Thailand is a very welcoming country with friendly people who have a deep respect for themselves and for others. Visitors are always welcomed warmly in Thailand and are invited to share their spiritual experiences in Thailand.
Bats Cave Temple
Visitors to Thailand wanting to explore religious sites will want to visit Bats Cave Temple. Here, thousands of bats fly out of a cave near the temple each night. On certain Saturdays at 6PM, visitors can enter the cave.
Holy City Hill
Another fantastic spot to visit is Holy City Hill, near Petchaburi. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with Swiss walkways. Holy City Hill is home to many monkeys and also the castle that the King of Thailand lived in during the 1900s.
Wild Tiger Temple
Also plan to visit the Wild Tiger Temple. This temple must really be experienced as the monks and tigers lay together in total peace. The temple is located in the Saiyok district of Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province and visitors must be very conservatively dressed with the shoulders and knees well covered. Also visitors are not allowed to wear the colour red. And remember, it is impolite to touch a person on the head, even a young child, because the Thailand people believe that the soul resides in their head.
White Elephant
The people of Thailand also love their white elephants, a symbol of fertility and success. The majority of the people of Thailand are Buddhist. The mother of Buddha, Queen Maya, had a dream the night before she gave birth to him. In that dream she is presented with a lotus flower by a white elephant with six tusks. White elephants are considered the presence of God in their midst. They were never ridden into war or during processions. The Thailand navy uses a white elephant on their insignia. In the past, the owner of a white elephant could not use it or sell it. Therefore, the owner of a white elephant often met with financial ruin. Therefore, a law was passed that all white elephants must be given to the King Adjulyadej.
Elephant Conservation Center
Those elephants are kept at the Elephant Conservation Center near Chiang Mai. Today, the king has six male white elephants. While the white elephants can seldom be seen by the public, visitors are welcome to tour the Elephant Conservation Center. Visitors can watch the elephants bathing and eating, ride an elephant and stay in the home of an elephant handler.
Thai Elephant Orchestra
Visitors may choose to travel to Lampang for a performance of the Thai Elephant Orchestra, where up to 16 elephants perform music together.
Surin Elephant Festival
Visitors can also attend the Surin Elephant Festival. During this festival, held the third Saturday in November, over 200 elephants are gathered each year. During the festival, the elephants dance, race, play soccer and tug-of-war.
