Thailand
Exotic Beauty
The land of smiles has something for every taste-aesthetic, exotic or adventurous-as well as beautiful beaches and warm seas. Thailand is full of wonders: glittering temples, seething markets, historic palaces, and some of the world's most beautiful people. The food is delicious; the shopping is exciting, and so is the nightlife, although awareness of AIDS and other hazards has cast a shadow over the seedier side.
It's a big country. Resorts are constantly opening up on the Gulf of Thailand and the Indian Ocean, and visitors are discovering fresh areas of the north, home of the fascinating hill tribes. Indeed, Thailand has only just begun to exploit its possibilities.More than 90 per cent of Thais are Buddhist, a fact that permeates national life. Even in worldly Bangkok, women turn out in front of their houses at dawn to offer rice to saffron-robed monks. Thailand was never colonized, so there is no historic resentment towards foreigners. Instead, a pride in the past and respect for the monarchy.
