Thailand
For the nu nomad, few places are as hospitable
and workable as the Kingdom of Thailand or offer such a variety of subcultures and scenery. Bangkok, its cosmopolitan hub, is easily one of Asia’s most exciting and diverse cities. Here, hundred year-old wats (temples) and teakwood dwellings rest between skyscrapers and skytrains; food stalls line up the street before restaurants that offer exquisite local and international cuisine. However, most Thais don’t rely on their capitol to live well—they do quite alright by themselves. There are hill tribe communities in the north which will transport you to a time before electricity. The center and east boast ancient wats and former kingdoms, and, of course, there are the world-famous tropical islands to lose yourself in. Best of all, Thailand is very affordable, safe, has a year-round warm climate, and there are few places in the country where the nu nomad could not access the Web.
Nomadic ratings
A : Very Good / B : Good / C : Just Okay / D : Poor / E : Very Poor Basic facts about Thailand Thai (English is widely understood.) Constitutional Monarchy. 62 million (7 million in Bangkok). Tropical climate with three distinct seasons: Hot and dry, rainy and sunshine, moderately cool. 76 Provinces, in an area of 513,115 sq. km. (Yep, it’s big!) Myanmar, Lao P.D.R., Cambodia and Malaysia.See map. 220v (50 cycles). See plug type here. The Thai Baht (click here to convert your currency). GSM 900/1800 | 3G 2100 | 3G 850. None. GMT/UTC +7 (Current time.) 66 (Since virtually everyone uses the mobile phone, the provence codes are of no matter.) 001 (009 will get you the discount rate.) A 30-day visa is available (for most western country passport holders) upon arrival from the airports (15 day stay from neighboring borders). The standard visa (Tourist Visa) is good for 60 days and must be obtained at a Thai Consulate outside of the Kingdom. The Tourist Visa can be extended in Thailand for another 30 days for 1,900 Thai Baht ($55 USD). And some consulates–usually excluding the consulates in Thai surrounding countries–will allow for multiple entry Tourist Visas which can allow you two entries of 60 days each, with 30 day extensions permitted on each occurrence (totaling 6 months if you play it out correctly.) There are currently few limitations on obtaining fresh Tourist Visas once your last visa has expired. This visa may allow a person to visit Thailand for a period of up to 1 year for the purpose of “business opportunity exploration.” One must first, however, obtain a sponsor in Thailand before applying for the visa in their home country (or selected countries that are away from the Thailand boarder.) The law firm of Sunbelt Asia may be able to assist you with this option. For complete information on Thailand visas, visitThaiVisa.com. Thailand has a vast, inexpensive, railway system. Tickets must be purchased at the station or through a travel agency. : Thailand has many private and public long-distance bus lines. Local travel agents will handle your arrangements. : Air travel in and out of Thailand is about at cheap as it gets. The main domestic airlines are Thai Airways, Air Asia,Tiger Air and Nok Air. These all have great travel bargains-both domestic and throughout Asia. Additionally, STA Travel Thailand makes it very easy for travelers with a wide range of accommodations and pricing. You can stay in 5-star luxury ($500/night), or in a bamboo hut ($7/night). For NuNomad Guidelines on how to choose your nest, visit the NuNomad Blog. (guest houses, room rentals, etc.) visit our Community & Classifieds site now. (Categories > Accommodations) Planning to stay in Bangkok? Look into the (rather plain) M.N. Residence(part of the M.N. Group). They have 3 locations. The location that is situated near other expats and tourist services is Banglumpoo (2km from Khao San Road). Monthly rent starts at 6,000 Baht (about $190) plus utilities. Though they have a 4 month minimum stay requirement, you can negotiate it down to 3 if you speak to “Ying.” (These studio apartments have AC, and Wifi and television for about $15/mn.) There are other similar serviced apartments in Bangkok, you just need to ask around once you arrive. For Chaing Mai, there are an abundance of very affordable places for you to call home for awhile. Most places have WiFi and AC. For a temporary stay, look into Imm Eco Chiang Mai. Though their Internet service needs to be upgraded with more power and fewer drop-outs, the grounds of Imm Eco is gorgeous. (A good place to land.) As for islands, you may wish to try Ko Lanta. Though it’s becoming quickly overruned by Scandinavians making Lanta their second home, there’s good infrastructure on Lanta to keep you on online and comfortable while enjoying a very nice tropical island. (Lanta “Old Town” is a fine place to head to.) Don’t let your Asia adventure be spoiled. Get Travel Insurance. See our article Coverage Comparison of Travel Insurance. Thailand’s service is pretty fast and efficient. Purchase your stamps at any of the local post office locations. Postal rates and office locations can be found at Thailand Post. Dtac, AIS, True Move, Orange, among others. [Dtac is one of the most popular, but AIS allows for 6 hours of Internet access (via Bluetooth connection) for less than $2.] : It doesn’t get much easier than Thailand. Dial-up, ADSL, or use your mobile phone via Bluetooth to AIS (GRRS/Edge) account. Internet cafes are everywhere, and many tourist cafes and guest houses have free WiFi. For a comprehensive list of free and paid for hotspot locations. Try the fourth floor of the MBK shopping mall. It will make you dizzy with all the options. IT City has stores in several locations throughout Thailand. HoweverPantip Plaza, in Bangkok’s Pratunam district, is by far the best center for anything computer related. : See NuNo Geek for GPRS info, or the Geekzone.com’s GPRS article, or Ross Barkman’s GPRS info page. While in Thailand the most economical way to place a call is to do so with your unlocked international cell phone, using a Thai SIM card. If you don’t want to spend your travel time searching for a SIM card and don’t mind paying a little more for convenience, we recommend buying one before you go.Telestial is a great source to get your prepaid SIM card delivered to your door before your departure. If already in Thailand, try the AIS SIM card. This mobile phone service provider allows for inexpensive access to their Internet service (via Bluetooth to computer) for (current promotion price) 40 hours per month at no charge. (The connection speed is only a little slower than that of a landline connection.) If you select another SIM, such as Dtac, you can still access the Internet (via Bluetooth to computer) if you have a separate dial-up account. You can obtain a dial-up account on-line from CS-Lox Info(considered the most reliable national service) and use a landline or mobile phone. Prepaid dial-up cards are widely available in convenience stores such as 7-11. A more expensive option, but one that offers users up to 2.4MBPS speed is theEV-DO service available through Hutch. (Note: 3G phone service which allows one to access the Internet is now available with most of Thailand’s mobile phone companies. But the prices is steep, and the service area is primaryily in Bangkok.) This service will allow you to get onto the Net as you would using Wi-Fi, but without needing to be in a Hot Spot (just like your mobile phone service). It is suppose to cover most of Thailand and work in other International locations. You would, however, first need to purchase a special network card (Sierra 580 PC card) at 12,900Baht ($380) and then pay 999Baht ($30) month for the unlimited service plan. If you don’t have aSkype account yet, get one. You can use “telephony” service with any hi-speed Internet connection, which most Internet Cafés will have. Otherwise, you’ll have to use land-line systems. If you’re staying at a location where you want to use a land line, it may be most economical to purchase an international calling card. These can be purchased at many common locations throughout the country. However, you’ll get a far better rate if you use your mobile phone with a Thailand SIM. ” You pay 300 Baht (about $10) for a pre-paid card. Then, using your mobile or landline phone, call anywhere in the world. The rates are amazingly cheap! Language:
Government:
Population:
Climate:
Geography:
Neighboring Countries:
Electricity:
Money:
Mobile Phone Frequencies:
Daylight Savings:
Time Zone:
Country Code:
City Codes:
To Dial Out of the Country:
General Travel Information on Thailand
Thailand Visas and Visitation Limits:
Visa on Arrival:
Tourist Visa:
Non Immigrant B Visa:
Getting Around:
Train:
Bus
Planes
has some good bargains.Where to Stay:
For current listings on accommodations
Travel Insurance:
Mailing in Thailand:
Essential information about Thailand
Mobile Phone Providers/SIM Cards:
Internet Access
WiFi Hotspots:
Mobile phone sales and service:
Computer/IT Services:
Internet Access via Mobile Phone
Also
Internet and Telephone Communication
International Cell Phones:
International Calling
Another alternative is to use International Calling Cards such as “Check Dee.
