"The land of smiles," is an appropriate moniker for Thailand because of the grins found on most Thais that greet tourists, and because of the creeping smiles that begin immediately latching onto travelers as they set foot in this sunny land.

In my 9 days in Thailand, I was struck by the geographic diversity of this Southeast Asian nation. Within Thailand, one can find stunning beaches, bustling cities, and heavily forested jungles -- all within the borders of a country the approximately the size of Texas. Additionally, the diversity of religions and peoples within Thailand can make for a highly educational trip, if this is important to you. Without a doubt, there is something for everyone in Thailand from the vacationer looking for luxurious resorts, to the traveler looking to backpack his or her way through rough terrain, and to the cultural enthusiast aiming to experience and observe the way Thais live. On top of all this, the relative inexpensiveness of Thailand makes it even more appealing as a destination. As of February 2000, the exchange rate was 35 baht to the dollar, making Thailand still one of the best travel deals in the world.

If possible, I would recommend that you take your time traveling through Thailand. It is possible to compress your travels, taking overnight buses and trains to maximize your time, but this only will bring extreme exhaustion and make your time in Thailand less enjoyable. I managed to cover Chiang Mai (in the north), Bangkok, and Koh Samui (in the south), in my 9 days, with roughly 3 days spent in each destination, but I became increasingly grouchy as time and travel wore on.

As an aside, demonstrating the flexibility of the Thai tourism and travel industry, upon swearing that I wouldn't take another overnight bus with my travelling buddy, we were able to immediately walk into a travel agent's office and book airplane tickets only 3 days in advance. Ideally, I would spend at least 5 days in every planned destination, time permitting.

You may book everything-hotels, trains, airplanes, buses, ferries, etc.-in advance, and cut down on any apprehensiveness about travelling spontaneously. An equally viable option is to fly to Thailand and book everything on the spot or on the go with the many travel agents dotting the country. My friend and I were able to book our entire trip in an hour during the busy Chinese New Year season with a travel agent in Bangkok's Hualamphong train station.

If shopping is a priority, remember that you can buy almost anything you need in Thailand from modern goods to hilltribe crafts. Subsequently, if travelling light appeals to you, then you can buy clothes, bug spray, sandals, sunscreen, sunglasses (you get the picture), as you make your way through the country.

Some caveats, though...because Thailand is such a popular destination for tourists, you may become gradually annoyed at the huge presence of tourists everywhere (a la the anti-Lonely Planet movement). In many locations, non-Thais will outnumber Thais, making you question whether you are actually in Thailand, but alas, this is the price for discovering paradise-everyone wants to be there, or at least have a looksee. Also, scams are omnipresent in Thailand, ready to prey upon unsuspecting tourists. One traveler I met was tricked into buying low-end gems for high-end prices. Luckily for her, the Thailand Tourist Police (yes, there is such an entity), was able to get her money back. Another traveler stepped out of a "you can't lose" card game right before it started. If he had played, he would have almost certainly been conned out of money in a fixed game. So...do beware while you're trying to have fun.

To sum things up, Thailand undoubtedly is a pleasant place where most people will have fun. Whether it be your only destination or one stop in a tour of Southeast Asia, make Thailand one of those countries you've been to at least once. As for me, I plan on going again, just as soon as I can get some more vacation time!




Recommended: Yes