Planning a trip to Thailand? Find out where's good to go, when's good to go, and what you could be eating during your holiday.
Attractions
Among
Thailand's most famed destinations are its capital city Bangkok, the
meditation retreats in Chiang Mai, health resorts in Ko Samui, and
seaside areas of Ko Tao, Hua Hin, and Krabi.
Beach parties in
Thailand are legendary but visitors must take care in light of recent
drug-related incidents that saw travellers' drinks spiked with poisons.
Vigilance is advised, as well as sticking together with your travel
companions at all times. You're definitely in for a good time if you
remember safety! Visit areas such as Had Rin in Ko Phangan, Patong Beach
in Phuket, and Chaweng Beaches in Ko Samui.
Cultural Agenda
For
an alternative New Year's celebration, head to Thailand for the 13th to
15th April when locals celebrate Songkran. A popular tradition to mark
the occasion is the throwing of water that sees friends and strangers
drenching each other. This is meant to cleanse a person, and wash all
the bad away in time for the new year and the resolutions that come with
it. As it's the hottest time of year to visit the country, you'll be
grateful for the surprise showers.
Many people choose to visit
Buddhist monasteries on the day to pray and give food offerings to the
monks. In the evening, many locals revel in the streets and at parties.
Later
in the year, on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the
traditional lunar calendar, Thailand celebrates Loi Krathong. This
usually falls in November.
Loi Krathong is traditionally held to
honour the spirit of the waters, but nowadays is often just seen as a
reason to have fun. The countries waters are laden with floating
receptacles decorated with flowers, incense, candles and banana leaves.
Some revellers choose to fill them with food and other offerings that
are eaten by water creatures.
Cuisine
Thai cuisine is
renowned worldwide, and often praised for its healthiness. A lot of
foods are seafood-based, and eaten with noodles or rice. Meals tend to
be spicy and well-seasoned with spices and flavourings including fish
sauce, shrimp paste, curry pastes, shallots, coriander, kaffir lime,
ginger, tamarind and galangal. Often, coconut milk is used as the base
for sauces and soups such as the popular Tom Yam, a hot and sour broth
with meat or fish.
Thai salads are often made with the addition of
fruit such as papaya, and meat to a vegetable base. Popular vegetables
include bean sprouts, squash, eggplant, bamboo
shoots, and exotic plants many visitors are unfamiliar with. It's also common to come across mushrooms in Thai food.
General Travel Tips
The
Asian country is best visited from November to February when
temperatures are at their most tolerable. From March to June, the heat
can be scorching and difficult to handle, with April often the worst
month. July to October is monsoon season in Thailand with heavy rainfall
and high levels of humidity.
Some areas in Thailand should be
avoided due to the threat of terrorism and political uprisings. The
Foreign Office provides up-to-date information, and its website should
be consulted prior to departure to see if any changes need to be made to
your itinerary. Alternatively, you can contact the local embassy using a
cheap calls to Thailand service. Booking accommodation, local transport
and tours will also be easier over the phone.
Thailand is easily
accessible from the UK with regular direct flights to Bangkok from major
cities. Local travel services such as planes, buses and boats can get
you to the islands or elsewhere in the country. Many can be booked in
advance through travel agencies.
Harvey McEwan writes to offer information on a variety of areas, from business travel to making cheap calls to Thailand. View Harvey's other articles to find out more.
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