Bangkok may be known as the City of Smiles, but it's also an incredibly fast paced center that is bound to exhaust even the most experienced traveler. Fortunately, the City of Smiles is also home to some of the most wonderful spas and massage parlours in the world, and this is no surprise as Thailand is, after all, the country that invented the Thai massage.

Upscale day spas and massage parlours in Bangkok are divided between those that are affiliated with, and located inside, certain hotels and those that are independently run. The Ananda Spa, for instance, which is universally acknowledged as one of the best in the city, is located in the President Solitaire Hotel on Sukhumvit Street, and another renowned "hotel" spa is the Mandara Spa at the Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa in Riverside. The independently situated spas that visitors have to choose from include the Orientist Spa, which has two locations in the city, and the Apsara Day Spa, which is situated on Silom Road.

Every visitor to Bangkok should, however, try to spend a little time at the Dusit Thani Hotel's Devarana Spa, which, in 2008 alone, was the recipient of the Best Spa: Living in Thailand Award and the Best Urban Spa: Lifestyle+Travel Magazine Readers' Choice Award. Ananda, Mandara and Devarana are, furthermore, only a few of the numerous first-rate hotel spas that are available, and these spas are not available exclusively for hotel residents and welcome visitors for day spa packages.

Located midway between India and China, Thailand is nestled in a fertile monsoon belt. The monsoon season in Thailand gives rise to its incredible lush forests, while the tropical warmth makes its beaches delightful for anyone tired of cold, grey skies. Here's a closer look at Thailand's climate, so you can judge for yourself when the best time to visit this Southeast Asian paradise would be.

North Thailand

The northern part of Thailand is mountainous, with its highest point reaching 2,565 metres, or 8,415 feet. This is easily as high as some of the famous skiing mountains in the western United States. Thanks to the higher elevation, the climate is more agreeable for most Brits than central and southern Thailand. During the cool season, which lasts from October to February, daytime temperatures average around 21 degrees Celsius, with nights that are much cooler. December and January are the coolest months. March through May is the hot season, with average temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius. The rain starts to pour down in early June, with the highest rainfall in September.

Central Thailand

Thailand is a nation that loves its holidays and celebration. From Children's Day to the traditional Thai New Year, Songkran Day, every month in Thailand seems to have at least one special holiday. Here's a description of some of the best festivals in Thailand.

New Year's Festivals

Thailand has not one, not two, but three different New Year celebration. On January 1, the Thais celebrate the western New Year. In Thailand, this includes a gift exchange, dawn rituals for an auspicious new year by devout Buddhists, and general afternoon and evening merry-making.

In early February, Thais celebrate the Chinese New Year, or the Lunar New Year. In Thailand, February is the beginning of spring, so sometimes the Chinese New Year is also referred to as the Spring Festival. During the Chinese New Year in Thailand – not unlike other Chinese New Year celebrations throughout the world – firecrackers, dragon dancers, and parades march down the streets. Thai children love this time of year, not just for the dragon dancers, but also for the Ang Pao (red envelopes filled with money).

Two days before Chinese New Year's Day, food markets are filled with people stocking up on food and offerings. On New Year's Eve, shops are closed, and people of Chinese heritage make prayers, offerings to the gods, and to their ancestors. In the morning come the prayers for the Gods of the Land; at noon come the prayers for their ancestors; in the afternoon come prayers for the wandering souls who have no relatives to pray for them. After each prayer, the Chinese faithful burn golden paper, which they hope will become money in their afterlife.

For newly weds, few places are more attractive for honeymoons than Thailand. The Southeast Asian nation is known for its friendliness, its stability compared to other countries in the region, its culture, its history, and, of course, its beaches. Whether you choose to honeymoon in the big city, in the remote mountains of the north, or on a secluded beach in the south, Thailand has something romantic and beautiful to offer every couple.

A Honeymoon in Bangkok?

Bangkok is known the world around for its party scene. If you and your partner enjoy discos, dancing, and wild nightlife, you can't find a city better than Bangkok. But although it may be best known for its nightlife, Bangkok has far more to offer than that. After all, Bangkok is the Thai kingdom's capital city, and a centre of international commerce and tourism.

You can visit the downtown skyscrapers, central business district, and posh, sophisticated hotels that will make you think you're in New York or London, or you can visit one of Bangkok's many Buddhist temples. Museums of art, culture, and Asian history abound, not to mention incredibly good food (what better place to find Pad Thai than Bangkok?).

Thailand's beaches are legendary. Its party scene is good-heartedly notorious. The friendliness of its people is known all over the world. But despite all the wonderful features of Thailand, and the fantastic adventures you can have there, you still need to be careful. Thailand, after all, is still considered to be a developing nation, with a high rate of poverty, wild jungle regions where malaria lurks, and ongoing political unrest. Here are a few tips that will help you stay safe on your visit to Thailand.

Political Hotspots to Avoid

In the west, anti-government protests might lead to rock throwing and name calling; in severe cases, riot police with tear gas might be called in. In Southeast Asia, anti-government protests can mean out-and-out revolution – and people get killed. As recently as this month – February 2010 – a court decision is expected late in the month, and this decision might spark dangerous demonstrations. It wasn't that ago that a military coup overthrew the interim government. In September 2006, the military junta dissolved Parliament, dissolved the Constitutional Court, declared martial law, and put in a new Prime Minister, a counselor of the king. Since then, a power struggle has raged in Thailand as monarchy, democracy, and other political ideologies battle for supremacy. Meanwhile, the Malay Peninsula in southern Thailand has had its own series of uprisings, with long-standing ethnic conflicts that date back to the colonial period.

The Thai currency is called the “baht”. One British pounds is worth a little more than 50 bahts. Bahts are like pounds, whereas satang are like pence; one baht is worth one hundred satang.

ATMs, Travellers Cheques and Cash in Thailand

While cash obviously equals convenience, it can be a little unsettling to be lugging a wad of bills around a foreign country, and it is rare your travel insurance will cover a major loss of cash.

For most visitors either using credit/debit cards or travellers cheques is a much safer bet. Travellers cheques are fully protected, so should they be lost or stolen while you are travelling you can be sure you will get the value of the cheques back in full. However they are less immediate than an ATM card, as you will need to find an open exchange booth, and somewhat less convenient.

Credit and debit cards offer instant gratification, and all credit card purchases are insured so you are protected against fraud. However, many banks in the UK impose punitive charges on withdrawals that most travellers don't notice until they return home and check their statements. ATMs in Thailand often impose a charge on withdrawals too, so it makes sense to withdraw one larger amount rather than several smaller amounts.

One option many travellers are turning to are to use a prepaid credit card or specialist travel currency card (which often have the best exchange rates). By using such a card there is less worry about your card being stolen as the card is not linked to your main account, and you can budget more effectively by only transferring as much money as you need to your account.

It's easy to understand why weddings in Thailand have become popular in recent years. Thailand is a beautiful, friendly country, with attractions your wedding guests definitely won't find at home. From scuba diving and surfing to visiting the famed party districts in Bangkok, Thailand is a great place to hold a wedding and/or a honeymoon. In particular, the Thai islands of Phuket and Koh Samui are popular, upscale locations to hold a wedding in Thailand.

A Wedding in Phuket

Imagine a wedding on a white sandy beach, with the sound of the waves gently lapping at the shore behind you. Imagine a wedding on a sailboat lazily floating past Phang Nga Bay incredible limestone rock formations. Or imagine a wedding in a Buddhist Temple, officiated by orange-robed Buddhist monks. All of these romantic wedding scenarios are easily within reach when you hold your wedding in Phuket.

At Wat Chalong, Phuket's most well-known Buddhist Temple, the monks will offer a special blessing for the bride and groom to-be. Even though it's a Buddhist ceremony, you don't have to be Buddhist to be married in Wat Chalong. This is a very unique opportunity, creating a wedding experience that you and your spouse will always remember.
If you choose to get married on a boat, your wedding party will necessarily be smaller (Mega Yachts fit only about 50 people comfortably), but the boat can take you to any of the nearby islands you wish to see, where you can hold a huge wedding banquet for as many guests as you like.

“Nuat phaen boran” is Thai that literally translates to “the ancient-manner massage”. Traditional Thai massage is still alive and well in Thailand – which is good news for holidaymakers who want to experience all the benefits of this ancient practice.

The History of Thai Massage

Thai massage has an esteemed history. The founder of Thai massage, Shivago Komarpaj, is said to be none other than the Buddha's own personal physician over 2,500 years ago. Handed down from generation to generation of Buddhist monks, even today the most famous learning institutions for Thai medicine are located within Buddhist monasteries.

The current practice of Thai massage, however, is thought to be a mixture of these ancient practices together with a nineteenth century movement to combine various Thai healing traditions. Influenced by other forms of traditional Asian medicine, including Aryuvedic medicine from India and Chinese medicine, Thai massage combines the wisdom of various traditions of ancient Asia to create its own unique blend of movement, pressure, and stretching to rejuvenate the human body.

The Theory Behind Thai Massage

Cyclist aficionados looking for a different kind of cycling tour should check out the biking tours of Thailand. Taking a cycling across Thailand can be one of the best ways to see the country and learn the culture, yet still stay within a protected environment. While most tourists stick to the well-known destinations in and around Bangkok and Phuket, a cycling tour of Thailand will take you into the countryside, where you can speed down country roads, see magnificent landscapes, and meet Thai natives outside of the regular tourist hot-spot context.

There are several Thailand cycling tour companies available, run in many cases by westerners and expats who call Thailand home. Whether the tour operator is western or native Thai, they will be sure to take you to spots where most tourists will never set foot – yet another advantage of seeing Thailand by bicycle.

“Do I have to bring my bike?”

No, there's no need to bring your own bicycle with you unless you really want to. Good cycling companies will provide you with a bike, and they will clean and maintain that bike each day of the tour. The most common bike used by Thailand cycling tour companies tend to be TREK mountain bikes. These bikes handle both roads and rougher terrain comfortably.

If you're new to cycling in general, be sure to investigate what kind of bike the tour company has on offer. The difference between a good bike and a bike in need of repair can determine whether your cycling tour is enjoyable or miserable. Imagine biking miles each day on a bike with a shoddy seat, or one that's been improperly sized, for example!

“Where will I stay?”

It wasn't that long ago that Bangkok, Thailand, was named the number one party destination in the world. The bustling Thai city's red light district is world-famous for its debauchery, so much so that its fame found its way into pop music in 1984 (“One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster...”).

But if you think all there is to a holiday in Thailand is Bangkok's red light district and the young, somewhat dangerous, and definitely debauched party scene, you would be very wrong. Thailand has a very different side to it – a side much quieter than the Phuket surfing scene and the Bangkok bars. In Thailand, you can take a number of holidays whose primary focus is not debauchery but detoxing.

Yoga Retreats in Thailand

Yoga retreats in Thailand are increasingly popular ways to relax and rejuvenate in the tropical kingdom. There are many places in Thailand where you can slow down and stretch with yoga, while enjoying beautiful scenery and luxurious accommodations. These programs range from beginner yoga retreats all the way up to intensive, advanced yoga courses designed for more experienced yoga practitioners. These yoga retreats are sometimes owned and operated by Thai natives, but more often, they are run by western expats who are yoga experts.

A yoga retreat in Thailand isn't the same as doing yoga at your resort's fitness centre. Far from it. These yoga retreats, led by professional and sometimes world-renowned yoga sinstructors, include multiple sessions of yoga each day (with extra time for R&R, of course).

Spas and Wellness Centres in Thailand