Discounts for students in Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia are better earned by the tenacity of the individual traveler's bargaining skills and tolerance for substandard accommodation rather than flashing a student ID -- though showing one does help when buying mass transit tickets in Bangkok. The International Student Identity Card (ISIC), however, offers substantial savings on plane tickets and some entrance fees. It also provides you with basic health and life insurance and a 24-hour help line. The card is available for $22 (£12) from STA Travel (tel. 800/781-4040 in North America; www.sta.com or www.statravel.com), the biggest student travel agency in the world.
If you're no longer a student but are still under 26, you can get an International Youth Travel Card (IYTC) for the same price from the same people, entitling you to some discounts (but not on museum admissions). (Note: In 2002, STA Travel bought competitors Council Travel and USIT Campus after they went bankrupt. They are still operating some offices under the Council name, but they are owned by STA.) Travel CUTS (tel. 800/667-2887 or 416/614-2887; www.travelcuts.com) offers similar services for both Canadians and U.S. residents. Irish students may prefer to turn to USIT (tel. 01/602-1600; www.usitnow.ie), an Ireland-based specialist in student, youth, and independent travel.
