Thai is the official language of Thailand. English is also widely spoken by both locals and visitors, but levels of fluency differ. Several Thais in the major cities and touristy areas will know enough to communicate with you, but it is still expected that you learn some useful Thai phrases such as ped nid noi na ka/krap (a little spicy please), tao rai ka/krap (How much?), Yud! (stop!) and nice Thai phrases such as sawat dii ka/krap (hello), kop khun ka/krap (thank you), kor tod ka/krap (sorry), and in general ending your sentences with ka/krap to be polite to the Thais. You end your sentence with ka if you are a female, and you end your sentence with krap or krub if you are male. If you ever need help communicating, ask if anyone speaks English or use Google Translate.
Thai currency is different from the US dollar and is called baht. When exchanging US currency to Thai currency, you will get about 32 baht for every US dollar. For the most part, everything is cheaper in Thailand when compared to prices in America. The typical meals I get in Thailand can cost anywhere between 30 to 220 baht or $1-7/meal.
