Thailand Vacation

My family and I had a holiday in Thailand from 30 December 2006 to 1 January 2007. During this trip, I got to learn more about Thailand and its culture.

One thing that impressed me was how highly respected the King was by the Thai people. Everywhere I went, I could see portraits of the King displayed outside buildings. Whenever people mentioned the King, they would put their hands together and bow slightly as a sign of respect.

Our plane landed at Bangkok's new international airport. At that time, some parts of the airport were still under construction. What caught my attention most was the design of the car park opposite the airport. I really liked its unique design.

After leaving the airport, the first place we went to was a restaurant called "Kuang" for dinner. This restaurant was recommended by my dad's godson. We ordered steamed fish, oyster omelette, prawns, vegetables, and Tom Yum soup.

If you want to try one of the best Tom Yum soups in Bangkok, this is the restaurant to visit. The Tom Yum soup was absolutely delicious! I tried Tom Yum soup at several other places during the trip, but none tasted as good as the one at Kuang. Another thing I noticed was that you could have as many bowls of rice as you wanted without being charged extra. After several bowls of Tom Yum soup, I had to stop because my stomach simply could not take any more! Ha... ha... Maybe that's why I seldom see overweight people in Thailand — they eat Tom Yum soup every day! 😁😁

After dinner, we checked into Bangkok Palace Hotel. The next morning, we enjoyed a wonderful buffet breakfast. The chefs would personally ask how you wanted your eggs cooked. After breakfast, we boarded our coach and began our sightseeing tour around Bangkok. Along the way, we passed by the Royal Palace, which was very beautiful, and our tour guide shared many interesting stories about the Royal Family.

Besides Bangkok, we also visited Pattaya. In Pattaya, we watched an elephant show. The baby elephants were so cute! We bought some bananas to feed them. When you placed a banana on an elephant's trunk, it would step backwards and bow, as if saying "thank you" for the treat.

We also watched a tiger show — and yes, I mean real tigers, not the kind of tiger show everyone is thinking about! Ha... ha...

People often say that pigs are not intelligent animals, but the pigs at the Pattaya zoo proved otherwise. One pig named Laura could actually do mathematics! I know many people may not believe it, but it is true. Visitors could test Laura with simple calculations, and she would give the correct answer.

Who would believe that tigers, dogs, and pigs could live under the same roof? Well, we saw it with our own eyes in Pattaya.

We also took a boat trip to see the sea corals and spent time at the beach. There were many water sports available, including banana boat rides. We also enjoyed shopping near the beach. Some of the shop owners could even speak Chinese and Hokkien. Of course, we tried bargaining before buying anything!

When the bombings happened in Bangkok, we were already in Pattaya. We were truly thankful that God was watching over us. We immediately called home to let our relatives and friends know that we were safe.

Our tour guide showed us the local newspaper, which contained photographs of the bombing sites. Looking at those pictures made us feel very sad, and we felt deeply sorry for the innocent people who were affected.

When we returned to Bangkok from Pattaya, our coach had to take an alternative route back to the hotel because some of the roads and junctions near the affected areas were still closed.

Although the trip ended on a sad note because of the tragic events, I will always remember Thailand for its friendly people, delicious food, beautiful sights, and the wonderful experiences my family and I shared together.