Remains one of the first ports of call for first-time backpackers. But don’t be fooled – though travelling here means following a well-beaten tourist trail, there’s no denying that this beguiling country can take a while to get to grips with. To make sure you hit the ground running on your first visit, follow our top ten Thailand travel tips. Go slow Don’t try to fit in too much.

You’re almost certain to start in and we recommend you don’t rush off. Instead, allow a few days to soak up the vibrant capital’s up-for-it atmosphere, including at least one night on the notorious Khao San Road, before heading south to the islands, or north to Thailand’s second city. To do both you’ll need at least two weeks; if you’ve got three add Kanchanaburi and the infamous Bridge Over the River Kwai to your itinerary. Thailand is a country of temples, from the magnificent to the miniature, but try to visit them all and you’ll soon find yourself fatigued. Narrow it down to the big-hitters instead like and in Bangkok, and Wat Phra Si Sanphet in. Remember that Thailand is about more than architectural splendour, the street-life and beach-life are just as much a part of the experience. Savvy street food Thai street food is abundant, high quality and astoundingly cheap.

But it can also be a fast track to food poisoning. Take sensible precautions such as washing hands before and afterwards, and above all: eat where there are crowds; a faster turnover means fresher food. And don’t drink the tap water. Repel the enemy Mosquitoes are everywhere, but that doesn’t mean resigning yourself to being bitten. Use a spray-on repellent with at least 50% deet during the day (100% at night) and treat clothes with a permethrin spray as soon as you arrive in the country. Be sure to do this outside though and leave for a while to dry – it’s nasty stuff. To market Visiting an open-air market is a must-do and it is here that you will find the best prices and often the best goods.

Thailand is a mecca for counterfeit products though, so be aware that what you’re buying is unlikely to be genuine, and never forget to haggle – the first price you’re quoted should come down by at least a third. Some of the best markets are in Bangkok, Tha Kha Floating Market near and Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar.

Get the best beds If you’re on a budget and planning to stay in hostels and guesthouses, simply turning up and requesting a room is the cheapest way to go, and thanks to Thailand’s flourishing tourism industry you’re unlikely to have trouble finding a bed (especially if you use our for suggestions). Bear in mind though that air conditioning often costs extra and is worth every penny during the hottest months (typically May to October). If you’re willing to spend a little more on your accommodation, book mid-range or luxury hotels in advance to secure the best deals. Sidestep scams At times, it can feel a little like there is someone trying to rip you off on every corner in Thailand and it pays to keep your wits about you. Don’t trust randomly helpful strangers who come up to you in the street with information about public holidays and closed temples; check with your hostel or hotel instead. Always agree a price before getting in a tuk tuk and insist on any taxi you use being metered.

Keep your belongings as close to you as possible, ideally strung around you in a zipped up bag. Respect the culture Keeping face is of paramount important to all Thai people so raising your voice and getting angry will get you nowhere.

The head is considered the most sacred part of the body, while the feet are the lowest; don’t touch a Thai person on the head under any circumstances, or point your feet (especially the soles) towards anyone – or any sacred image, particularly of the Buddha or the King. Smiling will always get you a long way. Thais tend to smile far more than the average westerner so get ready to beam. Drink it in Beer is the alcoholic drink of choice in Thailand and you’ll find local brew Singha almost everywhere. Be aware that it is 6% abv – and that the almost-as-popular Chang is a whopping 7%.

You have to be 20 to buy alcohol, though only nightclubs generally ask for ID. Unless you’re feeling flush, you won’t want to order wine; thanks to hefty import taxes you’ll pay at least four times what you would at home. Safe sex Yes, the sex industry is everywhere in Thailand, but no, prostitution is not legal here. As well as potential trouble from the police, there are numerous ethical issues involved, not to mention issues of health and safety. So don’t even think about it. Explore Thailand with the. For your trip, and don't forget to before you go.

Book your trip with Rough Guides Tailor-made travel planned by local experts At Rough Guides, we understand that experienced travellers want to get truly off-the-beaten-track. That’s why we’ve partnered with local experts to help you plan and book tailor-made trips that are packed with personality and stimulating adventure - at all levels of comfort. If you love planning, but find arranging the logistics exhausting, you’re in the right place. Book through Rough Guides’ trusted travel partners. Related features.

'TIME-TRAVELER' BUSTED FOR INSIDER TRADING Wednesday March 19, 2003 By CHAD KULTGEN NEW YORK - Federal investigators have arrested an enigmatic Wall Street wiz on insider-trading charges - and incredibly, he claims to be a time-traveler from the year 2256! Sources at the Security and Exchange Commission confirm that 44-year-old Andrew Carlssin offered the bizarre explanation for his uncanny success in the stock market after being led off in handcuffs on January 28.

'We don't believe this guy's story - he's either a lunatic or a pathological liar,' says an SEC insider. 'But the fact is, with an initial investment of only $800, in two weeks' time he had a portfolio valued at over $350 million. Every trade he made capitalized on unexpected business developments, which simply can't be pure luck. 'The only way he could pull it off is with illegal inside information. He's going to sit in a jail cell on Rikers Island until he agrees to give up his sources.' The past year of nose-diving stock prices has left most investors crying in their beer.

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So when Carlssin made a flurry of 126 high-risk trades and came out the winner every time, it raised the eyebrows of Wall Street watchdogs. 'If a company's stock rose due to a merger or technological breakthrough that was supposed to be secret, Mr. Carlssin somehow knew about it in advance,' says the SEC source close to the hush-hush, ongoing investigation. When investigators hauled Carlssin in for questioning, they got more than they bargained for: A mind-boggling four-hour confession. Carlssin declared that he had traveled back in time from over 200 years in the future, when it is common knowledge that our era experienced one of the worst stock plunges in history. Yet anyone armed with knowledge of the handful of stocks destined to go through the roof could make a fortune. 'It was just too tempting to resist,' Carlssin allegedly said in his videotaped confession.

'I had planned to make it look natural, you know, lose a little here and there so it doesn't look too perfect. But I just got caught in the moment.'

In a bid for leniency, Carlssin has reportedly offered to divulge 'historical facts' such as the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden and a cure for AIDS. All he wants is to be allowed to return to the future in his 'time craft.' However, he refuses to reveal the location of the machine or discuss how it works, supposedly out of fear the technology could 'fall into the wrong hands.' Officials are quite confident the 'time-traveler's' claims are bogus. Yet the SEC source admits, 'No one can find any record of any Andrew Carlssin existing anywhere before December 2002.' Weekly World News will continue to follow this story as it unfolds.

Keep watching for further developments. Click to expand. Sad thing is, I've thought of doing the exact same thing, hehe. And also doing the same thing with Sega.

Take back the Dreamcast to 1985. That'd surely blow the NES out of the water.

But then you have the whole time paradox stuff where even if one tiny miniscule thing is changed, the entire future could turn out different. I think it'd be worth it though, for a world of 7239487 THz PowerMac G3894723's and a 39423487 bit Sega game system. Enoch also, notice that on the page of that link/story it says 'Weekly World News.' I didn't know Yahoo was in the tabloid business now. Click to expand.On occasion they do have a true story. Many, many years ago they ran a story titled 'LITTLE GIRL BURIED IN PLAYHOUSE TOMB!'

Which was an overly dramatic description (with pictures) of a site in my tiny Alabama hometown. Decades ago, a little local girl died, of scarlet fever, I think, near Christmas. All she had wanted for Christmas was a playhouse. So her father built a small brick playhouse over her grave site. The family maintains the playhouse. If I recall correctly, every Christmas they put new toys (dolls, stuffed animals and the like) in the playhouse and donate last year's toys to needy children. Nothing so unbelievable as Bat Boy or time travelers, but it does demonstrate that at one time, at least, they did occasionally put in something with a basis in fact.

For all I know, they did that in a bunch of small towns and put one such story in each issue so that their readers would see it and assume that the other stuff must be true. I think this was before they realized that more people would read them for humor than would take them seriously. Originally posted by iWantAMac 'TIME-TRAVELER' BUSTED FOR INSIDER TRADING Wednesday March 19, 2003 By CHAD KULTGEN NEW YORK - Federal investigators have arrested an enigmatic Wall Street wiz on insider-trading charges - and incredibly, he claims to be a time-traveler from the year 2256! Sources at the Security and Exchange Commission confirm that 44-year-old Andrew Carlssin offered the bizarre explanation for his uncanny success in the stock market after being led off in handcuffs on January 28. 'We don't believe this guy's story - he's either a lunatic or a pathological liar,' says an SEC insider. 'But the fact is, with an initial investment of only $800, in two weeks' time he had a portfolio valued at over $350 million.

Every trade he made capitalized on unexpected business developments, which simply can't be pure luck. 'The only way he could pull it off is with illegal inside information. He's going to sit in a jail cell on Rikers Island until he agrees to give up his sources.' The past year of nose-diving stock prices has left most investors crying in their beer. So when Carlssin made a flurry of 126 high-risk trades and came out the winner every time, it raised the eyebrows of Wall Street watchdogs. 'If a company's stock rose due to a merger or technological breakthrough that was supposed to be secret, Mr.

Carlssin somehow knew about it in advance,' says the SEC source close to the hush-hush, ongoing investigation. When investigators hauled Carlssin in for questioning, they got more than they bargained for: A mind-boggling four-hour confession.

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Carlssin declared that he had traveled back in time from over 200 years in the future, when it is common knowledge that our era experienced one of the worst stock plunges in history. Yet anyone armed with knowledge of the handful of stocks destined to go through the roof could make a fortune. 'It was just too tempting to resist,' Carlssin allegedly said in his videotaped confession. 'I had planned to make it look natural, you know, lose a little here and there so it doesn't look too perfect. But I just got caught in the moment.' In a bid for leniency, Carlssin has reportedly offered to divulge 'historical facts' such as the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden and a cure for AIDS.

All he wants is to be allowed to return to the future in his 'time craft.' However, he refuses to reveal the location of the machine or discuss how it works, supposedly out of fear the technology could 'fall into the wrong hands.' Officials are quite confident the 'time-traveler's' claims are bogus. Yet the SEC source admits, 'No one can find any record of any Andrew Carlssin existing anywhere before December 2002.'

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Weekly World News will continue to follow this story as it unfolds. Keep watching for further developments.