Introduction:
The Kingdom of Thailand draws more visitors than any other
country in southeast Asia with its irresistible combination
of breathtaking natural beauty, inspiring temples, renowned
hospitality, robust cuisine and ruins of fabulous ancient
kingdoms.
From the stupa-studded mountains of Mae Hong Son and the verdant
limestone islands of the Andaman Sea, to the pulse-pounding
dance clubs of Bangkok and the tranquil villages moored along
the Mekong River, Thailand offers something for every type
of traveller.
Of course Thailand, like other Asian countries, has been influenced
by contact with foreign cultures. But the never-changing character
of Thai culture has remained dominant, even in modern city
life. Often depicted as fun-loving, happy-go-lucky folk (which
indeed they often are), the Thais are also proud and strong,
and have struggled for centuries to preserve their independence
of spirit.
When to Visit Thailand:
Thailand's monsoons arrive around July and last into November
(the 'rainy season') and can be quite uncomfortable to deal
with. This is followed by a dry, cool period from November
to mid-February, followed by much higher relative temperatures
from March to June.
By far the best time to visit is from February to March when
the weather is kind and the beaches are at their finest.
The peak seasons are August, November, December, February
and March, with secondary peak months in January and July.
If your main objective is to avoid crowds and to take advantage
of discounted rooms and low-season rates, you should consider
travelling during the least crowded months (April, May, June,
September and October). On the other hand it's not difficult
to leave the crowds behind, even during peak months, if you
simply avoid some of the most popular destinations (eg, Chiang
Mai and all islands and beaches).
Attraction in Thailand:
Bangkok
Bangkok has dominated Thailand's urban hierarchy as well as
its political, commercial and cultural life since the late
18th century. Although you can shop in air-conditioned comfort
in its Western-style malls, the city is a long way from being
tamed by commercial homogeneity.
Bangkok's history of haphazard planning means you'll have
the best experiences in the most unlikely of places. Just
when you start despairing at the predominance of concrete
and cars, a waft of incense leads you to a serene temple in
an area you'd written off as soulless.
Ayuthaya Historical Park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ayuthaya's historic temples
are scattered throughout this once magnificent city and along
the encircling rivers. Several of the more central ruins –
Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Na Phra Meru,
Wat Thammikarat, Wat Ratburana and Wat Phra Mahathat –
can be visited on foot.
You could add more temples and ruins to your itinerary by
touring the city on a rented bicycle. An ideal transport combination
for visitors who want to see everything would be to hire a
bicycle for the central temples and charter a long-tail boat
to take a tour of the outlying ruins along the river.
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai has a striking mountain backdrop, over 300 temples
and a quaint historical aura. It's also a modern, friendly,
internationally-flavoured city with much to offer the visitor
- food, accommodation and shopping are all top quality and
cheap, and the nights are relatively cool.
Chiang Mai's plethora of temples will probably exhaust you
before you exhaust them. For variety, try a wander round the
night bazaar, acquaint yourself with local culture at the
musuems, or practice your Buddhist calm under a palm tree
in the city's gardens.
Ko Samui
This beautiful island off southeastern Thailand is covered
with coconut plantations and circled by (call us clichéd
but it's true) palm-fringed beaches. It was once an 'untouched'
backpackers' mecca, but is now well on its way to becoming
a fully-fledged tourist resort.
The most popular beaches are Hat Chaweng and Hat Lamai: both
have good swimming and snorkelling but are getting a little
crowded. For more peace and quiet, try Mae Nam, Bo Phut and
Big Buddha on the northern coast. The main town on the island
is Na Thon.
Nakhon Pathom
Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok, is regarded as the oldest
city in Thailand and is host to the 127m (417ft), orange-tiled
Phra Pathom Chedi, the tallest Buddhist monument in the world.
The original monument, buried within the massive dome, was
erected in the 6th century by Theravada Buddhists.
Off the Beaten Track
Chachoengsao
Tucked away in the countryside to the east of Bangkok, this
provincial town is hardly visited by foreign tourists, mainly
because it's not on the major road or rail networks out of
the capital. It's home to one of the most sacred Buddha images
in Thailand - Phra Phuttha Sothon.
Housed in the Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihaan, the origins of
the modest 198cm (77in) Buddha are cloaked in mystery but
the image is said to be associated with a famous monk with
holy powers who supposedly predicted the exact moment of his
death. Chachoengsao makes a great day-trip destination.
Ko Si Chang
This one-town island offshore from Chonburi Province on the
Gulf of Thailand is practically deserted, making it great
fun to explore. Its attractions include a meditation centre
with hermit caves, beaches with good snorkelling, a ruined
palace, limestone caves and a Chinese temple with sea views.
Most of the friendly population are fisherfolk, mariners,
customs officials or workers in aquaculture projects. Camping
is permitted anywhere on the island, but if you don't want
to tent it, there are numerous hostels and bungalow-style
operations.
Mae Sot
In northern Tak Province, close to the Burmese border, Mae
Sot has a reputation as a frontier town with an outlaw image.
It has a thriving black-market trade (guns, narcotics, teak
and gems) and is an increasingly important official jade and
gem centre.
An interesting mixture of ethnicities have shacked-up here-
Burmese Muslims, members of the local Karen hill tribes, Chinese
and Indian shopkeepers and poppy-clad Thai army rangers. It's
a departure point for the fascinating border markets that
trade Burmese handicrafts and foodstuffs.
Reaching Thailand:
It may be a bit pricey to get to Thailand by air, but once
you're there you can take advantage of bargain-basement flights.
Just bear in mind that flights in and out of Thailand are
often overbooked so confirm, confirm and reconfirm. Buses
are a sterling way to get around - they're fast (often terrifyingly!)
air-conditioned and comfy. There are even women-only buses.
However, there have been bad reports of the service on buses
booked from agencies on Thanon Khao San. If you want to get
to Malaysia, there are train services.
 The
bad news is that it can be quite expensive flying to Bangkok,
depending on your point of departure; the good news is that
once you're there you can shop around for an inexpensive return
ticket. A host of international carriers land at Don Muang,
Bangkok's major airport terminal. Flights in and out of Thailand
are often overbooked so it's imperative that you reconfirm
ongoing flights as soon as you arrive. The departure tax on
international flights is waived if you're in the country for
less than 12 hours.
Overland travel from Malaysia is popular and there are four
border crossings between Thailand and Malaysia, two on the
west coast, one in the centre and one on the east coast. It's
not possible to buy through-fare tickets for rail journeys
between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, unless you
ride the luxurious Eastern & Oriental Express, but the
trip can be made on express trains via the Thai-Malaysia border
at Pedang Besar. The journey usually requires an overnight
stop in Butterworth (Malaysia) in order to comfortably make
train connections. |
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