Money and Costs
Thailand's unit of currency is the baht (abbreviated to "B"), which is divided into 100 satang. Notes come in B10, B20, B50, B100, B500 and B1000 denominations. At the time of writing, the exchange rate was B40 to US$1 and B60 to GBP1. Banking hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am-3.30pm, but exchange kiosks in the main tourist centres are often open till 10pm, and upmarket hotels will change money 24 hours a day. The Don Muang airport exchange counters also operate 24 hours, so there's little point arranging to buy baht before you arrive. If you have a PIN number for your credit/debit card, you should also be able to withdraw cash from hundreds of 24-hour cashpoint machines around the country. In a country where the daily minimum wage is under B150 a day, it's hardly surprising that Western tourists find Thailand an extremely cheap place to travel. At the bottom of the scale, you could manage on a daily budget of about B300-400 if you're willing to opt for basic accommodation and eat, drink and travel as the locals do, spending B80-120 for a room (less if you share), around B100-150 on three meals, and the rest on travel and incidentals. With extras like air conditioning in rooms and on buses, taking tuk-tuks rather than buses for cross-town journeys, and a meal and a couple of beers in a more touristy restaurant, a day's outlay will rise to a minimum of B800. Staying in expensive hotels and eating in the more exclusive restaurants, you should be able to live in extreme comfort for around B2000 a day. If you need money wired to you in Thailand , you can pick it up from the following agents in Bangkok: American Express at Bangkok Bank, 33 Tha Silom, Bangkok (tel 02/236 8970); any Bangkok branch of Siam Commercial Bank, including the centrally located one at 1060 Tha Phetchaburi, Bangkok (tel 02/256 1220); Thomas Cook at Bangkok Bank, 33 Tha Silom, Bangkok (tel 02/236 8970); Western Union at any Bangkok branch of the Metropolitan Bank - call 02/224 3727 for addresses.
massage therapy London thai medicine salonMassage London UK Thai Medicine Therapy Salon Bowen Centre Lymph Studio says "massage therapy London UK Salon +44 7957 473617
www. massagelondon.org" Tour Thailand & South East Asia On Line (Video + Stills)David Mundstock says "My film "Ho Asked Me to Go” presents an exciting trip to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. It features Bangkok, Angkor Wat, Cambodian court dancing, both north and south Vietnam, including Hanoi’s water puppet theater, the Great Sacred Stupa of Laos, and Luang Prabang with its dazzling Buddhist temples, plus much more.
The video can be seen on the web, if you have a high speed internet connection.
This is a free, non-commercial, streaming video on the Windows Media Player. No ads and no strings attached. I sell absolutely nothing.
With any modem you can view the new gallery of still pictures from this trip.
There are 30 of my other amateur travel videos on-line including trips to China, Russia, Antarctica, Italy, the UK, Australia, Bali, Japan, Africa, Greece, and Turkey; see lions, whales, elephants, or penguins.
The planet is yours, including my Home Page giant galaxy of still pictures.
To watch videos or look at stills, please ask a search engine for:
Intrepid Berkeley Explorer" Get it cheap and do it localCharlie says "any advise you want about thailand, i mean anything i can help with. thailand is so easy to travel in but it is so easy to miss the best bits out.
email smithyboy81@yahoo.co.uk
i live just outside bangkok and have been in se asia for about 5 years "
Your Tip for Thailand
Help other backpackers! Write your own guides and backpacking tips to Thailand - they will appear instantly on this page - Please only write a tip/guide to Thailand - visit the main Thailand forum to ask a question!
Please do not post links to your site here (they won't work) - please use the Thailand webguide section below! Thanks.
|
