When i go to thailand, i am there specifically to visit my family. i have a very, very large extended family in thailand (1 grandmother, almost 20 aunts and uncles, and almost 40 cousins!! and that's only counting first cousins!) and most of them live in or near bangkok. so most of my time is spent in bangkok, although i have travelled throughout much of thailand, except the south (i would love to go to the south of thailand to vacation and also maybe i could help in the rebuilding of the areas affected by the tsunami-- how are things down there anyway?). i have been to chiang mai, chiang rai, ayuthuya, sukhothai, lop buri, chon buri, khao yai, hua hin, pattaya, sriracha, pitsanulok, cha-am, and a few other places i can't remember right now.

i haven't really been a tourist... i think the most touristy thing i've done is go to lop buri for the tanthawan (sunflower) festival. even then, that's mostly something for thai natives to do as out-of-town tourists... not a lot of foreigners that i saw. and i rode an elephant when i was 10 (can't wait to do that again!). mostly i just hang out with my cousins and give them an excuse to go out of town (out of bangkok).

when i go out in bangkok, it's usually to find good places to eat! where's the best streetside vendor for a particular dish, where's the trendy new place, etc...

what about you guys? where do you like to go when you visit thailand? and what about the thai natives...? where do you go for a casual night out with friends?

My gf house for sure.

Hahahaa.

well, i don't think you want everyone else visiting there do you?

Hey dude.
I wanna make it clear.
I am not an out going guy.
Whenever I have time, I would rather spend it with my family, and I consider my gf as one of my family member. I stay home and spend time with my beloved(dad, mom, dogs). That's the reason why I go to Thailand.

And what I answer is the actual thing that I did every time I visited Thailand.

hey ongkot, dude, i have the utmost respect for your family values (i spend 99% of my time in thailand with my family as well... i just spend it going out with my family). sometimes i stay in with my grandma and have her show me how to make a curry or something. sometimes my aunts and uncles take me to go out to see a khon. sometimes my cousins take me out to go eat or something. everyone's got different ways to spend time.

since i can't hear your tone of voice, i don't know if you're trying to rain on my little parade here... but if you are, kindly take it somewhere else. if you're not, then i appreciate your comment; spending time with your loved ones makes whatever you're doing a good time.

I still have not visited Thailand.I wish I could have the time someday,especially Bangkok,which must be a beautiful city.
I won't visit it this year for sure because I have planned to go to South Vietnam this summer.
Maybe 2006 then ?

I usually go 3 times a year,love it there,love the people,I stay away from the tourist areas, I have been all over from all the way down south,krabi,samui,phuket,to bangkok,up to chiang mai and chiang rai,down to pattaya(which i dont consider the real thailand) but my favorite is the north east,Issan
My wife is Thai so I usually go up to the north east..go to Korat and buriram..where my wifes from there

uhm... I dunno?

Krung Thep, Pattaya, Mae Sai, Chang Sean, Chang Rai...

Just to name a few places I usualy go when in Thailand.

I don't have a large family like Thawan Daeng got

But most of my family are in the northern area while most of my friends are in the southern area, and one of my cousins studies to become a lawyer in Krung Thep.

I already visited almost all places in Thailand, only the area near Laos i still have to see...

I am married with a thai woman, so thats why i go to Thailand as often as possible to visit family and friends..

Hi,

Now I'm living in Bangkok.
And I think there are many place in BKK that you never seen.

"Taa Maa Tee Muang Thai and Krungtep Kor Maa Jeur Kan Dai NaKa."

do you know where we have to go to visit Thailand? I'm just wondering this because I'll probably go there to do a training period for my classes.

Sophie.

In the last two years I visited Thailand 2 times a year, 'cause I've also got a big family tree there, since I'm half Thai. My father is Thai and has 9 Siblings. we also went to Thailand in my childhood days very often...

we have a house there too, somewhere in Bangkok. Some of my Uncles can speak German 'cause they studied in Germany and then went back to Thailand after finishing their studying.

Hey Thawan Daeng, do you have family in Ayuthaya? Maybe we are related - LOL!!

hi Jantra, i don't have any family in ayutthaya, except my buddhai sawan "family". is that where your family is from?

Anywhere would be great!

Yes, All my family in Thailand are born and bred in Sena, Ayuttaya. I've been told that back in the day, Ayuttaha was the richest place in south-east asia, used to be the capital of Thailand before bangkok & was the home of the royal family.

that's right! ayutthaya was said to be comparable in size and wealth to paris! i have even read in some places that suggested ayutthaya may have at some times been a wealthier, more metropolitan city than paris and london.

That's amazing, thanks for sharing that info!

Ive heard thailand is a dangerous place for tourists ,Im not sure this is true.Is it?I would love to go there someday ,ive always wanted to ever since i watched jean claude van dammes (kickboxer)when i was just a kid .Surely i will now but it wont be no 2 week holliday i want a 3 month tourist visa so i cn see it all.

I thought chang mai was the capital of thailand?

Bangkok is capital of Thailand. Not Chiang-mai.

I can't refuse your Q.
But,
I think every place is dangerous. Not only Thailand.
You must becareful of yourself first.


Thailand have many beautiful place to vitsit.
And many Thai people is kind and nice.
I think most of Thai people don't want to injure tourist.
We want to be a nice host.

I would luv to go the Thailand one day, riding elephants all day, you know the kinda shit that isn't allowed in the zoo's.

And I ain't affraid for anything, cause I'm a damn warrior.
Just look at me.....

my long vacate = Pattaya.
hehe i love Chonburi

Yearning to visit the Phi Phi islands and all those other natural beach environments soon.

I would like so much to visit Thailand one day..

Are there human help programs available? Spending a few months with poor families, helping em, would really be an experience that could make me learn the thai culture. Be in contact with it.

I have heard that they have some kind of home stay tourism going on. But I really have no clue where to find that.

I found somthing like this from google.
Link

I have Thai Link

My last trip at Chonburi.

so adorable

Yeah, it is ! Saensuk is its name .
A little elephant have fun to fling a banana or everything round and...round...with its trunk.

I also would love to visit Thailand. There are things like the Travel To Teach organization that do good things there.

I am planning a trip to the Isan region during Song Kran next year. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong with this plan in the meantime, but I am very much looking forward to going.

I'll go to visit Thailand this month (April). I'll be there for a short time. Most of the time I'll hang around my house and go hang out with good old friends.