Thaïlande : à savoir avant de partir

Entrée et visas

From 15 Sep 2026 Thailand replaced the 60-day exemption: 60 countries/territories get 30 days visa-free for tourism, Russia, China and Kazakhstan keep 30 days under bilateral agreements, and visa on arrival is limited to Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Everyone else needs a Thai e-Visa. All foreigners must submit the TDAC before arrival. Carry an onward ticket and proof of accommodation/funds; officers may ask.

Formulaires et autorisations en ligne

• Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) ↗ obligatoire
  Online within 3 days before arrival (air, land or sea) · Frais : Free · All foreign nationals, including children; not required for passengers transiting without passing immigration.

Validité du passeport: At least 6 months beyond arrival.

À la frontière, on peut vous demander

• Show the TDAC confirmation (QR code or number) at immigration.
• Officers may ask for a return/onward ticket, hotel booking and funds (about 20,000 THB per person, 40,000 per family).
• Fingerprints and photo are taken at immigration.
• Hotels must report your stay to immigration (TM30); keep your passport handy at check-in.

Douane

• Duty-free: 200 cigarettes (or 250 g tobacco) and 1 litre of alcohol per adult.
• E-cigarettes, vapes and refills are prohibited and confiscated.
• Declare cash over USD 20,000 (or equivalent) on arrival.
• Buddha images and antiques need a Fine Arts Department licence to be exported.

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: tdac.immigration.go.th ↗, dubai.thaiembassy.org ↗, thaievisa.go.th ↗, mfa.go.th ↗, washingtondc.thaiembassy.org ↗

Argent

Espèces et cartes sont courantes. Cartes acceptées surtout en ville et dans les lieux touristiques.

Réseaux de paiement : Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, JCB, Amex

Apple Pay — fonctionne par endroits · Google Pay — fonctionne par endroits

Où changer de l’argent

• SuperRich (orange or green branches) in Bangkok and Pattaya usually have the best rates
• Other licensed booths such as Vasu and Twelve; bank exchange counters in malls
• Bring crisp large USD/EUR notes (100s/50s) for the best rate

Où éviter de changer

• Airport arrival-hall counters (change only a little for the taxi)
• Hotel front desks
• Unlicensed street changers

Distributeurs: Thai ATMs charge foreign cards about 220–250 THB per withdrawal on top of your bank's fees; withdraw larger sums less often and always decline the ATM's own conversion (DCC).

Pourboires: Not obligatory. Round up taxi fares, leave 20–100 THB in casual restaurants; many hotels and restaurants already add a 10% service charge.

• Apple Pay/Google Pay with a foreign card works where there is a contactless terminal (malls, chains, 7-Eleven in cities); street food and markets are cash or Thai QR only.
• Russian-issued Visa/Mastercard cards do not work abroad; bring cash (USD/EUR) or a card issued elsewhere.
• Always pay card bills in baht, not in your home currency.

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: superrichthailand.com ↗, support.apple.com ↗, bot.or.th ↗, usa.visa.com ↗, mastercard.com ↗

Culture et tenue

Religion: Theravada Buddhism (about 93%), Islam (about 5%, mainly in the south), small Christian minority.

Tenue: Temples and the Grand Palace: shoulders and knees covered, no see-through or tight clothing; remove shoes before entering buildings. Sarongs can sometimes be borrowed or bought at the gate.

Savoir-vivre

• Never touch someone's head or point your feet at people or Buddha images.
• Women must not touch monks or hand items directly to them.
• Don't climb on, pose disrespectfully with, or tattoo Buddha images; Buddha heads as decor are frowned upon and exporting them is restricted.
• Greet with a wai (palms together); stay calm—losing your temper in public causes loss of face.
• Topless sunbathing is not acceptable; cover up away from the beach.

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: tourismthailand.org ↗, gov.uk ↗

Climat

Tropical. Cool, dry season Nov–Feb; hot season Mar–May; southwest monsoon (rainy) May–Oct. The Gulf islands (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan) have a different pattern: wettest Oct–Dec.

Meilleure saison : November to February for most of the country; Gulf islands best Jan–Aug.

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: tmd.go.th ↗, en.wikipedia.org ↗, thailand.go.th ↗

À emporter

• Universal plug adapter (types A/B/C/F/O; 220V)
• Light clothing that covers shoulders and knees for temples
• High-SPF reef-safe sunscreen and hat
• DEET or picaridin insect repellent (dengue)
• Light rain jacket or poncho (May–Oct)
• Sandals that slip off easily for temples
• Printed or saved copies of passport, TDAC and bookings
• Prescription medicines in original packaging with a doctor's letter

À ne pas emporter / interdit à l’importation

• Vapes, e-cigarettes and refills (illegal, confiscated)
• Cannabis/CBD products
• Medicines with strong opioids or psychotropics without a permit/prescription
• Heavy winter clothing (except for northern mountains in Dec–Jan)

Pratique

Prises: Types A, B, C, F, O; 220V 50Hz

Eau: Don't drink tap water; bottled or filtered water is cheap everywhere. Ice in restaurants is usually factory-made.

Circulation: à gauche

Mobile et eSIM: Tourist SIMs (AIS, TrueMove H, dtac) sold at airport arrivals; passport needed. eSIMs widely available.

Applications: Grab, Bolt, LINE, LINE MAN, Google Maps

Santé: Dengue is common; use repellent. Consider hepatitis A, typhoid and (for rural stays) Japanese encephalitis vaccines. Rabies risk from dogs/monkeys. Yellow fever certificate needed if arriving from a risk country.

Assurance: Not required for visa-exempt tourists, but strongly recommended; private hospitals are expensive and motorbike accidents are common (check you're covered and licensed).

Urgences: Tourist Police 1155; Police 191; Ambulance 1669; Fire 199

Vérifié le 29 octobre 2026 · Sources: gov.uk ↗, wwwnc.cdc.gov ↗