Thailand is the perfect country for first-time solo travelers or those looking for adventure. Like any country, there are things you should know prior to visiting Thailand so you know what to expect and to ensure you don’t disrespect the culture.

 

1. Learn simple Thai phrases, if not more

If you’re staying in bigger cities like Bangkok or Chiang Mai, you can get by alright just by speaking English. However, don’t expect everyone to know English. Even if someone does speak English, they greatly appreciate you showing an effort to speak Thai, even if it’s a bad pronunciation of ‘thank you’. When I visited, I was surprised how many fellow travelers didn’t even know how to say hello. Those I spoke to always gave an appreciative smile when I said hello or thank you in Thai. This simple gesture goes a long way.

Also, it’s customary to do a small bow when greeting people or saying thank you, also known as the wai. There are three different levels of the wai, and the one you use depends on the age or social status of the person you’re greeting. The least formal wai is used to greet friends or people that are the same age as you. The next level is more respectful, greeting your parents, elders, or people of higher social standing. The third level is reserved for greeting monks and royalty. Here is a useful video that explains these levels in more detail and how to do them.

 

2. Dress appropriately

Despite it being incredibly hot in Thailand (especially during summer), both women and men dress relatively conservative, mainly to shield their skin from the intense sun. While many travellers may want to wear shorts and crop tops in the hot, humid weather, be aware that you will definitely stand out. It’s not necessarily disrespectful to wear those items in public, however it is an absolute must to cover up to your shoulders and down to your knees (sometimes to your ankles) when you visit a temple.

To keep yourself from overheating too much (unfortunately sometimes it’s unavoidable), wear linens or other light, absorbent materials. For women, wearing a long sundress is a great way to keep cool. For everyone, you can have a scarf or sarong on hand to cover up your shoulders and knees when visiting temples and take it off once you leave. Here’s an example of what I wore:

I never thought I’d be able to survive a week of wearing long pants in 90+ degree heat and humidity, but trust me, it’s possible. Just know that you will sweat. A lot.

3. Be aware of religious norms

This kind of ties in to my point above about being mindful of how you dress in temples. Another layer to this is that in some temples, women are not allowed to enter. Luckily I only came across two I couldn’t enter out of the 15+ I visited in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. While it’s frustrating to see, you have to respect the culture and rules. Also, monks cannot touch women and vice versa.

There are a few other things to keep in mind in regards to Buddha images. Don’t point your feet towards Buddha statues/images, but rather sit with your legs under you with your feet pointing away. Also, you shouldn’t have your head above a Buddha image, which is why all statues are placed high in temples. In fact, there’s a well-known place in Thailand’s old capital of Ayutthaya where there’s a Buddha head near the ground in a tree, and its disrespectful to take photos of it unless you crouch/kneel. There are a few other customs to be aware of, so make sure to do your research!

4. Best time to go: November through March

The late fall-winter months are known as Thailand’s dry season, and the temperature is relatively cool compared to the summer. In the summer, the weather is humid, HOT, and often very rainy which causes significant flooding in some areas.

I went in early September and, despite loving warm weather, I was struggling. As I mentioned before, be prepared to sweat through clothes if you’re outside all day and/or carrying a backpack, and be sure to shower every morning/night. Bangkok’s heat was a challenge, but it was a little cooler up in Chiang Mai.

I didn’t encounter a ton of rain—I only experienced mild drizzles which helped the air cool down. However, my last night in Bangkok there was a huge thunderstorm that flooded the road to the airport, so I had to opt for the train instead of a taxi. So, if you go in the summer you might have amazing weather or you might have floods, but just assume it’ll be very rainy.

 

5. Use cash – everywhere

You will maybe find a few places that take card, but when in doubt, use cash.

This is the common recommendation no matter which country you visit, but I’d highly suggest bringing cash in your currency and exchanging that in Thailand once you get there. Many say not to do it directly in the airport because the exchange rate won’t be as good, but it’s useful if you arrive late at night and just want to get a few hundred Thai baht to get you through to the next day to pay for taxis and food.

Outside of pre-booked excursions and accommodations, the only things I used my credit card on were a couple pairs of earrings in ICONSIAM and a wildly expensive drink on my birthday ($35, and that was the cheapest one!!)

 

6. Everything is incredibly inexpensive

This may sound crazy after I mentioned my $35 drink, but compared to the US dollar or other strong currencies, everything in Thailand is extremely inexpensive. This includes food, hotels, transport, clothes, souvenirs, and even medical visits.

Again, be sure to have cash, but you won’t need nearly as much money as you’d need to visit a country like Italy or Singapore.

For example, you can buy a traditional Pad Thai for around 60 baht ($ ~$1.75 USD). I often used a rideshare service similar to Uber called Grab to get around, and on average I paid around 200 baht (~$5.75 USD) in cash for a 15-25 minute trip, which would usually be $15+ in the US.

Also, I rented a lovely Airbnb unit in Chiang Mai for $21.40 a night, which came out to only $107 for five days! If you have room in your luggage, feel free to stock up on souvenirs and be free of money guilt.

 

7. Don’t wear shoes inside

This is common in most Asian countries, but it’s something to be mindful of if you’re not used to it. Take your shoes off before entering a home and leave them outside or place them in the designated area. This also applies to entering temples. I honestly wish this was customary in the US. Shoes are so dirty!

 

8. Don’t flush toilet paper

Out of all things, this was the weirdest thing to adjust to coming from the US. If toilet paper is provided, you have to place it in the bin next to the toilet after you use it because the plumbing systems there can’t handle it.

Unless you’re in a mall or hotel, many public bathrooms don’t even provide toilet paper. However, there is always a hose provided to clean off. I was always too scared to use that though, so I bought a bag of toilet tissue from 7/11 and carried it everywhere. It was very nice to have on hand!

 

9. Thailand is not just a party place

Honestly, before visiting Thailand I didn’t realize it was considered a place to party. You can find very tourist-oriented party areas in the southern towns/beaches and some parts in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, but there’s so so much more to this country. It’s full of so much ancient history, deep culture, incredible architecture, lush and diverse landscapes, kind people, and mouth-watering food. Feel free to check out some well known party areas if that’s your thing, but you’re really missing out on what Thailand truly is if that’s all you see.

 

10. Get a SIM card for your phone

Getting a SIM card with unlimited data access is incredibly cheap and is essential to stay in touch with your friends and family wherever you are. Even if you buy one in the airport, it’s still less than $50 for just 15 days to a month. Many places had Wi-Fi, but I liked the extra safety of having connection wherever I was, especially being a solo female. I also found the data signal to be incredibly reliable wherever I was, with the exception of low signal in the middle of the country on a train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and other remote places from time to time.

Thailand is an amazing place to visit, and hopefully these tips help you prep for an upcoming trip there!