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Thailand |
Facts about country
| Capital | Bangkok |
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Population |
61 million |
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Main Languages |
Thai |
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Electricity |
2 Plug System 220 50 HZ |
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Currency |
Baht (B) |
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Exchange Rate for US $ as of Dec 2001 |
43 Baht per 1 US$ |
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Safe to Drink Tap Water |
No |
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Size |
517,000sq km |
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Transport |
train, bus, plane, taxi, minibus, tourist bus, boat, motorbike |
| Cash Machines (ATMS) | Yes |
| Credit Card Usage | Yes |
| Religion | Buddhism, Muslim |
| Measurement System | Metric System |
Recommended Budget per Day in US $
| Total Budget per Person | Accommodation | Meals | Transportation | Other |
| 16 $ | 4 $ | 4 $ | 4 $ | 4 $ |
Main things to See (we give descriptions only on places we visited)
| Things to See | Visited | Brief Description | Recommend (10 is best 1 is don't bother) |
| Bangkok | Y | Bangkok is the Capital of Thailand. It is very touristy with a lot of ex-pats just hanging out drinking beer and doing nothing. This was not our favorite city. There are a lot of bars and hangouts that have been taken over by westerners. The main attraction is the Grand Palace, which is very impressive actually. There are just a lot of tourists. The other attractions are the many Wats (Wat Phra Kaew, Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Traimit). One can also take a boat cruise on the river which goes around the city. Another attraction is the floating market, which has basically become a tourist trap. Bangkok is a great place to get visas and to book flights. Everything in the tourist industry is actually very well organized even though the prices will vary greatly. | 5 |
| Chiang Mai | Y | Chiang Mai is full of Wats such as the Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Lua. There is also the night bazaar. The city is ok for a stop over, but it is not that great. One can book a lot of different trekking tours from here to the visit some tribes in the North of Thailand. | 6 |
| Ko Phangan | Y | The island is nice, but it is very touristy with all the touts you can ever want. It is also more expensive than the main land. The beaches are good and one can go snorkeling and scuba diving. | 7 |
| Nakhon Pathom | N | ||
| Ayuthaya | N | ||
| Ko Samui | N | ||
| Phuket | N | ||
| Chachoengsao | N | ||
| Ko Si Chang | N | ||
| Prasat Hin Khao Phanom Rung Historical Park | N | ||
| Mae Sot | N | ||
| Thaleh Ban National Park | N | ||
Popular activities and Tours (Being not included does not mean they do not exist)
| Hiking / Trekking | x |
| Scuba Diving | x |
| Historical Sites | x |
| Sightseeing tours | x |
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Ballooning |
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Bunji Jumping |
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Safaris |
x |
| Boat tours | x |
| Fishing | x |
| Horseback riding | |
| Canoeing | x |
| Camping | |
| River Rafting | x |
| Sky Diving | |
| Abseiling | |
| Surfing | x |
| Windsurfing | x |
| Kayaking | x |
| Sailing | x |
| Mountain biking | x |
| Rollerblading | |
| Motorbike | x |
| Sand boarding | |
| Snorkeling | x |
| Water Skiing | x |
| Skiing | |
| Bicycling | x |
| Others Elephant Rides | x |
Feeling and Opinions on Thailand
Thailand was not for us. It was very touristy and one is always hassled for something. One thing it does have is great food, especially the street food which is cheap and very tasty. We did not go on any treks, because we heard that they were very touristy. We were glad to leave.
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Maren & Kirk