Thailand tour November 2016

With millions of foreigners flying into the country each year, Thailand is Asia’s primary travel destination and offers a host of places to visit. Yet despite this vast influx of visitors, Thailand’s cultural integrity remains largely undamaged – a country that adroitly avoided colonization and English language has been able to absorb Western influences while maintaining its own rich heritage. Though the high-rises and neon lights occupy the foreground of the tourist picture, the typical Thai community is still the farming village, and one need not venture far to encounter a more traditional scene of fishing communities, rubber plantations and Buddhist temples. Around forty percent of Thais earn their living from the land, based around the staple rice, which forms the foundation of the country’s unique and famously sophisticated cuisine.

Tourism has been just one factor in the country’s development which, since the deep-seated uncertainties surrounding the Vietnam War faded, has been free, for the most part, to proceed at death-defying pace – for a time in the 1980s and early 1990s, Thailand boasted the fastest-expanding economy in the world. Politics in Thailand, however, has not been able to keep pace. Since World War II, coups d’état have been as common a method of changing government as general elections; the malnourished democratic system – when the armed forces allow it to operate – is characterized by corruption and cronyism. Sarcastically Thais boast of having a democracy under Military rule!

Through all the changes of the last sixty years, the much-revered constitutional monarch, King Bhumibol, who till last October 2016 use to sit at the pinnacle of an elaborate hierarchical system of deference covering the whole of Thai society, has lent a measure of stability, happiness, jobs and food for all and sundry. Furthermore, some 85 percent of the population is still practicing Theravada Buddhists, a unifying faith that colours all aspects of daily life – from the tiered temple rooftops that dominate every skyline, to the omnipresent saffron-robed monks and the packed calendar of festivals.

This is the first time we are heading to a south asian country of which we have done great deal of study. The germ of an idea brewed when I was searching some beautiful places near to Chennai and pictures of Thailand and its pristine beaches, historical places, its Monastries and Limestone islands attracted us like a honey bee.

So, we started preparing ourselves in the middle of 2015, studying what others are saying in Trip Adviser and Lonely planet. We needed a set of new passports and we got it without any hurdle. The study of a ten days tour was made and plan was fructified and I kept it to cold storage for couple months as we have decided to visit in November 2016!

When we started to book hotel, we are surprised that the hotel targeted by us near the bustling River Chao-Praya was totally booked. Then we decided that as we have to hop in and out two times it was better that we search hotel near to Don Meuang Airport of Bangkok.

Then we reserved hotel in Phuket near to Phuket International Hotel. Next was to book local tour operators and we booked with prepayment for Bangkok as well Phuket Island tours.

Our tour was exceptionally successful without facing any problem. Thai citizens are sober, tourist friendly, well civilized and by far much better than we lot.

Sea Kayaking in Phang Nga Bay gave us a unique, personal perspective of this amazing part of the world. The striking limestone islands and caves are a wonder to behold and the small sea kayak is the only way to get right up close, though the smallest channels and into the beautiful secret lagoons which are inaccessible by any larger boat, providing fantastic views of nature at its finest. We were taken out to the best spots – such as Hong Island, Panak Island and the famous James Bond Island – on a large cruiser, transferring into kayaks for exploring each of those designated places to everyone’s delight and charm! We returned with full heart of enjoyment, little bit of adventure, nice lunch thrown in on a floating village!