What are the best and cheapest things in Thailand?

I Will be traveling in Thailand at the end of May, early June. What are the best things to do during this time

• I am going to volunteering in thailand during june, but will be leaving two weeks earlier to travel. I should be traveling in the end of may first week of june and was wondering what are the best things to do during this time. such as beaches, places to see, and such. I will be starting in bangkok where i fly in. should i go to northern thailand and work my way down, or go to southern thailand, or should i stay in the bangkok area? any tips would be greatly appreciated.

• Answer:

  Wow - sounds like a wonderful experience. Thailand is such a beautiful country. Depending on if you prefer beaches or mountains, the answer will change. First thing I'll say is that if you are travelling to Thailand alone, as a single woman you might find Bangkok very tricky. I've been there several times, and when alone, I would be pestered continuously. It was very unpleasant. However, when I was with at least one other person, I could generally walk around and enjoy looking at the sights. I highly recommend Jim Thompson's house, and the Palace and stupa in Bangkok. Even just walking around the streets is interesting! Allow yourself a couple of days. Take a river taxi and see the morning market, too. Outside of Bangkok, I really enjoyed Chang Mai (in the North) and Sukotai, and lots of small villages in between. I rode my bicycle from Chang Mai down to Bangkok (over a couple weeks) and the people, food, animals and sights were wonderful. The northern area also allows you to visit some hill tribes where the language and culture are somewhat different from the rest of Thailand. If you are a beach person, you will want to head south, and many people recommend the small islands like Ko Pi Pi. In the southern area of the mainland there is more Muslim influence, so you can experience yet another type of culture and religion. Thailand is predominantly Buddhist and you will see many monks in their beautiful robes, but there are also some Christians and tribal religions, too. Thailand has never been a colony of another country unlike many of her neighbors. There's much more than I can tell you here, but I recommend you read guidebooks such as Lonely Planet which have chapters devoted to learning about the customs. There are some specific (seemingly innocent) actions that will offend, so become familiar with these things before you go. For example, if you are sitting on the floor, ensure the soles of your feet are not pointed towards another person. Hope you enjoy your experience and have a wonderful time!