I never dreamed I’d end up as a farang in Thailand. But here I am, and it’s a pretty good life too. If you’ve got a similar idea floating around your head (Ie. you’re thinking you might come and holiday, or reside in Thailand), then I’ve got news for you. You’re going to become a farang too. So what this article is going to do is show you how to be a farang and give you a basic idea on what Thailand culture is on about.

The first thing is that, no matter what and how you think, you’re going to hear Thai people use the word ‘farang’ to describe you. My advice for that is to not concern yourself too much about it, and look at it as a) Thai culture and b) a polite way of saying you look different!

From what I understand, the word ‘farang’ comes from ‘farangset’ which means France. Now you could always argue until you’re blue in the face that you don’t come from France, so therefore you’re NOT a farang. But… it doesn’t work like that in Thailand. In fact, it’s rather simple. If you’re a Westerner in Thailand, then you’re a farang. So, the quicker you can accept this, the easier it will be for you to live in Thailand!

The thing that you DON’T want to do is to take offense at being called a farang. Now I’ve known farangs (sorry, I mean Westerners, or foreigners!) that take offense at being called that. But, honestly, you can’t fight Thai culture, as it is what it is. It’s best to accept the situation as a Thai person might, with a simple ‘may pen rai,’ or ‘that’s cool.’ (It’s Okay).

In fact, if anything, the simple expression ‘may pen rai’ is perhaps the ultimate ‘advice’ to living as a farang in Thailand. You can really take that expression to heart too, not because it’s so commonly used, but because it’s really a great indicator of just how accepting and relaxed the Thais are about life. In many ways, it’s a true reflection of Thai culture.

Now, if none of this is making sense right now, don’t worry too much about it. When you eventually do come to Thailand, you’ll know exactly what I’m on about.

Thailand is a hotspot tourist destination that lies in Southeast Asia. It has several places of tourist interest, such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Koh Phangan. Since there are so many things to do and places to see in this beautiful country, you need to spend at least a week here to enjoy your trip. In addition to these Thailand top destinations, one can enjoy a variety of local shows and events in Thailand while he or she is there. These include events such as Thailand fullmoon party, and many others that can be enjoyed while on a holiday in Thailand.

While making long vacation trips, the main concern of travelers is high hotel rates.

You can book Thailand hotels at affordable rates by following the below mentioned tips:

Online Booking

Thailand hotel booking can easily be done through online reservation portals. Booking early may help you get discounts. Early bookings also help you get the hotel as well as room of your choice. Hotels in Thailand give special discount to companies that offer online reservation and these companies pass on the same to their customers.

Free Services

While booking hotels and resorts in Thailand, you should pay attention to the complementary services offered by them, besides the room rates. Sometimes if you pay a little extra for the room rent, the deal may turn out to be cheaper if you get complementary services, such as free meals, free spa, or free use of gymnasium. The cost of these services is high and can add substantially to your cost of stay. Therefore, you should take into consideration the total cost before finalizing the deal. If the Thailand hotel that you want to book is not offering discount, you can request them to offer free services.

Off-Season

This is surely the most popular way to reduce your expenses on hotel stay. If you plan your holiday to Thailand during the off-season, you may get even the top hotels Thailand at cheap rates. The rainy season from July to October, is the lean tourist time in Thailand. You may even get discounts if you book Thailand hotels for weekdays, instead of weekends, when local tourists throng the places and the demand for hotels goes up drastically.

Package Deals

Package deals include the return airfares, hotel stay, sightseeing, and even meals sometimes. If you book a package, the overall cost of your trip will be quite lower than if you book your air tickets and Thailand hotels separately. However, in this case, you have to follow the itinerary of the package. Hence you need to check the package deal carefully before booking. Some package deals include only stay at hotel and meals. For example, if you are planning to stay at different places, such as Bangkok and Pattaya, during your visit to Thailand, you can get a discount by booking a package of a hotel chain. Customers who book Thailand hotels from the same group of hotels at different locations get good discounts.

Group Bookings

If you plan to go on vacation with your family and friends in a group, you can save money. If you book hotels in Thailand for a group, you may get great Thailand hotel lowest room rates for yourself.

A little planning can help you book Thailand hotels at affordable prices. If you are planning your vacation at the last moment, do not lose heart. You can still book hotels at cheap rates, as many online hotel reservation websites offer hotel bookings at low prices.