Holidays in Thailand – The Choices are Spectacular!
Holidays in Thailand have an enormous amount to offer from crystal clear blue waters and clean sandy coastlines. Adventure is also on the books with tours up and down the many rivers from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai or even the Golden Triangle. The great options to hit the adventure trail visiting some of the ethnic groups in the hills around Thailand like the Karen, Long neck tribes and more.
If you love coffee or tea then the northern areas of Thailand have the mountain ranges which host both Coffee and tea plantations with options for tours and tastings of products. If your a sea lover then there are the obvious choices like Phuket and Ko Samui and more in the south of Thailand on both sides in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman sea down to the Straits of Malacca.
Holidays in Thailand – Northern Areas
Northern Thailand has its fair share of hill tribe peoples with their own culture, traditions and languages. There are many that use to grow heroine in the area. The past king Rama V who the Thai people adore introduced food and coffee crops that actually made the people more money.
You can visit many of these hill tribe villages and stay there if you wish with a lot of home stay opportunities there. The views from many of these cheap holiday options as well as resorts throughout Thailand can make for a different Thailand holiday experience.
Traveling the north can take you to places like Mesai on the Thailand Myanmar border with its own border crossing. Chiang Rai and Chiang Main only three hours apart through the mountains are great places to experience the Thai people and real Thai culture. This is an amazing area and my own home town in Thailand is Chiang Rai. Modern with rural vales and people.
River Adventure in Thailand
Taking boat tours anywhere in Thailand is a lot of fun. You can get the fast and furious dragon boats or small ferries to bamboo rafts. Your choice is the final part of this tour option. There are also some white water rafting option’s available if your really adventurous.
Towns all have markets and some of the fun boat trips are to the floating markets in these towns. There are many but the gloating market near Bangkok which is the tourist attraction we all see is certainly a great start until you get out into the country.
Lamphun is one of the amazing places you con visit and go white water rafting. Lamphun is a popular tourist destination being somewhat secluded located in the mountains north of Ching Mai.
Thailand Holiday Northern Districts
The White Temple near Chiang Rai is a truly beautiful place to visit. It is somewhat haunting with the path leading to the entrance of the temple (Wat) passes over a depiction of hell with hands and faces appearing out of the ground crying silently for help. It is one of the most amazing buildings you can visit.
Traveling the town of Chiang Rai you will find Friday markets and walking streets where you will find all your dreams in Thai street food and gifts from tea shirts and cloths to art and crafts.
There are a great choice in hotels and back packer accommodation even though Chiang Rai is a bit off the beaten track for many tourists.
Bars and Nightlife in Thailand
The bar and night scene in Thailand is a big draw card for many tourists. THe bar areas are often compact areas like Soi Cowboy in Bangkok as well as Pattaya & Phuket are some of the big locations for the night life entertainment.
You will find a wild experience here so be prepared if you have not visited these areas before. There are lots of Thai women as well as men and transvestites in these areas. It has to be said they are all beautiful and sexy which is the attraction.
The one important thing to remember when drinking is to watch your bar tab and be careful drinking then deciding to jump on a motorbike to get home. It is the unfortunate truth that many tourists from all around the world do not go home how they expected due to drinking and motorbikes.
Phuket Island
Phuket is a great place to go for a holiday! Visiting Phuket gives you an opportunity to relax on clean white beaches with small restaurants delivering drinks and food to your sunbed in a relaxing atmosphere.
There are options to travel to some of the famous islands around Phuket. Visit James bond Island, Pee Pee & Samilian Islands on either a cruise boat or a speed boat if your more in a hurry to see everything. There are a number of shows and even a zoo to visit on Phuket. The monkey and Snake shows are great as well as elephant and cultural shows . These are always great if your not knowledgeable about Thai culture.
The beaches offer entertainment with Para gliding and Jet Ski operators. You can also go diving and even do courses here to learn how to dive the beautiful crystal clear seas around Phuket.
Bangkok (Krongtep)
Thailand’s capital is Bangkok and is known as Krongtep by the Thai’s. Bangkok is a bustling city of well over 20 million people and offers everything from high end shopping experiences as well as enlightening cultural opportunities.
Bangkok is the home of the Royal Palace where you can visit and walk around the grounds. There is a lot of history here as well as the famed Emerald Buddha located in Wat Phra Kaew. The emerald Buddha was held in the like named Wat Phra Kaew in Chiang Rai near the market I am told by the monks for some 800 years before it was moved to Bangkok.
Bangkok has the many markets to visit such as the Chatuchak Market which is massive which is open primarily Saturday and Sundays. It is often referred to as the weekend market. You will find everything from trinkets to clothes and food in this market so take your shopping shoes and some water.
There are cultural shows to visit which have been popular for many years like the Rose Garden. Here you can experience everything from Thai boxing as well as a Thai Wedding and traditional dancing. The day tours available at most hotels are normally well organized and you can see several sights in one day with these. I have found the tours very worth while over the years when I have chosen to use them.
Thai boxing is nearly a religion in Thailand with it on as much as other countries have their brand of football. You can visit the main Lumpinee stadium in Bangkok. There you can get ringside and experience every punch, kick and groan of the bout with the incessant pipe music going full blast. The crowd is as involved in the battle as the two combatants and it really is a site to behold. Its not a family situation may I suggest. It use to be pretty cramped but I believe there is a new stadium built now so the experience may be a lot better. Its an experience you wont forget for either a great experience or an alternate cultural shock.
History and Reflection on you Thailand Holiday
If you have any interest in history then a trip to the River Kwai death railway at Kanchanaburri is a historical trip not to miss. Filed with sadness and adversity this is a trip of reflection on why we enjoy the freedoms we have today.
You can get a trip on a bus to Kanchanaburri from most hotels. You will be picked up early then transported by mini bus to a marshaling area to be put on a bus for an hour plus trip to the area. Here you will visit the cemetery full of so many young me of many countries. You will be met with manicured grass grounds with more head stones than you want to count. Please go and take a walk. Its a somber experience but very worth while.
Death Railway Tour
Once you have visited the cemetary and co located museum (Pit Piti Pun) you will be transported to a pices of track often at a small abandoned railway station and probably be concerned you’ve been abandoned. I’ve been there so I know. In a short time a train will rumble down the old rusty looking tracks and pick you up. Once on the train it will roll and rattle its way through the country side and then around the amazing bridges created by the prisoners of war (POW) that are strong as their spirit even today.
The very sobering thing here is that on average one man soldier died for every meter of track you travel on. Yes that’s a sobering thought.
A WORD OF CAUTION for your THAILAND HOLIDAY
Jet Ski Scams – When on a Thailand Holiday
It has to be said there are a few jet ski scams around and its not everyone but they exist. When hiring a jet ski examine everything on a jet ski before taking it out. If you damage the jet ski it will be expensive. In some cases the operators will rent you an already damaged jet ski then when you return look amazed when they find the damage they already know about and blame you. It is essential to make sure the jet ski is not damaged in any way because the operators know the ones that are and will blame you for the damage.
Mini Van Scam
Mini Van Scam is one where when you arrive at the airport you choose a cheap mini van or even taxi who will probably ask you where your staying. The driver then stops at a tour agency who will tell you your hotel is full. They then suggest what is an over priced hotel that they have already booked. They then pick up a payment or the difference in price for themselves. Just get a decent taxi or hotel pickup and save yourself the headache.
Buffalo Scam and More!
The bars are a lot of fun in all of Thailand and the ladies you meet are great but they are there to make money. Please remember this before you give your heart away to them. If your getting to know one of these ladies for a while if they see an opportunity they may all of a sudden have an emergency at home and need to pay for someone to go to hospital or the family buffalo is sick and they need to buy medicine. It could be genuine but probably 99% of the time its just a ploy to relieve you of some of your hard earnt money. Don’t get sucked in.
Taxi & Fake Gems Scam
This scam is everywhere and taxi’s always will take you to these gem shops and factories as part of a tour they may make for you. They aim at greedy people who think they are going to make a killing reselling the gems. In fact they are mostly fake so please don’t fall for this one. Rule #1: Is if it sounds to good to be true it probably is!
Just avoid anything that sounds like its a special deal for you and you will benefit. The only people benefiting are the taxi drivers and the fake gem sellers.
Time Share Scams
The time share scam often starts by people approaching you offering amazing time share offers in Phuket and around the world. They ask you to complete a survey and when you do to claim your prize they tell you all you need to do is sit through a 90 presentation. At the meeting they then give you worthless coupons you cannot do anything with plus worthless documents.
The people who approach you could be Thai or even European so just be aware and don’t waste your time.
Best Practice on Holiday in Thailand
Holidays can be exiting and Thailand holiday is no different. There are some basic best practices no matter where you travel in the world.
1. Always agree on a price before you get into any taxi or tuk tuk. Ask your hotel what it costs to go from somewhere.
2. Don’t run a TAB in bars. It may be fine but there is always the option a chance you will be paying for extra drinks you didn’t enjoy.
3. If you rent a bike or motorbike ensure you lock it up if you leave it. Get a chain and lock to ensure it does not go missing. It has been know for shops to steal their own bikes and then charge the person who rented it. Just be careful.
4. NEVER NEVER leave your passport with anybody no matter what they say! Have copies of your passport page to give shops where you rent a bile, ski etc.
5. THAI PEOPLE are very reserved so if someone is getting aggressive or loud they are likely not Thai.
6. The Tourist police number is 1155 if you have any problems.
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