LANGUAGE: Thai
CURRENCY: BAHT ( THB ) ( ฿ )
DOCUMENTS: For a stay of up to 60 days (extendable upon request up to 90 days), a passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining at the time of entry into the country is sufficient.
CLIMATE: The climate of Thailand is basically divided into three seasons:
– Cool season: (November, December, January, February) Very little rain and generally lower temperatures, but since it is still a tropical country, the average temperature remains around 30°C during this period.
– Hot season: (March, April, May) Higher temperatures, very hot but still bearable.
– Rainy season: (June, July, August, September, October) Temperatures similar to the hot season but with much higher humidity. The rainy season doesn’t usually ruin a pleasant stay, as it often consists of heavy, sudden downpours that typically last just a couple of hours, leaving the rest of the day clear and sunny (though the humidity in the air is noticeable).
Despite these differences, there is no truly bad time to visit Thailand. Each season has its pros and cons, and you can find different weather conditions during the same period simply by traveling from one region to another. Unless you encounter a string of unfortunate coincidences, any time of the year is good for a trip to the Land of Smiles.
The biggest difference is probably related to prices: November to March is the high season with more tourists, while June to October is considered the low season when flight and accommodation prices tend to be lower. However, this is not entirely true for flights from Italy, as airlines consider August to be high season in Italy, so prices are higher than other times of the year. The same applies during various holidays, regardless of the Thai seasons.
THAILANDThe Land of Smiles, but also of calm and, above all, contradictions. Consider that throughout Thailand prostitution is officially illegal, yet it is probably the country with the highest number of sex workers (occasional or professional) in the world. This, combined with the year-round warm climate, dreamlike seaside locations, a generally relaxed lifestyle, and a relatively low cost of living, makes Thailand a very attractive destination for single men, typically middle-aged or older, who after years of vacations in the Land of Smiles decide to move here permanently—often after marrying a Thai woman for various reasons.
Thailand offers practically everything for every taste: there are large cities like Bangkok, with its 8 million residents (14 million if you include the entire metropolitan area encompassing surrounding provinces), as well as rural villages scattered across the northern countryside. And, of course, a myriad of dreamy small islands, the largest being Phuket, with its 543 km²—about twice the size of the Italian island of Elba.
FOR MEN: Nana, Soi Cowboy, Patpong (Bangkok), Walking Street, Soi 6, Beach Road, Soi Buakhao, and LK Metro (Pattaya), Patong (Phuket)
NOTE: Thailand is a one-of-a-kind place in the world; the only way to describe it is: “The Land of Smiles.”
