Tourism in Thailand (Day and Night)

TOURISM IN THAILAND

        It is estimated that Thailand makes about 9% of their GDP through Tourism, if you include it's indirect effects that number jumps to around 20.2%. Needless to say, Tourism plays a huge role in this country. In 2013, Bangkok was identified as the most visited city in the world by Time Magazine. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) uses the slogan "Amazing Thailand" to promote Thailand internationally. But, not everything about Tourism in this country is amazing. This post is meant to address the many sides of tourism in Thailand. I would like to consider it Day and Night.

DAY

Elephant Trekking in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Photo from GaryCycles

From the extraordinary, like the ruins of Ayuthaya to the controversial elephant trekking throughout the country Thailand has a lot to offer. It's a beautiful country with breath taking landscapes that include numerous

Sights & Attractions:

Photo & Description Courtesy of Miguel Juan

The Grand Palace-  The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam (and later Thailand) since 1782. The king, his court and his royal government were based on the grounds of the palace until 1925. The present monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), currently resides at Chitralada Palace, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events. Several royal ceremonies and state functions are held within the walls of the palace every year.

Photo Courtesy of Dennis Jarvis

Chiang Mai Zoo - Chiang Mai Zoo is a beautiful and fertile attraction in cool climate all year round. Fertility of forest, flowers and rare Northern orchids in Chiang Mai Zoo.

The wildlife attraction and learning center of all kinds of animal from all over the world and features activities such as,
Giant pandas the goodwill ambassador of Thailand and the People Republic of China

Events & Festivals: 

Photo courtesy of Takeaway

Yi Peng Lantern Festival- The Festival of Lights is celebrated all around Thailand with Loi Krathongs (lotus-shaped receptacles) released on water to bring luck and fulfill wishes. In Chiang Mai, the observation of the festival of lights, called Yi Peng, is uniquely different. Instead of water vessel, Chiang Mai people release thousand of lighted lanterns in the sky while making a wish. The sky transforms itself in a wonderful and surreal sea of little lanterns floating away. The spectacle is mesmerizing.

Photo Courtesy of Robert Pratt

Phi Ta Khon Festival- The Phi Ta Khon festival is the biggest attraction to the otherwise sleepy farming village of Dan Sai, nestled in the mountains of Loei province of northeastern Thailand. The event is peculiar to Dan Sai, but does combine elements of other Isaan festivals, such as the rocket festivals to bring rain. Although pinning down the dates of Phi Ta Khon was once an issue, with the village elders only naming the dates a few weeks beforehand, the festival is now fixed at the first weekend after the sixth full moon.

*Note: For a more in depth list of what Thailand has to offer visit this site here. 

NIGHT 

Night time tourism in Thailand has a completely different feel than tourism during various other times. If tourism during the day is family oriented then night time tourism is more for the partying man. In other words don't bring your kids, unless you are that kind of parent to each there own. 

Clubs & Sex Tourism:

My purpose with this section is not to pass judgement. I specifically want to shed light on the different things that happen within this country. I feel if we are not able to address all sides of a topic then what is the use of talking about it. Some people may find this to be just like the elephant trekking very controversial. Others may think that unlike the elephant trekking these people are forced into doing what they do so there is where there is a difference. You can be the judge for yourself.

Photo courtesy of Sobri

        Partying and sex tourism is a huge deal in this country. Almost every major city has a district where you are able to meet and pick up what is known as "Bar Girls". This is what most single men who come to this country attend to do. It doesn't help that women promote this behavior by flocking to these type of men. But, can you really blame them when the temptation of money and a better life is one "Farang" away? 

        Each bar has a "bar fine" which is the price it costs to get one of the girls from the bar or the go-go club to leave with you. The price for this fine can range anywhere from 300-400 Baht (10-12 USD). The women themselves can have a price anywhere from 1000-4000 Baht, which is no more than 12o USD. This side of tourism is technically illegal, but is often overlooked due to the amount of money that is able to be made from it. 

        It is estimated that prostitution brings in anywhere between 2.5-4 billion dollars per year and employs about 200,000 people. Eighty-nine percent of tourists that come to Bangkok are male; most travel from countries such as Japan, Germany, Western Europe, and the United States (Bishop & Robinson 1998: 67). However, the sex industry hasn’t always been so closely linked with the tourist industry. It first started to take off when the United States implemented the R&R (Rest & Recreation) program for the military after the Vietnam War. This opened the political, social, and economic markets in Bangkok. After the R&R period faded, the bars in the red-light districts, such as Pattaya, managed to survive because of other tourists. 

*Note: A very interested documentary can be seen here. It gives a look into sex tourism of Thailand.

No matter what your intentions of this country are there is a lot that can be offered. It still remains a beautiful place with lots of attractions and culture. I believe it is a place that everyone should visit at least once. And I can not wait until I am able to do exactly that. Thank you for following my blog up to this point. The next time I will post anything is when I am leaving to go to Thailand. With that said I will leave you with this. 

Words of Wisdom: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain 

...Phop Kan Mai