Central Thailand
Bangkok
Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the traditional
lifeblood of
The Thai capital for more than two centuries, Bangkok has in the last 20 years undergone more change than at any other period during its history. Concrete and glass high-rises have reshaped the skyline and multi-lane expressways re-mapped the city’s thoroughfares, while a Skytrain mass transit system and a subway under construction are opening up new ways to experience the city.
The ultimate impact of all the development is that Bangkok is now better than it has ever been-greener, more comfortable and quicker and simpler to get around.
Likewise, the potions for shopping, dining and entertainment have vastly expanded in the last couple of decades. Now, modern luxury buys are available as well as traditional handicrafts; Thai restaurants are matched by others offering virtually the whole gamut of world cuisines, while entertainment can be as diverse as a classical concert at the Thailand Cultural Centre or an Irish band playing in an Irish pub.
Amazingly, at the same time as developing as a thoroughly modern metropolis, Bangkok has succeeded in preserving monuments to its traditional Oriental splendour. It is still a city of temples and palaces, of golden spires and orange tiered roofs, of saffron-robed monks and serene Buddha images. Classic sights, most famously the Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha, remain as magnificent as ever.
In its enchanting ambience as well as in its major sights, Bangkok retains its own special essence. In all things there is an element of “Thainess”, a sense of style found nowhere else and which indelibly stamps the culture.
Thus Bangkok retains a personality that is unchanging and uniquely its own, and which allows the traveler to discover somewhere truly different while also enjoying all modern conveniences.
Ayutthaya
Set in the heart of the central plains that extend north from Bangkok is Ayutthaya. Easily visited on a day excursion from Bangkok, either by road or, more interestingly, by the Chao Phraya River, this ancient city offers an intriguing glimpse into a glorious past.
Founded in the 14th century, Ayutthaya was the nation’s capital for more than 400 years until its destruction in 1767. During the height of its power it ranked as the largest, most magnificent city in the Orient, as witnessed in the extensive ruins of numerous temples and palaces that are today preserved in what is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kanchanaburi
West of Bangkok and a butting the mountains which divide
Historically Kanchanaburi
is best known as the site of infamous “Death Railway” and “Bridge over the
River Kwai”, built by allied POWs and Asian forced
labour during World War II. The region, however, has a long
past, with evidence of settlement during Neolithic times, while in recorded
history, the area was occupied by the ancient Khmer prior to the rise of the
The North
Chiang Mai
The province of Chiang Mai, located 700 kilometers north of Bangkok and served by both air and rail services from the capital, epitomizes the charm and attractions that typify northern Thailand.
Here you will discover a landscape of high-forested hills and idyllic river valleys, while the cities, towns and villages of the region display a distinct culture arising from a long and separate history. At the same time, deluxe hotels and mountain resorts provide all modern comforts. The city of Chiang Mai, pleasantly situated on the banks of the Ping River, is a treasure trove of ancient temples, fascinating for their distinctive northern Thai architectural style and rich decorative detail, while on the outskirts is the famed hilltop temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Chiang Mai is equally famous for its wealth of traditional handicrafts-in silk, wood, silver, ceramics and more-which make the city a veritable paradise for the shopper.
Beyond, the countryside beckons, offering adventure travel by trekking, elephant-back, river rafting or four-wheel drive safaris into a natural wonderland, where the traditional villages of colorful hill tribe people are a unique feature in the landscape.
Sukhothai
Situated at the lower edge of the northern region, bordering the Central Plains, Sukhothai was the cradle of the Thai nation. Here, in a landscape of low wooded hills, the first capital city was founded in the13th century. Today, the extensive ruins of Sukhothai, as well as those of its nearby satellite town, Si Satchanalai, are preserved in well-kept historical parks that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites.
At the center of Sukhothai stand the magnificent remains of Wat Mahathat, which was the administrative and spiritual heart of ancient Kingdom. Spreading out from Wat Mahathat, over an area of some 70 square kilometers, are the ruins of more than 20 other major mountains attesting to the glory that was Sukhothai.
Si Satchanalai, 56 kilometers to the north, is smaller, though nonetheless impressive site, where clusters of ruined temples are attractively backed by wooded hills.
The Northeast
Naknon Ratchasima
Also know as Khorat, Nakhon Ratchasima is the gateway to Thailand’s northeast region-known as I-san in Thai-a largely rural area and the least changed part of the country.
The province has a long recorded history and during
the pre-Thai period was an important outpost of the ancient Khmer civilization
centered on Angkor, in
Besides places of historical and cultural interest, Nakhon Ratchasima is also home to vast tracts of Khao Yai National Park, ranked as one of the country’s finest nature preserves and featuring a great diversity of habitats from evergreen rainforest to savannah.
Surin
For most of the year, Surin is a place of deep rural tranquility, but in late November the provincial capital comes fabulously alive as it hosts the annual Elephant Round-Up. This exciting and colorful spectacle celebrates the remarkable role elephants have played in Thai history and the development of the country. It’s a most special occasion and not to be missed.
Udon Thani
Udon Thani is a busy communications and transportation hub and provides ready access to the surrounding provinces of Khon Kaen to the south, and Nong Khai in the north.
The province’s biggest attraction for the traveler, however, is the prehistoric site of Ban Chiang where, in the 1970s, archaeological finds fielded evidence of a civilization dating back more than 4,000 years. Examples of the finds, including skeletons, tools and distinctively patterned pottery, can be seen in excavation pits that have been left open at the site and which give a good in sight into the thrill of archaeological discovery.
Khon Kaen
Renowned for its I-san food and its hand-woven silk, Khon Kaen lies in the heart of the Northeast. The provincial capital is a large modern city, where a good choice of hotels and restaurants make it an extremely inciting place for a stopover en route to other destinations to the north and east.
Buri Ram
Ancient Khmer ruins are the major attraction of Buri Ram, with a number of temple ruins that were originally built between the 10th and 13th centuries. The largest and most important-and most spectacular-of these is the hilltop temple complex of Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung. Second in magnificance only to Nakhon Ratchasima's Phimai, the site combines architectural wonder with a superb location that commands panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
The East Coast
Pattaya
Situated just a 2-hour drive from Bangkok, Pattaya is famous as an international playground in the sun. Facing a wide bay and a long sweep of beach, it is a seaside resort with city status, and goes all out to offer a huge variety of sporting and entertainment opportunities both on the water and on land. By day, Pattaya is alive with water sports action, while come nighttime the place in equally active as vacationers flock to the resort’s neon-lit bars, discos, nightclubs and restaurants.
Pattaya’s non-stop action can be overwhelming, yet the resort aims to offer something for everyone and easily reached surrounding attractions provide plenty of alternatives. Several excellent golf courses, for example, are just a short drive away, while more traditional beach scenes can be found at Bang Saen or the offshore island of Ko Si Chang. There are also plenty of options for family outings, including a cultural village and a tiger zoo.
A wide selection of hotels, from super deluxe to bungalow style, afford every modern comfort, and a stay in Pattaya can be as much a quiet escape lazing by your hotel pool as a fun-packed action holiday.
Rayong
Further along the coast from Pattaya, Rayong is a province that combines a lush interior with a coastline of quiet beaches that are less developed than Pattaya and promise a more tranquil vacation by the sea. Complementing the mainland beaches is the offshore island of Ko Samet. Immortalized by the classical Thai poet Sunthon Phu, who set part of his epic Phra Aphaimani on the island, Ko samet is indeed a picturesque island with some excellent beaches and simple yet comfortable bungalow style accommodation.
On the way to the beach, Rayong town presents a couple of cultural sights in Wat Pa Pradu, which enshrines a large reclining Buddha statue, and the Taksin monument at Wat Lum Mahachai Chumpon, which commemorates the occasion when King Taksin raised an army to expel the Burmese after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767.
The South
Chumphon
Southern Thailand begins with Chumphon, a sliver of a province with a long coastline facing the Gulf of Thailand, where a number of unspoilt beaches afford the opportunity for a quiet escape. There are offshore islands, too, in particular Ko Tao, which although falling in Surat Thani province is conveniently accessed from Chumphon and offers some of the very best dive sites in the whole of the country.
Phuket
Justly famous as one of the world’s premier tropical beach resorts, Phuket blends extraordinary natural beauty with superb tourism facilities to ensure the perfect vacation in the sum.
Against a backdrop of green hills, the west coast of
what is
Yet Phuket is not just an island in the sun; as a province in its own right it has a wealth of scenic and cultural attractions. Buddhist temples, Chinese pagodas and Muslim mosques, as well as the fabulous annual Vegetarian Festival, attest to a multi-cultural history; magnificent mansions built in the Sino-Portuguese style tell the story of riches made from tin mining in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and rubber and coconut plantations contrast with areas of surviving virgin forest in a refreshingly green landscape.
In all, Phuket is an island of unparalleled beauty and unique cultural traditions, a place to explore as well as to relax totally and relish the vacation of a lifetime.
Phang-nga
Located immediately north of Phuket, Phang-nga is renowned for its island-studded bay of haunting natural beauty. Typically, you approach this wondrous seascape down a river estuary where mangrove swamps evoke a primeval mood. The eeriness takes a dramatic turn as the estuary widens and the bay is suddenly revealed sprouting countless, weirdly shaped limestone outcrops swathed in tangles of creepers and shrubs. Some rise sheer from the water, others are humped or jagged and all present an unearthly aspect. One is particularly famous; known as “James Bond Island”, it was the location for the movie The Man with the Golden Gun.
A different attraction awaits off the northern shores of Phang-nga, where the waters around the Similan and Surin island groups present ideal conditions for scuba diving, the underwater world teeming with tropical fish and abounding in breathtaking coral formations.
Krabi
For many travelers, Krabi is the most beautiful province along the Andaman coast. It is the kind of place where tired clichés like idyllic and pristine take on fresh meaning, with the beaches displaying the characteristic qualities of the Andaman coast-soft, fine white sand, warm clear water and lush tropical greenery spills on to the shore. Providing a dramatic backdrop to the most beautiful locations are rust-hued cliffs, some soaring to 1,000 feet. There are also offshore islands, most famously the twin Phi Phi isles, location for the movie The Beach, and newly popular Ko Lanta.
Much also beckons inland, and among Krabi’s wealth of “green” attractions is Khao Phanom Bencha National Park, a lush nature preserve covering some 50 square kilometers of rainforest and noted for its impressive waterfalls, as well as a comparative wealth of wildlife. Further north is Than Bokkhorani National Park, another immensely picturesque area of Limestone Mountains, waterfalls, pools, mangrove forests, caves and islands.
Ko Samui
Moving across to the eastern side of the southern peninsula, facing the Gulf of Thailand, Ko Samui in Surat Thani province is tropical isle that vies with Phuket as the country’s most popular beach resort destination. Like Phuket, it combines natural beauty with an exceptionally good standard of hotels, spas and other tourism facilities that afford the luxury, the dining and the entertainment to complete the perfect holiday in the sun.
Moreover, Samui provides plenty of variety, and you can choose your style of holiday in paradise. The beaches on the island’s east coast are long majestic sweeps of sand, hugely popular and backed by a host of hotels, restaurants, shops, bars and discos, but if you seek something quieter you’ll find your favorite spot elsewhere on the south, west or north shores, where each locale has its own character and ambience.
Matching the blue of the sea with the green of lush tropical vegetation is Samui’s hilly interior, where there is plenty of scope for excursions. Alternatively, nearby Ang Thong Marine National Park is a group of protected islands of spectacular natural beauty.
With its classic tropical island looks and splendid range of facilities, Samui really does fulfill dreams of the ideal escape.
Home 
mail to webmaster