ARRIVING at Bangkok International Airport, I felt that all the ads promoting Thailand were true: it's an amazing place! The airport, which is one of the biggest in the world, with a capacity of 45 million passengers annually, handles 76 flight operations per hour -- all done by polite, smiling airport staff. Thailand isn't called the land of smiles for nothing! On the first day, we visited the royal Grand Palace, which is no longer used as the royal residence, but is occasionally opened for state ceremonies. The Thai king, Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the longest reigning monarch in Thai history and the monarchy is immensely loved in Thai society. The king is highly revered because of his impressive list of public work projects and his humanitarian acts of goodwill. Later, we attended a multimedia presentation on the Seven Wonders of Thailand. The welcome speech and the opening address was given by the minister of Tourism and Sports, Weerasak Kowsurat, as part of ‘Visit Thailand 2009' project. The next day, we visited Phuket Island, which is a unique place in its own right. I stayed at a resort close to Patong Beach called the Duang JIt Resort, Patong, which ha excellent facilities. I've seen a lot of entertainment shows all over the world, but the Phuket Fantasia was just something else! They train chickens, birds, tigers, lions and elephants to participate in the circus, which is not to be missed. We visited the Six Senses Destination spa and hotel, where everything is fresh and all the food is organically grown. They also provide doctors who advise visitors on their health issues and living a healthy lifestyle. One of the highlights of the spa was sugarless cake, and the relaxing Thai massage, where masseurs concentrate on pressure points across the body to relieve pent up aches and pains. Thailand also has excellent shopping opportunities -- from local markets to the huge, modern malls. Besides these places, I visited Phi-Phi island, where you can literally swim with fish, and the Bangkok Hospital in Phuket, which showcases the best medical equipment in the region. Thailand isn't called amazing for nothing! __
