Thailand

Thailand, formerly Siam, is a country in South East Asia and is known for its palaces, Buddhist temples, and tropical beaches. It is the only country in South East Asia that was able to escape colonialism by European powers in the 19th and 20th centuries due to centralizing reforms enacted by King Chulalongkorn (interestingly, he was prince at the time of Anna Leonowens presence in the royal family; if you know anything about the screenplay ‘Anna and the King’, this should interest you!)

Almost 40 million foreigners visit Thailand each year; most of which visit Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket & its neighboring islands. Bangkok, the country’s capital, is Thailand’s largest city and is considered the most visited hub on the globe! It is home to the largest Chinatown and largest marketplace in the world, scenic floating markets, and it is also a foodie’s paradise with an abundance of some of the best street food worldwide!

Chiang Mai is known as the Northern Thai capital and is Thailand’s second largest city. Like Bangkok, it is both historically and culturally rich, but, Chiang Mai boasts breathtaking landscapes for the nature-lovers among us. ‘Wat Phra That’ is a temple perched on ‘Doi Suthep’ mountain and is quite literally “in the clouds”, and, another one of Chiang Mai’s interesting qualities is; perhaps, being a home to Hill Tribes. There are at least ten living in Chiang Mai and are known for their interesting customs, beliefs, and accessories! (see image below).

Phuket and its neighboring islands are perhaps some of the most visited islands in the world due to their stunning beaches, Muslim floating village, and needle-shaped standing rock formations that have appeared in movies like James Bond! It is also the most expensive part of Thailand, however, still provides some of the most luxurious accommodations for the cost of an average room in the states!