 Bangkok
Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew – The enormous Grand Palace was once the magnificent home of the Thai Royal Family. Nowadays it’s mainly used for occasional ceremonial purposes and tourists are able to wander around the grounds for a small fee. Wat Phra Kaew, located in the same compound, consists of over 100 buildings and enormous spires, lavishly decorated with gold and glittering mosaics. Inside the main temple building is the Emerald Buddha, one of the most auspicious Buddha images in the country.
Wat Pho – Located adjacent to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho is a temple complex housing a large collection of ornate buildings and monuments. The highlight is the amazing gold-plated Reclining Buddha, 46 metres long and 15 metres high, with mother-of-pearl inlays on the soles of the feet. The compound is also home to Thailand’s most famous massage school, and for a fee one of the students will give you a traditional Thai body or foot massage.
Snake Farm – The Queen Saowapha Memorial Institute, also known as the Snake Farm, is located on the grounds of the Thai Red Cross on Rama IV Road, near the Henry Dunant intersection. The Snake Farm was set up to produce anti-venom serum for snakebite victims worldwide. Here you can view an impressive collection of snakes include several enormous King Cobras, along with pit vipers, kraits and non-venomous pythons. Venom-milking and snake-handling demonstrations are held twice daily.
Chao Phraya River – The muddy Chao Phraya and its snaking canals were once the made transport routes through the cities. Today, they are still useful for getting around the old city and a great way to sight-see, as the river boats pass many of the greatest temples and monuments of Bangkok. There are also a number of excellent dinner cruises available from various hotels and tour operators.
Skytrain – If the constant gridlock of Bangkok is driving you mad, head up to the elevated skytrain and cruise high above it all. Not only is it an extremely efficient way to get around the new part of the city, the icy air-conditioning can be a great comfort and it also offers an interesting semi birds eye view of the city, from the mammoth shopping centres around Siam Square to the quiet greenery of Lumpini Park.
 Floating Markets – The iconic postcard image of Thailand is undoubtedly the crowded canals of Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, where merchants pack tightly into the narrow klong (canals), their small rowing boats laden with fruits, vegetables and flowers. The markets are about 2 hours for Bangkok, and visitors wanting to avoid large crowds are advised to get there early – around 8am. The Floating Markets are a half-day tour, with the vendors shutting down at around 11am.
Safari World – Kids will love the African Savanna tour and the animal shows at Safari World, and it’s a great day trip for parents who want to get out of the hustle and smog of Bangkok for awhile. Safari World is the largest open-air zoo in Asia and also has a collection of marine animals including dolphins and whales. It’s located in Minburi, about an hour and a half north of Bangkok.
Phuket
Phuket Fantasea – Fantasea is the premiere attraction for families in Phuket. This unique theme park showcases the rich and exotic heritage of Thailand with a state-of-the-art theatre show complete with parading live elephants and dazzling special effects. There’s also the Festival Village where you can shop for Thai gifts and handicrafts and Hanuman’s Lair, full of games and exciting surprises for the kids.
John Gray’s Sea Canoe
When visiting Phuket try to make sure you have time for this kayaking experience. The guides are excellent and the trip a unique experience that both parents and kids will find amazing. Further information: www.johngray-seacanoe.com
Phang Nga Bay – Phang Nga is the province just north of Phuket, and its coastline of sheer limestone cliffs is nothing short of spectacular. There are some wonderful daytrips out of Phuket to Phang Nga. Families will love the Sea Cave tour, where you paddle kayaks right under the low-hanging ledges of the rocky cliffs and emerge in a partially submerged cave. This tour usually includes a visit to James Bond Island, the peculiar nail-shaped rock used in the filming of The Man With the Golden Gun.
Phi Phi Islands – This island group, one of the most beautiful in the region is more laidback and less expensive than Phuket. The astoundingly beautiful Maya Bay was the location of the secret paradise in the movie The Beach. You can take a daytrip from Phuket or spend a few nights here in bungalow-style accommodation.
Chiang Mai
Families looking for a little more adventure and cultural exploration also take advantage of Thailand’s north. Hill-tribes, elephant camps and Buddhist temples are aplenty and lay nestled among a spectacular scene of mountains, jungle and waterfalls.
Not far from the city of Chiang Mai – the second largest city in Thailand - members of hill-tribes dress traditionally and grow their own food, living off the income generated from their handicrafts. The women make silk and weave fabric to make bags and clothes and then sell them at the night markets in Chiang Mai. Tourists even have the option of visiting or staying with the hill-tribe villagers to experience a very different way of life.
 Elephants are sacred to the Thai people. Opportunities to see the Kingdom’s 1500 wild and 2500 domesticated elephants in varying environments are numerous. Trekking through the mountains and rice paddies is an opportunity not to be missed. Another equally intriguing and unusual spectacle can be located at various elephant camps around the country. Many of the camps, such as Maesa in Chiang Mai have provided a fascinating career change for 75 elephants. Far removed from traditional labour, these elephants stun both adults and children with their talents. Actually taking trunk to canvas, these elephants create incredible works of art! Some visitors even choose to stay three days or more to complete a mahout training course – art classes and elephant handling.
Diving and Snorkelling
The dive and snorkelling sites of Thailand are world-renowned. In the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Tao, a three hour boat ride from Koh Samui, is one of the most popular places for diving tuition in the world. There are pleasant, shallow snorkelling sites right off the beach in Phuket and Phi Phi island, but by far the best place for scuba and snorkel fanatics are the remote Similan and Surin islands. Uninhabited, unspoiled and unbelievably beautiful both underwater and topside, these paradise isles are brimming with rich, healthy coral reefs and incredibly diverse marine life. The Similan and Surin islands can only be accessed during the dry season, between October and April.
 TOP TEN things to do.
- Visit the Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok.
- Admire the enormous Reclining Buddha in Wat Pho.
- Swim and snorkel at scenic beaches of Phi Phi Island.
- Shop in the street markets of Bangkok and let the kids barter.
- Check out the floating markets in Damnoen Saduak.
- Go elephant trekking.
- Enjoy dinner and a show at Phuket Fantasea.
- Visit the pearl farms in Phuket.
- Ride the Sky Train in Bangkok.
- See a cobra being milked at the Snake Farm.
Events
The Thais enjoy a festive culture with a calendar full of holidays and events. Each region of Thailand has its own distinctive festivals from handicraft fares to rocket launching and buffalo racing.
Songkran – By far the most popular festival in Thailand, this Nationwide event is held in mid-April and draws crowds from all over the world. This celebration marks the start of the Thai New Year as well as the hottest time of the year in Thailand. Anybody who ventures outdoors is sure to get a good cooling-down as merry-makers race around the streets throwing buckets of water and shooting water pistols, ensuring that everybody gets thoroughly drenched.
Loi Krathong – One of the most beautiful and sacred nationwide festivals in Thailand, this event takes place on the full moon in November. During the evening, people go down to the local klong (canal) and float their krathongs. The krathong is a banana leaf cup laden with candles and incense sticks and is said to bring good luck and forgiveness.
| 
