Where to go in Thailand

The clash of tradition and modernity is most intense in Bangkok, the first stop on almost any itinerary. Within the capital's historic core you'll find resplendent temples, canal side markets and the opulent indulgence of the eighteenth-century Grand Palace, while in downtown Bangkok lies the hub of the country's sex industry, the infamous strip known as Patpong. After touchdown in Bangkok, much of the package-holiday traffic flows east to Partaya, the country's first and most popular beach resort. Born as a rest-and recreation base for the US military during the Vietnam War, it has grown into a concrete warren of hotels and strip joints that's just about the least authentic town in Thailand. For unpolluted beaches and clear seas, however, you have to venture just a little further field, to the islands of Ko Sarnet and Ko Chang, with their superb sand and idyllic bamboo beach huts.

Fewer tourists strike north from the east coast into Isaan, the poorest and in some ways the most traditionally Thai region. Here, a trip through the gently modulating landscapes of the Mekhong River valley, which defines Thailand's northern and eastern extremities, takes in archetypal agricultural villages and a fascinating array of religious sites, while the southern reaches of Isaan hold some of the country's best-kept secrets - the magnificent stone temple complexes of Phimai, Phanom Rung and Khao Phra Viharn, all built by the Khmers of Cambodia almost ten centuries ago. Closer to the capital, in the southwestern corner of Isaan, Khao Yai National Park encapsulates the phenomenal diversity of Thailand's flora and fauna, which here range from wild orchids to strangling figs, elephants to hornbills, tigers to macaques.

Attractively sited at the heart of the northern uplands, Chiang Mai draws tourists in almost the same quantities as Pattaya, but has preserved its looks with far greater care, and appeals to a different kind of visitor. It's a vibrant cultural centre in its own right, with a strong tradition of arts and crafts and a burgeoning line in self-improvement courses - from ascetic meditation to the more earthly pleasures of Thai cookery classes while the overriding enticement of the surrounding region is the prospect of trekking through villages inhabited by a richly mixed population of tribal peoples. With Chiang Mai so firnily planted on the independent tourist trail, the ancient cities of the intervening central plains tend to get short shrift. Yet there is rewarding trekking from the Burmese-border towns of Mae Sot and Umphang, and the elegant ruins of former embody a glorious artistic heritage, display-

Thailand's distinctive ability to absorb influences from quite different cultures.

Kanchanaburi, stunningly located on the river Kwai in the western reaches of the central plains, tells of a much darker episode in Thailand's past, for it was along the course of this river that the Japanese army built the Thailand-Burma Railway during World War 11, at the cost of thousands of POW lives.

Sand and sea are what most Thailand holidays are about, though, and the pick of the coasts are in southern Thailand, where the Samui archipelago off the Gulf coast is OIle Of the highlights: its small resorts, desolate coves and immaculate sweeping beaches, draw teenage ravers and solitude-seekers in equal parts.

Across on the other side of the peninsula, the Andaman coast boasts even more exhilarating scenery and the finest coral reefs in the country, in particular around the spectacular Ko Similan island chain, which ranks as one of the best dive sites in the world. The largest Andaman coast island, Phuket, is one of Thailand's top tourist destinations and is graced with a dozen fine beaches; many of these have been "over-developed with expensive high-rises and throbbing nightlife, but quieter, corners can still be found. Ko Phi Phi has also suffered under unregulated construction, but its coral-rich sea remains an untainted azure, and the sheer limestone cliffs that characterize the coastline here - and elsewhere around the harbor town and beaches of nearby Krabi - are breathtakingly beautiful. The island of Ko Lanta has a more understated charm and is a popular destination for families. Inland attractions generally pale in comparison to the coastal splendors, but the rainforests of Khao Sok National Park are a notable exception.

Further down the Thai peninsula, in the provinces of the deep south, the teeming sea life and unfrequented sands of Ko Tarutao National Marine Park are the immediate attractions, though the edgy relationship between Thai sovereignty and Malaysian Islam - the kind of cultural brew that has characterized Thailand throughout its history - makes this region a rewarding one for the more adventurous travelers to explore.