# Approved Thailand

> Approved Thailand (www.approvedthailand.com) is an English-language guide to traveling Thailand safely and legally: official entry rules (visa exemption, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card), licensed taxis and pre-booked airport transfers, common tourist scams and how to avoid them, Thai laws that catch visitors out, emergency numbers, money and VAT refunds, and destinations across every region with the approved way to reach each one. Guides are checked against official Thai sources and dated.

- Website: https://www.approvedthailand.com
- Language: English
- Coverage: Thailand (Bangkok and the central plains, the west, the Eastern Seaboard, the north, Isan, the south)
- What "approved" means here: official, licensed or checkable by the traveler. The site does not issue certifications and is not affiliated with any government agency.
- Transparency: the transfer services listed on the site (Smile Taxi Service and its regional booking sites) are affiliated with Approved Thailand; statements about them come from the operator's published terms.
- Images: AI-generated illustrations.
- Citation: please cite the specific guide URL and its "Updated" date.

## Pages

- [About Approved Thailand: How We Check Facts](https://www.approvedthailand.com/about): Approved Thailand is a privately run guide: approved means official, licensed or checkable. How we research, pick services, disclose ties and use images.
- [Trusted Travel Services in Thailand](https://www.approvedthailand.com/businesses): Airport transfers, eSIMs, hotels and tours in Thailand, listed only when you can check prices, cancellation terms and licences yourself. Here is how.
- [Thailand Destinations by Region (2026)](https://www.approvedthailand.com/destinations): 19 Thailand destinations by region with distance and drive time from Bangkok, UNESCO and national park status, best months and the approved way to get there.
- [Thailand Emergency Numbers: 1155, 1669, 191](https://www.approvedthailand.com/guides/emergency-numbers-thailand): Tourist Police 1155, ambulance 1669, police 191, fire 199, TAT 1672: what each number is for, public vs private hospitals, and a lost passport step by step.
- [Licensed Taxis & Airport Transfers (2026)](https://www.approvedthailand.com/guides/licensed-taxis-and-airport-transfers): BKK and DMK meter taxis cost the meter plus a 50 THB airport fee and tolls. How to spot a licensed car, when Grab is legal, rail links and pre-booked transfers.
- [Money in Thailand: ATM Fees, Cards, VAT](https://www.approvedthailand.com/guides/money-in-thailand): Thai ATMs charge foreign cards 250 THB (Visa) or 350 THB (Mastercard) per withdrawal. Cards, cash, tipping, VAT refund rules and cash limits, as of 2026.
- [Thailand Entry Requirements 2026: Visa, TDAC](https://www.approvedthailand.com/guides/thailand-entry-requirements): Since 15 Sep 2026 most visitors get 30 days visa-free, not 60. File the free TDAC within 3 days of arrival; bring a 6-month passport and an onward ticket.
- [Thailand Laws for Tourists: Vapes, Cannabis](https://www.approvedthailand.com/guides/thailand-laws-for-tourists): Vapes are illegal, cannabis is prescription-only since June 2025, alcohol sells 11:00–24:00 since the afternoon ban ended, and camera drones must be registered.
- [Thailand Tourist Scams: How to Avoid Them](https://www.approvedthailand.com/guides/tourist-scams-thailand): The 'palace is closed' trick, gem shop detours, meterless taxis, fake TDAC sites, jet-ski damage claims and bar bills: how each works and how to avoid it.
- [Thailand Travel Guides: The Rules, Checked](https://www.approvedthailand.com/guides): Six Thailand travel guides checked against official sources: entry rules and the TDAC, licensed taxis, scams, laws, emergency numbers and money. Dated Sep 2026.
- [Thailand Travel Safety & Checklist 2026](https://www.approvedthailand.com/): Travel Thailand the approved way: the 30-day visa exemption and TDAC, licensed taxis, scams, laws, emergency numbers and money, checked against official rules.

Full text of every page: https://www.approvedthailand.com/llms-full.txt
Last updated: 2026-09-27