Discover Thailand (2012)

We depart on an overnight flight across the Pacific and cross the International Date Line.

Your hotel room in Bangkok is reserved so that you can check in immediately upon arrival, very late in the evening on Day 2. An OAT representative meets you at the airport and assists with transfer to the hotel.

After breakfast this morning, your Trip Leader, who will be with you throughout your trip, will give you a briefing on Bangkok at our hotel, followed by an orientation walk. Then you’ll have the chance to see the floral market at Pakklong Talad. We then board a motorboat to meander through winding waterways and stop to visit Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we'll visit the Royal Barge Museum. To get there, we sail aboard motorboats down the river and along the klongs, or canals, through residential areas on the outskirts of town. We become part of Bangkok’s lifeblood as we cruise its network of rivers and klongs—a part of Bangkok most travelers never see. We pass small sampan-style boats used by local people as their families’ transportation, water taxis, small wooden homes and luxurious teak houses on stilts, greenery, and ornately decorated Buddhist temple complexes on the shore.

Later, you’ll have leisure time to shop on your own or to return to the hotel.

Tonight, enjoy a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast at our hotel, enjoy a tour of Bangkok. Step into the Old Kingdom of Siam at the Grand Palace of Thailand, a sprawling compound of ceremonial halls, gilded spires, and ornate buildings. The ancient city’s defining landmark since 1782, the palace became the centerpiece of a new Thai capital called Krung Thep (city of angels), known outside of Thailand as Bangkok. It was King Mongkut (or Rama IV) who ruled from this palace, expanded trade with the West and was romanticized in the musical The King and I.

The focal point of the palace is the Emerald Buddha. Carved out of jade and adorned with gold, the Emerald Buddha made a dramatic appearance in 1434, when it was found hidden in a temple stupa. Since 1785, the Emerald Buddha—the most highly revered image of the Buddha—has resided in the Royal Chapel of the Grand Palace.

After lunch on your own, spend an afternoon at leisure making your own discoveries in Bangkok.

This evening, enjoy an optional excursion to see the beautifully painted murals at the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. Afterwards, we watch a stunning and epic Thai musical production and have dinner.

This morning, we have breakfast and then depart Bangkok, stopping to see the Floating Market of Damnern Saduak. Then we arrive at Kanchanaburi for lunch. Kanchanaburi Province is a lush green region where the river and the countryside may bring to mind the dramatic history portrayed in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai. It was here that Allied POWs and Asian conscripts were forced to build the infamous World War II railway.

In the summer of 1942, World War II was raging across Europe and Asia. The Allies were rapidly capturing the sea routes to Burma, forcing the Japanese to develop an overland supply route from the east to support their troops. The Japanese decided that the most viable option was a railway that followed the River Kwai through the dense jungle on either side. About 200,000 Asian laborers and 61,000 Allied prisoners of war built this 260-mile stretch of rail in abominable conditions—for every half-mile of track laid, 38 POWs perished.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we will take a tram ride and walk on the original Bridge over the River Kwai, and then visit Kanchanaburi’s War Cemetery, where you will have a chance to learn more about World War II history in this area. We’ll continue on to our lodge by bus, and settle down for dinner upon arrival.

We start with breakfast at our hotel and then we drive to Hellfire Pass and walk on a woodland trail for about 45 minutes. (The trail has many stairs, but you can avoid them by turning back after walking through Hellfire Pass.) The area is now peaceful, but many lives were lost during the World War II construction of one of the most difficult sections of the River Kwai Railway: To lay track here, Allied POWs and Asian conscripts carved through solid rock—almost entirely by hand. We visit the sobering Hellfire Pass Museum. Then, we board our longtail speedboat for an hour-long cruise on the River Kwai, disembarking at Paksaeng Pier.

We return to our lodge by bus. Dinner tonight is at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, we set out early this morning, and drive through rice-growing country to Uthaithani and stop to visit a market in town where local farmers sell various kinds of live fish and vegetables fresh from their farms.

We then board the Khiri Nava, a large traditional wooden rice barge, and cruise past peaceful scenes of river life. Many local people live on the raft houses that line both sides of the Sakae Krang River, and you might see farmers tending their small fish farms. We enjoy lunch as we cruise on the river for about an hour and a half. We then continue to Phitsanulok. Late in the evening, we check into our hotel and have dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast this morning, we check out of our hotel. We head for Sukhothai, Thailand’s largest collection of historic ruins. This is the place where the Thai nation was born, the kingdom’s magical and spiritual center. With its cache of remarkably preserved columns, shrines, temples, and palaces, it epitomizes old Siam. We ride a tram through the well-kept and attractive grounds of this historical park to see the monuments, and learn about its most famous king, Ramkamhaeng. Not only did this legendary ruler leave a great legacy of art and architecture, he left stones inscribed with a chronicle of his achievement. King Ramkamhaeng is credited with inventing Thai script, as well as with amazing skill at hand-to-hand combat on elephant back, the spread of Theravada Buddhism, and developing relations with China. But even his colorful legend pales in comparison to the evocative palette of Sukhothai, “Dawn of Happiness.”

After departing from Sukhothai, we'll transfer to Phrae, and enjoy an orientation walk of the city and dinner at our hotel.

Today, we have a special treat: A Day in the Life of a northern Thai community. First we visit a local school (when in session, May-Sep and Nov-Feb), sponsored by Grand Circle Foundation. As we meet the children here, we'll have a chance to experience Thai culture on a person-to-person level. Then we'll continue on a walking tour to the Senior Center, talk with villagers, and learn how to make local crafts. Later, we'll visit Don Chum village, where the Foundation has just launched an agricultural cooperative and enjoy a Home-Hosted Lunch.

Then, we travel overland to Chiang Rai. Late this afternoon, we transfer to our hotel and arrive in time for dinner at a local restaurant.

Please note: Grand Circle Foundation supports four schools in Thailand. Depending on the day of the week and the pacing of our itinerary, our school visit may occur instead on Day 6 or 9. Your Trip Leader will advise you of exact scheduling.

In the morning, we visit the small village of Mae Chan. Here we switch to open songtaew taxi trucks to climb a narrow mountain road to Mae Salong (about 3,000 feet above sea level), a rural town where we will spend time with another hill tribe. Here we can admire the compact huts, see the women in their traditional clothing, and glimpse a way of life that has changed little in centuries.

More than 20 distinct, semi-nomadic tribes inhabit northern Thailand and the borderlands of Myanmar and Laos. Some have obscure origins, most have their own language, and all have unique customs. We visit the Long Neck and Long Ears tribes.

After lunch, we continue to the Golden Triangle. At one time, the hill tribes in this region relied on the cultivation of opium for survival—including several bands of Chinese nationalist followers of Chiang Kai Shek, who have been living here (somewhat in hiding and in dwindling numbers) since the Revolution. But times have changed. The government has established many programs to introduce more viable crops, and most of the people are law-abiding farmers. Tourism has become a more profitable and safe alternative than drug smuggling. The hill tribes are more concerned about preserving their old traditions. And life in the Golden Triangle is much gentler and more peaceful than in the old days.

This evening, we’ll dine together at a local restaurant.

Relax and enjoy the passing landscapes as we travel most of the morning to Chiang Mai—the principal city of the north, a major cultural center, and a favorite with visitors. The city’s medieval walls encircle an amazing 36 temples, and the metropolitan region boasts some 80 more official religious sites.

Lunch will be in Chiang Mai at a local restaurant. This afternoon, join your Trip Leader on a visit to Handicraft Street. Chiang Mai is the nation’s premier crafts center, and you will have an opportunity to learn how local craftsmen created their products. They're one of the leading miners of sapphires—and the world's largest cutter of colored stones.

Dinner tonight is on our own. Later, explore the well-known Night Bazaar on foot to experience a cavalcade of sights, sounds, and smells. You’ll find costumed dolls, beautiful cotton garments, and hill tribe crafts—all things Thai converge in Chiang Mai’s bustling Night Bazaar.

There are literally hundreds of shops bursting with crafts to suit every taste. Consider taking advantage of the opportunity to have your expert Trip Leader guide you on a tour of some of Chiang Mai’s select shopping sites. You’ll have the chance to find the perfect keepsake while mingling and chatting with locals.

This morning we visit the Elephant Camp for an elephant show, and then we embark on a forest trek by elephant back. We ride for about an hour on the backs of these gentle giants, enjoying a grand view of the forest. We return to camp by elephant and then board small bamboo rafts and float downstream. We'll enjoy lunch at the Elephant Camp.

Because so many of our travelers have fallen in love with Thai cuisine, we’ve arranged a cooking demonstration for you at a local Thai home later this evening. Upon arrival, we meet our instructor. For one hour, she shows us how to prepare delicious Thai food, which we then enjoy for dinner.

Before breakfast this morning, you have the option of visiting a local temple to witness traditional Buddhist alms giving. Then after breakfast, we’ll visit the temple and have a discussion with its Buddhist monks. Then we’ll see the most magnificent of the city’s temples, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, which we reach by riding up its mountain slope and negotiating hairpin turns until we come to a flight of 306 stairs, flanked by snarling naga serpents whose tails coil up to the temple. From this vantage point, Chiang Mai seems minute below. We'll have the option to walk up the stairs or take a funicular.

In the evening, we enjoy making personal connections with the Thai people as we have a special dinner in the home of local residents.

This morning, we check out of our hotel and head to the airport to board our flight for Bangkok.

After checking in to our hotel in Bangkok, spend an afternoon at leisure making your own discoveries in the city. You are free to choose a local restaurant for dinner on your own this evening.

Today, we explore the city of Bangkok. We begin with a walk through a traditional fresh market in Chinatown. There are many colorful shops selling fruit, cakes, incense, and items used in local rituals. Then we pay a visit to Wat Trimitr and its Golden Buddha, the largest Buddha made of pure gold in the world.

Continue your explorations with a visit to Bangkok’s oldest temple, Wat Po, where you’ll see the colossal statue of the reclining Buddha.

After lunch on your own, we arrive at the Jim Thompson House, former home of a mysterious American turned silk merchant, for a tour of the traditional teak houses whose pieces were moved here from various parts of the country. Jim Thompson is credited with revitalizing Thailand’s silk industry and expanding its international markets. We’ll return to our hotel by public transportation in late afternoon.

Tonight, we gather for a Farewell Dinner cruise on a river rice barge, and return to our hotel for the evening.

Very early this morning, we accompany you to the airport. If you’re taking our post-trip extension in Phnom Penh & Angkor Wat, Cambodia, you’ll fly to Phnom Penh; otherwise, you’ll fly home. You cross the International Date Line, arriving in the U.S. on the same day, in time to make connecting flights home.