BANGKOK VISA — THE LICENSE TO ENTER
How to Get a Visa of Thailand
Visa you can get on arrival, which will cost you One Thousand Baht. With it, you need proof of return, the flight tickets, you need to attach the copy of your tickets. You will need voucher of confirmed hotel booking. You should have minimum 10,000 Baht in your pocket. You need to fill a one-page form with your passport size photo. That’s it, submit this at the immigration counter at the airport. You will be given another form to fill, which you get on the plane. If you did not get this on the plane, don’t worry you will get the same near the immigration counter.
Tip 1: Download the visa form at home itself. Fill the form and attach the photo copies of your ticket and the hotel reservation. Paste the passport size photos on the form. Make two sets and keep it ready. It will save you at least a half hour at the airport.
Tip 2: Email yourself a copy of your passport. I would recommend that you have copies of all identification, licence, Adhaar Card, Pan Card etc. in your inbox. Though on international travel your passport is only document of proof which is valid. Rest identification proof are for travel within India only.
Tip 3: Always take a photo from your mobile of your boarding pass.
Getting your Credit Card Ready
Do have a credit card and an ATM card. Make sure your ATM cards’ international usage have been activated. Inform your bank about the dates when you are going because as soon you use your ATM card abroad, bank will call you to confirm and if you don’t answer that call, chances are they will block your card. However, on the other hand, credit card companies will only send you a text.
Getting your Phone Ready for the International Tour
Do activate your international roaming from your service provider. It takes 12–24 hours for them to activate international roaming. Choose the best package and spend some time with the tele caller and understand the cost. Specially with the net usage. They may charge you on per KB basis; one check in at a restaurant on Facebook can cost you more than Rs.300/-. You cannot disconnect a call you have to let it ring; if you disconnect a call that too is chargeable. However incoming messages are not.
Tip: Buy a Sim card from the airport or best is look for free Wi-Fi, as everybody is providing it for free these days.
What Money to Take with You
You need to take US Dollars with you. Once you have exchanged your money do take the receipt with you. You might be asked by the immigration officers from where have you got those dollars. Once in Pattaya, there are plenty of exchange kiosks where you can change money into Baht. These kiosks are open from 9AM to 10 PM.
You also need some Baht from India itself. I would suggest you carry minimum 3000 Baht with you. 1000 Baht you will require as visa fee. Rest are for taxi fare as in the mornings you don’t want to look for money exchange. I have also noted that at the airport the exchange rates are less. When in Pattaya, don’t convert more than 200–300 Dollars in a day, as it is risky to carry more money. Three hundred dollars with today’s exchange rate will fetch you 10,500 Baht.
TIP: One, 100-dollar bill will give you better exchange rate than 30, 50 or 70 dollars.
How to Pack your Luggage
For the first and second trips, I went back packing. 2 pairs of shorts, 5 T-shirts, under garments and the jeans and T-shirt I was wearing. Flip Flops to roam on the beach, I bought from Pattaya itself. They are very cheap there. The third trip, I did take a check-in luggage and I regretted it. Not because it was heavy, but because I did not wear anything out of it. I bought a lot of clothes in Bangkok. I would recommend that if you have a stay at Bangkok, you should travel with few clothes and buy clothes in Bangkok. They are cheap and of good quality. A pair of stretch jeans you can get for 600–800Baht. Buy party wear also, the importance of which I tell you in my other blog — The Gogo Bars. Always carry/wear walking shoes. Whether you are sightseeing or you are exploring malls you would be walking a lot. The malls are HUGE.
TIP — Never carry your new shoes, they will bite for sure.
If you have taken the above advice, you are ready to land in Bangkok. What to do when you land, look out for my next blog — Bangkok to Pattaya.
You can also read my other blogs at Mast Yatri
