Before you leave
1. Check the entry rule. Since 15 September 2026, French travellers can enter without a visa for tourism for 30 days, down from 60 days before, according to visa-focused news outlets. This stay can in principle be extended once by 30 days at an immigration office, for a fee of about 1,900 baht. Travellers who entered before 15 September keep the length granted on arrival. Confirm these rules on the Thai foreign ministry website or with the embassy before you book.
2. Fill in the digital arrival card (TDAC). It is compulsory for all foreigners, including visa-exempt ones, and is completed online before arrival, free of charge, on the official Thai immigration website. Beware of paid sites that imitate it. Fill it in within the three days before arrival and keep the QR code on your phone.
3. Passport. It must be valid for at least six months after your entry date, with blank pages. Keep a photocopy or a photo separately.
4. Pick the right season. November to February is the most pleasant and most popular period; April is the hottest month; May to October brings the rains. The month-by-month detail is in our guide to the best time to visit Bangkok.
5. Take out travel insurance. Private hospitals ask for a payment guarantee before treating you; see our guide to health in Bangkok.
6. Plan three to five days at least. Two days is enough to see the essentials, but the pace of the city is slow. Our itineraries: one day, two days and three days. For the budget, see Bangkok trip budget.
On arrival
7. Get to the centre without being trapped. From Suvarnabhumi airport, the Airport Rail Link train, a metered taxi or Grab are the simple options. The details are in our guide to Bangkok's airports.
8. Get a SIM card or an eSIM. Grab, maps and phone translation make the city much easier. Airport kiosks sell tourist SIM cards; an eSIM bought before departure saves the queue.
9. Choose your area well. Sukhumvit for transport and restaurants, Silom for offices and nightlife, the old city for temples. See our guide to where to stay in Bangkok.
10. Power sockets. The mains voltage is 220 volts. European two-round-pin plugs fit most sockets; a pocket universal adapter takes care of the rest.
Getting around
11. The Skytrain (BTS) and the metro (MRT) are the most reliable. Traffic blocks the city at rush hour. On several MRT lines the gate opens directly with a contactless bank card; for the BTS, take the Rabbit card or tickets from the machine. See getting around Bangkok.
12. Take the boat. The Chao Phraya is a real transport line, to go from the Grand Palace to Wat Arun for a few baht.
13. Taxi: insist on the meter. The flag fall is 35 baht. If the driver refuses the meter or quotes a flat fare, get out and take another, or book with Grab, whose price is fixed at booking.
14. Avoid tuk-tuks that "offer" you a tour for next to nothing. They most often end in a commission shop. If you take a tuk-tuk for fun, agree the price before getting in.
Money
15. Keep some cash. Cards are accepted in hotels, malls and established restaurants; markets, stalls and small restaurants want baht. See money, payment and tipping.
16. Withdraw larger amounts. ATMs charge 250 baht per withdrawal with a foreign card: withdraw less often and more each time.
17. Refuse the conversion "into your currency". At the ATM and at the till, always choose to pay in baht.
18. Tipping is not compulsory. A little change left in an established restaurant is appreciated, no more.
Temples and customs
19. Dress for temples. Shoulders and knees covered, no short shorts or tank tops; entry to the Grand Palace can be refused. See our guide to what to wear in temples.
20. Start early. Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and Wat Arun are better in the morning, before the heat and the groups. The Grand Palace ticket costs 500 baht, sold from 8:30 to 15:30 (see admission prices).
21. Use the right gestures. Do not touch anyone's head, do not point your feet at a Buddha statue or a person, take off your shoes before entering a temple or someone's home. Respect the royal family: the law severely punishes disrespectful words and gestures. See etiquette in Thailand.
22. The smile and the wai. Pressing your palms together in front of your chest is a polite greeting; as a visitor, a smile and a small nod are enough, and a few words of Thai are appreciated (see useful Thai phrases).
Health and safety
23. Drink bottled water and avoid non-industrial ice, except in established restaurants. Protect yourself from the heat (hat, water, air-conditioned breaks between 11:00 and 15:00) and from daytime mosquitoes (dengue).
24. Know the classic scams. The "closed palace", the jewellery-shop visit, the cut-price tuk-tuk: see scams and safety in Bangkok. The tourist police answer on 1155, 24 hours a day, and medical emergencies on 1669.
25. Do not vape. E-cigarettes are banned in Thailand; importing, selling and using them expose you to fines and even prosecution. Leave the vape at home.
What next?
With these habits you are ready for the great classics: Wat Arun, the Chatuchak market at the weekend, the Erawan Shrine at Ratchaprasong and the buzz of Khao San Road. For toilets, a point often forgotten, see our guide to toilets in Bangkok.
