothing is required if you are travelling to hill tribe areas at this time. Conversely, the southern part of Thailand has an equatorial climate, is never cool and experiences rainfall (usually in short, heavy showers) throughout the year. The heaviest rainfall occurs on the eastern side from November until April and on the western side from May to October.

FOOD:
Rice (khao) is a staple component of Thai cuisine, as it is of most Asian cuisines. The highly prized, sweet-smelling jasmine rice is indigenous to Thailand. This naturally aromatic long-grained rice grows in abundance in the verdant patchwork of paddy fields that blanket Thailand's central plains. Steamed rice is accompanied by highly aromatic curries, stir-fries and other dishes, incorporating sometimes large quantities of chillies, lime juice and lemon grass. Curries, stir-frys and other sauces may be poured onto the rice creating a single dish called khao rad gang , a popular meal when time is limited. Sticky rice (khao neow) is a unique variety of rice that contains an unusual balance of the starches present in all rice, causing it to cook up to a pleasing sticky texture. It is the daily bread of Laos and substitutes ordinary rice in rural Northern and Northeastern Thai cuisine, where Lao cultural influence is strong.

Noodles, known throughout parts of Southeast Asia by the Chinese name kwaytiow, are popular as well but usually come as a single dish, like the stir-fried Pad Thai or noodle soups. There is uniquely Thai dish called nam prik, which refers to a chile sauce or paste. Each region has its own special versions. It is prepared by crushing together chillies with various ingredients such as garlic and shrimp paste using a mortar and pestle. It is then often served with vegetables such as cucumbers, cabbage and yard-long beans, either raw or blanched. The vegetables are dipped into the sauce and eaten with rice. Nam prik may also be simply eaten alone with rice or, in a bit of Thai and Western fusion, spread on toast.

Thai food is generally eaten with a fork and a spoon. Chopsticks are used rarely, primarily for the consumption of noodle soups. The fork, held in the left hand, is used to shovel food into the spoon. However, it is common practice for Thais and hill tribe peoples in the North and Northeast to eat sticky rice with their right hands by making it into balls that are dipped into side dishes and eaten. Thai-Muslims also frequently eat meals with only their right hands.

ETIQUETTE & CUSTOMS:

Patting someone (even a child) on the head is considered to be rude and insulting and open displays of affection (such as kissing and holding hands) are generally not acceptable even though you will see many men holding hands (this is a sign of friendship rather than sexuality). Anger, such as losing your temper and yelling will lead to a loss of respect and is highly unlikely to get you what you want!

It is very important that you remove your shoes if you are visiting someone's house and you should avoid pointing the soles of your feet at anyone at all times. This may seem unlikely to happen but you could inadvertently do this while lying down or sitting with your feet up.

The monarchy is held in very high esteem and you should remember to show absolute respect to the King of Thailand and never laugh or joke about him in any company.

LOCAL TRANSPORT:
Tuk-tuks are three-wheeled motorcycle taxis used in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. They are a great experience but travellers should be wary of tuk-tuk drivers offering free tours or extremely cheap rides, they will generally end up taking you to a gem shop or tailors! The fare should be worked out before you jump on board.

Express boats, river taxis and canal taxis are a very effective and cheap way (they often only cost a few cents per journey) of covering a longer distance in Bangkok either by going along or across the Chao Praya River. Most express boats will run you between city jetties which link up with the Skytrain to take you into the heart of the city. Small ferries will take you across the river and low fast Klong Boats will whisk you up the canals of Bangkok deep into the heart of the city.

The BTM or Skytrain is an elevated light rail system that traverses Bangkok’s most notorious traffic-jam black spots. The fare depends on how many sections you wish to ride - however this is usually less than US$1.

Outside of the cities public buses or the more popular songthaews (pick-up trucks) are the best way to get around. Usually songthaews have a roof and bench seats along each side. These are very effective for getting to out of the way places with some independence. Prices vary as to your destination, period of time and number of passengers and you should generally negotiate a price before boarding.

LANGUAGES:
Language: English is widely understood, particularly in Bangkok where it is almost the major commercial language. English and some European Languages are spoken in most hotels, shops and restaurants in major tourist destinations, and Thai-English road and street signs are found nationwide. Written Thai is largely incomprehensible to the casual visitor but a few spoken phrases can easily be learned:

Thais use the "polite particles" krup (when said by a male) and ka (when spoken by a female) at the end of their sentences.

Useful words and phrases:

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