There are many 'floating markets' in Bangkok but Damnoensaduak is the genuine one. Totally chaotic, small 'khlongs' or canals are filled with flat boats piled high with fresh produce, each jockeying for position and paddled by ladies ready to stop and bargain at a moment's notice. It's colourful, noisy, touristy but great fun.

The original canals which now make up the Floating Market were built in 1866 on demand of His Majesty the King of Thailand to help ease communication in the province. The actual Floating Market started in 1967 and today thrives with hordes of tourists from all over the world.

Canals in and around Bangkok are an important method of transport and help to facilitate communication between different areas of the city. To this day many people still live along the canals and frequently use boats as a method of transportation from one point to another.

As food is a very important part of Thai culture, you will see mobile food stores selling anything from fruit, Som Tam, barbecued chicken, and other delicacies moving around Bangkok, on the streets just as an ice cream van does in most western countries. This also applies to the canals where you will frequently see boats moving from house to house selling different wares.

A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only South-east Asian country never to have been taken over by a European power. A bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. Thailand's history emerges from the Bronze Age, whereas Bangkok is a young city founded in 1782. With a population of around six million (nine million including the surrounding provinces), Bangkok's population is 49 times greater than that of the next largest city, Chiang Mai. Bangkok lies on the banks of the Chao Phraya river, a wonderful working waterway full of sampans and a wide variety of boats and rice barges.

Bangkok is a beautiful mix of the old and the new, the modern and the ancient evident from its skyline that comprises of Buddhist temples, luxury hotels, high rise office buildings and shopping malls making it a kaleidoscope. Under the thin veneer of new found Western influence you will find that the Thais are not devoid of traditional values. The sights of ubiquitous street food sellers, monks on morning begging rounds and women stringing jasmine blossoms on thread near Buddhist temple will display the cultural heritage of Thailand that is not lost in the arc lights of modernity.

Bangkok is packed with more attractions per square kilometre than any other city in the world. Despite the crowds, the architecture and the attractions are worth the effort to see. On the top of the list would be Wat Phra Khao, the Grand Palace, the National Museum and Wat Pho. Chinatown, one of Bangkok's major attractions has a unique traditional life untouched by modern civilisation. Historical sites like Rattanakosin Island (central point when Bangkok was founded) are also worth visiting. The main symbolic places of Bangkok are Wat Arun on the Chao Phraya River.

Regarded by travellers from all walks of life as being among the most beautiful tropical islands of the world, Phi Phi Islands have become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand. In addition, the islands are famous as the location where the movie "The Beach" featuring Leonardo Di Caprio was shot. The islands, together with the nearby Noppharat Thara Beach, a total area of 390 square kilometres, were recently established as a national park.

Phi Phi Islands are located just 40 kilometres away from both Krabi and Phuket. Thus, despite the fact that both Noppharat Thara Beach and Phi Phi administratively are a part of Krabi Province, most tourists think that Ko Phi Phi is part of Phuket Province.

The islands and the coastal hills are composed mainly of limestone and are an extension of the limestone mountain range in Phang-Nga Province. The main characteristics of these mountains and islands are their steep cliffs, large caves and dwarf trees growing out of the rock crevices, like those in Phang-Nga Bay. The island group is composed of two rocky, tree-covered islets Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le. Phi Phi Don, the larger islet to the north, is well known for its fine beaches and coral formations.

About two kilometres to the south is Phi Phi Le. Unlike Phi Phi Don, this islet is uninhabited as there is no beach area (with the island descending abruptly into the sea on all sides) and it is prohibited by the administrative body. The main attraction is a large cave about three square kilometres in size known as Viking Cave derived from one of the numerous drawings on the wall which resembles a Viking ship. The cave has a 10 to 15-metre high ceiling which contains many ledges inhabited by thousands of swallows.

Ao Maya and Ao Lo Sama - Phi Phi Islands scenic coves are favourite snorkelling places while the sea around the islands, especially the southern part, which are deep and full of coral formations are popular diving spots. With its emerald crystal sea, secluded beaches, mountain cliffs, colourful coral reefs and undersea life, Phi Phi is a paradise in the Andaman Sea.

Ko Yung, an island to the north of Ko Phi Phi Don, has a stone beach on the east and small sandy beaches amid valleys. In addition, the island is teeming with diverse colourful coral reefs. Ko Phai, another island to the north of Ko Phi Phi Don and not far from Ko Yung, has spectacular beaches in the north and east of the island. The bank of coral reefs comprised mainly of antler corals stretches from the north to the south of the island.

Some archaeologists claim that Krabi City is one of the older settlements in the country as there is archaeological evidence indicating that this area had been home to homosapiens during the prehistoric times or between 25,000 - 35,000 B. C. The assumption has been strongly supported by the discovery of stone tools, ancient colored pictures, beads, pottery and skeletal remains in the provinces cliffs and caves.

In 1200 A.D., the area was known as Ban Thai Samo, one of 12 royal cities that had a monkey as the town symbol. During this period of time, Krabi was under the rule of the Kingdom of Ligor, a city better known today as Nakhon Si Thammarat.

During the reign of King Rama V (1868-1910), the community was known as Pakasai Sub-county and remained under the direct jurisdiction of Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

Around 1872, King Rama V elevated Pakasai Sub-county to Krabi Province with the provincial administration office situated at Krabi-yai Sub-county (currently, the office is located near the estuary at Pak Nam Sub-district) and in 1875, ordered the separation of Krabi Province from Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.

During the present reign, the corps of civil servants, merchants, and the people of Krabi and nearby provinces have collectively organized the construction of a royal residence at Laem Hang Nak Cape which is thirty kilometres west of Krabi Town on the Andaman coast to be presented to His Majesty the King.

Koh Samui is not only one of Thailand’s top travel destinations, the island is also well known for water sports, adventure activities, shopping and fine food. The weather is warm and sunny for much of the year and the fine sand beaches are busiest from December to March, also throughout July and August. Koh Samui is part of a much larger archipelago that includes the popular islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, as well as the spectacularly beautiful Angthong Marine Park, all of which can be easily reached by boat.

With a wide range of options for relaxation, entertainment and adventure, travel on Koh Samui offers something for everybody. Each beach has its own special atmosphere, Chaweng being the busiest but also one of the most beautiful, while smaller beaches like Big Buddha and Choeng Mon beach offer a more secluded atmosphere. With large numbers of people from around the world now visiting and living on the island, there’s a distinctly cosmopolitan feel to many of the main towns and tourist areas. Koh Samui’s official population is only about 40,000, but in high season this figure can reach more than a million.

Within the walls of the ancient city are several old temples of interest. Among them, Wat Phra Singh is perhaps the largest and most interesting, although it may not seem so at first glance. Upon entering the main gate, you're greeted by a large and dusty parking area. Across the lot is a large prayer hall with an intricately carved front. To your right, as you face the prayer hall, is a small elaborate library built on a high stone base. The base has many beautiful carvings which have recently been renovated, as have the gilded carvings on the gable ends. Continuing on around the complex in a counter-clockwise direction, you'll find a drum tower set in a yard shaded by many old trees.

Directly behind the large prayer hall is a smaller building that serves as the temples ordination hall. This is where young monks are ordained and some other important religious events are held. Next to the ordination hall, in a line with the prayer hall, is a large whitewashed pagoda. Next to it is a small but very ornate prayer hall which is worth a closer look. The outside is decorated in gold and ochre in a style which is ornate but without the gaudiness of many other temples. The decoration inside is also quite rich. There is a gold and red pattern on parts of the roof and back wall behind the altar. On the altar here sits the Phra Singh Buddha image from which the temple takes its name.

According to popular belief, the Emerald Buddha is ancient and came from Sri Lanka. Art historians, however, generally believe that it was crafted in 14th-century Thailand. The much-revered Buddha image has travelled extensively over the centuries. The story goes that the Emerald Buddha was once kept covered in plaster in a monument in Chiang Rai, but a damaging lightning storm in 1434 uncovered the treasure. The king of Chiang Mai tried very hard to procure the statute, but three times the elephant transporting the statute stopped at a crossroads in Lampang. Taking it as a sign from the Buddha, the statue was placed in a specially-built monumental temple in Lampang, where it stayed for 32 years. The next king of Chiang Mai was more determined, succeeding in bringing the Emerald Buddha to his city. It was housed in a temple there until 1552, when Laotian invaders took it. The statue stayed in Laos for 214 years, until General Chakri (later King Rama I) brought it back to the Thai capital at Thonburi after his successful campaign in Laos. In 1784, when he moved the capital across the river to Bangkok, King Rama I installed the precious figure in its present shrine, where it has remained as a tangible symbol of the Thai nation.