Thailand

What to see

Bangkok

Hectic, humid and a hundred miles an hour, Bangkok is a place you have to throw yourself into. Absorb the sights, smells and sensations of street life then take refuge in the stunning Wat Po to see the giant reclining Buddha, the opulent Grand Palace to admire the golden stupas or Jim Thompson’s House to encounter traditional textiles and carvings.

Chiang Mai

Historic walled city that’s a world away from the hurly burly of Bangkok, featuring more then 300 beautiful wats, including the ancient Wat Phra That Doi Suthep overlooking the city, and a vibrant night market where you can pick up handicrafts and street food.

Kanchanaburi

Scenic riverside town that draws wildlife enthusiasts and history fans aware of its role in the Bridge over the River Kwai story. You can now kayak the famous river or explore the surrounding jungle on the back of an elephant.
Phuket The country’s most famous beach resort with accommodation and attractions to suit all.

Pai

Scenically sited town close to the Myanmar border home to various ethnic groups and a great base for trekking and cycling trips in the region.

Trang

Historic southern town popular with Thais that has tree-fringed beaches and boasts the country’s best Hokkein coffee.

Sukhothai

Remnants of a once great city that  has 200 ruins full of devotional art, sculpture and carvings spread over a vast area of jungle, that is still off the beaten path and blissfully quiet.

Krabi Province

A stunning playground where karst limestone cliffs rear out of the sea and all sorts of adventure activities are on offer. Climbers flock here for the ascents with special views.

Top experiences / sites of particular interest

Ayuthaya

World Heritage Site dotted with historic ruins from a golden era that is all that are left of the kingdom that once ruled the central plains.

Khao Yai National Park

A reasonably accessible monsoon wilderness, home to elephants and several species of monkey as well as spectacular waterfalls.

Khao Sok National Park

Dense jungle area offering otherworldly treks and some decent wildlife spotting opportunities.

Koh Phi Phi

Idyllic islands off the west coast that starred in The Beach but are even better in the flesh. Limestone cliffs loom above clear waters providing the perfect place to relax.

Koh Pha Ngan

Home of the legendary Full Moon party, bohemian revellers descend on Haad Rin Beach to party hard.

Koh Lanta

Less-visited island that’s worth the extra effort to get to in order to savour the white sand beaches, mangroves, coral gardens and slower pace of life as well as dive off the famous Hin Daeng and Hin Muang pinnacles.

Khao Lak

Launch point for live-aboard and dive boats bound for the Similan and Surin Islands.

When to go

Weather & Seasons: Thailand has a changeable climate with monsoon rains lashing the country from June to October. From March to May it is particularly hot and humid, making the months November to February the best times to visit.

Important Dates and Festivals: There are countless festivals and events to coincide your visit with. Thai New Year, Songkhran, held in April, is the most exuberant festival with water fights and partying. The ten night River Kwai Bridge Festival in Kanchanaburi features moving sound and light shows that recount the dramatic events and Japanese wartime atrocities.

Getting there / around

Flights:There are international airports close to Bangkok (BKK), Chiang Mai (CNX) and Phuket (HKT). The internal network of domestic flights is widespread and efficient.

Road: There is also a reliable and extensive road and rail network that means accessing all parts of the country is reasonably straightforward.

Bus: Buses run regularly, car hire is available in all major towns and there are a host of tuk tuk and moto-taxi options for exploring urban areas.

Potential itineraries

Short Trips: With so much to see and do, if you’ve only got a short amount of time you’ll have to be selective. Cram in a little more by flying between destinations. This way, in two weeks you can check out Bangkok, hop to Ko Samui or Phuket for the tropical beach resorts before flying up to Chiang Mai to explore the calmer, culture-filled north.

3 Weeks: In three weeks you can take in a host of the country’s best beaches, exploring both sides of the peninsula by setting off for the Gulf Islands of Koh Tao, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui from Surat Thani, then bussing across to Phuket in order to sail to Koh Phi Phi. Another bus will take you to Krabi, the jumping off point for Koh Lanta.

Longer Trips: In four weeks you can combine most of these experiences, travelling overland and stopping more frequently to take in the highlights such as Ayuthaya, Khao Yai and Sukothai in the north and Khao Sok in the south as well.

Off the Beaten Track: To get away from all the crowds give yourself three weeks and use Chiang Mai as a base to explore the mountains, jungle and hill tribes that line the border between Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.

Guides

Overall Country Guides: Backpackers and people looking to put together an itinerary from scratch should pick up theRough Guide or Footprint Handbook. People looking for a more visual introduction or more in the way of inspiration should try the Eyewitness or Insight Guides, the Lonely Planet Thailand Discover Guide, Footprint's Thematic Guide to Thailand. Berlitz produces a Thailand Pocket Guide.

Islands: Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Eyewitness also have guidebooks to Thailand’s Islands and Beaches.

City Guides: There are comprehensive Bangkok city guides available from Time Out, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet, whilst Time Out, Eyewitness, Insight, Frommer's and Thomas Cook produce pocket-sized condensed guidebooks.

Other Areas:Luxe have a guide to Chiang Mai. Phuket is covered by Lonely Planet and Insight.

Maps

Country Maps: There are good whole country maps of Thailand available from Reise Know-How and Insight.

Sectional Maps: There are sectional maps of Thailand Southern, Thailand Northern and Thailand North Eastern and Thailand Central and Eastern available from ThinkNet, who also produce Chiang Mai and Nearby Provinces and Phuket and Nearby Provinces. ITMB produces Thailand South & Phuket.

Street Maps: Street plans of Bangkok are available from Nancy Chandler,Berlitz , Borch and Insight . Chiang Mai is mapped as a street plan by Periplus.

Read More

Thailand, A Short History is a good general introduction to the country. Bangkok, A Cultural and Literary History from Signal Books is a decent overview of this overwhelming, confusing capital.

The Backpacker by John Harris reads like a high octane novel but is based on the author’s own experiences of travelling.

Local Dishes

Thai food is excellent and varied – try tom yam , coconut-milk soup with ginger, lemon grass and either chicken or prawns, gang pet , hot red curry, or kaeng dhiaw , a milder green curry.

Big bottles of Singha or Chang beer are good value and both Mekhong and SamSong whiskey are palatable, if potent.

Sight & Sound

Music: Throughout Thailand you’ll encounter a wide selection of sounds, from the serene court music that accompanies classical dance to the rib-rattling beats of the big dance clubs. Look tung is Thailand’s version of country and western and mor lam equates to the blues.

Film: Most people’s cinematic introduction to Thailand is The Beach, which showcases the country’s beaches and scenery before taking a twist. The Bridge over the River Kwai is the haunting film adaptation of Pierre Boulle’s book.

Language

Thai

Currency

Thai bhat (BT).

Visas

UK and US citizens do not require a visa to enter the country.

Health issues

Cholera, Diptheria, Hep A, Rabies, Typhoid and Yellow Fever vaccinations are recommended. Malaria is also present in parts of the country.

Safety, FO travel advice

Generally safe apart from opportunistic scams. The border territory with Myanmar can be less stable though. Political disruption in 2010 caused Bangkok to become the scene of street battles for a while but the situation is now stable and things have returned to normal.

Useful Telephone Numbers

Thai country representatives can be found at

in the UK

and in the US at

There is a tourist board in the UK at

and in the US at

For more information visit www.britishembassy.gov.uk/thailand, www.tourismthailand.org, www.onestopthailand.com, or www.bangkok.thailandtoday.com.