Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

Direct flights from London Heathrow to Bangkok take around 11:30hrs with British Airways or Thai Airlines.

Useful Tips

• Have a Thai massage on the beach

• Ensure you haggle in the Thai markets to get the best price

• Go for a drink at the Sky Bar in Bangkok, the most amazing view of the city!

• You can eat at the local restaurants as the food is fresh and tasty.

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit.

Good books and maps of Thailand are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at http://www.stanfords.co.uk | www.stanfords.co.uk]

When To Go

Thailand has a tropical climate, with high temperatures and high humidity levels throughout the year. Temperatures in the capital range between 20°Cin December and 35°C in April. January and February are normally dry, March to May is the hottest time of year, June to October tends to be the wettest season (with 90% of the country's rainfall occurring in this period), and November and December are the coolest months.

Monsoons occur usually between June and October, and in September and October, much of the country experiences flooding, especially in the north, north eastern and central areas. Travel to Thailand is at its peak from November to February as this is when it tends to be coolest and most bearable for visitors.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Thailand. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your tour, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.
On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with.

Therefore as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 4 x Light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long
• 2/3 pairs of cotton trousers. If preferred, women can wear dresses and skirts
• 2 x Lightweight jumpers or sweatshirts
• Good quality fleece or warm jumper
• Sun hat or cap
• Swim suit or trunks
• Pair of recreational shoes
• Pair of adventure sandals, trainers or pumps

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for your trip:
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Sleeping bag liner (cotton or silk)
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• A bandanna or large handkerchief is useful for dusty tracks
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Plug adapter

Personal First Aid Kit:
While we do carry a large medical kit on all our group tours, we would advise that you take some of the basics with you. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Malaria Tablets (if necessary)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers

(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room / camping)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife

NB : If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are rare. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses. You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Thailand is 7hrs ahead of GMT (+3hrs from April " September).
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
Thai food is some of the best on earth, not always spicy so there is something for everyone " the country really does cater for all tastes. The curries are incredible, the fish is always fresh and the variety is the envy of many nations. Our main recommendation is probably to try everything! The restaurants are always clean and you can happily buy food from the street hawkers without any real concerns.
Alcohol is available throughout the country, so no concerns there either.

Electricity:
If using a camera with film we suggest photographers bring plenty of rolls. Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should also bring a two-pin, continental style adapter. You can charge using an adapter in the hotels.

Money:
In Thailand the unit of currency is the Thai Baht.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com

A few points to help you plan:
• Payments are mainly made in cash.
• Increasingly more shops and hotels will accept credit card payments, though a cash advance is unlikely.
• You can easily exchange Euros, US Dollars and UK Sterling cash.
• ATM machines are available in the larger towns but best not to be relied upon.
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel.

Language & Religion:
The Thai language is spoken throughout although there are several regional dialects as well. Other languages spoken in Thailand are Chinese, Lao, Malay and Mon-Khmer, while English is becoming more prevalent in government and commerce. English is also being taught as a second language in secondary school and universities, which enables the English speaking visitor in Thailand to have little trouble conversing.

Thailand is a Buddhist stronghold with an estimated 95% of the country in that bracket.

Cultural Sensitivity:
At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

Also many countries have very strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building. Please exercise care in this regard as the penalty may be to have your film and/or camera confiscated.