BASIC FACTS AND BACKGROUNDCapital: Bangkok
Population: 68.86 million Language: Thai Religion: Buddhism and Hinduism Currency: Thai baht Famous Food: Pad Thai, Khao Pad, Gaeng Daeng MUST-GO-TO PLACESDamnoen Saduak Floating Market - It’s an amazing place to be able to try fresh produce, seafood and fruit from different vendors. It’s bright, colorful, hot and loud, everything you expect in a market but the atmosphere is amazing!
Temples - Although we opted not to visit any temples, temple-hopping is definitely popular in Thailand. Just make sure to bring appropriate clothing! Anywhere you can see an elephant - This was definitely the highlight of the whole trip! Seeing elephants in real life was so surreal I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming! Shopping Malls - MBK, Siam Paragon, Siam Center are amazing places to shop till you drop or to just cool off from the hot summer sun. my experienceMy family and I have a slight obsession over Thai food, so we decided one summer to finally take that trip to Bangkok, Thailand in order for us to taste real and authentic Thai food. Our main goal was definitely to just walk around the diverse markets and taste a little bit of everything. As the locals say, “Bangkok is street life at its best,” and their streets definitely did not disappoint. Each street had fresh meals, fresh fruit, and the best thing to cool you down from the hot weather, mango juice! We visited the wet market (Damnoen Saduak Floating Market) as well, where you have to ride small boats to move from each platform in the market. Aside from the food, we stayed in a hotel not too far from a huge shopping district. We were literally beside three different malls, MBK, Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and they had the best stores and food courts! Obviously we could not pass up visiting the famous elephants. Seeing such majestic creatures in real life was definitely a memorable experience. Who knew something as beautiful as elephants could exist? All in all, Thailand is a great country to visit, especially for travelers who love to eat and immerse themselves in beautiful culture.
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PERSONAL TIPS
Definitely pack light! Thailand is a tropical country, which means it has two seasons: wet and dry. All year round the temperature is hot and hotter so pack cool clothes and don’t forget your shades and sunscreen! Flipflops and sneakers are a musts as well for roaming around the different market places or malls. Look out for the refreshing fruit juices on the street (my favorites were mango and orange) and those green mango snacks that you can munch on while you walk around the city. Ask the locals for the best restaurants where you can get delicious pad thai, tom yum and loads of seafood. Lastly, don’t hesitate to ask strangers for help for anything! Thai people are one of the most friendly people out there and they will never hesitate to help with a smile!