Jules: Thanks Steve, and welcome to this addition of the travel podcast, where we will be delving in to the magical Thailand. Joining us today we have Dave from the travel podcast team. We also have Mark Bacardi, who has lived in Bangkok for a number of years and once worked as a destination management company in Thailand. And then our resident expert this afternoon is Betsie from Tourism Thailand. So should we all start with a traditional Thai greeting? So if everybody could put their hands together, and we slightly bow our heads and we say Sawatdee-kah.

Betsie: Hi everyone.

Dave: Good morning everyone, hi everyone.

Jules: Brilliant, so let's get right into then Betsie. If you can explain to us, how do we get to Thailand from the UK.

Betsie: Great. So the quickest and easiest way to get to Thailand would be to fly to Bangkok and you can do that direct. So it takes about 11 and a half to 12 hours. But there's other international airports in Thailand as well, so if you didn't want to go into Bangkok necessarily you can go into Chiang Mai or Phuket for example, but you would need to do a stop over. So in the Middle East for example on your way there. But really once you're at any airport within Thailand, it's very easy to get around. So internal flights are in abundance.
So you can travel from Bangkok into Chiang Mai or down to Phuket. And they all sort of vary between about one and two hour flights each. Alternatively, so a different way to travel once you're in Thailand would be to get the train. So there is a train line that runs from Chiang Mai in the north all the way down to the south and into Malaysia as well. So I've not actually done this myself, but I've heard it's a very unique way to do it. Obviously if you've got a little bit more time on your hands, because just for context it's about 12 hours between Chiang Mai and Bangkok. So for the people that have got a little bit more time to spare. But Dave I think you did that route at some point, did you?

Dave: A couple of times actually Betsie to be honest. I do like a train, you'll probably get to know this. Trains are great, but if you're going on a long journey I'd always recommend getting a sleep bunk. But I've done both. I've done both. So I've had a sleeping bunk on the way from Bangkok down to Siritani, and I've also done it in a seat. Now the seats are quite small if you're just having a seat, it can be quite uncomfortable. So if you are getting a train it doesn't cost a lot more to have a sleeping bunk. And the food is great and you get very big bottles of singha beer as well. So if you're going to do it, get a sleeping bunk, it's well worth the extra money.

Jules: Fantastic insight there Dave. And so speaking about the different areas of Thailand then. If we start in the north, so Chiang Mai sort of area. Now this is much more mountainous isn't it? What can you tell us more about the north of Thailand Betsie?

Betsie: Yeah so the north is kind of where the jungle meets the mountains. So a lot of people choose to go up here to just really enjoy the senary. It typically has a much colder climate, and yeah it's a great place to really experience Thailand's wild life so all of the elephants. It's great bird watching up there as well. And lots of opportunities like adventure activities, so like rafting, cycling, and hiking and things like that. So it makes a really good alternative to a beach holiday, and a lot of people do ten to do the both as part of one holiday, to really get an all around picture of Thailand. And especially if you're a first timer, we do recommend doing those two things and then adding Bangkok onto the end, just to give you that all around picture.

Dave: One thing you can do also from Chiang Mai, which I did a long time ago, we went up to visit the hill tribes. And we actually had the opportunity to actually ride on an elephant. It's the only way you can get to the specific hill tribe was on an elephant, there was no roads or anything else. So it was great going through the hills and the jungle on the back of an elephant to get to the hill tribes. And then we actually stayed there for two or three days, it wasn't a touristy thing. So we actually stayed in the hill tribes, slept outside the huts, and really sort got to experience that sort of Thai life. Which is still like that these days, going back hundreds of years. So I don't know if you've managed to do that Mark, have you at all?

Mark: Yes, and also there's an area called Chiang Rai Providence, which is accessible for Chiang Mai and there's the most surreal temple there. It's called the white temple, which I believe was from a Thai artists. And basically everything in it is white, and it's almost surreal. As you go into it, it's like the hands coming out from hell. It's got Predator, Micheal Jackson, George Bush are all in this just incredible temple. So if you're ever in the Chiang Mai region, that is honestly the pictures you look at them going, did I actually visit this place? But it's the white temple, I think its real name is Wat Rong Khun. But if you google the white temple you'll see it, and see the pictures it's quite astonishing.

Jules: Brilliant, so moving further south then, I guess we come to the sort of the cities of Thailand. And I know Bangkok has got a special place in your heart Mark, because you spent a long time living there. Could you explain to everyone what it's like to live in Bangkok?

Mark: Well, yeah living there is like a parallel universe to actually visiting, because I'd visited and traveled two or three times, but then when I lived there, I lived in various different areas and got to know the real Bangkok. And it was just, if you've never been to Asia, it is an assault on the senses there's no getting away from it. It's extremely phrenetic and bustling just with the population and the Thai way of life. But you can go and visit the various different kind of headline attractions, but I used to do quite a few stay cations, where at the weekend because we lived in the city we'd go down to the river and just stay in one of the hotels the other side of the river, because it feels very different to the rest of Bangkok. Especially if you've got a family and you want to have a bit more, you want to be outside of that hustle and bustle in the evenings. And there's some lovely hotels all along the riverside, and the access to getting to town is easy through the trains.
So yeah, it's a very different place. But yeah for a first time visit you've got to spend at least a couple of days in Bangkok, just to kind of get a real feel of a huge city, a huge Thai city. Quite an amazing place.

Jules: Yeah I totally agree. Some of the sites that I encountered while sitting on a small plastic stool in the center of Khaosan Road, being offered some interesting delicacies while sipping on a singha beer, it's definitely the place to people watch. Hey Dave, did you have some culinary delights whilst you were in Bangkok?

Dave: Yeah definitely. And those who know me know that I'm a fan of street food, and there's all sorts of things. Chickens feet and we'll talk about grasshoppers a bit later I think probably, but yeah and I think the only time I've been ill in Bangkok was when I went to a pizza restaurant. So I always found I was always better when I was eating from the street foods. I think there's actually a Michelin star street food, am I right Betsie or did I-

Betsie: There is yeah. There's a street food vendor with a Michelin star, and I think that kind of tells you everything you need to know about Thai food. You really don't have to pay over the odds for a really good meal. I mean you can, and experiences on rooftop bars and things in Bangkok really are amazing. But then you've got that polar opposite, which gives you a completely different experience, but just amazing. The vendor, if anyone wants to know the name of it, it's called Jay Fai. So definitely want to keep your eye out for when you're in Bangkok for sure. And I think probably one of the most unique experiences for me having been to Bangkok is there a railroad called the Maeklong railway.
And there's actually a market on the railway itself, and it's absolutely amazing. Some of you may have seen these videos on Facebook before, but it is a market that has just sort of expanded and expanded. And they have just got all of their goods on this working railway, and the train comes by about sort of four times a day. And they have to take all of their stuff off the railway, pull the canopies back, and this train comes through. Very slowly, but still it comes through. And the vendors do not bat an eyelid. And there's all these tourists taking picture, and it is just phenomenal. And that for me is something that really sticks in my mind, having been to Bangkok. It's a very alternative experience that you can have, being in a city. It was amazing.

Jules: Yeah, sounds amazing. So moving out of the city, so going a bit further south then, Betsie could you explain what are the islands like and the coastal regions around Thailand.

Betsie: Yeah so the south of Thailand is known for its beaches and its islands. And there's about 1,400 different islands in Thailand. So it's so, so many to chose from. And it is I think for a first time visitor it's quite difficult to figure out where you actually want to go. But quite a nice tip for people who have to travel sort of in the school holiday. So just a bit of an overview in terms of seasons for Thailand. So they've kind of got a dry a hot and a green season. Dry season is between November and February, hot season is then sort of March to May, and then green season is around June to October time. So green season is great for the north, because that's when the jungle is at it's most lushest, so really beautiful time to visit them. But if you're looking for a beach holiday, definitely you shouldn't discount the UK summer holidays, because there's a sort of better coast line in the south to visit. And that coastline is the Gulf of Thailand side, so the one with [inaudible] on it.
And then if you are traveling in our winter, then the Phuket side the Andaman Sea is the better time to visit. So that's quite a nice tip for people who sort of are stuck to traveling at certain times of year. But obviously a lot of people know the sort of key hubs, so Phuket, Krabi, Ko Samui, but we are finding a lot more people looking for those sort of off the beaten track beach stays now. And places that are potentially a little bit quieter that haven't really been discovered by tourism. And there's lots of options. So places like Ko Lanta, Khao Lak are becoming more popular. So they have really nice resorts and hotels, but still on the sort of quieter side compared to places like Phuket. So yeah there's lots of options, it can be a bit of a mine field, it's just choosing exactly where you want to go. But that's why we tell people just to keep coming back year and year after year, so they can experience more of it.

Jules: That's a great tip there Betsie. So I have actually experienced some of the fun of the islands, when I went backpacking all those years ago. Fresh out of university, and there is a particular island, Ko Pha-ngan, which hosts the full moon party. And I would not recommend it for families or children, however if you do want a real insight into some hedonistic crazy stuff, then I would head there. Where you will see things like skipping ropes burning with fire, and buckets of alcohol for consuming. But yes, Dave have you got any experience of the islands?

Dave: I have plenty Jules. So apart from talking about the main ones, Costa Mui and Phuket. So Phuket, it's always important to ask people, what is it you want? Because you go and spend some time at Pa Tong if you want some crazy night life, very busy high rise. Or you can go to say some other beautiful hotels on the island. But I too have also visited Ko Pha-ngan, many many years ago. And the only only thing I can remember is waking up on the beach the following morning with some people from Iceland. So from what I remember it was an amazing experience. I think it's moved on a bit these days, but yeah I do remember waking up with some people from Iceland that apparently I spent most of the evening with. But yeah Betsie is right, there's something for everyone.
If you want crazy full on night life, then you can go here. If you want to relax in five and six star, if you want tree pod dining or a villa up in the trees with its own pool, then those types of luxury properties are abundant all over the islands. And some of the ones a bit more that you wouldn't have heard so much about. But yeah, absolutely right in talking about the weather and the time of year. I think Thailand is great for Christmas for families as well. I think it's a great different type of Christmas. If you're like me, not keen on the cold and the dark, Thailand for Christmas I think is a great time to go.

Jules: And what about you Mark, have you got any experience in the islands?

Mark: Yeah I was trying to sort of count, I think I've been to about a dozen. But there's a couple that stick in the mind, just because they were slightly different. The first is called Yao Yai, which is there's Ko Yao Noi and Yao Yai, I think Yai is big Noi is small. And there was a particular place that I stayed, and it was a hill top retreat at this particular resort. And it was an eco resort, and it was very laid back. But quite a lot of the apartment style, beach hut style had infinity pools. And you would just overlook in the sea and these casts that come out of the sea, and it was just such an amazing beautiful place.
And then the other one was, and it's quite near, it's probably good if you've got less time, it's a place called Ko Samui, which is about three hours drive from Bangkok. So say for instance if you only had a couple of days before your flight leaves and you wanted to move out Bangkok, you can go there. You can even get a taxi or private transport there, it's about three hours drive from Bangkok. Get on a ferry and then you're on an island. And that's more if you like a bit low key, but there's a lot of the Bangkokins that go there for the weekend. So it's a bit like the place that they go to get away from the city. So if you want a bit different a feel than just all tourists, that's a great place as well. So two very different islands.

Jules: That's great. And getting between the islands is super easy as well. Like you said with local ferries, and it gives you an insight into the local people when you can travel on their form of transport as well. So you pick up a few stories and some tips along the way from the locals. So moving on then, up to the key highlights of Thailand as such. So if we start first with the wildlife, I know you've mentioned Betsie, that the north is really great for the wildlife. And I myself worked in an elephant sanctuary for a couple of weeks when I was backpacking. What about the rest of the country in terms of wildlife, what would you say are your highlights Betsie?

Betsie: Yeah so elephant is the national animal of Thailand, so you'd be hard pushed to go anywhere on your holiday in Thailand and not see an elephant when you're there. There's lots of elephant sanctuaries dotted throughout, even in the south as well. As I said, bird watching is very popular, but there's lots of marine national parks in Thailand as well. So actually the underwater wildlife is out of this world, and there's mammals like the Dugong, which is also known as the sea cow, that's native to Trang in the south. And then you've got pink dolphins as well off the coast of [inaudible]. So if you're lucky enough to see those, I've never seen one when I've been there, but I absolutely would love to.
So there's lots of options of sort of exotic animals as well as bird watching and things like that. I suppose with the elephant sanctuaries, because there are so many of them, it is just worth doing your research before you go, make sure you're visiting the ones that are regulated. And same goes with hotels, because I think if you're visiting somewhere and you sort of want to support that responsible tourism, it's always good to do that research. Have a look at the sort of ethics of the hotel, see what they're doing in terms of recycling and single use plastic and things like that, because there's so many options. And I think it's just sort of narrowing down the ones that are good for you, and it sort of makes you feel like you've come back from your holiday having done some good as well.

Jules: Yeah definitely. And you mentioned, Dave you'd been on an elephant. Are you much of a diver, have you seen the marine life?

Dave: Yes. I have in I can't remember where it was, it probably would have been around Chiang Mai. But I do more like to snorkel rather than dive. I had a bad experience in Mexico once with scuba diving, I won't go an bore you with it now. I had coming up under the wrong boat. But yeah love snorkeling, love being in the ocean, but yeah pretty much around [inaudible]. Other areas you'd recommend Mark, for sort of diving and that sort of thing?

Mark: Again Koh Tao is probably the famous diving island in Thailand, so that would be if you're really into diving, because you can get your paddy as part of your holiday. You can do it in seven days or five days or whatever, so that's definitely on the bucket list. Just back to what Betsie said, when I was working in Thailand, there's a school called Travel life, which a lot of the hotels sign up to. And that's an ethical sustainable certification then you get different levels. So you can always ask whoever is booking your holiday, if the hotels or go and have a look yourself on their website to see if they're certified. And then just in terms of elephant sanctuaries, I know that there's day trips where you can go and be part of Mahouts, who are basically the people that look after the elephants. You can go and have a day in the life with a Mahout, and they will teach you through what they do on a daily basis, especially in sanctuaries, but again making sure that they're certified, because that's obviously paramount now to make sure that sanctuaries are certified.

Jules: Yeah that's great, and a lot of the companies are doing a lot in terms of their eco tourism. And ensuring that the wellbeing of the animals is at the forefront of their tourist product. So that's really, really great. And I myself got my paddy open water certificate in Koh Tao, so yeah I'm a certified diver. Now moving on to the food. Now everyone knows this is my favorite subject on every podcast. But I think if I go for my very favorite Thai dish, it would probably be a green Thai curry. And I know it's not that exotic, but it is absolutely delicious, and I would finish that off with some sticky rice and mango. What about you Betsie, what's your favorite dish?

Betsie: Yeah I must say, I think having a good Thai green curry in Thailand you just cannot beat it. And obviously pad Thai as well. There's a dish called laab as well, which is kind of like a meat salad. And I think one thing that Thais do really well is a spicy salad, and we don't really tend to do that in England very much. And I think ever since I've tried that, I just love it. And sort of all the fruits that they put in savory food as well, I really love that. But I think it's quite interesting seeing the differences in the cuisine in the north verus the south, and a lot of the spices. Sort of a lot of fresher in the north versus dry spices in the south, and a lot more of seafood, and I love seafood.
And so actually spending a lot of time in the south having lots of seafood dishes is amazing as well, and so fresh. Obviously it comes straight out of the sea and onto your plate in a matter of a day. So you really cannot beat that. And I think there's about 2 and a half thousand Thai restaurants in the UK now, so that does really just show the British love for Thai food, but you have to really go and see it for yourself, for sure.

Jules: Brilliant. And what about you Dave, you've got a top Thai dish?

Dave: Yeah a couple Jules to be honest, and food is one of the unique set in point for Thailand, it really is. First of all I've got to agree with Betsie about laab, if you haven't experienced it you can have chicken laab or I think duck laab and they serve it in a lettuce leaf don't they? It's absolutely stunning. It can be a little bit spicy, but it's great. Also there's something call tum yum which is a very spicy soup, which I absolutely love. And again I'm with Betsie on the curry, I like a nice massaman curry. And a cold singha beer to go with whatever it is you're eating, that'd be my top three I guess.

Jules: Of course, and what about you Mark? So away from the street food, the crickets and the grasshoppers that we might have tried on Khaosan Road, what about your favorite dish?

Mark: Well mine is a dish called Yum Pla Duk Foo, which is crispy catfish. Which sounds very random, and I don't actually particularly like bony fish, but they actually just deep fry the whole thing and serve it with mango salad, a mango chutney, and it's absolutely superb. And then back to what Betsie and Dave said, laab moo, which is the healthy one which is the fresh one. And then they deep fry in bowls, and I just love the word for pork in Thailand moo. So that always tickles me. But back to northeastern food, or Isan food, which is normally as Betsie said can be a bit spicier. But yeah they have their own specific take, and I just love Isan food, it's always a little bit more cheeky on the spice, but the flavors are just superb.

Jules: Yeah there's also some opportunities aren't there Betsie, some companies are starting to offer cooking classes as another sight seeing thing that tourists can actually take part in. Have you got any that you would recommend in Thailand?

Betsie: So a lot of Thai hotels offer cooking classes, but there's a lot of sort of stand alone ones as well. So there's the blue elephant, dotted all around Thailand, but it's definitely something that I would recommend you doing. Because you then can sort of bring a bit of Thailand back with you. I have tried to recreate some of the dishes that I've learned at Thai cooking courses, but for some reason you just cannot get it spot on. I don't know whether it's the ingredients or whether it's just me not being able to remember exactly how it was done, or I can't say way.
But the nice thing with a lot of the cookery courses in Thailand is that they're set sort of on the beach fronts, especially if you go to the ones in the south. So it's kind of all open air, you're not sort of stuck in a sort of kitchen, you are just in open air. And they really, they are beautiful. So you sort of get the experience of actually really getting to know a Thai person, the chef as well. And yeah you've got loads of tips that you can take home with you.

Jules: Yeah actually I did take part in one cooking course, and he gave me the recipe book when I left, so. But like yourself Betsie, since coming home I'm afraid my Thai cooking skills have delved right down. But nevermind, there is a lockdown which we can practice in, so that's great.

Betsie: Yeah exactly.

Jules: And the main part of Thailand that I think I really appreciated and thought was very different to other countries that I visited were the people. And I feel like they really make the country, their so kind. People will go out of their way to help you as a tourist and expect nothing in return. And what are your experiences with the locals Mark?

Mark: Yeah well I worked in a Thai office, so there's probably 80 Thai staff, so the first thing I just love, they all have nicknames for themselves. So I worked with somebody called meow meow, and a guy called pooy which means, and a lot of the nicknames they get when they're younger. So pooy means a bit tubby in Thai, but that was his nickname for the rest of his life. So I'd be having Skype conversations with pooy and meow meow and it was just very surreal. Every day you're like really? But yeah they're such warm hearted people, and just yeah, the main thing was they really respect their elders for a start. So they really respect their elders, but they love kids. Absolutely love, so for a family holiday, Thailand is probably my number one choice for a family to go, because you've got such, the people just love families and love kids. So it's just a fantastic open hearted culture and people, so just loved it.

Jules: Now that we've had... Can you hear me now? Hang on I have to do a clap. Is that better?

Betsie: Yep, yeah.

Jules: Dave are you hear?

Dave: I am here yes. I think I temporarily disappeared.

Jules: That's okay he can cut that bit, that's fine. Now I've done a clap, he'll find the clap and cut that bit. So what were we talking about?

Mark: The people.

Jules: Oh yeah the people. Oh yeah and I was going to tell you about the monks, okay. So I'll do another clap and then we'll go back into it.

Mark: It's so distorted, I can't hear or see much to be honest.

Jules: You're a little bit roboty.

Mark: Yeah, it has been for about two minutes. But I don't know whether the cameras make a difference.

Jules: You can take the camera off. It does stream it [crosstalk].

Mark: If I take the cameras off it might just make it work a bit better.

Jules: Okay, okay. So I'll just go back into monks.

Mark: We can slice it together anyway, so.

Jules: So Dave? Okay. So one of the experiences I had with the local people was actually with some monks. They came to us and said, "Would you like to join us for tea?" So that was a really fantastic experience which I've since learned is a very exclusive experience, that not many people have had the opportunity to have. So I feel very lucky there. And the people as well like you said, they're super respectful, and I believe when you do your greeting, I don't know if this is right Betsie, but the lower you bow your head, that's a show of how much more respect you have for the person that you're greeting. Is that right?

Betsie: Yeah that's exactly it, yeah. So you'll find that often young people come into a room, and if they see an older person they will sort of bow their heads. And I think it's things like that that does show the amount of respect, like you said Mark, that they give their elders. But the thing that I love is that when you go to Thailand, they do really want to show their country off. And it gives you a bit of a warm feeling when you visit Thailand and you just are welcomed with open arms, and they do want to show it off. You don't feel like you're an imposter and you're sort of getting in the way. They're so proud of their country and their heritage, and they want you to learn about it. And I think that sort of speaks volumes in the fact that 72% of people who visit Thailand are repeat visitors. And a lot of people we speak to who say they love it, that is the thing that comes up the most, is the people and the fact that they just love the warmth that they get when they arrive in Thailand.

Jules: Yeah they are beautiful people inside and out, that is for sure. And another part of their culture, which I must submit I was too scared to experience, is the Thai boxing. But I believe Mark, have you had an experience with the Thai boxing?

Mark: Yeah, well I've been to see it, but I also went on a days training, and oh good grief. It's the toughest training I have ever experienced. Just incredibly fit, but yeah it's their national sport, so the Thai population absolutely love it. It's on TV every week. But yeah just the whole ceremony around Muay Thai, it's just such a spectacular sport to go and see.

Betsie: And I'd quite like to try it over in the UK, but I think going to Thailand and doing it in the heat must be very full on. And I did hot yoga before, but I'll be it it was in a room that just had heaters blaring out, and I absolutely hated it. So I have a feeling that I would try Muay Thai over here, and I would probably really enjoy it, but maybe if I try it in Thailand it would be another story, I don't know.

Jules: What about Thai Chi then Betsie if you're a bit of a yogera? If that's a word.

Betsie: It is now. Yeah there's so many sort of yoga retreats that you can experience, and places like Chiva-Som, which win awards for wellness globally year after year. But there's a lot of sort of smaller yoga retreats that you can go to, and sort of where you do yoga overlooking the sea I think is absolutely beautiful, and it's sort of an experience you can't really replicate over here. And you've got Thai massage as well, and that is something that the locals do just part of their sort of weekly routine, and you'll find that spas and massage parlors are just on every street corner, because it's just what they do. It's part of their sort of weekly routine. And they really hurt. I mean I've had a couple of them done, and you do just underestimate how much they are going to hurt, but boy do you feel so much better afterwords. And yeah, it's not like the massage that you'd get over in the UK at all, so I would definitely just a pre warning for anyone who's not had one and wants to try one, they aren't for the faint hearted.

Jules: No, but very good in terms of how you feel afterwords, definitely. But so yeah at the time like you said, maybe not so enjoyable. But afterwards, your body [crosstalk].

Betsie: Yeah, you'll feel better.

Jules: Brilliant. So and in terms of the wellness, so this is quite an emerging type of holiday, especially that we're seeing in the UK. And I think will be more prevalent as we're coming out of lockdown in terms of the wellness. So you mentioned there are some wellness retreats in Thailand, is that right Betsie?

Betsie: Yeah, there's lots. And we're finding that that is becoming more and more popular as well. People are wanting to go on their holiday and sort of rejuvenate and relax, so yoga retreats especially are becoming very, very popular as are spa holidays and things like that. So yeah, we're definitely seeing a higher demand for it, and there's definitely supply in Thailand. Basically all spectrums, so you've got the very, very big resorts doing it, and then you've got sort of the very, very small resorts doing it as well. So if you're after a relaxing holiday, then Thailand is definitely a good option for you.

Jules: Yeah I mean we've discussed it's great for families, for couples, for those interested in sports. For those interested in just flopped drop holidays. It really does tick boxes for everyone. What would you say Mark, if you were speaking to a first timer, what would you suggest as sort of a first time itinerary for maybe a weeks holiday in Thailand?

Mark: If it's a week, you'll probably fly into Bangkok possibly a couple of days, and then depending on what type of holiday you wanted you could either go up to Chiang Mai or over to one of the island. So you'll get a different feel to the same holiday. But again, from what Betsie said previously, depending on what time of year you want to go, and what type of experience you want to have, would dictate. But yes, into Bangkok, or out of Bangkok and an island and possibly up to the north. So you get a rounded feel for the whole of Thailand in one trip. And you could do that in a week to ten days quite easily.

Jules: Yeah brilliant. What would you suggest anything for a first time itinerary you would add to that Dave?

Dave: For me first time, again what Mark said it depends on time. It would be a three center for me. So yeah Bangkok, maybe at the end, not necessarily at the beginning, but I would probably have a good three nights or even four in Bangkok depending on who it was. One of the beaches for again probably over a week, and I'd go up north as well, probably Chiang Mai, so probably three or four nights in Chiang Mai, three or four in Bangkok. What's that? Six, seven, so for a two week itinerary, a week on the beach, a few nights in Bangkok, a few in Chiang Mai and then you get a bit of everything, you see? [inaudible] and then if you get time, because there are places in the middle sort of thing, you can go to Sukho Thai where if you're into temples and ruins, then Sukho Thai Ayutthaya, which I think used to be the capital of Thailand Mark, or correct me there.

Jules: Yeah.

Dave: But also one place we haven't spoken about which is very famous, is a place called Kanchanaburi. Now people won't know probably the word or name Kanchanaburi, but that's where you find the bridge over the river Kwai. So I've actually stayed there, and that's where I had my first taste of grasshoppers, in Kanchanaburi. But it's very, very humbling when you go over the bridge of the Kwai and you go to the museum there and see the sacrifice that people made actually building the Burma Railway and all that type of thing. So Kanchanaburi is definitely worth a visit, and you can go to visit there's a lot of culture and temples and ruins apart from the main three sort of hubs that we've spoken about, there's a lot more places you can go to as well. But yeah if you've got a couple of weeks, then you can see sort of a three cent bit of everything.

Jules: Brilliant. And in terms of accommodations, there really is something for everyone isn't there Betsie? From real two star one star guest houses, right up to the six star all encompassing resorts.

Betsie: Yeah, there's the whole spectrum really. And it depends where you are in the country, but I think that a lot of people looking for luxury, can mean sort of different things to different people. So for some people, that will be a five star sky scrapper in Bangkok, but then for some people it will be going to a local community, and really sort of doing a home stay I think like Mark was mentioning earlier. So there's lots of community based tourism initiatives throughout the country, where you can go do homes stays, learn sort of local cultures and local crafts. Take part in cooking and things like that. And actually going to those smaller villages is good for tourism, it means that we're not pushing everyone to the big hubs like Bangkok and Phuket, we're actually getting people dispersed, which then helps these smaller villages actually thrive and keep going.
And if tourists are going and wanting to experience the local traditions and local crafts and things like that, it means that then the villages will kind of hold onto that tradition. So whereas maybe they might have lost that along the way, it actually encourages them to keep that going. So I think there's a lot of places that potentially people may never have heard of like Mae Hong Son in the north, and then down in the south there's a little village called [inaudible] Wong as well.
So this was a tiny little village that was destroyed in the 1980s by mudslides, and since then it's regenerated as an eco tourist attraction. So somewhere like that that has completely flipped a back situation into a very, very positive one. And people now go and visit that and actually benefit the area. So yeah, there's a whole range of accomodation, and yeah that's just sort of a very... I think I might have gone of a bit of track there, but small villages I suppose is just what I'm trying to say is that there's so many options. It's not just the five star high rise buildings in Bangkok, there's a whole range.

Jules: No, and that's great to know, that as a tourist you can actually contribute to the sustainability of the tourism in the country by staying at some of these maybe lesser well known places, and just again immersing yourself in the culture. And that you've all been absolutely fantastic today with all of your insights. And I just wanted to finish on sort of multi centers, because although we've mentioned that Thailand really does have it all, it is also a fantastic multi center stop of. Dave what would you recommend, how would you incorporate it into a multi center holiday?

Dave: Great question Jules. Yeah it's all about time really. All about how much time you've got. I mean the first thing I would say is if you're going to Australia or New Zealand, or you're having one of those blow the budget around the world trips, then Thailand is a perfect stopping off point. So if you're going to Australia New Zealand, spend some time on the way, it's a long way to fly to Australia without stopping or stretching your legs. So Thailand is great because it's not exactly but sort of in the middle. So it's a great stopping point on the way to Australia and New Zealand.
Also if you're not going that far a field you can sort of go somewhere before Thailand. So if you want to go to somewhere like Dubai on the way, and then that's two very, very different experiences. And I would always suggest if you're going to Thailand mix it and match it with somewhere that's not the same, if you know what I mean, because then you're maximizing the experience. Somewhere like Dubai onto Thailand, and you can get Australia as well if you want. So yeah you can mix it with Hong Kong, with China, that is China, with Japan. But I would always say have a different experience, than Thailand itself, you'll get the most of it then. But yeah it's great for a stop over point yeah. But one night isn't enough. If you're going to go, make sure you spend some good time there.

Jules: No that was so brilliant. You've all given such great insights into your own personal experiences in Thailand. And I'm sure we've helped a few people today think about their itineraries in this fantastic country. So if we just round it up, I would just like to end with the greeting that we started with. So if we all put our hands together again, and slightly bow our heads and Sawatdee-kah.

Dave: Sawatdee-kah.

Betsie: Sawatdee-kah.

Mark: Sawatdee-kah.

Jules: Fantastic. Thanks so much for coming on today onto the podcast, and thank you so much for listening. Please do give us a five star review if you found it very interesting and recommend it to your friends. But for now, from us at the Travel Podcast it's good bye. So thank you, bye.

Dave: Bye.

Betsie: Thank you, bye.

Jules: And cut. Thank you.

Mark: That went a bit tits up in the middle, didn't it.

Jules: It went a bit tits up in the middle, but I think that's okay, that can be edited. And I'll retake my ending, because I mean-

Mark: Yeah [inaudible] lost connection here. It was about a minute I think, so you might lose a couple spots.

Betsie: When I saw you frowning, I thought you were trying to say it's not recorded again. I was thinking and then [crosstalk] won't say anything. And I'm just going, it's okay, it's okay.

Mark: I've got this natural frown.

Jules: It is 100% recorded.

Mark: [crosstalk] no it's been recorded, but I think yeah we can probably splice it a bit and cut some out. But I think it's okay. [inaudible].

Jules: Yep, great job. Thank you so much guys, that was fantastic. If you've got any links to any of the stuff that you spoke about while we were on, if you could ping them over to me on an email that would be really lush.

Dave: Yeah exactly, that's cool.

Jules: And then if forms part of the show links that come up with the Travel Podcast website. But yeah that was all great. I think we mentioned so many different places. Oh we didn't talk about tuk tuk, next time.

Dave: No, maybe we can do an extra podcast just about tuk tuk. [crosstalk].

Jules: We probably could.

Dave: Okay guys, see you thank you.

Jules: That's fantastic. Thank you guys [crosstalk].

Mark: Bye Betsie.

Betsie: Bye.

Dave: Bye.

Jules: Are you stopping the recording Dave?

Dave: Yeah hold on. You ready?

Jules: Yep.

Dave: Done.