Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [634]
Thai law does not presume an indicted detainee to be either ‘guilty’ or ‘innocent’ but rather a ‘suspect’, whose guilt or innocence will be decided in court. Trials are usually speedy.
The tourist police (1155) can be very helpful in cases of arrest. Although they typically have no jurisdiction over the kinds of cases handled by regular cops, they may be able to help with translations or with contacting your embassy. You can call the hotline number 24 hours a day to lodge complaints or to request assistance with regards to personal safety.
Return to beginning of chapter
MAPS
ThinkNet (www.thinknet.co.th) produces a high-quality city and country maps series, including interactive-map CDs to Bangkok. For GPS users in Thailand, most prefer the Garmin units and the associated map products that are accurate and fully routed. An online world map showing adequate street detail for Thailand can be found at Multimap (www.multimap.com).
Do-it-yourself trekkers or anyone with a keen interest in geography may find sheet maps issued by the Thai military to be helpful. These maps are available at a number of scales, complete with elevations, contour lines, place names (in both Thai and roman script) and roads. These maps can be purchased at the Royal Thai Survey Department (Krom Phaen Thi Thahan; Map; 0 2222 8844; www.rtsd.mi.th/service; Th Kanlayana Maitri, Bangkok), opposite the Interior Ministry on the western side of Th Ratchini in Ko Ratanakosin. You can survey the survey’s maps at the website.
Return to beginning of chapter
MONEY
The basic unit of Thai currency is the baht. There are 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. The two satang coins are typically only issued at supermarkets where prices aren’t rounded up to the nearest baht, which is the convention elsewhere.
Paper currency is issued in the following denominations: 20B (green), 50B (blue), 100B (red), 500B (purple) and 1000B (beige). In the 1990s, the 10B bills were phased out in favour of the 10B coin but occasionally you might encounter a paper survivor.
Return to beginning of chapter
ATMs & Credit/Debit Cards
Debit and ATM cards issued by a bank in your own country can be used at ATM machines around Thailand to withdraw cash (in Thai baht only) directly from your account back home. ATMs are widespread throughout the country and can be relied on for the bulk of your spending cash. You can also use ATMs to buy baht at foreign-exchange booths at some banks.
Credit cards as well as debit cards can be used for purchases at many shops, hotels and restaurants. The most commonly accepted cards are Visa and MasterCard. American Express is typically only accepted at high-end hotels and restaurants.
To report a lost or stolen credit/debit card, call the following hotlines in Bangkok.
American Express (0 2273 5544)
Diners Club (0 2238 3660)
MasterCard (001 800 11887 0663)
Visa (001 800 441 3485)
Changing Money
Banks or the rarer private moneychangers offer the best foreign-exchange rates. When buying baht, US dollars are the most accepted currency, followed by British pounds and euros. Most banks charge a commission and duty for each travellers cheque cashed.
Current exchange rates are printed in the Bangkok Post and the Nation every day, or you can walk into any Thai bank to see a daily rate chart.
Click here for information on the cost of travel in Thailand.
Foreign Exchange
There is no limit to the amount of Thai or foreign currency you may bring into the country.
There are certain monetary requirements for foreigners entering Thailand; demonstrations of adequate funds