Thailand Travel Guide

Thailand Overview

Thailand, with the full name of the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia. It lies in the middle of Indo-China Peninsula with the total area of 513,115 square meters. Thailand faces Gulf of Thailand in the southeast and Andaman Sea in the southwest. It borders Burma on the northwest, Malaysia the southwest, Laos on the northeast and Cambodia on the southeast. The population of Thailand is mostly ethnically Thai. Besides, there are also Chinese, Burmese, Malaysians, Indians, Laotians and some other minority groups. Thailand is famous for its beautiful subtropical landscape, profound Buddhist culture and unique folk customs, attracting numerous tourists from all over the world. Thailand becomes well-known throughout the world and has the reputation of the Buddhist Kingdom , Land of the Elephants and the Land of Smile .

Thailand is one of the most important tourist countries in Asia, mainly for its charming tropical scenes and the unique Buddhist culture. As a Buddhist country that boasts a long history, this Land of White Elephants has unique culture and folk customs that attract tourists, such as various festivals, unique life style of boat people, world-renowned classical dances, ethnic dances, interesting pantomime, Lakhon dance, characteristic Muay Thai, cockfighting and fish playing. In Thailand, tourists will enjoy the magnificent Buddhist temples and pagodas, beautifully decorated Buddhist statues, stone carvings and paintings. The ancient relics under the shade of the evergreen trees add much mystery to the charming tropical landscape of Thailand.

Known to the world as the Country of Thousands of Buddhas , Thailand is a country with ancient civilization of more than 2,000 years of Buddhist history. On this beautiful and fertile land, there are more than 30,000 ancient temples and resplendent palaces that are full of mystical charm. Buddhist temples in Thailand with magnificent exteriors and delicate decorations are often regarded as the art museum of Thailand , the national treasure of Thailand and the essence of Thai culture. 90% of people in Thailand believe in Buddhism Thailand becomes one of the main tourist countries in Southeast Asia for the rich and colorful folk art. Known as the Buddhist Kingdom , Buddhism has been the national religion for more than 700 years. Since King Phaya Lithai of Sukhothai period (1238-1378) entered into religion, it has evolved into a historical tradition that, every man, including the king, should leave home and enter into religion for a period of from 5 days to 3 months during their life time after the age of 20. Every household consecrates Buddhist sutras and statues and worships in the morning and evening every day. The religion has witnessed the ups and downs of the country. The schools there offer courses about Buddhism, architectural wonders are Buddhist temples, precious carvings are Buddhist statues and Buddhist temples were built with every effort in four consecutive dynasties.

The main tourist cities of Thailand are Bangkok that is the city of angels and Chiang Mai which is the Buddhist holy land. Thailand boasts a variety of tourist areas with unique and distinctive characteristics, such as Pattaya with the reputation of the oriental Hawaii, Phuket celebrated as the pearl of Thailand, Ko Samui Island famous for the island of coconut forests. There are also various tourist landscapes, including the resplendent Grand Palace and Wat Phra Singh, the magnificent Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha), Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha), Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn), the thrilling Crocodile Farm, the ethnic Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden and Rose Garden, the charming Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and the mystical Erawan Shrine.

A large number of flora and fauna and dense forests abound in the mountainous areas of Thailand. Most of the flora and fauna are rare species. Some natural forest areas have become natural reserves and the forest parks have been established there with the approval of the Thai government. Numerous tourists go on a visit to Thailand to enjoy the fresh air, comfortable weather, beautiful waterfalls, rivers, lakes, various animals and the like.

Best Time to Visit Thailand

Affected by the tropical monsoon, Thailand has three distinctive seasons. The highest temperature falls from March to May, which is the hot season with dry weather and the average temperature of the year ranging from 32в„ѓ to 38в„ѓ. The rainy season falls from June to late-October with average temperatures ranging from 27в„ѓ to 28 в„ѓ. 75% of the annual precipitation concentrates during this time, And after the rainy season, Thailand embraces the best season of the year, lasting from November till February of the next year. Though it is called the cool season, the temperature is not low with average temperature ranging from 19в„ѓ to 26в„ѓ. During this period, tourist destinations such as the capital city, Bangkok (with numerous ancient temples), Pattaya (the oriental Hawaii) and Chiang Mai (the city of roses) all show their breathtaking sceneries.

Top Things to Do in Thailand