Why I love Thailand

Welcoming People

Thailand is one of the friendliest places to visit. No matter where you go you will always run into cooperative people who are all smiles and will help you even if they don’t speak English. New generation may not be as friendly as the earlier generations but over all it is one of the friendliest places around.

Wonderful Cuisine

Thai food is among world’s top ten cuisines because of its unique delicious taste. It combines sweet, bitter, sour and salty flavors to create a tasty flavor. My favorite is Thai Basil Chicken followed by tum yam soup, minced chicken meat Lap Kai, garlic chicken and green papaya salad. Yum yum.

Beautiful Beaches

Thailand has some of world’s most beautiful beaches. Though there are nice beaches all over the country but the one that I like most are in South of Thailand in Krabi and Phuket area. Some of my favorites are Railay Phra Nang Beaches in Krabi and Karon and Kata beaches in Phuket. When I’m in Thailand you can be sure that I’m either at a beach, island or at a waterfall over the weekend.

Warm Weather

Yes it is warm all year round. I have never needed a sweater here. Though I get tired of all this heat in depth of summer but then I remember heart of winter in New York when persistent snowstorms and subzero temperatures with windchill make me forget my romance with the first snowfall of the season. There is some freedom that comes with warm weather. I enjoy rainy season too which can be very refreshing after long summers.

Lush Green Thailand

Thailand thanks to its proximity to the Equator has a tropical weather and gets a lot of rain during its rainy season from June to October. This means that most of Thailand is lush green. There are spectacular sights of green mountains dotting the landscape as you travel through the country. Southern Thailand is particularly green.

Best Waterfalls

Thailand has some of world’s most beautiful waterfalls in different parts throughout the country. Some stunning ones are Erawan, Khlong Chak, Mae Ya, Khlong Lan, Koh Luang and many many others. Some of them may go dry during the long summer but as rains begin filling the reservoir the waterfalls begin their majestic descent once again.

Stunning Islands

Thailand has so many stunning islands that it is hard to say which one is best. Some of the best are Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, Ko Tao, Ko Chang, Ko Lipe, Ko Samet and Ko Yao Yai. And as you guessed Ko means islands in Thai. Their blue-green waters with seven to three star resorts with opportunities for boating, diving and riding on the beach and of course you can just lie on the beach and enjoy the view.

Regional Business Hub

Thailand is the business hub for South East Asia. It has Free Trade Agreements with most of the world and thousands of companies are here manufacturing or assembling products to ship all over the world.

Songkran – Water Festival

No matter where I may be in the world, I always pencil in mid-April for Thai New Year festivities. Locals, expats and tourists are are all out with their water guns on a mission to soak the person next to them. There are people parked on the sidewalk with a water drum which they ply with ice and passerbys and people sitting in back of the pickup trucks are treated to a shower with icy cold water. Brr! It is fun!!

Scuba Diving

Thailand has one of the best diving scene. Sail Rock in Ko Tao mentioned above attracts experienced and amateur divers alike. It is at a little distance from the island and is quite deep so one can witness some amazing marine life. Andaman Sea has some amazing diving spots, Surin Islands particularly attracts many to its coral reefs. Due to its distance from the shore it is relatively unspoilt. Snorkeling and diving are all great ways to explore it.