Thailand

A+beautiful%2C+friendly%2C+tolerant+country+%28it+is+full+of+Buddhists+after+all%29.+Unfortunately+economic+development+and+unbridled+tourism+has+deformed+this+country.+Check+out+Ko+Samui+or+Ko+Phanghan+for+a+real+getaway.+Stay+away+from+Bangkok%2C+Pattaya+and+Phuket.+Chaing+Mai+too+has+changed+for+the+worse.+The+hill+tribes+of+the+north+are+worth+a+visit+though.++%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cimg+width%3D%22640%22+height%3D%22480%22+border%3D%220%22+src%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hiptravelguide.com%2Fimages%2Fphocagallery%2FThailand%2Fthumbs%2Fphoca_thumb_l_1mayabay2.jpg%22%3E%3Cbr%3E%0D%0AMaya+Bay%2C+Thailand%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%0D%0AMany+places+were+untouched+by+the+Tsunami%2C+including+the+famous+Maya+Bay+on+Phi+Phi+Island%2C+where+%26quot%3BThe+Beach%26quot%3B+with+Leonardo+DeCaprio+was+filmed.+This+is+perhaps+the+most+beautiful+beach+I%27ve+ever+been+on+%28and+that%27s+saying+a+whole+lot%21%29%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%0D%0AI+haven%27t+been+to+Thailand+for+22+years%2C+when+I+took+a+2+1%2F2+year+journey+around+the+world.++Much+has+changed+here+in+the+intervening+years.++Thailand+has+industrialized%2C+urbanized+%26amp%3B+developed+to+an+amazing+degree.++Much+of+this+development+is+haphazard%2C+which+has+created+a+whole+set+of+problems%2C+particularly+pollution+and+degradation+of+their+beautiful+country%27s+environment.%0D%0A%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%0D%0AOn+top+of+that+they+are+now+recovering+from+the+devastating+Dec+26th%2C+2005+Tsunami+which+hit+Phuket+%26amp%3B+surrounding+areas+%26amp%3B+islands+very+hard.++%0D%0A%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cimg+border%3D%220%22+src%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hiptravelguide.com%2Fimages%2Fphocagallery%2FThailand%2Fthumbs%2Fphoca_thumb_l_1patongdamage.jpg%22%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%0D%0ATsunami+devastation+on+Phi+Phi+Don+Island%2C+Thailand%0D%0AThere+used+to+be+a+market%2C+restaurants+and+bars+where+now+there+is+only+sand.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%0D%0ADespite+the+enormous+toll+in+human+life+and+property+lost%2C+the+resilient+Thai+people+are+rebuilding+and+those+areas+untouched+%28the+majority%29+by+the+Tsunami+are+open+for+business+but+suffering+because+tourism+is+down.++Many+Thai+people+working+in+the+hotel+%26amp%3B+restaurants+are+having+to+take+huge+pay+cuts+to+keep+their+jobs.%0D%0A%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%0D%0AView+more+Thailand+Images+in+our+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hipgallery.com%2Fphotopost2%2Fshowgallery.php%2Fcat%2F904%2F%22%3EThailand+Gallery%3C%2Fa%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp%3E%0D%0AVisit+our+%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hiptravelguide.com%2Fhip-guide-to-Thailand.html%22%3EHip+Guide+to+Thailand%3C%2Fa%3E+for+more+information+and+beautiful+Thailand+photos.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A

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