Thailand checks all the must-have boxes for backpackers; affordable, beautiful, safe, and never, ever cold. You might have seen photos of the white-sand beaches and bustling streets and frollicking elephants and mouth-watering food. It may be hard to believe, but there’s so much more to experience.

While the Land of Smiles certainly deserves every ounce of credit for all of these things, it remains a world away from the where many of us call home. So before your Thailand tour begins, we thought we’d mention a few things to keep in mind before you arrive to help avoid any unexpected surprises.