Thailand is the most-visited place in Asia, and there is good reason for it. With its clean beaches, fantastic Thai food and ancient culture, it has a lot to offer tourists who are looking for a great vacation. Along with your mosquito repellant, sun screen, a photocopy of your travel documents and proper clothing, your smartphone with a good battery such as the zerolemon will be your best friend in the country.
Your best bet for staying connected if you have an unlocked phone is to install a local, prepaid SIM card. These are sold at cell-phone stores and local 7-Elevens. The salesperson will be able to help you get the right card. You’ll have a local number and pay much less for your phone calls. If your phone is locked, you may be able to apply to your operator before you depart to have it unlocked for the duration of your trip. It may even be possible to get it unlocked in Bangkok, but this can be complicated. You could also use international roaming from your home service, but this is very expensive.
There are many apps you can download that will give information on the places you want to see such as the best local beach as well as restaurants and city maps. In a complete guide to the country you’ll read about the national parks, important cultural sites and events, the less-famous destinations as well as a phrasebook for Thai and Malay.
Many apps offer interactive travel guides that are customized for your trip. In one place, you can get access to Wikipedia, World66, Wikitravel, Open Streetmaps, Chefmoz and DMOZ. In fact, you’ll have the world at your fingertips the whole time you are visiting and be able to modify your destinations according to your interest and events.
It is no longer necessary to fumble with guidebooks, phrasebooks and paper maps. Your own smartphone is your one-stop destination for all the help you need. The Tourism Authority of Thailand also provides an app that has beautiful pictures from around the whole country as well as tips for shopping, nightlife, sightseeing spots and more.
You can get free apps that give a complete travel guide for more than 50 of the main tourist cities, including Bangkok, Phuket and Chaing Mai. The information includes local restaurants and local hotels with a wide range of prices, any events or festivals in the locality and the must-see attractions.
Bangkok is famous for traffic jams, and visitors are encouraged to use the excellent public transportation including the sky trains or subway. There is a free app that will help you solve the public transportation puzzle and make it easy for you to reach your destinations. You already know Thai food is great, but wonder if you can find great, cheap food at the source. Never fear, there’s a free app that will help you eat like a local wherever you are.
Your smartphone is the one item that will make your trip to Thailand smoother and much more rewarding. Just make sure it has a good battery and you’ll be set to go.