Issue No.11 Country by Country - Thailand

The King of Thailand, Bhomibol Adulyadei

The King of Thailand, Bhomibol Adulyadei, has ruled since 1950 making him the world’s longest reigning monarch.  He recently celebrated his 86th birthday on the 5^th December, when he called for unity amongst his people after days of violent protests in Bangkok.

Most of us are familiar with the key attractions of Thailand, particularly the beautiful beaches and fantastic tropical islands that surround the mainland.  But are there some things that we ought to know about this wonderful spot before we decide to go?  Well, in short the answer is yes.  Corruption is wide spread and civil unrest is currently on-going in Bangkok.  The Foreign Office is currently stating:

“A number of political demonstrations have taken place in parts of Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand since the start of November 2013.  Some of these were violent and resulted in casualties.  Further protests may take place with little warning.

On 25^th November the authorities in Thailand implemented the Internal Security Act in all districts in Bangkok and Nonthaburi as well as the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan and the Lat Lum Kaeo district of Pathum Thani, which will lead to an increased security presence and possible disruption to traffic.”

Recent protests in Bangkok

However, they are not restricting travel to most parts of the country (apart from the Malaysian border) but do suggest avoiding all political protests.

It is also worth knowing that of the 800,000 British travellers to Thailand last year, most visits were trouble free.

This all seems rather gloomy doesn’t it?  Well political instability is pretty standard for Thailand and whilst this does seem rather alarming, I have travelled there on numerous occasions and have never encountered anything but lovely, polite, charming people.

If all this has not put you off travelling to this beautiful country, and it really shouldn’t, then here are a few of my  top Thai travel secrets.

Don’t just head for the islands, whilst these are truly gorgeous, you would be missing out if you didn’t take a couple of days in Bangkok either on arrival or on departure.  We find that after 10 days lazing on the beach recovering from jet lag we're ready to hit the shops, sites and smells of Bangkok for a couple of days before coming home.  Here are some of the things I like to do in Bangkok.

Chatuchak

Shopping in Bangkok is amazing, and it's difficult to know where to go first.  My advice is to visit the vast Chatuchak weekend market.  I’m guessing that you should be able to find something you want at one of the 6000 stalls.  However, get there early before the crowds and the heat kick in and give yourself enough time to cool off with a nice swim back at the hotel in the afternoon.  Be warned though, it's very easy to get carried away here, everything is so cheap you end up buying 10 of everything and then having to buy another suitcase to get everything home!  Like many other places in Thailand don’t expect anything to be genuine though.

Lumphini Park

Lumphini Park is a tranquil idyll in the middle of frenetic Bangkok and if the jet lag is still causing you to wake up at ridiculously early times of the morning, then a visit to Lumphini at around 7.00am can reward you with hundreds of locals doing their Tai Chi around the park.  You can take the morning air and look out for the 6 foot long monitor lizards lazing by the lake or watch the turtles playing on floating logs.  This all ends on the dot of 8.00am with the national anthem.  If you stand to observe the national anthem, you will be rewarded by the smiles of locals acknowledging your mark of respect.  Then in the evening take a walk through the park, pass the zoo to the night market where you can be fed and entertained, massaged and sold too all in one place, I love it.

Eating in Thailand is a bit of an adventure, it is one of the most diverse cuisine’s in the world, so you should find something to your taste.  My husband loves his chillies, so he is in absolute heaven here, whereas, I only like a little bit of spice in comparison.  I still manage to find something to eat, somewhere along the line and out in the islands, you can find everything from Thai, Chinese, Seafood, Brazilian, Italian, McDonalds and Starbucks so no one ever goes hungry.  My advice is to give something a try though, it is normally really cheap, so if you don’t like it, it’s no great shakes.

The Thai’s drive on the same side of the road as us Brits, so I really recommend hiring a car when you are visiting the beach resorts, as there are often hidden gems just around the corner.  We have come across deserted beaches, wonderful temples, authentic food and local markets that we would not have seen had we just stayed in the resort.  However, driving at night can be really hairy though, as street lights and road markings are not widespread.

Thai massage

Finally, find a good place to have a massage, going to Thailand and not having a massage is like going to Paris and not having crepes.  Don’t expect an easy ride though, a proper Thai massage is more like a sports massage than one you are likely to get down the local spa in England.  It may hurt a bit at the time but it will leave you feeling great.

If you’ve been to Thailand, let us know your favourite spots and travel tips.

Thanks for reading, see you next week, don't forget that you can get everything you need for your trip to Thailand online from: LotusTravelEssentials.co.uk happy & safe travelling.