Thailand - For A Record Spa None, Thai This

By David Ellis

A Travel-writing mate, Glyn May must hold the record for visits to Bangkok: he's made more than 150 over the past 40 years. Here are his impressions as he re-visits yet again after the return to normal - from recent turmoil - in what he calls his second home.

In Bangkok¹s steamy late afternoon, right on schedule at this time of year, black clouds threaten to swallow the setting sun, heralding the prospect of a spectacular monsoonal downpour.

From our open-air eagle's perch 63 floors up at Lebua Hotel's Sky Bar and Sirocco restaurant, the great tapestry of Bangkok and its 10million-plus souls unfolds across all points of the compass.

The Thai capital's beautiful people glance nervously skywards at distant flashes of lightning as they arrive for a night of al fresco wining and dining.

Magically, the threatening storm dissipates to reveal a canopy of stars, a sign perhaps, that for the first time in nearly three months of political upheaval, the glamour, the vibrancy of this marvellous city that has held me spellbound as a compulsive visitor for 40 years, is alive and well.

In the past few months a wary world (well, nearly 15 million from 50 countries each year, including 650,000 Australians) similarly besotted with the hospitality and service ethic of the Thais, watched incredulous as the ugly events unfolded in the country's capital and then finally settled down, with a collective sigh of relief.

Today, the streets are spotlessly clean, tourist numbers are slowly improving, hotel rates are near rock-bottom, there are shopping bargains galore, and the ever-friendly Thais are smiling again.

Fire-scarred buildings are hidden behind colourful billboards in the busy Ratchaprasong shopping, hotel and convention district where most of the fighting was concentrated,­ a comparatively miniscule one sq km when compared to the nearly 1500sq km metropolis of Bangkok. Unlike Bali, not one tourist was injured.

In an eight-day visit in July to Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai, I found everyday life for the tourist in the city was back to its normal heady mix – safe, exciting, frenetic and relaxed. And the people extraordinarily courteous.

We trod the paths of the average tourist: late-night strolls down the narrow Sois (streets) around the big hotels at the Chao Phraya River end of iconic, tree-lined Silom Road; a ferry trip across river for dinner at Yok Yor restaurant, popular with local Thais for its authentic seafood specialities, and a meander through the nearby Pakklong Talad all-night flower market.

During the day we rode the fast, efficient, air-conditioned sky train as it snaked high across the city, window-shopped in huge malls and bargained on the streets, spent a few nights at the splendid Rembrandt Hotel and Towers quietly nestled deep in Sukhumvit, a district popular with tourists for shopping, restaurants, moderately priced hotels and the famous entertainment areas of Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy and Soi 33.

In the tangle of all this orderly chaos we discovered the upmarket Oasis Spa, a dazzling white colonial building sitting majestic and serene amid manicured lawns and gardens, a highly recommended place at which to spend a lazy afternoon. En route, we drove down a small street past the unpretentious home of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, unchallenged and unhindered save for a parked fire engine.

The next day we flew to Chiang Mai, Thailand's "Rose of the North" and home of the former self-exiled ex Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, seen by many as a catalyst for recent events.

A gateway to the great natural attractions of Thailand¹s north, Chiang Mai is seemingly untroubled by politics and happy to bask in its reputation as an important cultural centre, the home of handicrafts, and one of nicest big towns in the Kingdom.

For two days and nights we wander through the markets, eat and drink at local restaurants and bars, write off another afternoon at another spa (Chiang Mai¹s renowned RarinJinda Wellness Spa). After which we are in no condition to climb the 309 steps up to Wat Phra Thad Doi Suthep, one of Thailand¹s most revered temples for a bird¹s eye view of Chiang Mai.

So the cable car for less than $1 is an excellent option.

See travel agents for fly/stay package holidays to Thailand, or visit www.thailand.net.au