Thailand holds a distinction as the one Southeast Asian country never to have been colonized. Yet it still has a similar and consistent level of political instability as it's neighbors. Part of this is driven by the dramatic differences between the Southern and Northern Thais and the political differences typically fall along geographical lines rather than policy. The country has grown from a 1970s backpackers paradise to a hub of travel and business in SE Asia influencing it’s neighbors to the East and South. Of the 64m citizens, between 75% - 85% are ethnically Thai. The country is slighter large in size than California.
THAILAND DESTINATIONS
My brother has lived in Bangkok since 2014. He spent a year in Singapore but otherwise he's been based in Thailand's capital and enjoying traveling all over the country and the rest of Asia. I have implored him, multiple, multiple times to start his own blog rather than rely on Facebook to document his travels and store his photos. I've told him that Facebook downsizes his images and he needs to back them up in the cloud with a photo storage service like Flickr. Alas, my pushing has had little impact. I've tried to create a blog on his behalf. The links below are from his travels.
COUNTRY BACKGROUND
HISTORY
Only SE Asian country not colonized - balanced UK and France - but a long history of either fighting off Burmese, seeking tribute from Laos and Cambodia, or bloody power successions. Three periods: 1250-1351: Sukhothai; 1351-1767: Ayutthaya Present: Bangkok
1932: King relinquishes absolute monarchy in bloodless coup, subsequently reinstated as Head of State; 1939: Siam to Thailand
GOVERNMENT
Constantly changing...
Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy - King Head of State: Bhumibol Adulyadej/Rama IX; PM Head of Govt.: Yingluck Shinawatra
17 Constitutions since 1932; latest 2006 removed Thaksin Shinawatra leader of Red Shirts: Phuea Thai Party (PTP), northern, rural, populist free-market vs.
Yellow Shirts: People’s Alliance for Democracy, southern, urban, intelligentsia socialist
Bicameral Legislature: Upper/Senate and Lower/House of Representatives
Senate historically elite and military controlled - 150 members, 76 (one per state) elected, 74 appointed
House of Representatives - 500, 375 elected by area, 125 determined through party lists
ECONOMY
Anchor economy between Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia
Considered a development success story - not high generation of wealth, but low % below poverty line; 0.7% unemployment
Largest rice exporter in the world; 55% of arable land for rice; 49% of country employed in agriculture but 8% of GDP
EDUCATION
Education compulsory to age 14; government funded through 17
54th of 56th in Global Ranking for English proficiency - 2nd in SE Asia
HEALTHCARE
Universal health care through three programs: civil service/government employees; social security/public employees; and Universal for everyone else - limited private healthcare participation although private facilities available to wealthy
Only SE Asian country not colonized - balanced UK and France - but a long history of either fighting off Burmese, seeking tribute from Laos and Cambodia, or bloody power successions. Three periods: 1250-1351: Sukhothai; 1351-1767: Ayutthaya Present: Bangkok
1932: King relinquishes absolute monarchy in bloodless coup, subsequently reinstated as Head of State; 1939: Siam to Thailand
GOVERNMENT
Constantly changing...
Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy - King Head of State: Bhumibol Adulyadej/Rama IX; PM Head of Govt.: Yingluck Shinawatra
17 Constitutions since 1932; latest 2006 removed Thaksin Shinawatra leader of Red Shirts: Phuea Thai Party (PTP), northern, rural, populist free-market vs.
Yellow Shirts: People’s Alliance for Democracy, southern, urban, intelligentsia socialist
Bicameral Legislature: Upper/Senate and Lower/House of Representatives
Senate historically elite and military controlled - 150 members, 76 (one per state) elected, 74 appointed
House of Representatives - 500, 375 elected by area, 125 determined through party lists
ECONOMY
Anchor economy between Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia
Considered a development success story - not high generation of wealth, but low % below poverty line; 0.7% unemployment
Largest rice exporter in the world; 55% of arable land for rice; 49% of country employed in agriculture but 8% of GDP
EDUCATION
Education compulsory to age 14; government funded through 17
54th of 56th in Global Ranking for English proficiency - 2nd in SE Asia
HEALTHCARE
Universal health care through three programs: civil service/government employees; social security/public employees; and Universal for everyone else - limited private healthcare participation although private facilities available to wealthy
TRAVEL INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
Thailand is everything you’ve heard about. It’s a convenient country to travel through and has a strong tourist industry infrastructure. There are areas which have been trampled by tourists but it’s also relatively easy to find a quiet space among all the chaos.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
FOOD
Thai and Western; Bangkok has more international mix with Japanese, Korean, etc.; Maybe I set my expectations too high but I thought the food was a bit of a let down after Penang.
Bangkok Food Blog: http://www.eatingthaifood.com/2014/01/best-bangkok-restaurants-2013/
Chiang Mai has one of the best cafe cultures in Asia centered around the northern end of Nimman Haeminda Road
SITES, ATTRACTIONS, ADVENTURES
Thailand lives up to its party and beach reputation but there’s a lot outside the major hubs to enjoy in relatively solitude.
Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai - relaxation time and an obligatory photo with a Tiger
IN COUNTRY TRAVEL
Planes, Trains, Minibuses, Taxis - it’s all cheap.
Thailand is everything you’ve heard about. It’s a convenient country to travel through and has a strong tourist industry infrastructure. There are areas which have been trampled by tourists but it’s also relatively easy to find a quiet space among all the chaos.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
- Cheap Hostels -> $5 (outside Bangkok) to $15 (Sukhumvit area Bangkok)
- Worth paying up for AC
- No laundry facilities - clean clothes offsite for $1 per pound
- Taxi and tuk tuk drivers do not have strong familiarity of locations so be sure to have map and/or directions of where your hotel is located
FOOD
Thai and Western; Bangkok has more international mix with Japanese, Korean, etc.; Maybe I set my expectations too high but I thought the food was a bit of a let down after Penang.
- Similar to Myanmar -> Street Food <$1; Street Food Restaurants $1-$2; Tourist / Western Restaurants >$3
- Some street food locations are no more than a few stalls along half a block while others are entire neighborhoods stretching across several streets
- Grab and go street food and sit down street food “pop” up restaurants
- http://migrationology.com/2011/05/top-16-bangkok-street-food-sanctuaries/
Bangkok Food Blog: http://www.eatingthaifood.com/2014/01/best-bangkok-restaurants-2013/
- I went to the #1 on this list and it was ok, but there was a huge, multi block street food scene in this area that supplemented the meal
Chiang Mai has one of the best cafe cultures in Asia centered around the northern end of Nimman Haeminda Road
SITES, ATTRACTIONS, ADVENTURES
Thailand lives up to its party and beach reputation but there’s a lot outside the major hubs to enjoy in relatively solitude.
- Bangkok - the few tourist “must-sees” Grand Palace and Wat Pho are overrun with tourists; If you’re burned out of looking at temples I’d consider passing on the Grand Palace, it costs $15 and because of narrow walkways you will be tripping over tourists every other step
- Maeklong - a train runs through a market, novelty without being gimmicky
- Ayutthaya - convenient stop on the way from Bangkok to Chiang Mai; leave your bags at the station, rent a bike, shower at the station, and board the night train to Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai - relaxation time and an obligatory photo with a Tiger
IN COUNTRY TRAVEL
Planes, Trains, Minibuses, Taxis - it’s all cheap.
- Tourist “hand-holding” in Krabi/Phuket and Chiang Mai - there’s not much you can see without going through an agency; in Chiang Mai you can rent a motorbike to reach attractions outside the city area
- Minibuses cover the country quite well at a reasonable cost - Penang to Ko Phi Phi was $30 including the ferry transfer, although it was a 12 hour trip…however, the taxi ride just TO the airport was the same price as the minibus from Penang to Krabi so if your traveling alone Minibuses are the best option
- Bangkok to Ayutthaya (3rd class), Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai (2nd class) trains cost $25 and takes 2 hours and 12 hours respectively