THAILAND, ASIA HOLIDAY, TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION GUIDE

Bangkok, as capital, is home to the revered Thai royal family and many of the royal palaces are open to the public. Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha and part of the Grand Palace, the king's official residence is the most important temple in Thailand. Next door is Wat Pho, which houses the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The reclining Buddha is 46 metres (151 ft) long and is covered in gold leaf. A favourite way to reach the temples is to avoid Bangkok's traffic and take one of the 'river' buses which run regularly along the Chao Phraya River.

A popular destination is Jim Thompson Museum the former home of the American who helped revive the Thai silk industry in the 1950s and 60s.

Kanchanaburi Province is a mecca for history buffs. This is the location of the famous movie, Bridge over the River Kwai and guests may wish to visit the Hellfire Pass Memorial established at the site of a cutting on the Death Railway where PoWs were forced to work.

In the far south of Thailand are the hugely popular beach and nightlife islands of Phuket and Ko Samui. Phuket has over a dozen beaches to choose from and it is becoming more and more difficult to find a quiet spot. 

The Kingdom of Thailand lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Laos and Myanmar, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Myanmar. 

Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.

The capital and largest city of Thailand is Bangkok. It is also the country's center of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. Bangkok is a very big and busy city but has several worthwhile sights to be seen.

Thailand is one of the most devoutly Buddhist countries in the world. The national religion is Theravada Buddhism which is practiced by more than 95% of all Thais. You will see lots of temples all over Thailand which makes this country so amazing.

Thailand has been a very popular tourist destination for many years and it is a good example of how the country is creating alternatives to the mass tourism for which it has become so well known. Eco tours, trips and accommodations are becoming very popular in different areas of Thailand.

Thailand is very popular with tourists looking for adventure because of the abundance of natural resources that Thailand has to offer its visitors. Activities such as mountain biking, whitewater rafting, trekking, scuba diving, bird watching and rock climbing have become very popular in tourist areas. All these activities are available all over Thailand.

If you are concerned with the conservation of natural landscapes, you should consider the impact your activities will have on them. Ecotourism is about conserving the environment and improving the well-being of local people. Eco tourism is generally understood to be responsible and sustainable travel to natural areas.

An ecotourism traveler should mean minimize the negative environmental impacts and, where possible, makes positive contributions to the conservation of biodiversity, wilderness, natural and human heritage. It also means to respect the local culture and traditions.

Wherever you go in Thailand, go the eco way!