Thailand
Pre Arrival:
Charts
Communications:
Pre-Arrival
Pollution:
Pollution
Facilities:
Medical
Misc:
Authority
General Information for Thailand
Geo-political:
Capital City: Bangkok.
Nationality: (noun) Thai, (adjective) Thai.
Population: 65,998,436.
Communications:
International Direct Dial Code: 66.
Number of Internal Airports: 64.
Major Languages Spoken: Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects.
Economy:
Currency: 1 Baht (THB) of 100 Satang.
Main Industries: Tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages, tobacco, cement,
light manufacturing such as jewelry and electric appliances, computers and parts,
integrated circuits, furniture, plastics, automobiles and automotive parts and world's
second-largest tungsten producer and third-largest tin producer.
Environment:
Territorial Sea: 12 n.m.
Other Maritime Claims: Continental Shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation. Exclusive Economic Zone: 200 n.m.
Coastline Extent: 3,219 km.
Climate: Tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool
northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid.
Natural Resources: Tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite,
fluorite and arable land.
Natural Hazards: Land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the water table; droughts.
Terrain: Central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere.
Average Temperatures:
| Month | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| January | 33° C | 20° C |
| June | 33° C | 25° C |
| September | 32° C | 24° C |
CHARTS:
Notices to Mariners (in Thai and English) issued and published by the Hydrographic
Department of the Royal Thai Navy.
ENC catalogue available at
www.hydro.navy.mi.th/download/enc.pdf
PRE-ARRIVAL INFORMATION:
Pre-arrival information may be submitted to the national authority by registered users
using the single window system. The single window system can be accessed at
nsw.md.go.th/mdportal/Home.aspx
POLLUTION:
The Marine Department, as part of the Ministry of Transport, is the principal (lead)
agency for dealing with marine pollution incidents; The Marine Department, the Royal
Thai Navy, the provincial administration and the Oil Industry Environmental Safety
Association are the main agencies involved in oil pollution prevention and response.
Spill Notification Point:
Marine Department. T: +66 (2) 233 1311. F: +66 (2) 236 7248.
[email protected]
MEDICAL:
There are excellent private hospitals in Thailand but they can be expensive. Public
hospitals and clinics in Thailand may be more basic, particularly outside Bangkok
and in the coastal islands. Many hospitals require guarantee of payment before they
will start treatment. Make sure you have adequate health insurance and accessible
funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
If you need emergency medical assistance during your stay in Thailand, dial 1669 and
ask for an ambulance. You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company
promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment.
Thailand has a risk of Zika virus transmission. Dengue fever is present in Thailand;
you should take mosquito bite avoidance measures. There are confirmed reports of hand,
foot and mouth disease throughout Thailand.
During March and April there is often smoke haze and resulting poor air quality across
parts of the north and north-east of Thailand. This air pollution may aggravate bronchial,
sinus or asthmatic conditions. Keep up-to-date with local information and seek medical
advice on appropriate precautions. Regular air quality reports for Thailand (and the
ASEAN region) are available from the Singapore Meteorological Service.
www.weather.gov.sg
TIME:
GMT plus 7 hours. No changes during the year.
HOLIDAYS:
Public Holidays:
1 January (New Year's Day); 2 January (New Year's Day (observed)); 3 January (New
Year's Holiday); 28 January (Chinese New Year); 11 February (Makha Bucha Day); 13
February (Makha Bucha Day (observed)); 6 April (Chakri Day); 13, 14, 15, 16 April
(Songkran Festival); 1 May (Labour Day); 5 May (Coronation Day); 10 May (Visakha Bucha
Day); 8 July (Asahna Bucha Day); 10 July (Asahna Bucha (observed)); 14 August (HM
Queen's Birthday (observed)); 23 October (Chulalongkom Day); 5 December (Father's
Day/HM King's Birthday); 11 December (Constitution Day (observed)); 31 December New
Year's Eve.
WEATHER/TIDES:
Weather forecasts (in Thai) for Thailand and coastal waters available from the Meteorology
Department of the Royal Thai Navy at
www.rtnmet.org
Also see
Medical
SHORE LEAVE:
Following the death of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej there is an official period
of mourning of one year from 14 October 2016. You should respect the feelings and
sensitivities of the Thai people at this time.
Conditions in prisons and other detention facilities in Thailand are harsh, with limited
access to healthcare. There have been recent cases of detainees dying in custody.
Do not become involved with drugs of any kind. Possession of even very small quantities
can lead to imprisonment. If you are found guilty of being in possession of marijuana
you could receive a long prison sentence and/or a heavy fine. If you’re found guilty
of being in possession of 20 grams of a Class A drug at a point of exit from Thailand
you risk receiving the death penalty. Amphetamines and ecstasy are regarded as Class
A drugs and possession or trafficking carries the same penalty as heroin.
It is illegal to import more than 200 cigarettes per person into Thailand and this
is enforced at Customs at airports on arrival; those who exceed the limit may be fined
ten times the value of the items and face confiscation of the cigarettes.
You cannot bring vaporisers, e.g. e-cigarettes and e-baraku, and refills into Thailand.
These items are likely to be confiscated, and you could be fined or sent to prison
for up to 10 years if convicted. The sale or supply of e-cigarettes and similar devices
is also banned and you could face a heavy fine or up to 5 years imprisonment if found
guilty.
It is illegal to buy, sell, kill or capture any protected wild animal or trade its
parts without a licence. Thailand is a signatory to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It has also recently
strengthened domestic legislation, banning trade in ivory. Those caught buying or
trafficking these items could be prosecuted and receive prison sentences or fines.
Crime:
Be on your guard against pickpockets and bag snatchers. Foreigners have had items
snatched by thieves on motorbikes when walking along busy streets or travelling in
open transport like tuk tuks. If you travel by bus or rail, make sure passports, cash
and valuables are kept securely and out of sight. Passengers have had items taken
from bags while asleep.
Do not hand over your passport to third parties as a guarantee (e.g. to motorcycle
or jet ski rental businesses). Unscrupulous owners have been known to hold on to passports
against claimed damage.
Violent sexual assaults and unprovoked attacks have been reported in popular tourist
destinations, including in the Koh Samui archipelago and Krabi province. These are
particularly common during the monthly Full Moon parties and generally occur late
at night near bars.
Drink spiking has been reported in tourist destinations around Thailand. Be careful
about taking drinks from strangers and at clubs and parties, or leaving your drinks
unattended, particularly in Koh Samui, Pattaya and at the Full Moon party on Koh Phangan,
where date rapes have been reported.
Be aware of the possibility of credit card fraud. Do not lose sight of your card during
transactions. There have been incidents of ATM skimming in Thailand. Where possible
use an ATM within a bank and always protect your PIN.
Be careful to observe demarcation lines between shops and stalls, particularly in
market areas and at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Taking items from one shop’s area to another
may be treated as suspected theft.
Gem scams are common. There have been reports of visitors buying gems for inflated
prices from seemingly respectable establishments then later finding out the stones
are worth a tiny fraction of the purchase price.
You should report any incidents of crime to the Thai police before leaving the country.
REPATRIATION:
Immigration advice and information available from the Immigration Bureau.
www.immigration.go.th
AUTHORITY:
Ministry of Transport, Marine Department of Thailand, 1278 Yotha Road, Talandnoi,
Samphanthawong 10100, Bangkok, Thailand.
T: +66 (2) 233 1311.
F: +66 (2) 236 7248. [email protected] www.md.go.th
