A whole lot of amazing Thailand

Thailand feels both foreign and familiar to me, a place that is intrinsically Southeast Asian but undeniably international at the same time. The chaos of Bangkok streets is very much like that of Manila but the majestic, gilded temple spires in and around the city distinguishes Thailand as a predominantly Buddhist country with more than 400 ornate temples in Bangkok alone. The chatter and energy in the public areas as you walk along the streets is similar to that of our capital except when you listen closely, the conversations are in Thai with a smattering of English. The warm, friendly smiles of the locals are a trait shared by Filipinos although more traditional with the accompanying slight bow of the head, clasping of the hand and the words “kap pung kah” or thank you. The flavors and colors of Thai food are comparable to our local cuisine but evidently spicier. Chatuchak Weekend Market could very well be our Divisoria but is more accessible and perhaps grander in scale. Hua Hin is Thailand’s version of our Subic Bay weekend destination with a pristine white sand coastline dotted by international and Thai hotel chains. Indeed, if I were to go on a short vacation to relax and enjoy without feeling too far away from home, Thailand would be my top choice.

To be honest, the last time I was in Thailand several years ago, I left wanting for more. While our family stayed at the beautiful Marriot Resort Hotel by the famous Chao Phraya River we did not have enough time to explore and appreciate the country’s treasure trove of destinations. This time around, I got to indulge in uniquely Thai experiences in Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Hua Hin, two historically rich sites, several hours’ drive outside of the Thai capital. A visit to the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute in Salaya, a school where the Thai youth learn traditional Thai dance, music and arts, gave us a glimpse of how young students are taught to preserve Thailand’s rich historical culture. The hour-long Thonburi Canals tour in the busy, interconnected waterways of Bangkok was an unexpected eye-opener that gave us a peek into how Thais from different social classes live quite harmoniously side-by-side in houses of varying sizes and styles. A stop at the Royal Barge Museum allowed us to see up-close the elaborately designed barges used by the royal family for various national festivities. At Wat Arun or The Temple of Dawn, one of Bangkok’s most famous landmarks along the Chao Phraya River, we feasted our eyes on colorful, intricate Cambodian-inspired, porcelain-encrusted pagodas that sparkle in the sun. I was tempted to climb up to the top of the main pagoda via the stone stairwells just like Arc de Triomphe, but shelved the idea because of the extreme afternoon heat and myriad of tourists attempting to do the same. It would have been a great cardio-vascular workout though. if you did not have to stop to wait for people ahead of you to climb up. A definite must for my next visit.

In Ayutthaya, we toured by foot the Bang Pa In Palace where the royal family used to live and entertain illustrious foreign guests. A mish-mash of Asian and European-style structures, the palace with its well-manicured lawns and gardens is a testimony to the former King’s penchant for European architecture and interior design. The vast property also reveals the strong ties Thailand forged with other Asian countries, particularly China.

A three-hour, 280-kilometer ride South of Bangkok took us to Hua Hin, one of Thailand’s most popular seaside resorts, where King Rama VII built a summer palace. This beach destination on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand boasts of traditional beach resorts, many seafood restaurants and a splendid five-kilometer sandy white-sand beach that starts from a rocky headland next to the port and curves gently for some three kilometers to its southern point of Khao Takiap, where the magnificent Giant Standing Buddha looking out to the gulf can be found. We stayed at the Wora Bura Hotel, an elegant five-star accommodation of colonial design with white walls, lattice windows, dark-wood paneled, high-ceiling rooms and restaurants and lush poolside gardens. Our sumptuous seafood dinner at Plearn Wan by the beach capped the day quite beautifully. The next day, I took an early-morning run on the beach; I came across other runners who, just like me, where enticed by the calming effects of the water before the tide rose.

One of Hua Hin’s prized destinations is the Hua Hin Vineyards, a Napa Valley-type of estate that grows a wide range of grapes such as Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Black Muscat grapes. It has an outdoor restaurant that serves continental and Thai-fusion cuisine that can be paired with their homegrown wines. I had some wonderful tender and juicy grilled lamb chops with vegetables of the season for lunch, a welcome change from the all the Thai food we had been eating.

Closer to the town center we visited the Cicada Market, an art-inspired flea market where we savored street food-style local fare like Phat Thai or Hoi Thot after browsing through the local handicrafts and catching the rehearsals for a Thai musical at the small open-air, arena-type theater. I am no big fan of street food but I approved of the ones at the market because they were prepared and cooked fresh right before our eyes.

No trip is complete without shopping and eating. While I went to Thailand without any agenda to shop, I was impressed with the choices from the crowded, bargain-filled Chatuchak Market to the lavish, high-end Gaysorn mall. I was able to resist all calls to “buy me” from the luxury brands but my resolve dissolved when I spotted a wooden, antique-looking Buddha and three colorfully-painted bamboo baskets at a furniture stall in Chatuchak. Needless to say, our living room in Tokyo now houses a Buddha statue and bamboo baskets courtesy of the market.

We went on Thai food overdrive from the first full day of our six-day stay in Thailand.  I enjoyed Thai food the best at Muse Hotel’s Su Tha Ros restaurant and Miss Siam at Hua Chang Heritage Hotel; while the food was highly stylized in both restaurants for visual appeal, the original Thai flavors were unmistakable in the appropriately portioned servings. We enjoyed the meals with full-bodied California red wine in traditional yet resolutely modern settings, with expansive views of the Bangkok skyline at Su Tha Ros and a dramatically lit tropical garden and pool at the Hua Chang Heritage Hotel. We headed to the Speakeasy Bar on the 25th floor of The Muse Hotel for a nightcap and soaked in the breathtaking view of the city lights from the open area of the bar. Live DJ music played while the well-heeled clientele and cigar-smoking aficionados ate and drank the night away. While we only had a sneak peek at the rooms, these two luxury boutique hotels along with the Vie Hotel-Bangkok are definitely on my “highly recommended” hot and happening hotel list for the Thai capital.

The Vie Hotel-Bangkok provided the most excellent base for our trip; the generously sized suite in rich shades of orange and brown was an elegantly designed, fabulous respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. The breakfast buffet spread is one of the best I have had so far in all my travels, boasting the most delicate and freshest croissants and breakfast pastries, multi-grain bread, cereals and muesli, assorted nuts and cheeses, yoghurts, milk from non-fat to soy, warm pancakes and waffles, to recall some of my favorites. The Vie Hotel clearly takes the idea of “breakfast as the most important meal of the day” very seriously. One other feature that attracted me to this luxury boutique hotel by Accor is the fitness center with the latest machines, free weights, balance balls and a room for special classes. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows that enveloped the gym gave the space an airy, energizing effect. The gym became my favored pit stop every day after breakfast before heading out into the Bangkok traffic.

Our Italian dinner at the Medici Kitchen & Bar of The Muse Hotel on our final evening in Thailand was the fitting finale to our hectic trip. In my opinion, our gastronomic experience at the Medici solidified Bangkok’s reputation as having some of the best international food in the region; our meal to say the least was simply outstanding. Sitting in front of the open kitchen, we feasted our eyes on an endless parade of the freshest ingredients, most of which were flown in from Italy being prepared by a kitchen team of more than a dozen with the Florentine chef, Francesco Lenzi at the helm. Chef Francesco came to our table, suggested some house specialties and took our orders personally. Czarra, my newfound friend and I ordered a bottle of Amarone, my favorite Italian red wine to celebrate our last evening in Bangkok. Over plates of mouthwatering antipasti, a succulent main course of tenderly pink filleto rossini topped with perfectly sautéed goose liver foie gras on a bed of slightly buttered spinach, we sipped our Amarone with blissful content, winking and nodding at each other in approval of our choices for the evening. We did not have to speak to express our pleasure; the smiles on our faces said it all. From the first bite of the burata cheese from Puglia to the last dollop of fresh cream in our dolci misti (assorted desserts), we felt we had gone to gastronomic heaven and back.

Tourism is the second biggest source of revenue for Thailand; in 2012, “The Land of Smiles,” as Thailand is affectionately called, welcomed 22,300,000 visitors from all over the world bringing in US$30 billion. For 2013, the Tourism Authority of Thailand expects tourist arrivals to top 24 million, which according to their estimations will translate to about US$37 billion in tourism revenues. Bangkok was awarded the Mastercard Global Destination Cities 2013 by Mastercard, overtaking London, and is ranked the 13th most popular destination in the world by Trip Advisor. With an aggressive and effective marketing campaign, first-world infrastructure, a rich assortment of natural attractions, stunning landscape, ancient temples and gleaming skyscrapers, a world-class food selection plus charming Thai hospitality, Amazing Thailand it will continue to be.

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Special thanks to the Department of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.