Arriving in Thailand

Do three things before you board. Check your ticket says BKK (Suvarnabhumi) or DMK (Don Mueang), because the airports are far apart. File the free arrival card; the TDAC guide goes through it field by field.

And know which rules you're entering under. How long you can stay visa-free, who can use the e-gates and how much money to carry are each on the entry rules board, as they stand today.

Keep your onward ticket, your first-night address and your arrival card on your phone. Officers rarely ask, but when they do, you'll want them within a minute.

For cash, skip the arrival-hall booths and go down to the basement, where the dedicated exchange counters beat the bank rates. From the same level, the Airport Rail Link runs to Phaya Thai for 45 baht. Taxis add a 50-baht airport surcharge to the meter.

The arrivals hall has its own traps: men offering flat-fare rides on the departures kerb, and SIM counters with a queue. The first-hour guide takes Suvarnabhumi in the order you meet it.