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Thailand occupies an area of 518,000 square kilometres with a population of 60 million people.  13 million people visit Thailland each year.  10% of these people live in Bangkok. Over 95% of the population are Buddist, whilst the other 5% are Muslim, Christian, and Hindu. Their national language is Thai and English is widely spoken. Thailand offers something for every traveller with their inspiring temples, natural beauty, the mountains in the North to the Andaman Sea in the South.Thailand is such a diverse country offering a great variety of things to see and do that travellers keep coming back.

Money
Their unit of currency is the Thai Baht. Cash and travellers cheques can be exchanged freely with banks and money changers giving better rates than hotels. Major international credit cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops. ATM facilities are widely spread around Thailand. Tipping is not widely practiced. In restaurants you can give 10% tip if there is no service charge on your bill. Porters give THB20-30. Taxis are not tipped and you will pay extra for expressway tolls.

Airports
The main international airport in Thailand is Bangkok. The newly openedSuvarnabhumi Airport is 25klms south east of downtown Bangkok. It boasts 51 departure gates and 460 check in counters. The Novotel Suvarnabhumi Hotel is located within the airport complex and just a short distance from the airport terminal. Due to overwhelming demand at the Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Don Muang Airport is still operational and has mostly domestic flights flying in and out. The other international airports are Phuket, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Sukhothai and Hat yai.

Visas
Most nationals do not need a pre-arranged visa for Thailand, and in travellers are only staying up to 30days a visa will be issued on arrival. For a longer stay of up to 60 days, a tourist visa can be arranged before arrival in Thailand.

Health
There are no injections that are compulsory to enter Thailand unless arrving from a yellow fever infected area. For asia, it is advisable to have Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Tyhoid current and you may need malaria tablets if travelling to an infected area. Do not drink the tap water. Purified bottled water is available everywhere.

Local Time
Thailand time is 7 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Electricity
The electric currenct is usually 220 volts AC. The Korjo Europe adaptor is suitable for Thailand. If you do not have an adaptor check with your hotel as they can supply them.

Shopping
It is no secret that Thailand is a fantastic place to shop. You can buy clothes, homewares, handicrafts, paintings, furniture, handbags, shoes, jewellery - the list of bargains are endless. You can have clothes tailor made. Bargaining is widely practised, except in Department Stores and up-market shops where prices are usually fixed. Visitors are strongly advised not to accept the services of shopping touts who approach them in the streets. The shops to which you will be directed will pay the touts hefty commissions.

Spa & Wellbeing
Thailand is the perfect place for spirituality, rejuvenating soul and senses. Make time to have some treatments done at the spa/health centres at your hotel. Enjoy treatments using recipes passed down through the ages with ingredients naturally grown in Thailand. Take part in detox programs, yoga, qi gong, tai chi, solar bath or meditation. Lie down on the beach and have a massage or sit down in a massage shop and have a foot or hand massage.

Cuisine
Thai food has become one of the world's favourite cuisines. There are four very distinct regions in the country, each with its own culinary traditions. One distinctive aspect is the herbs and spices in Thai food. Low fat qualities and its essential freshness makes Thai food one of the healthiest. Throughout Thailand there are various cooking schools which are well worth a look.

Adventure
There are some great adventure activities all over Thailand. Experience river rafting, sea kayaking, snorkelling, jungle safaris n Chaing Mai, huket and Khao Lak, and rock climb the spectacular lime stone cliffs of Railay Beach in Krabi. Hilltribe treks at Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai combine hiking, elephant back rides, rafting and include overnight stays at Hilltribe Villages. Trek in Koh Chang including a track leading up to a beautiful 4 story waterfal.

Family Fun
Thailand is proving to be a popular destination for families. Many family friendly facilites and activities are offered within hotels and resorts.  There are plenty of fun things throughout Thailand to keep the whole family happy. Take a tour of the Grand Palace and the Floating Markets. Hire a long tail boat for a couple of hours and glide through the canals in Bangkok. Take a beach holiday at many of the beach resorts like Phuket, Hua Hin and Koh Samui. Kids can learn to cook, master Batik painting, swim all day and do many of the actiivities in the hotels kids club.

Culture
You can be culturally inspired with many unique experiences in Thailand.  Songkran, Thai's New Year's festivities, has a parade of the Phra Buddha on the grounds outside the Grand Palace. There are over 400 temples in Bangkok and the three you must see are the Grand Palace, Wat Arun and Wat Pho. Enjoy the colourful markets outside of Bangkok, and see the colourful fruit and vegetables, fresh flowers and spices sold boat to boat.

Nightlife
Depending on your interests, Thailand has alot to offer at night. Patpong in Bangkok is the most famous night markets in Thailand.  Sip a few beers at a pub on Khao San Road, dance at one of the many nightclubs on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok or watch your favourite sport on the big screen at one of the sports bars. Visit Phuket Fantasea for a cultural performance including elephants, traditional Thai dancing, magical illusions, and acrobats. Koh Samui Full Moon parties are held each month and you can dance from dusk to dawn on the beach.

Average Temperature – maximum degrees in Celsius

J F M A M J J A S O N D

BANGKOK 31 32 33 33 34 32 32 32 31 31 31 32

PHUKET 31 32 33 33 31 30 30 30 29 29 30 30

KOH SAMUI 30 32 34 34 33 32 32 32 32 31 29 29

CHIANG MAI 28 32 34 36 34 32 31 30 30 30 29 28

Average Rainfall – mm

J F M A M J J A S O N D

BANGKOK 10 28 30 71 189 151 158 187 319 230 57 9

PHUKET 35 30 38 163 348 212 263 262 419 305 207 52

KOH SAMUI 37 8 11 62 185 112 142 123 209 260 302 98

CHIANG MAI 7 6 15 44 153 135 167 227 251 132 43 14