General information

Size and population
Thailand is located in Southeast Asia and borders the countries Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia. The country has about 69 million inhabitants in an area of 513,115 km². About 8.2 million people live in the capital Bangkok. Bangkok is by far the largest city in Thailand. The inhabitants are 75% Thais (ethnic groups from North, Northeast, South and Central Thailand) and 12% Chinese. 2% of the population are Burmese migrants who work mainly as guest workers in the construction, textile and service sectors. 1% of the population make up Malays, mainly in southern Thailand (Krabi, Phuket, Phan-Nga to Ranong) and on the border with Malaysia (Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat). Thailand can generally be classified as a very peaceful country. However, there have been terrorist incidents in Koh Samui, Phuket and Hua Hin in recent years. The southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat are also more frequently hit by terrorist attacks.

religion
The vast majority of the population (95%) is committed to Buddhism. However, there is no official state religion in Thailand. The rest of the population is divided mainly into Christians and Muslims.

climate
The climate in Thailand is tropical warm and shaped by the monsoon. The best time for a trip to Thailand is in the months of November to April. In general, it is then the driest and the daily maximum temperature is on average 30-35 ° Celsius. In this season the weather is perfect for beach holidays. There are less winds and the sea is relatively calm. Also for trekking tours, this is the best time, because the humidity is not so high and the temperatures are in an average around 30 ° Celsius. More about the weather you can find here:  Weather

politics
Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy with a multiparty system and a bicameral parliament since 1932. The king is the head of state. After the military coup of 22 May 2014, the constitution was partially overruled. This was replaced a month later by an interim constitution, mandated by the military junta, the "National Council for the Preservation of Peace". Legislative power is exercised by 220 members of the Legislative Assembly elected by the military and appointed by the King. The king has a veto right.

• King Bhumibol Adulyadej reign June 9, 1946 until October 13, 2016
• Acting King since December 1, 2016 is Maha Vajiralongkorn. He is the son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara and was crown prince from 1972 to 2016

Form of government: unified republic, constitutional monarchy, parliamentary system of government and military junta

Municipalities and districts (and Thai designations)
The provinces (on Thai Changwat) are divided into Amphoe (counties), Tambon (municipalities) and Mubaan (villages).

language
Thai, business language is English. In the tourist areas one can communicate very well with English. In more rural areas, communication is a bit more difficult.

Telephone and internet
Most hotels and restaurants have free internet (wifi) available. Passwords can be requested at the hotel reception or in the restaurants. Otherwise, there are Tourist-Sim-Cards (available at the airport Bangkok and Phuket). In larger malls there are electronics retailers and mobile phone shops where you can buy simcards. Likewise, there are in all branches of 7/11 credit and simcards to buy. The best network coverage is True Move, dtac and AIS. These internet service providers offer all prepaid SIM cards with a 30-day flatrate package. Here you can easily book and pay for your desired data volume. (You do not have to sign a contract! The passport has to be shown when paying)

currency
The means of payment is the Thai Bath, which is divided into 100 satang. 10 Bath is about 0.25 Euro. On the banknotes is the face of the king (Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died on 13.10.2016). The money should be handled carefully, because people are sacred to their heads of state. More about money and exchange rates can be found here: Money 

traffic
In Thailand there is left-hand traffic. Vehicles may only be driven if you have an international driver's license. The international driver's license can be applied for at the local road traffic / driving license office. The driver's license has a validity of 3 years (but not beyond the validity of the regular driver's license!) In Frankfurt am Main, the international driver's license currently costs € 16.30. The driving license must be requested 5 weeks before departure. Helmet compulsory for scooter and motorcycle riders. Two-wheelers, in particular, had to be prepared for some difficult road conditions. On smaller islands, the roads are partially unpaved, depending on the season, the streets can be washed out and concrete roads can be submerged. On the most famous islands in the south (Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao) most roads are well developed / paved. But you have to expect in part with large gradients and sand or gravel on the road. You also have to expect that stray dogs or cats suddenly run into the street. In Thailand, many accidents happen every day and many of them end in death. Therefore, only ride scooters or motorcycles if you feel really safe in handling them and are experienced drivers! Otherwise prefer to rent a car or use public transport. The safest means of transport in Thailand are airplane and train.

Rental vehicles
In Thailand you can easily rent a vehicle in many places.
Cars: International rental companies are represented at all major airports, as is Thai Rent a Car (Thailand's largest car rental company). As a rule, the credit card is blocked with a "deposit" upon receipt of the vehicle, which is not deducted from the credit card account in case of accident-free return of the car.

With different providers, a car can be rented WITHOUT a credit card:

At Europcar it is possible to rent a car without a credit card. Prerequisite for this is the payment by debit card and a deposit of 1/3 of the rent. This only applies to vehicle categories up to the upper middle class. The deposit will be refunded a few days after the rental period.

At Sixt it is also possible to pay for a rental car with a debit card. Here a rental deposit as well as a lump sum for fuel for the first tank filling must be paid. The rental price, deposit and fee for the first tank filling is due at the beginning of the rental period. Payment without credit card is only possible for sedans of the middle class (vehicle class FDMR). (These are for example Audi A 4, Jaguar XE, Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series)

Scooters, motorcycles and cars can also be rented in rental shops in the tourist areas. Generally applies to these landlords, that one should not leave his passport as a deposit. Here you can arrange with the dealers a sum of money as a deposit. This can be either in cash or by credit card. Scooters are not insured against property damage. Here the insurance only covers personal injury. When renting a car make sure that the car has a fully comprehensive insurance. Meiers Weltreisen offers a very extensive protection and very good advice!

Animals and animal welfare
Thailand is the land of stray dogs and cats. Animals are living on the streets everywhere in the country. Nationwide, one assumes at least 700,000 stray dogs. The dogs and cats are usually tame and peaceful and do not bite. But if you drive past them with a loud motorbike or scooter, you can bark after a race. Here it is important to keep calm and just drive on. If you are still bitten, it is advisable to consult a doctor or hospital for advice. All wounds should be disinfected. If necessary, the tetanus vaccine must be renewed. For all bites and bloody scratches such as monkeys, dogs or cats may also be considered a rabies vaccination.

In many places, there are now animal welfare organizations that look after the welfare of the animals, the animals are treated medically, castrated and sometimes also for adoption. One of the largest organizations is Soi Dog in Phuket. The organization works nationwide in Thailand and Southeast Asia. In addition to a hospital, there is a large shelter / shelter for dogs and cats. The shelter can be visited and you can also work there as a volunteer.

Soi Dog Foundation Phuket Address: 167/9 Moo 4, Soi Mai Khao 10, Tambon Mai Khao, Amphur Talang, Phuket 83110, Thailand www.soidog.org/

Soi Dog was founded in 2003 and enjoys since 2005 the first animal protection organization of Thailand as a foundation. In 2005, more than 100 dogs already lived in the clinic of the organization in Phuket Town. Since 2008 there is a private shelter (Shelter) and a larger clinic in Mai Khao (near the airport Phuket).

In certain regions there are also free-living monkeys (Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phuket, Krabi, Ko Chang, Phi Phi Island - just to name a few). The monkeys are happy to feed. Again, you should be careful not to be bitten.

Also in Phuket there is the Gibbon rehabilitation project. The Monkey Aid Project is located less than 20 km from the airport in Khao Pra Theaw National Park. White-handed gibbons are lovingly prepared for a reintroduction into their original habitat in the great outdoors. Volunteer work is possible (Address: 104/3 Moo 3, Paklock, Talang, Phuket 83100, Thailand) www.facebook.com/GibbonRehabilitationProject/

The Sea Turtle Stranding Rescue / Phuket Marine Biological Center is dedicated to injured turtles who are treated for medical treatment and then released. (Address: Sakdidej Road, Wichit, Mueang Phuket Amphoe, Phuket 83000, Thailand)

The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is a protection center for injured elephants. Observation tours with the elephants are offered. Volunteer work is possible.

Address: 1 Soi Bhanbangphea, pa khlok, Thalang 38110, Phuket 83110, Thailand)
www.phuketelephantsanctuary.org/
 
There is also an elephant conservation center in northern Thailand: Elephant Nature Park is located approximately 60 kilometers north of Chiang Mai, the Thai capital. https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/ The park is a refuge for elephants, buffalos, dogs , Cats, birds and other species. Volunteering is possible.

Also you can find some more adresses and information about animal welfare here:  animal emergencies
Otherwise, there are several nature reserves and reserves throughout the country, where the animals can live freely. The individual parks I present to you on the respective site pages.

Farang prices and Thai prices
The one or the other among you may have noticed that Thais often pay lower prices than we Europeans (Farangs). This is especially the case with entrance fees in national parks and zoos. While the Thai pay 40 THB in most parks, we usually pay 200 THB here. This is because it is assumed that foreign tourists have more money available than most Thais! Likewise, with the cheaper prices, the thirst for travel of the Thai people should be awakened.