Introducing Thailand
Travel Alert: The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommends against all travel to some areas and against non-essential travel to others, please check with your relevant national government.
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Thailand is often referred to as a golden land, not because there is precious metal buried underground but because the country gives off a certain lustre, be it the fertile rice fields of the central plains, white sandy beaches or the warm hospitality of its citizenry.
Thailand's cool season runs from November until the end of February. With its low humidity, relatively low temperatures and clear skies, the cool season is the best time to visit, though regular days of high 20s and low 30s might leave you wondering just who came up with the term ‘cool’. It is also the peak tourist season, so expect lots of new friends at the more popular spots like the islands and major towns.
First introductions are made in Bangkok, a modern behemoth of screaming traffic, gleaming shopping centres and international sensibilities interwoven with devout Buddhism. Chiang Mai, the country's bohemian centre, is where the unique and precise elements of Thai culture become a classroom, for cooking courses and language lessons; while climbing into the mountain ranges around Mae Hong Son you'll find stupa-studded peaks and villages of post-Stone Age cultures. Sliding down the coastal tail are the evergreen limestone islands of Ko Tao and Kho Phi Phi Don, filled with tall palms angling over pearlescent sand. Thailand's beaches are stunning, hedonistic and mythic among residents of northern latitudes.
People come here as miners: first perhaps for the uniquely Western concept of R&R. And while they toast themselves to a bronze hue on the sandy beaches, they find in the daily rhythm of Thailand a tranquillity that isn't confined to vacation time. The northeast is a region better suited for homestays and teaching gigs than quick souvenir snapshots: here, you can dive deep into the Thai psyche, emerging with a tolerance for searingly spicy food and a mastery of this strange tonal language. Welcome to a life-altering experience disguised as a holiday.
Thailand:Ready to go? Our recommended tours make it easy:
- Explore Northern Thailand in 8 days
Last updated: Apr 2, 2012
Tips & articles
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Thailand’s islands: where to escape the crowds
15 May 2012
Whether it is riding in the back of an open tuk-tuk or racing across the waves in a longtail boat,...
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Best adventure travel ideas
29 April 2012
If you’re after an outdoor adventure, look no further. In this excerpt from Lonely Planet’s 1000 Ultimate Experiences, we bring...
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World’s best festivals: Bun Bang Fai (Rocket Festival)
26 April 2012
Location: Throughout Laos and northeastern ThailandDate: Usually on the May full moonLevel of participation: 1 – join the ...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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1 month Clerkship + 3 weeks solo travel in SE Asia : Thailand or Vietnam?!
by Cooldsunshine 16 May 2012
Hello! So I'm doing a clerkship in July 2013 for a month and then I'll have a 2-3 weeks holiday. I was planning on doing it either in…
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RE: A typical day for you in Thailand...
by dreamsignals86 16 May 2012
^^ Ditto. Unless it's somewhere up north in the hills where it's good and cool at night.
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Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket area hotels/resorts
by ss1 16 May 2012
My husband and I are going to Thailand on our honeymoon at the end of August and are looking for nice, but not crazy expensive places…
Hotels & Hostels
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Thailand
Things to do
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Our Top Picks For Thailand
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1 Ko Tao
Be a small fish in a big tank while diving with mighty whale sharks from this coral-fringed island, stay a while, or choose another beach paradise
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2 Sangkhlaburi
Border outpost amid a misty lake and rugged karst mountains far from the tourist trail; the bus ride here from Kanchanaburi is one of Thailand's best scenic journeys
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3 Cooking classes in Chiang Mai
Learn about Thai culinary herbs and spices, tour a local market and prepare a feast - choose from loads of classes in Chiang Mai, which is also a top ecotourism spot
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4 Khao Sok National Park
You wouldn't be surprised if a T-Rex emerged from the jungle in this amazing tangle of limestone karsts and rainforest. Home to snakes, monkeys and tigers, and the incredible Rafflesia kerrii flower, this special corner of Surat Thani Province in Thailand's south is only a ten hour bus ride form Bangkok.
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5 Mae Hong Son Province
Remote crossroads with ethnic minorities, jungle trekking and the hippie retreat of Pai
Fast Facts about Thailand
- Pick-up joint: the world’s second-largest pick-up truck market after the US
- Border countries: Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma)
- Population: 65,493,296
- Guinness World Records: longest condom chain, most couples married underwater and most Mini Coopers in a convoy (444 cars parked to spell out ‘Long Live the King’)
- Karaoke culture: every major band or singer releases video CDs (VCD) specially formatted for karaoke-style singalongs
- Religion: 95% Buddhist
- Literacy: 92.6%, though reading anything other than the newspaper or comic books is regarded as an eccentric hobby
- Currency: what's the Thai baht worth today?
- Prime Minister: Yingluck Shinawatra
- Number of 7-Elevens currently: 3912
- Highest point: Doi Inthanon 2565m
- Head of state: King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX)
Our favourite Thailand Blogs (beta)
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Songkhla Aquarium in Thailand
Blog: Malaysia Asia - 16 May 2012
Songkhla Aquarium in Thailand is one of the must visit places when you are in Hat Yai. It is located about 45 minutes from the city of Hatyai and surrounded by a number of other attractions. Arriving here, I had no clue to what the aquarium was going to be about but when I finally made my way in, I was surprised by the outcome. Firstly, when you enter the place, you will be taken for a video
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Luxury on Koh Lanta: Baan KanTiang See Villa Resort
Blog: Never Ending Voyage - 15 May 2012
We were a little concerned at first. Baan KanTiang See Villa Resort is located a 30 minute drive down Koh Lanta’s west coast, near the south of the island and far away from the island’s hub of restaurants and shops. We felt even more isolated as we drove up and up a very steep hill [...]
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Thailand Travel – Full Moon Party
Blog: Two Backpackers - 15 May 2012
2 Backpackers - Thailand Travel – Full Moon Party Subscribe Now -> http://feeds.feedburner.com/TwoBackpackers
