Product Description

The Rough Guide to Thailand is the most accessible handbook to this beautiful and intriguing country. From Bangkok's vibrant night markets to stunning island beaches, the 24-page, full-colour introduction pinpoints all of the country's highlights. This new edition also features four brand-new, full-colour inserts: Thai Food, Loy Krathong Festival of Light, Thai Temples and Thai Films. There are details of all the best places to stay, eat and drink, to suit every budget, plus a new 'Authors' Picks' feature to highlight the very best options. There is plenty of expert advice on a range of activities, from trekking and scuba-diving to cookery courses and spa treatments. The guide also takes a detailed look at Thailand's history, culture, religion and wildlife and comes complete with easy-to-read maps for every region.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42533 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 944 pages

Customer Reviews

Everything you need except your passport
Rough Guide Thailand is one of the best in the range, and it strikes just the right balance, although the book still weighs in on the heavier end in a backpack, its pretty much all useful. especially for the traveller who is exploring thailand, which is after all a very big country.

The books coverage strikes a good balance, and the design is very user friendly, the features of the (not so) new design which are particuliarly useful are the end of chapter transport connections overview with approx times, and the 40 things not to miss photos at the front is a great selection, and can serve as an inspiring hit list.

The book is very well suited to the independant traveller, and the accomodation on the whole was more accurately on target than in many other guides, to agree with 50% or more of the reccomendations is a very good sign, although thailand moves quickly, not least in accomodation, so it is very difficult to keep coverage up to date.

On the whole the food selections were ok, generally this is the weakest point in the rough guide series, Bangkok is least well served in this respect, but when pushed and feeling lazy outside the capital it will deliver somewhere to eat pretty quickly. (not that finding somewhere to eat is a problem in thaialnd).
there is a small but quite useful language section which could be expanded to double its length and be even more useful, and the history section isnt too overwhelming, but i guess more thai phrase books are sold separately than history books and hence the obvious imbalance here.
The Rough guide to Thailand is nicely pitched, accurate and informative.

Although, I couldn't go to everywhere in the book this left me thirsty for more!
Although I travelled just before a new edition of this book was published, I thought this book was excellent in helping me plan my holiday in advance. We knew we wanted to go to Thailand but weren't quite sure where - this book helped us decide based on not only things to see & do but weather condtions etc, which I found were excellent compared to many internet sites and travel brochures (which portray Thailand as one climate area, when in fact it has many different weather systems). The book was excellent and still felt 'up to date'; for example it helped us find the most fab little boutique hotel "Buddy Lodge" in Bankok which was exactly what we were looking for and never would have found otherwise. Also it had fantastic and accurate info on the Grand Palace, such as tours times and prices, not to mention a complete guide to the whole complex, building by building!

These books make such a fantastic read in terms of filling you in on culture and traditions - because I had read this before we travelled I spotted lots of things I would have missed otherwise. It seemed a shame that we only went on a two week tourist holiday - the book made me want to go back packing around the whole country!

Don't bother with the 'Lonely Planet ' guides
This is about the tenth Rough Guide I've used, and as usual it has been an excellent source of most importantly accurate information. All Rough Guides have evidently been well researched and give step-by-step procedures of what to do on arrival, finding accommodation and local transport etc. I've never understood why so many travellers use 'Lonely Planet' guides. The title may very well sound ethereal and full of the romatic allusion (illusion?) of travelling, but I have found them at best very mediochre. I can think their popularity lies more in the fact of their reputation. If you're a 'serious' traveller you only ever get the Lonely Planet. Well don't bother, get a Rough Guide which you will almost certainly find more useful.