Tourists love Thailand and generally speaking the feeling is mutual! One of Thailand’s strongest assets as a great all-round tourist destination is that is has something to offer tourists on any budget. So, if your idea of fun is wearing the same clothes for a month, growing a beard, lugging your possessions around on your back, eating out for about £1 a meal and staying at a basic, yet comfortable, guesthouse for about an hours wage per night we’ve got something for you.

If, however, you’ve got a bit of a taste for the finer things in life and feel much more at home in a five star resort with a pool, where your room is air conditioned and there are massage treatments and spa therapies on tap we’ve got something for you too.

If you prefer something in the middle we’ve got plenty mid range accommodation options and plenty of opportunity to indulge on a budget.

In our recipe section we mentioned that Thai cooking is about balance, taking out what you’re not so fond of and adding a bit more of what you are. Tourism in Thailand is pretty much the same… but without the washing up!

So, if you’re a sun worshipper you can take a week or so at the beach down in the South. However, If you find you’re getting a bit bored of the sun, sand and sea, or just too burnt to stay out in it any longer (please always wear sun cream while we’re on the subject) there will always be a local temple near by for you to explore and get taste of culture.

Whether you want to paddle and snorkel or take a full PADI diving course, there’s plenty of opportunities for you to meet our aquatic residents. Prefer staying dry? The newly opened aquarium at Chiang Mai Zoo is the perfect place to view Thailand’s sea and river life from the comfort of a dry, air conditioned walkway… and wearing a wetsuit is optional!

If you’re a more energetic type you can’t go wrong with a mountain trek and a stay at a tribal village in the mountainous North. However, if that sounds a bit too taxing, after all you’re on your holidays, how about a trip down the river on a bamboo raft (all steering undertaken by your guide, unless you fancy a go yourself) and an elephant ride? Adventurous yet relaxed at the same time, yes, it really is possible!

As if just riding an elephant wasn’t enough, there’s even a chance to become a mahout, that’s an elephant trainer, for a week in Chiang Mai. You can learn how to give commands to an elephant and even take part in elephant demonstrations for tourists. Not many people can say they have done that!

Maybe you’re more of a thrill-seeker? Well we can cater for you too Sunny Jim! If you like to throw yourself off of or out of things from great heights we’ve got sky diving and bungee jumping. If you’d just like to throw yourself down a hill inside a massive ball try zorbing. If you prefer to be on wheels try our mountain bike trails, then there’s quad biking, go karting, trial biking and even cow cart riding! Blimey! We feel exhausted already!

If you’re not too sure about jumping out of planes, how about climbing up a sheer rock face? Our coastal areas are especially renowned for their great climbing but there are opportunities to climb all over the country. If you’re still feeling energetic and fancy a bit of fun we also offer several paintballing centres all over the nation.

Not content with all that? If you’re feeling tough you could try your hand at one of Thailand’s national sports – Muay Thai (Thai kick boxing). We’ve got plenty of Muay Thai camps dotted about in all regions so you can chose to train by the sun kissed coast or nestled away in the mountain tops. Intensive training camps normally last for around a week and you will be trained alongside real Thai students and by professional boxing teachers. For the macho, what better souvenir to take home than a few bumps and bruises sustained in an authentic Muay Thai ring?!

Does that sound a bit too close to the action than you feel comfortable with? Why not keep a safe distance and soak up the atmosphere at Fight Night? While certain matches are put on just for tourists you will be able to find genuine matches being fought around the country’s local boxing stadiums and during local festivals. For the big matches we head to Bangkok’s Lumphini and Ratchadamnoen Stadiums.

If sweating it out in the gym, rolling down hills and climbing up rock faces does not sound like your cup of tea fear not, we’ve got plenty of ways for you to relax and unwind. How does a herbal sauna followed by a traditional massage sound? There are massage parlours on almost every corner in Thailand’s major towns and cities. How about a gentle game of golf on one of our world-class courses? We’ve got hundreds for you to choose from. Want to do even less? We’ve got plenty of resorts where the most energetic thing you’ll need to do is turn the pages of your cocktail menu.

Want to spread the joy to your friends and family when you return from your trip? You could gain a new skill by enrolling at one of our massage schools. There are many situated in the Northern city of Chiang Mai, several in Bangkok as well as in coastal areas. Alternatively you could hone your culinary skillls at one of our many cooking schools. That way you can treat your friends and family to a taste of your holiday when you get home instead of just boring them with your holiday videos!

If you’re into alternative therapy you might like to embark upon a journey of self discovery at one of our yoga or detox retreats. Most of these centres are on our beautiful islands and again there are plenty of options depending on your budget. So if you would rather detox in 5 star luxury we’ve got just the places for you, at the same if you’d prefer your experience to be a little closer to nature, staying in a simple hut on the beach, we offer that too!

How about that for an action packed holiday! We didn’t even begin to mention the shiny shopping centres, the exhilarating water sports, the amazing Thai cuisine you can sample on every street, the national museums, the sparkling temples and palaces and bustling markets. Well, we don’t want to spoil all of the surprises!

To find out more we recommend taking a look at the Tourism Thailand website and also picking yourself up a guide book. This will help you plan your trip and the activities that you would like to take part in before you go to maximise your time during your trip. It’s all about the perfect balance. Thailand is waiting to help you find yours!