About Thailand

Constitutional Monarchy. The parliamentary monarchy is a form of government that provides for a division of state powers between the monarch and the parliament, with its own President. Head of state is King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX, whose full name is Bhumibol Adulyadej Ramadhibodi Chakrinarubodin Sayamindaradhraj Boromanatbophit. For its duration, the Kingdom of Rama IX, is the longest in the history of his country, the longest among those of the kings that currently are alive, at 16th place in the ranking of the longest reigns in history. Bhumibol is respected and revered by the Thai, the King is legally considered inviolable, and an offense to the dignity of the monarch is punished by the penalty, which can be up to 15 years imprisonment.

The road network of Thailand is good, over most of the territory, with an efficient and extensive bus transportation system. The rail network system, SRT, is composed of four main lines. It's connects the main cities of the north, northeast and south. The central hub, where all lines converge, is the Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok, The main cities and the most famous tourist resorts in Thailand are linked together by a very good aviation network. In Bangkok, despite its immensity, the movements are quite practical and economical for tourists. The metered taxis are ubiquitous, cheap and can be found at all hours. The tuk tuk are very characteristic, a true emblem of the nation, to try at least once in the chaotic traffic of the capital. A good rule is to negotiate the price before boarding. The best way to get around in the capital remain the elevated Skytrain, BTS, or the underground subway, MRT, with which you can move quickly in the most central area of the city.

The coastal areas are characterized by beautiful sandy beaches overlooking a crystalline sea, alternating with stretches with swampy mangrove forests. Behind the coast is everywhere the typical tropical jungle, with lush vegetation, especially coconut plants. The interior hilly highlands, at south and in the central areas, are wooded areas with a prevalence of tropical plants, fruits and beautiful flowers such as orchids, hibiscus, mango, banana and coconut palms. In the eastern hills, bordering Laos and Cambodia, there are some of the few remaining virgin forests of teak in the world. The mountainous part of Thailand, in the north, has beautiful bamboo forests, oaks and hardwoods. More than 1,000 meters above sea level there are evergreen forests of pine, chestnut and other typical forms of vegetation in temperate regions.

The fauna of Thailand includes many species of mammals such as Macaques, Monkeys and Gibbons, Asian Black Bear, Shrews, Deer, Boars, Siamese Hares, Tigers, Leopards and Elephants. There are also numerous species of reptiles, mostly poisonous, and great is the variety of birds and fish species, as well as an infinite number of insect species.

In the course of 2013 the unemployment rate was less than 1%. Almost 70% of the Thai populations are farmers. Thriving mechanical industries, textiles and electronics, are located in central areas. The handicraft is flourishing in all areas of the Kingdom. In Thailand there is a general increase in international tourism, in particular in the coastal areas. In 2013, about 19 million tourists visited Thailand. Thailand is ranked first in the world for the export of tapioca, at second place for the export of rice and rubber, at third for the canned pineapple. In addition, this country is one of the leading exporters of sugar, maize and tin.

At most foreign nationals not require a Visa to enter in Thailand. Visa is necessary only for the majority of African nations. For entry into Thailand the passport must be valid for at least 6 months at date of entry, and at least two free pages remaining for Visa on Arrival, V.O.A.. The V.O.A. granted to tourist a permit of stay valid for one month, 15 days in the case of terrestrial border crossing. The Tourist Visa for stays longer than 30 days is issued by the Thai Embassies or Consulates in the world. Tourists, by law, are required to always carry their original passport.

In Thailand are recommended clothing of cotton, lightweight and comfortable, like T-shirts, shirts and pants, preferably in natural fibers, these are the ideal clothing to visit the country throughout the year. You should bring a waterproof jacket to a sudden downpour, comfortable closed shoes and a sweater that will be needed for the air conditioning of the structure and for the cooler evenings. In places of worship it is compulsory to wear clothing with long sleeves and trousers.

In Thailand, in order to conduct any vehicle of locomotion, motor scooters, motorcycles, quads, cars or pick-ups you must be in possession of a driver's license, although it has been estimated that only a small proportion of the population Thai possess it. For foreigners wishing to drive into Kingdom, it is the necessary the International Driving Permit, IDP, or the Thai driving license. In Thailand, IDP is recognized according to the model of the Geneva Convention of 1949, valid for one year. Driving rulesIn Thailand driving is on the left, overtaking on the right, seat belts is compulsory to wear on the front seats. Helmet is compulsory for motorcyclists. Driving while intoxicated is a crime, BAC limit is 0.05%.

In Thailand is used metric system, with some local variations, particularly with regard to certain measuring instruments such as scales.

In Thailand the electric current used is 220V, 50Hz. Power surges are frequent and sudden, especially in tourist areas or in isolated centers. The sockets are different, lamellar, more similar to those in use in America, but in tourist areas usually our electronic devices fit perfectly. In the inland areas it is recommended to bring an adapter for wall outlets, for charging mobile phones, tablets, computers, digital cameras, etc..

Buy a sim card Thai is more convenient than using western number in international roaming. The costs are ridiculous, mostly using the codes 004, 008 or 009, depending on the telephone company, before the number you have to call everywhere in the world. The costs are about 4 or 5 THB for every minute, about 10 cents euro. You will find the sim cards anywhere, at arrival in airports, in the kiosks of various promotional companies, and in any ministore Seven Eleven or Family Mart, one every 50 meters in Thailand and open all 24 hours. Useful numbers: Emergency: 191 Tourist Police: 1155 Tourist services: 1672