Viewing Thailand
Features
Essence
Time Line
Peace & Quiet
Famous People
Nation, religion and monarchy - in Thai, chat, sat and pramahakasat - are the cornerstones of life and are apparent from the moment your plane touches down. The Thais love their country with a passion that is mellow and heartfelt, never strident or aggressive. They invariably stand when the national anthem is played - as in cinemas - and foreigners are expected to follow suit. They show a similar love for the royal family (especially the king), whose pictures hang in every house and business. The influence of Theravada Buddhism is also pervasive. From the heart of Bangkok to remote country villages, soft chanting in Pali by saffron-clad monks and temple bells fill the air. Practising Buddhist Thais hate to kill anything and the stray dog population is a major beneficiary of this benevolence. Thais also like to eat meat, though; a dilemma easily solved by the country's three million Muslims, many of whom work in the butchery business. In a country renowned for its wild nightlife, the Thais can be extremely modest; revealing clothing is considered impolite and nude sunbathing or swimming quite unacceptable. Combine this with an astonishing liberality of attitude - gays and transvestites are readily accepted - and you have the beginnings of the charming enigma that is the essence of Thailand.
The 10 Essentials
If you only have a short time to visit Thailand, or would like to get a complete picture of the country, here are the essentials:
Visit the Grand Palace
The gilded Grand Palace and associated temples and museums on Ratanakosin Island, in the heart of Bangkok, are literally dazzling.
See Jim Thompson's House
On a sleepy backstreet of downtown Bangkok, this delightful amalgamation of traditional Thai wooden buildings houses an exquisite collection of priceless Thai, Burmese and Cambodian antiquities.
Visit a tropical island
Setting for the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach, Thailand has hundreds of the most pristine tropical islands in the world. Choose Phuket, Ko Samui or a less well-developed island such as Ko Chang.
See a hill-tribe village
Trek into the hills of north Thailand on foot or by elephant and spend a night or two with the hospitable, brightly dressed minority peoples of the area.
View a Khmer temple
Go to Phanom Rung or Phimai - better yet, visit both. These are the world's best-preserved Khmer temples dating from the classical Angkor period.
Go to Chiang Mai
The legendary 'Rose of the North', nestling in the lee of Doi Suthep, is a 700-year-old walled and moated city with a well-deserved reputation for hospitality and more than 100 temples.
Taste Thai food
Thailand has one of the greatest culinary traditions in the world. The cuisine is not always hot but it is, nearly always, refined and delicious. It is also generally healthy and non-fattening.
Visit a Buddhist temple
A visit to a Thai temple, or wat, where serene monks sit chanting age-old Pali scriptures, is an essential ingredient to understanding the country.
See some traditional dancing
Classical Thai dance, rooted in the traditions of classical India, is exquisitely sophisticated. One of the best places to see a performance is at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine.
Explore a Thai market
Almost any market will do, but for a real experience go to one of the 'floating markets' by boat early in the morning when trading is at its peak
| COUNTRY |
| Thailand
|
| Viewing |
| Top Ten |
| What To See |
| Where To ... |
| Practical Matters |
| REGION |
| CITIES |
| MAPS |
| World |
| Europe |
| TRAVEL BOOK |
 |