Hello Security National! Boy, am I excited for this upcoming trip to Thailand! I’m even more excited that the mortgage company will be doubling the amount of qualifiers since the last trip. Way to go SNMC!
Most of you know how much Karen and I love to travel. We’ve been on some incredible adventures and most of them were with Security National. Whenever we travel, Karen and I like to double check on four important aspects of our trip: Passports; Shots; Currency; and Time Change.
Passports:
It is extremely important to make sure your passport is current. The expiration date can be tricky, simply because it actually expires 6 months prior to the printed expiration date. Its true! TSA won’t let you travel within 6 months of the printed expiration date. So it’s best to just double check your passport now to make sure you’re safe to travel in the spring.
If you don’t have a passport, or need to renew your passport, I’ve included the link to the US Passports & International Travel website below:
http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports.html
Shots:
There are only a few things I dislike more in this world than getting a shot. With that said, I know how important vaccinations are when I travel. Thailand requires all travelers to be up-to-date on their routine vaccines. Including measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot. Hepatitis A and Typhoid are also recommended for most travelers. A great reference for vaccines and health information when traveling to Thailand is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. I’ve included the link below:
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/thailand
Currency:
While it’s my practice to use my credit card as much as possible while traveling, occasionally you need the local currency. The Thai Baht is easy to obtain by going to a bank in your area that carries foreign currency. It usually takes 1-2 days to order and will generally be a better rate than trying to convert US Dollars in Thailand from a currency exchange station. Whenever I get curious about the current exchange rate, I just Google “Baht to USD” and it comes back with a conversion calculator. Or you can plan on taking money out of the ATM for a nominal fee when you are there.
Time Change:
Nobody wants to waste the first 2 days of vacation dealing with jetlag. That’s why knowing the time difference is so important. Bangkok is 13 hours ahead of Salt Lake City. I’m going to prepare for this change by adjusting my sleep a few days before I leave, and I’ll bring my travel pillow to help make the long flight more comfortable. I’ll also ask my personal pharmacist for a safe sleeping aid in case I need a little extra help.
This trip to Thailand is going to be a great adventure! I can’t wait to see you there!
-Lynn Beckstead
