Thailand / Krabi

Travel Information

by Matt London

LOCATION   

Krabi Province is situated roughly halfway between Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, and Singapore. Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways International both offer comprehensive flights to Krabi Thailand from the USA, Europe and South America. There are also daily morning, afternoon and evening flights to Krabi available from the domestic terminal in Bangkok International Airport.

AREA

513,115 sq km (198,115 sq miles).

POPULATION

62,354,402 (2002).

GEOGRAPHY

Thailand is bounded to the west by Myanmar and the Indian Ocean, to the south and east by Malaysia and the Gulf of Thailand, to the east by Cambodia, and to the north and east by Laos. Central Thailand is dominated by the Chao Phraya River.

VISA INFO

Thailand does not require a visa for tourists staying up to 30 days.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 66. Outgoing international code: 00.
• Mobile telephone: GSM 900/1800/1900 networks. Network operators include Advanced Info Service, Digital Phone Company Ltd and Total Access Comms Co.
• Fax: Facilities are widely available in hotels.
• Internet: Internet cafes provide public access to Internet and e-mail services. ISPs include Internet Thailand and Asia Infonet.
• Telegram: Telegrams can be sent from hotels, airports and CAT (Communications Authority of Thailand) offices.
• Post: Airmail to Europe takes up to one week. The General Post Office in Bangkok (on Charoen Krung Road) is open Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat-Sun and holidays 0800-1300. Post offices up-country are open Mon-Fri 0800-1630, Sat 0900-1200 .
• Press: English-language dailies are the Bangkok Post, The Nation and the Thailand Times.
• Radio: BBC World Service and Voice of America can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.

MONEY 

• Currency: Baht (Bt) = 100 satang. Notes are in denominations of Bt1000, 500, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of Bt10, 5 and 1, and 50 and 25 satang. In addition, there are a vast number of commemorative coins which are also legal tender.
• Credit & debit cards: American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted, while Diners Club has more limited use. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be available.
• Travelers cheques: Accepted by all banks and large hotels and shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take travelers cheques in US Dollars, Euros or Pounds Sterling.
• Currency restrictions: The import and export of local currency is limited to Bt50,000 per person or Bt100,000 per family holding one passport. The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited. 
• Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1530. 

TIME ZONE

Local time in Thailand is + 7 hours ahead of UTC (GMT). One hour behind Singapore time.

ELECTRICITY

220 volts AC, 50Hz. American- and European-style two-pin plugs are in use.

HEALTH

• Vaccination against typhoid is advised.

• Malaria risk exists throughout the year in rural areas throughout the country, especially in forested and hilly areas and around the international borders. There is no risk in cities and the main tourist resorts, eg Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket, Krabi and Samui. The malignant falciparum form is present and is reported to be highly resistant to chloroquine and resistant to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. Resistance to mefloquine and to quinine has been reported from areas near the borders with Myanmar and Cambodia. 

• A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travelers over one year of age arriving from infected areas.

• Health services in Thailand are excellent with modern equipped hospitals in all major towns. Most of the country is free of malaria, cholera and other serious diseases. However, it’s still perhaps a good idea to check if your vaccinations are still up to date. Normal precautions with food will keep you out of trouble. All major hotels have doctors on call. Be sure to stay well hydrated (drink only bottled water) and you should be just fine.

Note: Those suspected or confirmed of carrying AIDS will be refused entry.

LANGUAGE

Thai is the official language, but nearly all Thais that work in the tourism industry speak English. Make sure you speak slowly and clearly without using too many idioms and people will understand you just fine. Thais believe that the least we can do for our fellow man is to smile and be polite. If you maintain the same attitude during your stay in Thailand, you’ll have a wonderful experience!

DRESS CODE

In all the tourist resorts shorts and T-shirts are acceptable attire. At night as well, although “smart-casual” is preferred in the better eating places. Jackets and ties are not required anywhere. Ladies are expected to dress appropriately when visiting temples and should reframe from going topless at public beaches.

GOVERNMENT

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy led by King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The Royal Family has earned the love and respect of the entire nation and is held in the highest esteem. However the same cannot always be said of all the politicians

RELIGION

Nearly all Thais are Buddhists. A small percentage are Muslim (mainly in the south) and some are Christians, Hindus or Confucians. Tolerance towards religion is symbolized by the fact that the King is the Protector of All Faiths!

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 

• Dec 5 – HM The King’s Birthday. 
• Dec 10 – Constitution Day. 
• Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve. 
• Jan 1 – New Year’s Day. 
• Feb 17* – Magha Bucha Day. 
• Apr 6 – Chakri Day. 
• Apr 13-15 – Songkran (Thai New Year). 
• May 1 – Labour Day. 
• May 5 – Coronation Day. 
• May 16* – Visakha Bucha. 
• Jul 1 – Mid Year Bank Holiday.
• Jul 13*-  Khao Phansa Day (Buddhist Lent). 
• Aug 12 – HM The Queen’s Birthday. 
• Oct 23 – Chulalongkorn Day.

Note: *The religious festivals are determined by the Buddhist lunar calendar and therefore are difficult to predict. The dates provided here are estimates. 

FOOD

Today Thai cuisine has become internationally appreciated and can be found in more then 50 countries around the world. Thai dishes are a culinary delight generally served with rice and cooked with fresh herbs and spices like basil, coriander leaf, lemon grass, ginger, galanga root, black pepper with lots of garlic, coconut milk,  and chilies (the smaller the hotter!). Along with Thai food a wide array of international cuisine can also be found particularly at all major tourist areas. Vegetarian (gin jay) dishes are also available particularly during the vegetarian festival in late September and early October. However  Water-borne diseases are fairly common so use only bottled or otherwise sterilized or boiled water for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice.

TEMPERATURE

• Air temperature: 20-35 C, always warm, can be very hot and humid, nights often cool.

• Water temperature: pleasant 22-28C, never cold, but mild thermoclines do occur. Average water temperature is 27C, (80F), a thin wetsuit or dive skin is recommended for shorter submersions.

CLIMATE

Generally hot, particularly between March and May. The monsoon season runs from June to October, when the climate is still hot with torrential rains. Perhaps the best time for traveling is November to March when the climate is cool and dry.

Here’s a sample of the typical weather conditions one might encounter while diving in beautiful Krabi, Thailand.

The following goods may be imported into Thailand without incurring customs duty by passengers irrespective of age:
200 cigarettes or 250g of tobacco or equal weight of cigars; 1l of wine or spirits; one still camera with five rolls of film or one movie camera with three rolls of 8mm or 16mm film.

• Restricted exports: There are restrictions on the export of items of archaeological interest or historical value without a certificate of authorization from the Department of Fine Arts in Thailand. The export of images of the Buddha and other religious artifacts is also subject to this ruling.

• Prohibited items: The import of non-prescribed drugs and all firearms and ammunition is prohibited. Gold bullion must be declared on arrival and can be left at the airport of entry to be retrieved on departure. The import of meat from any country affected by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow and foot and mouth diseases. The measure covers meat from all 15 EU countries and any other infected country.

• Warning: Any drug-related offences are severely punished and may result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty.HE TRAVELER-

Thais believe that the least we can do for our fellow man is to smile and be polite. If you maintain the same attitude during your stay in Thailand, you’ll have a wonderful time.