Buy Thai baht online

Credit and debit cards are accepted in Thailand. It's a well-trodden tourist destination, so you'll find plenty of ATMS. While you'll be able to use your card to withdraw Thai baht, many ATMs will levy a charge for taking out cash, on top of any international transaction fees your own bank might charge.

Outside of the major cities and tourist areas, you will need to carry cash for most of your day to day spending.

The only currency you can spend in Thailand is the baht.

If you're just travelling to Thailand for a holiday, you'll be able to enter the country without a visa if you're travelling on a British passport. You'll be able to stay up to 30 days as a tourist. For stays longer than this, or if you're planning on working while you're in Thailand, you will need to apply for a visa before you travel.

You should always research the most up to date visa guidelines before planning a trip.

Tipping in Thailand is normal in restaurants, where adding 10% to your bill for good service is standard.

There are no hard and fast rules outside that though, which can make it a little confusing for travellers. Tips are not generally expected in other situations, but are usually appreciated.

For taxi fares, you might round up to the nearest round number of baht, for example if your fare was 64baht, you could pay 70baht.

For other services like tour guides, spa attendants or masseuses, porters, you'll need to use your discretion. If someone has helped you or given great service rewarding them with a tip will be welcomed. For a 300 baht massage, you might leave between 50 and 100 baht as a tip. For a whole day's tour guiding, anything up to 1,000baht would be appropriate.

The official language spoken throughout Thailand is the Thai language. Thai is a tonal language, and can be quite difficult for foreigners to learn as different inflections can change the meaning of a word.

Luckily though, as Thailand is such a popular holiday destination, English is spoken well by many people in the main tourist areas. It acts as an unofficial second language across the country. Many maps, road signs and menus will also have a written English translation, which helps no end when trying to navigate your way around.

Check online before you travel as the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office publishes travel advice for Thailand which might affect your trip.

While Thailand is generally safe to visit, occasionally the government might need to advise against all but essential travel to certain regions. If you travel to these places when advice is in effect, your travel insurance could be invalidated.

High season in Thailand is from November to March. This is after the monsoons, and generally brings settled, more manageable temperatures than the sweltering period from March until June.

The wet season is from July until October. While downpours are common during monsoon season, they don't last long so you'll usually be able to get back onto the beach if you wait it out.

Planning your Thai adventure? Check out the latest exchange rate for Thai baht and take care of your travel money online.