Thailand Tuttle Travel Pack. Jim Algie

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      Without obtaining God-like powers of omniscience, it would be impossible to nail down a best-of-the-best list in an exact running order that would be valid 24/7, 365 days a year. These are recommendations, signposts if you will, to point you in the right direction. The real thrill of discovery is turning off your GPS system, taking a left when the guidebook says right and venturing out on your own. Just outside the comfort zones of these recommendations, the real adventure begins.

       1 The Grand Palace, Bangkok

       2 Phuket’s Mai Khao Bay

       3 Ayutthaya’s Golden Heydays

       4 Massage at Wat Pho Temple

       5 Chatuchak Weekend Market

       6 High Tea at the Oriental Hotel

       7 Phang-nga Bay, Phuket

       8 The Elephant Conservation Center

       9 Wat Phrathai Doi Suthep

      10 A Muay Thai Boxing Match

      11 A Long-tail Boat Ride in Bangkok

      12 Bangkok’s Red Sky Rooftop Bar

      13 Khao Yai National Park

      14 Diving at Ko Tao Island

      15 Chiang Mai’s Wat Chiang Man

      16 Bangkok’s Infamous Patpong Street

      17 Lopburi Monkey Temples

      18 A Thai Village Homestay

      19 Ko Samui’s Wellness Retreats

      20 Dining at Soi 38, Sukhumvit

      21 Sunset at Promthep Cape

      Making the Most of Your Visit

      On the road, few things are more exasperating than racing around trying to fill a pie-in-the-sky itinerary only to be gridlocked at every stop. This woe can be exacerbated in Bangkok’s traffic, in Chiang Mai with its notorious lack of public transport, and on Phuket where the so-called “tuk-tuk mafia” charge extortionate rates for short hops.

      First of all, you’ll need to decide on your mode of transport. Budget carriers now link most of the major destinations. Trains are cheap and buses plentiful, but both are slow.

      Once you’ve arrived, cars and motorcycles are reasonably cheap to rent. The latter are considerably more dangerous and out of bounds in Bangkok, where the skytrain and subway have given a double bypass to some of the most traffic-clogged arteries. In the ancient cities of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, renting a bicycle is the way to go, whereas in smaller hamlets like Lopburi, your feet are the perfect means of transport.

      It’s also best to balance out a sightseeing day with a variety of attractions so that you’re not trudging through temple after temple or museum after museum.

      Of elementary importance when drafting any itinerary is considering the seasons. During the sweltering season, for instance, from February through April, when the mercury can soar to the upper 30s on the Celsius scale, try to factor in some “air-con time” in malls and restaurants. The rainy season is often quite sunny, except for September (the wettest month of the year), but trekking or bird watching in national parks at this time of year can suck because of all the leeches. Conversely, the cool season from November through January is a great time for hiking and mountain biking, though be warned it can get down to zero Celsius at night in the mountain-studded north country. During the monsoon season, from May through October, there is no ferry service to the Similans National Marine Park, and it may be sporadic to some of the more remote islands like Ko Lipe.

      Also remember to factor in some cultural peculiarities like opening hours. Because of some arcane law, the majority of national museums, and other such government repositories, are closed on Monday and Tuesday. Buddhist holidays can also put a spanner in the works of any journey, and the country’s major festivals, such as the Thai New Near in mid-April, need to be taken into account. During the spectacularly grisly Vegetarian Festival on Phuket, for example, expect that rooms in the city of Phuket will be booked solid for months in advance.

      The easiest way to come up with an itinerary is by breaking the country down into its four regions. After exploring Bangkok, discover the central region, with stopovers in Ayutthaya, Lopburi (both easily accessed by frequent and inexpensive trains) and Khao Yai National Park. If heading north, look at the big destinations, like Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Pai and Chiang Rai, linked by low-cost flights. In the Gulf of Thailand, draft a travel plan that encompasses the major gateways and destinations, like Ko Samui, the Angthong National Marine Park, the scuba diving capital of Ko Tao and the hedonist’s haven of Ko Phangan, home to the Full Moon Party. Once you’ve got the gateways sorted for transport, and a sketch of the bigger sights, it’s much easier to connect the dots and home in on the smaller places and the roads less traveled.

      1 The Grand Palace, Bangkok

      Regal grandeur from the 18th century

      The Grand Palace, with its majestic pagodas, giant-sized guardians, colorful murals and exquisitely wrought sculptures, was a bold attempt to equal the glories of the palace in the former royal capital of Ayutthaya. Extending over almost a million square meters and fortified by walls built in 1783, the palace, which adjoins the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, is Thailand’s number one tourist attraction. The presence of tourists, however, has done little to diminish its grandeur, and many Thais still come to pay their respects and seek blessings, giving a dose of reality to this regally Buddhist fantasia, even if there are no monks quartered here.

      After you buy your ticket and enter the complex, you see a seated hermit-cum-physician made out of bronze. King Rama III had this statue cast when he was restoring his residence and adding touches like flowerpots, stone seats and Chinese sculptures. Much of this restoration work was carried out in 1831 for Bangkok’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 1832.

      Walk past the two yaksha (gigantic demons with the tusks of wild boars) installed during the reign of King Rama II, and go up the stairs to the great gilt chedi, which is the tallest structure in the whole complex. This reliquary houses a piece of the Buddha’s breastbone. The complex is renowned for containing the country’s holiest of holies, the Emerald Buddha, a surprisingly small image.