A Guide to Thailand

Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia with coasts on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

It borders Myanmar (Burma) to the north-west, Laos to the north-east, Cambodia to the south-east and Malaysia to the south.

With great food, a tropical climate, fascinating culture and great beaches, Thailand is a magnet for travellers the world over.

Thailand can be conveniently divided into five geographic and cultural regions:

Northern Thailand: Chiang Mai, hill tribes, and the Golden Triangle.

Isaan: The great undeveloped north-east – get off the beaten track and discover backcountry Thailand and some magnificent Khmer ruins.

Central Thailand: Bangkok, lowlands and historic Thailand.

Eastern Thailand: Beaches and islands within easy reach of Bangkok, like Pattaya, Koh Samet and Koh Chang.

Southern Thailand: Hundreds of kilometres of coastline and countless islands on both the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, plus Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Koh Tao and many more of Thailand’s famous beach spots.

Thailand Cities:

Bangkok — Thailand is bustling, frenetic capital, known among the Thai as Krung Thep

Ayutthaya — a historical city, UNESCO World Heritage Site and old capital of Siam

Chiang Mai — de facto capital of Northern Thailand and the heart of Lanna culture

Chiang Rai — gateway to the Golden Triangle, ethnic minorities and mountain trekking

Kanchanaburi — home of the Bridge over the River Kwan and numerous World War II museums

Nakhon Ratchasima — largest city of the Isaan region

Pattaya — one of the main tourist destinations, known for its rough nightlife

Sukhothai — Thailand’s first capital, still with amazing ruins

Surat Thani — home of the Swirijaya Empire, gateway to the Samui archipelago

Other Places in Thailand:

Koh Chang — once a quiet island, now undergoing major tourism development

Koh Lipe — small island in the middle of Tarutao National Park, amazingly unspoilt with great reefs and beaches

Koh Pha Ngan — site of the famous Full Moon Party with miles of quiet coastline

Koh Samet — the nearest island beach escape from Bangkok

Koh Samui — comfortable, nature, and entertainment hippie Mecca gone upmarket

Khao Sok National Park — one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Thailand

Khao Yai National Park — take a night time jeep safari spotting deer or visit the spectacular waterfalls

Krabi Province — beach and water sports Mecca in the south, includes Ao Nang, Rai Leh, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta

Phuket — the original Thai paradise island, now very developed but still with some beautiful beaches

About Thailand:

Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, and for a reason. You can find almost anything here: thick jungle as green as can be, crystal blue waters 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. In addition, despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential Thai-ness, with a culture and history all its own and a carefree people famed for their smiles and their fun-seeking sanuk lifestyle. Many travellers 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 labourer 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. Some areas, which are often bursting at the seams with tourists, some lowlifes have made scamming tourists into an art form.

History:

The earliest identifiably Thai kingdom was founded in Sukhothai in 1238, reaching its zenith under King Ramkhamhaeng in the 14th century before falling under the control of the kingdom of Ayutthaya, which ruled most of present-day Thailand and much of today’s Laos and Cambodia as well, eventually also absorbing the northern kingdom of Lanna. Ayutthaya was sacked in 1767 by the Burmese, but King Taksin regrouped and founded a new capital at Thonburi. His successor, General Chakri, moved across the river to Bangkok and became King Rama I, the founding father of the Chakri dynasty that rules (constitutionally) to this day.

Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only South-East Asian country never to have been colonised by a foreign power, and fiercely proud of the fact. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. During World War II, while Japan conquered the rest of Southeast Asia, only Thailand was not conquered by the Japanese due to smart political moves. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict. After a string of military dictatorships and quickly toppled civilian Prime Ministers, Thailand finally stabilized into a fair approximation of a democracy and the economy boomed through tourism and industry. Above it all presided King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), the world’s longest-reigning monarch and a deeply loved and respected figure of near-mythic proportions.

In September 2006, a swift and bloodless military coup overthrew populist tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra’s democratically elected but widely criticized government, exposing a fault line between the urban elite that has ruled Thailand and the rural masses that supported Thaksin. Thaksin went into exile and a series of unstable governments followed, with the successors of Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai party and the royalist-conservative People’s Alliance for Democracy fighting it out both behind the scenes and, occasionally, out in the streets, culminating in Bangkok’s airports being seized and shut down for a week in November 2008. As of 2009, things have quieted down, but the political scene remains in flux and the direction of the country once the ailing King passes away is a question mark.

Politics:

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, with the king as Head of State. The Thai parliament is bicameral, consisting of a Senate, of which about half are directly elected with each province electing one member, and the other half being appointed by a committee, as well as a lower house which is directly elected by the people. The Prime Minister is the Head of Government, and is usually the leader of the party with the most seats in the lower house.

In practice, the king’s role is largely ceremonial, with the Prime Minister holding the most authority in government. However, the king and the royal family are still protected by strict lèse majesté laws, which stipulates long jail terms for anybody convicted of insulting the king or any other members of the royal family.

Climate:

Thailand is largely tropical, so it’s hot and humid all year around with temperatures in the 28-35°C range (82-95°F), a degree of relief provided only in the mountains in the far north of Thailand. The careful observer will note three seasons:

Cool: From November to the end of February, it doesn’t rain much and temperatures are at their lowest, although you will barely notice the difference in the south and will only need to pack a sweater if hiking in the northern mountains, where temperatures can fall as low as 5°C. This is the most popular time to visit and, especially around Christmas and New Year’s or at Chinese New Year a few weeks later, finding flights and accommodation can be expensive and difficult.

Hot: From March to June, Thailand swelters in temperatures as high as 40°C (104°F). Pleasant enough when sitting on the beach with a drink in hand, but not the best time of year to go temple-tramping in Bangkok.

Rainy: From July to October, although it only really gets underway in September, tropical monsoons hit most of the country. This does not mean it rains non-stop, but when it does it pours and flooding is not uncommon.

There are local deviations to these general patterns. In particular, the south-east coast of Thailand (including Koh Samui) has the rains reversed, with the peak season being May-October and the rainy off season in November-February.