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Six must do things in Thailand you should not miss
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Visit a Thai temple and dress the part too!
If you're planning on a trip to Thailand, when you get here, you'll find there are so many things to do you'll not know where to start. As a resident of Thailand for many years, allow me to steer you in the right direction for the best things to do while in Thailand. Believe me, if you don't, you'll kick yourself when you leave.
Buy Thai Silk - Known as the best quality silk in the world, Thai silk is not only beautiful it's cheap too. The best quality Thai silk can be found at Jim Thompson stores, but Chatuchak Market, Suan Lum Night Bazaar and Mahboonkrong (MBK) Mall also have tons of stalls selling silk very cheaply. You'll find scarves, shawls, shirts, blouses, skirts, bags, wallets, eye glass cases, make up bags, just about anything you want in plain or in intricate designs. With Thai silk scarves starting as low as 50 baht ($1.30) and with silk ties as low as 10 baht (35 cents - I kid you not!) on local markets, you really can't pass them up.
Get a Thai Massage - Thai massage is world famous and for good reason. It's also incredibly cheap in Thailand with an hour's Thai massage as low as 200 baht ($5.50) in some spas and salons. After an hour of Thai massage, which can be a bit brutal, you'll come out feeling like a new person.
Get a Haircut - When I lived in Los Angeles and used to get a haircut, I was lucky if I came out of the salon having spent less than $80 and my haircut would be average. Now I'm in Thailand I'm incredibly spoiled on haircuts as a haircut, wash and blowdry is usually around 150-200 baht ($3.75-$5.50) and it looks like Vidal Sassoon did it. Check out just about any hair stylist in Thailand, and you'll find haircuts, wash and blowdries, hair coloring, and more at prices less than 1/10th what you'd pay in the US or Europe.
Visit a Thai Temple - People who come to Thailand and never visit a Thai temple really have no excuse. Thai temples are absolutely beautiful and, with the depth of history they have, as well as many of the oldest murals and statues in Thailand, you really shouldn't miss seeing at least one. If you're in Bangkok, of course the grand-daddy of them all is Wat Phra Kaew, otherwise known as the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Probably the most beautiful building I've ever seen in my life, I challenge anyone to find one more beautiful.
Bridge on the Chao Praya River, photo taken from the Express Boat
Take a Boat Ride Up the Chao Praya - To see the real Thailand, you must take a boat ride up the Chao Praya River in Bangkok. You can hop on any tourist or express boat or even just the regular boat from any pier, with one coming by every 10 minutes or so. Fare is less than 15 baht (45 cents). From the boat you'll see Thai houses on stilts by the river, enormous barges coming down from China, monks waiting on piers for the next boat, kids swimming in the river, small shops selling Thai snacks, temples, military boats and, once, I even saw an elephant. The river is the lifeblood of Bangkok and one experience that should not be missed.
Mango and sticky rice - delicious!
Eat Som Tam and Mango and Sticky Rice - The two main dishes synonymous with Thailand are Som Tam (spicy papaya salad) and Mango and Sticky Rice. Before you leave Thailand, you must try both of them. Som Tam, low-fat, low-calorie and simply delicious. Mango and Sticky Rice (with coconut milk), the sweetest, most scrumptious dessert you've ever eaten - and healthy too.
Thailand has so many things you must do but, as for these six, if you don't do them you really can't say you've seen Thailand.
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