Thailand FAQS Thai food - Thai Cuisine is in a class of its own. It does not really resemble any other cuisine of the world, though if it is to be described by being compared to the cuisine of other countries one could say that it is somehow a blend between Chinese and Indian. A feature shared with Chinese cuisine are the staple foods, rice and noodles. A similarity to Indian cuisine are curries though Thai curries often are prepared without coconut milk.   Grand Palace, Bangkok - The Grand Palace should be the first destination on any visitor's itinerary. It is a huge compound with entrance on Na Phra Lan Road near Sanam Luang, surrounded by high white walls and occupying an area of about 260 hectares (2.6sqkm, 1sqmi). The palace consists of several buildings with highly decorated architectural details. The Royal Chapel, Wat Phra Kaeo, which is in the same compound, houses the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred Buddha image in Thailand. Photography is forbidden inside the building housing the Emerald Buddha. The complex is open daily 8:30-12:00 and 13:00-15:30. Admission fee is 125 Baht (including tickets to Wiman Mek Palace and the Coin Pavilion). Proper dress (modest attire) is requested - no shorts, sleeveless shirts or shower thongs. Wat Phra Kaeo, Bangkok - Wat Phra Kaeo (Wat Phra Si Rattanasatsadaram), in English called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, was built as Royal Wat early in the reign of King Rama I (reigned 1782-1809), founder of the Chakri Dynasty, who established Rattanakosin (the inner part of Bangkok) as the capital of the kingdom in 1782. The Wat, completed in 1784, occupies its own compound within the Royal Palace area as did Wat Phra Si Sanphet in the former capital, Ayutthaya. It is the most revered temple in the country, but being the royal chapel no monks reside there. It serves as the center for all religious rites pertaining to the state and monarchy, such as ordinations under royal patronage, special ecclesiastical rites, and the swearing of fealty. The image of the Emerald Buddha is regarded by the Thai people as the palladium of the kingdom, just like statues of Pallas Athene were regarded as protectors of cities and states in ancient Greece. King Rama I brought the image from the palace in Thonburi, the short-period former capital on the west bank of the Chao Phaya River. It was placed in the Main Assembly Hall (Bot) of the newly-built Royal Chapel and has remained there ever since. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market - Damnoen Saduak is a small town of Ratchaburi Province, some 25km (16mi) east of the town of Ratchaburi. From the town of Ratchaburi it's probably fastest reached by boat, cruising the extensive canal network of the area. Damnoen Saduak's main attraction is its floating market. Just a few decades back, shopping in central Thailand (including Bangkok) was conducted principally along the canals (or Klongs in Thai). The Bangkok waterway network was so extensive that the city was called the Venice of the East by European visitors. (Europeans liked such designations; Saigon used to be called the Paris of the East.) Meanwhile, most Klongs in Bangkok have been filled and paved over. But one can still find floating markets in the southwest of Bangkok (the Thonburi side), mainly along the Mae Klong River (the Mother of Klongs River which itself is indeed a river and not a Klong or canal). At these markets, sometimes hundreds of vendors' boats crowd the water surface. Sold is everything from vegetables and fruits to kitchen utensils or freshly-cooked noodles. While the floating market at Damnoen Saduak (which is especially noted for its fresh fruits from surrounding orchards) is probably the biggest of its kind, its certainly not the only one in the vicinity. The floating market is something Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi Province has in common with the town of Amphawan which is just a few kilometers south but is in Samut Songkhram Province. James Bond island, Phang Nga Bay - The park with an area of 400sqkm (154sqmi) lies merely 75km (47mi) northeast of Phuket and is one of the world's scenic wonders. Verdant limestone islands, honeycombed with caves and aquatic grottoes, soar perpendicularly, some 300m (984ft) high, from almost perpetually calm green waters. Few islands are inhabited and except for the occasional fishing village, the bay is largely untouched by human hand. Visitors are awed by the bay's silent, primeval atmosphere which has remained constant for untold centuries and which, barring unimaginable catastrophes, will remain so far into the foreseeable future. The bay's many moods range from early morning when mists evoke masterful Chinese paintings to spectacularly, riotously colored sunsets. Umbrella painting, Chiang Mai - Probably the most original, one of the most beautiful and one of the best-value Thai handicrafts are painted umbrellas. And while they are available in Bangkok and tourist souvenir stores all over the country, practically all of them come from one place: the village of Bo Sarn between Chiang Mai city and the small town of San Kamphaeng, just a few kilometers west of Chiang Mai. Bo Sarn has specialized in umbrellas not only since tourists have happened to like them. Umbrellas have been manufactured here for decades if not centuries. The original purpose of the umbrellas was to give them as offerings to monks and temples. Still today Wats are occasionally adorned with large Bo Sarn umbrellas, and sometimes they provide shade for Buddha images. Typically, the umbrellas are made of so-called Sa paper which is manufactured in old techniques from the bark of the mulberry tree. Even unpainted, this paper looks superb as it resembles parchment or a very thin hide. In most cases the umbrellas are painted with flower or bird motives. They come in all sizes, ranging from the very small one which can adorn potted plants, to the very large, good enough to provide shade for a whole group at a picnic. In general, the umbrellas are made in home industry by the villagers of Bo Sarn and, meanwhile, surrounding villages up to San Kamphaeng and beyond. Umbrellas of the size of utility umbrellas cost about 100 Baht (4 US Dollars) while the smallest are available for about 35 Baht (small umbrellas aren't much less work than those regular size). All the major sales places offer shipping of large umbrellas. Golden Triangle - Many tribes live around Chiang Rai, Mae Chan, Mae Sai and along the Kok River, including Yao, Akha, the Blue and White Maeo, Lisu, Lahu, Lahu Shi, Skaw and Karen. Each group speaks its own language, follows animist customs based on a belief in spirits as well as more recently adopted religious beliefs. Phi Phi Island - The two islands, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le, lie some 30km (19mi) off the Krabi coast. The one which is the common tourist destination is Phi Phi Don; Phi Phi Le is basically uninhabited though it's often visited by people stying on Phi Phi Don. The superb scenery of Phi Phi Don includes high hills with jutting cliffs surrounded by beaches of silvery sand and an emerald green sea, banks of coral reefs and colorful marine life unrivaled in the area. Wat Hariphunchai, Lamphun - The temple was built in 1157 in the reign of King Athittayarat and has been repaired, renewed, and enlarged from time to time. Holy relics were enshrined in the large golden Chedi called Phrathat Hariphunchai. It is one of the most sacred monuments in the North. The pagoda is 46m (151ft) high having on the top a nine-tiered umbrella, made of gold weighing approximately 6.5kg (14lbs). The base is square shaped with sides of 20m (66ft). Every full moon day of the sixth lunar month, there is temple fair.