Top 10 Reasons To Visit Thailand

Thailand is the number one travel destination spot in Asia for a lot of reasons.

**Note: April 13, 2010 - Thailand is currently in the middle of political unrest. Political demonstrations between protesters and the Thai Army in Bangkok have led to bloodshed. Other major cities outside Bangkok however are safe. The author is currently in Pattaya City, Thailand (about an hour and half by car outside Bangkok) as this lens is written and has seen no danger. **

1-) The Thais are one of the friendliest people in the world.

2-) A Lonely Planet survey found travelers believe Thai street food is the best in the world.

3-) It is very cheap relative to Western countries and several Asian countries as well.

4-) Thailand has retained its rich cultural heritage.

5-) You get to see some of the most stunning beaches in the world.

6-) Was Thai cuisine mentioned? Thai food is loved by almost everyone.

7-) Whether you're into beaches, mountains or rich historical sites, Thailand has it all.

8-) It's easy to meet new friends from all over the world as millions of tourists flock to visit the Land Of Smiles every year.

9-) The weather in Thailand is temperate. The rainy season brings hours of showers instead of a whole month of nonstop rain.

10-) Shopping! Thailand has extremely cheap good-quality clothes, fashion accessories and furniture plus decor.

 Khao San Road, Bangkok (aka Backpacker's Central)

Useful Thai Phrases That Will Get You Better Treatment In Thailand

The Thais are quite a friendly and hospitable bunch. The language barrier however between English-speakers and Thais does provide a challenge.

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People from Thailand adore it when foreigners attempt to speak Thai. This is very evident when you greet them with your broken and funny-sounding Thai and you see them chuckle with joy.

Learning some everyday pleasant Thai phrases could very well get you an extra friendly smile from the people at your hotel or even better service and perks!

These are spelled with American English pronunciation in mind:

Thank you

Cup Coon Ka (female speaker)

Cup Coon Cup (male speaker)

Hello/Goodbye

Sa Wa Dee Ka (female speaker)

Sa Wa Dee Cup (male speaker)

Awesome!/Cool!

Soo Dyot!

Good luck

Chalk Dee

You're beautiful

Coon Sa Wai

Where is (place/object)?

(Place/object) tee nai?

Don't worry about it/Never mind

Mai Ben Rai

and if you want to impress the people from North Thailand, say this in a local Northern Thai dialect called Isan as: Bo Pen Young Dog

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Dos and Don'ts When On A Vacation In Thailand

Dos For Tourists In Thailand:

•  Thais are more laid-back than their Western counterparts. Do act patient especially with anyone who serves you like your waiter.
• Do give a "wai" to an older person or anyone who gives you one. The wai is performed by pressing both your palms at chest-level and bowing slightly. You don't have to give children a wai when they give you one. The wai is a very polite way to greet one another.
• Do leave both your feet on the ground when sitting. Don't rest your feet on tables. Buddhists believe the feet are the dirtiest part of the body while the head is the holiest.
• Do take your shoes off when entering temples and wear tops with medium to long sleeves.
• Do ask for a receipt when you are paying for hotel rooms, travel tours and the like in advanced. Thailand is Asia's number one tourist spot for good reasons but this has also opened the doors to tourist traps.
• Do try the extremely sumptuous offerings of Thai street food, voted the best street food in the world by thousands of Lonely Planet fans.
• Do make sure you know what you're saying when you ask for a spicy meal. The Thais version of what is spicy differs greatly from Westerners. Can you say "hot!"?
• Do learn a few Thai greetings. This warms the hearts of Thais and will generate a lot of good-natured laughter your way.

 

 Don'ts For Tourists In Thailand:

• Don't express anger in public. The Thais hate to lose face and a Thai will more often than not have the back of another Thai over a foreigner's in debates and brawls.
• Don't hug or kiss the cheek of a Thai-especially a Thai women- you can't consider a really good friend.
• Don't touch a Thai's head. Buddhists consider the head the most sacred part of the body.
• Don't expect the local culture to adhere to time the way most Westerners and the Japanese do. Expect tardiness. It's just the laid-back lifestyle of the Thais at work. They don't mean to insult you.
• Don't buy travel and entertainment tickets from ticket brokers. Purchase these tickets at the official booth like the bus station for instance. Many scammers reportedly intercept tourists on their way to official ticket booths and claim to sell "discounted" tickets and tours. It's just not money you can lose but many tourists have ended up on non-airconditioned buses or on rides twice or thrice the duration than what was promised.
• Don't wear your shoes in someone's home or a temple (unless given the go-signal at someone's home).
• Don't forget to have fun in one of the most awesome vacation spots in the world!

Songkran: Thailand's Most Important (And Most Wet) Festival

"สวัสดีปีใหม่" (sa-wat-dee pee mai)

Happy New Year in Thai

The days from April 13th to the 15th are very special all over Thailand. Songkran, or New Year's for the Thais, is the most important holiday in the country. 

Songkran was a Northern Thailand festival that is now celebrated all over Thailand since the mid-20th century.

Chiang Mai, Thailand's second largest city, is the prime spot in the whole country to celebrate Songkran where it lasts for six days or more.

Songkran was originally celebrated as a time to show respect to elders but the celebration has taken a whole new twist, both for Thais and foreigners.

Songkran is largely celebrated with water, a lot of water. Thais and falangs (foreigners) alike throw water at each other in public, at friends and strangers alike, using water pistols, pails and garden hoses. This has inevitably led to a party atmosphere in the main sections of most cities all over Thailand. Aside from water, mentholated talc is also used to mark people's faces.

There is the spiritual aspect of Songkran, loyal to its origins. People go to temples (wats) to pray and give alms to the monks as well as cleanse images of Buddha.


Songkran is also celebrated in Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and certain parts of China.

If you don't plan to get wet this time of the year, best stay in your hotel room because this is one holiday Thais love to wholeheartedly get into the spirit of.

If you plan to have amazing fun, go out there with the biggest water pistol you can find. Be sure to keep your cash and cellphone in waterproof bags! Oh, and wear non-slip shoes.

**The author spent Songkran 2011 in Pattaya, Thailand and got really, really drenched. Two thumbs up. Just be careful on the road as there is an increase in the number of  motor vehicle accidents this time of the year. **

To find out more information about Thailand and Southeast Asian traditions, check out this resources:


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