Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand, and formerly known as Siam until 1939, is a country located in mainland Southeast Asia. It shares land borders with Myanmar to the west and northwest, Laos to the east and northeast, Cambodia to the southeast, and Malaysia to the south. Thailand has a population of nearly 66 million people, covers an area of approximately 198,115 sq mi.

We had a short layover day in Incheon on route to Thailand, it was very cold, but we managed to do a little sightseeing, and a lot of eating.

Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 605.7 sq mi in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated population of 11.4 million people as of 2024, 15.9% of the country's population. Over 17.4 million people (25% of Thailand's population) live within the surrounding Bangkok Metropolitan Region as of the 2021 estimate, making Bangkok a megacity and an extreme primate city, dwarfing Thailand's other urban centers in both size and importance to the national economy.

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.

We got to spend the day with Damian's friend Peter (and Ede) who live in Thailand, we haven't see Peter in about 20 years, so this was very special.
Ayutthaya Historical Park covers the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, Thailand. The city of Ayutthaya was founded by King Ramathibodi I in 1351. Sources further mention that around 850 AD, the Khmers occupied the area and established a stronghold there, naming it Ayodhya, after one of the holiest Hindu cities in India of the same name.

We started this tour by visiting the `Kalong sae salt station`, where sea salt is harvested. Next we rode on the Kalong railway to the `Mae Klong Railway Market`. For the last part of this tour we visited the `Damnoen Saduak Floating Market` which was especially touristy and the air was heavy with the fumes from the boats.

This was a fun way to spend the evening speeding around the streets of Bangkok on tuk tuk’s. We ate food at a small night market, saw sights of Bangkok from the road. We visited Chinatown (very busy) where we sampled more food including grubs and scorpion. Stopped briefly at a flower market, then headed to a rooftop bar for drinks and views of the city.

Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in Thailand. It is 435 mi north of Bangkok in a mountainous region called the Thai highlands and has a population of approximately 127,000 within the city municipality.

After a terrible night of sleep on the bumpy bus from Bangkok, we set out on a long day of touring the area around Chiang Rai with Tukata.
On the way to Chiang Rai we first stopped at Pha Soet hot spring where we got to dip our feet in the warm waters. Wat Rong Khun (the white temple) was next and after seeing "real" temples it felt a little like the Disney version of a temple, but very interesting. Next we stopped for some yummy food at a small restaurant with wonderful flowers growing all around, before heading to Wat Huay Pla Kang with its massive (69 meters) Guan Yin Statue. This was a spectacular sight to see. Next we headed to Wat Rong Suea Ten (the Blue temple) which also felt like a Disney version of a temple, very busy but interesting. In the evening we got back to our accommodation then headed out to walk around the Chiang Mai Sunday Market.

Our guide Tom used to be a monk and having him show us around came with a lot of insight about the places that we visited.
We started by visiting the mountain top temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. This beautiful temple stands at the top of the Doi Suthep mountain, this was a beautiful place to explore. After the temple we headed to the Chiang Mai flower festival which was officially over but the flowers were on full display. We then visited a variety of temples in Chiang Mai from different periods.

We got to spend some quality time with a family of Asian elephants, learning about them and what the sanctuary does to help them.

Ao Nang is a central point of the coastal province of Krabi, Thailand. The town consists chiefly of a main street, which is dominated by restaurants, pubs, shops and other commerce aimed at tourists. The main beach is used by sunbathers to a certain extent, but there are a large number of long-tail boats which offer access to other beaches on the mainland and on nearby islands.

Tiger Cave Temple (Thai: wat tham suea) is a Buddhist temple north-northeast of Krabi, Thailand. A sacred site, it is known for the tiger paw prints in the cave, tall Buddha statues and the very strenuous flight of stairs to reach the summit.

Island tour via speedboat; we got to explore multiple islands on this full day tour. We got to swim, snorkel with the fish and even sunbathe a little. We saw cliff dwelling monkeys from the boat and visited Maya Bay, made famous by the movie "The Island".

Railay, also known as Rai Leh, is a small peninsula between the city of Krabi and Ao Nang in Thailand. It is accessible only by boat due to high limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access. These cliffs attract rock climbers from all over the world, but the area is also popular due to its beautiful beaches and quiet relaxing atmosphere.

We got to spend our last day in Thailand in Bangkok before our flight to Korea. Damian & Nien decided to visit Wat Arun, while Marcus & Sophie opted to do some shopping and eat at a famous Pad Thai restaurant.

Being back in the cold of Korea was a shock to the system after the warmth of Thailand, We had a day and a half to explore, shop, and prepare for the long flight to Seattle WA.