Activities in Thailand

Arts & Cultures

Thailand is rightly proud of its rich heritage of arts and culture, and have made it readily accessible to the country’s many visitors.

Beach Activities

Thailand has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Whether tucked away on a secluded island or dancing till dawn in a lively resort town, there is a beach to suit everytaste and budget.

Dining

Thais love their food and everywhere you turn there is an opportunity to nibble or gorge. The people of this fertile country have created a tasty (and often spicy) cuisine that is the definition of fresh.

Shopping

From traditional handicrafts to discounted designer goods, Thailand can satisfy even the most demanding shopper. In modern aircon supermalls or roadside bazzars, there’s plenty to take home with you.

Arts & Culture

Thailand is rightly proud of its rich heritage of arts and culture, and have made it readily accessible to the country’s many visitors.

Cultural Pride

The Grand Palace illustrates the splendor of royalty, and the golden stupas of adjoining Wat Phra Kaew symbolize Thailand’s religious pride. This temple houses the nation’s most revered Buddha image, the Emerald Buddha; dress respectfully and bring your passport. Temples are works of art, and worth seeing are the 46m reclining Buddha at Wat Pho, the imposing 82m tower of Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), and Wat Benjamabophit, a marble masterpiece built in the reign of King Rama V.

Art on Display

Bangkok’s National Museum, open Wed.–Sun., 9am–4pm, displays relics of early civilization and Thai art from the Sukhothai period onwards. The nearby National Gallery exhibits traditional and contemporary works. The Royal Barges Museum on the Chao Phraya River, open 9am-4pm daily, shelters magnificently carved and painted barges used in royal river processions since the early 1900s; the longest measures 50 meters.

Dinner, Dance, Drama

Next door to the National Museum, the National Theater holds classical Thai dance and drama performances most weekends, as does the air-conditioned Chalermkrung Theater (New Rd), twice weekly at 8pm. Restaurants such as Baan Thai (Sukhumvit Rd), Maneeya Lotus Room (Ploenchit Rd) and the Oriental Hotel’s riverside Sala Rim Nam offer excellent dinners accompanied by Thai dance shows.

Box Carefully

Thai boxing, Muay Thai, is held at Rajadamnoen Stadium on Rajadamnoen Nok Rd (Mon, Wed, Thur, Sun) and Lumphini Stadium on Rama IV Rd (Tue, Fri, Sat). Go in the evenings, not to the staged afternoon shows, and buy tickets from the booths, not from touts.

Beach Activities

Thailand has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Whether tucked away on a secluded island or dancing till dawn in a lively resort town, there is a beach to suit every taste and budget.

Pattaya and Jomtien

Near Bangkok is busy Pattaya, divided into north, central and south. Accommodation is varied and always available. Although the beach is nothing special, dining and entertainment abound and water sports (water-skiing, windsurfing, parasailing, jet skiing and fishing) keep beach goers satisfied. South of Pattaya, Jomtien is a nicer, quieter beach offering similar facilities. North of Pattaya, Wong Amat’s narrow beach is a complete break, with just a few restaurants staying open late.

Diving and snorkeling are available around the islands off Pattaya, but visibility is not as good as it is off the southern islands.

Hua Hin

Four hours by bus from Bangkok, Hua Hin is a lively, breezy town with a long white-sand beach. Tourists can take pony rides, and Wat Khao Takiap rewards those who walk there with a nice sea view. A few catamaran, parasailing and jet ski operators work off Hua Hin beach, but it is mostly peaceful.

Koh Samui

Koh Samui has lovely beaches to suit everyone. The most active are Chaweng and Lamai, which offer similar activities to Pattaya plus mountain bike, motorcycle and jeep hire. Chaweng also has vibrant nightlife. Northwards, Koh Phangan is cheaper and quieter, except for the riotous full moon parties at Had Rin. Northwards again, Koh Tao is a restful (but busy in the high season) getaway with great diving.

Phuket

Phuket offers all the above activities and entertainment, and hiking is possible, even outside bustling Patong Beach. Runners can join the local Hash House Harriers’ foot races.

Dinner, Dance, Drama

Food for Thought

Food, whether it is a snack, main course or dessert, is an art in Thailand. Dishes range from hot and spicy soups like tom yum goong (shrimp) to mild and benign rice dishes like kao pad gai (fried rice with chicken), so there is something for everyone. Whatever your taste, Thai food (especially seafood) should definitely be a part of your visit. For the less adventurous, international dishes are easily available in the myriad establishments of popular tourist havens such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket etc. In international restaurants, you will receive a knife and fork for western meals, but for local dishes a fork and spoon are customary, as local people use these or chopsticks for almost every meal.

Traditional Fare

Street and hawker stalls all over the country offer a cheap way to sample local fruits and traditional food. If you have trouble communicating, just point to what you want and let the vendor prepare the dish. In bigger towns and cities, most malls have food centers with large selections of traditional fare in the comfort of air conditioning. Menus are seldom in English, however.

Wide Selection in Bangkok

In Bangkok, decent restaurants to suit everyone’s pocket are all around Sukhumvit Road, Silom Road and Siam Square. There are also pleasant places in malls such as Siam Center, the World Trade Center, Emporium and Silom Complex. Major hotels have excellent restaurants with top class cuisine. For cheap deals, backpackers’ haven Khao Sarn Road is lined with budget cafés offering mixed-quality food.

Shopping

From traditional handicrafts to discounted designer goods, Thailand can satisfy even the most demanding shopper. In modern aircon supermalls or roadside bazars, there’s plenty to take home with you.

Miles of Malls

Bangkok’s department stores frequently slash 10-80% off designer goods, and some offer VAT refunds for tourists. Malls comprise shops and department stores, which are comfortable to browse around while escaping the heat and rain. The most popular and convenient are: Mahboonkrong, Siam Discovery and Siam Center (Rama 1 Rd), World Trade Center and Gaysorn Plaza (Rajdamri Rd), Central Chidlom and Sogo (Ploenchit Rd), Emporium (Sukhumvit Rd) and Silom Complex and Robinson (Silom Road). Seacon Square (Sri Nakharin Rd) and The Mall Bangkapi (Lad Prao Rd) are also excellent, though farther out. Prices in malls are fixed – no bargaining, please.

Markets

Markets hold bargains galore, especially for skilled negotiators seeking wholesale deals. The giant Weekend Market (Chatuchak) stocks, among other things, clothing, pets, plants, handicrafts, ceramics and food. Good for clothing are Pratunam and Bo Bae markets. Silom, Sukhumvit (Nana), Patpong and Khao Sarn Roads all have street markets selling handicrafts, fake designer clothes, CDs, cassettes, watches etc. Prepare to barter! Pahurat and Chinatown also provide interesting shopping walks.

Handicrafts and Handiwork

Narayanaphand (beside Gaysorn Plaza) and Central Chidlom sell fine handicrafts, and small shops throughout the city have interesting selections of pottery, woodcarvings, textiles and furniture. Thailand is famous for gems and jewelry, and these are available everywhere in Bangkok: ask around for reputable showrooms and avoid touts offering unbelievable deals or promotions. For suits, Bangkok’s innumerable tailors make inexpensive but realistic copies of famous names: shop around for material and workmanship, as you get what you pay for.