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EMERGENCY NUMBERS
Police and general emergency call – 191
Tourist Police – 1155
Medical emergency call – 1669
Fire – 199
OTHER NUMBERS
Highway Police – 1193
Traffic Information – 1197
Crime suppression – 1195
Missing children – 1300
National Disaster Warning Centre – 1860 or 192
Tourist Information Inquiry – 1672
LOST CREDIT CARDS
Visa +1-303-967-1096
Mastercard +1-800-11-887-0663
Diners Club +1-800-234-6377
American Express (+66) 0-2091-2755
BASIC INFORMATION
MOBILE PHONES
One of the first practical things you will need after arriving in Thailand is a local SIM card with mobile data and call time. The main providers are AIS, True, and DTAC, although True and DTAC now operate largely under the True brand. Their shops are found in most shopping centres, airports, and major supermarkets.
Remember to bring your passport, as SIM card registration is required by law. Staff in the phone shops will usually help you activate the SIM card, configure your phone, and set up internet access immediately. Many also assist with language settings, apps, and mobile payment services.
Mobile data in Thailand is generally fast, reliable, and inexpensive compared to many European countries. Prepaid packages are especially popular among newcomers, tourists, and short-term residents, while long-term residents often move to monthly subscription packages with unlimited data plans.
INTERNET
With the spread of smartphones, the number of internet users in Thailand has grown to well above 60 million people. Most Thais now access the internet primarily through their mobile phones rather than traditional computers.
The main providers are AIS, True Corporation, and 3BB. Fibre broadband connections are widely available in urban areas, and installation is usually quick and inexpensive. Many condominium buildings and housing compounds already have internet infrastructure installed.
Thailand has developed surprisingly strong digital infrastructure in recent years, with widespread 4G and expanding 5G coverage even in many provincial areas. Internet speeds in Thailand are often better than what expatriates were used to back home.
To go online with your laptop, Wi-Fi is widely available in cafés, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, and co-working spaces. Many people now rely on mobile hotspot sharing from their phones instead of the separate USB “aircards” that used to be common years ago.
WEATHER
Thailand has a tropical climate, high in both temperature and humidity. April and May are the hottest months of the year . June brings the South West Monsoon and the rainy season until October. From November to the end of February, there is a cooling North East breeze and a reduction in the humidity level. It is always much cooler in the north where the temperature may occasionally drop to as low as 2°C.
FOOD
The Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand. Blending elements of several Southeast Asian traditions, Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. The spiciness of Thai cuisine is well known. As with other Asian cuisines, balance, detail and variety are of great significance to Thai chefs. Thai food is known for its balance of three to four fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: sour, sweet, salty, and bitter.
THAILAND NEWS
Thailand has a rich mix of English language media and even a few in various Nordic languages.
The most comprehensive Nordic news website is www.scandasia.com serving news daily for Scandinavian residents in Thailand and other countries in South East Asia.
For residents in Pattaya, there is a Norwegian newspaper and a Nordic magazine apart from the local pattaya-people.com website.
The local news service in English is very good:
Bangkok Post
The Nation
Thai PBS in English
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/
Khaosod in English
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