"Amazing Thailand" a Thailand Travel Page by miguelle_guisson

24 July 2003 : TG 315 Thai Airways flight from New Delhi to Bangkok embarked my first International travel outside India, The flight landed at Bangkok airport in the early hours of the day. By 7:00 a.m. I was in my hotel taking account of the cultural shock that I had & will be experiencing in my 15 days tour. Some had already sunk in & some will in days to come.

I travelled across Phuket, Krabi, Ko Phi Phi, Trang, Surat Thani, Chiang Mai & Bangkok. Did many things right from Para sailing in Phuket, to motorbike driving in Krabi, to scuba diving in Andaman sea, to attending Buddhist prayers in Chiang Mai. It was an incredible experience for me not just because it was my first foreign tour, but also the fact that this country was more accepted & open to western ideology & was a kind of meeting point for people from all over the world. Food was a real problem for me but I virtually survived on Boiled rice & vegetables on my entire trip ( considering the fact that I am a vegetarian). In some aspects I find Thailand closer to India, as India is the Land where Buddha was born & from where Buddhism was professed.

The most beautiful part of my journey was definitely the scuba diving in Ko Phi Phi Is. near which the world famous Hollywood film, “The Beach” was shooted. Another memorable sight was the sunrise at the Ko Paan Yee village (in Southern Thailand) built entirely in the middle of sea on just wooden blocks, miles away from any land surface, it was just an amazing sight. This Buddhist nation was full of surprises, people are so lively & very friendly, the tourism sector is quiet well developed. This nation amazes me, right from the tranquility of untouched beaches of Andaman Sea to the crowded Khao San road in Bangkok, this country offers everyone anything one needs.

I will probably go back to Thailand this year ( hopefully ! ) enroute to Cambodia & Vietnam.

Mohit