AraiWa · Know
AraiWa Know is the evergreen layer behind Thailand now — how money, health, housing, safety and everyday decisions actually work, beyond the day’s news.
A curated starting set — not our full archive. Every guide here is written natively in English, with its sources shown on each guide.
Safety
A practical rundown of the scams visitors and new residents actually run into — deposit and rental fraud, fake visa/arrival sites, swapped notes and packaged goods, pressure and trust scams — plus a short set of habits that prevent most of them.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Safety
How property scams around buying, long leases and deposits actually work — false ownership claims, fake agents, pressure to pay before verification — and the Land Office, contract and payment checks that stop them.
Best for New residentsLong-term residents
Read the guide →Safety
How fake holiday villa listings work — stolen photos, off-platform bank transfers, properties that don't exist — and the address, image and payment checks to run before paying a deposit.
Best for Visitors
Read the guide →Weather & seasons
How Thailand's rainy season works in practice: the regional difference between the two coasts, what changes on the ground for beaches and ferries, how Bangkok flooding actually plays out, and why the rainy season is not always worth avoiding.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Getting around
Bangkok's main transport options in plain English: BTS Skytrain, MRT, Airport Rail Link, river ferry, taxis and Grab — how each works, what to pay, and the common pitfalls to avoid.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Connectivity
How to get a SIM card in Thailand, which operators to consider, what the registration step requires, and what to expect on coverage outside of cities.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Safety
Step-by-step practical guide for a lost or stolen passport: police report, embassy contact, overstay risk and how to report to Thai immigration, and how to get an emergency travel document or full replacement.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Money & cost of living
Real monthly numbers for housing, food, transport and utilities, and how spending differs between city and rural life — a grounded baseline for budgeting a trip or planning a move.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Health
How Thailand's public and private hospital tiers work, what care and insurance actually cost, and how to handle an emergency or a pharmacy visit — useful whether you're visiting or staying long-term.
Best for VisitorsLong-term residentsFamilies
Read the guide →Living & housing
A practical playbook for finding a place, what to check and ask before you sign, and how leases and deposits usually work — aimed at longer stays and new residents.
Best for New residentsLong-term residents
Read the guide →Living & housing
Why a landlord-billed meter can cost two to four times the official rate, how to sanity-check a bill against the meter and the promised rate, and exactly what to ask about electricity before you sign a lease.
Best for New residentsLong-term residents
Read the guide →Getting around
Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang without the first-hour mistakes: Airport Rail Link and SRT Red Line, official taxi queues versus terminal touts, ride-hailing pickup zones, and what changes after midnight.
Best for Visitors
Read the guide →Weather & seasons
When PM2.5 season hits the north versus Bangkok, how to check today's readings from official monitors, and how sensitive travellers and long-stayers should plan around the February–April window.
Best for VisitorsNew residentsFamilies
Read the guide →Getting around
The licence and IDP question answered honestly, why travel insurance often quietly excludes motorcycle accidents, why your passport is never a deposit, and the photo routine that prevents damage-claim disputes.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Money
How the per-withdrawal ATM operator fee works with foreign cards, the dynamic currency conversion trap at ATMs and card terminals, where cards are accepted, and how much cash daily life actually needs.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Weather & seasons
Thai New Year (April 13–15) in practice: what closes and what stays open, how the nationwide water fight works, why transport books out and roads turn dangerous, and how to decide whether to join or route around it.
Best for VisitorsFamilies
Read the guide →Safety
Thailand's emergency lines by situation: 1669 for medical, 191 for police, 1155 for English-speaking tourist police — plus road, immigration and consular contacts, and what to have ready when you call.
Best for VisitorsNew residentsFamilies
Read the guide →Arrival
The one official website, the 3-day filling window, the fact that it is free — and the fake paid sites and last-minute mistakes to avoid. A form guide, not visa advice.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Planning
The official 2026 holiday list and the practical layer: government offices and banks close while malls stay open, weekend holidays substitute to Monday, and Buddhist holy days stop alcohol sales.
Best for VisitorsNew residentsLong-term residents
Read the guide →Getting around
How to pick between train, government bus and a domestic flight — and how to book each through the official channel instead of a reseller, including SRT's D-Ticket and its long advance window.
Best for VisitorsNew residents
Read the guide →Health
Why the rainy months and daytime mosquitoes matter, the prevention that actually works per WHO guidance, and the warning signs that mean a hospital now — proportion, not panic.
Best for VisitorsFamiliesLong-term residents
Read the guide →