Thailand is easy to visit. It is also remarkably easy to make expensive, inconvenient or embarrassing mistakes when nobody has told you how things actually work.THAILAND: THE REAL DEAL is not another guide to temples, beaches, rooftop bars or the ten best places to eat pad Thai.It is about the practical stuff tourists actually need to know.Written by long-term Thailand resident, security and risk consultant and former police detective Chris Bonython, this straight-talking guide covers the things visitors often discover only after they arrive, usually when something has already gone wrong.Inside you will find practical advice on:• Passports, visas, entry requirements and the Thailand Digital Arrival Card• Choosing the right airport and avoiding Bangkok airport mistakes• SIM cards, eSIMs, ATMs, exchange rates and Dynamic Currency Conversion• Taxis, Grab, Bolt, tuk-tuks, trains, ferries and domestic travel• Hotels, deposits, visitor policies, safes and identification• Street food, tipping, cultural etiquette and everyday Thai customs• Markets, shopping, tailors, electronics and VAT refunds• Common tourist scams and how to recognise them• Nightlife, alcohol, drugs, cannabis and vaping laws• Songkran, beach parties, monsoon weather, air quality and regional risks• Police, hospitals, insurance, lost passports and what to do when things go wrong• Leaving Thailand without discovering a problem at the airportThere are no pages of flowery descriptions telling you how the tropical air smells when you step off the aircraft.Just useful information, explained clearly, with real-world experience and a little dry Australian humour.If you are visiting Thailand for the first time, returning after a few years away, or simply want to arrive knowing how things really work, this is the book to read before you get on the plane.Not temples, cocktails and massages.The stuff you actually NEED to know. Read more
