the king participates in an ancient Brahman ritual in a large field (Sanam Luang) in central Bangkok. A Rocket Festival is also held in June in the country’s northeast, using a volatile mixture of bamboo and gunpowder to convince the sky to send rain for the new rice season; and the rice harvest from September through to May leads to joyous local celebrations throughout Thailand.

The Vegetarian Festival in Phuket and Trang, during which devout Chinese Buddhists eat only vegetarian food, runs for nine days from late September to early October. Merit-making processions are the most visible expression of this festival, but there are also ceremonies at Chinese temples. The Elephant Roundup in Surin in November is a festival popular with the kind of people who enjoy watching pachyderms play soccer. During the Loi Krathong Festival, held after the rainy season (usually in November), candle-lit floats are cast into waterways to bring good fortune for the coming year. Bangkok and Thailand’s northern provinces are especially good places to catch this celebration.

The exact dates for festivals may vary from year to year, either because of the lunar calendar or because local authorities have decided to change festival dates. For specific dates, contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT; www.tourismthailand.org).

Thailand: Sights
Thailand’s natural wonders are matched only by its cultural marvels. You could spend years just trekking its highlands, mooching through its national parks, browsing its islands, and checking out the temple architecture, traditional crafts and ancient cities in between.

Ancient City
Address Samut Prakan province Phone tel: 0 2323 9253 (info) Transport bus Hours 08:00 – 17:00 Web www.ancientcity.com Keyword monument, museum, theme park/funfair Ancient City ( Muang Boran ), south of Bangkok, is billed as the largest open-air museum in the world. Over 100 of Thailand’s most impressive monuments are rendered slightly less impressive in this 80-hectare (200-acre) collection of scale models. The grounds follow the basic shape of Thailand itself and the monuments are placed accordingly.

Visions of Las Vegas and tiny tacky treasures may spring to mind, but the Ancient City is architecturally sophisticated and a preservation site for classical buildings and art forms.If you’re an architecture buff on a brief stay, or just a lover of these sorts of educational theme parks, Ancient City is well worth the trip out of town.

Ao Phang-Nga National Marine Park
Address Phang-Nga province Phone tel: 0 7641 1247 (info)
tel: 0 7643 0348 (info) Keyword national park, river This sheltered pocket of the Andaman Sea is blessed with verdant limestone cliffs, odd rock formations, submerged karst caves and quaint fishing villages. Around the coast, turquoise waters and scenic islands await the swooshing of your paddles. Hire a canoe, kayak or private boat from the visitors’ centre or join a tour organised through an agency in town.

Tours usually include a stop at a Muslim fishing village and James Bond Island (the island rock in The Man with the Golden Gun ) within Ao Phang-Nga National Marine Park. The tours take from two to three hours and can be arranged through tour agencies at the Phang-Nga bus station.

Jim Thompson’s House
Address Soi Kasem San 2, Th Phra Ram I, Siam Sq, Bangkok Phone tel: 0 2216 7368 (info) Transport train: National Stadium
water taxi: khlong taxi Tha Ratchathewi Hours 09:00 – 17:00 Web