Why does the West love Thailand so much?

Thailand is a magnetic destination, although none seem to feel the pull of its magnetism quite Westerners. Here’s a few reasons why.

The weather

Scenic adventure background of amazing white sand beach on coast of tropical island in Thailand

It never snows, ever. It rarely gets below 20°C. The heat and humidity – and the option to spend your days on the stunning beaches enjoying it, just never gets old for anyone who’s shovelled snow. Although there is a monsoon season, you still won’t feel the need to don your boots, scarf and gloves, just maybe stay indoors for a day or two. The weather makes Thailand the perfect destination to do further travelling too. The words ‘weather permitting’ will never get in the way of your plans again. It also means that you can travel light – a couple bathing suits, some short and t-shirts are all you really need.

Spirituality

Thailand, like many countries in Asia, is deeply spiritual. The beautiful statues of Buddha that people honour as they pass, the festivals celebrating their beliefs and customs and the way people greet you with a Wai blessing is a stark – and welcome – contrast to the often overly-diplomatic ways of the West with their ‘Season’s Wishes’ posters in malls. Thailand provides a kind of spiritual nourishment for people, with its simple and beautiful ways. Just seeing monks in the streets or at their meditations gives you a feeling of awe.

Affordability

For Westerners, Thailand is a paradise where you can live like a king in comparison to your more pauper-ish life back home. You’ll find yourself converting your purchases and hotel rates back into dollars and saying ‘wow’. After a fun-filled day of exploring, shopping and eating out, you’ll be delighted to realise that you’ve spent less than $10! Combine that with your $10 a night private bungalow on the beach, and it’s heaven. Also, in Thailand, people won’t inflate their prices when they see a Westerner approaching their counter.

Ease yourself into travelling

Thailand is a great place to ease into travelling. The people are incredibly friendly and helpful, and there are lots of other westerners around, so you won’t feel quite so removed from your comfort zone. If anything goes wrong, there’ll be loads of people that are willing to help. In this way, Thailand helps you to build up some confidence, especially if it’s your first solo travelling trip.

A great starting point

Once you’ve built up a bit of self-confidence, Thailand presents the perfect opportunity to travel a bit further. You can take a bus to Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos and have a totally different experience just next door. Flights are also very affordable, so you can hop over to Sri Lanka for a few days. It’s also only a four hour flight to Bali! It’s easy to come back to Thailand for a few days in-between and get settled again. Thailand is just smack-bang in the middle of everything, half way between Australia and Europe, it’s a convenient destination for many people.

The Nightlife

Most of the Westerners that visit Thailand are in their 20’s. The festivals are a big draw-card for them, but none seem as popular as the Full Moon Party, which happens once a month to welcome travellers to Thailand. It gained popularity after being featured in films like The Beach and the monthly celebration has spilled over from Haad Rin beach to clubs nearby and beyond. Bonfires, beer buckets and dancing on the beach until dawn – it’s every twenty-something’s dream holiday!