Accommodation
All leaders, observers, and visitors will be lodged at a five-star hotel in Bangkok (the Siam City Hotel).

The accommodation for students will be the Condominium of Mahidol Universty at Salaya Campus. (Click here to see the details and pictures of the Salaya Condominium.)

The Organizing Committee will provide special coaches to transport the participating delegates to the Olympiad venues or to other planned activities.

Meals
Thai food is internationally famous. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. The characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked to suit all palates. Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients. Large chunks of meat were eschewed. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking.

Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese. Chillies were introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America.

Thais were very adept at 'Siamese-ising' foreign cooking methods, and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other dairy products. Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting diners to enjoy complementary combinations of different tastes.

A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by non-spiced items. There must be a harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.

Mahidol University has two well-known largest hospitals in Thailand, Siriraj and Ramathibodi hospitals. Salaya Campus has a small service unit that provides medical cares for minor emergencies. The Organizers of the Olympiad are not responsible for medical expenses of delegates, observers, or visitors. We prepare the travel insurance for all delegations during their stays in Thailand.

Kindly notify the Organizers for early arrivals and late departures so that appropriate arrangements will be made. In such cases the teams are responsible for the extra expenses themselves.

The electric system is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). There are many plugs and sockets in use. Travelers with shavers, tape recorders and other appliances should carry a plug-adapter kit.

There are 100 satangs in 1 baht. (B=baht) Notes are issued in denominations of B1000 (gray), B500 (purple), B100 (red), B50 (blue), B20 (green), and B10 (brown). There are 10, 5, 1 baht and 50 and 25 satang coins. Most foreign currencies and traveller cheques are easily exchanged at banks, hotels or money-changers. All major credit cards are widely accepted throughout the kingdom.

Visitors to Thailand who hold valid passports or travelling documents issued by any country included in an officially issued list of eligible countries are permitted one-month visa-free visits. If planning a longer stay, a Tourist Visa valid for 60 days must be obtained from a Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate abroad. Visa extensions can be applied for at the Immigration Department in Bangkok.

We warmly welcome the observers and visitors who accompany their national delegations. The fee is US$1,100 for an observer and US$1,000 for a visitor . With regard to lodging and meals they enjoy the same privileges as the team leaders. They are equally welcome to attend the opening and closing ceremonies, farewell banquet , and the various other activities planned by the Organizers. However, visitors are not permitted to attend meetings related to the competitions. Observers may attend work-related meetings, and will each receive formal APhO documents.

Those interested in joining the Olympiad as observers or visitors should apply to the Organizing Committee as soon as possible.

The Organizers will bear all costs of travel, lodging and meals during the Olympiad for 2 leaders and 8 student participants from each team. However, all teams are requested to contribute to the customary donation of US$1,000 each.