8 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT THAILAND

There are many beautiful countries you can visit in Asia that offer the ultimate holiday experience. However, Thailand seems to be at the top of the list when it comes to traveling in Asia, along with China and Malaysia. In fact, it is one of the most visited destinations in the world.

Thailand is especially popular among backpackers and solo travelers with its well walked trails and laid-back atmosphere. The huge tourist popularity in this country has created a social incline, making it easy to meet other fellow travelers.

So why is Thailand so popular after all? Here are 8 reasons why you should visit Thailand!

1.) SERENE BEACHES

When it comes to the best beaches in Thailand, the list is endless. Thailand consists of 1430 islands offering one of the most beautiful and exotic beaches in the world. Also, the large number of islands make it great for island hopping!

Here are some of the top beaches to visit:

• Railay Beach, Krabi

A beautifully set beach surrounded by soaring limestone cliffs away from mainland Thailand. This beach can only be accessed by long tail boat, offering the perfect natural setting.

• Maya Bay, Koh Phi Phi

One of the most iconic beaches in Thailand known for its exotic crystal blue waters and thriving ecosystem. The location is also famously known for ‘The Beach’ movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

• Long Beach, Koh Lanta

Nearly a 3km stretch beach surrounded by many restaurants and bars. It’s big enough to feel like you have the beach all to yourself!

2.) LUXURY ACCOMMODATION ON A BUDGET

If there is one place on earth where you can travel and have a comfortable and luxurious accommodation without breaking the bank – it’s Thailand.

In some parts of Thailand, you can stay in a 5-star resort for as little as €35 per night for 2 adults -BREAKFAST INCLUDED. I mean, can it get any better?

That being said, this also makes a great destination for backpacker’s budget, hostels ranging from just €3!

Here are some of my favourite places I have stayed in Thailand:

• Patong Bay Hill Resort – Phuket
• Orchidacea Resort – Kata Beach
• The Quarter Ari by UHG – Bangkok

3.) BEST NIGHTLIFE IN ASIA

If you love a good night out, then you should definitely add Thailand to your bucket list. The vibrant city of Bangkok is literally the nightlife capital of Asia for its famous exotic clubs, cheap drinks and panoramic sky bars. It’s a nightlife experience you cannot miss!

Here are some of the top-rated spots for the ultimate nightlife experience:

• Khaosan Road, Bangkok

A lively road packed with restaurants, fresh food stalls, bars and clubs. A known central hub for backpacker travelers.

• Pattaya Walking Street, Pattaya

This is a red-light district area that is known for its exotic dancers, endless go-go bars and vibrant nightclubs. It is also famously known for being the capital for the transgender community, specifically ‘ladyboys‘ (a transgender woman from Asia).

• Bangla Walking Street, Patong

One of my personal favorites. A notorious party street covered in neon bright lights, go-go bars, nightclubs and over 100 bars!

4.) UNIQUE THAI CULTURE

Thailand is often referred to as the ‘Land of Smiles’ with Thai people being very welcoming and warm towards their visitors. Often, Thai people go above and beyond to make their visitors feel happy and welcomed.

Thai culture has many unique and interesting elements influenced by Indian and Chinese cultures along with many others, making it uniquely own.

Buddhism is the largest religion practiced in Thailand making up nearly 90% of the population, followed by Muslim. The country has countless impressive and enchanting temples to visit paired with its scenically sculpted landscape.

Thai people have many different traditions and festivals celebrated each year such as ‘Songkran‘ – being one the biggest festivals in Thailand.

Songkran is actually the Thai New Year festival that takes place between the 13th to 15th of April each year. It is celebrated with huge street water fights by playfully splashing, water guns and buckets! If you’re planning a trip to Thailand around this time, you should definitely not miss out on Songkran!

5.) ETHICAL WILDLIFE SANCTUARY EXPERIENCE

Unfortunately, wildlife animals are still widely used in Thailand for tourist entertainment. Although things have slightly improved in the recent years through raising animal cruelty awareness and creating ethical wildlife sanctuaries. However, there are still many illegal animal traders in the country.

On the bright side, many tourists are now converting to visiting these ethical animal sanctuaries to interact with the animals in a more natural, cruelty-free setting. Elephant sanctuaries are particularly very popular among the tourists.

If you are interested in having a unique, and memorable experience with an elephant where you get to spend real quality time and feed them their favorite treats and take a fun mud bath, then check out some of these sanctuaries!

here are some of the best ethical elephant sanctuaries that I recommend:

• Elephant Jungle Sanctuary
• Elephant Nature Park
• Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Note: There are many great elephant sanctuaries in Thailand you can visit, just make sure they are actually ethical before you choose to visit.

Disclaimer: If you choose to take part in any animal activity in Thailand, please do your thorough research about the company/Zoo. I would strongly advise you not to take part in any elephant riding, petting or taking photos for money with the animals.

If you want to learn more about animal cruelty and mistreatment in Thailand, here are some helpful articles for more information:

• Notorious Tiger Zoo in Thailand
• Animal Tourism in Thailand: The Truth Behind the Abuse

6.) THE FOOD

I don’t know about you, but I am a sucker for Asian food. If you are a food lover like me, I can tell you one thing, you don’t want to miss out on that Thai food!

One of my favorite highlights from Thailand was definitely the street food. The streets are packed with stalls of freshly made food. A variety of noodle and rice dishes, tasty salads and soups, curries, seafood, different meats, interesting pastries, exotic fruit and things you’ve probably have never even seen before…

Some of the most famous traditional dishes:

• Thai Style Pad Thai (Thai fried noodle –National food of Thailand)
• Tom Yum Goong (spicy prawn soup)
• Khao Niew Mamuang (mango with sticky rice)

My personal favorite is the Pad Thai, although the spicy prawn soup was also amazing! To be honest, I really enjoyed majority of the food I got to taste in Thailand, it’s hard to pick one!

There are dozens of restaurants offering different Thai food you can choose from. However, I strongly recommend trying the street food. I know it may not look as ‘appealing’ but I promise you it tastes a lot better, and it is MUCH cheaper than restaurants. You can buy a meal for less than €1 from the local food stalls!

Don’t miss out on the best food markets:

• Chinatown street food, Bangkok
• Sunday Walking Street Market, Phuket
• The Phae Walking Street (weekends), Chiang Mai

Note: Be aware of choosing your street food as food poising is quite common in Thailand (or Asia in general). The general rule is to avoid any food that is not cooked or can’t be cooked. For example – fresh salads are usually not washed and served directly to the customers. Personally, I have spent a whole month in Thailand and luckily, I didn’t have any issues with the food. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s a matter of luck and caution!

7.) THE SUNSETS

Lastly, I don’t know what it is about Thailand’s sunsets, but they are honestly one of the most beautiful sunsets you will ever see. Vibrant warm colors that paint the sky every evening, making every sunset picture perfect.

It is actually very common for tourists and locals to grab a drink and sit by the beach while watching the sunset! The golden hour in Thailand usually starts between 6.05pm to 6.35pm, making it the best time for those perfect sunset photos!

Here are some of the most famous sunset spots:

• Promthep Cape, Phuket (also known as Laem Promthep)
• Karon Viewpoint, Phuket
• Koh Lipe, Sunset Beach

8.) FULL MOON PARTY

I am sure at this point you have heard all about the famous Full Moon Party! This famous party takes places in Kho Phangan Island during the full moon every month attracting up to 30k visitors! Some of the attractions include, illuminating body paint, fire skipping ropes, large buckets of alcohol, exploding music and dancing. It’s truly a once in a lifetime party experience.

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