On a vacation to Thailand with my parents, I fell in love with the country. Going back to America, I sold almost everything I owned and moved to Bangkok - for a year. I never left. Ten years later, I still live in Bangkok and I love Thailand like I was born here.
Thailand -- it's like a dream you don't even want to wake up from
YouTube - Mrpvano
Thailand is a country of unbelievable beauty, exotic sights and sounds, and full of some of the kindest people on earth. In 2011, more than 19 million tourists visited Thailand. Known as the Land of Smiles, it is one of the world's most visited tourist destinations. With peak tourist season starting in November, here are just a few of the millions of reasons why.
Thai people- People make a country, and Thais have made Thailand one of the safest and friendliest places to visit. From the minute you step off the plane you will be greeted with beaming smiles, the famous Thai wai (hands put together in a prayer position) and experience kindness like you've never seen anywhere. Thais respect people who have a "jai dii" a "good heart", and that characteristic is paramount in Thai culture. Without Thais, Thailand would not be the astounding place it is.
No matter where you go, from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son, Hua Hin to Isaan, Thais will make sure you have the best vacation of your life.
Thai cuisine - Most people are familiar with Thai cuisine, as it is officially one of the most eaten ethnic foods in the world, and one of the healthiest. You probably already know it's delicious but when you arrive in Thailand you will not be able to believe the abundance of food there is, the incredible tastes, the smells and, of course, the dirt cheap prices.
When you can eat sit at a street stall on almost any street in the country and eat a delicious meal for 50 baht ($1.65), which includes a main dish like massaman curry or tom yum gung (spicy shrimp soup), a large piece of fresh pineapple or mango for dessert, and an iced latte or Thai iced tea, how do you go back to your own country and back to what you used to eat?
The beaches - Thailand has the world's most beautiful beaches and some of the most famous diving spots. People come from all over the globe just to spend a week lying on a Thai beach drinking coconut milk right from the shell and getting beach massages, or to hire a boat to go diving around the country's coral reefs.
The sand is soft and fine, the ocean is blue and warm, and the marine life the most spectacular you have ever seen.
The nightlife - Do you love sitting in a cozy bar next to the ocean fanned by warm sea breezes while, in front of you, one of Koh Phangan's famous fire dancers twirls flames high into the air? Is dining on a 100-year old teak rice barge as it floats up the Chao Praya River in Bangkok with traditional Thai dancers entertaining you more your style? Or does a night at a world-class nightclub complete with world-famous DJs sound like heaven?
Thailand has every type of nightlife you could ever possibly want, and a few you've never heard of.
The weather - Hot, hotter and hottest -- that's how Thais describe the weather in Thailand. It's sunny almost all the time and, yes, it's roasting hot. But that all fits in with the exotic nature of the country, the sights, the sounds and the smells. Yes, in the rainy season it rains, but even then rarely for more than an hour. Then the sun comes out, the heat rises off the streets, and you're once more luxuriating in glorious heat.
The shopping - If you have never visited Thailand you don't know what a world-class shopping venue is. Asians come from all over Asia to shop in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Bangkok alone has over 100 ultra-modern shopping malls, and most of them are bigger than any you have ever shopped in.
Street markets abound all over Thailand and sell everything from fake designer clothing to Thai handicrafts, watches and jewelry to bags, DVDs, video games and every other thing you have ever wanted.
Chatuchak Weekend Market is Bangkok's most famous market and south east Asia's largest With around 15,000 stalls, it takes several days to get around.
The Walking Street Market is held every Sunday night in the old city part of Chiang Mai. The city closes off several streets for several kilometers, the stalls are set up, the street artists come out, the food stalls arrive and it's like being at one big party with 50,000 of your closest friends. And yes, the shopping is phenomenal.
Thailand -- it's beautiful, exotic and friendly. It is home to one of the largest super-cities in the world, Bangkok, which also happens to be the world's hottest. There are beaches and mountains, jungles and rice fields, elephants, monkeys, tigers, tuk-tuks, temples, saffron-robed monks, exotic fruits and devilishly-hot curries and, of course, the world's kindest and happiest people.
Thailand is one country every one should visit once before they die. Is this year your time?
**To see the beauty of Thailand and the loveliness of the people, don't forget to watch the video to the left of this article. It's only 3 minutes long, but it's simply stunning and will show you exactly why tens of millions of people visit Thailand ever year.
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Thailand's "Wish You Were Here" tourist campaign will make you want to visit