Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [8]
Start in the charming town of Nong Khai (Click here), a rock-skipping throw from Laos and an easy border-crossing point. If the pace here is too fast, follow the river road east to Beung Kan (Click here), a dusty speck of a town with a nearby temple built on a rocky outcrop and several neighbouring homestays with forays into wild-elephant territory. Pass through Nakhon Phanom (Click here) for its picturesque river promenade but base yourself in tiny That Phanom (Click here), with its famous Lao-style temple, honoured with a vibrant 10-day festival in January/February.
For a little urban Isan, check out Ubon Ratchathani (Click here), surrounded by the Pha Taem National Park, river rapids and handicraft villages. Afterwards pick up the Culture Geek trip (Click here) in reverse.
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THAILAND FOR KIDS
Entertain and enlighten the kids without a lot of marathon travel. Bangkok (Click here) is hyperactive enough for all ages (and it’s all the better if your hotel has a swimming pool). Nearby you’ll find culture and history bundled into a compact mini-state at Muang Boran (Click here).
Let their imaginations run with the wild things in Lopburi (Click here), home to a troop of monkeys who receive (deserved or not) a banquet feast during the town’s signature festival. Lopburi is on the train line from Bangkok – a transport highlight for the locomotive fan in the family. Also accessible by train, Surin (Click here) celebrates an annual elephant round-up with a buffet breakfast for the pachyderms and mock battles.
If your visit doesn’t coincide with these festivals, Kanchanaburi (Click here) is hugged by thick jungle explored by elephant treks and bamboo rafting. Or opt for Khao Yai National Park (Click here), which is close to Bangkok and filled with as many monkeys as visitors.
End the trip with a beach romp. Steer clear of the Thai beaches (like Hua Hin and parts of Phuket and Samui) dominated by older European tourists who disapprove of children’s deficient volume control. Ko Samet (Click here) is a semi-wild island and an easy trip from Bangkok.
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History
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PRE-HISTORIC SETTLEMENT
THE ARRIVAL OF THE TAI
THE RISE OF THE TAI KINGDOMS
THE BANGKOK ERA
DEMOCRATIC THAILAND
TIMELINE
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PRE-HISTORIC SETTLEMENT
An important question for any history of Thailand is where the Thais originally came from, and how they became Thai. Older studies claim that the ancestors of the Thais migrated from southern China into the fertile mainland of Southeast Asia around the 13th century AD. However, this position has been challenged by the assertion that Thai history should also include the life and legacy of people who preceded the new arrivals. Recently discovered Homo erectus fossils in Thailand’s northern province of Lampang date back at least 500,000 years. Thailand’s most important prehistoric settlement is Ban Chiang in the northeastern province of Udon Thani, which reveals evidence of the development of pottery, bronze tools and rice cultivation as far back as 4000 to 2500 BC.
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THE ARRIVAL OF THE TAI
The people who laid the foundations of the contemporary Thai identity arrived in the areas of present-day Thailand about a thousand years ago. They were called ‘Tai’.
During the first millennium AD, these immigrants from southern China arrived in consecutive waves in the hinterlands of Southeast Asia. They spoke Tai-Kadai, a family of monosyllabic and tonal languages said to be the most significant ethno-linguistic group in Southeast Asia. They settled in villages as farmers, hunters and close-distance traders. The core of their village