#58 best destination in the world

Wat Pho

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  • #17 of the top 25 landmarks in the world
  • First-class royal temple built under King Rama I
  • Built in the 16th century
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wang Saen Suk

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  • Buddhist temple that is meant to describe and depict Naraka (Buddhist hell)

The Sanctuary of Truth

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  • Unfinished museum designed in the Ayutthaya style
  • Constructed entirely out of wood, and it contains only wood-carved idols and sculptures
  • Construction first began on the Sanctuary of Truth in 1981 and continues as of 2020, though visitors are permitted inside with hard hats

Wat Samphran

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  • Buddhist temple (wat) notable for its 17-story tall pink cylindrical building with a gigantic red-and-green dragon sculpture curling around the entire height
  • The interior of the dragon sculpture contains a spiraling flight of stairs, which has however deteriorated to a poor condition in places
  • It also contains a huge Buddha statue as well as many additional Buddhist statues

Ayutthaya Historical Park

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  • Ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya
  • Founded in 1351 by King Ramathibodi I
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

Red Lotus Lake

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  • Lotus flowers bloom in this lake, you can rent a boat to get a complete view

Ban Chiang

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  • Archeological site including several skeletons and bronze grave gifts such as bracelets, rings anklets, wires, spearheads, axes, hooks, blades and bells
  • Dates back to 4420 BC, making it the earliest Bronze Age culture in the world
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

Wat Rong Khun

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  • Privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple
  • An example of Thai Modern and Lanna Architecture
  • Completed in 1997

Elephant Nature Park

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  • Sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants coordinated by the Save the Elephant Foundation
  • The parks provide sanctuary for rescued elephants and operates under a business model in which tourists pay to visit and help care for the animals, and can stay for extended periods

Wat Chedi Luang

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  • Buddhist temple originally made up of three temples
  • Construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there
  • After 10 years of building time it was left unfinished, later to be continued after the death of the king by his widow
  • Probably due to stability problems it took until the mid-15th century to be finished during the reign of king Tilokaraj
  • In the early 1990s the chedi was reconstructed, financed by UNESCO and the Japanese government
  • However the result is somewhat controversial, as some claim the new elements are in Central Thai style, not Lanna style

Sukhothai Historical Park

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  • Preserved remains of 3 main cities of the Sukhothai Kingdom, the first of the Thai kingdoms
  • Built during the 13th-14th centuries
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

Erawan National Park

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  • A series of seven waterfalls flowing over limestone terraces, they are arguably among the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand
  • Founded in 1975
  • The park is also home to a series of caves known as Mi, Rua, Wang Bahdan, and Phartat

Bang Tao Beach

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  • Expansive shoreline featuring white sands and blue waters, plus numerous restaurants and shops

Costs

Number of Days: 34 days

Best Time To Fly: Nov-April

Airline tickets: $1,672

Seattle -> Bangkok (one way) $630
Bangkok -> Udon Thani (round trip) $44
Bangkok -> Chiang Rai (one way) $19
Chiang Rai -> Chiang Mai (one way) $54
Phitsanulok -> Bangkok (one way) $35
Bangkok -> Phuket (one way) $23
Phuket -> Seattle (one way) $867

Food: $6/day x 34 days = $204

Entertainment/tours: $213

Airbnb: $56/day x 32 days = $1,792

TOTAL: $3,881