What to bring to Thailand

Passport:  Passports must be valid for at least 6 months after you plan to to leave Thailand. 
Visa:  Some Thailand Visa rules have changed recently, so please contact your local Thai Embassy or visit their web-site for current requirements.  Participants from some countries are required to obtain a Visa prior to entering Thailand.  For participants from many countries, Visas will be stamped free of charge in your passport upon arrival in Thailand at Passport Control (Immigration).  This Visa is valid for 30 days.  Visitors are allowed to extend their stay beyond 30 days, but only if an extended-stay Visa is obtained at a Thai Embassy prior to arrival in Thailand.  Fees, penalties, delays, and even denial of entry may apply if a required Visa is not arranged prior to arrival in Thailand.
Proof of Health Insurance:  Please note that you will be personally responsible for any medical costs incurred
Prescription Medicines:  It is advisable to pack one full supply in your checked luggage, and carry one full supply with you.  Bring a written prescription which includes the generic name of the drug and the required dosage.  Many prescription drugs are available over the counter in Thailand.
If you are a vegetarian or have a special diet:  Although meatless dishes are usually available, it is advisable to bring along whatever you cannot live without, like a jar of peanut butter or some other quick and easy protein food. 
Parachute gear, including in-date reserve and reserve packing-data card, helmet, AAD, jumpsuit, altimeter of some sort, spare parts, etc; flotation gear is highly recommended (we are, after all, jumping over water)
Skydiving documents, including National Aero Club membership card, Proficiency License, logbook, reserve packing card
Some clothes (see what to wear)

If you have a little spare room, a few gifts and/or school supplies for the children of Prachuap would be very much appreciated . . . and if you have a little spare you-know-what, remember that our goal for the Thai Sky Festival 2008 is a children's Library!

Please note: if you are among those able to bring books, picture books or simple alphabet picture books, would be most appreciated.

Hot tip:  Before you travel, make copies of your most important travel documents:  Passport, Visa (if required in advance), airline tickets, credit cards, and any other documents of value.  Pack the copies separately inside your checked luggage. 
Note: When you are in Thailand, it is required by law that you have some legal means of identification with you, wherever you go.

What to do when you get to Thailand

International arrivals will land at Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced Soo-WAN-ah-boom), situated 25 km (15 miles) east of Bangkok.

Customs:  Narcotics, illegal drugs of all types, obscene literature, and firearms are strictly forbidden.  Bringing any of these items into Thailand will result in, at the very least, immediate deportation.   Stricter enforcement has recently resulted in arrests and, in some cases, the death penalty.

After Passing through Customs, you might want to exchange some currency (at least 1000 Baht is recommended)

Plan A:  Airport Transfers will be provided only on 9 March for arrivals, and on 23 March for departures (unless otherwise arranged with Bobbie) for Thai Sky Festival 2008 package participants (see Registration page for packages which include transfers).  Participants will be met at the airport outside the Customs Hall, in the Arrivals Hall.

International Arrivals: There are two possible exits that passengers can take after claiming their baggage and passing through Customs - Arrival Gate B or Arrival Gate C. An Asian Trails guide with a signboard with the Thai Sky Festival 2008 logo and/or the Asian Trails logo, will be waiting at Exit #7, between gates B and C.

Domestic Arrivals (from within Thailand): Domestic passengers can only take the exit at Arrival Gate A. An Asian Trails guide with a signboard with the Thai Sky Festival 2008 logo and/or the Asian Trails logo will be waiting at Exit #2.

If you are arriving at Don Muang Airport:  turn right after entering the Arrivals Hall if you are in Terminal 1; turn left after entering the Arrivals Hall if you are in Terminal 2.  In both cases, look for an Asian Trails guide with a signboard with the Thai Sky Festival 2008 logo and/or the Asian Trails logo.

If you do not find the Asian Trails guide, please go to the ATTA Desk in the Arrivals Hall for assistance.

Plan B:  Take a taxi. For those who are arriving at other times, have not arranged an airport transfer or, if for some reason you are not met, take a taxi!  Contact the Taxi Counter on Level 2, the same level on which you will arrive, near exits 3, 4, 7, and 8.  Tell them you want to go to:

Windsor Suites Hotel, Suk-hum-vit Soi 20

The taxi fare will be what is on the meter when you arrive at the Windsor, plus a 50 Baht airport surcharge, plus any expressway fees (tolls are 70-140 Baht). This is correct, and if you have any change, tip the driver 40 baht per passenger. They work long hard hours.

Do not take private cars or un-metered taxis.  

Plan C:  If all else fails, call the Windsor Suites Hotel (0) 2262 1234 and ask for Bobbie Worth, Boni Smitherman, Dinah Leib, Pam Henderson, or just plain ask for help.

What to Expect after Arrival

Wonderful food, gracious people, and Amazing Smiles! 

Jet lag is also common for those travelling long distances, and each person has their own personal reaction and cure.  It is strongly advised, from the moment you depart wherever you are coming from, to live according to Thai time.  If you arrive in the morning or mid-day, resist the temptation to take a nap if you possibly can.  The difference in temperature may also increase jet lag.  Try to drink lots of bottled water (preferably room-temperature), and avoid drinking alcohol for the first hours after arrival.

What NOT to Expect

Everything exactly the way it is at 'home.'  Where's the fun in that, anyway?  Thailand is a wonderful country, and most necessities to which participants are accustomed can be found.  But Thailand is a country unique in many ways:  cellphones and internet access are easy; food is inexpensive and plentiful; the beer is great but might not be your favorite brand; communication in-country can be difficult; toilets may be different.  The Thai people are among the most accommodating and generous in the world.  They are excellent hosts.  Let us be known as excellent guests.

Connecting to the World

It is easy to access the internet in Thailand. Internet Cafes are abundant in Bangkok and Hua Hin, and are available in Prachuap. If you are bringing a laptop, you can buy a Thai internet account card at most 7-11's (make sure it's a national card, and not just for Bangkok), and a local call from the Windsor Suites or the Hua Hin hotels will connect you with the internet.  Computer time can be rented at any of the Thai Sky Festival hotels and, best of all, the Hadthong Hotel in Prachuap has 1) an internet cafe with DSL right on the premises and 2) just installed wireless internet access throughout the hotel!

For most cellphone users, SIM cards and airtime can be purchased at many locations in Bangkok, even at 7-11.  For participants from the USA, sorry, no such luck.  Most cellphones from the USA are 'locked' and unable to accept the SIM cards available in Thailand.  But, if you really need to hear your honey's voice, cell phones can also be purchased easily in Bangkok for Baht 2500 and up. Should you decide to invest in a Thai cellphone, be sure to emphasize that you need 'international' calling.  International calls are also possible by conventional means from any of the Thai Sky Festival hotels.