When you visit another country, even mundane activities like shopping are transformed into interesting new experiences. As Gadling.com notes, shopping is also a great way to interact with local people and experience the culture of the place you are visiting.

If you are visiting Bangkok, one of the coolest shopping experiences is actually located outside the city itself, in the floating market of Damnoen Saduak.  From around 8am to 11am each day, the canals of Damnoen Saduak are packed full of the boats of both shoppers and vendors. This is a great place to buy food of all types, as you can see from the video above.

Most of the produce comes from small farms located alongside the canals-about as fresh as you can get! Still, even if you don’t buy anything, it’s worth a trip just to take in the spectacle.

To visit Thailand, you will need a valid passport, of course. Check the expiration date, because you need at 6 months remaining before it expires or they won’t let you in.  However, Americans won’t need a Thai visa unless your trip is longer than 30 days if you enter by air, or 15 days if you enter at a land border crossing.

If you plan to stay in Thailand for more than 30 days, you do have the option of applying for a Thai visa valid for up to 60 days before you leave. Here’s what you will need to apply:

• Your US passport
• A completed visa application
• 2 passport photos
• A copy of your itinerary or round-trip ticket
• A copy of a bank statement showing a balance of   $500 per person or $1000 per family.

Depending on what your itinerary is like, you may also need transit visas if you will be stopping in other countries on your way to or from Thailand. RushMyTravelVisa can review your itinerary, help you determine which visas are necessary and expedite them so you get them as quickly as possible.

Apply for your Thai visa today!

Located in the south of Thailand, along the Andaman sea is a set of picture-perfect islands called the Trang Islands.  The islands and a slice of the mainland make up Thailand’s Trang Province, named after the port town of Trang.

If you’re looking for a place to vacation in Thailand that’s far away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and less touristy than Phuket, Trang would be a good choice.  Much of the area’s inviting white sand beaches are part of a national park, and therefore off-limits to the overdevelopment that beaches the world over seem to attract.

You can get from the Thai mainland to the island either by taking a ferry or by hiring a boat and a guide. If you go, you absolutely should not miss the Emerald Cave, located on the island of Ko Muk.  You can actually swim through the cave, surfacing in the middle of  an idyllic lagoon.

Considering visiting Thailand? This post on Matador Travel Network has more details about the islands.

To get to the Trang Islands, you definitely need a passport, which must be valid for at least 6 months after you arrive in Thailand. However, if you are an American citizen, you shouldn’t need a Thai visa unless you plan to stay past 30 days if you enter by air, or 15 days if you enter by land from another country.

However, if you plan to stay in Thailand for longer than that, you can also apply for a Thai visa valid for up to 60 days before you leave. Here’s what you will need to apply:

• Your US passport
• A completed visa application
• 2 passport photos
• A copy of your itinerary or round-trip ticket
• A copy of a bank statement showing a balance of   $500 per person or $1000 per family.

Depending on what your itinerary is like, you may also need transit visas if you will be stopping in other countries on your way to or from Thailand. RushMyTravelVisa can help you determine which travel documents you need, help you with the necessary paperwork, and expedite your application.

Need to apply for a Thai visa? Contact us today!