Practical information Thailand

Since July 2024, French nationals benefit from a 60-day visa exemption for tourist stays, extendable once for 30 additional days at local immigration offices. No prior procedures, no fees: a stamp is issued upon arrival at all international airports such as Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Phuket, or Chiang Mai. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from your entry date and have two blank pages. For longer stays or specific purposes (retirement, studies, marriage), you must apply for an appropriate visa at the Thai consulate in Paris before departure. Proof of a return ticket may be requested at check-in by the airline.

No vaccination is required upon entry, except yellow fever if you are transiting through a country where it is circulating. We recommend being up to date with DTP, and considering hepatitis A and typhoid for most stays. Hepatitis B and rabies should be discussed with your doctor for long stays or rural itineraries. Japanese encephalitis mainly concerns travelers in prolonged rice-growing areas. Malaria remains confined to a few remote border zones that are rarely visited (Burma, deep Cambodia), with no systematic treatment needed for a standard itinerary. Dengue circulates year-round, with no widely available vaccine: prevention is based on repellents and covering clothing at dusk.

Excluding international flights, budget 50 to 70 euros per day per person for a comfortable trip in 3-star hotels with local meals, transport included and some activities. For 4-star accommodation with a private guide and dedicated vehicle transfers, plan for 90 to 140 euros per day. Luxury with boutique resorts easily exceeds 200 euros. As for meals, a street food dish costs 50-80 baht (1.50-2 euros), a meal at a local restaurant 150-250 baht, a menu at a good restaurant around 600-900 baht. A local beer costs 80-120 baht. Main attractions such as the Grand Palace in Bangkok charge 500 baht for entry.

The ideal period for combining North and South Andaman runs from November to February: dry weather, pleasant temperatures of 25 to 30°C during the day, cool nights in the North. March-April becomes very hot (up to 40°C in the central plains) and marks the agricultural burning season in the North, with degraded air quality in Chiang Mai. From May to October, monsoon season hits the Andaman (Phuket, Krabi), but the Gulf of Thailand (Koh Samui, Koh Tao) remains accessible until September. October and November concentrate rainfall over the Gulf. For Isan and the Northeast, the dry window stretches from November to March.

For long distances, low-cost domestic flights (Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion) connect all major cities for €30 to €70. Bangkok-Chiang Mai and Bangkok-Surat Thani overnight trains offer a comfortable experience with air-conditioned berths for €30-50. VIP buses cover the entire country with excellent value for money. In cities, Bangkok has the BTS and MRT, while Chiang Mai operates with red songthaews (shared minibuses at 30 baht). For the islands, ferries are frequent from Krabi, Phuket, Surat Thani and Chumphon. We systematically arrange private vehicles with drivers for tailor-made tours, offering greater flexibility for stops.

Thailand remains a safe destination for travelers, with a low crime rate against tourists. Precautions are those of any trip: watch out for pickpockets in Bangkok's crowded markets, be vigilant with luggage on night buses, exercise caution when renting a scooter (frequent accidents, helmets are mandatory, verify insurance). Common scams revolve around Bangkok tuk-tuks offering tours at very low prices that lead to tailor or jewelry shops. The southern border areas (Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat provinces) are not recommended for political reasons. Our team in Chiang Mai remains available 24/7 throughout your stay for any questions or unexpected situations.