Thailand - palaces, temples, art and good food
Once you have found a reasonably priced air ticket to get yourself to Thailand, you will find it to be a very inexpensive place to stay, eat and travel around.
Many people head first to bustling Bangkok, renowned for its hectic traffic - from comfortable automobiles to those fantastic motorised rickshaws known as tuk-tuks. The backpackers’ paradise is Khao San Road, where you can find cut-price hostels, good cheap food, and lively cafes full of travelers eager to exchange stories of exciting journeys and fabulous places. Round Khao San Road you can buy all kinds of things, from Tin Tin tee-shirts to fake Rolex watches, from forged student cards to colorful summer clothes.
Bangkok boasts some magnificent temples and palaces, including former royal residence Vimanmek Palace, which is built completely out of teak, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and Wat Pho, which houses one of the largest reclining Buddhas in the world. Another place of interest is Jim Thompson’s house: Thompson was an American silk merchant and major art collector who made Bangkok his home, and who vanished mysteriously in 1967. A visit to his fantastic wooden house is a real treat for those who love art and textiles.
But sooner or later, you will be ready to move out of busy Bangkok and see some more of this fascinating country. If you are interested in history, you can go on a day trip to the Bridge over the River Kwai, or, on a more cheerful note, you can take off to one of the many islands, such as Phuket, and enjoy the sand, swimming and sunshine.
You can head up north to Chiang Mai by either train, or if you don’t mind spending a bit more money, by plane. Chiang Mai is much quieter and smaller than Bangkok, and also has a whole host of beautiful temples. Shy monks, dressed in orange, are actually quite chatty and friendly when you get talking to them, and love to practise their English.
