Things to do - Bangkok & Pattaya - short informational guide

Short Informative guide for Bangkok and Pattaya tour

I am posting some information here from my recent trip to Bangkok and Pattaya which may be of use to travelers. I did good research before I travelled but only to find repeated information and many not even worth considering. Hope you guys pick up some valuable information from my blog and feel free to comment.

 How much money should you plan to take initially.

There is nothing such as a defined amount as it depends on your individual spending patterns, choice of hotel and transport and shopping needs. We went during the month of July 2024 and took advantage of the visa waiver period which was effective until November 2024. There was no need for entry visa fee (which is normally 2000 THB per person) and at the immigration we were not asked to show any proof of funds which normally is 20000 THB (571 USD) for families. To be on the safe side we carried the cash, just to be safe if they ask.

Credit cards and ATMs. Main cities like Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya you wont have a problem of locating ATMs and most businesses accept credit and debit cards as form of payment. If shopping at local markets ensure you carry enough cash with you. You can change all types of foreign currency in any of the several money exchanges you can find on every street corner. The rate conversion is not that good compared to the fees charged on ATMs.

Electric plugs in Thailand are A, B and C type. Standard voltage 230 V, 60 Hz. Carry a universal charger with good surge protection. 

What to consider once you arrive at the airport.

Immigration clearance doesn't take much time provided you proceed quickly to the counter once reaching the terminal as there are chances of long queues. They only do your biometric scans.

I strongly suggest you pre-book your taxi for your onward transfer to hotel (unless you are frequenter and know your bargaining skills) You can use the taxi app "GRAB" which we made use of throughout our stay in Pattaya and Bangkok.

Once you have cleared immigration and collected your baggage, the next thing to consider is taking a sim card. Our AirAsia flight had an inflight bundle offer for TRUE sim card for 14 days which was reasonable charge for local calls and data usage per day. You can also buy from any outlets inside the airport.