Getting in: visas and entry
Visa requirements shift periodically and depend on your nationality, which is why we do not list a set fee on this page. Let us know which passport you hold, and we will check the current rule, the paperwork it calls for and the right time to apply, ahead of booking.
In general, your passport should remain valid for six months past your return date and hold two free blank pages; bring along confirmed onward tickets and hotel confirmations too.
Visa fees, travel insurance and international flights are not included in your trip cost unless the itinerary says otherwise.
Paying for your trip
- Payment is 100% of the trip cost, due when you confirm your booking.
- You pay online by card through OnePay, a licensed Vietnamese payment gateway. We never ask for card details by email, chat or phone.
- Hotels, transport and activities are booked as soon as your payment clears.
- The exact amount is on your written quotation before you pay anything.
If you have to cancel
- Cancellations are accepted in writing by email; the date we receive yours is the one that counts.
- Day trips: free cancellation, with a full refund, up to 7 days before the tour date.
- Tours of 2 to 3 days: free cancellation up to 14 days before departure.
- Tours of 4 days or more: free cancellation up to 30 days before departure.
- Inside those windows, or if you do not show up, the full trip cost is charged and not refunded.
Local manners worth knowing
A few minutes reading this before you fly will save you the odd awkward moment on the ground.
- Temple grounds and Buddha images carry real sanctity here. Shoulders and knees should stay covered, shoes come off before you go inside, and climbing on a statue for a photo is out of the question — the law enforces this, not merely custom.
- Jokes or critical remarks about the Thai royal family are never appropriate. Lèse-majesté law carries genuine force, and it applies to foreign visitors just as much as to Thais.
- A woman handing something straight to a monk is not permitted; a male companion should pass it on her behalf, or she should place it down for the monk to take.
- If a problem comes up, a raised voice will not help. Staying jai yen, cool-hearted, resolves things faster than losing your temper.
- The foot ranks as the body's lowest part in local belief, so do not point it toward people or images, and keep your feet away from furniture.
The practical bits
- Most temples and palaces in Bangkok and Chiang Mai have a dress code, so it is worth carrying a light scarf.
- Given advance notice, we can arrange vegetarian, vegan and other dietary needs in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket.
Frequently asked questions
When do you need our passport details?
Seven days before you arrive. In high season it helps to send them earlier, since hotels release blocked rooms quickly once a booking isn't confirmed.
How is the price worked out?
It depends on your dates, party size, hotel category and the activities in your itinerary. We send a written quote once we have those details, and nothing is booked until you confirm it.
Can special diets be handled?
Yes — vegetarian, vegan and halal meals can be organised at every destination we cover, provided you tell us at the time of booking rather than after you land.
What if a domestic flight is cancelled?
Our local team reworks the ground arrangements around the new schedule and lets you know straight away. Any airline charges are passed on at cost.
Who helps us if something goes wrong mid-trip?
Yes, you will have a local contact reachable for the whole of your trip, not just when the office is open.
See also
Thailand, away from the tour-bus circuitOur Thailand trips: private, guided, timed to miss the crowdsTalk to us about your tripBangkok: canals, shophouse kitchens and the temples before the crowdsChiang Mai: hill temples, night markets and elephants met on their terHua Hin: the royal seaside town, night markets and a slower coast