Thailand: Overview
The Kingdom of Thailand is located in Southeast Asia and it limits with Laos and Cambodia to the east, with the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia to the south and with Myanmar and the Sea of Andaman to the west.
Climate
Thailand has a tropical climate of both high temperatures and humidity and frequent Monsoon. While April and May are the hottest months, June is the Monsoon season and the beginning of the rainy season (June- October) in the Southwest part of the country. From November to February the climate is more benign thanks to the cooling breezes that blow from the northeast and lower the humidity level. This is also the best time to travel to Thailand and, of course, the high season. On the other hand, the north and the northeast are generally cooler that Bangkok in winter and hotter in summer. Far in the north, around Mae Hong, the temperature can descend to 2ºC.
Some advices
The used currency is the thai bath (THB), traveler’s checks and credit cards, mainly Visa and Master Card, are also accepted. Thailand prices are very low and it is not difficult to move and to enjoy the country even if you are traveling with a tight budget. Tipping is not accustomed in this country; however, recently this custom is beginning adopted in the most important hotels and tourist places. For most tourists staying in Thailand for less than 30 days a visa is not required whereas in other cases, besides a passport valid for at least 6 months, you will be asked a visa. Make sure to check this early enough in any consulate or Thailand embassy. Although the security level is very good in most of this country, the border area shared with Myamar and the southern provinces (Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla) are quite more troubled due to the disturbances of 2006, so you should take some extra security measures and avoid civilian demonstrations, protests and political conflicts in the capital city. To keep away from being scammed by taxi or tuk-tuk drivers or supposed tourist guides it is not necessary much more than to use your common sense, to avoid giving personal information or accepting those drivers or guides’ eagering offers. If you do so, you may end up in an unknown and unwanted area, with very expensive shops and sex shows. These solicitous drivers receive commissions from the owners of those places. You should not forget that this country’s laws are severe and that in many cases your passport will not be enough to avoid spending some time in a Thai prison if you commit any felony. If the made offense is too serious, you can also be pursued even after having returned to your own country. As in most countries you should avoid things like using or dealing with drugs, confrontations and solicitation (especially for health reasons, since AIDS and other venereal illnesses are very common in Thailand). Besides these illnesses there are also others, characteristic of tropical countries, so it is necessary to take the basic health and hygiene measures. Respect for customs and dressing is very important, your clothes should always be clean, neat and they should not show too much skin, since all these things are considered a lack of respect. It is good to have something to cover your arms and shoulders and easy removable shoes when you are visiting temples, since in many sacred places shoes must be left at the entrance. You must not point or touch a Thai person with your foot, since this part of the body is considered dirty and low, moreover you must not pat people on the head, not even children. Public displays of affection are not well seen among Thai people. Respect to the king and to the royal family is very important, this extends to every image of them, even coins, they should not be mistreated. For example, if a coin falls down, you should not try to stop it with your foot since this will be considered as stomping on the king’s face. Also everything related with stories or movies as The King and I or Anna and the king is very offensive and also prohibited in Thailand, since it is considered a mockery to this country’s customs and culture. On the other hand, you must not turn your back to Buddha statues; even while taking photos you must be facing the statue and not standing too close.
Where to go
Hundred of unforgettable destinations wait for tourists in this country. Among them, the most outstanding are Bangkok, the capital of the country, full with tradition and places to visit; Chiang Mai, with more than 300 temples and wrapped in a history and tradition aura; Ko Samui, ideal if you are looking for paradisiacal islands Ko Si Chang, a one town island that invites us to explore it and to discover its charms; Nakhon Pathon, the oldest city in Thailand and the home of the most important Buddhist monuments in the world; and Phuket, call "The Southern Pearl" and the visited island.
It is also very good choice to visit Muang Borang, considered the biggest outdoor museum in the world; the Marine National Park Ao Phang-Nga, located in a beautiful protected beach by the Andaman Sea and full with submerged caves, cliffs and fishing towns; Jim Thompson’ native house, an example of typical Thai architecture where important samples of Asian art can be seen; Wat Arun, dedicated to the Indian god of dawn; Wat Benchamabophit, built in Carrara marble and one of the best samples of temple modern architecture; Wat Phra Kaen, the Emerald Buddha that seems to levitate and Wat Traimit, the impressive Golden Buddha.
Activities
Thailand offers very good places to practice golf, rock climbing, especially in the cliffs of Rai Leh and Krabi, considered among the best ones. You can also practice scuba diving in Ko Tao (near Samui), Pattaya and in the Similian Islands. Finally, trekking is very popular in the north, near Chiang Mai and Chiag Frayed.
Festivals
Most of the festivals are related with the Buddhist and Brahman rituals and they are ruled by the lunar calendar. Songkran (New Year) is celebrated in the middle of April by "bathing" Buddha images, throwing water to the air for fun and paying respect to monks and elders by sprinkling water on their hands. Rice seeding and harvest have given origin to many festivals; for example, in May, the official beginning of the seeding season takes place when the king participates of an ancient Brahman ritual in Sanam Luang, a large field in the center of Bangkok. In this same month happens the rocket festival where rockets made of a bamboo and gunpowder mixture are thrown to the air in the northeast of the country to ask the skies for rain for the rice plantations. This cereal harvest (September-May) is cause of a cheerful celebration throughout the whole country. During the vegetarian festival that takes place from the ends of September to the beginning of October (9 days) in Phuket and Trang the devote Chinese Buddhists eat only vegetarian foods, carry out ceremonies in Chinese temples and processions. The elephants roundup, takes place in Surin by the middle of November and it is the biggest elephant’s concentration in the world. During this celebration the elephants carry out a military parade, reenact old battles ¡and play soccer! Finally, the Loi Kratong is probably the most beautiful festival and it takes place in the whole Kingdom during a full moon night in November. During this celebration people meet around lakes, rivers and canals and sail decorated small ships with candles in the water to ask for forgiveness for the bad actions they have made in the past.
