Why Everyone Needs to Experience Thailand at Least Once

(Image credit: Haasini Arivazhagan )

Written by: Haasini Arivazhagan

Thailand was an amazing country with so much to do and see. Convincing my family to go was one of the best decisions I have ever made. From day one to day five, every day had something new to offer. From seeing wild animals up close to eating dinner 78 floors up in the air, this trip took us to another world.

Day 01: In the Tigers Den, except the only aggression present was cuteness aggression

The plane landed in Thailand, and instantly, I stepped out into Pattaya. The air felt different and smelled different. We made our way through the unfamiliar airport and looked for a poster with our names, hoping to find our guide. We met the guide, and she greeted us with a smile; however, it didn’t take us long to realize the language barrier was going to be an obstacle throughout the trip. Nevertheless, we managed to get to our car and head to our first stop: Pattaya’s Tiger Park. 

We got out of the car and made our way to the Tiger Park Pattaya. The area was crowded since this is a popular tourist attraction, but we got tickets, and while we waited, there were tigers all around in areas protected by fences. We saw other people take photos with the tigers, and the staff members around were ready with a tiny stick that couldn’t do much damage to the tigers but was used to scare the animals if they weren’t listening by tapping it on their backs. My sister and I signed up to spend some time with the baby tigers, and while we waited for our turn, our family took a ride around the park and saw so many tigers just lying around. They seemed scary at first, but slowly I got past that first impression and truly appreciated these animals. The park had forest-like scenery, man-made waterfalls, and tiny ponds, creating a familiar environment for the tigers.

We then headed to the main event: playing with the tiger cubs. The tigers here were 7-12 months old, and even from the outside, while we were watching the tigers, one of the small ones kept running around and was very adorable. We entered the den, and the staff helped us take photos with the tigers. They were so sleepy and cute but were energetic and naughty at times. We only got 10 minutes with the tiger cubs, and we were sad to say bye to them. The tiger cubs were a strong start to a trip that only got better.

(Image credit: Haasini Arivazhagan )

Night Market time

We went back to our hotel, Pattaya Sunbeam, and rested. I thought the first day was coming to a rather anticlimactic end. I suggested we go out walking, and we unexpectedly found a beautiful night market with many food options. I went to a satay station and got a chicken satay, and it was so good; the flavors were a perfect blend of savory, spicy, and a slight sweet taste from the sauces on top. We continued walking around, and the weather felt really nice outside as it was warm and breezy but not humid. Pattaya was known as a more party-based area, so the nightlife was incredible and there was music playing everywhere. We headed back and had a good night’s sleep after a long day.

(Image credit: Haasini Arivazhagan )

Day 02: 400 feet up in the air to 10 feet below the ground–not a classic beach day.

We got ready and left the hotel at 8:00 am in order to get to the place in time for all the activities on the schedule. We walked down a pier for the second adventure of our trip: visiting Coral Island. We got on a speedboat and sped away from the mainland in no time. Our first stop was this wooden center in the middle of the water, which had a gift shop and plenty of benches to sit on. We successfully got off the boat, and I can see the stress on the staff’s eyes every time someone does something wrong while getting off the boat. After getting off the ship, to the next guide, who informed us of all the activities we could choose to participate in, such as parasailing, undersea walking, banana boat, and jet ski. I always like to experience everything when it comes to the water, so I chose all four with my dad and my sister. 

Parasailing was the first activity I tried and both I was scared and excited. Determined to face my fear of heights, I got on, but the second I lifted up in the air, everything became calm. I felt like I was just floating and wasn’t scared at all. The water was so beautiful, and although it was rather cloudy, I could see the waves glisten ever so slightly. I even started singing a random song while I waited for them to get me down. As I descended, all the staff members caught onto my feet and pulled me down. The second my feet touched the floor I was so dizzy I almost fell, but I ran back to my mom and my sister, who had already done it. We waited for my dad, then went on the boat to our next activity: undersea walking.

We put on these helmets that provide oxygen and just went straight down. As I went down I didn’t feel like I was drowning but more like I was floating downwards. My ears hurt because of the change in air pressure, but I held my nose and blew with my lips closed to release the blocked air and to get back to my normal state. After I adjusted to the blur and pressure, I began to notice everything around me. Fish, tens and hundreds of fish swarming around me. They were so close, but if my hand moved to touch them, they would speed away. The staff I was with treated me very kindly and kept offering me fish food to feed them. I held the chunk in my hand, and immediately about 10-20 fish ate from my hand. I don’t ever think I will experience something like that again.

The third activity, jet skiing, was something I was very excited about since I already knew how it would go, but it was genuinely so much fun. They took us to this beach, and the water was so blue and clear even though it was crowded.I didn’t drive on my own since there were professionals for that. However, the man who took me allowed me to drive on my own for a bit and I wasn’t expecting that at all. My driving wasn’t great but overall the experience was really good.

Next was the banana boat. Usually each individual gets one ride, but my sister decided not to participate in the undersea walking, and our guide was really nice and gave my sister and I double tickets even though I did go undersea walking. They asked us if we wanted a dip, meaning when we returned they would dunk us into the water. At first, my sister and I were skeptical, but we realized that we might never have this experience again, so we said yes. We got on and held the boat as strong as we could but the second it zoomed off we almost fell. The ride was so short that you couldn’t even process it and as we turned back he asked us to dip or not and I don’t know what or how we answered but I’m guessing it was a yes because he swerved around and we fell straight off the boat and into the water. The salt gets into my eyes but my adrenaline is too high to even notice. I get up and walk towards the beach and get ready for lunch.

Lunch was very good, especially with my sister and mom having dietary restrictions, because they were really accommodating towards us. They made sure that my sister and my mom got vegetarian options for their food, for example mushroom soup that tasted light and sour, steamed veggies, spring rolls. They also brought some fried chicken, tom yum soup and some more rice for me and my dad.

A little peek of the food we had 

Pattaya Floating Market

For the second half of the day, we went to the Pattaya floating market. The market was on two sides of a river and you can walk to get across but we chose to use the path through the river. We got on a tiny boat, and it took us through the market to the other end, where we got off and started to walk backwards, which was the whole point of the system. 

Me at the floating market

The market was so beautiful and full of different foods. We got mango sticky rice and coconut water, and both tasted out of this world. I also bought an elephant tote bag. We negotiated with the person who was selling the bag, and it was the most interesting experience ever. Most people would just reduce a few baht but within the first few seconds she dropped it to half the price. The prices were higher just because it was a tourist attraction; however, we felt accomplished after that haggle. We also watched a cultural show, and their classical Thai dance was very similar to Bharatanatyam (an Indian classical dance I learnt), and the stories were of Hindu gods. This exposure surprised me but also delighted me as we shared culture, and I was able to relate to something familiar.

That night, we decided to head out again, but this time not in search of food but a massage. Getting massages in Thailand is very popular, and ladies from every store kept approaching us about it. For instance, I was walking, and suddenly someone came up behind me and asked me to come in, and I got so surprised I flinched. She started laughing at her friend and said, ” Oops, she got shocked” in Thai (I learnt a little bit of Thai before the trip), and I also started laughing. We ended up going into a parlor, and I had a great time. My sister, my mom, and I got a leg massage, and at one point the lady who was my masseuse and I heard loud noises from outside and realized it was a group from another parlor partying, and it was so funny we couldn’t stop laughing. That night was a moment I will never forget.

Day 03: On our way to the capital, but we had to stop by one of the world’s largest gardens

Our plan for the day was to go from Pattaya to Bangkok (about 2 hours driving time), but we decided to visit the Nong Nooch Garden on the way. The Nong Nooch Garden is a massive, almost 600-acre botanical garden featuring hundreds of animal and dinosaur sculptures. We didn’t realize how big the garden was until we got on the tour bus. We saw things we didn’t expect at all, from giant ants to tiny dinosaur hatchlings to a giant Ganesha (Hindu God) and Buddha, and more variety in flora and fauna than I have ever seen. 

They also had an elephant show where all the elephants did many tricks, and everyone around us gave them bananas to eat, and the little elephants were so cute. After that, we saw another giant cultural show that showcased cultures from all over the world. The costumes were so pretty, and every set was designed perfectly to suit the culture they were representing. For example, they danced to Hindi songs and dressed in Indian cultural attire to represent India, then they dressed in traditional Chinese clothing and had a detailed background setup on the stage as they performed. 

We left the park and then finally made it to Bangkok, where we checked into our hotel and got ready to eat on water. 

Chao Phraya Princess Cruise 

We were late, but we ran onto the pier to catch the dinner cruise on none other than the Chao Phraya River. The river is long and wide, so many cruises travel on it every night. We sat on the lower deck, but before dinner started, we were able to go outside and take pictures with the beautiful cruise and the background. After some time, the cruise started. I ate really fast because, although the soup and other food were amazing, I really only cared about being outside. I was out on the deck for most of the time, taking pictures and looking at the city around us. We were in the heart of Bangkok, so across from us on both sides were large buildings, and you could see the top of some temples, but that wasn’t even the best part. We almost reached the point to turn back when we saw ICONSIAM. ICONSIAM is one of Thailand’s largest malls and malls in the world. It didn’t even look like a mall but a luxury resort. Soon we turned around and started to head back, and we saw people from other boats wave to us as they passed by. Some of the other cruises were the same as us but some had a really big party vibe with dj’s costumes and dancing. Our cruise had a singer who sang very well and entertained everyone during dinner. For this activity, it wasn’t really about the food (even though the food was really good) but more so for the ambience and unique experience of the cruise. 

Day 04: Started the day with a mind cleanse just to fill my tummy up with food at night

We started off visiting temples and we first went to Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) and explored the place for 2 hours. We went inside to see the main part, which was a giant statue of Buddha. Giant might be an understatement because I couldn’t even capture the whole statue with my phone or even see the whole thing correctly. It amazed me how golden and polished it was, and also the detailing on everything. We further explored the temple, and I fell in love with this one hallway decorated with so many statues of Buddha. The temple was so beautiful, and I had never seen anything like it before. Before leaving the temple, I bought some coins to drop into these vessels along the walls, and it said that if you can drop into all of the vessels, you can collect merit, which is really good for you.

Image Credits: Haasini Arivazhagan

Next we went to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew for another 2 hours. We visited the gift shop and also the museum of textiles. All the pieces had such rich history, and each exhibit featured detailed cloths of different styles. We also stepped into this interactive room where we could listen to the impact that the Royal family has had on the citizens, different processes to make the clothing, as well as a coloring station that could scan our colorings onto a projected screen. We walked out to see where the royal family used to live in the 1920’s but now the palace is just there for visitors to see. Finally, we went back to the hotel and got ready for the best dinner of our trip.

Baiyoke Sky Hotel Buffet

We went to the 78th floor of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel in Bangkok, which features the Bangkok Sky Restaurant that serves international seafood and grill buffets alongside a panoramic city view. I went there with an expectation that it would be alright; however, the meal ended up being the best one I ate on the entire trip. The buffet started off with appetizers like fries and spring rolls, then moved onto a tom yum soup station, followed by freshly made pad thai, and then freshly grilled prawns and other meats. The tiger prawns were large and grilled right there in front of us; everything was amazing before we even sat down to eat. They also had a whole section with desserts and drinks. I felt like I was in heaven. 

After eating, we went upstairs to the last level, the 84th floor, which featured a 360-degree open-air revolving observation deck. I have a fear of heights, but the view was too good for me to even focus on my fear. We saw the entirety of Bangkok with all the city lights, and it was the most perfect ending to the night. We took the elevator down and left with a full tummy and a happy heart.

Day 05: Our last day and I wish we had more time

For our last day, we went to MBK Center and Siam Square and attempted to go shopping. I really wanted to get some skincare, so I went to this place called Eve and Boy and got sunscreen. I expected a lot out of the day, but even though we looked around a lot, we didn’t buy much at all. I still liked the day, though, because even though we didn’t achieve my shopping dreams, I was able to buy this inhaler I really wanted, a shirt, and we got our nails done for the first time ever, and it was cheap compared to the prices in California. I loved my nails, and the people were so nice to me the entire time. I also got a peach tea, and out of all the peach teas I drank over the trip, this one had to be the best, so I guess it wasn’t that bad of a day after all. We headed back, packed our bags, and went to the airport. As we were leaving, I realized that my goal was to one day come back here and visit again.

What I realized after leaving Thailand was that . . .

Thailand is a country that offers something for everyone, and five days just isn’t enough to experience everything that it offers. From seeing tiger cubs up close to visiting ancient temples with massive statues this trip covered bases I didn’t know existed in the first place. The food was another highlight, with everything from freshly grilled seafood to sweet mango sticky rice, making every meal an experience of its own. I also had my favorite food, tom yum soup everyday, and because we were in different places every single day, the soup tasted different when made with different quality ingredients. I also found my own comfort activity which was visiting the night markets every day surrounded by all the different flavours and smells. Beyond just the markets and the various activities however, Thailand offers so many opportunities for tourists to be a part of and learn about their culture. There are cultural shows everywhere, from small rooms to big productions. These shows showcase their own culture and others with so much artistic passion pulling the audience into another world. What makes this country so special is its diversity: you can experience nature, adventure, history, culture, shopping, and incredible food all in one trip. I went to Thailand hoping to eat some good food and good weather but I came back with unforgettable memories, a desire to fully immerse myself in their culture and a need to return once more. Thailand isn’t just a place to maybe vacation if you have the time but an experience that everyone needs to have at least once in their lives.