Thailand’s distance from the United States may make transportation expensive, but once there, thrifty travelers can find bargains in lodging, food and shopping. And, for those who seek new experiences in travel, it's hard to beat this country with its elaborately beautiful shrines and temples, its distinctive cuisine and the ancient culture of its gracious, handsome people. And for a little R&R, its sunny beaches beckon. The shopping is good, too. Visitors will find their best bargains on locally produced goods, things like silks and colorful cotton fabrics, gold and silver jewelry, lacquerware, baskets made of rattan and bamboo.

Thailand is described as a land of smiles because genuine smiles come so readily to the Thais, which naturally charms the overseas visitor who does not encounter a warm welcome everywhere. However, there are hassles — the smog and incredible traffic jams in Bangkok, for example — and a downright seamy underside to this story. Such a charming and accommodating destination attracts some of the worst sorts of people including tourists on the hunt for cheap sex, and the incidence of AIDS is high. (Ironically, Thailand is one of the world’s major hubs for medical tourism, with services provided by internationally accredited hospitals.)

A late 2006 military coup, overthrowing a democratically elected government, further tarnished the image of what has been — and still can be — a very attractive destination for mainstream tourists, but especially those with a venturesome bent. Thailand is hot and humid all year, but less so in the prime travel months of November through February. The best approach is to visit when you can, and resolve not to let the heat interfere with your sanuk.

Scuba dive, or snorkel, around islands in the Gulf of Thailand (May to September) or, to the west, in the Andaman Sea (October to April).

Try wakeboarding, an extreme sport that is a cross between waterskiing and snowboarding. You are strapped to a short surfboard in a standing position, and you travel at nearly 20 mph behind a speedboat, cutting in and out of its large wake.

Take the home stay option in the countryside. This can be seen as similar to staying at a working ranch. You can work in the fields, herd cows, toss a net for fish — only if you wish — as well as visit local attractions.

Go whitewater kayaking on the Mae Taeng River. Or, choose whitewater rafting on the Huai Mae Klong or the Pai River, among others.

Walk — with a guide — across Thailand in a day. That is, you will walk its narrowest piece, the seven-mile stretch from Wang Duan, a railway station on the Gulf of Thailand, to the Myanmar border. Camp on the beach the night before; there are no comfort facilities on the walking route, either.

Bicycle into the hill country of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces. See www.cyclingthailand.com.

Get married while seated on an elephant.

Participate in a voluntourism trip to Thailand which would involve lending a helping hand in some way, based on need and your skills.

Travel to the ancient capital of Ayutthaya on a two-night barge trip from Bangkok. This gets you an in-depth look at river life as you visit several villages and bike to rice paddies where you learn how to plant the grain.
Or, opt for a luxury riverboat, followed by bus transport to see Ayutthaya itself.

Take a Thai cooking class in Bangkok or at one of the beach resorts. Then, sample popular Thai foods at small food stalls and in tiny storefront restaurants.

Take a boat trip on the gentle Mekong River, exploring the towns and villages along the way. The best time for this is November to February.

Watch some uniquely Thai sports. You can watch kite fighting where players strive to push each other's colorful kites out of the sky. Or, watch takraw matches, in which players use heads, legs and feet to keep a rattan ball in the air. See fighting fish in action — this is not for the children.

Attend Thailand’s Songkran New Year celebrations at which revelers drench each other with water. They are washing away evil and sorrow.

See sacred rituals at the Vegetarian Festivals of Phuket and Trang. To drive out evil and bring good luck, devotees in a trance perform such feats as walking barefooted over hot coals and climb ladders made with bladed rungs.

You can, if it seems advisable, combine medical care with tourism in Thailand.

Tour Trang by tuk tuk, a small roofed and motorized tricycle accommodating five passengers. The Trang municipality assisted in developing three sightseeing routes in the small city in southern Thailand.

See a live Thai kick boxing match. Try some of the moves yourself in a class.

Visit a few villages of Thailand’s well-known hill tribes. Also, at Mae Hong Son, arrange a trip to see the “giraffe women,” women who wear brass bands that appear to stretch their necks. They are the Karen and are Myanmar refugees.

Take a short, or a multiday, ride by bamboo raft down the Mae Kok River, near Chiang Mai. The longer journeys often involve some biking, an elephant ride and a stay in a hill tribe village.

See elephant shows and sports played by elephants at the Surin Elephant Roundup in the fall in Surin.

Attend the Bo Sang Umbrella & Sankamphaeng Handicrafts Festival in Bo Sang near Chiang Mai. There are contests, cultural performances and exhibitions — and lots of colorful paper and silk parasols.

Play golf any time of the year. Thailand counts more than 100 international standard golf courses, clustered in or near major tourist destinations of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and others.

Be a butterfly-watcher at Thung Yai Naresuan and Huai Kha Khaeng sanctuaries, both World Heritage sites, or in the Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park.

Attend a blues festival in Phuket.

Have a Thai-style massage involving deep pressure, stretches and rhythmic movements. Or, opt for a full-blown spa experience at a destination spa.

See a long boat race, in October or November. The best known is the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, but there are many others.

Sample beach life, Thai style, in and around Phuket.

Shop along the so-called Handicraft Highway between Chiang Mai and San Kamphaeng for carvings, weavings and the work of potters and silversmiths.

For more information, consult the Tourism Authority of Thailand at www.tourismthailand.org

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