Thailand Travel Guide
Thailand is a country that stimulates and strains your senses. Everywhere you go, there’s a steady stream of sound, smell and sites that compete for your attention. You can’t passively explore the land of smiles. You’ll be jolted awake from the moment you arrive. It’s exciting and invigorating. But, it can also be exhausting. As you cross moving traffic, dance over cockroach-crawling sidewalks, pass by stray dogs suffering from open wounds and take in the plastic-saturated waterways, you can only surrender to the glory and provocation that is Thailand.
In the end, there is so much to fall in love with. The food culture fascinates with its plentitude, preparation, and diversity. The best place to eat is on the street next to polluting traffic. As you sit on a curbside plastic stool next to locals, you’ll see motorbike drivers park and order. You’ll see cooks drain their excess cooking liquids into street gutters. You’ll see street kitchens concoct made-to-order dishes bursting with spice and flavor.
Equally impressive are the country’s many temples that glimmer during the day and light up at night. These architectural wonders delight with their color, ornamentation, sculptures, and many presentations of Buddha. Orange-clad monks of all ages walk temple grounds, adding to the mysticism of the sacred spaces that characterize Thai culture. But, the sacred realm isn’t just contained within temples and monasteries. It permeates all elements of life. There isn’t a clear delineation between the sacred and profane. You’ll see trees wrapped in sacred cloth, spirit houses erected on private as well as business properties, and sacred amulets worn as necklaces.