About Thailand

What vaccinations do I need?

Please consult your local GP or visit www.medicentre.co.uk and read their section entitled 'Services' for up to date information on vaccination requirements.

How long is the flight?

A direct flight to Bangkok from London takes eleven hours.

Are there any cultural dos and don'ts?

Yes, Starfish strongly recommends you purchase a guide book on Thailand with information on this subject. It makes interesting and valuable reading but here are a few pointers :

1. Don't touch people's heads as the top of the head is consider sacred.

2. Do not point at anything with your feet, as the feet are considered the lowest part of the body and therefore using the foot to indicate something shows disrespect.

3. Do not show the soles of your feet, for the same reason as above.

4. Ensure you are well-dressed when entering temples and other areas of religious and historical importance. No bare arms or legs are allowed and with religious sites you are usually required to remove your footwear

Thais are very forgiving about breaches of protocol from foreigners, but by following these simple rules you can avoid causing any inadvertent offence.

Where can I find more information about Thailand?

We recommend the Lonely Planet Thailand guidebook (view more about the book on Amazon.co.uk) and also the Lonely Planet website, which has a solid Thailand section as well as a very helpful message board.

These sites are also useful :

Tourism Thailand - the official Tourist Authority of Thailand website, with lots of useful information about attractions around the country

Travelfish.org - a helpful backpacker's advice site that provides lots of good information on cheap travel in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos

Bangkok.com - lots of helpful information about making the most of Thailand's vibrant capital city

Travelpod.com - a journals site which collects the experiences of other travellers in Thailand

2Bangkok.com - Daily news about Thailand in English, helping you get a grasp of the country before you arrive Foreign And Commonwealth Office: Thailand - extensive profile of Thailand's history, politics and diplomacy.