An Insider’s Experince of Thailand

December 02, 2025

I unfortunately have not traveled out of the country, but, my uncle has had some of the most amazing travel experiences I’ve ever heard of! My uncle Mike has been traveling the world since I was a little girl. He first moved to San Diego, California, then made his way to living in Tijuana, Mexico for many years. He absolutely loves to experience new cultures and the art of solo travel. He meets new people wherever he goes, and has so many stories to tell. My uncles favorite place to go is Thailand, so today we are going to break down some of their unique traditions from his point of view!

Why Thailand?

Before we get into the festivals and traditions, I must tell you why uncle Mikes country of choice is Thailand. The simple answer is, it’s extremely cheap, and the scenery is stunning. My uncle is not a winter person, he despises cold weather, so warm places are where he chooses to spend most of his months out of the year.

Hotels

According to a site called “Thailand Starts Here,” you can truly get a bang for your buck when traveling to Thailand. Average budget hotels typically run for, at most, 20 USD per night. If you are interested in a more luxury place to stay, you are going to pay for what you get. Hostels are even cheaper, if that is your thing!

Transportation

My uncle does not have a car shipped over to him, so he usually relies on public transportation or the Grab app which is Southeast Asia’s equivalent to Uber.

Flights from Thailand are also pretty cheap if he decides to check out new places in the country/ other parts of Asia. Their low-cost airlines like Thai AirAsia and Thai Smile offer round trip flights for as low as 23 USD! Such a steal!

Food

My uncle is a big foodie and one of his favorite parts of travel are the different flavors from street food to traditional dishes. He stated that his “death row meal” would have to be from a little restaurant in Soi Buakhoa, Pattaya. The poached chicken, rice, cucumber and broth dish is simple, but is packed with fresh, mouth watering flavors that keep him coming back! The dish is called Hainanese chicken rice (or Kow Mun Gai in Thai) which is a very popular staple in Southeast Asia.

Thai Festival- Songkran

One festival that my uncle absolutely loved experiencing is called Songkran which is a 5 to 6 day water fight in celebration of the New Year! According to the “Intangible Cultural Heritage”, Songkran refers to the sun’s annual passing into the Aires constellation which marks the New Year in Thailand. Songkran takes place around mid-April after the rice harvest. In Thailand, pouring water symbolizes cleansing, reverence and good fortune, which is why they have water fights!

Some other activities that occur during Songkran include bathing pictures of Buddha, playing games, watching folk plays, feasting on traditional dishes and spending quality time with friends and family!

Songkran is a festival that promotes community cooperation, unity and forgiveness. Unfortunately my uncle did not take any pictures from his experience of Songkran, but I did want to include one from CNN! It looks like such a fun time!

Thai Festival- Loy Krathong

Loy Krathong is one of the most popular festivals in Thailand. My uncle Mike said it was a beautiful festival to celebrate the full moon in the 12th month of the year.

Loy Krathong Festival falls on different days every year since it aligns with the full moon, but it is always in the 12 month of the year. Thai people decorate the trunk of a banana plant with colorful flowers and banana leaves. They then add a candle or incense sticks into the flower/ banana leaf creation and arrange them on a body of water to float!

The banana plant is decorated with such beautiful intricacy, and everyone’s looks unique. Many people sell their creations to those who do not know how to make them, and prices range depending on the seller.

Another fun aspect of the Loy Krathong celebration is the release of sky lanterns. The lanterns are made out of paper and bamboo. When let go, the lanterns light up the night sky and is said to be a mesmerizing sight!

Final Thoughts

Although I myself have never traveled to Thailand, I feel like I know a lot about its traditions and beauty from the stories of my uncles travels. I am so grateful that he is able to share his experiences with our family and send amazing pictures during his travels!