Bound For Thailand

Welcome to Bound For Thailand!!! I want this website to help you have a fantastic time travelling in Thailand. Within these pages are mentioned some of the best places to spend your time while on holiday in Thailand. The country has so much to offer that you will want to come back again and again. You can peruse through all of the great places and attractions that are a must for everyone. I also want to share some of the lesser known and offbeat attractions and events with you just in case you are looking to escape the crowds and delve a little deeper into Thailand's wonderful culture.

I have deliberately made the entries as short as possible allowing you to quickly skim through a city's attractions without getting bogged down by a huge amount of data. When in Thailand, most of the sights can be quickly and easilly found by getting directions from your hotel and the locals. The major tourist places remain, for the most part, the same year after year and have guides, maps and other material on site. Restaurants and other smaller places open and close so fast that the guidebooks can't keep up with them. Also, once a place is mentioned in a guidebook, the prices often go up. So, if you get a guidebook, take it with a grain of salt. Tourism is huge in Thailand so have fun, go exploring and you will most certainly find something amazing that is not in a book.

There is so much to see and do that I could never list it all so I have focused on my favourites and those of my friends.

Koh Phi Phi Longtail Boats

A few things to get you started:

The TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) has offices in most larger towns and is a good spot to get a map and orient your self.

There are numerous little travel shops all over the place which are great places to organize day trips, transportation and accommodations. They usually have decent rates, friendly staff and often double as a place to check your e-mail.

There is more cultural stuff to do in Central and Northern Thailand. The South is mostly about the beaches and water activities. It is very hard to pull yourself off that sandy bit of paradise and go visit a museum. Plan your trip accordingly.

There are a lot of scams and touts all trying to get a share of your money. If you are offered something too good to be true then it is probably a scam. Just use your head, keep your personal information private and don't flash a lot of cash.

Addresses can sometimes be difficult for a foreigner. Thanon is a road, Soi is a side street that runs off a main road. Klong is a canal. Koh is an Island, Ao is a bay, Hat is a beach and Laem is a cape.

I have omitted a lot of noteworthy Wats. They are everywhere and pretty cool to wander through. If you see one that looks interesting, go and take a look. Admission fees, if any, are cheap.

Thailand's National Museum is a national organization with over 30 branches throughout the country.

The people of Thailand are genuinely helpful and will try to solve any problems you might have. Just bear in mind that things are different from your country and a little more patience and tolerance might be required. Things are often done in Thai time, which you will come to understand after a few days.

Chaweng's Southern Beach

Thailand Official Holidays

January 1 - Western New Year's Day

February (full moon day) - Makka Bucha commemorates Buddha spontaneously speaking to a large crowd.

April 6 - Chakri Day Celebrates the founding of the current Chakri Dynasty and honours King Rama I, who founded Bangkok as the capital in 1782.

April 13-19 - Songkran (Thai New Year) was traditionally celebrated by Buddha images being bathed with water and gaining merit by sprinkling water onto people's hands and shoulders showing respect. In temples and ceremonial functions it is still traditional but everywhere else it has evolved into mass outdoor water fight. It can be quite fun but some of the westerners take it too far, ignorant of the spirit of the occasion. There are hundreds of motorbike fatalities during these few days so leave the bike and walk or take a taxi. Songkran is usually between April 13 and 15 but some cities have it a little later (Pattaya April 19).

May 1 - Labor Day

May 5 - Coronation Day

May 7 - Ploughing Ceremony celebrates the start of the rice-growing season.

May (full moon day) - Visakha Bucha is the most important date on the Buddhist calendar. The birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha is celebrated with candlelit processions at temples throughout the country.

July (full moon day) - Asanha Bucha commemorates the anniversary of Buddha's first sermon to his disciples.

August 12 - Queen's Birthday

October 23 - Chulalongkorn Day is named after one of the most beloved Thai kings who is credited with modernizing the country.

December 5 - King's Birthday

December 10 - Constitution Day

December 31 - Western New Year's Eve

Loi Krathong: While not an official holiday this is not to be missed. On the evening of the full moon of the 12th lunar month in late October or early November, Thais celebrate the end of the rainy season by setting afloat banana leaf rafts filled with incense, coins, a nail clipping and candles. They are thanking the goddess of water and casting away their troubles from the past year. It is quite an amazing sight to see thousands of little glowing rafts floating along the water.