All An Adventurer Must Know About Thailand — страница 3

continents. Rates for calling out of the country are normally considerably higher than for calling in so if you expect a long conversation you might save some money by having your party call back if possible. If you can’t call from your hotel, go to the General Post Office (GPO) on New Road, or major post offices, and call from special booths for overseas calls Postal Services Thailand’s mail service is reliable and efficient. Major hotels provide basic postal services on their premises. Bangkok’s Central G.P.O. on New Road is open from 8.00 AM to 6.00 PM, Mondays through Fridays, and from 9.00 AM to 1.00 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. Telegrams may be sent at any time of the day or night. Upcountry post offices maintain similar hours, except that they close

at 4.30 PM. Telex and Fax All better hotels will offer complete telex, telegraph and facsimile (”fax”) services. The GPO offers telex service around-the-clock. Numerous private businesses offer such facilities; most often in conjunction with translation services. Thai Cuisine Thai cuisine is distinctive, thanks to liberal use of spicy ingredients, and combines the best of Chinese and Indian culinary traditions – - noodles, curries, sweet and sour dishes, lengthily cooked and fast-cooked ingredients, exotic spices and condiments – while retaining its own very special character. International Food Chinese food in Thailand, normally quite bland is second to none. Major European, Levantine, Asian and Oriental cuisine are represented in gourmet restaurants. American, English

and Continental breakfasts are served in most hotels and numerous, ubiquitous coffeeshops specia1ise in European dishes. Western-style fast food shops, snack bars and ice-cream parlours gain increasing popularity with Thais. Restaurants and Food shops Food parks, or centres, usually in large shopping malls and hotels, are unusual Thai ventures. Numerous restaurants offer every imaginable type of Asian cuisine and huge colour pictures of dishes assist diners in their choices. Open-air garden restaurants, and riverine restaurants, are more peaceful and are favoured in the evenings by most Bangkokians. Menus are extensive. Service is prompt. Prices are reasonable. All kinds of regional Thai food can be sampled. Special dinners can be enjoyed on boats cruising the Chao Phraya River.

Soft breezes, candlelight dining and distant music create romantic moods. Seafood restaurants are also popular. They offer a wide choice of fresh ingredients, charcoal grilled or broiled to individual requests, and a fine selection of local and imported wines. Some tourist-oriented restaurants present selected Thai classical and folk dances. Guests sit around low tables, often in traditional surroundings, with teak panelling and floors, classic paintings and precious porcelain. A combination of Thai cuisine, music, silk, orchids and graceful dances creates memorable evenings. Thai Boxing This developed as a form of self-defence during the Ayutthaya period (13so-17sv). Boxers are forbidden to wrestle or bite. However, they may kick, shove and push and unreservedly use bare feet,

legs, elbows and shoulders, besides fists, to batter each other into submission. Thai boxing is featured throughout the week at Bangkok’s Ratchadamnoen Stadium (Monday, Wednesday. Thursday and Sunday) and Lumphini Stadium (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday) Takro This sport is traditionally played by a loosely formed circle of men who use feet, knees, thighs, chests and shoulders to acrobatically pass a woven rattan ball to each other, endeavouring to keep it airborne, and eventually kick it into a basket suspended above their heads. Kite-Fighting During Hot Season months, particularly March and April, opposing teams fly male Chula and female Pakpao kites in a surrogate battle of the sexes. The small, agile Pakpao kite tries to fell the more cumbersome Chula while the male kite

tries to ensnare the female kite and drag it back into male territory. Passports All visitors entering Thailand must possess valid passports. Visas Visitors from the following countries may now visit Thailand for up to 30 days without requiring visas: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Djibouti, Kenya, Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovenian, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and