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SAWASDEE THAILAND

Beautiful culture with thailand travelAre you looking for the most fascinating and valuable vacation travel destination,Thailand is your answer. Thailand is one of the most admired countries when it comes to going to places of interest. It is the land of a variety of exotic architecture, culturally rich traditions, ancient ruins and charming nature. Moreover,you will have every minute of your stay participating in various every day occurrences. All of these are overwhelmed by genial and generous Thailand hosts. These enchantments represent our warmest invitations for you to visit Thailand. You will return home refreshed accompanied by beautiful memories.

Are you looking for Thai Hotels, a cheap package or more exclusive vacation to any of the Thailand popular destinations, such as Bangkok and Chang Rai or the Thai Islands of Koh Samui, Phi Phi and Phuket or even the Thailand East Coast resort of Pattaya, we are sure you may have read the lonely planet guide, well fear not my travelers here you will find the real Thailand Deals and visitor guides along with online special offers. Thailand has a wonderful harmony of history, architecture, people, culture and cuisine. The mountains of Mae Hong Son, dico and dance clubs of Bangkok, peaceful villages along the Mekong River and intimate beach resorts studding the Andaman Sea, Phuket Island and Krabi, Thailand is a paradise for any traveler.

Thailand Travel

And travelling around The Kingdom is with out a doubt the most popular visitor destination in South-East Asia, and for a reason. Exotic, yet safe and mainly hassle-free; low-cost, yet equipped with every current amenity you need, there is something for every interest and every price bracket, from beach front backpacker bungalows to some of the unsurpassed luxury thai hotels in the world. Thailand truly is an amazing place, with so much to offer visitors. The regular and most well-liked destinations of Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Chaing Mai, etc are only a minor part of the country, and there are so many more undiscovered charms to be found.

General

thailand mapThe kingdom of Thailand lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, making it a natural gateway to Indochina, Myanmar and Southern China. Its profile and geography divide into four natural regions : The mountains and forests of the North; the vast rice fields of the Central Plains; the semi-arid cattle farm lands of the Northeast plateau; and the tropical islands and prolonged coastline of the South.

The country comprises 76 provinces that are additional divided into districts, sub-districts and villages. Bangkok is the principal city and centre of political, trade, manufacturing and cultural activities. It is also the seat of Thailand's respected Royal Family, with His Majesty the King recognised as Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Upholder of the Buddhist religion and Upholder of all religions.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King Rama IX, the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty, the present king. The King has reigned for more than half a century, making him the longest reigning Thai monarch. Thailand embraces a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. With its proud history, tropical climate and renowned hospitality, the Kingdom is a never-ending source of fascination and pleasure for international visitors.

Thai royal family in Thai kingdom
thai people respect the Thai royal

History

The original identifiably Thai kingdom was founded in Sukhothai in 1238, getting its zenith under King Ramkhamhaeng in the 14th century before falling under the control of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, which ruled nearly all of present-day Thailand and much of today's Laos and Cambodia as well, eventually in addition absorbing the northern Kingdom of Lanna. Ayutthaya was sacked in 1767 by the Burmese, but King Taksin regrouped and founded a new capital at Thonburi. His successor, General Chakri, moved across the river to Bangkok and became King Rama I, the founding father of the Chakri dynasty that rules (constitutionally) to this time.

Accepted as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the solitary South-East Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power, and fiercely proud of the fact. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In alliance with Japan for the duration of World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict. Following a string of military dictatorships and quickly toppled civilian Prime Ministers, Thailand ultimately stabilized into a fair approximation of a democracy and the economy boomed through tourism and industry. Over it all presided King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), the world's longest-reigning monarch and a intensely loved and respected figure of near-mythic proportions.

Thai People

Siam smile of thai peopleThailand's individuals are mostly Thais, although present are large minorities of Chinese and assimilated Thai-Chinese all through the country, Muslims in the south near the Malaysian border and hill tribes such as the Karen and the Hmong in the north of the countryside.

The overwhelmingly dominant religion (95%) is Theravada Buddhism, although Confucianism, Islam, Christianity and animist faiths additionally jostle for importance.

The citizens respects the royals, the King and the Queen, very much. Even pointing fingers to the picture of them is considered bad.

Holidays and Festival

Makha Bucha the festival for Thai Buddhism
Chinese New Year festival
travel Songkran festival, the famous and funny festival in the world
thailand travel Loy Kratong festival

Thailand has a quantity of vacations, mostly related to Buddhism and the monarchy. No one celebrates all of them, except for banks, which seem to be closed a lot.

Makha Bucha - falls on the full moon in of the fourth Lunar month, which as a rule falls in February or March, and commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 people before the Buddha, which led to their ordination and consequent enlightenment. At temples in Bangkok and all over Thailand, Buddhists carry candles and walk around the main shrine three times in a clockwise direction.

Chinese New Year  - Chinese Thais, who are numerous in Bangkok, celebrate by cleaning their houses and offering food to their ancestors. This is mainly a period of abundant feasting. Visit Bangkok's Chinatown or Yaowarat to fully embrace the festivity.

Songkran -  undoubtedly the mainly fun celebration is the celebration of the Thai New Year, sometime in April (officially April 13th to 15th, but the date varies in some locations). What started off as polite ritual to wash away the sins of the prior year has evolved into the world's leading water fight, which lasts for three full days. Water pistols and Super Soakers are advised and are on sale in all places. The best places to participate are Chiang Mai, the Khao San Road area in Bangkok and holiday resorts like Pattaya, Ko Samui and Phuket. Be advised that you will get very wet, this is not a onlooker sport. In recent years, the water-throwing has been getting more and more distasteful as people have started splashing iced water onto each other. It is advisable to wear dark clothing, as light colors may become transparent when wet.

Loy Krathong - falls on the first full moon day in the twelveth month in Luna calendar, more often than not on November, when people head to rivers, lakes and even hotel swimming pools to float flower and candle-laden banana-leaf (or, these days, styrofoam) floats called krathong. The krathong is meant as a thank you offering to the river goddess who gives life to the people. Thais also believe that this is a good time to float away your bad luck and many will place a few strand of hair or finger nail clippings in the krathong. According to tradition, if you make a wish when you set down your krathong and it floats out of sight before the candle burns out, your wish will come true. Some provinces have their own version of Loy Krathong, such as Sukhothai where a sensational show takes place. To the North, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, have their own unique tradition of floating Kom or lit lanterns balloon. This sight can be breath-taking as the sky is suddenly filled with lights, rivaling the full moon.

The King's Birthday (December 5) is the country's National Day and also celebrated as Father's Day, when Thais pay respect to and show their love for His Majesty the King. Buildings and homes are decorated with the King's flag (yellow with his insignia in the middle) and his portrait. Government buildings, as well as commercial buildings, are decorated with lights. In Old Bangkok (Rattanakosin) in particular, around the Royal Palace, you will see lavish light displays on trees, buildings, and the roads.

The Queen's Birthday (August 12) is Mother's Day, and is celebrated similarly if with a little less pomp.

Thailand Hotels

Luxury and beautiful Thai Hotels or Thailand hotelsThere are many websites offering booking facilities for Thai hotels and Thailand Travel, we will try to stay focused on the real Thailand information and probably won't try to sell you anything.

We invite you to come inside and look around Thailand, Asia.

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