Explore the "Land of Smiles"
Thailand is known as "the land of smiles" for several decades. This land of smiles has something to offer for everybody. Thailand is known for alluring tropical beaches with crystal clear water and white sandy beach which is all that needed for a quiet vacation. There are many great beaches within proximity of Bangkok including Choa Loa Beach (หาดเจ้าหลาว) located in Chantaburi (3 hours driving from Bangkok), Ko Lan (เกาะล้าน) (2 hours driving from Bangkok), Ko Si Chung (เกาะสีชัง), etc. Many beaches are located not too far from a town with an international airport including Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi island in the Southern area of Thailand.
Aside from the country's reputation for its beaches, the land of smiles is also known for royal palaces, ornate temples and historic ruins. The Grand Palace located at the heart of Bangkok is one of the most famous attractions there is. While visiting the Grand Palace, spare some time to visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha adjacent to the palace. Another famous temple attraction in Bangkok is the reclining buddha at Wat Pho, one of the oldest temples in Bangkok. There are more historic ruins and temples are located in the old capitals of Thailand, Ayuthaya and Sukhothai.
If you have more days in Bangkok, visit a colorful floating market at Damnoen Saduak which is one of the biggest and most famous floating market in Thailand. This place is huge and there are boats everywhere going up and down the canal selling all sorts of food and fruits.
For outdoor activities, elephant tour in Chieng Mai or Ayuthaya is one of the fun attractions for the whole family.
