Thailand

When to go | Events | Attraction | History

The Kingdom of Thailand draws more visitors than any other country in southeast Asia with its irresistible combination of breathtaking natural beauty, inspiring temples, renowned hospitality, robust cuisine and ruins of fabulous ancient kingdoms. From the stupa-studded mountains of Mae Hong Son and the verdant limestone islands of the Andaman Sea, to the pulse-pounding dance clubs of Bangkok and the tranquil villages moored along the Mekong River, Thailand offers something for every type of traveller. Of course Thailand, like other Asian countries, has been influenced by contact with foreign cultures. But the never-changing character of Thai culture has remained dominant, even in modern city life. Often depicted as fun-loving, happy-go-lucky folk (which indeed they often are), the Thais are also proud and strong, and have struggled for centuries to preserve their independence of spirit.

Warning

On 26 August, 2004 a bomb exploded at Mamong market in the southern Sukhirin district of Narathiwat province. It is suspected that separatist rebels who desire a Muslim state in the south are behind the bombing. Separatists have also staged attacks on police stations in the provinces of Pattani, Songkhla and Yala. While security forces have regained control and the situation has quietened, the area is still volatile and three bombs exploded at Buddhist temples in Narathiwat on 16 May, 2004. Travel in the area is to be approached with caution. Although Thailand is a safe destination, travellers should be aware of occasional violence and banditry in some border areas, petty theft in cities and resort areas, and security issues on public transport, particularly in regard to women travelling on their own. Thailand's borders with both Cambodia and Myanmar contain a volatile mixture of land mines, bandits, smugglers and rebels, and are the scene of occasional low-level military stoushes. Check the latest consular information for the most up-to-date information. In Bangkok, unlicensed taxis, recognisable by their black and white licence plates, should be avoided. This is most relevant for solo women travelling at night. Look for licensed taxis that have yellow and black licence plates. Hotel rooms should be locked and bolted at night, and cheap, thin-walled rooms checked for strategic peepholes. Obtain an itemised receipt for valuables left in hotel safes, especially around Chiang Mai. Full country name: Kingdom of Thailand Area: 517,000 sq km Population: 62 million Capital City: Bangkok People: 75% Thai, 11% Chinese, 3.5% Malay; also Mon, Khmer, Phuan and Karen minorities Language: Thai Religion: 95% Buddhism, 4% Muslim Government: constitutional monarchy Head of State: King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) Head of Government: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra GDP: US$166 billion GDP per capita: US$2,168 Annual Growth: 3.5% Inflation: 2% Major Industries: Computers, garments, integrated circuits, gems, jewellery Major Trading Partners: ASEAN, USA, European Union When to Go Thailand's monsoons arrive around July and last into November (the 'rainy season') and can be quite uncomfortable to deal with. This is followed by a dry, cool period from November to mid-February, followed by much higher relative temperatures from March to June. By far the best time to visit is from Febraury to March when the weather is kind and the beaches are at their finest. The peak seasons are August, November, December, February and March, with secondary peak months in January and July. If your main objective is to avoid crowds and to take advantage of discounted rooms and low-season rates, you should consider travelling during the least crowded months (April, May, June, September and October). On the other hand it's not difficult to leave the crowds behind, even during peak months, if you simply avoid some of the most popular destinations (eg, Chiang Mai and all islands and beaches). Events Many festivals are linked to Buddhist or Brahman rituals and follow a lunar calendar. New Year/Songkran, is celebrated in mid-April by 'bathing' Buddha images, paying respects to monks and elders by sprinkling water over their hands, and generally tossing a lot of water in the air for fun. Expect to get soaked, unless you'd prefer to skulk in your room. The sowing and harvesting of rice has given rise to a cycle of festivals. To kick off the official rice-planting season in early May, the king participates in an ancient Brahman ritual in a large field in central Bangkok; a Rocket Festival is held in May in the country's northeast, using a volatile mixture of bamboo and gunpowder to convince the sky to send rain for the new rice season; and the rice harvest from September through to May leads to joyous local celebrations throughout Thailand. The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket and Trang, during which devout Chinese Buddhists eat only vegetarian food, runs for nine days from late September to early October. Merit-making processions are the most visible expression of this festival, but there are also ceremonies at Chinese temples. The Elephant Roundup in Surin in November is a festival popular with the kind of people who enjoy watching pachyderms play soccer. During the Loi Krathong Festival, held after the rainy season (usually in November), candle-lit floats are cast into waterways to bring good fortune for the coming year. Public Holidays 1 Jan - New Year's Day on the full moon of the third lunar month - Magha Puja 6 Apr - Chakri Day 1 May - International Labour Day 15th day of the waxing moon in the 6th lunar month - Visakha Puja mid-late-July - Khao Phansa 12 Aug - Queen's Birthday 23 Oct - Chulalongkorn Day 5 Dec - King’s Birthday 10 Dec - Constitution Day Attractions Bangkok Bangkok has dominated Thailand's urban hierarchy as well as its political, commercial and cultural life since the late 18th century. Although you can shop in air-conditioned comfort in its Western-style malls, the city is a long way from being tamed by commercial homogeneity. Bangkok's history of haphazard planning means you'll have the best experiences in the most unlikely of places. Just when you start despairing at the predominance of concrete and cars, a wafting scent of incense leads you to a serene temple in an area you'd written off as soulless. Ayuthaya Historical Park A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ayuthaya's historic temples are scattered throughout this once magnificent city and along the encircling rivers. Several of the more central ruins – Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon Bophit, Wat Na Phra Meru, Wat Thammikarat, Wat Ratburana and Wat Phra Mahathat – can be visited on foot. You could add more temples and ruins to your itinerary by touring the city on a rented bicycle. An ideal transport combination for visitors who want to see everything would be to hire a bicycle for the central temples and charter a long-tail boat to take a tour of the outlying ruins along the river. Chiang Mai Chiang Mai has a striking mountain backdrop, over 300 temples and a quaint historical aura. It's also a modern, friendly, internationally-flavoured city with much to offer the visitor - food, accommodation and shopping are all top quality and cheap, and the nights are relatively cool. Chiang Mai's plethora of temples will probably exhaust you before you exhaust them. For variety, try a wander round the night bazaar, acquaint yourself with local culture at the musuems, or practice your Buddhist calm under a palm tree in the city's gardens. Ko Samui This beautiful island off southeastern Thailand is covered with coconut plantations and circled by (call us clichéd but it's true) palm-fringed beaches. It was once an 'untouched' backpackers' mecca, but is now well on its way to becoming a fully-fledged tourist resort. Coconuts are still the mainstay of the local economy, however, and up to two million of them are shipped to Bangkok each month. The most popular beaches are Hat Chaweng and Hat Lamai: both have good swimming and snorkelling but are getting a little crowded. For more peace and quiet, try Mae Nam, Bo Phut and Big Buddha on the northern coast. The main town on the island is Na Thon. Most of the beaches have plenty of rustic, thatched-roofed bungalows, but accommodation can still be hard to secure in the high seasons between December and February and July and August. The best time to visit is during the hot and dry season between February and June. There are flights from Bangkok to the island's Don Sak Airport. Several ferry and jetboat companies operate from Surat Thani: express boats take two and a half hours and jet boats take one and a half hours. Local transport comprises songthaews (trucks with two rows of seats in the back), though several places hire motorcycles. Ko Samui's northern neighbour, Ko Pha-Ngan, is more tranquil, and has equally good beaches and fine snorkelling. Its renowned beach parties at Hat Rin are still popular with backpackers, although sadly, the beach has deteriorated recently with overuse and poor environmental controls. The island is a half-hour boat ride from Ko Samui. Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Pathom, 60km (37mi) west of Bangkok, is regarded as the oldest city in Thailand and is host to the 127m (417ft), orange-tiled Phra Pathom Chedi, the tallest Buddhist monument in the world. The original monument, now buried within the massive orange-glazed dome, was erected in the 6th century by Theravada Buddhists. The chedi has endured various incarnations at the hands of Khmer, Burmese and Chinese refurbishers. There is a floating market nearby at Khlong Damnoen Saduak. Phuket Dubbed 'Pearl of the South' by the tourist industry, Phuket is Thailand's largest, most populous and most visited island. A whirl of colour and cosmopolitanism, Thailand's only island province revolves around and thrives on tourism, but still retains a spark of the real Thailand. There is a lot to do in Phuket, and consequently, a lot to spend your money on. There are also more tourists in Phuket than on any other Thai island. Most flock to the beaches on the southwestern side, which are loaded with amenities and entertainment options. History Thailand, or Siam as it was called until 1939, has never been colonised by a foreign power, unlike its south and southeast Asian neighbours. Despite periodic invasion by the Burmese and the Khmers, and brief occupation by the Japanese in WWII, the kingdom has never been externally controlled for long enough to dampen the Thai's individualism. The earliest civilisation in Thailand is believed to have been that of the Mons in central Thailand, who brought a Buddhist culture from the Indian subcontinent. In the 12th century, this met a Khmer culture moving from the east, the Sumatran-based Srivijaya culture moving north, and citizens of the Thai state of Nan Chao, in what is now southern China, migrating south. Thai princes created the first Siamese capital in Sukhothai and later centres in Chiang Mai and, notably, Ayuthaya. The Burmese invaded Siam in both the 16th and 18th centuries, capturing Chiang Mai and destroying Ayuthaya. The Thais expelled the Burmese and moved their capital to Thonburi. In 1782, the current Chakri dynasty was founded by King Rama I and the capital was moved across the river to Bangkok. In the 19th century, Siam remained independent by deftly playing off one European power against another. The 20th century brought great change to Thailand. In 1932, a peaceful coup converted the country into a constitutional monarchy and in 1939 Siam became Thailand. During WWII, the Thai government sided with the Japanese. After the war, Thailand was dominated by the military and experienced more than twenty coups and countercoups interspersed with short-lived experiments with democracy. Democratic elections in 1979 were followed by a long period of stability and prosperity as power shifted from the military to the business elite. In February 1991 a military coup ousted the Chatichai government, but bloody demonstrations in May 1992 led to the reinstatement of a civilian government with Chuan Leekpai at the helm. This coalition government collapsed in May 1995 over a land-reform scandal but replacement prime minister Banharn Silpa-archa was no better. Dubbed a 'walking ATM' by the Thai press, he was forced to relinquish the prime ministership just over a year later after a spate of corruption scandals. Ex-general and former deputy PM Chavalit Yongchaiyudh headed a dubious coalition until late 1997, when veteran pragmatist Chuan Leekpai retook the reins. In 1997 the Thai baht pretty much collapsed, dragging the economy (and many other southeast Asian economies) down in a screaming heap. In August the International Monetary Fund stepped in with a bailout package of austerity measures, which - although it slowed Thailand's growth dramatically and hit the poor hardest - seemed to have turned things around by early 1998. By the turn of the new century, Thailand's economy had stopped going into free fall, but rebuilding had only just begun. Genuine attempts to weed out corruption seem underway, but the poverty-stricken of Thailand are still wary of promises and agitating for more reforms. The relatively new Thai Rak Thai Party (Thais Love Thais), led by Thaksin Shinawatra, emerged as a force in Thai politics and saw many sitting MPs defect to its ranks. In parliamentary elections held in January 2001, Thai Rak Thai trounced Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai's democrats. Although Thaksin has thus far been able broadly to deliver on his promises, he has faced opposition from anti-reform elements within his own Thai Rak Thai party, as well as accusations of corruption during his time as deputy prime minister in 1997. One worrying recent development has been Thaksin's widespread suppression of the Thai media. As owner of Thailand's only independent TV station, he sacked 23 journalists during the election that brought him to power, and has since come down heavily on all forms of political commentary on radio or TV. Thaksin also instigated the recent 'war on drugs', which has left thousands dead, many apparently victims of a shoot-to-kill policy by the Thai police. Thailand's future economic growth will depend partly on its ability to remain peaceful over the next few years. Tourism is now one of the largest sectors of the Thai economy, but the industry has already suffered huge losses due the 2003 epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), even though Thailand remained free of the disease throughout the crisis. The recent arrest of members of the Islamic fundamentalist group Jemaah Islamiyah has worrying implications for the future safety of the kingdom. However, Thais continue to glide through it all with their customary calm.