Things to do in Thailand

photo from travel-images.com

This is a repost from my personal blog " Lalaine's World". Since it's travel related, I'm bringing it here.

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Thailand is considered my second home. Even if my Hubby is from Malaysia but I lived here in Thailand longer than in Malaysia. I'm thankful that God has allowed us to stay in this beautiful country. Indeed, it's true that this country is just amazing. They have the most beautiful beaches, the gentlest people, and the cheapest bargains.

So, if you were to come to this country, here are the things I suggest you to do.

1) Go shopping. For Filipinos, this is a must...to go to the malls and shop or even just window shop. But here in Thailand, the cheapest bargains are found in their weekend markets. Most of the cities have their weekend markets like the Chatuchak in Bangkok. You can buy fashion blouses as low as 50 Baht (that's like 75 pesos). But sad to say, these blouses don't fit me as Thai girls are small/pettite so most of their blouses/shirts are small too. Anyway, you can name all items in these weekend markets and they have it, from bags to jewelry, plants, pots and even pets for sale. If you're a business person, then this is it, find the cheapest items here and sell it back to your home country, double or triple the price! :)

2) Go to the islands and stay there for at least a night. You can swim in the beaches, dive, snorkel or just lay in the hammock and relax. Remember the movie, The Beach? Yes, their islands, beaches look like that. The waters are like aquamarine in color, the sand is so fine, the scene around you will just be breathtaking. There are package deals in most islands that includes 2 nights stay, 1 meal, snorkeling and boat rides at affordable prices. Most of the middle class local Thais go island hopping too, which means their rates are not that extravagant and only affordable by westerners.

3) Savor Thai food. If you're into the spicy stuff you'll enjoy a wide variety of Thai dishes. My favorite is Green Curry and Fried Catfish with Mango Salad. If you can't take spicy food, Thai Fried Rice will suit you best. One thing amazing here is that, wherever you eat, whether in an expensive restaurant or side walk vendor, you're assured to have clean and delicious food. I'm not exaggerating. Being from a city from the Philippines, it's really a no-no to buy from the side walk vendor since you're not sure if the food is clean. But here, everyone buys from the street vendors and it's clean. In my 5 years stay here and eating everywhere, I didn't have problem with food (or maybe my tummy is just strong??) and I'm enjoying every bit of Thai food.

4) Go for foot or body massage. You can treat yourself here with a nice massage for only 130baht ( less than 200pesos) per hour. Their masseurs are real experts. They really do a good job and even sometimes pinpointing your body's problem areas without you telling them first. Just be careful that you go to the 'wholesome' massage parlors. Those inside the malls are the best choice.

5) Go for a haircut, manicure/pedicure or spa. I think one of the Thai's strong points is their good service. They really go beyond what is intended for them to do. For example, you want your hair cut. First, they will wash your hair (shampooing and conditioning your hair 2-3 times), then cut, then blowdry/ iron your hair, then moisturize your hair, then massage your head and shoulders. Who wouldn't feel good or beautiful after this? This procedure goes for most of the saloons here for an average of 100-120 baht ( less than 200 pesos).

6) Visit the landmarks in the places. And of course do 'picture picture'. Bangkok has their very famous Floating Market, The Grand Palace. Ayuthayya has this temple ruins, Phuket has their beaches, Chiangmai has their mountains and so on and so forth.

7) Ride, touch or have picture taking with the elephant. The elephant is quite a common sight here. They're not contained in the zoos but on some days they are out in the streets.
So far this is all I could think of as of now. So to all my friends come and experience Amazing Thailand! hehehe! I think the Tourism Authority here should give me commission for advertising their country. Hehhehe! Anyways, I'm just encouraging you to go out for a holiday and it wont be that expensive considering the rate for Pesos and Thai baht is not that big..and with all the promotions now from Airasia or Cebu Pacific (if your'e from the Philippines) , everyone can fly..hehehehe! Last year, my mom was able to purchase a roundtrip ticket for only 2,800 pesos. Imagine that? :)