15+ THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE MY TRIP TO THAILAND

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After eight weeks, my time in Thailand has come to an end. While I had a wonderful time, there are some things I wish I had known before. I have to admit that I did not do as much research as I would normally do prior to my trip – with so many destinations it was hard to focus on one. But I thought I had a pretty good grip on what to expect. But there were some things that completely surprised me.

So I thought I would write up some quick tips and tricks that may be helpful to you. Read on for info that can help you plan your trip better, save money, or avoid embarrassing yourself!

Things to know for Thailand in general

1. No regular Coke in Cans

Suprisingly, the only Coca Cola I was able to get in regular sized cans was either Coke Zero (black writing) or Coke with less sugar (white writing). What a bummer!

I have heard it may be due to some sort of sugar tax but whatever the reason, if your poison of choice is Coca Cola you will either have to adjust to the new version or buy tiny cans or bottles (and even those might disappear I guess).

Update: Surprisingly, I did get used to the taste so it wasn’t as dire as I thought.

2. Bread tends to be sweet

A lot of bread in Thailand tends to be quite sweet. I did not realize this and was surprised when trying some ham-and-cheese bread to find it was sweet like a doughnut. So if you hate to bite into something just to get a taste you did not expect – beware!

Not necessarily bad but unexpected.

Update: I actually quite liked the ham-and-cheese-bread once I got used to it and had it several more times!

3. Limited Sale of Alcohol

I don’t think I have ever been anywhere with so many limitations on the sale of alcohol (or maybe I am just looking to buy more on this trip?). Basically every time I pass by the wine/beer section I see signs prohibiting the sale. And here I thought Thailand was a huge party destination…

Elections, holidays, Sundays, mornings… I am not sure exactly what the restrictions are but just be aware and plan ahead if you want to have some wine with dinner.

4. Cash Cards for Food

The outlets in many mall food courts do not accept cash but only online payments. If you use Alipay/Wepay or similar you are good to go. However, if not, there is an easy option for you: the cash card.

Not sure what that is? Just look for a small counter near the entrance of the food court, often labeled as “Cash Card” or similar. Here you hand over how much money you want to put on (100-200 Baht works well for me).

They put the money on a card which you then scan at the food outlet after ordering your food. At the end of your visit you return the card and receive the remaining amount in cash.

Using a cash card is easy peasy – unless you don’t know about it and only realize after you received your food with not way to pay for it!

Careful: While the cash cards at some places are good for a longer period (e.g. 14 or 30 days), at other malls you need to cash out by the end of the day!

5. Small bills are best

Quite a number of places – from small food vendors to museums – will not accept 1,000 baht bills. For example at the Lanna Traditional House Museum in Chiang Mai you might be turned away if that is the only money you have with you. So make sure to always have smaller denominations on you!

I have had no issues using 1,000 baht bills at bigger grocery stores or 7-Elevens so it isn’t too hard to break your money into smaller bills.

6. Do take a credit card with you

So this happened… Guess who had to do a walk of shame and dash out of a restaurant after being seated (but luckily before ordering!)

I usually don’t take any credit card with me when exploring I always worry about loss or theft AND my credit card keeps getting locked for “security reasons” so is less than reliable anyway.

The other day I was at ICONSiam in Bangkok. After being somewhat overwhelmed in the food court (too many people, too few seats), I decided to splurge on an actual sit-down meal. As usual it took me a while to decide on a place but eventually I screwed up my courage, chose one, and got seated.

I was just triple checking to make sure I had enough cash when I saw a sticker on the table (luckily in English): We are a cashfree establishment! Yikes. There was nothing for it but to high-tail it out of there!

My advice: Do take a credit card (or two) with you to avoid the same embarrassment!

7. You need your ID to exchange money

If you run out of cash at some point during your time in Thailand and want to exchange your dollar/euro etc. – make sure to take your ID/passport.

Apparently, they take money-laundering laws and Know-your-customer very seriously here and you will have to show your passport and fill out a form any time you exchange money. Even if it is just USD 40!

8. Trash Cans look… Different

During my time in Chiang Mai I basically stayed in my own tiny house and was asked to take the trash out to the garbage. No problem, I thought…

But it took me several days of going back and forth searching until I finally recognized the trash receptacle for what it was. I see the same kind now in Bangkok so just be aware, the trash container for your apartment may look like the picture above (though there are also more easily recognized versions).

9. Elephant Pants rock

As soon as you get to Thailand you will notice that about half the tourists wear elephant pants. And you will see a wide variety of these at any market you go to.

If you are like me, you may resist the idea of buying these touristy pants. Don’t! They are the ideal vacation clothes and SO comfy. And cheap as well!

I didn’t buy a pair until the end of my stay in Chiang Mai and then rushed out in Bangkok to get more after I realized how much I like them.

My advice: Buy yours early on (you will at some point anyway) so you can get the most use out of them (they may not work quite as well in London or Boston).

10. Take the right Shoes

The right kind of shoes is essential on any trip. Who wants to hobble around with blisters or even worse twist their ankle?

But in Thailand something else needs to be considered: When sight-seeing you will have to constantly take your shoes on and off as wearing shoes inside is considered impolite. This is especially true for temples but also applies for many shops and services.

So make sure you take shoes that are not only well-worn in, comfortable, and non-slip but can also be taken on and off easily.

Extra tip: Avoid very expensive shoes (due to risk of theft) as well as extremely generic ones (or at least make sure you take the right pair when you leave)!

Tips for Chiang Mai

11. Tha Phae Gate is Pigeon Heaven

I did not know that Tha Phae Gate is the home of what seems like thousands of pigeons. Now, you may feel differently, but I am not a friend of these “rats of the sky” so walking by a huge bunch of them is not something I aspire to.

What makes it worse – apparently not everyone feels the same way. Plenty of people want a photo taken while they are surrounded by a swarm of pigeons taking off in fear. (Yes, there is no accounting for taste!) So sporadically someone will shoo them off so they flutter away.

If you DO like pigeons (or at least want a photo with them), this is the place to go for your photo. If you are like me, best avoid Tha Phae gate and enter Old Town slightly further to the North or to the South.

12. A Taxi is the way to go from Airport to Town

In many places, taxis are the most expensive option to get from the airport to town. Not so in Chiang Mai!

You can buy a coupon to get from the airport to any place in Old Town for a flat fee of 150 baht (January 2026). No need to worry about whether the meter is turned on, whether the driver will take a detour, or if traffic is going to be slow.

You pick up your ticket at the counter, walk all the way to the left of the airport hall to the very first door out of the airport. There you hand your ticket to one of the employees and they will tell you the number of your car. Then you wait until you see a car with that number on it pull up and you are all set.

Of course you can also use Grab but it may be more expensive (you can always check) and take a bit longer. My Grab on the return trip to the airport was slightly more at 170 baht so I do recommend a taxi when you first arrive (especially if you are not familiar with Grab yet).

13. Avoid Burning Season in Chiang Mai

To be honest, I DID know about this important rule before my trip but as it has the potential to seriously impact your vacation I decided to include it.

Basically, farmers in the surrounding areas burn off their fields/shrubs which leads to a deterioration of the air quality. It happens mostly between January and April, with March and April usually the worst.

So keep that in mind when planning your trip and try to avoid this time as much as possible!

Update: I compared the air quality of Bangkok and Chiang Mai daily through January and February 2026. To my surprise Bangkok’s was consistently the same or worse. So if a short visit to Chiang Mai is on your wish list (as it should be), you might as well chance it in January/early February. It likely will not be worse than Bangkok!

Tips for Bangkok

14. Bangkok Air is not the best

So, I did know that Chiang Mai’s air is problematic and made sure to avoid burning season as much as possible. And it was fine – I never had an issue there (which may have been luck). But somehow I completely missed that Bangkok also has a major air pollution problem, especially in the winter months.

Best be prepared by bringing a couple of masks and plenty of indoor plans (which you will need anyway due to the heat).

15. Bangkok is hot

Okay, to be honest I did know Bangkok was hot. But when I heard people moan about it in YouTube videos I kind of sneered at them. Clearly they were just wimps. I have visited Walt Disney World in August and loved it! I have been to Palm Springs in September and it was fine!

Well, the joke was on me because nothing had prepared me for the intense heat and humidity of Bangkok (and this was the cooler season). It was a huge shock after Chiang Mai. Yes, Chiang Mai was hot but doable as long as you avoided the very middle of the day. Bangkok – not so much.

I am not sure if the weather is always so hot or if I was unlucky but the heat (and humidity) in Bangkok did put a crimp in my plans. No wonder there are so many malls!

My best advice: Make sure your hotel/accomodation is VERY close to an MRT/BTS station and do consider the extreme heat when you make your plans.

16. Beware at Saphan Taksin BTS station

The first time I took a train from Saphan Taksin the train was already there when I got to the platform. So I quickly rushed in – only to have to get back out at the next station when I realized I was going the wrong direction!

Well, the next time I made double sure to follow all the signs so I would this time get to the “right” platform, i.e. the one going westwards. To my surprise, the train was again going the other way! This is when I realized that Saphan Taksin only has one track and uses the same platform in both direction. So all you can do is pay attention as the train arrives to make sure it is the one you are looking for (if not, just wait for the next one).

Enjoy your Time

Thailand is actually a very easy country to handle as a tourist, the perfect starter destination in South-East Asia. But there are still plenty of things to trip you up if it is your first visit. So it never hurts to be prepared!

I hope these tips will help you to better prepare for your trip – or at least give you a chuckle at my little failures.