Getting Here

If it is your first trip to Thailand it is normal to be a little apprehensive about what to expect. Bangkok and Bangkok 's international airport, Don Muang , can be confusing and intimidating when you first arrive, but if you use common sense, there is nothing to be overly concerned about. What follows is a step-by-step guide for inexperienced visitors, especially those travelling alone. Much of the advice has been extracted from the book Money Still Number One by Neil Hutchison, subtitled ‘The Single Man's Survival Guide to Thailand' Neil is a good friend of PattayaSecrets and has picked this content for us. .

Getting off the Plane

This sounds very simple but you would be surprised at the number of people who have incurred avoidable problems. Before landing in Thailand , the airline crew should have given you a Thai arrival card, commonly called a ‘TM Card', to fill out. If not, ask for one. Immediately complete BOTH the ‘Arrival' and ‘Departure' sections of the card, then turn it over and fill in the questionnaire on the back of the ‘Arrival' section. (For the question about your annual income, pick a box.)

Once you have landed, before leaving the aircraft, make sure you have your Boarding Pass stub with you. Thai Immigration requires you hand over your passport, arrival (TM) card AND your Boarding Pass at Passport Control.

Don Muang Airport

Bangkok 's international airport consists of two terminals connected by a short thoroughfare. Getting from one to the other is not a big deal. Once off the plane and onto the concourse, if you are unsure where to go, just follow the crowd to the Passport Control counters. There are hundreds of these, so stand in line at the one or two actually open.

Tourists from most countries do not require a Visa to Thailand and are granted a 30-day Tourist Entry stamp on arrival. If you are unsure whether this applies to your nationality, ask the travel agent BEFORE you leave home. In any case, they probably won't issue you the plane ticket unless you have previously obtained any necessary visas.

At the Immigration desk, hand over your passport, completed TM card and boarding pass. People travelling on Tourist Visas or gaining a 30-day Tourist Entry stamp on arrival are required to have an outbound or return ticket. You may be asked to show this as well. Smile, don't chat and be very polite – “Yes, sir”; “No, sir”; “Thank you, sir.” Many people don't realize that gaining entry to a foreign country is not a right but a privilege. Entry can be refused or revoked at any time for any reason and the Immigration Officer with the stamp wields enormous power. Should he be having a ‘bad hair day', aggravated by your insolence, he could make your initiation to Thailand extremely unpleasant.

Once through Immigration, head down the escalator to the ground floor. For those silly enough to bring a lot of checked-in luggage, look for the monitor displaying the carousel number corresponding to your flight details. When all your possessions are in hand, walk through the ‘Customs' doorway. Now the real fun begins.

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