Thai women are said to be the most beautiful women in the world. Isn’t that single reason, not enough to make a trip to Thailand? Yes, for me.
Of course there are literally 100 things to do in Thailand. The places in Thailand are as beautiful as their women.
Thailand is an irregular shaped country with a narrow southern tip that is attached to Malaysia.
It is a huge country comprising over 510,000 sq. km!
Over and above this staggering figure, it has as many as 1430 islands that are floating in the Gulf of Thailand and in the Andaman Sea.
Do you know?
Do you know that Thailand is also known as “Siam” and the Gulf of Thailand’s alternative name is “Gulf of Siam”?
Where is Thailand in the world?
Here is a map showing Thailand’s position in the world atlas.
Look at Thailand’s borders that are:
- Myanmar, Laos in the North
- Laos, and Cambodia in the East
- Gulf of Thailand-South of Thailand and west of Cambodia. The gulf is the divider between the two countries
- Malaysia-attached to Malaysia’s main land in the south
- Andaman Sea-the west coast of Thailand faces the Andaman Sea
Unless you see the position of a country that you intend to visit in the Atlas, you will be blindly groping in the dark. A map showing the location of the country of your visit in the world atlas is a must to plan your trip.
For example, do you know the Ko Phuket (Phuket Island) attracts more tourists than the mainland Thailand?
Let us now find the ways to reach Thailand.
Thailand’s capital city is Bangkok, one of the biggest attractions in Thailand.
It is very well connected by flights from all over the world.
If sea voyage is your passion, you have to explore possibilities of cruising from India, Myanmar, and Singapore.
Road trip to Thailand is possible from the following countries:
- India
- Myanmar
- China
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Singapore
Best Things to do in Thailand
As I already mentioned, there are literally 100 attractions in Thailand that we can see. We will see many of them below that are ranked high in the top 50 places to see in Thailand.
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Bangkok
What a beautiful city Bangkok is! The water body you see above is not any sea but the Chao Pharaya River. It flows right through Bangkok and mingles with the Gulf of Thailand. Ping River and Nan River meet at some point and becomes Chao Pharaya River.
Bangkok city is placed right on the shores of the Gulf of Siam.
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Grand Palace
This is your foremost visit when you arrive in Bangkok and take a tour of this beautiful city.
A series of old building makes the palace which it was the seat of Siamese Kingdom once.
The palace complex is built right on the banks of Chao Pharaya River.
Tourists are allowed to see some parts of the Grand Palace, one of the important places to see in Thailand.
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Wat Suthat
Among the things to do in Thailand, the third most important visit is to see the Wat Suthat. It is a temple dedicated to Lord Buddha.
At the first glance, it did not look like a temple. It is 180 years old and considered as a sacred and royal temple by the Thais.
See the inside of the temple and Buddha’s statue, blow.
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Giant Swing
You can’t miss it, boss! It is right in front of the Wat Suthat. I could not find any video that captured the actual swinging. It is a religious structure for the Thais.
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Watthana District
It is a bustling place in Bangkok. Shopping, entertainment, eating, drinking, and people watching are the main things to do here.
Visiting the go-go bars in Bangkok is one of the biggest things to do in Thailand. I think almost every city in Thailand has one such area that goes to sleep only at 5 am!
As one of the attractions in Thailand, every tourist to Bangkok will visit the place and stroll around till midnight.
If you visit the Wattahana Street in daytime, you can spot consulates of several countries including the Embassy of Argentina.
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Democracy Monument
Nicely captured photo at dusk! Such photos taken at duck seems to add an importance to the place.
It is built right on the middle of a road junction where, the vehicles move around the Democracy Monument for congestion-free traffic. It is one of the places to see in Thailand.
If you visit the place in the night, you will be mesmerized by the beauty of it against the backdrop of Bangkok’s city lights. It will be a dazzling sight.
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Wat Saket
This is a Buddhist temple and one of the religious attractions in Thailand. It is usually added in the Bangkok city tour.
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Wat Ratchanatdaram
This is another extremely beautiful Buddhist temple that is a big tourist attraction in Bangkok. You can see the tourists join the locals throughout the day at the temple, praying silently.
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Ratchadamnoen Avenue
As one of things to do in Thailand, you will most probably visit this important street in Bangkok on your first day in Thailand.
It is a beautiful street with a lot of history behind its development and the present buildings.
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Wat Arun
In Thai language, the word ‘Wat’ indicates a temple.
Though it is a Buddhist temple, the words ‘wat Arun” have Sanskrit roots. It is one of the biggest attractions in Thailand and among the most revered Buddhist temples in the world.
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Khao San Road
This is one of the main streets in =Bangkok because of availability of cheap food and affordable boarding for budget and solo tourists to Bangkok.
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Jim Thompson House
It is a typical house in Thailand.
It is now functioning as a museum in Bangkok. The displays are mainly a collection of fine arts by an individual.
Visiting such architectural marvels is considered as one of the things to do in Thailand for the tourists.
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Night cruise in Chao Pharaya River
Most of the evenings during your stay in Bangkok, you will either stroll on the road that is famous for sex tourism or cruise down the chao Pharaya River.
The sparkling city lights, chaotic tourist movements, the aroma of Thai food emanating from the street food stalls make your evening cruise pleasant and memorable.
Dinner is served on the boat and a guide will continuously point out at all the wonderful tourist attractions on both sides of the river.
The river cruise begins at 7 pm and terminates at 9 pm.
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Floating markets
Thailand’s most colorful sight is their floating markets in the canals and the river flowing through Bangkok city.
More than a dozen floating markets are in Bangkok selling fruits, vegetables, snacks and sweets, myriad street food, souvenirs, etc.
As a tourist to Thailand, one of the repeated things to do in Thailand is seeing the floating markets. You will also float in a boat to see the cheerful vendors, yelling their merchandise.
The most famous of all the floating markets is the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Chai Pharaya River.
The Amphawa Floating Market is usually included in the Bangkok Floating Market Tours or in the Bangkok Nighttime Market Tours.
You must have seen these floating markets in other countries including India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Burma, and Vietnam.
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Night Markets
Bangkok’s nightlife is the most vibrant in Asia. Massage parlors apart that are thronged by the tourists, there are a handful of night markets for various items in Bangkok. Strolling through the market is extremely enjoyable.
The delicious and fresh sea food that is washed down with gallons of beer will make you come again to the night markets.
Here are a few night markets in Bangkok that are worthy of a visit:
- Hua Mum Night Market
- Jiab Duan Night Market
- Suan Lum Night Market
- Chatuchak Friday Night Market
The food and drinks are better enjoyed when you watch live entertainment shows on the streets. The mood will be festive and boisterous.
Here is a video of Khlong Thom Night Market
It seems, you have to visit this night market on your first night itself in Bangkok because that is when your wallet will be fat. Undoubtedly, you will be buying quite a lot of Thai souvenirs, eat and drink local snacks and mingle with the crowds easily.
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The Local cabaret show
Not a single tourist to Bangkok will return home without seeing a cabaret show in Bangkok. It is one of the ultimate things to do in Thailand.. These cabaret shows are highly advertised by the Thailand tour operators. They lure the tourists by publishing attractive photos of the cabaret show in their travel brochures.
In Bangkok, you can enjoy several such live shows, cultural shows that always end up with a sumptuous dinner.
Diners served international cuisine also but say no to other cuisines and enjoy only the Thai food. You will fall in love with it from day one during your tour of Thailand.
As a matter of fact, Thai cuisine is one of the major attractions in Thailand.
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Mahanakhon Skywalk
The biggest attraction and one of the must things to do in Thailand is to go up a viewing platform in Bangkok and let your mouth wide open and let out an audible gasp when you see the entire Bangkok city from such a height.
Walking on the glass floor gives you goosebumps. Eating at the restaurant on the top viewing platform and enjoying the breathtaking view are experiences that make you crave for more.
The height of the glass floor on the Mahanakhon Skywalk is 1030 feet, making true of the word ‘sky walk’. When you walk on the observation platform, remember that you are on the 79th floor of the tower.
Can you guess how long does it take to reach the observation deck? Only 50 seconds, buddy! That must be the fastest elevator in the world.
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Safari World
Safari World is one of the prime attractions in Thailand. It is in Bangkok. Inside the usual safari park, there is also a marine park that will steal your heart.
The safari park comprises of an open zoo and a birds park.
The safari park looks like an African Savannah. To go round the safari park in a jeep takes 50 minutes.
Whatever animals that you can spot in Masai Mara, Kenya, you can see them here in Bangkok such as WildeBeest, Giraffe, White Rhinoceros, the galloping Impala, and Nilgai Blackbuck.
The bird sanctuary houses more than 200 species of birds that includes several aquatic birds.
This is Grey-Crowned Crane.
Below is the photo of the Great White Pelican, one of the residents of Bird Park inside the Safari World, Bangkok.
- Caribbean Flamingoes
- Wood Duck
- Mandarin Ducks
These two duck species are extremely beautiful and throw challenge to the beauty of budgies, peacocks, South American Macaws, and Australian Lovebirds, etc.
There are separate enclosures for a few species of tigers including white tiger and a few species of Hornbill.
The list of wildlife you can see in the Safari World is endless. Wildlife enthusiasts and ardent bird watchers are sure to return the next day also to the Bangkok’s Safari World. Visiting it is one of the most engaging things to do in Thailand.
The friendly and entertaining Dolphins are the major crowd-pullers in the Marine Park.
The Safari World’s numerous shows will entertain you throughout the day. Here are some of the animals, birds, and marine creatures show.
- Orangutan Boxing Show
- Elephants Show
- Dolphins Show
- Sea Lion Show
You can feed the giraffes and several species of attractive birds.
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Siam Park
The huge size of the park gives it the name Siam Park City. The Siam Park occupies a staggering 120 acres!.
Siam Park City houses an amusement park and a water theme park in Bangkok.
The exciting rides include:
- Suspended Looping Coaster
- Wave Pool in the water theme park
Have you ever seen a wave pool in which waves are artificially created in an ordinary swimming pool? Here is how the wave pool functions in Siam Park City, Bangkok.
Apart from the most enjoyable wave pool in the water amusement park, you can expect most of the modern slides.
The amusement park offers as many as 30 rides that will engage a whole family for a full day. Yes, you need to allocate one full day to enjoy the Siam Park.
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Dream World
Dream World is a mini amusement park built for those who are not living anywhere in Bangkok city.
Dream World is located in Thanyaburi. That is situated 60 km northeast of Bangkok.
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Ocean World
The endless attractions in Thailand continue. Here is an extraordinary world of Oceanology, showing you a whopping 400 species of underwater creatures.
Incredible marine creatures including spectacular fish species, micro-organisms, Seahorses, and even Penguins can be seen in real time, mate!
The odd-shaped ( I mean not shaped like a fish but still called a fish) Jellyfish can also be spotted.
The aquarium named “Sea Life” is built in 110,000 sq. ft area!
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The Asiatique
Asiatique River Front is one of the places to see in Thailand. It is not just a night market but you can call it a shopping city facing the Chao Pharaya River.
There are nearly 1500 shops. Imagine the manpower it needs to man that many shops. To feed them, 40 restaurants and small food stalls function.
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Islands to visit in Thailand
1430 islands are administered by the Kingdom of Thailand.
Leaving the 1400 islands and islets, the rest of the 30 islands attract the equal number of visitors as the mainland Thailand.
Here are the names of major islands that are worthy of planning a separate tour of Thai Islands. ‘Kho’ is the word for island in Thai language.
- Phuket
- Krabi
- Phi Phi
- Lanta
- Phangan
- Tao
- Similan
- Tarutao
These are truly exotic tropical islands supported by spectacular beaches and clear water.
Thailand is a world apart from the rest of Asian countries when it comes to travel. I would say, even Singapore takes the third place while Malaysia and its dense tropical forests should be placed right behind Thailand.
