With over six million foreigners
flying into the country each year,
Thailand
has become Asia's primary holiday
destination and is a useful and
popular first stop on any overland
journey through Southeast Asia. The
influx of tourist cash has played a
significant part in the country's
recent development, yet Thailand's
cultural integrity remains largely
undamaged. In this country of
fifty-three million people, over
ninety percent are practising
Theravada Buddhists, and King
Bhumibol is a revered figure across
his nation. Tiered temple rooftops
and saffron-robed monks dominate
every vista, and, though some cities
and beach resorts are characterized
by high-rises and neon lights, the
typical Thai community is the
traditional farming village: ninety
percent of Thais still earn their
living from the land.
Most journeys start in Bangkok. Thailand's huge, noisy, polluted
capital can be an overwhelming
introduction to Southeast Asia, but
there are traveller-oriented
guesthouses aplenty here, and heaps
of spectacular temples to visit.
It's also the best place for
arranging onward travel and visas
for neighbouring countries. A
popular side-trip from the city
takes in the raft houses of
Kanchanaburi, the infamous site of
the Bridge over the River Kwai.
After Bangkok, most travellers head
north, sometimes via the ancient
capitals of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai
, to the enjoyably laid-back city of
Chiang Mai , where they
organize treks to nearby hilltribe
villages. There's tranquil
countryside in bucketloads up in the
northern highlands around Mae Hong
Son and along the Mekong River in
Thailand's northeast (Isaan), where
you can stay in village guesthouses
and hop across the border into Laos.
The northeast is the least visited
area of Thailand, but holds two fine
ancient Khmer ruins at Phimai
and Phanom Rung, and the country's
most popular national park, Khao
Yai.
After trekking and rural
relaxation, most visitors want to
head for the beach - and
Thailand's eastern and southern
coasts are lined with gorgeous
white-sand shores, aquamarine seas
and kaleidoscopic reefs. The most
popular of these are the east coast
backpackers' resorts of Ko Samet and
Ko Chang, the Gulf Coast islands of
Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Tao,
and the Andaman coast idylls of Laem
Phra Nang, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta and
Ko Tarutao. The southern island of
Phuket and the east coast resort of
Pattaya are more expensive,
package-tour oriented spots. In the
deep south, Thailand merges almost
seamlessly with Malaysia, and there
are plenty of border crossing points
here; the city of Hat Yai in
particular offers convenient
long-distance bus and rail links to
many Malaysian towns. Getting into
Cambodia overland is not so easy,
but there are two crossings
currently open, Poipet and Trat.
The climate of most of
Thailand is governed by three
seasons: rainy (roughly June to
October), caused by the southwest
monsoon; cool (November to
February); and hot (March to May).
The cool season is the pleasantest
time to visit and the most popular.
Christmas is peak season, when
accommodation gets booked way ahead
and prices rise significantly. In
the hot season, temperatures can
rise to 40ฐC. The rainy season hits
the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi,
Phi Phi) harder than anywhere else
in the country - heavy rainfall
usually starts in May and persists
at the same level until October. The
Gulf coast (Ko Samui, Ko Pha Ngan
and Ko Tao) gets hardly any rain
between June and September, but is
hit by the northeast monsoon, which
brings rain between October and
January. This area also suffers less
from the southwest monsoon, getting
a relatively small amount of rain.
