Category Archives: Travel

1 . “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. Eat like the locals.

Well, obviously we are talking about Thailand.

In Thailand, there is an iconic dish called Somtum. It is a Thai salad consisting of mainly green papaya shred, dried shrimp, fish sauce, chilli, peanuts and raw crabs.

The Thais love their raw crabs but if you are only new to Thailand, we don’t recommend you to try this on the street.

The Thais love their raw crabs but if you are only new to Thailand, we don’t recommend you to try this on the street, to avoid gastro diseases. Especially during a hot day when food has been left under the sun for a considerable period of time, it is better to be safe than sorry.

• 

• 

The locals also love to enjoy a glass or two of beverages before their main meals. In restaurants where they serve alcoholic beverages, they usually have a mobile beverage cart that provide table to table services. Consider giving a small tip as good gesture.

2 . Local brekkie

In Thailand, the locals usually treat breakfast as the most important meal of the day.

On the street of Bangkok, just as you would expect in any major metropolitan cities, you will see hundreds and thousands of people rushing for work. In front of each entrances and exits of train stations, you will find many food stalls, ready to feed the hungry workers.

• 

• 

Some of the most popular breakfast options are Thai baked goods, a Crepe-like product with cream and pork minced, and grilled pork skewers with glutinous rice. You could probably get by with 20 – 30 THB.

If you are more keen on the western style breakfast, you could also find sandwiches, bread, or coffee in Thailand. But do expect a higher price tag.

3 . Kingdom of Fruit

Thailand has a lot to offer when it comes to fruits.

Because of the geographical location, Thailand has a lot to offer when it comes to fruits. Bananas, Durian, Longan, Mangosteen, Jackfruit, Lychee, Papaya, Pineapple, Pomelo, Rambutan, etc. are common fruits available in Thailand. Well worth her name the kingdom of fruits.

• 

• 

• 

4 . Discounted restaurant APP “eatigo”

“eatigo” was developed and available on app store in 2016. It provides discount and reservation services for Bangkok, Pattaya and Singapore. Sometimes you could get a 50% off discount for selected restaurants during off-peak hours. For price conscious travellers, this is the must have app for their Thailand trip.

5 . 10% service charge and 7%GST

Some restaurants and SPA shops will charge for service fee and GST. If you see “++” at the end of the price tag, it means that you will be charged a 10% service fee + 7% GST.

Example:

THB 199+ = THB 199 + 10% service fee

THB 199++ = THB 199 + 10% service fee + 7% GST

6 . The only country that has not been colonised in South East Asia

You may notice that there are plenty of western houses in Thailand. The reason would chase back to the 1900s, when the 5th king Somdetch Phra Paramindr Maha Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) push for a more westernised Thailand at the time, by introducing western designed buildings and western systems. Some of these iconic buildings exist in Thailand. Often, you will see buildings that has a hybrid of wooden Thailand style wooden and western Victorian style.

• 

• 

• 

During the reign of King Rama V, he implemented multiple reforms, including westernise medical, University system, and railway infrastructures. Most importantly, he promotes the idea of abolition of slavery, which quickly brings Thailand into a modern and democratic country.

7 . 12% of Chinese population

In 2019, total population of Thai Chinese are approximately 12% of the entire Thailand population.

Many Chinese origin people migrated from China into Thailand and became new residents in the country, between the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Local Thais historically believes in the Buddhist and lives a simple life, for which they are willing to accept new ideas and new people. Thus, there are rarely any racial problems between the Thai locals and Chinese.

In 2019, total population of Thai Chinese are approximately 12% of the entire Thailand population. In the food culture, we often see a lot of fusion between Chinese and Thai cuisine.

8 . Public Holiday

9 . No alcohol days in Thailand

On Royal Birthdays and Buddhist Holidays, there are restriction on alcohol sales in Thailand. Vendors who fail to comply with this law will face fail term of up to 6 months and pay a fine of 10,000 Baht.

This may come as a surprise to some foreigners. On Royal Birthdays and Buddhist Holidays, there are restriction on alcohol sales in Thailand. Vendors who fail to comply with this law will face fail term of up to 6 months and pay a fine of 10,000 Baht.

Even on normal days, Thailand has specific time of the day when alcohol can be purchased. Excluding night clubs and restaurant, the legal time to sell or purchase alcohol is 11:00 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 24:00.