Those who follow me know that when I returned from my trip to New Zealand at the end of last year, I had the chance to travel for a month to South-East Asia, Thailand and Laos. I indeed had the chance to visit the city of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, for its famous lantern festival, then to take the direction of Laos via a cruise on the Mekong. I told you all about this a few months ago in various articles on the subject.

Today I am writing this article in order to give you some tips as preparation for your trip to Thailand. Itineraries, vaccines, visa or even period for travel to Thailand, I tell you everything.

Visa for Thailand

Getting to Thailand to visit the country is relatively straightforward. For people wishing to stay 30 days or less, no formalities are necessary. Enter the territory, by seeing land or air with a valid passport, the visa will then be affixed to your passport. No need for prior requests. You will then have the option of staying until 30 days on Thai territory. You may be able to extend your visa for 30 days once there.

If you wish to stay longer in Thailand, it is possible to apply for a tourist visa, valid for 60 days, at the Thai Embassy before leaving.

Vaccines for Thailand

To go to Thailand it will not be compulsory to vaccinate yourself. However, although no vaccine is required, some are highly recommended. here are the vaccines for Thailand recommended by the Institut Pasteur. This is the case for vaccines against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid fever as well as the vaccine against DT Polio.

If you plan to travel to certain rural areas, such as the border with Laos, the malaria vaccine is recommended.

Also watch out for rabies. No vaccine to carry out before your trip but be aware that this disease is present in Southeast Asia. If you come into contact with “suspicious” animals such as stray dogs, then it will be necessary to go to a hospital very quickly in order to receive treatment against rabies (several injections are necessary at several days apart).

Most popular routes

Thailand is a relatively large country. Unless you plan a trip of a month or more, you will need to choose your itinerary carefully. Different places in the country attract a lot of tourists. This is the case with Bangkok, of course. The largest city in the country is Thailand’s main air hub and is an almost mandatory stopover point if you plan to travel across the country. Even if this is not systematic, the cheapest flights, from Europe, usually arrive and depart from Bangkok.

Another tourist region in Thailand, the south with in particular the region of Phuket, one of the most touristic in the country. Renowned for its parties but also for its dream beaches located not far from there.

Another tourist city in Thailand, especially at the end of the year with one of the most famous festivals in the country: Chiang Mai. The city, located in northern Thailand, organizes a festival every year: Loy Krathong, which sees thousands of lanterns fly away during two evenings of celebrations.

Best times to go to Thailand

The best time to go to Thailand will depend mainly on the climate. Indeed, two seasons are distinguished in Thailand, a dry season and a wet season (where the rains are abundant). Temperatures remain relatively high or even very high throughout the year even if, in the north of the country, it can be a little cooler after the rainy season.

The summer months, from May to September are not recommended. Temperatures can rise relatively high and the rains can be heavy. Winter in Europe is one of the best times to go to Thailand. The rains are much less frequent or almost non-existent in certain regions and the temperatures a little more pleasant.