Cosmopolitan of Asia

Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, is considered one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Asia, with 13 million people. This is a city of contrasts and eternal movement: Buddhist shrines are adjacent to towers of glass and concrete, on narrow streets there are fashionable hotels and shacks of the local population.

It is worth going to Bangkok for sights and stormy nightlife, entertainment here can be found for every taste and the expression “shocking Asia” is right for it. The city was founded in 1782 by Emperor Rama I, and its name in Thai has about 100 words, which allowed it to get into the Guinness Book of Records.

The royal family still lives here to this day, this part is closed to visitors. Located on the opposite side of the river from the palace is a part accessible to tourists. Its main attraction is the Temple of the Lying Buddha, the largest in Bangkok. An indelible impression on visitors is made by a statue of a lying Buddha, 46 m high, reflecting the sun’s rays with gilding. You can not fail to pay attention to the Temple of Dawn 70 m high, built in the Cambodian style, in the decoration of which colored glass is used.

Flower Capital of Thailand

Locals call the city of Chiang Mai the flower capital of Thailand. And all because there is an abundance of flowers – in nature, the clothes of the natives and even in architecture. For many travellers, this city becomes a favorite, so tourists return here again and again. Around Chiang Mai, endless floral fields of various shades spread. From here they take amazing copies to other countries for export. If you stay here, you will not have to miss – there are many sights here, so it will take more than one week to visit them.

First examine the local temples. Most of them are concentrated in the old part of the city. For example, Wat Chedi Luang, erected in the 14th century. Previously, the famous statue of the emerald Buddha was located here, but today only a copy of it remains here. Here, a centuries-old dipterocarp tree has been preserved – a local shrine of symbolic significance. Nearby, a wooden Wat Phan Tao was added among the straw stoops. If you wish, look at other religious structures: the Umong tunnel temple, the temple on Mount Doi Suthep with a viewing platform, the Silver Temple Si Supan (only for men), etc.

Be sure to meet the natural heritage of this region. And it is truly impressive here. It makes sense to visit the falls of Doi Suthep National Park. Climbing to the top will not be easy – you will have to overcome more than one hundred steps. But along the way you will see beautiful places and go through several waterfalls. To enjoy the flower kingdom, go to Royal Flora Ratchaphruek Park. However, be prepared to spend the whole day – this is the only way you will see the main beauty of this place. a coin museum is also equipped here. It makes sense to stay in the park until dark – because of the amazing lighting, a feeling of magic and mystery is created.

Cradle of Thai civilization

Chiang Rai is the capital of the province of the same name in northern Thailand, located near Chiang Mai, 785 km from Bangkok. The city and its surroundings are famous for their unusually beautiful nature and numerous Buddhist temples. In addition, Chiang Rai is the starting point for studying the region, as well as neighboring Myanmar and Laos.

North-east of Chiang Rai, on the banks of the Mekong River, lies the ancient capital of Chiang Seng, famous for the temples of Wat Pra That Chom Kitty, Pra That Doi Tung, Chedi Wat Pa Sak and Chedi Luang, a Immediately outside the city, the famous Golden Triangle begins – the area near the borders with Burma and Laos, the cradle of Thai civilization.

The Museum of Mountain Tribes (Hilltribe Museum) is located in the very center of the city and is created to study the life and culture of the mountain tribes of Thailand. The museum exhibits reflect the lifestyle of the tribes: housing, various tools and utensils, equipment and weapons for hunting, fishing and agriculture. The educational center, which is open at the museum, organizes excursion tours, and all the money collected for this goes to the life support of the tribes.

Business Center

Hat Yai (also Had Yai, Hatyai, Hat Yai, Had Yai) is a large city in southern Thailand in Songkhla province 60 kilometers from the border with Malaysia. Hut Yai is mistakenly considered a small provincial town by many, however, it is the fourth largest Thai city in the south and an important business center.

There are almost no sights in Hat Yai. If something interesting can be found, then only in the neighboring city of Songkhla, which is the cultural capital of the province. From the interesting, in the city itself you can distinguish:

Floating market Khlong Hae Floating Market outside the city. Nothing special, a simple small market with boats berthed to the shore, from which trade is conducted. Prices are very low.

Hat Yai Temple (Wat Hat Yai Nai or Wat Mahatthamongkalaram). The main temple of the city with a large statue of a lying Buddha (35 meters, according to some estimates, the third in the world in size).

City amusement park Hat Yai Park. Large entertainment park, located outside the city. There is a cable car, an exhibition of ice sculptures, a flower park, a bird park, an observatory, a pond, a food court and food trays.

Ton Nga Chang Waterfall. This large beautiful seven-level waterfall is located 30 kilometers from the city. At the foot of one of the cascades there is a pool, and there are always many vacationing locals.

Phra Maha Chedi Tripob Trimongkol. This is a unique and very beautiful pagoda. It is made entirely of stainless steel, and it is the only pagoda of its kind. Inside it is empty, and you can go into it. Located outside the city on a hill .

The Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Natural History Museum is not a museum about the royal family at all, as you might think from the name. This is a rather interesting museum of natural history, or something like our “Darwin museum.” Located on the outskirts of the city.

Isan Gate

Isan’s gate is also called this city, because it is the first that travelers moving from northern Thailand meet on their way. The highway passing through it is the main one for the entire region. Khonken provides a permanent bus service to all major settlements in northeast Thailand. From here you can go to many interesting tourist points. In addition to the bus, there is a railway connection

Various finds from many archaeological excavations eloquently indicate that people have settled on this territory since time immemorial. Many scholars claim that the city of Khonken appeared during the period of the state of Dvaravati. In the Ayutthai period, Khonken was the most important supplier of rice. It is impossible not to mention one of the main decorations of the city – unique in its kind, known in the world Khonken National Museum. It presents excellent examples of various architectural styles, magnificent bas-reliefs of the Kusuanteng temple, which is located in the small province of Buriram. The temple was built by order of the Khmer king Jayyavarman the Seventh. The most valuable relic of the museum is the shell of the 12th century in Buddhist motifs, on which you can see numerous images of majestic Mahayanist deities. Many of the art objects exhibited by the museum were discovered during archaeological excavations.

Khonken is an important tourist center of the country. The service at the highest level will provide a fashionable hotel of the category “five stars,” as well as a number of others with “four stars.” In the surrounding countryside, tours of rice fields are organized, where you can see the process of growing rice with your own eyes. Currently, the economic life of the city of Khonken is developing at a rapid pace, attracting more and more tourists. The Thai province of Khonken is of great interest to them with its unusual architecture, as well as its glorious historical past. In addition to museum tours, tourists will find themselves other activities to their liking: cheerful boat regattas, pleasant leisurely walks along the azure shores of reservoirs and love of Thailand’s bright tropical landscapes.

Snow white beaches are waiting for you!

One of the best beach holiday options in southern Thailand is a holiday in a resort near the city of Krabi. This is a relatively young, but already popular resort in the tourist world. It is located on the shores of the Andaman Sea, 870 km from the capital of Thailand – Bangkok. The original nature and ancient monuments of Thai architecture, the amazingly clean sea and snow-white beaches have attracted a large number of tourists from different parts of our planet to Krabi in recent years.

The results of archaeological excavations confirm that the history of Krabi begins in the 7th century BC. This is one of the oldest human settlements in Thailand. From the ancient annals of Thailand it is also known that on the site of the modern city there was a royal fortress – Ban Tai Samo. Ancient Thai legends tell about some “details” of the foundation of Krabi. So they claim that at the time of the founding of this city, a sword grew out of the earth, which served as the basis for the name of the city, since the word “sword” in Thai sounds – “krabi.” Until the 80s of the last century, Krabi was an ordinary provincial town in which the majority of the population was engaged in fishing and coconut oil production. However, in the future, the history of Krabi changes dramatically, as Thailand decides to develop the tourism industry in this region, and the small town turns into a modern tourist center. Now about 25 thousand people live in Krabi, and a significant part of the population of this city is engaged in the tourism sector.

The most famous attractions of Krabi are directly related to the stunning local nature. Tourists vacationing in Krabi spend most of their time on the picturesque beaches of this resort. Among them, the most popular are the beaches of Hat Tham Pranang and Nang, spread along the tropical forests of coconut palms. Most tourists visit such attractions of Krabi as the national parks “Than Bokkoroni” and “Khao Phanom Bencha” to learn more about representatives of local flora and fauna. You can get acquainted with the ancient culture and history of Thailand when visiting the Buddhist monastery “Wat Tham Sua,” which is located in a mountain cave. 1272 steps lead to his gate, cut down into a rock in distant times by hardworking monks.

Rest in Krabi is accompanied by exotic excursions and entertainment. For example, a tour to the temple – the Wat Klong Tom Museum allows you to familiarize yourself with rare historical exhibits that are more than 500 years old. The most popular entertainment in Krabi is walking on an elephant in the jungle and on a yacht along the sea coast. Fans of diving in Krabi will discover an amazing underwater world filled with exotic fish and coral reefs. Krabi shops offer silver jewelry and unusual souvenirs, handicrafts and various trinkets worth buying in memory of your trip to this amazing country.

City transport in Krabi is represented by minibuses and taxis, as well as boats and boats that run between parts of this city, divided by the river of the same name.

Gate to Paradise

Suratthani for tourists is primarily the gateway to the islands in the Gulf of Siam: Koh Samui, Koh Pangan and Koh Tao. Sometimes they also get through it to Phuket, to Krabi, Fr. Pi Pi and Fr. Ko Lanta. The city is connected with Samui by ferry. The transit point on the way to the island is the airport, which is located 30 km from the “City of Good People.” Surattani railway station is part of the country’s southern railway link, which connects the Thai capital with its southern regions and goes further to Malaysia and Singapore.

The city of Surattani itself is not a tourist Mecca. There are no crowds of traveling foreigners here, with the exception of those who ended up in the city on the way to the islands. But Surattani is a chance to see real, non-tourist Thailand. Here you can try local food, meet friendly people and learn more about their real life. Prices for meals, roads and accommodation in Surattan are quite low.

One of the most interesting places in the vicinity of Suratthani is Monkey Training College, which is located only 8 km from the city. This is the first project of its kind in Thailand. Here, animals are taught to collect coconuts. Guests are invited to watch entertainment performances of school graduates and those who are still undergoing training. If desired, tourists can spend the night in one of the bungalows in the immediate vicinity of the monkeys.

Among the local entertainment is a boat ride along the Tapi River. Along the way you can see coconut plantations, typical Thai houses, bright representatives of the local fauna, mangroves. The city acquires a special attractiveness at night. If you dare to go for a walk along the river at this time, you can witness a firefly show. The city market also comes to life after sunset. Popular Thai dishes are sold here: corn in the cobs, fried chicken, rice with saffron, kebab squid, sushi.