So you have decided to finally travel to Thailand.  Good for you!  However, you have these questions rolling around in your head of how the trip will go and what you will have to experience when you first get there.  I was in your shoes once myself when I finally decided to go there solo and I was a little apprehensive at first; but I decided why not, I m going!   Do Thai people speak English I wondered?  Yes, a lot of them do in Bangkok and other major areas foreigners travel to; however, if you venture into some areas not frequented by westerners, especially the rural areas, there s a good chance they don t.  No worries!  You will find that Thai people are very warm and friendly toward you and they are more than willing to help you out.  You ll also notice that Thai people smile a lot too; hence the nickname The Land of Smiles .  I had no guidance of what to expect when I first arrived in Thailand except that I would fall in love with her ; and I did.

I have put together for you, New Thailand Traveler , a rather long, and detailed. post on what to expect starting at the plane you are flying on to your arrival at your hotel or your final destination.  I have traveled to Thailand numerous times and I draw all this information from my own experiences over the years. I wanted to share this information with you, the first time visitor, to try and put your mind at ease.  From there; Thailand is yours to explore and enjoy.  

Hotels

1. Best to book your hotel reservation online.  You will definitely save money and you can do this  even if you are still a guest of the hotel and want to stay another night.  Try talking to the reception desk staff first and see if you can get the same rate you were happy with for your first reservation.  I was told by a hotel staffer at a recent hotel stay that it would be cheaper to reserve again online .  I thought that was pretty nice of her so I did from our room and it was a lot cheaper than what she quoted me.
2. I don t recommend you try the tourism desks at Suvarnabhumi airport.  It usually costs more than what you can find online and sometimes they say no rooms are available at a hotel you may inquire about.  If you are returning to a particular hotel and you find they have no rooms when you contact them by email, call and tell them you stayed there before and you really would love to stay there again.  Somehow a room may become available and MAYBE with a free upgrade!    The Montien Riverside Hotel did that for me and that was pre-starting my travel blog.  That s why I did a free write up on them because they have always been very helpful and I have enjoyed our stays there.  Make sure you let your hotel know if you will be checking in late because of your flight arrival time too.  It can t hurt.

• Cell Phone

1. Do you have an unlocked GSM phone?  There are carriers with prepaid SIMM cards at the airport on the same floor you came out of Customs onto.  I like AIS 1-2-Call because I believe their reception is better.  It s a good idea to have for your hotel number, etc. with you if you get lost not on purpose .    You can call them and they can talk to the driver for you.  Using internet and other data services in Thailand on prepaid mobile  service is VERY expensive;  just an FYI.  Turn off any data pushes and data services when you don t need them.  SMS service isn t too bad.

• ATM s

1. I have never had any problems with ATM s in Thailand; knock wood .  They have several ATM s at the airport as well as currency exchanges.  MAKE SURE you contact your bank / credit card company before you leave home and let them know when and where you will be going and how long you are going for so they don t put a STOP on your cards when you try to use them in Thailand.  This is VERY important.  Even if you do notify them, don t be surprised if they still deny a charge or ATM transaction and you will unfortunately have to call them.  UGH. I am relaying experience here.  That s why I have SKYPE.  
2. As of today, one USD is equivalent to 30.98 THB; one British pound is equivalent to 50.17 THB.  Remember your bank(s) may charge an international transaction fee for shopping with credit cards and debit cards; to include ATM withdrawals. There may also be fees charged by some of the Thai banks ATM s you use as well.
3. You can always check my website for the latest money exchange rate.  This rate may be a little more than what you will actually receive at a money exchange due to the exchanges fees and exchange rates.  It should be close though.

Travel Tips For New Thailand Travelers.  Although this post may be long and detailed, it should get you to your first destination, or hotel, upon your arrival.  My first trip to Thailand was solo and I remember opening the drapes of my room on the 18th floor of my hotel, looking out at Bangkok and thinking What have I gotten myself into?!  Bangkok is huge to say the least, but there are a lot of places to explore while there so keep that in mind.  Now it s time to figure out what you will see and do now that your there. Be sure you check out the new ASIATIQUE THE RIVERFRONT shopping area.