Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in South-East Asia, and for a reason. You can find almost anything here: thick jungle as green as can be, crystal blue beaches that feel more like a warm bath than a swim in the ocean and food that can curl your nose hairs while tap dancing across your taste buds. Exotic, yet safe; cheap, yet equipped with every modern amenity you need, there is something for every interest and every price bracket, from beach front backpacker bungalows to some of the best luxury hotels in the world. And despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential Thainess, with a culture and history all its own and a carefree people famed for their smiles and their fun-seeking sanuk lifestyle. Many travelers come to Thailand and extend their stay well beyond their original plans and others never find a reason to leave. Whatever your cup of tea is, they know how to make it in Thailand.
This is not to say that Thailand doesn't have its downsides, including the considerable growing pains of an economy where an agricultural laborer is lucky to earn 100 baht per day while the nouveau riche cruise past in their BMWs, Bangkok, the capital, is notorious for its traffic jams and rampant development has wrecked much of once-beautiful Pattaya and Phuket. In heavily touristed areas, some lowlifes have made scamming tourists into an art form.
Thailand Cities
- Bangkok - Thailand's bustling, frenetic capital
- Ayutthaya - A historical city, world heritage site and old capital of Thailand
- Chiang Mai - The capital of the North and the heart of Lanna culture
- Chiang Rai - Gateway to the Golden Triangle
- Hat Yai - Largest city in the Southern region
- Kanchanaburi - Home of the Bridge over the River Kwai
- Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) - Main city in the Isaan region
- Pattaya - One of the main tourist destinations
- Sukhothai - Thailand's first capital
- Surat Thani - Main city of Ko Samui Ko Pha Ngan Ko Tao and Srivijaya Empire
Bangkok Bangkok is a large city, modern and Westernised and humming with nightlife and fervour. Administratively, it is split up into 50 khet (districts), which are further split into 154 khwaeng (????), but these are more often used in official business and for addresses. Visitors will find the conceptual division below of the main areas more useful for getting around.