" Thailand is a Southeast Asian country, it's known for its tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins & ornate temples displaying figures of Buddha, in Bangkok, the capital, an ultramodern cityscape rises next to quiet canal side communities & the iconic temples of Wat Arun, Wat Pho & the Emerald Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Kaew). Nearby beach resorts include bustling Pattaya & fashionable Hua Hin "
My 1st visit to Bangkok by overland train trip from Kuala Lumpur was in 1981 - 40 years ago ! Since then, I had made another 13 visits (solo & with my travel buddies) to Thailand, mainly free & easy ie overland train trips including one package tour with my wife to Bangkok & Pattaya ! My favourite city is still Bangkok both for food & sightseeing - a total of 8 visits to this magnificent city over the Chao Phraya River thus far ! Other cities & touristy places I visited & re-visited with my travel buddies were Betong, Hatyai, Songkhla, Hua Hin, Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui, Pattaya, Chanthaburi, Sukhothai, Golden Triangle & Maesot (near Thai, Laos & Myanmar border), Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Maeklong Railway Market, Nong Khai etc in addition to the 7 Best Places (Koh Pi Pi, Bangkok, Chiangmai, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Chiangrai & Koh Chang) nominated by touropia in the travel video. Other places in my bucket list for my future visits to Thailand are Rayong, Chumphon, Red Lotus Lake (Chiang Haeo), Ranong etc. Close proximity, efficient train & bus connections & enjoyable tuk tuk & boat rides, tasty Thai food (tom yum & mango sticky rice) & superb hostel & hotel accommodations, the nickname of Land of Smiles - all these make my past visits & stays in Thailand a very memorable one ! After the completion of each trip, I saw signs of smiling faces "written" on my travel buddy's faces & all were eagerly looking forward for another visit !
The 10 Best Places in Thailand highlighted in a travel video presented by touropia are (I fared reasonably well having visited 7 out of the 10 Best Places in this Amazing Thailand, a Land of Smiles) :
- Koh Pi Pi
- Bangkok
- Chiangmai
- Kanchanaburi
- Ayutthaya
- Khao Sok National Park (yet to visit)
- Railay (yet to visit)
- Ko Tao (yet to visit)
- Chiang Rai
- Ko Chang
My travel buddies enjoyed eating Thai food in major cities / towns (street food, food courts & local restaurants) while touring in Thailand. This Land of Smiles is indeed a foodie's paradise - mango sticky rice, Thai dim sum, pork offal porridge, chicken rice, tom yam soup, pineapple fried rice, braised & stewed pork, roasted pork, stir fried morning glory & mixed vegetables, buffet hotel breakfast, meat ball noodle soup, iced dessert, beef noodle soup, fish maw soup, Thai durian ..... each time our group ordered the Thai food, my travel buddies smiled & I could feel that saliva started to flow from their mouths realising that a yummy meal awaiting them ....
" Sawadee khrap in the Land of Smiles " - behind every travel, these were the pictures of My Good Days free & easy travelling in Thailand (1981, 1984, 2002, 2003>2004, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015>2019)
1) Koh Pi Pi Island (visited in June 2013)
2) Bangkok (visited in Jan 2019, Aug 2018, Feb 2017, Jan 2015 & 2106, Nov 2010 & 2007, 1981)
4) Kanchanaburi (Jan 2016)
5) Ayutthaya (Feb 2017 & Nov 2007)
6) Chiang Rai (Jan 2019, 2016 & 2015)
The 3 Best Places to Visit in Thailand which I will KIV for my future visit are:
8) Khao Sok National Park (yet to visit)
9) Railay Beach (yet to visit)
10) Ko Tao Island (yet to visit)
The Good News - Phuket is opening up in July 2021 & a China-Laos high speed train is expected to open for operation in Dec 2021 ? So get ready to put on your air walk shoes & backpacks & fly to a Land of Smiles & neighbouring Laos for your 1st visit or one more time ! Yesterday Once More !
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| Star Newspaper dated June 24 2021 |
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