Thailand is one of those countries that every travel-fanatic raves about. With it’s amazing food, stunning cities, vibrant nightlife, amazing food and amazing architecture it’s easy to see why – and we didn’t even touch upon the weather or the beaches.
It’s the kind of country that you can never really appreciate in one visit, because it is just so amazing. Everywhere you turn there is something new and exciting, and the locals are all so friendly, especially the children who just love the sight of tourists and who flock to be in their holiday snaps!
Some believe that the best way to see all that Thailand has to offer is through one of the Tour Choice Thailand tours, allowing you to take in all of the “must-see” locations in the area you’re staying, helping you to see “the real Thailand” and not just the clear sea waters and sandy beaches you see in the brochures.
Others think that the best way to admire it is to go wandering off with the intention of, essentially, getting lost so that you can find everything off the beaten track and not just what the tourist guides tell you to see.
If you’re thinking about booking a trip, either for the first time or for a repeat visit, then you probably already know the kind of things you’re looking for – food and drink, tranquility, an exotic country and so on – but Thailand is much more than that, as these five things you probably didn’t know will show:
Bangkok isn’t actually the ‘real’ name of the capital
Yes, queue the immature giggles surrounding the word Bangkok, but believe it or not it’s much easier to say than the real name given to Thailand’s capital city…. ready for it?
The actual name given to the city is… Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. Shall we just stick to Bangkok?
The Land of the Free, literally
Thailand, translated, means “land of the free” and that’s a perfect name for it when you consider that it is the only country in the whole of South-East Asia that has not been colonized by a foreign country.
It should be called Thai-lands
Thailand isn’t just one island like many believe. For those who know nothing about it, it’s easy to assume that the country is just one island, a bit like the UK or Ireland, but Thailand itself is actually made up of 1,400 different islands of various sizes. The most commonly known island is Koh Phi Phi, near Phuket.
Beware flip-flop fans
While flip-flops and sandals are common travel essentials, worn by just about everyone when they go on holiday or even just on a sunny day, in Thailand you need to be very careful where you point your bare feet.
Your feet are considered to be spiritually and symbolically dirty and they should never be pointed either towards a temple or another person, even innocently like sitting on a chair with your legs crossed.
Monkey College
Yes, you read that correctly, Thailand has its own college specifically for monkeys. The little chimps are taught how to play tricks on each other (and people), how to collect food and water, and they even have their own festival where they can feast on as much as they like… it’s a hard life!