With a yearly record of over 16 million foreigners flying into the country each year, Thailand remains Asia’s primary travel destination for tourists and visitors, as it offers a host of amazing places to explore. Historically known as Siam, and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, it is located in Southeast Asia, and it’s located at the center of the Indochinese Peninsula.
With its lush jungles, renowned beaches, world-class diving, amazing cuisines all at friendly prices, Thailand speaks for itself as the most visited country in Southeast Asia. A mix of rice paddies, tropical forests and villages form Thailand’s rural heartland sitting outside the cluttered cities and towns. These forests and fields wind up against vast blue mountains adorned with silvery waterfalls and honeycombed by deep caves. During the rainy season, this arid northeast landscape gives an emerald hue with tender green rice shoots covering the landscape.
Popularly known for its luxuriously long coastline (actually, two coastlines) and over 1400 jungle-topped islands anchored in azure islands, Thailand is the perfect adventure destination for everyone, as its giant coastline playground offers a space for a lot of adventures where the sand meets the sea.
The official language of Thailand is Thai, while other spoken languages include Isan, Kam Mueang, Pak Tai, Malay and English. It has a total population of almost 70 million people made of ethnic Thais (75%) and Chinese (14%), while the rest comprises mainly of immigrants from neighbouring countries as well as hill-tribespeople.
Buddhism is the national religion, Islam is the largest minority religion, and the country has a land area of 513,120 sq km. The unit of currency used in Thailand is the Thai baht.
Where to go in Thailand
As a tourist, deciding where to go in Thailand depends on two factors; what you want to do, and when you want to go. When planning a holiday trip to Thailand, here is a list of five top-rated tourist attractions in Thialand:
- Bangkok
Also known by its endonym Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok is the capital and most populous city of Thailand and it’s often the first option on the list of any traveler . Located in the Chao Phraya River delta in Thailand’s central plain, Bangkok is the clash of Thailand’s tradition and modernity. Its historic life offers resplendent temples, canalside markets and the opulent indulgence of the eighteenth century Grand Palace. Here is a list of top attractions to look out for in Bangkok on your next visit:
- Wat Phra Chetuphon
- Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun)
- Chatuchak Weekend Market
- Jim Thompson House
- Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew)
- The Golden Mount
- Siam Parago
- Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is often the best place to start when touring the northern uplands in Thailand. It offers both an attractive historic city and a vibrant centre filled with cultural heritage, with a strong blend of arts, crafts and festivals. From self-improvement courses that include ascetic meditation to Thai cookery classes to outdoor activities such as hot springs and massages at Pai; a cosmopolitan hill station for travelers, to a lot of colourful festivals that attract several visitors, Chiang Mai is one of the most popular places in Thailand.
- Samui Archipelago
The Samui Archipelago off the Gulf Coast is one of the best places to go in Thailand, with its sweeping white-sand beaches, and comfortable accommodation to go with them. It includes the ever-popular island of Koh Samui, the diving-and-partying island of Koh Tao, and Koh Pha Ngan- an island popular with backpackers.
- Deep South
Taking a trip down the Thai peninsula in the provinces of the deep south, the sea life and unfrequented sands of the Trang Islands and Ko Tarutao National Marine Park makes the deep south one of Thailand’s top places to go. The beautiful west coast offers sheer limestone outcrops, pristine sands and fish-laden coral stretch down to the Malaysian border.
- Khao Yai National Park
The Khao Yai National Park is another top tourist centre in Thailand, as it is the first national park in Thailand that combines the diversity of the flora and fauna. Spanning five distinct forest types and towering to a height of 1,351m, the park contains over 300 birds and twenty large land-mammal species. It is also a UNESCO accredited World Heritage Site.
When is the best time to travel to Turkey? Due to the peculiarity of the weather, split into three seasons: rainy (roughly May-Oct) cool(Nov-Feb) and hot (March-May), the best time to visit is the cool seasons. During this period, you experience manageable temperatures and less rain, with the waterfalls in full spate, and the upland flowers in bloom.
Travel essentials; Thailand has different climates, therefore, an ultimate travel packing checklist to Thailand should include transportation, documents and travel insurance, a good travel backpack, a day bag, a reusable water bottle, mini LED flashlight, waterproof phone pack, electrolyte packs.
EM in conjunction with WAKANOW
