The Best of Thailand: An Exploration of the Culture and Kingdom

After you enroll, we’ll ask you to provide or update your personal information and preferences, which includes your health information, lodging and meal preferences for your program.

A passport is required for this program. It must be valid for at least 6 months after your return date.

This information about travel documents pertains to participants holding U.S. passports. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

United States citizens don’t need a visa for any of the countries you’ll be visiting. Non-U.S. citizens should refer to their country's requirements to ensure they have the necessary documentation for travel.

Please consult your physician about medication recommendations. You should be up-to-date with vaccines such as Covid-19, influenza, MMR, chickenpox, polio & DPT. The CDC recommends Hepatitis A and Typhoid. Malaria pills and a tetanus booster are both worth considering. Though all efforts have been made to keep health and hygiene practices at the optimum standard, please note that Traveler's diarrhea is common when traveling to these countries. This number one illness in travelers, can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites, which can contaminate food or water. Infections may cause diarrhea and vomiting (E. coli, Salmonella, cholera, and parasites), fever (typhoid fever and toxoplasmosis), or liver damage (hepatitis).

If Road Scholar is arranging your air travel to and from the program, and you travel on the scheduled start and end dates, you’ll receive free round-trip transfers from the airport to the hotel.

Arrival day is on November 9, 2025

Meet the group at Dusit D2 Chiang Mai in Chiang Mai

Start of Trip:  2:00pm hotel check-in; 6:30pm orientation; 7:30pm dinner.

Getting to the site: Only participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare and who are arriving on the day the program commences in Thailand will be provided with an arrival transfer from the Chiang Mai Airport to the first program hotel. For participants making their own way from Chiang Mai airport to the Dusit D2 Hotel, we would recommend taking a taxi to be dropped off straight at your hotel with a flat rate of 150 THB ($4.05) to the city center. Meanwhile, a metered taxi will cost approximately 100 THB ($2.70) to 120 THB ($3.25), plus the airport surcharge of 50 THB ($1.35). The ride will only take about 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, the songthaew is a good way to travel like a local. Songthaews are the most popular mode of transportation in Chiang Mai. A songthaew is basically a small pick-up truck that’s been customized to seat passengers in the box of the truck. In the Chiang Mai area, all songthaews are red in color and can be easily spotted along the main streets. You can find songthaews outside almost every exit of Chiang Mai Airport’s arrival hall. Before boarding the songthaew, tell the driver the name of your hotel to make sure that they're going in the same direction. A ride costs about 40 THB ($1.05), but it can cost more if there aren’t a lot of other passengers. The tuk-tuk is another option to experience local transport. Fares start from 100 THB ($2.70) for the 20-minute ride to the city center. Note that tuk-tuks don’t offer a lot of space, so we don’t suggest this option if you’re travelling with luggage. Hotel check-in is available at 2:00 p.m. on the program start date (Day 3). If you arrive a few hours early, the hotel can store your luggage at the front desk until check-in time. If you wish to check-in upon arrival in the morning, or if you arrive a day before the program starts, we suggest booking the additional pre-program nights in advance with the hotel directly or through a third-party website.

Your trip ends on: Friday, November 21, 2025 in Phuket at Dewa Phuket Resort & Villas

End of Trip: 8:00am breakfast followed by transfers to Phuket airport.

Getting to the airport: Only participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare and who are departing on the day the program concludes will be provided with a departure transfer from the last program hotel to Phuket International Airport. For participants making their own arrangements, Phuket International Airport is just 5 minutes away from your hotel, Dewa Phuket Resort & Villas. We recommend you take a taxi or arrange a private transfer with the hotel in advance. Hotel check-out is at 12:00 noon on the last program date of your itinerary (Day 15). If you depart a few hours later, the hotel can store your luggage at the front desk until you head to the airport. If you wish to arrange a late check-out or a post-program night, we suggest booking it in advance with the hotel directly or through a third-party website.

Information if you are purchasing your own airfare: Participants who have not purchased airfare through Road Scholar are responsible for making their own transfer arrangements to the first site at the beginning of the program, as well as from the last site at the end of the program. The Information Packet Road Scholar sends in advance of the program includes details needed to make your transfer arrangements. If you wish to purchase airfare through Road Scholar, please call (800) 241-1404. Please note: In the unlikely event Road Scholar must make changes to the program's arrival or departure details, we will notify all participants as soon as possible. Participants who have purchased Road Scholar airfare are protected against airline change fees; however, anyone who has not purchased Road Scholar airfare will be required to make their own adjustments and may incur fees imposed by the airline.