When to go
November to February is dry season — 80s Fahrenheit, low humidity, almost no rain. March to May is brutally hot (often 100°F+) and the worst air-quality period. June to October is the rainy season; afternoon downpours but the city is half-empty and prices drop hard. For beach trips, Phuket and Krabi are best Dec–Apr; Koh Samui on the east coast peaks Feb–Apr and Jul–Sep.
Getting there
No US carrier flies nonstop to Bangkok. Best routings from JFK/EWR are one-stop via Doha (Qatar), Dubai (Emirates), Hong Kong (Cathay), or Tokyo Haneda (ANA/JAL). Total travel time runs 22–28 hours. Qatar via DOH usually has the cheapest fares; Cathay via HKG has the best on-board experience. The new Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport (BKK) is 30 minutes from central Bangkok by Airport Rail Link (45 baht ≈ $1.30).
Visa & entry
US, UK, EU, Australian, and Canadian passports get 60 days visa-free as of mid-2024 (up from the old 30-day rule). Your passport needs six months’ validity. Bring proof of onward travel — Thai immigration occasionally asks, and the airline at check-in almost always does.
Money
Thai Baht (THB) trades around 35–37 per USD. Use 7-Eleven ATMs (220 THB foreign-card fee, mediocre but ubiquitous) or Bangkok Bank for the lowest fees. Credit cards work in hotels and malls; everything else is cash. Grab and Bolt rideshare apps are cheap and avoid taxi-meter games. Tipping is not customary — rounding up is plenty.
What to see
A first trip: 3–4 days in Bangkok (Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Chatuchak weekend market, a Chao Phraya river cruise, street food on Sukhumvit Soi 38 or Yaowarat), then fly south for islands (1h flight to Phuket or Krabi, $30–$60). Don’t rent a scooter unless you’ve ridden one before — Thai roads are unforgiving. Long-distance buses and trains are dirt cheap if you have the time; the overnight train Bangkok→Chiang Mai is a classic.