A holiday in Thailand can combine the beauty of the Golden Triangle's temples and remote hill tribes north of Chiang Mai, the beaches of Pattaya and more pristine Krabi, and the dynamic capital Bangkok with its futuristic high-rise buildings juxtaposed against the exquisite beauty of the gleaming Grand Palace.

There is more visible historical evidence of past eras in Thailand than in any other South-East Asian country, so if you're interested in ruins, temples and deserted cities, this is the place to go.

Thailand is an easy country to travel in, with efficient transport, cheap accommodation and a delicious national cuisine. The Thais are renowned for their friendliness and hospitality to strangers.

It's worth putting up with the traffic jams, pollution, annual floods and sticky weather to experience Bangkok, one of Asia's most exciting cities.

Nakhon Pathom, 60km west of Bangkok, is regarded as the oldest city in Thailand and is host to the orange-tiled Phra Pathom Chedi, the tallest Buddhist monument in the world.

Compared to Bangkok, Chiang Mai's evenings are cool and conducive to moseying around the central Night Bazaar. Chiang Mai is easily managed, with many visitors choosing to get around by bicycle. Chiang Mai is a good base for mountain treks; however, this part of Thailand is considerably overtrekked and some hill-tribe villages have been turned into little more than human zoos.

The beautiful island of Ko Samui is covered with coconut plantations and circled by (call us clich�d but it's true) palm-fringed beaches. Ko Samui's northern neighbour, Ko Pha-Ngan, is more tranquil, and has equally good beaches and fine snorkelling. Its renowned beach parties at Hat Rin are popular with backpackers. There will be full-moon parties on 29 Dec 29 2001 and 28 Jan 2002.

Meditation study is popular with many visitors to Thailand. There are dozens of temples and meditation centres dotted throughout the country which welcome sincere guests. Instruction and accommodation are free of charge, though donations are expected. If you'd prefer to direct your energies outward, tuition in Thai boxing is available in Bangkok and in Naklua, north of Pattaya.

Thai International has a useful domestic flight network, but travellers tend to prefer Thailand's good bus and train transport. Buses are phenomenally fast, and they're also well serviced and air-conditioned. Trains are comfortable, frequent, punctual, moderately priced and rather slow.

If you're travelling on a budget, you should be able to fairly easily get by on around US$15-25 a day anywhere in Thailand. Visitors staying in comfortable hotels and eating at restaurants should budget on around US$30-40 a day outside Bangkok and around double this amount when in the capital.

Tentative plan (28 days): [bus, boat from Penang] Ko Samui (5 days) -boat- Ko Phenang for full-moon party (5 days) -boat, bus- Bangkok (3 days) -bus- Chang Mai (8 days) -bug- Bangkok with day-trips to nearby sights (7 days) [fly to Delhi]