While Thailand is highly regarded as a tourist friendly country, there is still a few things you must be aware of to get the most out of your time there. Hence, we suggset you give this article a good read.
Like with any country, knowing the native language of it's population can serve as an aid when it comes to basic things, such as asking where a place is, being wary of what people around you are saying and making peoples lives easier! Thai people especially greatly appreciate when non-natives try to speak their language!
Some links to resources for must know phrases are below.
Naturally with every place where there is a high amount of tourists, there will also be a high amount of scams. Thailand is no exception to this rule, and while the tourist police try their best to keep Thailand a safe place, there are still a few things you should look out for!
If you are ever using a Taxi service in Thailand, be careful! A common tactic for scammers is turning off (or forgetting to turn on) the meter purposefully so they can charge you an undefined amount for the ride instead of it being determined based on the distance driven!
You should always ask the driver if the meter is switched on, and if they seem hesistant to tell you, or turn the meter on, then try to leave immediately. Using the meter in Thailand is a legal requirement and the driver can be fined if the meter isn't used. You should report incidents like this (if they happen) to the tourist police.
While anyone and everyone can be affected by spam and unwanted SMS messages, this is especially prevalent in Thailand. During my time there, I'd say that I'd at least get 5 of these per day, from random, unknown numbers. This included unsolicited calls as well.
If someone ever tries to approach you to sell some jewlery or other richeries and claims that they can be resold for a high value back at home, do not buy in! You will most likely be getting some cheap, worthless replica instead.
Below is a YouTube video that covers 34 of the worst scams in Thailand.