Thailand travel
Posted July 15, 2009 , trackbackThailand Travel:
This popular country is located in southeast Asia in the north of Malaysia, bordered by Laos and Cambodia on the east. In the recent years, Thailand
tourism has become a very activity in the world, securing a position among the
top 25 most popular tourism places of the world and among the top 5 in Asia. There are several reasons for the increasing popularity of Thailand tourism, the most important one is the friendly and peace loving nature of the Thai
people. Thailand tourism offers a wealth of exotic and culturally distinctive destinations spread throughout its 76 provinces. The Majestic city of Bangkok is the capital of Thailand.
Topics:
? Thailand Tourism Overview
? Getting There
? Transportation And Car Rental
? Climate / Weather
? Visa
? Golf
? Shopping
? Top Hotels
? Nightlife
? Local Tourist Office
? Currency
? Recommendation and Safety
THAILAND TOURISM AND TRAVEL OVERVIEW:
Thailand tourism is an irresistible combination of breathtaking natural
beauty, inspiring temples, renowned hospitality, robust cuisine and ruins of
fabulous ancient kingdoms. It offers everything from crowded markets and bazaars
to ancient temples, to busy nightlife all set against some of the best scenery
in the region. Thailand tourism is mainly divided into four regions - The Central Plain,
The Peninsular South, The Mountainous North and The High Northeast Plateau.
Thailand is a popular travel destination, and tourist facilities and services
are available throughout the country. You will find great food, a tropical
climate, national parks, fascinating culture and, great beaches, its diverse
attractions make it popular with tourists and travelers of all types and ages. Thailand
tourism has been heavily promoted by the Tourism Authority Thailand
(TAT).
GETTING
TO THAILAND:
Since Bangkok is Thailand’s main tourist attraction,
most tourists arrive at Bangkok’s Don Muang International Airport which has
connecting flights to almost all the major cities around the world.
TRANSPORTATION AND CAR RENTAL:
Thailand has many buses and taxi services that are fast, comfortable and very
easily available. Thailand also has a efficient rail system along with domestic
flights, connecting to all the major cities of the country, therefore getting
around the country is very easy and the tourists have several options including
domestic flights, buses, taxis and rail system. The roads are modern and there
are several Air-conditioned buses offering maximum comfort at a low price.
Car Rental:
Many companies like Avis, Hertz, National and Budget operate rental car
operations in Thailand.
In Thailand you drive on the left hand side of the road. Speed limits signs are
posted in English.
It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with driving conditions and
local laws before renting a car in this popular tourism destination.
Most rental car companies apply the following rules, but do check with your
company for full requirements.
- Minimum driver age is 21 years.
- Driver must hold a valid driving license or International Driving Permit
- Customer must have an international credit card.
- A copy of customers’ ID Card or Passport is required.
CLIMATE - WHEN TO GO:
Thailand enjoys a tropical climate with 3 distinct seasons summer from March
through May, rainy season with plenty of sunshine from June to September and
winters from October through February. Since Thailand can get very hot in the
summer season, the best time for Thailand tourism is December to February.
TOURIST VISA:
It is required to have a return ticket and passport ready
before visiting Thailand. The validity of passport should be at least 6 months
beyond intended length. When this article was written in 2007 the citizens of
USA, Canada, Australia, and Britain were exempted from visa for up to 30 days of
stay. Citizens of Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
Slovak Republic and Slovenia are granted a 15 day visa on arrival. Citizens of
other countries need a visa in advance.
Visit these official sites for more tourism information:
Thailand Tourism office- USA
61 Broadway, Suite 2810, New York, NY 10006, USA
Website: www.tourismthailand.org
Thailand Tourism office-UK
3rd Floor, Brook House, 98-99 Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6EE, UK
Website: www.thaismile.co.uk
Embassy websites:
www.thaiembassyuk.org.uk
www.thaiembdc.org
GOLF:
Thailand tourism offers great golf clubs to its tourists .Popular 18-hole golf clubs are the Pok-Ta-Pok along the coast of
Caribbean and Hilton Park Golf Club near the El Rey ruins.
The 9-hole golf course located at the Hotel Melia is relatively cheaper.
Golf has been a popular Thailand attraction for centuries where world’s top
designers have come and left their marks and so have several world class
players. There are Golf Courses within easy reach of all the major cities. For
Golf lovers, the best time to visit is the winter season, from November to
March. Even rainy season is not a bad time since the rain comes down mostly in
the afternoon that too only for a few minutes and most of the Golf courses have
a good drainage system. However, it is highly recommended to get your booking
done in advance, especially over the weekends and peak travel season.
SHOPPING IN THAILAND:
Shopping has always been a the major Thailand tourism attraction where a wealth of
shopping opportunities await the visitors. Thailand is popular for its
traditional handicrafts, textiles, gems, finished jewellery, antiques, ceramics, Nielloware, silk, silverware, pottery and much more, all at a bargain prices.
Thailand is truly a shoppers paradise ranging from modern malls to street
vendors. The biggest market of all, and the most fascinating, is the Chatuchak
Weekend Market, held on Saturday and Sunday at Chatuchak Park in Bangkok, not
far from the Central Plaza Hotel. Chiang Mai is another popular shopping place
where some of the factories have demonstrations of how these goods (silk, paper,
silver etc.) are made. The Night Bazaar, is a good place to sample the full
range of local products such as cotton, lacquer ware, silver, hill tribe
clothing, Burmese tapestries, painted umbrellas, and woodcarvings. Other than
the big malls that have a fixed price, bargaining is very popular at most of the
other tourism places in order to get the best prices.
TOP HOTELS:
Thailand tourism offers a vide range of luxury hotels and resorts, some of the
popular ones are - The Peninsula, Lebua at state tower, The Metropolitan, and
Intercontinental in Bangkok; Amanpuri, Aleena resort and spa, and JW Marriott in
Phuket; Four Seasons Chiang Mai in Chiang Mai.
You will also find several budget accommodations and inns in Thailand.
NIGHTLIFE:
Nightlife is another popular attraction of Thailand tourism, the evening entertainment
is both plentiful and inexpensive. The bars, discos and pubs are open till late
at night and some of the clubs play live music all night. The important
nightlife locations in Thailand include the cinemas that offer excellent value
for money, ticket prices are much cheaper than in many other parts of the world
and most of the country?s cinemas are top of the range. The other locations
include the beaches that are the most sought after nightlife locations. Here one
would find bars, pubs and go-go bars that are very popular. Thailand’s nightlife
has something for all its visitors and offers a wide variety of night
entertainment, it is truly a nightlife paradise.
Thailand tourism has some problems too, prostitution in Thailand is a big
in-famous industry and the Thai red-light branch turns billions of dollars every
year.
LOCAL TOURIST OFFICE :
Thailand Tourism Office:
1600 New Phetburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee, Bangkok 10310.
+66 (0)2 250 5500 (Bangkok) or www.tourismthailand.org
CURRENCY:
1 USD = 32.125 Thai Baht
For latest exchange rates go to -
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=THB
RECOMMENDATION & SAFETY:
Solo women travelers should avoid beaches at night. Thailand is overall safe
country to visit from both the health and personal safety aspects. Consult with
your doctor with any immunizations he may recommend. Tourists should also
exercise caution in remote areas along the border with Myanmar. Visit
travel.state.gov for latest safety guidelines.
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