Thailand Top 10

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10 Top Tourist Attractions in Thailand

Last updated on September 3, 2013 inSouth East Asia|13 comments

Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia, and for a reason. You can find

almost anything here: crystal blue beaches, thick jungle, great food, cheap beach front bungalowsand some of the best luxury hotels in the world. There is something for every interest and every

budget. And despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential identity with

its own unique culture and history and a carefree people famed for their smiles.

An overview of the top tourist attractions in Thailand:

10Ko Tarutao
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flickr/ekot

Ko Tarutao is one of the 51 islands that belong to the Tarutao National Marine Park archipelago

in southern Thailand. One of Tarutaos greatest attraction is its wildlife: sea turtles, whales,

monitor lizards, crab-eating macaques, mouse deer and more all call the island and itssurrounding waters home. Compared to other Andaman islands the waters of Ko Tarutao are to

murky to snorkel, but for most, the unspoilt beaches, waterfalls, great hiking and views morethan compensate for this.

9Ayuthaya
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flickr/holysmokes!

Ayuthaya was founded in 1350 AD by King U Thong as the second capital of Siam after

Sukhothai. Throughout the centuries, the ideal location between China, India and the Malay

Archipelago made Ayutthaya the trading capital of Asia. By 1700 Ayutthaya had become one ofthe largest cities in the world with a total of 1 million inhabitants. In 1767 the city was destroyed

by the Burmese army, resulting in the collapse of the kingdom. The city was re-founded a fewkilometers to the east of the ruins, which now form the Ayutthaya historical park. Most of theremains are temples and palaces, as those were the only buildings made of stone at that time.

8Ko Chang


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flickr/kara_vanmalssen

Located near the border with Cambodia, Ko Chang is the second largest island in Thailand and

the biggest in the Ko Chang Marine Park archipelago. Ko Chang is one of Thailands most

beautiful islands with several waterfalls, thriving coral reefs, rainforests and long white sandybeaches. The island is also home to a wide range of wildlife, including birds, snakes, deer and a

number of elephants. Only very recently, in less than ten years, Ko Chang has turned itself in to amajor tourist destination in Thailand, and while still far quieter than islands like Phuket or Ko

Samui, its probably better to go now than later.

7Grand Palace


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flickr/danorbit.

The construction of the Grand Palace started in 1782 when the capital of Siam was moved from

Thonburi toBangkok.The palace served as the residence of the Kings of Thailand until the

mysterious death of King Ananda Mahidol in 1946. His brother King Bhumibol Adulyadej who

succeeded him moved permanently to the Chitralada Palace. The Grand Palace covers a wide

range of architectural styles, ranging from a pure Ayutthayan style of the temples to a blend ofThai and Western for later structures. It also includes the Wat Phra Kaew, home to the Emerald

Buddha, one of the oldest and mostfamous statues of the Buddha in the world.

See more tourist attractions in Bangkok

6Similan Islands
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flickr/jon hanson

The Similan Islands in the western Andaman Sea are considered the best dive destination in

Thailand. The archipelago consist of 9 islands covered in tropical jungle with white sandy

beaches. The views under the water surface are even more impressive. There are 2 different kindof dive spots around the Similan Islands. East facing dive sites consists of gently sloping coral

reefs while west facing dive sites feature massive granite boulders, covered with hard and softcorals.

5Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
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flickr/fortes

Chiang Mai is one of the top Thailand attractions. The famous Night Bazaar sprawls alongseveral city blocks along footpaths, inside buildings and temple grounds. It has handicrafts, arts,

clothing and and imported products of all descriptions, and a number of large, well-appointed

modern shopping centers. At first, the market was owned by Chinese merchants, but since itgrew in size as more commercial buildings were built, it was no longer owned by a single group

of people. Instead, there are many owners, and most of them are Thai.

4Railay


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flickr/mariachily

Railay beach (or Rai Leh) is a small peninsula that is only accessible by boat due to the high

limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access. These cliffs attract rock climbers from all over the

world, but the area is also a popular attraction in Thailand due to its beautiful beaches and quietrelaxing atmosphere. Accommodation ranges from inexpensive bungalows popular with

backpackers and climbers, to the renowned jet-set resort of Rayavadee.

3Phang Nga Bay


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flickr/Zimmelino

Located just over 95 km (60 miles) from the island of Phuket, Phang Nga Bay is one of the topattractions in Thailand and one of most scenic areas in the country. It consists of beautiful caves,

aquatic grottoes and limestone islands. The most famous island in the bay is asea stack called

Ko Ping Kan (more commonly known as James Bond Island) which was featured in the James

Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun. A popular way of visiting PhangNga Bay is bysea kayak as they are the only way to get inside the grottoes and sea caves.

2Koh Tao
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flickr/robysaltori

Koh Tao, literally Turtle Island, is a small island located near the eastern shore of the Gulf of

Thailand. Around 7000 new divers get certified on Koh Tao each year making it one of the mostpopular destinations in the world to learn to dive. Diving around the island reefs is easy and fun

and you can see an impressive variety of marine species such as coral, turtles, lots of small fish,

barracudas and there is a very small chance of seeing a whale shark. The average visibility is

around 15-20 meters.

1Ko Phi Phi
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flickr/MikeBehnken

Ko Phi Phi is a small archipelago in the Krabi Province in Southern Thailand. Ko Phi Phi Don is

the largest island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants while the

smaller Ko Phi Phi Leh is very popular as a beach or dive excursion. Tourism on Ko Phi Phi hasexploded only very recently, especially after Ko Phi Phi Leh was used as a location for the 2000

movie The Beach. As a result of the masses of tourists Ko Phi Phi is becoming less and less

attractive but for now it is still a very beautiful place to visit.

Explore Ko Phi Phi

More Thailand tourist attractions can be found in theExplore Thailandpage.
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