10 Best Reasons to Visit Thailand

Thailand is a country of unexpected contrasts, where modern and ancient perfectly blend in each other and where conservative and liberal beliefs co-exist next to each other. It is a country of untouched and wild nature in most of its parts, thousands of incredible history,  friendly and smiley nation, brilliant architecture, an abundance of food choices, and postcard-perfect beaches. There are plenty of reasons but in this post, I focus on some of the best reasons to visit Thailand and to try to make you fall in love with it too.

Thailand is also a country I fell in love with from the very first sight. It’s more than just a tropical getaway destination, there are plenty of things you would enjoy in Thailand, and moreover, it can open your eyes to the new world and teach you many things if you let it. I surely did. 

10 Top Reasons to Visit Thailand

The Land of Smiles 

Locals are friendly, always happy, smiling from ear-to-ear, very polite and helpful, that is why Thailand is often called the Land of Smiles. Even though it was a marketing trick to attract tourists for its white-sand coastline, pristine waters, and affordable prices, it certainly holds some truth. 

Despite the fact that inequality is quite apparent, people seem to be happy with life. In my opinion and from what I have seen during my one month stay with a local family, this might be because of their background in Buddhism, The religion is based on the concept of reaching enlightenment and happiness by eliminating cravings, i.e we should be happy with what we have and shouldn; need more than life has to offer. 

FOOD, FOOD, and even more FOOD!

One of the primary reasons to visit Thailand is it’s authentic and flavorful cuisine. Trust me, the Thai food we have in our cities is nothing compared to what you eat here. The abundance of choice is overwhelming, you want to try everything! 

Tai, our host in Sukhothai, told me it would take her whole life to try almost all of the different meals available in Thai cuisine. Imagine that!

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When people ask me to describe Thailand, I always say that it’s a haven for gourmands and shopaholics. I have not seen so many street food stalls that I saw in Bangkok, Sukhothai, or Chiang Mai. 

You can find food and snacks stalls, literally, at every step and corner. Meat or fish balls, pancakes, bugs, and fruits or freshly squeezed juices are the most commonly seen on the streets of any city.

Some of the country’s flavorful tom yum soups (or any other meal) come from the roadside stalls whipped up in seconds using fresh ingredients. The street food is cheap, convenient, full of flavor, and more importantly quite hygienic. We didn’t have any stomach issues. 

And, the best part of street food is that no matter what time of the day or night you feel hungry; there is an outside stall available somewhere.

Picture perfect islands and white sand beaches

Thailand is a perfect tropical getaway all-year-round with its more than 1,400 islands and 3,000kms of coastline. Here, even December sees an average temperature of 26C, making it one of the good reasons to visit Thailand. 

The country is famous for its stunning white-sand beaches, green-blue water, and palm tree-lined islands, such as Koh Samet, Phuket, Railay Beach, Ko Phangan, Koh Phi Phi, Ko Lanta, and more.  

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Due to their vast popularity and a huge number of tourists, some of those islands tend to be quite expensive. But the landscapes and the beauty of nature are worth a visit. If you are on a budget, do not worry! Thailand always has something to offer you without emptying your pockets.

Looking for an ideal two-week itinerary through Thailand?

Mind-blowing architecture and many Buddha statues

Thailand is home to breathtaking temples and lots of Buddha statues. With rich ornamentation and immaculate details, bright colors, and multi-tiered roofs influenced by Khmer, Chinese, Indian, and Burmese architectural styles, but at the same time preserving its own. 

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Buddha statues are everywhere, any shape, and size. Standing, seated, lying down statues come in various sizes from tiny to giant. The country even has a Buddha Park in Nong Khai featuring bizarre and big statues inspired by Hindu and Buddhist mythologies. 

Great transportation system

Some of the Southeast Asian countries do lack a well-lined out public transportation system. Thailand is one of the exceptions with various choices to travel around the country as well as within the city limits. There are buses, motorbike taxis, trains, tuk-tuks, songthaews, and ferries/boats to take you anywhere you want. 

Catering every budget traveler

One of the characters of Thailand is that it’s very flexible in terms of costs, meaning that it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. Generally speaking, Thailand is a very budget-friendly destination for all coming from the west. The costs here does depend on your spending limitations. Moreover, due to affordable prices, Chiang Mai is a go-to city for digital nomads.

For instance, your daily cost for meals is around $1-10 depending on where you eat. Cheap, yet clean and cool, hostel can be around $15-20, while luxurious hotels and meals in western restaurants can cost anywhere from  $200 and more.

Shopaholics paradise 

Shopping is one of the good reasons to visit Thailand, especially Bangkok. From my time spent here, I have not seen soo many and giant shopping malls elsewhere. Apart from international styled malls, Bangkok offers countless local markets offering all sorts of goods on display. 

Stroll down its casual night markets, or visit the biggest of them all, the Chatuchak Weekend Market to stock up on memorabilia and souvenirs to bring back home.

Thai Massage 

Who doesn’t like a relaxing massage? Apart from all the things the country is famous for, massage is another great reason to visit Thailand, especially if you’re looking for a relaxing vacation. 

Thailand is full of massage parlors, spa centers, and wellness retreats. Much like street food stalls, massage parlors are at every corner. The price starts at $6 and goes up depending on where you go. 

Unusual customs and festivals

If you still need convincing, one of the reasons to visit Thailand is for its unusual festivals. One of my favorites is the Thai New Year’s national holiday, Songkran, where the whole nation has fun with water pistols. Celebrated annually from April 13-15, Songkran falls during the hottest month of the year, so why not engage in a three-day-long water fight to celebrate the New Year? 

Every single Thai person is out on the streets, soaking each other in the water, throwing water-filled balloons, pouring from buckets, or firing water from the pistols. No one is left dry and you simply can’t resist the temptation to join this fun celebration.  

On the contrary, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, mainly celebrated by local Chinese communities, is nothing like the name implies. Also referred to as the Nine Emperor Gods Festival lasts for nine days and features unusual religious rituals such as piercing arms, cheeks, face, back, and legs with swords, knives, axes, or anything they can get hands-on. This is definitely not for those who have a weak stomach or faints at the sight of blood. 

Enthusiastic nightlife

Thailand’s big cities such as Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket have some of the best walking streets for nightlife boasting with bars, night markets, cabaret shows, restaurants, street vendors, tattoo shops, massage parlors, and much more. 

Some of its islands are also a go-to destination for party lovers for its all-night Full Moon Parties on the beach, while Bangkok offers plenty of naughty hotspots such as Soi Cowboy (“the red light district”), Khao San Road, Sukhumvit, or Nana Plaza. 

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