This page is intended to help give you some suggestions about ways to travel to and from Thailand, as well as travel while within the nation's borders.

First, a little preparation: when should you go? This handy outline explains the best weather and thinnest crowds.

Next: how should you get there? This section explains options for air travel as well as overland and cruise alternatives. Then a quick primer on how to get around once you're within Thailand. Finishing, you'll learn a little bit about island excursions and elephant rides. Go to it!

When Should You Go?

Peak tourist season is between November and February when it's coolest and rains the least. Travelers from cooler climates might find Bangkok unbearably hot regardless of what time of year it is; in those cases, travel routes to the South, with cool coastal breezes, or to the North, with mountainous higher altitudes, will provide the most comfortable climates. Northern and Northeastern Thailand are hottest from March to May (when the ocean breezes keep the beaches cooler), with peak temperatures in April. September and October are monsoon season, ushering in super-soaking wet, unending rains. Typically peak tourism occurs in December and August, falling to its lowest points in May, June and September.

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How Should You Get There?

Air Travel

The easiest way for most travelers to get to Thailand is to fly into Don Muang, Bangkok's international airport. These days, shopping around on the Web makes it as easy if not easier than dealing with travel agents. If you've never purchased airline tickets on the Web before, why not start as you prepare for your first trip to Thailand? The most reliable Web resources are Expedia, CheapTickets, Travelocity, Orbitz and Priceline. Keep in mind, just as with conventional travel agents, purchasing your tickets as far in advance as possible ensures you the best price.

If you decide that you'd still prefer to use a travel agent, it's still a good idea to check the prices they offer against ones you'll find on the Web. Traveling with a group can be beneficial if you book a group tour. And if you're traveling on a real shoestring budget, you can also look into flying cheap as an air courier. Find out how. Whatever you decide to do, once you're in Thailand, immediately check with your airline to confirm your departure flights out of Thailand - flights in and out of Thailand are often overbooked, and the organizational systems of the country can at times leave something to be desired. Better to be safe than sorry!

One last consideration: you'll be charged an "airport tax" of 500 baht (around $12.50 - $14.00) per person when you leave, so don't show up to the airport broke when you're ready to go home!

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Non-Air Travel

Entering Thailand from one of its border nations or ports is also a consideration. Arriving by boat is strictly up to the cruise lines - don't monkey around with independent "charters", you're just asking for trouble. Check with Travelocity for the best deals on cruises into Thailand. The only other legitimate boat travel to consider is crossing the Mekong River from Laos on a ferry.

Overland travel can be romantic and exciting - if you can afford to travel on the Eastern or Oriental Express (U.S. $1,000+). All other trains will be crowded and uncomfortable, although the fares will be the cheapest possible. (A precaution: the border between Myanmar [Burma] and Thailand is a volatile, unpredictable place for foreigners, so steer clear of it if possible, or register with the US Embassy before traveling there.) Riding the Eastern or Orient is also the only way to enter Thailand overland from Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.

Approaching from the south, Malaysia offers four border crossings with express trains: two on the west coast, one midland, and one on the east coast. The journey typically requires an overnight stop in Butterworth, Malaysia, in order to comfortably make train connections.

Entering Thailand from Laos, Cambodia or Myanmar can be made by hired car, bus, or on foot. A word to the wise: the borders are seething with con-artists waiting to descend on unsuspecting tourists, so keep your wits about you if this becomes your preferred method of travel.

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Travel Within Thailand

Once you've made it within the borders of The Land Of Smiles, you'll have many options for getting around. Almost everywhere you go, signs are bilingual between Thai and English, and most Thai speak at least a little fragmented English. Typically, if nothing else, the Thai tend to understand more English than they may speak.

One thing you should keep in mind: the Thai driving style is unique to Thailand, and has a tendency to terrify Westerners. There are always at least 3 lanes on every road, according to the Thai driving style. So if you choose to rent a vehicle, be cautious! Also, if you drive a rental car, motorcycle or scooter, practice as your mantra: "Keep left; keep left." The Thai, like the British, drive on the left side of the road. And wherever you drive, there will be hundreds of motor scooters and motorcycles vying for any extra space on the road, so be on the look out!

One method of travel famous throughout Thailand is the tuk-tuk, which is essentially a motorized rickshaw. Like taxis, you can find them everywhere; unlike taxis, they are not metered, and so the driver decides the price based on the distance you need to travel. The cost is generally something in the range of 5 to 20 baht (about US $0.10 to $0.40), but this will increase if you're going far, say from one end of Bangkok to another. You probably won't want to use an open-air method of travel if you're going far in any Thai city, however; diesel is the primary petroleum, so the air is sooty and choked with motor vehicle exhaust in almost all urban areas.

The bus is another option. There are 2 types of buses: mini-buses, or songthaews, which are open-air with low ceilings (sometimes they're just a shell on the back of a pick-up truck); and genuine air-conditioned buses. Expect to pay more wherever there is A/C, but the ride will be more comfortable and less erratic than the songthaews. Buses and songthaews run regular routes and stop regularly.

Taxis are easily available in all urban areas and (with rare exception) are metered. Remember: tipping is not a cultural expectation, so don't feel obliged. Like most things, the Thai like to barter, so if you get a taxi outside of a city, expect to haggle for a price before you get going anywhere.

Lastly, while in Bangkok, there are two transit-by-train options: the world famous Sky Train riding above the skyline, or the new (2004) Bangkok Transit System, traveling a 20-mile circuit underneath the city.

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If you travel to the Southern region of Thailand, chances are good you'll need to take a ferry to get from the mainland to an island. Ferries are available from any port near an island tourist destination and are very reasonably priced. Once on an island like Ko Samui or Phuket, you may choose to rent a motor scooter. But head the cautions listed above! There are traffic fatalities approximately every other day in these places, and a good deal of the accidents arise from inattentive visitors.

And if you do make it onto any of the islands, chances are good that you'll want to travel on various types of boats as well. There are small cruises available with reef snorkeling, dolphin-sighting, and transport to some of the more remote, secluded islands. Prices vary depending on port, season, and your skills as a haggler.

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