Thailand: The Place Of Smile

June 16, 2015

Author of this post: Davide

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General Information Thailand country. Backpacking Thailand

So much to say about Thailand. In this short post I would like to explain why in my opinion this country is a great backpacking destination! I stayed 1 month in Thailand and I am pretty sure I will go back one day. It was perfect to discover more about this beautiful travel destination even if Thailand is already became a world destination for everyone. In Thailand I travelled with my friend Alessandro from Chiang Mai to Koh Lipe, we also visited Kanchanaburi, Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and other locations around.

Pad-Thai with shrimps, typical Thai dish. Backpacking Thailand

Thailand is cheap: First and most important reason. You can spend between 10$US to 100$US per day, it depends on your standards and budget. Accommodations vary between camping, hostels, guesthouses and luxury hotels. You can have a meal for 2$, a 66 cl beer for the same price, rent a scooter for 8/10$ per day and get on an organised day tour for 20/25$. In Thailand you can find everything you want. Chiang Mai was by far the cheapest place I have been to during my trip there. Anyway Thailand is cheap right now, but a constantly price increasing has been attested.
The Food is amazing: Cheap and very tasty, what else do you need? My favourite dish is undoubtedly Pad Thai, iconic dish of this destination. By the way the best street food is the spring roll and it comes at its best when dipped in sweet chilli sauce. Those are my personal favourites but I can also recommend Chicken Stir Fried Rice, flat rice noodles cooked with eggs and vegetables, I could continue this list forever. The best tip I can give you is to go there an try as many different dishes as you can and you will fall in love with Thailand food.
The beaches are stunning: From the west coast of the Gulf of Thailand to the Andaman Sea coast. Each island has its own pros and cons, there is one for every taste. All of them are home to some of the world’s most pristine beaches. My favourites are Maya Beach and Bamboo Island.
Unique Culture and Tradition: I found their national identity a great mix of cultures and traditions attributed to different people migrated years ago. In Chiang Mai and north Thailand you can find ethnic minorities often called Hill Tribes with different origins: Thai Lao, Akha, Maew. Near the middle-west Thailand border with Cambodia there is a distinct Khmer influence. Right now about 150.000 Burmese people have migrated in Thailand as political and ethnic refugees.
The Unstoppable nightlife: Street food and night Markets are only a small part of Thailand nightlife. Just walk on the street and do some shopping at one of the many Night Markets. You can chill out with a cold Chang and have a funny and interesting conversation with friends and locals. Eating some deep fried spring rolls for 50 cents at 5:00 on a Sunday morning is one of the best experience :-D. In Thailand life stops at the first lights of the day, to restart again few hours later. After I left Thailand I really missed all of that.