If you’re still deciding where to spend Christmas this year, consider Thailand. It’s a wonderfully exotic destination where you will find the spirit of Christmas alive and well in the welcoming people and the beautiful environment. Yes, you might be missing snow – but a warm Christmas is also wonderful. So before you decide to do the same old thing this Christmas, here are 7 reasons to try something a little more exotic:
7 Reasons to spend Christmas in Thailand
The people
Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles and it’s a destination where the people literally live the spirit of Christmas in terms of generosity and kindness all year round.
The Nature
Thailand is home to several incredibly beautiful national parks where you can immerse yourself in nature, enjoying rafting, rock climbing and much more – all set against the most incredible vegetation and scenery. This year, your traditional walk on Christmas morning will be filled with sights that include beautiful tropical orchids and magnificent palm trees.
The exotic experience
Spending Christmas in a new culture is an exotic and enriching experience. Instead of choosing the Christmas Turkey on the menu, try one of the local dishes like the Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup, followed by Pad Krapow Moo Saap (Fried basil and pork) with Yam Nua (Spicy Beef Salad). There’s no doubt you’ll return to your home country richer for the experience and a determination to introduce a new twist to your traditional Christmas menu!
The Christmas experience
If you’re afraid you won’t see lights, snowmen and Father Christmas, fear not! Bangkok is a truly global city and along with the other bigger cities in Thailand, it embraces Christmas with open arms. Bangkok’s top Christmas markets include the Winter Market Fest at Sansiri where you’ll find one of the best festive markets in town and the themed Great Gatsby Christmas Market which is held at the large K village Community Mall and includes over 150 stalls complete with a 1920’s American Gatsby style theme.
The shopping
Instead of fighting through crowds in a mall somewhere in your home country, you can stroll through one of the traditional Thai markets where you can easily pick up exotic, handmade gifts, often at half the price that you would find them back home. If you’re looking for designer clothes or handbags, you won’t have to look far and with the prices generally lower than the western capitals, you’ll have to buy another suitcase to bring all your gifts home.
The escape
Once you’ve indulged in a bit of Christmas frenzy – one of the big advantages of Thailand is that you can get away from it all! Head out to one of the smaller islands or cities and enjoy the traditional villages, beautiful scenery and local customs – all without a snowflake in sight!
The detox
At the end of it all, if you’ve overindulged – what better way to get rid of all those toxins than a relaxing Thai massage? Bliss!
If a Christmas trip abroad inspires you to try the expat lifestyle for a few years or even longer, contact FinGlobal for more information about our foreign exchange services.