The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website is a good source of health information for travelers.

You should be up to date on routine vaccinations while traveling to any destination. Sightseeing may require, at minimum, the ability to walk at a moderate pace for a mile or two and the balance and agility necessary to climb stairs, enter and exit buses and boats, and navigate uneven or cobble-stoned streets. Some sightseeing stops do not have elevators or wheelchair access. Bring medications in their original, clearly labeled containers. A signed and dated letter from your physician describing your med­ical conditions and medications, including generic names, is also a good idea. If carrying syringes or needles, have a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity. When on vacation, it is always wise to watch what you eat and drink and avoid drinking tap water while traveling. Most hotels will provide complimentary bottled water. You can purchase additional bottled water throughout your trip.

The basic unit of Thai currency is the baht. There is 100 satang in one baht; coins include 25-satang and 50-satang pieces and baht in 1B, 2B, 5B, and 10B coins. Older coins have Thai numerals only, while newer coins have Thai and Arabic numerals. The 2B coin was introduced in 2007 and is confusingly similar in size and design to the 1B coin. Banknotes is issued in the following denominations: 20B (green), 50B (blue), 100B (red), 500B (purple) and 1000B (beige). You can exchange foreign currency at authorized agencies such as banks, exchange offices, and hotels. The current exchange rate is approximately 1 USD = 33 THB. For the most updated exchange rate, please check http://www.xe.com.

The standard electrical voltage in Thailand is 220 volts and 50 hertz. Bringing an adaptor is a good idea if you plan to use electronics (i.e., cell phones, laptops, cameras, etc.) during your trip.

Thai cooking emphasizes lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. It is known for its complex interplay of at least three and up to four or five fundamental taste senses in each dish or meal: sour, sweet, salty, bitter, and spicy. Thai cuisine is more accurately described as four regional cuisines corresponding to the four main regions of the country: Northern, Northeastern, Central, and Southern, each cuisine sharing similar foods or foods derived from those of neighboring countries and regions: Burma to the northwest, the Chinese province of Yunnan and Laos to the north, Vietnam and Cambodia to the east, Indonesia and Malaysia to the south of Thailand. In addition to these four regional cuisines, the Thai Royal Cuisine can trace its history back to the cosmopolitan palace cuisine of the Ayutthaya kingdom (1351–1767 CE). Its refinement, cooking techniques, and use of ingredients greatly influenced the cuisine of the Central Thai plains. Western influences from the 17th century CE onwards led to dishes such as foi thong and sangkhaya.

The official language of Thailand is Thai. Thai is a language with many dialects, though the Bangkok dialect, also known as Central Thai, is the standard and taught in all schools. Various dialects of Chinese are spoken by the ethnic Chinese community, with Teochew being the dominant dialect in Bangkok’s Chinatown and Cantonese speakers forming a sizeable minority among the Chinese community. Mandarin is taught in most Chinese schools, while Cantonese is commonly heard in the mass media due to the popularity of TVB serials from Hong Kong among the Chinese community, so many are conversant in both, in addition to their native dialect. Down south in Hat Yai, Hokkien is also widely understood due to many tourists from Penang.