Beaches
THE majority of visitors to Thailand are looking for sun, sea and holidaymakers can choose from lively, action-packed resorts to peaceful retreats.
The most popular beach resort is Pattaya on the east coast, one of the largest of its kind in Asia. It is also one of the closest to Bangkok, being only a 2hr drive away. Pattaya has a vast range of accommodation, bars, restaurants and sports facilities.
The beaches in the southern coastal province of Krabi, including the Phi Phi Islands, are much quieter and less developed.
So too are the dozen or so secluded bays of Ko Samet in the east.
THAILAND has some of the most varied shopping in Asia, from western-style malls selling jewellery, silks and handicrafts to street markets with stalls offering imitation designer goods and souvenirs at bargain prices.
The capital Bangkok has the greatest selection of shops and markets. Best-known are the Siam Centre which has many fashionable boutiques, the World Trade Centre, the Old Siam Plaza, River City and the night market in Patpong.
The Chatuchak Weekend Market, from Friday to Sunday evening, is the country’s biggest market, selling everything that is made or grown in Thailand.
WITH the Gulf of Thailand on the southeast coast and the Andaman Sea on the southwest, the country is able to offer a range of water sports year round.
Most of the larger resorts, such as Pattaya, Phuket and Ko Samui, offer water skiing, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving and sailing year round. The best diving is northwest of Phuket where it is possible to see big fish such as sharks, dolphin and manta ray. Contact specialist operators such as Goldenjoy for more details.
2. Shopping
1. Beaches
3. water sports
4. culture
BANGKOK has a rich collection of cultural attractions, including the Grand Palace, numerous temples, Jim Thompson’s House Museum, which contains a collection of Asian objets d’art, and the Ancient City open-air museum.
But not all of Thailand’s most interesting cultural sights are in and around the capital. In the north of Thailand there are many Thai and Burmese-style temples, particularly in Sukhothai.
5. nightlife
BANGKOK and the livelier resorts such as Pattaya offer a vast range of entertainment in the evening, from western-style bars and nightclubs – many of which are open all night – to traditional performing arts.
Masked dances are sometimes laid on for tourists in Thai restaurants, and performances of traditional Thai dances can be seen regularly at popular shrines.
MANY holidaymakers have been tempted to Thailand by their taste buds.
Bangkok and all of the major resorts have an abundance of dining opportunities, from top-class restaurants in luxury hotels (some hotels also offer cookery lessons) to food centres – usually in shopping malls – and open-air garden or riverside restaurants. Menus are extensive but prices are relatively low compared to the UK, and the quality is generally high, even in the cheapest establishments.
8. adventure
6. food and cookery
7. train travel
ONE of the world’s most romantic train journeys is the Eastern and Oriental Express which links Bangkok with Singapore and includes an extension to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. Passengers can travel the whole route which takes three days or book shorter segments from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, or Bangkok to Penang.
The options are featured by a number of UK operators, including Magic of the Orient and Kuoni.
9. traditional thai sports
ANCIENT sports such as Thai boxing, long-boat races, Takro and kite flying are still practiced throughout the country. Thai boxing can be seen every night at two Bangkok stadiums and long-boat races are held in many places including Ayutthaya and Bangkok towards the end of the rainy season.
Takro, in which teams have to keep a ball made of woven rattan in the air, is played all across the country in fields and parks, and kite flying competitions are held in Bangkok during March and April.
10. spa holidays
EVERY luxury hotel in Thailand boasts a spa offering treatments such as Thai massage, and there is a dozen or so dedicated spa hotels. One of the most famous is the Chiva-som in Hua Hin which is featured by several UK operators. In addition to indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpools, saunas and exercise rooms, there are 12 treatment rooms and a hydrotherapy suite.
Others spa resorts include the Banyan Tree Phuket, the Regent Resort in Chiang Mai and the Jansom Thara Hotel (Hot Spa) in Ranong.