Thailand is the most visited country in Southeast Asia, and as soon as you arrive you’ll understand why… Thailand has everything! From dense green jungles to white sand beaches with clear, warm water and with an average annual temperature of 30ºC, you’ll be in shorts and flip-flops even during the rainy season! Thailand is rightly nicknamed the country of smiles as the Thais are world renowned for their friendliness, hospitality, and their Sabai Sabai mentality, which means happy happy!
Everyone knows the infamous Full Moon Parties on the picturesque southern islands of Koh Phangang, but they aren’t the only parties. If you’re in Thailand for Songkran, the Thai New Year in April, you’ll find yourself engulfed in the world’s biggest water fight, as the Thais take a few days off from work to wash away their sins from the past year using buckets, super soakers and hoses! It’s almost impossible to go anywhere dry during Songkran, but as during April it can reach 40ºC, you’ll probably be grateful! If that sounds a little too manic, there’s also Loy Krathong where Thais float small boats laden with flowers and candles on lakes, rivers or swimming pools under a full moon. Just make sure you have cameras at the ready as this is an incredibly beautiful scene.
Another part of Thai life is food, so much so that Thais don’t greet each other with ‘how are you?”, Instead, they ask ‘gin khao laew?’, which means ‘have you eaten?’. You’ll find out why they are obsessed when you try Thai food! Whatever food you like, you’ll find something in Thailand for you; there’s everything from a staple dish of chicken, rice, and stock to curries that will blow your taste buds! Just be careful not to get overconfident with your spice levels as Thais love to see tourists bite off more chilies than they can chew!
Thailand is arguably one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and you can experience all types of incredible scenery, whether you choose to take an elephant trek through the mountainous jungles of the north in Chiangmai or lie on a postcard-worthy beach in the south. If that sounds a little too calm, you can also immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of Bangkok, where you will find everything from authentic Thai street food stalls to gourmet restaurants that could put Gordon Ramsay to shame! Bangkok is also famous for its nightlife where you can mix with the backpackers on Khao San Road, or drink Thai whiskey with the locals on RCA or Coco Walk.
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