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Thailand Info | Pictures | What To Do There | Where To Stay | Rules | How To Get There | Jet Lag | Pros And Cons | Don't Forget Your Shots

Positives:

Thai people are among the friendliest in the world.

I don't claim to have traveled to every nation in the world, but you can take my word for it or read up on Thailand Travel Books and see it in print - but it's worth repeating.

Thai people are among the friendliest in the world. Believe it.

Southern Thailand has some of the most beautiful islands, beaches and diving areas in the world. Experience the culture and beauty of a exotic distant country where everything is affordable.

Food - Thailand's reputation for offering up some of the best food in the world is well deserved.

Language - Rarely will you find yourself in an area void of any English speaking people. All signs are in both English and Thai, including road signs.

No tipping necessary.

Real Bargains - The jewelry you see in America is marked up five times once it leaves Thailand. Buy at the source. (Rubies and sapphires are indigenous to this area of the world)

Little or no crime - Japan and Thailand top the list of countries that are safe for single men and women travelers.

Don't mistake this to mean there are no criminals in Thailand. They have harsh prisons that are full of bad criminals. But the difference between the Thai system of justice and the American system is that the Thais don't parole the bad guys after one year. The sentences they hand down fit the crime, and harsh sentencing is what's dealt out. This drastically reduces the number of bad seeds on the streets of Asia. Thailand doesn't suffer the "repeat offender" syndrome that we allow to go on in America.

Once you have traveled to some of the biggest cities in Asia - Bangkok, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong - you'll quickly realize something that you thought was impossible. There are no bad areas where you feel personally threatened. And the people living in these cities find it strange that you would think there would be such a place where you would fear walking alone at night.

Food for thought.

Negatives: (Yes, an even handed report needs to include these items)

Pollution - Although not as bad as Mexico City (You'll find little or no trash on the Thailand streets) the air in Bangkok is similar to summertime N.Y. or L.A. air, and only bottled water is drinkable. No pollution controls on ANY vehicles.

But rural parts of Thailand are obviously cleaner than the cities.

The heat - Thailand lies near the equator. If you don't appreciate hot muggy summer days, travel to northern Thailand (Chiang Mai) or differ to Hong Kong, Japan or China.

Thailand has three basic seasons:
1) Hot
2) Hot as Hell
3) Hot and Rainy (And in the rainy season, it rains like hell too)

You're not far from the Equator here. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!

Shots - Unless you already do some world traveling, you'll probably need a series of shots, but most protect you for a lifetime afterward.

Bangkok Traffic - Much worse than D.C. and L.A.