Exoticism, European service, cordiality, safety, low cost – these are what attract tourists to Thailand
At first, superficial glance, Thais never get sad, irritated, or angry. In reality, of course, this is not true. It's just that Thais do not like to burden others with their problems. The most reliable way to cover one's soul is a smile. The usual Thai greeting: "Sanuk mai?" – "Are you glad, cheerful, satisfied, happy...?" The reply can only be affirmative.
"Sanuk" is the main Thai word, an obsessive desire and goal of life. Thailand also amazes because it is not customary to raise one's voice here. All problems can be solved calmly and without noise. Or not solved. In any case, it is more useful to remain calm and smile. A day or two, and you come to understand that Thais do not try to please for nothing – they expect smiles in return. The guest must definitely be "glad, cheerful, satisfied, happy"!
Service in Thailand is the best in South Asia. Without exaggeration, one can say that service in hotels, restaurants, airports is of European level. But do not believe that there is no exoticism left in Thailand! This is one of the most exotic countries in the world. Moreover, wonders here are available for "consumption" by the most fastidious and spoiled tourists.
In Bangkok, tourists most often visit three temple complexes. At the Wat Phra Kaew, adjacent to the Grand Palace, is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Wat Trimiti is famous for the 5-ton Golden Buddha. At Wat Pho is the oldest temple in Bangkok. Inside is the largest image of Buddha in the posture of awaiting nirvana: the "reclining" Buddha – the statue is 46 meters long, 15 meters high. Near the statue, tourists take pictures, and then take bowls with coins and throw them "a penny at a time" into 108 metal pots. According to belief, if there are enough coins, the tourist will soon receive happy news.
Here, behind the temple, is the pavilion of the oldest Thai massage school in Thailand. Under the supervision of instructors, students knead clients, perform stretches, go over energy points with wooden massage balls, and rub potions into the skin. By the way, a Thai massage session can be obtained at a hotel and even on the beach...
The crocodile farm leaves neither children nor adults indifferent. The crocodile show is a dangerous game of experienced "crocodile handlers" with their charges. The strange word is used for a reason – this is not a circus, there are no trainers – vicious crocodiles cannot be trained. After the show, it is especially pleasant to taste crocodile stew in the restaurant and feel like the king of nature.
But the elephant show is kind. Elephants understand everything and are quite obedient to humans. They ride on huge balls, dance, stand on their heads, and politely lift everyone who wants with their trunks.
Rare is the tourist who does not visit a transvestite show in Thailand. In this land, "remade" men have something like a worldwide gathering. Thais themselves treat transvestites as a curiosity of national significance. Why? In Buddhism, to get into paradise, a woman must first stop being a woman, that is, be reborn as a man and already in the guise of a man earn heavenly bliss. A transvestite is born a man, then remade into a woman, eventually dies, and... who will remake him into a man again?!
One can talk for a long time about the exoticism of Thai cuisine. Seafood is used in huge quantities by Thais. Lobsters, octopuses, cuttlefish, sea cucumbers, all kinds of mollusks, shrimp of various shapes and sizes – Thais themselves do not consider these exotic. For them, entertainment is to eat at a street stall grilled water beetles, maggots, dragonfly larvae, or water cockroaches (mengda) and crunch on grasshoppers (takaten). Our tourists actively consume "seafood", and filming the eating of insects on video camera.
Real Thai cuisine is very spicy, but for foreigners food is prepared in a mild way, no need to warn the cooks. Traditional soup is served in an open wide samovar. Coals smolder in the chimney, the brew boils. You stir with a Thai spoon, pull out mussel shells, shrimp pieces, ginger chunks, and some other roots... And tasty! Although soup is not the main dish here, it is served as a drink to go with well-cooked rice.
As for alcohol, one can recommend the local 35-degree infusion or non-local whiskey. Outside hotels, restaurant prices are low, especially in open-air venues without air conditioning.
Thailand is a world center for exotic fruits. Tourists definitely try rose apple, jackfruit, lamut, langsat, rambutan, mangosteen, dragon apple, crab apple, carambola, and the most expensive fruit in the world – durian. The best durian among connoisseurs is considered to be grown in the vicinity of Bangkok, it is bought by the richest man in the world – the Sultan of Brunei.
And yet, the main goal of our tourists' trip to Thailand is swimming in the sea. Thailand offers several seaside resorts. On the coast of the Gulf of Thailand (Pacific Ocean) is the famous city of Pattaya. The stormy, wild, but safe life in Pattaya does not quiet down day or night. The city has many hotels of various classes, including the best in South Asia, "Royal Cliff Beach Resort".
• When going on vacation with family or a large group, pay attention to Thailand Samui villas which are offered by many travel agencies. By renting a separate comfortable accommodation, you can enjoy a secluded holiday in this exotic corner of Asia and manage your vacation time as you see fit.
The island of Phuket and smaller ones – Krabi, Phi Phi, Samet – are located in southern Thailand in the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean). The water here is clean, and in some places – incredibly clean. The best time for swimming is indicated on signs in hotels, one must always remember that tides are no joke. In the Andaman Sea, there is the best fishing in Thailand.
The hottest months in the country are March and April, with temperatures up to +45°C and almost no rain; Thai schoolchildren have vacations. From June to August, tourism is quite possible, with brief rains that puddles dry up in half an hour. At the end of August and in September, there is a lot of rain, and in October floods occur. From mid-November, the high season begins, peaking at Christmas – surcharges to tour prices reach 50%.