thailand
Whole Thailand is characterised by a sumptuous vegetation and is in respect of the landscape distinguish in four areas. The north and North east are mountainous with as highest point the Doi Inthanon (2596m) at the south of Chiang Mai. This region is covered with teak forests, rice plantations and rain forest (rests).
The central layer country is the centre of Thai rice growing. The most important river of Thailand, the Chaophraya, flows by this area to end in the golf of Thailand, at the south of Bangkok. Thanks to this area Thailand is on one of the largest rice exporters in the world, in spite of the low rice production by surface entity.
The North east of Thailand, dominated by the dry Korat-plateau is limited by the Mekong river in the north and the border with Cambodge in the south. The ground is relatively poor and agriculture depends on the irregular rain fall. The area has been only irrigated for a limited part and is especially used for the production of rice, cassava, jute and corn. The south of Thailand is covered with a sumptuous tropical vegetation. For the coast are some small islands with paradisiac strand. The best known is Koh Samui and the peninsula Phuket. Agriculture exists from several plantations with pineapple, rubber or palm oil. Moreover one finds many mangrove bunches with shrimpfarms along the coast.
Passport and visa
To holders of a ( Dutch ) passport applies that at departure from Thailand your passport must be still six months minimum validly. For a stay in Thailand longer than 30 days a visa is necessary. These you will receive at entry of Thailand. For Laos irrespective of the travel duration a visa has been required.
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Money and currency
The currency is the Thai Bath. The baht have been subdivided in 100 satang. The highest value in bank notes is 1000 baht. YOU receive for 1 euro approximately 45 bath.
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Bank and creditcards
YOU can obtain almost everywhere in Thailand simply and fast money from the money automat. Even in the smallest villages automats are found. In most of the hotels and in many shops creditcards are accepted. Mastercard and visa are accepted in the most places. Try to pay however small amounts as much as possible cash. With creditcards there is regularly committed fraud, so it is important that you obtain the carbon paper from the payslip. In Bangkok and in Chiang Mai you can pin with your creditcard, pay attention, however: frequently against an extra allowance. If you use your creditcard or your pinpas is it of the largest importance that you do not lose sight of your card.Unfortunately data is often copied of your card and they do afterwards payments with your creditcard or your pinpas. Pay attention for this reason that nobody can copy your code when you pay or take money with your pinpas. Commit fraud with creditcards is not always exclude and each creditcard society has been insured for that, but by being alert you can prevent a lot of problems.
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Telephone, Internet and post
To communicate with the home front is from Thailand not difficult. YOU can ring without problems to your house from one of the local telephone offices or the CAT offices (the Thai tel. society). YOU can also call with a telephone pre-payment card from a tel. cell (green or blue!) . These you can buy in several amounts, but the most lies around 300 and 500 Bath. If you ring to your house, you twist firstly 00, before the country number (for the USA 1, Australia 61, UK 44) and afterwards the subscriber's number. Pay attention when you call from the hotels. The costs of it can burst out high.
Internet bars are everywhere. YOU find them at almost each place in Thailand, in even the smallest places.
Thailand has further a very efficient mail system. A postage stamp for a card to Europe costs 17 Bath and is within 6 days on his destination.
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Vaccinations/health
Vaccinations for Thailand are not oblige, but in general DTP and hepatitis are recommended. THE GG&GD or your general practitioner have the most recent information on precaution measures. We recommend you thus taking contact. The information number of the GGD (the vaccination line) is 0900-9584 ( netherlands ).
Inherent making distant travel are flatulences and bowel complaints. Fatique, temperature differences and drinking ice-cold drinks are frequently the cause. The use of immodium tablets can bring help. As well as eating papaw has a moderating functioning on flatulence. For desiccation,the best you can do is drinking tea.
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Traffic
The traffic in the large cities is possible the bests compared with an anthill. Cars, motorbikes, bicycles, buses, tuktuks and pedestrians set the scene. There is left driven and an horn is absolutely necessary! The tuktuk is the transport means pre-eminently in the city. A ride costs average 30 Bath. It is judicious, before you get in, to agree about the fare. This for unpleasant misunderstandings to occur. Taxi's you only find in the large cities. Furthermore Thailand has a good railway network, town buses, Intercitybussen and a lot of minibusjes. Also much internal flights are carried out.
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Security
Like in every country and in each large city in the world you must pay attention also in Thailand as well to your luggage. Certainly when you wander around in narrow lanes, busy shop streets and on stations you must be appropriate on your stuff. Your passport, your money and cheques ,the best thing you can do is putting them away. Valuable jewels, leave them at home.
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Time difference
The time difference with Thailand is 5 hours in the summer months. In the winter months it is in Thailand 6 hours later.
Food and drinks
YOU can order the most fantastic meals in Thailand. The Thai Courts have been mostly very refined and frequently nicely spicy. The basis is frequently rises or noodles (noodle dish), with fresh vegetables and fresh fish or chicken Court. Mai cap is what you can say, when you want served your Court not too spicy. Moreover much international Courts are served.
The Thai population is very hygienical, howeever it can occur that you get flatulences and bowel impairments. This frequently passes when you are fatigue, drinking ice-cold drinks and temperature differences and not particularly because of eating. For flatulences however, and to prevent bowel complaints it is important that you eat nothing what is raw or in advance is peeled and do not drink water without control. When you nevertheless get sick, immodium can be effective!
Thailand has much exotic fruit: mangos, fresh pineapples, rambutans, bananas and papaws taste very nice when they are fresh picked! YOU will find them in abundance at the shops and in the markets along the way.
For drinking water, only drink water from a sealed bottles. In Thailand you can buy all international soft drinks, as well as the different export beers. You have to try Local Singha-bier and Mekong whisky and also Pina Colada with fresh pineapple juice!
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Useful addresses
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In the Netherlands :
Thai movement office: Sarphatistraat 628, 1018 AV Amsterdam +31 (0) 20-6386667
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Consulate Thailand, Lairessestraat 127 1075 HJ Amsterdam +31 (0) 20-4651532
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In the USA :
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For addresses of Thailand Embassy and Consulates Addresses in the USA look at :
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http://www.traveldocs.com/th/embassy.htm
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In Australia :
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For addresses of Thai Embassy, Consulates and other offices in Australia look at :
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http://www.thaiembassy.org.au/address.asp
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In the UK :
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For addresses of Thailand Embassy and Consulates Addresses in the UK look at:
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http://www.thailand-uk.com/thaiemb.html
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