 |
Useful
tips for foreign students
Faculty of Economics
Chulalongkorn University |
Things to know
about Bangkok city and Its People
Bangkok is the
capital of Thailand having the daytime population of 8,000,000 to
10,000,000. It is the largest city in the country and more than
10 times larger than the second-largest city, Nakorn Ratchasima.
There are 38 districts in Bangkok City. Bangkok has hot climate
with little variation in temperature. The followings are the
miscellaneous things to know about Bangkok City and its people in
general.
- Language: Our national
language is Thai. Everybody is talking Thai throughout
the country. However, there are regional dialects in all
four regions of Thailand. Thai script may look strange to
foreign students as it is written continuously without
space between words. The alphabet is derived from early
Sanskrit roots; thus spelling in Roman script will be
different (for example, Wat Po can be seen as Wat Pho).
So just get the correct sound and don't mind the spelling.
However, as Bangkok is an international city, English is
understood to some extent in all the major cities of
Thailand, especially in hotels, restaurants, and
department stores.
- Currency: The country's
currency is the Thai baht. One baht is divided into 100
satang. At the latest development, bank notes come in 10-baht,
20-baht, 50-baht, 100-baht and 1,000-baht denominations.
In June 1997, the baht was unpegged from the US dollar
and allowed to float. The baht exchange used to be as low
as 56 baht to the US dollar during our economic crisis.
At the moment, the exchange rate is some 37 baht for one
US dollar. Although, the baht has strengthened, it has
yet to be stabilised.
- Health: Foreign students
are not required to have any vaccination certification
unless they come from an infected area. Thai curries may
affect some digestive systems and foreign students can
have stomach problem sometimes. In this case, drink a lot
of water to dilute your stomach irritation, which in most
cases will be cured. However, if your ailment continues
for more than three or four days, you will see a local
doctor. Drugstores are plentiful in Bangkok, and you don't
need a prescription to purchase medicine, which is
generally reliable. Tap water is treated here in Bangkok
to varying degrees; so it is best to drink bottled water.
Most hotels and restaurants have filtration systems for
water.
- Food: Bangkok is crowded
with street vendors selling all kinds of food. Our
general advice is that if it is hot and prepared right in
front of you, it should be safe enough for you. However,
everything is up to a case by case consideration. In food
shops, hot, freshly cooked food should be safe if the
meat is well done. If you don't like hot food, don't mind
asking if the food is "Mai Pet" (without too
many chilli peppers and hot sauces).
- Voltage Requirements: Bangkok uses 50-cycle,
220-volts AC. A standard voltage adapter is sufficient.
If you forget yours, you can buy one in Thailand. Most
outlets are set up for two prongs, round and flat, but
you will find the occasional three-prong outlet in more
modern establishments.
- Dress: Bring along your
clothes made from lightweight natural fibres, because
donning synthetic clothes is like wearing a plastic bag
in a sauna. Graduate students are not required to wear
university uniforms but they have to wear polite dress to
enter university. T-shirts and sandals are not acceptable
and against the university's regulation. When visiting
religious monuments and temples, long pants or skirts are
mandated.
- Culture: Avoid discussing
the heads of state and the Royal Family in a manner that
might be interpreted as demeaning or condescending. For
decades, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been
respected, revered, and loved by Thais throughout the
Kingdom. His Majesty the King is really our symbol of
unity in this country. In regard to religious culture,
kindly show the greatest respect toward Buddhist temples,
shrines and all Buddhist statues and images. For social
culture, women must not sit next to or touch monks. If
you have to hand a monk something, pass it to a man to
hand to him or place the object on a table or the floor.
The head is the highest and most respected sacred part of
the body, the foot is the lowest. Do not pat a Thai on
the head.Do not sit with your feet pointed at a Thai, as
it is a show of gross disrespect. Do not use your feet to
point at an object. When entering a Thai home or a temple,
remove your shoes. Although handshakes are acceptable for
greeting, you will be more welcome if you use Thai-style
greeting by placing your hands together, palms touching
and held close to the body between the face and the chest.
This form of greeting is called "Wai" and is
often accompanied by a slight bow. Lastly, you should
always stand up when you hear our Royal Anthem and National Anthem in honour of His
Majesty the King and the nation.
- Business hours: Government offices
are open Monday to Friday 8:30 to 16:30 o'clock. Banks
are open Monday to Friday 9:30 to 15:30 o'clock. Most
other businesses open around 8:30 or 9 o'clock and close
at 17:00 o'clock. It’s rare for a Thai enterprise to
operate on Saturday. Chulalongkorn University office
hours are from 8:00 to 16:00 o'clock.
- Tipping: Tipping is not a
normal practice. All major hotels and restaurants exact a
10% service charge, and it is almost always included in
the bill. Taxi drivers don’t expect a tip, but
passengers often round up the meter fare to the next five
or 10 baht.
- Taxes: The VAT (value-added
tax) has been raised to 10%, levied in hotels,
restaurants, supermarkets and department stores. The
departure tax paid upon leaving the country by air has
been raised to 500 baht.
- Safety problems: Beware of
pickpockets on overcrowded public transportation. Avoid
going to a strange place with few people. Emergency Phone
Numbers—Mobile Police, 191; Fire Brigade, 199;
Ambulance, 252-2171; Tourist Assistance Centre, 281-5051
or 282-8129.
- Telephone: The country
telephone code for Thailand is 66, Bangkok city code is 2.
The number 1 or 01 in front of a number indicates that it’s
a mobile phone. Dial 13 for Directory Assistance, and be
patient if you need an English speaker. International
calls are now possible in public telephone booths and
they are clearly marked in English. Time/Temperature—Time,
phone 181. Weather, 398-9830.
Click
here for Emergency Phone Numbers
The
Maps of Bangkok Metropolitan Area
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