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Thailand Holidays

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Spent some time in Thailand recently and would like to share some of our wonderful experience with you there. We will be providing some quick facts about Thailand, Bangkok, Pattaya and other interesting places in this section and will be providing updates about these places as they become available, just like the pages for Malaysia. We will try to provide just the bare essentials to enable you to have a good time there just like we did on our recent trip.

Quick Facts about Thailand

Culture of the Thai People

Thailand has a very interesting culture that is unique. It has very interesting martial arts, literature, music, architecture, sculpture, painting, basket and silk weaving, and jewelry. Thai food is one of the most exquisite in the region.

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Thai Language

The Thai language a tonal language with a unique script. There are wide variations in the language spoken by people of the north, south and northeast. The Laotian language is pretty similar to the Thai language and is the predominant dialect in the northeast district.

English is fairly spoken, especially in the major cities and towns. Most road signs have Roman alphabets.

This should help you to enjoy your Thailand holidays.

Etiquette during your Thailand Holidays

You will find the Thais as the friendliest and most patient people in the world. However, there are some customs which you ought to know and respect while you are there.

The Royal Family is held in high respect and should not be criticized.

Religion is taken seriously. When entering a temple, you must have clothes that cover your knees and shoulders. If you are a woman, do not touch a monk. All Buddhist images and symbols, new, old or ruined, must be treated with respect.

The "wai" is the most common form of greeting instead of a handshake. Put your palms together close to your chest and bow slightly. The foot is considered the lowest part of the body and is least revered. Do not use it to point at anyone. Do not ever touch a person's head with your foot, even while seated or lying down. The head is considered the most sacred part of a person. So do not touch them there even in a friendly manner.

Public show of affection, though tolerated, is often frowned upon.

Keep your cools at all times. Losing ones temper is considered ill mannered.

Address a person by his first name and use the word "Khun" in front of it, just like Mr. or Miss.

Remove your shoes when entering someone's house.

When dining out, just raise your hand to get the waiters attention. Do not clap your hands or snap your fingers. This is considered rude.

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Thai Handicrafts and Souvenirs
(Thailand Holidays)

While you are there you may want to consider buying some of the lovely Thai products. Among them are:

Leatherware
This is one of the best places to buy leather products. There are ample raw materials here. Labour is extremely cheap and as a result the end products are really great bargains. You'll also be helping the local economy.
Pewterware
You may want to get yourself and your loved one some pewter too. Although not as famous as the Royal Selangor Pewter in Malaysia, the quality is nevertheless just as good.
Garments
You have to be out of your mind to miss not buying some garments while you are in Thailand. This is one of the cheapest and best values for money apparel center of the world. They are produced for both locals and tourist. A large amount is exported annually.
Furniture
Thailand produces excellent wood and other furniture. Raw material is abundantly found in the forest. If you to order some large items to bring back home, do not worry, the shipping agents are very helpful and economical.
Silverware
This is part of a tradition in Thailand which produces excellent quality silver. Do ask for a receipt and a certificate of authenticity for the silver.
Antiques
Wood carvings and sculptures are much sought after products. Thailand produces great Sawankhalok pottery, masks, puppets and betel-leaf containers.
Thai Silk
Another much valued item is the Thai silver. It became very popular especially after the 2nd World War. One of the more famous Thai Silk is the Mudmee Silk. This is produced by tying the silk threads in the desired patterns before they are dyed.
Gold Ornaments
Here you will get plenty of choice of goldsmiths, particularly in the Chinatown areas and some shopping centers like the MBK plaza. It offers cheap pure gold ornaments and high quality craftsmanship.
Gemstones and Jewelry
This is a great place to buy gemstones. There is no import or export duty on gems. As such you'll find lots of raw and cut precious stone of all kinds in the market.

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Shopping in Bangkok - Thailand Holidays

We had one of our best shopping trips ever in Bangkok. There were so many markets and malls everywhere. There were also many wholesale centers throughout the city. Most of the wholesalers were into garments and ready made.

We visited both the up market and exclusive Siam Center and other malls around it, and the more open Chatuchak weekend market. We also woke up early one morning to go to the Bo Bae wholesale market which only operates from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM. That was an experience. You'll find that the Thais are probably the most industrious people in the world.

Check out our Bangkok pages and see what we did there.

Pattaya and the Walking Street
Little Heaven by the Beach

Pattaya really made a great impression on us. To us, that's pretty close to paradise, right here on earth. Got a motorbike and went around the whole city. We explored both Jomtien and Pattaya beaches.

We also toured some of the tourist spot there including the Buddha Hill and the Telecommunications Hill Station. We had a special deal of B200 for the whole day use of the motorbike. The rent includes petrol, helmets and a map of the Pattaya City. The experience walking down Walking Street was really unforgettable.

 

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