๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ Bangkok ยท First days

First 48 hours in Bangkok

The first two days in Bangkok, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.

For Bangkok
How long you are staying

Must do

  • AIS and True (which merged with dtac) sell SIMs at the airport and in malls; bring your passport, as every SIM is registered to one. A Thai number is what banks, PromptPay and most apps ask for.
  • 191 is the police, 1669 the ambulance service and 1155 the Tourist Police, who answer in English and help with lost passports and disputes.
  • Buy a Rabbit card at any BTS ticket office for the Skytrain. The MRT Blue and Purple lines take contactless Visa and Mastercard at the gate, so you can start without a card.
  • Your landlord or hotel must report your address to immigration within 24 hours of arrival. Ask for the receipt now; extensions and bank accounts ask for it later.

Should do

  • Thai ATMs charge around เธฟ220 per withdrawal on a foreign card, on top of your bank's fee, so take larger sums less often. Exchange booths in town beat the airport rate.
  • Fixed fares and no negotiation. Add LINE MAN for food delivery.
  • Do not touch heads or point feet at people or shrines, and treat the monarchy with care in speech and online: lรจse-majestรฉ is a serious criminal offence.
  • IQAir or Air4Thai show PM2.5 by district. From December to March it decides whether you run outside or wear a mask.
  • On an extension of stay, the address report is due every 90 days, and leaving the country without a re-entry permit cancels the extension. Put both in the calendar now.
  • Do the walk from the BTS or MRT to any flat you are considering, in the heat of the day. Ask whether the building runs a shuttle, and note where the motorbike-taxi rank is.
  • Save the address and the direct emergency number of the private hospital nearest your flat. In traffic its own ambulance often arrives before 1669.

Nice to do

  • Once the work permit or long-stay visa is in hand, bring your passport, lease and TM30 receipt. Branches differ, so ask your employer which one opens accounts for its staff.
  • Most embassies run a registration or alert service for nationals in Thailand. It helps if a passport is lost or there is flooding or unrest.
  • Take the Chao Phraya Express from Sathorn pier, at the BTS Saphan Taksin exit. It is transport, not sightseeing, and changes how you see the map.
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  • Must do0/4
  • Should do0/7
  • Nice to do0/3
Emergency191
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