THAILAND
About Thailand
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 40°C. 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.
|
