A popular Thai refrain has it that ‘he who sees Bangkok will always return to the City of Angels.’

This tenet could just as easily apply to the country as a whole. Thailand has long held an enviable place as one of the world’s favourite tourist destinations and its testament to the exoticism, fascination and pure Asian charm that the majority of visitors who come to ‘the land of smiles’ are lured back time and again.

Once spurned as a sweltering, noisy, over-populated Asian metropolis, Bangkok has long been winning hearts as one of the must-see stopovers in a RTW. The key to a relaxing visit is to avoid the congested roads wherever possible and travel instead by river or along the web of canals. Bangkok’s greatest appeal to western travellers lies perhaps in the reluctance of this modern city to shed its character as the religious and royal heartland of the country. Despite being one of the world’s most exciting cities, with an almost incomparable nightlife, it is a staunchly traditional city. There are countless temples and every workplace (even down to the seediest haunt of the red-light district) is equipped with a shrine to which workers will always bow at the start of their working day (or night).

Thailand is unique in the region as the only country that has never been occupied by a European colonial power. As a result, its wealth of history has remained ‘undilutedly Thai’ and there’s a traditional culture that is hard to match. Yet the infrastructure and public transport system is well-developed and lends itself well to independent travel to all corners of the country. The country is about the same size as France but stretches across a vast territory from the southern border with Malaysia to the highlands around the Golden Triangle.

Bangkok also makes the perfect launching pad for those in search of the spirit of the Far East. I was able to pick up a cheap ticket to Saigon from here (about US$100 return) but the majority of travellers settle for quick ‘skirmishes’ over the land borders into Laos or Cambodia.

Travelling overland around Thailand can be time-consuming but, with Thais as travelling companions and an ever-changing kaleidoscope of landscapes to travel through, it is never boring. It’s no coincidence that the first stock phrase that travellers pick up in Thailand is mai mee pun hah – no problem!