Holidays to Thailand

Thailand holidays... what to expect

• When is the best time to visit Thailand?

  The best months for a visit to Thailand are November to the end of February, but don’t be put off in the other months either.

  The rainy season lasts from June to October. During these months, expect far fewer tourists and lower prices. More often than not, you’ll be rewarded with beautifully clear mornings and evenings, with refreshing monsoon downpours in the afternoons.

• Thailand - where to?

  Bangkok

  The capital is a great place to start your trip in Thailand. It includes plenty of historic temples and opulent palaces to explore, and is famous for its street markets, where you can buy exotic food, inexpensive clothing and souvenirs. Bangkok comes to life at night with a host of cabaret shows, live music, nightclubs, bars and restaurants to choose from.

  Phuket

  Located in the south, Phuket is famous for its gorgeous beaches. The area is also home to some magnificent waterfalls, situated in virgin tropical forest. Tourist activities include swimming, snorkelling, diving, jet-skiing, parasailing, windsurfing and yachting. There are several spectacular islands around Phuket, such as Phi Phi Island, Khai Island and Racha Island, and these can all be visited by boat.

  Patong is the largest beach resort on the island of Phuket, and is known as the party capital of Asia. You’ll find a wealth of bars, nightclubs, world-class restaurants and other attractions in and around its famed Bangla Road.

  Chiang Mai

  The north of Thailand is known for its cultural and historical sights. Chiang Mai, in particular, is popular for its temples and proximity to mountainous areas settled by indigenous hill tribes, approaching the border of Myanmar (Burma). Surrounded by scenic mountains and countryside, Chiang Mai is a great place for hiking, elephant riding, water-rafting and mountain biking. Chiang Mai is also known for its vibrant nightlife and extensive night market.

• Top 5 things to do in Thailand

  Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi

  Sunbathing and swimming at Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi, one of the most famous beaches in Thailand. The bay is sheltered by high cliffs on three sides and its crystal-clear waters are home to colourful coral reefs and exotic fish.

  Tiger Kingdom

  A trip to Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai or Tiger Temple in Bangkok, where you can interact with these majestic cats.

  Floating market

  Shopping at a floating market in Bangkok in a long-tail boat. This is a great way to sample local dishes and delicacies. Those who are brave can taste deep-fried insects such as grasshoppers, silk worms and crickets.

  Elephant ride

  An elephant ride through the jungle in Ko Chang. There are six elephant camps in the area where you can ride, feed and swim with the elephants.

  Muay Thai

  Go to a Thai boxing match in any of the major cities. This combat sport combines stand-up striking with clinching techniques.

• Thailand lifestyle and culture

  Thailand is a largely Buddhist country, with over 90 percent of the population practising the religion. Around 75 percent of the population is Thai, with mostly Chinese – and a few other ethnic groups – making up the other 25 percent.

  The Thai language is the main language spoken, with many regional dialects. Chinese, Lao, Malay and Mon-Khmer are also spoken. English is taught in schools as a second language, so Western travellers should be able to communicate with locals without difficulty.

• Thai food and drink

  Thai food

  The food alone is reason enough for a trip to Thailand. This isn’t one of those countries where the national cuisine is best sampled elsewhere. In Thailand, you’ll get the freshest seafood, the most fragrant curries, Thai salads with blistering chili, an excellent range of tropical fruit and beautifully presented Thai sweets.

  Dishes are usually served with rice or noodles, and eaten using a fork and spoon, although chopsticks are also used. Sticky rice may be eaten with the fingers of the right hand.

  Thai food is usually prepared with fresh, rather than dried, herbs and spices. Common flavourings are garlic, galangal, lemongrass, pepper, chillies and coriander leaves. One of the most popular ingredients in Thai cuisine is fish sauce – a salty condiment made from fermented raw fish.

  Meat dishes may include chicken, pork, duck, beef or seafood. Commonly used vegetables are eggplant, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, cucumbers, kale, sweet potatoes and corn.

  Many dishes, such as steamed buns, rice porridge and fried rice noodles, were introduced to Thailand by the Chinese, from as early as the 15th Century.

  Regional differences in cuisine

  In the south, the style of cooking is influenced by Indian and Malay cuisine, with coconut cream featuring heavily. Roti, an Indian flat-bread, is also popular here – it’s usually eaten with curry. In this region, the sea provides an abundance of lobster, crab, mussels, prawns, fish and scallops.

  Specialties in the north include pickled pork sausage with green chillies, pork and tamarind curry, and meat and pickled onions in a curry sauce, usually served with egg noodles. People in the north traditionally eat by using their hands to roll balls of “sticky rice” to dip into the accompanying dishes.

  Popular in the north-eastern region is a savoury salad made with unripe papaya. The fruit is mashed and combined with lime juice, fish sauce, garlic and other ingredients such as shrimp paste, peanuts and chilli. Grilled chicken is another specialty of this region and is usually rubbed with garlic, fish sauce and other flavourings before barbecued over hot coals.

  In the central region common dishes are red curry, spicy soup with chicken or seafood, and green curry with chicken or fish. Most curries contain coconut milk and are served with jasmine rice. Omelettes of various kinds are popular in this region – often served plain with thick sweet chilli sauce, or filled with ground pork.

  Thai drinks

  Popular Thai drinks include various fruit juices and fresh coconut milk. Thai iced tea is a traditional specialty – usually made with tea, sugar and either condensed milk, evaporated milk or coconut milk. Coffee is also often mixed with condensed milk and sometimes flavoured with spices.

  When it comes to beer, Singha (pronounced “sing”) is a favourite. Local whiskey and rum are also popular.

  Street markets

  A good way to experience a range of Thai foods is at the street markets in major cities. Look out for unripe papaya salad, which is a staple at street markets. Grilled meat skewers, made with garlic marinated pork, chicken or water buffalo are a good choice too. Desserts commonly sold by vendors include mango sticky rice pudding, usually made with coconut milk, and fried banana.

• Thai nightlife

  Most large cities in Thailand come alive at night, with dancing, drinking and various other festivities. The best nightlife destinations are Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket.

  Bangkok is known for its many go-go bars, gay clubs and “ladyboy” cabaret shows, although plenty of more refined entertainment options are also on offer.

  Walking Street is a popular red-light district in Pattaya. The area boasts many seafood restaurants, bars, live music venues and nightclubs.

  Patong is considered the nightlife epicentre of Phuket. Patong’s Bangla Road is particularly popular with young clubbers for its pumping party scene.

  Other night-time forms of entertainment in Thailand include Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) matches, beach bars, dinner cruises and shopping at night markets.

• Thailand events - what's on when?

  January - Bo Sang Umbrella Fair

  This colourful festival is held in the streets of Bo Sang, 6 kilometres east of the city of Chiang Mai, each January. The festivities include contests, cultural performances and numerous stalls selling traditional paper umbrellas and handicrafts.

  February - Chiang Mai Flower Festival

  Each year a flower festival takes place in Chiang Mai city. Celebrations include a parade of flower- covered floats, a beauty pageant and a flower-arranging competition.

  March - Cha-am International Kite Festival

  This festival is held in Cha-am, in central Thailand, and attracts visitors from across the globe. Kite fanatics gather for kite, parachute and radio-controlled air-plane displays.

  April - Songkran

  Songkran is a three-day celebration of Thai New Year. It coincides with New Year in many south and south-east Asian countries. The celebrations begin with housewives cleaning their home. All images of Buddha must also be cleaned, as this is believed to bring good fortune to the household. A water fight occurs each year as part of tradition, where participants of all ages throw water on each other to symbolise cleansing of the body.

  May - Wisakha Bucha Day

  This is the most important event in the Buddhist calendar. The celebration takes place on the full moon of the sixth lunar month. Wisakha Bucha Day commemorates the day that Buddha was born, became enlightened, and died. Devout Buddhists go to temple – usually taking flowers and offerings with them. There are candlelight processions and parties and parades to celebrate.

  June - Phi Ta Khon

  Phi Ta Khon, or The Ghost Festival, is a three-day celebration held in Dan Sai in Loei province. The date is decided by spirit doctors, but it is usually held on the first weekend after the sixth full moon of the year. Residents of Dan Sai ask the spirit of the Mun River for protection on the first day of celebrations, and people gather for games and processions.

  July - Wan Khao Phansa

  Wan Khao Phansa is the beginning of Buddhist lent and traditionally candles and robes are presented to monks to light the temples during the rainy season. This practice is still present today. Parades, pageants and performances are held, but Buddhists abstain from drinking and smoking during this time.

  August - Hungry Ghost Festival

  The Hungry Ghost Festival takes place during full moon of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The festival is celebrated in Phuket, Chiang Mai and Bangkok, amongst other places. In Phuket the holiday is called Por Tor. Seng Tek Bel Shrine hosts celebrations for seven days and seven nights. During Por Tor, special food, flowers and candles are offered on altars to the ancestors. The Ranong Road food market is specially decorated for the festival and activities such as magic shows, cabaret shows and live concerts take place here.

  September - Vegetarian Festival

  Each September a nine-to-ten day vegetarian festival is held in Thailand. This is a spiritual festival with abstinence and purity as its focus. The festival originates from Chinese Taoist practices, but has been adopted by the Thai Buddhist population who embrace vegetarianism to a degree. Special vegetarian dishes are prepared throughout Thailand, and many restaurants will offer special menus for the duration of the festival.

  October - Naga Fireball Festival

  Each October unexplained Naga fireballs rise out of the Mekong River and shoot into the sky. The number, and intensity, of the fireballs increases around full-moon. A two-day festival is held in the region and includes long-tail boat races and sound-and-light shows.

  November - Lopburi Sunflower Festival

  This festival takes place in Lopburi, and nearby Saraburi, in central Thailand. The festival begins when the sunflowers bloom, and ends in January or February. Over weekends thousands of people from Bangkok head out of the city to Lopburi to take photos in the abundant sunflower fields. Some farmers offer elephant or cart rides to the public.

  December - Bangkok Street Show

  The most successful outdoor festival in Thailand takes place in mid-December at Lumphini Park in Bangkok. This weekend-long event includes performances such as mime, juggling, acrobatics, contortion, fire-eating and sword-swallowing.