Thai FAQs Thailand Frequently Asked Questions Thu, 12 Apr 2018 04:17:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 thai-faq What Voltage and What Type of Electrical Plugs Does Thailand Use? Thu, 12 Apr 2018 04:17:11 +0000 Thailand’s electrical system is 220V at 50Hz and Thailand uses Type A and Type C electrical plug types.

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Thailand’s electrical system is 220V at 50Hz and Thailand uses Type A and Type C electrical plug types. If you’re still confused, keep reading and we’ll explain.

If you are visiting Thailand from the Americas (North, Central, or South) there’s a good chance that most of your electronics operate on 110V electricity. Almost everywhere else in the world runs on 220V electricity (a notable exception being Japan which runs on 100V) and the products sold in those countries typically are designed to run on 220V.

Fortunately, more and more electronics sold today can handle both 110V or 220V interchangeably, with the biggest consideration being the type of plug that you plug into the wall socket.

However, please make sure you check, especially if you’re bringing products designed for the Americas. If you have a brick looking device on your power supply cord, chances are that, that brick will tell you what kind of electrical input the product can handle.

But don’t just assume that because you have a brick looking device on your power cable that you’re ok. You could cause serious damage to your electronics, yourself, and-or the electrical system that you’re plugging into.

What Electrical Input Are My Electronics?

Below you can see an Apple notebook power cable. You’ll notice that it says, “Input: 100-240V ~1.5A 50-60Hz”. That indicates that it can run on voltage ranging from 100V all the way up to 240V. You would be safe plugging this in almost anywhere.


If your electronic device indicates that it can only handle up to 110V or 120V you will not be able to use it in Thailand without getting something called a step-down converter. You can find products like this at electrical stores or online at Amazon.

However, as a matter of practicality (and potentially safety), it’s not recommended you use a step-down converter. Many devices rated for 110V may not deal well with a step-down converter’s output or the converter itself may not be up to the task and can overheat. Given that most of the devices rated for 110V only tend to be things like hair dryers or other items that need to generate heat (e.g. hair straighteners), it’s often easier and safer to simply buy one that is dual voltage or buy a cheap one upon arrival.

Electrical Plugs in Thailand

Beyond making sure that your electronics can handle the voltage used in Thailand, you’ll need to make sure that you can plug your electronics into the wall socket.

Given that most modern electronics can handle both 110V and 220V, getting the plug right is usually the biggest issue travelers have when dealing with electronics in Thailand.

There are currently 15 different types of plugs used around the world, designated by the letters A through O. In the US, types A and B are used. In Europe, South America, and Asia you’re more likely to find a Type C plug/socket.

Thailand uses a hybrid and depending on where you’re at, it may be Type A, Type C, a combination Type A and C, or even a combination Type A, B and C socket.


Yes, it can be a little confusing and unfortunately you won’t really know what kind of socket you’re going to have in your hotel room or at the coffee shop until you arrive.

The image below is of a commonly found electrical socket in Thailand. It is a combination of a Type A, Type B, and Type C socket.


It takes Type A flat plugs (see below)


It can also take Type B flat plugs with a ground (see below).


And it can take a Type C, rounded plug (see below).


However, it is not unheard of to find Type C only plugs in Thailand.

And not all sockets that take Type A plugs will take Type B plugs as some sockets lack a grounding socket (for the bottom prong on a thee-prong plug).

So what do you do if you have a three-prong plug (Type B) but you have a two-prong socket?

Well, you certainly don’t want to yank off the third prong. Buy an adapter that will convert your three prong plug into a two prong plug.

Do realize that the lack of a third socket means that your electronics are not grounded and could be susceptible to power surges.

One trick that many travelers use is to bring a surge protection power strip from their home country (the ones in Thailand are not always up to overseas standards). Then, you only need one adapter to plug into the wall socket and you have 3 – 6 electrical sockets that do not need any sort of adapter.

Overall, the electricity in Thailand is pretty good. There are no statistics for quality of electrical service but it’s not something that you often hear people complain about.

However, you should keep in mind that the job of the electrical company is to deliver power to the property line. From there, you’re relying on building contractors to wire things correctly.

If you’re saying in a 4-star hotel in Bangkok chances are pretty good everything is up to spec. If you’re staying in a 500 baht a night room in a rural area of the country, well, let’s just say you’re taking a much larger leap of faith that things were done correctly.

To sum it up:

Check that your electronics can handle 220V

Make sure you bring the proper adaptors for your plugs

Consider bringing your own power strip to minimize the number of adaptors you need

Be conscious that while you probably have nothing more to worry about in Thailand than you do back home, the less developed the building you’re staying in the more careful you should be about the electrical standards.


How Deadly is Songkran? Thu, 18 May 2017 05:40:59 +0000 Songkran is the Thai new year celebration which occurs in April.  It is a fun time (for some) where people splash each other with water and, especially in the villages outside of Bangkok and...

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Songkran is the Thai new year celebration which occurs in April.  It is a fun time (for some) where people splash each other with water and, especially in the villages outside of Bangkok and other major tourists areas, the Thais have a multi-day festival ringing in the new year.

Unfortunately, Songkran is also associated with a period of road carnage that has become somewhat of a macabre obsession with some.  Songkran is a festive time and people engage in copious amounts of drinking which combined with operating a motor vehicle can have devastating consequences.

Even on a normal day in Thailand, the roads are far less safe than what some of us foreigners are used to back home.  According to the BBC, Thailand’s roads are ranked the second most lethal in the world, only behind Libya.

Thailand has 36.2 road fatalities per 100,000 people.  Compared with the US at 10.6 per 100,000 or the UK at 2.9 per 100,000, these numbers are shocking and should be a stark reminder to tourists and expats that they should be super vigilant about their safety on the roads in Thailand.

In 2013 (latest numbers provided by Wikipedia) Thailand saw 24,237 road fatalities.

Though, to many people these numbers simply reflect the lax attitude towards road safety that is on constant display in Thailand.  Whether it be children as young as 10 years old riding motorbikes (sometimes with 2, 3, 4, or even 5 passengers), motorcycle taxis zooming down sidewalks in Bangkok or zipping in and out of traffic, or chartered bus drivers that drive at unsafe speeds on twisty roads, Thais don’t seem to exhibit much concern for safety norms.

Combining lax road safety attitudes with equally lax attitudes regarding obeying traffic laws and it can be a deadly combination.

Thailand is a country where traffic violations are often dealt with by slipping the police officer a small bribe thus making respect for traffic laws difficult to enforce.  No matter what directives come down from the central government, enforcement is difficult when the police simply view the crackdowns and new laws as a way to collect more money.

Songkran is a particularly deadly time when you combine all of these factors together.

Every year the local press starts their road incident tallies which are reported by the government.  Each day of Songkran (which is tallied as a 7-day period though the most intense celebrations are only over 3 days) is marked by media reports of the number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities with a running total for Songkran.

As you can see by the chart and numbers below, while there were some declines in the numbers between 2008 and 2012, they’ve been inching up again.


The bottom line is that Songkran is one of the most deadly periods to be on the road in Thailand and expats and tourists would be wise to exercise extreme caution.

Generally, if you can avoid road travel, do so.  Take a taxi (or the BTS/MRT – if you’re in Bangkok) instead of riding your motorbike.  Avoid taking busses or vans on long trips up country or to tourist spots (take a train or fly if you can).  Practice defensive driving if you are driving.

Unfortunately there is no magic way to stay safe during Songkran or any other time of the year and given the ineffectiveness of previous crackdowns, government pleas, and simple lack of will on the part of Thai society.


Is Dual Pricing in Thailand Racist? Wed, 08 Mar 2017 19:28:40 +0000 Many foreigners who either visit or live in Thailand have complained that they feel that dual pricing in Thailand is racist. Others argue that it simply reflects the economic disparity between those who come...

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To get to the bottom of the question, let’s take a look at what is meant by the term dual pricing in Thailand as it has many forms.

Types of Dual Pricing in Thailand

  • Government Dual Pricing – This is the act of pricing entrance to national parks at different rates for foreigners.
  • Other Official Dual Pricing – When tourist attractions and others have an official price for tourists that is higher for foreigners.
  • Opportunistic Dual Pricing – When a shop owner or other type of merchant decides to price their goods higher for foreigners than they do for local Thais.

In terms of Government or Other Official Dual Pricing in Thailand, many foreigners wrongly claim that no other countries engage in dual pricing. One only has to look at Senior’s Discounts or Local’s Only prices to counter this claim.

For instance, Disney, the world’s largest theme park company, often offers amusement park tickets at discounted prices for locals. Show a California driver’s license and one can receive a big discount on entry at Disneyland in Anaheim, Ca.

Senior citizens also enjoy widespread discounts at everything from restaurants to movie theaters simply for being able to prove they are 55 or older.

Many nightclubs offer Ladies Night specials. Police and members of the military are often given discounts. There are many affinity based discounts, many of which would exclude foreigners (AARP, Auto Club, etc) as those organizations only exist in the host country.

Some would point out that while these discounts do exist in other parts of the world, they do not specifically discriminate against foreigners (though police and firefighters tend to be citizens of the host country so it actually does discriminate.). There is some truth to this however it could be argued just as easily that given Thailand’s rather disjointed patchwork of governmental agencies, it’s simply easier for them to distinguish between citizen or non-citizen (Thai citizens are required to carry a Thai ID card) than it is to ask a park employee to determine a foreigner’s immigration status in the country.

Dual Pricing in Thailand Based on Wealth Differences

However, there is also room for an argument to be made that given the wealth inequality between most Thais and most foreigners, the Thai government would be doing the Thai people an injustice to charge them the foreigner rate as well as leaving tens of millions of baht in revenue on the table if they charged all foreigners a rate which locals could afford.

racismWhen dealing with third-world or developing economies, it’s difficult to draw parallels with first-world nations. 400 baht, the foreigner price at many national parks, is more than the legally mandated minimum daily wage for most Thais. So while it might be what a foreigner would normally spend on lunch, a Thai person has worked for an entire day or more to earn that same amount. Imagine a Thai would wants to visit a national park with his family? Entrance for himself, his wife, and their three children could equate to 25% of his monthly wages.

And given that Thai national parks should primarily benefit Thai people, pricing most of them out of ever being able to visit any of their own national parks seems rather oppressive.

Of course, the Thai government could always lower the price for everyone such that Thais could easily afford the fee. But traditionally, national parks, regardless of the country, are not profit centers and rely on some taxpayer funding. How fair would it be for Thai people to pay taxes to subsidize lower prices for foreigners?

The only compromise, other than dual pricing, would be to have national parks that are available only to Thais with the lower fees and tourism oriented national parks that are available to foreigners.

But how do you reconcile situations like the Grand Palace that is both a place of Thai history and religious importance to Thai people? It’s one of the most popular tourist attractions for foreigners who want to learn about Thailand. Should Thais be deprived of their own heritage and culture or should foreigners be told that a popular tourist attraction is no longer available to them?

Such a solution would end up being more problematic than dual pricing.

Similarly, the government is probably adding fuel to the claims of racism or at least unfairness by not positioning the Thai price as a discount rather than having two published rates. If the rate for 400 baht but anyone showing a Thai ID receives a 300 baht discount, the optics are better than having a 100 baht price for Thais and a 400 baht price for foreigners.

While many of these discounts might be okay for a private company, many point out that by publishing official foreigner and Thai pricing, the government is promoting racism.

At the governmental level, this is a trickier topic to address because while it may be discriminatory on a certain level, it’s something that is pervasive throughout Thai society. Foreigners cannot own land in Thailand. Foreigners are prohibited from entering certain professions. Foreigners cannot own businesses that engage in certain industries. In fact, foreigners (with few exceptions) cannot even own more than 50% of any company in Thailand.

So, is it racist or is it simply in keeping with Thailand’s tendency to put Thai interests ahead of foreigner interests?

Perhaps it’s a bit of both depending on how liberal you want to get with the definition of racism. However, given how ultra-nationalistic the Thai people are in general, it is far more likely that most Thais view this as an issue of putting Thais ahead of foreigners.

What if Western Countries Had Dual Pricing?

Another common argument you will hear is that if other countries priced differently for Thais than they did for the local people, Thais would scream bloody murder. Given that the application for a visa to the US, UK, EU, or Australia (and most of the people who make the racism claim are from one of those countries) is both far more expensive, more invasive in terms of documentation required, and take significantly longer to obtain, one could argue that the foreigner price is already built into the system for them.

For example, my wife (who is Thai) and I were planning a trip to France and Italy. As an American, I didn’t have to do anything. I am granted 90-days visa exemption upon arrival. My wife, a permanent US resident, had to fill out an application, supply 3 months worth of bank statements, show a letter from her employer that she was employed and that she had a job when she returned, show 3 months of pay slips from her job, show proof of funds for her stay in the EU, provide several years of prior year tax returns, show hotel reservations in her name, and show a flight itinerary in her name (yes, you have to book a hotel and flight before you are granted a visa – which is a huge financial burden if you are then declined). Then, she had to travel to another state (300 miles away) to apply and pay the visa application fee at the embassy, in person.

I think most Thais would be thrilled to be able to enter the US or EU under the same 60-day visa exemption that US and EU citizens enjoy in Thailand and simply pay $10 extra at national parks.

Many people opposed to dual pricing make an excellent point that a permanent resident or someone on a retirement or work visa should get the same pricing as Thais because their tax dollars also contribute to the maintenance of the national park system and other similar places where dual pricing exists.

While earlier it was pointed out that the reason that the local price was not given to these longer-term expats due to the fact that it’s easier for Thais to segment people based on citizenship rather than immigration status, they do have a valid grievance that the Thai government should address.

But, yet again, we have to ask whether or not this is racism or simply laziness and inefficiency. Is their malice behind not extending local pricing to foreigners living long-term in Thailand or is it a matter of the government, in general, not feeling it’s worth the time, cost, and effort to make a distinction between anybody who is not a Thai citizen?

Ultimately, it’s up to each person to decide. Though, as previously mentioned, treating foreigners differently under the law is ingrained into Thai society so if one finds dual pricing in Thailand racist, they’ll likely view the entire Thai system as racist.

Is It Really Racist?

Further complicating any accusation of racism is the fact that citizenship is not a race. The signs at national parks indicating dual pricing do not say, “Asians pay X and White people pay Y.” They say Thais pay one price and foreigners pay a different price. In fact, many of the signs showing a lower price for Thais are written entirely in Thai using Thai numbers which further infuriates people who argue that dual pricing is racist as they say it is obvious Thais are trying to hide the dual pricing from them.

And, they wouldn’t be wrong on the fact that the dual pricing seems to be hidden via only mentioning the Thai price in Thai script. But this seems to further bolster the case that the government’s motive is not racist as Japanese, Koreans, Cambodians, Vietnamese, and other Asians are equally deceived.

Opportunistic Dual Pricing in Thailand

Lastly, there is the issue of dual pricing in local shops, food stands, and other places which is neither official nor advertised. Many argue that if they walk into a shop and the shopkeeper quotes them 200 baht for an item that they would sell to locals for 100 baht it is racist.

The only problem with that is that the same shopkeeper will do it to an affluent Thai too.

Many Thais that I’ve spoken with have mentioned getting charged higher prices for reasons ranging from being married to a foreigner to wearing too nice of clothes.

Understandably, this might be annoying for many foreigners in Thailand who feel that this dual pricing is directed at them but I’m not sure I would consider it racist. It’s more about a mentality that a fair price is a price that someone else is capable of paying. If you drive a nice car, the thinking goes, you can afford to pay more than someone who can’t afford shoes.

Perhaps annoying but I would find it difficult to classify it as racist.

Of course, there are racist Thais. I’m sure there are people who can cite one or more examples of dual pricing resulting from blatant racism. It’s not that racism doesn’t exist in any form, it’s a matter of whether or not the primary reason for dual pricing in Thailand comes from a malicious, racist motivation.

It has become somewhat normal in western counries for people to misapply the racist label on anything that seems unfair and where the two sides on an issue are of different races.

Perhaps that is what is happening here. Some people feel the pricing structure is unfair and because the people imposing the pricing structure are of a different race, some feel the unfairness is a form of racism.

But it’s an argument likely to fall on deaf ears in Thailand which is far less observant of political correctness than most western countries are. It’s highly unlikely that government officials are going to appreciate that some people feel dual pricing is racist.


What is Thai Time? Tue, 28 Feb 2017 01:00:21 +0000 Most of us think everyone tells time the same way. Sure, the military and some parts of the world may use the 24 hour clock instead of the 12 hour time we’re used to...

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Most of us think everyone tells time the same way. Sure, the military and some parts of the world may use the 24 hour clock instead of the 12 hour time we’re used to but it’s simply enough to figure out using a little math.  What many people don’t know is that Thais have their own system of telling time. Thais still use the 12 and 24 hour clocks for many things but Thais generally think about time in Thai time.

And contrary to what some might be expecting, that’s not an attempt to say that Thais are not punctual (though that may also be true for some). In Thailand they actually use a different system of time telling and it is the one that most Thais use.

Thai time is based on a six hour clock rather than 12 or 24. A day is divided into four parts. Thai time has a Dtii (dawn), Chao (morning), Bai (afternoon), and Thum (evening). And much like other time formats, Thais recognize midnight (Thiang Kheun) and noon (Thiang).

As you can see below, this can become a little confusing for people not use to dealing with Thai time or a six hour clock.

Thai Numbers

But before we get into that, let’s just review the Thai numbers.

1 = Neung
2 = Song
3 = Saam
4 = Sii
5 = Haa (if you ever text with a Thai and they respond 555, you now know that means ha ha ha).
6 = Hok
7 = Jet
8 = Bpet
9 = Gao
10 = Sip
11 = Sip-Et
12 = Sip Song

How Thai Time Works

Now, let’s look at how Thai time works.

Midnight – Thiang Kheun

1am – Dtii Neung
2am – Dtii Song
3am – Dtii Saam
4am – Dtii Sii
5am – Dtii Haa

6am – Hok Mohng Chao

7am – Jet Mohng Chao
8am – Bpet Mohng Chao
9am – Gao Mohng Chao
10am – Sip Mohng Chao
11am – Sip-Et Mohng Chao

12.00 (Noon) – Thiang

1pm – Bai Mohng
2pm – Bai Song Mohng
3pm – Bai Saam Mohng
4pm – Bai Sii Mohng
5pm – Bai Haa Mohng

6pm – Hok Mohng Yen

7pm – Neung Thum
8pm – Song Thum
9pm – Saam Thum
10pm – Sii Thum
11 pm – Haa Thum

thai time can be confusing

Seems pretty easy (or maybe it doesn’t) until you get to Neung Thum which is 7pm. Neung is the number “One” in Thai. For westerners learning Thai, it’s easy to hear Neung and have your brain try to associate it with either 1am or 1pm. And for Thais, when they hear the English word “Four” their brains might race to associate it with either 4am (Dtii Sii), 4pm (Bai Sii), or 10pm (Sii Thum).

It can take some getting used to. But you can also cheat a little bit. If military time is easier for you to process, you can always specify time in military time by adding “Naa-Li-Ga” after the 24 hour time.

More Thai Numbers to Tell Thai Time

To get there, we’ll have to use expand our Thai vocabulary to 24 numbers.

13 = Sip Saam
14 = Sip Sii
15 = Sip Haa
16 = Sip Hok
17 = Sip Jet
18 = Sip Bpet
19 = Sip Gao
20 = Yee Sip
21 = Yee Sip-Et
22 = Yee Sip Song
23 = Yee Sip Saam
24 = Yee Sip Sii

So if you wanted to meet someone at 3pm you would ask to meet at Sip Haa Naa-Li-Ga.

Thai Time On the Half Hour and Everywhere Else

That’s all well and good if everything happens on the hour. If you need to specify Thai time between hours, half hours are designated by the word “kreung” which means “half.” So Bai Saam Mohng Kreung would be 3:30pm.

Thai time doesn’t really use quarter hours so there’s no quarter past or quarter to. In those cases, as well as any other time that does not fall on the hour or the half, one would use the time in minutes in Thai.

So 3:33pm in Thai would be Bai Saam Mohng Saam Sip Saam.

Rather than list out all of the numbers between 1 and 60, here’s a little tip on Thai numbers (more info about the Thai numbering system can be found here). We’ve already covered the numbers 1 – 10 above. Like most languages, that gets you a good chunk of the way of knowing most of the rest of the numbers since they’re all based on the first 10.

Everything other than the numbers in the 20s, is simply the number plus the word 10.

Saam Sip = 30
Sii Sip = 40

Twenty is the only odd-ball. You don’t say Song Sip. Instead, Thais say Yee Sip for 20.

After you’ve got the multiples of 10, you just add on the remainder.

Samm Sip Saam = 33
Saam Sip Sii = 34
Sii Sip Sii = 44
Sii Sip Haa = 45

And Yee Sip works the same way.

Yee Sip Song = 22
Yee Sip Haa = 25

Confused by Thai Time?

Does Thai time sound confusing? Don’t worry, it’s not just you. Many people struggle with Thai time. So don’t feel too embarrassed the first few times it leads to some confusion and certainly don’t by shy about clarifying with military time if you have any doubts.


Is it legal to be a digital nomad in Thailand? Wed, 08 Feb 2017 04:43:41 +0000 Many people who have location independent businesses flock to Thailand for the great weather and cheap cost of living.  Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of misinformation floating around about the legality of being...

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Many people who have location independent businesses flock to Thailand for the great weather and cheap cost of living.  Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of misinformation floating around about the legality of being a digital nomad in Thailand.

What is a digital nomad?

Before we get too far into the legal issues surrounding digital nomads in Thailand, we’ll clarify what a digital nomad is.  The term generally refers to someone who is engaged in a location independent business which frees the individual to run their business from virtually anywhere.

For instance, if you are a graphic designer and you make money designing logos for customers that come to you via an online freelancer site like Fiverr, you can do that work just as easily from a beach hut on Koh Samui as you can from the US or Europe.  And if next week you could pick up and move to Vietnam or another country with no break in your work because your physical location has little or no bearing on your income.

Digital nomads generally do not target their nomadic base market though.  For instance, if the previous example’s graphic designer went around and solicited local businesses on Koh Samui to design their websites then they do not really fit the digital nomad definition since their income is derived from the local economy and they are less location independent.


Because the concept of people being to move freely around the world while collecting income from customers also sprinkled around the globe, many countries have yet to come to terms with how they should handle these nomadic workers should be classified.

Working in Thailand

Thailand has very strict laws regarding foreigners working in the country.  Some would even say that the Thai government’s definition is overly extreme, even classifying unpaid charity work as work that requires a work permit.

Since foreign business owners are not necessarily required to obtain a work permit, there are many tales of rival business owners snitching out other business owners for doing something as trivial as carrying a box or wiping down a restaurant table.  As those are considered work under Thai law, the business owner would be in violation of immigration law and subject to possible deportation.

This is probably where many people get the impression that doing any sort of work in Thailand and being a digital nomad in Thailand is illegal without obtaining a work permit.

However, this is not how immigration laws have been applied to a digital nomad in Thailand in the past which is a more important criteria than what some guy in a bar or on an online message board says.

For instance, according to the Samui Times, in Aug of 2014 senior Thai immigration officials held a public event with members of the media and diplomatic corps in order to explain various new Thai immigration laws.  Senior immigration officer Thawatchai Changoern was referenced as saying the following regarding digital nomads.

He noted that online work for overseas companies that pay overseas is not prohibited but that the person will need to get a visa to stay longer, currently there is no new visa for these kinds of people.

Ironically, a month later Thai immigration conducted a raid on the PunSpace coworking space which is popular with many digital nomads living in Chiang Mai.  While many initial reports claimed that it was a crackdown on digital nomads, the immigration officers did eventually release everyone and said that they had conducted the raid to make sure that nobody was overstaying their visas.

Others have speculated that the Thai immigration officers were under the mistaken impression that the people working at PunSpace were employees of PunSpace and thus were working in the country illegally.  Their theory is that when it became apparent that this was not the case, Thai immigration officials wished to save face so they put out the story about visas.

If anything the quick release of everyone detained should indicate that, at least in Chiang Mai, while the whole concept of digital nomadism is still a little bewildering to Thai immigration authorities, it is certainly not considered illegal.

What’s the law?

Unfortunately, Thailand’s rule of law is not on par with what many foreigners are used to back in their home countries.  An immigration officer can come out on Monday and say that working online is fine and on Tuesday they can can say that it’s not okay and that you’re being deported for working illegally.

In fact, there’s no guarantee that what an immigration official said in Chiang Mai is either legally binding in any way or even applicable to any other city in Thailand.

There is no specific law that says working online or being a digital nomad in Thailand is permitted.  There is also no law saying that it is not permitted.

That’s where a lot of the confusion arises from.  In the absence of clear laws, legality runs the danger of becoming the opinion of whatever Thai immigration officer is in charge and what mood they happen to be in that day.

Digital Nomads in Thailand

But, technically, if one were to respond to an email while on vacation in Thailand, that would also be considered working in Thailand given the lack of laws regarding the topic.

However, I can not find any mention from any source of foreigners ever being fined or deported for working online that didn’t involve the online work as being illegal in itself (running scams, etc).

Even if merely working online was illegal, it would be both nearly impossible to enforce as well as extremely harmful to the tourism industry as many people would simply go to another country in the region rather than risk being fined for answering a work email.

Keeping a low profile

This is why it is recommended that any digital nomad in Thailand simply keep a low profile until specific laws are enacted by the Thai government that better clarify the legality of online work.  That doesn’t mean you should hide in your apartment and block out all of the windows like a recluse.  But it does mean, why draw attention to yourself by working out of a shared workspace like PunSpace or going around and telling anybody who will listen that you’re a digital nomad?

This keep your head down approach might fly in the face of what many people believe about being in the right or how the world should work but it’s more about avoiding problems.

All it takes is someone who doesn’t like you to go whisper in the ear of some immigration officer about how you go around bragging that you’re working in the country illegally (which may not even be true but if that is what they claim, well, it’s up to you to prove you aren’t working illegally), and, at a minimum, you’ll be spending a night or two sleeping in an immigration detention cell.

There is a certain animosity within parts of the expat community towards the digital nomad in Thailand.  It’s just easier not to draw attention to what you do.

That said, the biggest problem most digital nomads will face in Thailand is not the issue of getting caught working in Thailand but staying in Thailand legally.  Your typical digital nomad in Thailand will only be able to qualify for a tourist visa and, technically, immigration views tourism very differently than living in Thailand.

While Thai immigration has vacillated back and forth between being very lenient with tourist visas to randomly cracking down on tourist visa abusers, it would be foolish to create too permanent of a life in Thailand without obtaining some sort of longer-term immigration status.  At best, you’re going to have to obtain a new tourist visa every 90 days or so by leaving the country and re-entering.  You’ll never be sure whether or not the next time you go and apply for a new tourist visa they’ll look at all of the previous visas and decide you are no longer a true tourist.

Digital nomads who travel through Thailand and stay for 3 – 6 months at a time and then head off elsewhere are likely to avoid these kinds of problems.

Ultimately, until the Thai government defines what “online work” is or what a “digital nomad” is and how the laws do or don’t apply to them, and it is clearly written into law, it’s somewhat of an ambiguous situation.

However, given that it would be extremely difficult to catch someone working online in Thailand, the fact that Thai immigration has previously shown little interest in catching digital nomads operating their businesses in Thailand, the statements by the Chiang Mai immigration officials, and the havoc a sudden crackdown would cause to the tourism industry in Thailand, it seems to be unlikely that a digital nomad in Thailand would be at much risk.


How Much Do You Need To Live in Thailand? Wed, 01 Feb 2017 19:09:11 +0000 The minimum amount you need to live in Thailand is one of the oldest questions around.  Part of the problem is that there is no strict dollar (or Euro or Pound or Yen) answer...

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The minimum amount you need to live in Thailand is one of the oldest questions around.  Part of the problem is that there is no strict dollar (or Euro or Pound or Yen) answer to that question.  Some will tell you that you can live in Thailand on $500 a month while others say you need at least $2000.  Who is right?

Can You Live in Thailand on $500 USD a Month?

Probably the best way to answer that question is to look at what $500 a month in Thailand will get you.  Technically, you could be homeless and live on the goodwill of strangers but that’s probably not the lifestyle most people are looking for.

Five hundreds dollars, at today’s exchange rate (Jan 31, 2017) is about 17,500 baht.

The cheapest accommodations that one is *likely* to find will run you about 7,000 baht a month.  That’s pretty barebones though.  Don’t expect air conditioning, an elevator, security, or being close to anything.  One would need to look pretty hard to find such a deal in Bangkok and even out in other better known areas around the country like Chiang Mai it’s not going to be a breeze finding an decent apartment at that price.

You can also expect utilities to run about 2,100 baht a month, throw in internet and you’re looking at another 700 baht a month.

Live cheap in Thailand

So, just to have a roof over your head, utilities, and basic internet, we’re at 9,800 baht a month which would leave you with approximately 7,700 baht a month for everything else including food.

Can you live on 7,700 baht a month?  Well, if you spend 5,000 baht a month on food (which is about 45 baht per meal from a food cart or inexpensive restaurant, three times a day), you’re down to 2,700 baht left over.

With that 2,700 baht you would need a mobile phone (let’s say 300 baht a month for a decent phone plan), transportation, toiletries, laundry, etc.

Plus, factor in the cost of visa runs, visa extensions, medical expenses, and so on.

And don’t forget that if your $500 a month is coming from overseas, the exchange rate can fluctuate.  Today, the baht trades 35 to the dollar but just a few years ago it was trading at 28 – 29 baht to the dollar.  Your $500 would have only been worth 14,000 baht or so.

Don’t discount inflation either.  Thailand is a developing nation so the economy tends to grow at a faster pace than it does back where most foreigners come from.  If your income is increasing at 2% a year and inflation in Thailand is running at 3% or 4% a year, that’s not sustainable.

Is $500 a month doable?  Sure.  It’s not the greatest quality of life and I know someone will argue that they know of a place up in the middle of nowhere where they can rent for 4,000 baht a month or that they never turn on the fan so their utilities are half of what I estimated but suffice it to say that one *could* live in Thailand on $500 a month if they were thrifty and wanted to live is very basic lifestyle with few, if any, frills.

That said, you’re one major unexpected expense from being dead broke and in a real financial bind.  Eventually your computer and phone will die and you’ll need to replace them.  Clothes and shoes eventually need replacing.  You will likely need dental or medical services at some point.

If you’re on a fixed income of, say, $1,000 a month (35,000 baht) and you choose to try and live on $500 a month, that might be doable.  However, if your fixed income is $500 a month, this is going to be pretty tough living.  You might be able to do it for a year or two, assuming your computer, phone, clothes, etc are going to last you that period, but it’s a little too tight of a budget if you plan on spending 20 years living in Thailand.

Live a comfortable lifestyle in Bangkok

A More Realistic Budget to Live in Thailand Comfortably

So what does it cost to live a more “comfortable” lifestyle in Thailand?  Well, obviously that depends on what you consider a comfortable lifestyle.

But we have a good start by defining the base level.  We can start adding to it from there.

The first decision you’ll have to make is there you want to live in Thailand.  Bangkok is going to be the most expensive in terms of accommodations.  You can expect to pay 10,000 – 15,000 baht a month for a very basic studio apartment.  Prices go up the closer you get to either the city’s center or to a BTS or MRT stop.

A luxury apartment near Sukhumvit or Silom can cost anywhere from 25,000 to 100,000 baht a month depending on your tastes and the size of place you’re looking for.

Expect to pay more for utilities as well.  You would probably want to budget 2,500 baht on the low end and considerably more if your air conditioning a large luxury apartment.

Internet will cost you about the same unless you want to upgrade to higher speeds.

Presumably, if you’re living a more “comfortable” lifestyle you’ll splurge on things like toiletries/incidentals and buy the brands you like instead of the ones you can afford.

A maid will cost you about 3,000 baht a month.

Where the prices start to really vary is in your lifestyle choices.  You can eat 50 baht a meal food from food carts or you can spent 200 – 1,000 baht a meal eating in restaurants that cater to foreigners.  Most people do a mix of both cheap eats and eating out.  Your budget, obviously, will depend on how you mix those two.

And unless you want to cook mostly Thai food, don’t think that you’ll get any major savings making your own meals.  Anything imported from back home is going to be pretty expensive in the grocery stores.  You’ll save a bit but not as much as you might back home.  And I don’t see how most people can beat 50 baht for a delicious meal from a food cart cooking their own.

The next big variable is entertainment.  Some people spend every night in a bar and others rarely go out at night.  A beer in a normal bar or restaurant might cost you about 100 – 140 baht.  If they have any sort of entertainment, that price may be closer to 200 baht.

Movies?  Travel?  Again, those are additional costs you need to factor in.

And the more entertainment the more you’ll pay for transportation to get to and from wherever you’re going.  Fortunately, taxis are relatively cheap and start off with a base fare of 35 baht and the BTS and MRT are extremely reasonable as well but you’ll still need to budget in those costs.

I could go on listing prices but let’s just say that if you did not need a luxury apartment and your eating and entertainment costs were somewhat modest, 50,000 – 60,000 baht would probably suffice.

Let’s break that down:

15,000 baht for rent

2,500 baht for utilities

700 baht for internet

500 baht for phone

3000 baht for a maid

500 baht for toiletries and essentials

12,000 baht for food

10,000 baht for entertainment

2000 baht for transportation


46,200 baht per month

50,000 would give you a little cushion in your budget and 60,000 would leave you a nice bit left over to save for unexpected expenses.  Remember, we haven’t factored in any health insurance either.  Nor have any visa runs or visa extension fees been added into that since they don’t run monthly.

You could certainly do it for cheaper.  Eat out a little less.  Go out a little less.  Ditch the maid.  Find a cheaper place to live.  Perhaps you can find 10,000 baht savings in there.

So, all in, you’re looking at anywhere between 36,200 – 46,200 baht a month.

That is for Bangkok.  You’re likely to find your costs run a bit cheaper in places like Chiang Mai (about 25% cheaper) or even Pattaya (about 15% – 20% cheaper).  Your cost of living will run considerably cheaper if you’re looking to go somewhere less frequented by tourists like in the Issan Provence (30%+).

So, to answer the question of how much it costs to live in Thailand:

Extreme Minimalist Lifestyle:  $500

Thrifty Lifestyle:  $1,000 – $1,200

Comfortable Lifestyle:  $1,500 – $2,000

Luxury Lifestyle – Lower End:  $2,500 – $3,000

Luxury Lifestyle – Higher End:  $3,000+

As mentioned previously, there are always going to be people who tell you that they spend XX,XXX baht per month and they feel they live pretty comfortable.  Comfortable is subjective.  I’ve tried to outline general costs to give you an idea of what various definitions might include.  And yes, someone who has been here 10 years and speaks fluent Thai is going to know where they can get a better deal or pay less but that’s exactly why this is one of the most difficult questions about Thailand to answer.  Everyone has a different answer.

Other Things to Keep In Mind

Thai schools are not highly regarded.  If you have children, you will likely want to send them to a private international school.  Private schooling in Thailand can be quite expensive and a shock to the budget.  You can expect to pay 400,000 – 800,000 baht per year per child.

While we still recommend obtaining health insurance, the cost of health care in Thailand can be shockingly inexpensive.  And surprisingly, the quality does not suffer as a result of the low prices.  Thailand is one of the top medical tourism destinations in the world which means that people come to Thailand specifically to have medical procedures performed that might be cost prohibitive back in their home countries.

Polling several expats that live in Thailand, they say that it will take anywhere from 2 – 5 years for someone new to the country to really figure out how to live as cheaply as possible.  That is why we are really cautious in saying that one can live on $500 a month.  Just like any new city or country, it takes awhile to get acclimated and to do the necessary research to live cheap.


Using a Thai Squat Toilet: Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask Sat, 12 Sep 2015 16:30:27 +0000 If you stick to tourist areas in Thailand there’s a chance you may have never run across the Thai Squat Toilet before but for those who have ventured beyond the safe confines of resorts...

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If you stick to tourist areas in Thailand there’s a chance you may have never run across the Thai Squat Toilet before but for those who have ventured beyond the safe confines of resorts hotels, McDonalds, and Lower Sukhumvit, the Thai Squat Toilet is a well known fixture of Thai culture.

Fear not though.  We will explain everything you need to know about Thai Squat Toilets and how to use them like a pro.

First off, it’s easy to think that the Thai Squat Toilet is a rather primitive form of plumbing.  And, in many ways it is.  However, research seems to indicate that taking care of your business in the squat position has health benefits over the more westernized seated option.

Thai Squat Toilet

Recently Giulia Enders, author of Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organhas made the case that sitting on a toilet in more of a squat position rather than sitting is actually better for one’s health.

In an interview in The Guardian, she states:


She’s not alone.  Researchers at Stanford University’s Pelvic Floor Clinic also claim that the human body is better designed for squatting than sitting in regards to eliminating body waste.

Somewhat ironically there even seems to be a movement (pardon the pun) in the West to modify our bathroom habits to bring us more back in line with the Thai Squat Toilet.


Products like the Squatty Potty (shown above) aim to turn western toilets into squatting toilets.


Thai Squat Toilets Are Everywhere in Thailand

All of the research and toilet conversion products aside, the fact of the matter is that if you are in Thailand long enough, you’ll be faced with the need to utilize a Thai Squat Toilet.

They’re everywhere.  Gas stations, private homes, restaurants, shopping malls, and so on and so on.

In fact, for many Thais (mostly rural Thais), the thought of using a sitting toilet is somewhat foreign to them.


It’s not uncommon to see signs indicating to Thais that they should not use western toilets in the same manner of using a toilet that they are accustomed to.

How to Use a Thai Squat Toilet

Step 1:  Do You Have Toilet Paper?

Back home it would be unthinkable to go into a public or private restroom and not find at least a few rolls of toilet paper, but in Thailand, toilet paper is not always a given.

Check First!

Some public restrooms will sell toilet paper at the door for 5 baht or so.  Others leave it up to the user to BYOTP.

Pro Tip:  You should not throw toilet paper into the Thai Squat Toilet when done using it.  You are supposed to deposit it into a trash receptacle as these types of toilets don’t deal well with non-biodegradable waste like toilet paper.  While you’re checking if the restroom has toilet paper it’s always a good idea to check if they also have a trash bin.  Otherwise, bring a bag that you can put your used toilet paper in and dispose of elsewhere.

Step 2:  Give It a Little Splash

There are two major types of Thai Squat Toilets:

  1. Those that come plumbed for water
  2. Those that don’t

Those that come plumbed for water will have a water tank sitting in an elevated position where water can run down into the toilet for flushing.  Those that don’t, usually have a bucket or some other form of water basic and cup or bowl for transferring water from the source to the squat toilet.

Thai Squat Toilet

Either way, giver ‘er a little splash of water before you get down to business.  Things are less likely to stick to the bowl if the bowl is wet.

Pro Tip:  This applies especially for men but it tends to be a good idea to urinate before attempting to defecate else you may find yourself with wet pants.  Ladies, also a good idea to urinate beforehand as well using whatever method you choose for those roughing it moments when you’ve had to do your business in the woods or on the side of the road.

Either way, this is a good time to get that out of the way.

Step 3:  Squat

There’s an art form to squatting that is very important.  You want to squat down in such a way that both your heels are flat on the floor.  Additionally, you’ll want to be very, very careful about allowing any of your clothing to touch the floor on dip into the bowl.

Assuming you’re wearing pants, a good technique to use is to drop your pants to just above knee level.  As you squat over the bowl, make sure the bend in your knees catches the waist of your pants and holds onto them leaving your hands free.

For skirts, you have two options, lowering the skirt from the top or raising the skirt from the bottom.

If you lower your skirt from the top, follow similar advice for pants above and use your knees to hold onto the top of your skirt.  It would also help if you pulled your skirt up off the floor a bit and also used your knees to hold both the top and bottom out of the bowl.

If you are raising your skirt from the bottom, length of skirt will play a big role in how to proceed.  Short skirts are the easiest and stay out of the way fairly intuitively.  Longer skirts need to be hiked up considerably and you may even need to roll the skirt up and use your abdomen area to hold the skirt above your crotch area.

Pro Tip:  With your clothing bunched up like this, stuff can fall out of your pockets.  If you have a cell phone, wallet, or other items in your pockets that you don’t want to have to fish around in a toilet to retrieve, now is a good time to move them someplace safe like a jacket pocket.

Step 4:  Do Your Business

I won’t elaborate here.

Step 5:  Clean Up

Now’s the time to use that toilet paper that you brought with your or purchased outside the restroom.  Remember, don’t throw it in the Thai Squat Toilet.  You will clog the toilet if you do.  Use the waste bin or the bag that you brought to deal with the used toilet paper.

You may find that the restroom neither supplies toilet paper nor sells it and you didn’t think ahead to bring your own.  What now?

Well, you’re going to have to get a little dirty.

Use the cup or bowl that you used to splash a little water around the toilet to get some water where you need it and then use your left hand to do the cleaning.

This should also answer any questions you may have about why some cultures never shake or handle food with the left hand.

Step 6:  Flush

Going back to Step 2, use the provided water source to flush any waste in the bowl down the drain.

Step 7:  Wash Up!

I consider this the most important step, especially if you’ve had to resort to alternative cleaning methods.  Wash your hands!  Use soap and water.  A lot of bacteria is included in our waste and in addition to being just plain nasty, you could catch a serious illness if you touch your food or even wipe your eyes without properly washing your hands after using the toilet.

Don’t be nasty!  Wash up!


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Understanding Thai Street Addresses Mon, 27 Apr 2015 00:22:03 +0000 One of the first things that many tourists and expats realize when they come to Thailand is that the Thai street addresses seem to make no sense. Actually, it does make sense but it...

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One of the first things that many tourists and expats realize when they come to Thailand is that the Thai street addresses seem to make no sense. Actually, it does make sense but it is very different from the way we think of street addresses back in our countries so it takes a little getting used to.

For instance, let’s take a look at a typical Thai street address. Here’s the address for Cabbages and Condoms, the very popular Thai restaurant in Bangkok.

10 Sukhumvit
Soi 12
Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110

It’s easy to assume that C&C is on Sukhumvit but it’s not. It’s on a side street called a “Soi”.

In Thailand the major roads (also called Thanons or ถนน in Thai script) are used to give you a reference point and the smaller streets (also called Sois or ซอย in Thai script) that branch off from the major roads are considered sort of like sub-roads of the major road.

Recently some maps have started to refer to sois as alleys. As you can see in this screen shot from Google Maps, they refer to each soi as an alley (interestingly, they refer to Soi 11 as Soi 11 but the other sois as “Alley”).

Thai Street Addresses

[Click the Photo to Enlarge]

An interesting tidbit about Thai street addresses is that all even numbered sois will be on the same side of the main road (thanon) and all odd numbered sois will be on the opposite side of the road. But, the part that messes people up a bit is that the odd and even sois branch off at different points so if you find yourself on Sukhumvit Soi 22, that does not mean that Sukhumvit Soi 21 or Soi 23 are near you. The closest odd numbered Soi near Soi 22 is Soi 29. And it’s quite a hike (especially during the hot or rainy seasons) from Soi 22 to Soi 21 so make sure you know which side of the thanon your destination is on.

Sois do not always match up on each side of the road

[Click the Photo to Enlarge]

Another confusing aspect of soi numbering the fact that sometimes you may find multiple sois with what look to be same same number. As you can see in the map below, there is a Soi 7 and a Soi 7/1.

Multiple Sois with the same number

Thai Street Addresses . . . Continued

So all of that just gets you past the first two sections of Thai street addresses. What about Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110?

Khlong Toei (also Romanized as Khlong Toey, คลองเตย in Thai script) is the Amphoe (also Romanized as Amphur) which is more or less a district. Bangkok is the city but it is also the Changwat or Province.

One way to understand this part of Thai street addresses might be to think about it in terms of a city like New York City, which in this example would be the Changwat or Province. Then there’s Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island which would be like an Amphur or districts.

The last part of the Thai street address is the postal code: 10110. This is similar to postal codes anywhere else around the world.

Advanced Thai Street Addresses

Everything we’ve covered so far should get you around Thai street addresses in a big city like Bangkok. But what about the more rural areas of Thailand?

Thai street addresses typically follow the below pattern:

Plot/House number, Village
Tambon/Subdistrict, Amphoe/District
Changwat/Province Postal Code

The Plot/House number is usually expressed something like 11/2. That means that the house sits on plot 11 and is designated as the second house on the plot.



The Tambon and Amphoe are the sub-district and district.

The Changwat would be the Province followed by the postal code.

And, of course, if sending mail from overseas, always include the country, Thailand.

Here’s an example taken from Wikipedia

7/22 Moo 5
Soi Ta-ied (Soi Chaofa 50), Chaofa West Road
Phuket 83130

This Thai address could be read:

Plot 7, House 22, Muban 5

Thanon Chaofa West Road, Soi 50 (Soi Ta-ied might be an alternate name used instead of 50 much like Soi Nana often replaces Soi 4 in Thai street addresses).

District Chalong (there seems to be no sub-district)

Province Phuket

Postal code 83130

Country Thailand

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I Hate Thailand Sat, 14 Mar 2015 23:38:25 +0000 Sort of following the same false-title theme as the video Never Go To Thailand, “I hate Thailand” ends up showing all of the reasons one would want to go to Thailand. However, this video...

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However, this video has a little twist. After becoming somewhat of a viral hit, it was later revealed that the video was a production of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). To be honest, I think it should have been pretty obvious that this was not authentic. While parts of the video do involve the main character talking into the camera, seemingly telling his story in real time, it’s all of the establishing shots, smooth panning, better audio than one would ever get from a phone camera, and generally high production values that seem a little contrived.

Nevertheless, one of the reasons people loved the video was the story which follows western tourist James as he wakes up on a beach after a wild night of partying with all of his money and belongings gone.

He goes to the police who don’t seem to be very helpful and then he wanders around paradise angry at the world.

Thus the title of the video.

While kicking up dirt and throwing rocks at cars passing him on the road he meets a local Thai woman who feeds him, let’s him charge his phone, and then goes off with him on a quest to find his lost bag.

Along the way he’s taken in by some local fishermen who invite James to stay with them (another hint at the authenticity of the movie, as they couldn’t have James stay with the girl who he’s only just met).

He learns how to kill mosquitos, take a shower using a bucket of water, and, as he puts it, “the way of the Buddhist.”

He claims that he eventually became a teacher however his class seems to be comprised of four Thai students and his classroom is a swing on the beach.

He and the girl end up sitting on a cliff overlooking the ocean and like a cliche rom-com, he fumbles his words telling her that he thinks the view is beautiful but not her.

Eventually, a local Thai finds him siting on a dock and returns his lost belongings. Supposedly a monkey had stolen the bag and the man had recovered it from the monkey.

Ahhhh . . . a big laugh is had by all.

Cut to a montage of him hanging out with Thais and a voiceover revelation that Thailand gave him friends.

Two years later he’s a snorkeling tour guide, fluent in Thai, and hasn’t left the island his story began on.

It’s actually a pretty feel good, cheesy sort of story but I’m sure the TAT was fully aware the video would have gotten only a few thousand views if they put it out there as an official video. It was the assumption that it was a true story – however unbelievable that would be – that propelled into viral hit (2.6 million views and counting on YouTube).

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Never Go To Thailand Sun, 08 Mar 2015 23:36:40 +0000    A charming little video about Thailand from Brian Camusat who seems to be using the title as either tongue in cheek or wanting to keep what’s he’s discovered in Thailand all to himself....

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Really a well shot little travel video that shows just a small part of why so many people fall in love with Thailand.

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