Thailand or Siam as it was called up until 1939 has never been colonized by a foreign power and with a kaleidoscope of different cultures, religion, cuisine and scenery, there are few parts of the world that conjure up such colorful and magical images as Thailand. Thailand shares borders with Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Laos and Cambodia. The region offers something for every taste and the warmest welcome imaginable. Thailand signifying “land of free men “has a population of 62 million of which 91% are Buddhists. For those seeking pure relaxation, Thailand's coastline and islands are heavenly, with glorious sun-soaked, white sandy beaches lapped by crystal clear warm waters.

Bangkok is known as “The Venice of the Orient” and has a mix of magnificent temples, neon lights, bars and restaurants. During your visit you could explore rural Bangkok by boat and see the fascinating way of life along the waterways known as Klongs. Created as the Thai capital in 1782 by the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty, Bangkok is a national treasure house and Thailand's spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational and diplomatic centre.

Pattaya is Thailand's liveliest resort holiday playground where you'll find plenty of bars and restaurants and for the active tennis, golf and riding. Watersports and the best beaches for swimming are easily reached by a short boat ride from Pattaya town to Coral Island, or about three miles drive to Jomtien beach.

Phuket is a tropical island just one hour's flight from Bangkok and is now linked to the mainland by a road bridge. Over the years the island has developed rapidly with lively resort such as Patong Beach providing numerous restaurants, bars and lively nightlife.

Hua Hin is on Thailand’s beautiful Gulf of Siam, and was first discovered in the late 1920’s. Hua Hin is an active bustling fishing port with plenty of colorful local life and a superb night market with handicrafts galore. Other points of interest include the picturesque railway station, the beach promenade and the old palace on the outskirts of town.

Chaing Mai & Chiang Rai are in the northernmost province of Thailand, situated on the Kok River basin 416 meters above sea level. Mostly mountainous, it reaches the Mae Khong River to the north and borders on both Myanmar and Laos.

CURRENCY:	Thai Baht
TIME DIFFERENCE:	GMT+7
VISA:	None required for Irish Passport holders for stay less than 30 days
VACCINATIONS:	No compulsory Vaccinations

Bangkok

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sun hrs	9	8	9	8	7	6	6	5	5	6	8	8
Rain mm	0	25	25	76	229	153	153	204	355	254	51	0
Temp C	32	33	34	35	34	33	33	33	32	32	32	31

Chiang Mai

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sun hrs	9	9	9	9	9	6	5	5	6	7	8	8
Rain mm	0	0	25	51	153	127	153	229	229	127	51	25
Temp C	29	32	35	36	34	32	32	31	31	31	30	28

Pattaya

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sun hrs	9	9	8	8	6	5	4	4	4	6	8	9
Rain mm	0	51	51	51	204	76	102	102	254	254	76	25
Temp C	32	33	34	35	35	33	32	32	32	31	31	31

Hua Hin

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sun hrs	9	8	9	8	7	5	5	5	5	6	7	9
Rain mm	25	25	25	25	102	76	102	102	127	204	204	25
Temp C	29	31	32	33	33	33	33	33	32	31	30	29

Phuket/Phi Phi/Koh Racha/Koh Lak/Koh Lanta

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sun hrs	9	9	9	8	6	5	6	6	5	6	6	8
Rain mm	25	25	51	127	330	280	280	280	406	305	178	51
Temp C	32	33	34	33	32	32	31	31	31	31	31	31

Koh Samui

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sun hrs	8	8	9	8	7	6	6	6	5	5	5	6
Rain mm	51	0	25	51	178	127	153	153	204	254	330	127
Temp C	30	32	34	35	34	33	33	32	32	31	30	29