Thailand is a beautiful country located in Southeast Asia, filled with a beautiful and welcoming community. Since I was born, Thailand has always felt like home because when I was a little kid I would go to the markets and the market owners would all recognize me and say hello and be very kind and sweet to me. It just felt like everyone was more connected and more like a big family. Thai people are very kind and friendly, especially to visitors.
It is practically a tropical paradise. When you go out of the city, there are bamboo forests, beautiful tropical jungles and amazing beaches. There are many animals like monkeys, elephants and lots of geckos that go everywhere including your house. Thailand has a combination of heat and humidity, which I think feels very nice and calming on the skin. Out in the country in Thailand you can see some more of the natural beauties of Thailand like the rice farms and the local residents, with all the beautiful market places filled with amazing delicious food.
The culture in Thailand is very traditional. You always have to respect your elders. When younger people walk past or say hello to their elders, they have to put their hand together and bow a little bit while saying, “Sa-wat-de-ka,” if you are a women and, “Sa-wat-de-khrap,” if you are man. Most people in Thailand dress more modestly. Even when it is hot outside most people wear long pants and some long sleeve shirts, but if you are not used to heat that can be above 100 degrees, I would recommend wearing shorts. When I go to Thailand, it is way too hot for me so I usually wear shorts and short sleeve shirts, but try to still dress modestly to respect the culture. Traditional Thai clothing is very beautiful as well with gold designs in all sorts of colors of fabric that I think are beautiful and show part of Thai culture.
The religion most common in Thailand is Buddhism. There are many beautiful golden temples with intricate designs. When people go into the temple, they offer the monks food and respect and bow to them. In return the monks give you a blessing. If you pass a spirit house it is respectful to bow and respect the spirits. Thailand has many myths and legends about mythical creatures, ghosts and heroes all showing important life lessons. I think that the temples and folklore stories are very beautiful and have lots of meaning to them. When I visit the Thai temples, I admire them because I think they are an amazing sight to see.
Thailand has some of the most delicious food. Most of the food can be very spicy. They eat different parts of animals that some people may not be used to normally eating, like liver, chicken feet, frogs and more. The best authentic Thai food comes from the street markets. Some of the foods that are my favorite form Thailand are Som Tam, also known as papaya salad, jok soup and mango and sticky rice, which is one of my favorite desserts. Night markets are very beautiful and lively. No matter what time of the day there will always be stands set up that sell food and other trinkets. When you go to the markets, some of the market store owners like to raise the price higher than it is, so if you ever go to Thailand, you need to know how to haggle and bargain.
Thailand is overall a very beautiful place that feels like home. With a community that is connected with amazing wildlife and city life. If you can go there for a vacation I would recommend visiting Thailand.
