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THAILAND
Thailand has a rich and colorful culture, and many exotic and exciting monuments testify to this. In recent decades, Thailand has rightfully transformed itself from primarily a backpacker destination into one of the world’s top tourist ‘honeypots’, catering for all tastes and budgets. There is certainly no shortage of things for the visitor to enjoy. Where else but Thailand can you cruise on a converted rice barge, roar upriver in a long-tail boat and take a white-knuckle ride on a bamboo raft, then stay in jungle tree houses as guests in the homes of hilltribe villagers,
or on rafthouses floating on a river? Equally memorable are the trails leading deep into the rainforest past cooling waterfalls, and the simple beauty of the translucent sea lapping onto endless white, soft sand. A holiday in Thailand can combine the beauty of the Golden Triangle’s temples and remote hill tribes north of Chiang Mai, the beaches of Pattaya and more pristine Krabi, and the dynamic capital Bangkok with its futuristic high-rise buildings juxtaposed against the exquisite beauty of the gleaming Grand Palace. In every town and city, bargain-hunters thrive in the street markets crammed with all manner of goods, where good-natured bartering is the norm. Early morning is when the saffron-robed monks leave the sanctuary of their wats to receive alms from the people, be it in a dusty village or on crowded city streets. Buddhism is a way of life here and with the reverence the people have for the Monarchy, a dynasty that has maintained the Independence of the country for centuries; the result for the Thais is a blend of tradition with contemporary living. Thailand’s distinctive character was largely shaped by the combined influences of strong Monarchy and a powerful military. Formerly known as Siam, the country has been ruled by the Chakri Dynasty, of which the current King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, is a member, since the late 18th century. Although the nation is now a constitutional Monarchy (which it became in 1932 following a bloodless coup), he remains a powerful figure.
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