Hi all,

This is my first post so hello to all.

Me and a friend are going to be stoping in Thailand (plus Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore) on our way to Australia. The only information I can seem to get is travel guides which are generally rubbish. I have a thing about when I go travelling that if you stick to tourist trails etc you really miss out on the real experience of any country/city. I was wondering if any expats who know the culture could give me an idea of things to look out for, unmissable events local celebrations etc.

We arrive in Bangkok on July 25th and will probably spend 2 nights there. What are the best areas to stay, what should we look to be near? Are there any small local festivals/events around North Thailand for the next couple of weeks after that?

Cheers

Brian