# What to know before traveling to Thailand: visa, baht, tipping, plugs > What to know before traveling to Thailand: the new 30-day visa-free stay, what the baht is worth, tipping, plugs and the numbers to call in an emergency. - URL: https://traypass.app/blog/what-to-know-before-traveling-to-thailand - By: Gonzalo Fuentes, Traypass - 2026-10-22 - [es](https://traypass.app/es/blog/consejos-para-viajar-a-tailandia) · [fr](https://traypass.app/fr/blog/conseils-voyage-thailande) · [de](https://traypass.app/de/blog/thailand-reisetipps) · [it](https://traypass.app/it/blog/cosa-sapere-prima-di-andare-in-thailandia) · [ja](https://traypass.app/ja/blog/thailand-travel-tips) ## In short - With a US passport you can enter **visa-free for up to 30 days** as a tourist; fill out the digital arrival card (TDAC) before you fly. - You pay in **baht (THB)**: $1 is about 33.53 THB. Street food, markets and tuk-tuks are cash only. - **Tipping**: no percentage. People round up the bill and the taxi fare. - **Plugs**: types A, B, C and F at 220 V. US plugs fit, but check that your chargers say 100–240 V. Cars drive on the left. - **Emergencies**: police 191, ambulance 1669, fire 199 and the English-speaking tourist police at 1155. What to know before traveling to Thailand, from Bangkok to Krabi, comes down to a few things: whether you need a visa, what the baht is worth, whether to tip and whether your charger will fit. Traypass keeps them under Good to know for every country on your trip. Here they are for Thailand. ## Do you need a visa for Thailand? Not with a US passport. You can enter as a tourist and stay up to 30 days without applying for a visa. At immigration they check your passport, which must be valid for at least six months. If you have seen 60 days mentioned somewhere, that was the rule until September 15, 2026. Now it is 30, and for tourism only. What you do need, since May 2025, is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): an online form you fill out in the three days before you land. It is free on the official site; be wary of sites that charge for it. Rules change, so check the State Department’s page for Thailand before you go. **Entry requirements (US)** - No visa needed — Up to 30 days, tourism only. Fill out the TDAC before you arrive. ## Where you’ll land Almost every flight from abroad lands in Bangkok. The islands and the north have airports of their own, about an hour’s flight from Bangkok. Thailand's main airports ![Thailand's main airports](/_astro/en-light-wide.BWs4iMsM_1K2mvy.webp)![Thailand's main airports](/_astro/en-dark-wide.JGv2hMhv_ZKAqHd.webp) 1. **Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK)** — Most long-haul flights 2. **Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK)** — Low-cost and domestic flights 3. **Chiang Mai (CNX)** — The north 4. **Phuket (HKT)** — The Andaman islands 5. **Krabi (KBV)** — Railay, Ao Nang, Koh Lanta ## Money: the Thai baht Thailand’s currency is the baht (THB). On October 9, 2026, $1 was worth 33.53 THB. Cards work in hotels, malls and most city restaurants; street food, markets and tuk-tuks are cash only. Thai ATMs charge foreign cards about 220 THB (about $6.50) per withdrawal, so it pays to take out more at a time. **Currency (THB)** 1 USD = **33.53** THB 10 USD →**335**THB European Central Bank · Oct 9, 2026 ## Do you tip? There is no set percentage: people round the bill up, and in a taxi, the fare. Some hotels and pricier restaurants add a service charge; when it is on the bill, nothing more is expected. **Tipping** - No percentage. People round the bill up. - Taxi — Round the fare up ## When people eat A little later than at home: lunch runs from 12:30 to 2 p.m. and dinner from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Street stalls are another matter: you can find food at almost any hour. **Meal times** - Lunch: 12:30–2:00 PM - Dinner: 7:30–9:00 PM ## Plugs and driving Thailand has type A, B, C and F sockets. US plugs (A and B) fit, so you don’t need an adapter. The power is 220 V, though, not the 120 V you have at home. Phone and laptop chargers marked 100–240 V are fine; single-voltage appliances, like many hair dryers, are not. And when you cross the street, look right first: cars drive on the left. **Plugs (220 V)** - Type A - Type B - Type C - Type F Your plugs fit Compared with United States ## A few words of Thai Hello is _sa-wat-dii_ and thank you is _khop khun_. Men end each phrase with _khrap_ and women with _ka_: it is the polite form, and people notice. **Phrases (ไทย)** - Hello — สวัสดี — sa-wat-dii - Thank you — ขอบคุณ — khop khun - Sorry — ขอโทษ — kho thot - Do you speak English? — พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้ไหม — phuut phaasaa ang-krit dai mai? - The bill, please — เก็บเงินด้วย — kèb ngern dûai ## If something goes wrong The tourist police speak English: call them at **1155**. For everything else: police **191**, ambulance **1669** and fire **199**. On your phone, tap a number to call it. **Emergencies** [**191** — Police — Tap to call](tel:191) - [Tourist police **1155**](tel:1155) - [Ambulance **1669**](tel:1669) - [Fire brigade **199**](tel:199) ## Questions people ask ### Do US citizens need a visa for Thailand? Not for tourist stays of up to 30 days: you just need a passport valid for at least six months. Since September 15, 2026, the visa-free stay is 30 days (it was 60) and for tourism only. You do have to fill out the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online in the three days before you land. ### What currency does Thailand use, and what is it worth? The Thai baht (THB). On October 9, 2026, $1 was worth 33.53 THB, according to the European Central Bank. ### Do you tip in Thailand? There is no set percentage. People round the bill up, and in a taxi, the fare. If the bill already includes a service charge, nothing more is expected. ### Do I need a plug adapter for Thailand? Not for US plugs: Thailand has type A, B, C and F sockets, and A and B are the ones you use at home. The power is 220 V, though, not 120 V. Phone and laptop chargers marked 100–240 V are fine; a single-voltage hair dryer is not. ### What is the emergency number in Thailand? Police 191, ambulance 1669 and fire 199. The tourist police, who speak English, can be reached at 1155. --- Plan this trip in Traypass. 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