What is Thailand famous for?

All countries are unique and different, and some are especially special. Thailand, considered by many to be the most exotic country in Southeast Asia, is content with its own special flavor. In her seven hundred years of independence, Thailand has demonstrated an amazingly resilient tradition, the cornerstone of which is an unshakeable faith in the national religion, Buddhism, and a reverence for the monarchy that, despite the completion of democratic rule in 1932, reveres the dignity of the royal family as much as it did in the days when the king was the savior of the people.

Sukhothai

Sukhothai, meaning "the beginning of happiness", was the first truly independent kingdom in the history of the Thai people. From the middle of the 13th century to the end of the 14th century, the Sukhothai Dynasty flourished for a time and was the golden age of Thai civilization. The religious art and architecture of this period is considered to represent the most classic Thai style, with the most characteristic features being the decoration of the lotus seat and the bell-shaped stupa.

There are two historical parks in the Sukhothai area: the Sukhothai Historical Park and the Sisak Channarai Historical Park.

Sukhothai Historical Park:

Sukhothai Kuching, the site of the capital of the Sukhothai dynasty, is about 420 kilometers from Bangkok, which became a deserted city at the end of the 14th century when it was annexed by the Ayutthaya dynasty, and gradually submerged among the jungle. In recent years, after extensive restoration, the 45-square-kilometer ancient city has been set up as a historical park and also designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nearly 100 historical sites and four large ponds are scattered amongst the manicured greenery. The best time to visit Sukhothai is during the annual Water Lantern Festival, which falls on the full moon day of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar (usually November in the Western calendar). Water lanterns made of banana leaves and flowers float in the pond, and the reflections of ancient temples and statues of Buddha are reflected in the water waves, making it a poetic experience.

Ramkhamhaeng National Museum:

Ramkhameng the Great was the most prominent monarch of the Sukhothai dynasty, unifying the country, expanding its territory, advocating Hinayana Buddhism, and creating the modern Thai script. He was also active in developing relations with China, sending two visits to the country to learn the craft of pottery making. This museum will provide you with some sensual knowledge to explore the secrets of the ancient city of Sukhothai. The museum houses some of the finest creations of Buddha statues from the Sukhothai dynasty, including that of the Walking Buddha, which is considered to be the finest of all Thai Buddha statues. An inscription of Ranganhang the Great displayed in the museum states: "Sukhothai became increasingly prosperous. There are fish in the water and rice in the fields ...... freely traded without paying taxes." The inscription is the earliest record of Thai writing and a famous fragment of classical Thai literature.

Mahata Temple:

Built in the 13th century, it is the largest temple in the old city, surrounded by a brick wall and moat, and is the spiritual and administrative center of the old city of Sukhothai. There are 198 stupas in the grounds, and a few surviving Buddha statues sit among the remaining brick pillars of the temple.

The Sukhothai Temple:

Situated on a small island in the middle of a large pond, it is a very tranquil setting. The architecture of the Buddhist temple is typical of the Sukhothai era style, and the stupa is a typical Ceylonka-style bell-shaped stupa.

Seokcheon Temple:

Located 1.5 kilometers northwest of Maha Thapa Temple. The seated Buddha here, tightly enclosed within a wall said to be 3 meters thick, is still revered by Thais today, so definitely don't be tempted to climb on the statue for a photo. The statue is 15 meters high and 11 meters wide.

Sisak Channarai Historical Park

Located about 50 kilometers north of Sukhothai Historical Park along the Yong River, the 45-square-kilometer park is the sister site of Sukhothai's Old City and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tucked between green hills and grass, this historic park is not crowded and is great for biking, or you can ride an elephant around the park.

The Khao Phan Kaew Pong Temple:

The temple itself is nothing special, but set on a hill, it's a great spot for a panoramic view of the park.

Janglong Temple:

This temple, meaning "elephant temple", is the center of the old town of Sisaket Chanalai and was built in the late 13th century by Lan Khaeng Heng the Great. The bell-shaped Ceylonese stupa has 39 elephants at its base, and the once grand staircase symbolizes the way to heaven. You can often spot real elephants in front of this temple.

Chadayuta Temple:

On the opposite side of the temple is the Janglung Temple, which means "Temple of the Seven Rows of Pagodas", as the 33 small stupas here are arranged in seven rows. All the stupas in the temple have lotus roofs in typical Sukhothai style. It is rumored that the ashes of the royal family members of the Sukhothai Dynasty are buried under the stupas here.

Temple of Nampaya:

Built in the 15th or 16th century, it is later than all other temples in the old city. The main stupa is a typical Ceylonese bell-shaped stupa, which also had a carved elephant at its base. The outer walls of the main temple are carved with decorative motifs from the early Ayutthaya dynasty.

Prasiratanamahata Temple:

Located 3 kilometers south of the old city. It is thought to have been built before the Sukhothai dynasty and therefore has a relatively strong ancient Khmer style. The lintel of the entrance is carved with the head of the Buddha in the ancient Khmer style, and the main hall is dedicated to a large Sukhothai-style seated Buddha, next to a walking Buddha statue, which fully demonstrates the smooth and rounded artistic style of Sukhothai Buddha carving. Next to the temple is a wooden suspension bridge across the Yong River, and the locals wobbling across it on motorcycles can be considered a sight to behold.

A Ayutthaya

At 86 kilometers north of Bangkok, Ayutthaya means "city of peace" and was the capital of the Siamese state from 1350 to 1767. The Ayutthaya dynasty was the heyday of Thailand's history: it ruled over present-day Laos, Cambodia, and Burma for 417 years, with 33 kings, and a population of one million in the 17th century. Japanese merchants came from far and wide to do business here. At the time, all who visited the area were impressed by its prosperity.

Although this city of peace was eventually burned down and plundered by invading Burmese troops in 1767, the splendor of the Ayutthaya dynasty can still be seen in the ruins of a large number of palaces and temples.

The best way to get to Ayutthaya is to take a boat from Bangkok up the Chao Phraya River, enjoying the scenery along the way and reminiscing about when Zheng He led a flotilla of ships to Ayutthaya. After disembarking at Bang Pa-In Palace, take a bus to Ayutthaya Historic Site Park and rent a bicycle to wander around the remnants of the walls scattered amongst the lush grasses and reminisce about the vagaries of history. Take a bus back to Bangkok in the evening.

The Temple of Porasanphet:

The most famous of all the monuments is the Temple of Porasanphet. Built in the 14th century, this temple was the largest temple in Ayutthaya in its day, and also served as a palace for several generations of kings and as a royal temple. There used to be a 16-meter-high statue of the Buddha, with 250 kilograms of gold plastered on the surface of the statue. When the Burmese army occupied Ayutthaya, they burned down the entire temple and the statue in order to melt down the gold. The temple's landmarks are the three large stupas standing in the ruins in the typical Ayutthaya-era style.

A Ayutthaya Historic Site Park:

Ayutthaya is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are 375 temples in and around this ancient city enclosed by a moat***.

Brahmahatta Temple:

This temple was also built in the 14th century. Although the temple was burned down by the Burmese army, the Khmer-style stupa still retains some of its charm. It is rumored to be one of the oldest stupas in Ayutthaya. The Buddha's head wrapped in tree roots in the temple is also an extraordinarily strange sight.

Bang Pa-In Palace:

Located about 20 kilometers south of Ayutthaya, it was once the king's summer palace during the Ayutthaya Dynasty. It was rebuilt in the late 19th century during the era of Rama V Chulalongkorn the Great. It is a collection of eastern and western styles of architecture, the most famous of which is the Aisawan Thiphaat Hall, built in the center of the lake. It is a wooden spire palace, modeled after a palace in Bangkok's Maharaja's Palace. It is said that Chulalongkorn the Great used to recite poems here at sunset.

Wehat Chamrun Hall, the only palace open to the public, is a purely Chinese-style building called Tianming Hall. The hall was funded by a group of Chinese to build dedicated to Chulalongkorn the Great. The wooden structure of the palace is similar to that of the halls in the Chaoshan area of Guangdong Province, with most of the interior and exterior decorations and furniture coming from China, and the layout of the building is also completely Chinese.

Tourists can also climb the leaning tower next to Cheonmyungjeon to get a glimpse of the palace complex, which is set amidst greenery and waves.

Phetchaburi

Phetchaburi is Thailand's third-largest province, located about 130 kilometers west of Bangkok and west of Burma, and is famous for the Bridge over the River Kwai, which was built in World War II. Inside Phetchaburi:

Kwai River Bridge:

The Kwai River Bridge is a railroad bridge that was part of an approximately 415-kilometer-long railroad and link between Thailand and Burma. At the time, the Japanese army was in dire need of a supply line for the conquest of Burma and the Asian countries west of Burma, so from September 16, 1942 onwards, 61,000 Allied war veterans and 200,000 Asian laborers were successively enlisted to build the railroad, which was originally planned to take six years to complete, in just 16 months.

Because of the harsh climatic and living conditions along the railroad, coupled with the cruelty of the Japanese army, there have been 16,000 prisoners of war and nearly 100,000 laborers died of exhaustion, disease and malnutrition. Therefore, this railroad is also known as the "Death Railroad".

Toward the end of the war, the bridge was blown up by the Allies. After the war, the Thai government rebuilt it. The current bridge over the River Kwai **** has 11 steel girders and is 300 meters long and is still in use.

Tourists can walk on the bridge and enjoy the beauty of the River Kwai. It is also possible to catch a train bound for the Bridge over the River Kwai from any train station within Phetchaburi. Along the way, there are beautiful mountains, idyllic views of central Thailand, and the opportunity to meet ordinary Thais and learn about the local customs.

Prisoner of War Palace Museum:

This museum was built next to a temple and is adjacent to the Mae Hong River, the other major river in Phetchaburi. The entire building is modeled after the long bamboo-roofed huts where Allied prisoners of war lived in those days. Photographs on display show the prisoners as thin and bony, with only a piece of coarse cloth covering their crotches. The museum also displays maps, weapons, and other war memorabilia from World War II and has an extensive collection of news reports about the Bridge over the River Kwai and the Death Railroad. The museum's name, JEAATH, is an acronym for the six countries that were associated with the Katsura River Bridge. The six countries were Japan, England, Australia, the United States, Thailand and the Netherlands.

Beppu Allied Cemetery:

This cemetery, opposite the train station, has 6,982 headstones of Allied POWs from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, India, New Zealand, Canada, and Burma, who died during the construction of the "Death Railway". Inside the cemetery, the grass is green, flowers bloom, and thousands of marble headstones the size of 16-karat paper are neatly arranged. Many of the POWs were heartbreakingly young when they died.

The cemetery's setting is beautiful and tranquil, and young Thais are occasionally seen studying or meeting friends.

Outside Phetchaburi:

Many tourists come to Phetchaburi just to see the Bridge over the River Kwai, but in fact outside Phetchaburi there are dense slave forests, beautiful rivers, a huge variety of wildlife species and great waterfalls with flying pearls. Very Romantic-minded businessmen built bamboo boat houses on the river deep in the mountains, also without electricity, and lit by kerosene lamps at night. In the dark ``night, suddenly realized that long lived in the city you have long forgotten that there are so many stars in the sky.

Hellfire Passage:

Located 80 kilometers northwest of Beibu City. It was built in memory of the Allied prisoners of war and Asian laborers who died during the most difficult part of the construction of the "Death Railway". In this section, the prisoners of war used the simplest tools to cut a 1000-meter-long passage through a mountain. At that time, the Japanese army made the POWs work day and night, and at night, when torches were lit, the iron chisels hit the mountain with sparks, which looked like the fires of hell from a distance. By the time the passage was completed, about 70 percent of the POWs had died of overwork and starvation.

The commemorative project includes a museum with photographs of the prisoners, a more detailed English-language description of the construction of the "Death Railroad" and a short documentary.

From the path next to the museum is the Hellfire Passage. Prisoners of war used the simplest tools to cut through the mountain in seven places, a total length of 3.5 kilometers. If time is limited, you only have to climb over one hill to reach a passage. Looking at the still-visible chisel marks on the mountains on either side of the passages and the knocked-out chisels still stuck in the rocks, it is not hard to imagine the hardships of the POWs.

Love Bay Falls:

Love Bay Falls, located in the national park of the same name, is one of the largest waterfalls in Thailand. The waterfall has seven tiers and it is a trek to the highest one, so a pair of shoes suitable for walking is essential. The pools under the waterfall are also great for swimming, so don't forget to bring your swimsuit as well.

Sejon Falls:

There are two waterfalls, large and small, both of which are beautiful. The small waterfall is closer, about 60 kilometers northwest of Beibi City, and the large waterfall is about 100 kilometers from the city. There is a train station near the small waterfall and you can catch a ride back to the city from there.