TRAVEL TIPS FOR GORGEOUS THAILAND

 Thailand was originally Siam and unlike its neighbour Vietnam, it was never a colony. It is a land known for its smile, which has much to do with its language, but also because the people are just genuinely happy, humble, physically beautiful and exotic. Natural long straight black hair, beautiful skins, well kept bodies probably aided by their healthy diets of fresh herbs, ginger and chilly, and eating many smaller meals throughout the door. Endless fruit variety, the extremely smelly Dorian included, and noodle soups and with sufficient spice and chilly to keep blood  circulation healthily flowing. Their kitchen is divine, coconut milk, lemon grass, ginger, garlic and more. Tom-jam-Kai soup just has to be the best on the planet. I will add, that a 10 baht soup on a street sidewalk anywhere is better than an European restaurant Thai soup I've ever had. 

 
thanks to Amuse vice

The Thai are friendly, respectful, people with mischievous smiles, beautiful soft female voices for music and always the gently folded hands in subtle bows to welcome strangers, elders or tourists. The traditional Thai dresses in restaurants and hotel is an honour to women, it's so feminine and elegant. The men too, and it all adds to their proud but humble character that is so symbolic of this gorgeous country. It's really hot so if you live there all year round, you'll see regular Thai habits such as a kind of Vick's in your nose to help keep you cool. If you're there at Thai new year, Songkran 13 April you will witness something that can only be as cool as in Thailand. Armed with water-guns, menthol talcum power, you will need to anoint and defend yourself all day long. Cleansing others, (first with powder and then water), and being cleansed. Expect to get a cold afterwards if not well prepared. The water in drums can be freezing!

 

                                                       Thanks to Metro for the photo

It's obvious when visiting for an extended trip that you should start off with a few days in Bangkok to get the feel of Asia, its traffic madness, heat, exotic food and people moving around on motor-bikes, foot, taxi, car, boat or bus in clear Sabai-Sabai style. (Easy body- Easy mind) Despite, the whole family being transported on the motorbike. :). 

The palaces and temples in Asia and Thailand are exquisite. Often adorned at their point rooftop edges in gold, everything glitters in the sun but from a stylish authentic balanced aura that doesn't overwhelm but stand proud elegantly. You have to see it to believe it, photos just seldom capture the experience. Moving through Bangkok, you will see Buddhist monks dressed in orange, children in school uniform with wide white teethed smiles and smell incense on every street corner, coming from the customary small temples in most commercial spaces or just on the pavements. Together naturally, with rice offerings and orchids or other flowers to Buddha. Night-life is busy and do visit the local markets for super food and wide variety. When eating with the Thai or locals, remember your manners.  Knives are uncouth, eat with a fork and spoon, and do not be your individualistic western self. The Thai dish up at the table from many different small dishes and everyone dishes up for everyone else. There is no one individual plate all for you! It's charming and humble. Freshly grilled fish around lightly lit tables in Asian heat, pork in ginger, beef and garlic, rice, and bugs fried as chip snacks, take your pick, you are really far from home, so enjoy it!

 
 

The nicest memories of Bangkok, beside the stunning palace architecture and stunning mall jade sculptures, are the boat river express which literally has to be experienced to be understood. Take my word for it. And, the way traffic moves in Bangkok. It's so busy, that buses don't actually come to a halt, but just slow down at stops and little old ladies hop and hop off with ease. In the old days they had a bus conductor walk around with tickets in a Tibetan like prayer-wheel. Completely trusting you just hop on and they'll visit you for collection. It has probably changed now. Although I hear the Thai open air taxis are much the same. You just hop on in at the back (you'll be happy for the breeze, humidity can be 99% at 40 degrees in summer which begins in April) and you pay your few baht through the window and touch the roof bell when you wanna get off. It's simple, functional and great fun. But of course, you don't want to stay to Bangkok but get to the coast or islands. Or go north to Chang Mai. For this blog, we're going south. 

I generally avoid commercial places, so have never visited Phuket but did go to Ko Samui for Christmas. Ko means island so it's Coconut Island, and it has luscious coconut palm forests, which you drive through, to beautiful hotels with exotic gardens and chalets on the most gorgeous of beaches. Or if you're low budget do a beach hut on the beach with cold shower a bunk and a hammock. Don't expect to get any sleep though from those waves!  There are also full moon parties, which I will leave up to your imagination.  

 When you're in cities, like Pattaya, or Hua Hin, do attend a Thai Boxing competition, they're great fun to watch. Also take in a Thai show at any restaurant or cafe, there are a lot of man-ladies who are outrageously extrovert but fantastic dance and singing entertainers. Be careful though men, because they really look like women from behind, until they turn and you see their bigger throats. A professional show of Thai dancers is also a must. They have these delicious long gold fingers put on and it's all rather intriguing! Must mention, that at most places, there will always be a delicate, but bright orchid in your drink.

If you're a diver, Thailand is a paradise. It's a very much alive underwater planet, colourful and teeming in sea coral, anemones and fish variety. I did a lot of diving, deep, wreck and just regular 15m and you don't need a wetsuit.  I also participated with the Thai Navy in a volunteer project of re-planting a coral reef in Sattahip Naval Base in Chonburi which is south east, direction Cambodian border. Ko Chang is also great for diving as would be Phi-Phi and Krabi.  As the smaller islands are less commercial, so fewer tourists they are just somewhat more authentic in their populations.  But really all islands are so beautiful, that writing about them doesn't do justice to their natural beauty. Add in the exotic Thai culture, the food and sabai-sabai way of life in these places and you will never want to come home to the rat-race of Europe. Sipping your coco-nut prepared on the beach, with perfect weather, tall majestic palm trees, ocean waves lapping in the background, fresh fish scent on the grill wafting through, and well, could life get any better?

Shopping in Asia is an immense pleasure. Silks, sarongs, scarves, exotic accessories for clothing and homes it's never ending.  The Bangkok floating markets are as far as I am concerned just obligatory! Service is always kind and although they like to barter, the Thai are not pushy as in Indonesia or America. They are politer and will just leave you with their pleasant smiles to look further. Thailand, the land of the smile, will meet you everywhere with a smile and plenty of  Sawadeeka, Sabaidee ka wannie! (Hello, how are you today?) It seems as if they smile constantly and this could very well be connected not only to their good natures, but their language. In Thai, polite forms, such as the Dutch U, or French Vous, are suffixes at the end of the sentence as in 'ka' for female and 'khab' for females. Well you put either of those onto the end of your sentences and you will be smiling continuously. Treat the ka as the phonetic ka:: (extended sound) and you'll see why. What is also fascinating is their no and yes. Yes is Chai - but no is, No Yes, meaning Mai Chai. And they often double up for emphasis. So it's mai-chai, mai-chai, or as in leo-leo, meaning quickly.

Thailand is truly an amazing country with lovely, subtle, non-intrusive people. I have much respect for their culture, their way of life and just their way of being. Your food, fruit and vegetable will be carved in artistry, massive ice-scultures will adorn your hotel buffet tables, there is nothing they do not touch for their creative pleasure. Their exotic, eloquent nature is in their food, their looks, their history, their country, their handmade crafts, their materials and their architecture. It is just simply. Stunning! All of it. So Sabai-Sabai and see you on the next planet....

 
Thanks to May Kaidee