I have been in Thailand now for two years working, and I also come over annually when working elsewhere.
I love the people, the culture and the food and now I'm beginning to see and understand a little more about this magnificent country.
Thailand Travel
For the Westerner there is much to see.
Even the capital is fun with its heat, exotic sights and sounds, and good-natured touts and street stalls.
The first experience is varied, but if tourist numbers are anything to go by then it will be Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket.
Phuket lives up to its nickname - "Pearl of the Andaman."
Like a pearl it is highly polished, very expensive and has throngs of admirers bidding its value up. It also increases in price every year. Pearl indeed.
There are some nice beaches, but if you want an over-developed island there are plenty of other options.
Pattaya is a lot less expensive but no less developed.
Sin city on the beach is a magnet for men seeking instant relationships, cheap beer and daily, if not hourly thrills.
Funnily enough it is now trying to attract families. Strike two.
Great if you want to make love, not war but hardly an insight into Amazing Thailand.
Bangkok I would not argue with.
This mega-metropolis has wormed its way into my heart and remains my favourite capital.
The sights, sounds, tastes and buzz make it an exciting and pulse-quickening place to visit, and the value is undeniable.
I would suggest after heading to the capital for a week, to make your way North to the hills and cultural centre of the country.
Chiang Mai is the main centre of the North and is a little more laid back than the capital.
Industries and crafts include silk, lacquer and hill tribe products as well as Kings Project items which are quite exceptional.
Many years ago the hillpeople grew opium, and Thailand's revered King took an interest in their welfare and became patron of a project to teach these subjects how to grow sustainable crops for the benefit of the community.
This took off and now Chiang Mai has a plethora of agricultural products that grace the world's finest menus.
Because I am pretty much "Joe Street", I tend to focus on the immediate benefits to me. Coffee!
All over Thailand there are small street stands offering "Doi Chang" and "Doi tung" coffee which is an exceptional tasting bean made into a big cup of iced coffee for around 25 baht ()
Chiang Mai is the gateway to the North, and the people are gracefully Thai.
Unlike Phuket, there is a distinct lack of Tuk Tuk mafias, jetski scams, irritating and persistant Nepali tailor touts and in-your-face sex shows.
This city is your first major glimpse of real Thailand and is situated amongst rolling hills and majestic mountains.
Further North (actually VERY North at the top of the country) is Chiang Rai, a very Thai town situated in the Golden Triangle - a tri border city sitting on the junction of Laos, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand.
This is the home to the mighty Mekong - a river that winds its sullen silty way 4350 kilometers through Nepal, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The river, in turn, is home to the giant catfish and a swarm of boat travel options that allow you to explore the incomparable sights of real Asia.
In this city you will find other foreigners, sure.
Don't expect that you will be the first to grace their pavements.
The difference is in the welcome, appreciation and openness that you will find over the m,ore jaded and tourist oriented centers.
If you need sex for money, excitement and designer shopping, stay in the capital or one of the overdeveloped resorts.
This is a place to unwind, exercise the camera, and take home some lifetime memories of a hauntingly beautiful place and its people.
I would recommend driving.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! YES. Driving in Asia.
Chiang mai is a great place to rent a small four wheel dive and then you can head North through the green mountains and bamboo forests at a slow pace, taking the time to explore some hill villages, Royal projects and street side vendors on the way.
A favourite of mine is a wee 'blink-and-you-miss-it' market called "Bong Nam Lon" or 'hot spring'.
As it's name would suggest, this is a small boiling water creek where impassive vendors sell small wire baskets of quail eggs that you can cook in the spring and then eat.
Also lots of hand crafts and hand made clothing from the hill tribes made from hemp fibre and natural cotton and colours. Of course coffee is there, and a great wee bar with character and cold beer.
Refreshed it's time to head for Chiang Rai itself.
This city has some majestic "wats' or Thai temples, but first you'll need to drive past a never-ending vista of rice paddies set in the flat areas between the hills.
You will recognise these because of their colour - the most vibrant and intense green that you will see on this planet. Just awe inspiring.
This is real Northern Thailand and the staple changes from boring old steamed rice to "Sticky rice' which is pulled out of a woven basket and eaten in lumps or balls with the amazingly fresh food that the area is renowned for.
I write a lot about the weird and wonderful adventure foods from here - Insects, frogs, snakes, lily pods, beetles, grubs and wild pork - but the truth is that the less adventurous eater is also well catered for.
The road stalls offer a variety of noodle dishes, charcoal barbecued chicken and local vegetables and I would also recommend a trip into any of the big supermarkets to see the incredible fruits from this fertile region.
Once you have your confidence levels up, take a drive out of the cities and explore the sights and smiles you will find in the smaller 'baans' or villages - it is safe and you will be welcome.
This is a far cry from the money-hungry tourist Meccas of Thailand.
This is real Thailand, and you won't experience the double pricing and rip-offs that pollute Phuket and Pattaya.
The price of everything is low, and you will get the right change down to the last baht or satang.
In case you want to cut a couple of days off your trip, Chiang Rai also has an airport.
I am a frequent traveller.
I discovered last week that Chiang Rai airport is the only airport that I have ever been to that doesn't try to rip off tourists.
The airport shops offer lots of authentic hand made hill village clothing and hand crafts at local prices and an impressive array of snacks, both international and local.
I bought a couple of excellent quality shirts which were made from lotus (lily) fibre - supporting the local economy and definitely of the quality to be sold for - 0 each back in my own country.
I paid 200 baht, or around each. Hand made, Natural fibre, excellent cut. at the airport shop,
In Bangkok you will be asked for 250 baht for a cheap Chinese shirt made from polyester cotton.
This city is also the jumping off point for excursions into Laos and Burma, and "next door" is Isaan - the poor North-eastern province famous for it's food and friendly people.
The great thing about Thailand is the Thai people. Experience them at their best in the far North.
Do yourself a favour and see the real Thailand first off. It took me years and many visits to find the part of Thailand that sees you as a person and not as a cash cow. Why make the same mistake as the hundreds of thousands of others who visit the glitzy tourist centres?
Questions are welcome - just visit me at my website and leave your queries in my comments section.
I hope to see you in North Thailand.
Travelling Thailand - Chiang Rai Province - Rice Paddies, Rivers, Smiles and Mountains Jack Sparrow (feat. Michael Bolton) Tube. Duration : 3.28 Mins.Buy at iTunes: goo.gl New album on sale now! turtleneckandchain.com
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