We thoroughly enjoyed this trip, despite the onerous travelling schedule to get there and get back. I can’t ever remember feeling so tired once we got to Phuket airport on the way out.

The price for business class flights and truly five-star hotels was extraordinarily low – thanks to Trailfinders for letting us know about it. In November, there is always the slight risk that you catch the end of the rainy season, which is possibly one reason why this trip was inexpensive. We may have been fortunate – we only had two instances of heavy rain, both of which were at night and barely affected us. The rest of the time we enjoyed lovely warm weather in the 30s, although it was cloudy at times (which may have been a blessing, as it reduced the intensity of the sun).

We stayed at three hotels – the Nai Harn in Phuket, the Anantara in Chiang Mai, and the Anantara Riverside in Bangkok. All were superb. The standards of service, in particular, were very high, particularly at the first two. It was a bit more impersonal at the Bangkok resort, probably a function of it being the largest resort. I do wonder if the service of others is valued far more highly in Thailand than in many European countries, and it is therefore of higher status. The number of wait staff at restaurants, for example, was almost embarrassing – they were so eager to help. The training is at a very impressive level.

One of the really appealing things about Thailand is its people. I don’t know whether this is due to the mainly Buddhist culture, but everywhere one went one was greeted with a smile and the Thai custom of holding one’s hands together as if in prayer and bowing slightly. It soon became a habit for us to reciprocate with this gesture.

We noticed, tangentially, that the levels of obesity in the Thai population seem to be remarkably low, given the amount of carbohydrates they eat. We could only put it down to the quality and freshness of the food – far ahead of most offerings in the West, I’d suggest.

Phuket was an anomaly in some ways. It is quite a large island, very multicultural and, if we’re being honest, quite scruffy in places. As you travel through it, I was reminded more of the shacks and dwellings more associated with Caribbean settlements. It was a lot more lively, though! Very busy traffic and lots going on. The weather was the hottest and most humid that we experienced the whole trip, but it was by no means unbearable. Not for me, anyway!

Chiang Mai in the north was a delight. It is a large city, so the outskirts show much urban sprawl, and the weather was cooler and less humid than Phuket. The old city was interesting and the vibe, although lively, was never overpowering.

Bangkok is nuts. It’s huge, ugly in places and smoggy. The traffic is unbelievable. Despite that, it absolutely buzzes – it’s like Hong Kong used to be in that regard. It took a while to get used to it, and I abhor the sales-oriented pressure we came under, but there is so much more to be discovered. Missing the Grand Palace was a disappointment, but as we are planning to re-visit Bangkok on our way back from a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia in early 2025, we may get the chance to have a proper look at it.

We saw a lot of temples – and I mean a lot. What struck me about virtually all of them was the amount of gold. Mainly gold paint or gold leaf, but I was struck with both the similarities and differences between Buddhist and Catholic religious artefacts. Deployed in quite different ways, but the cynic in me reckons that, in both cases, the faithful were exploited to further the riches of the Catholic churches and the Buddhist temples. Despite that, and being totally non-religious myself, I can understand why so many people take Buddhism as a belief system; it seems more tolerant (with a few exceptions) and more serene than the other major religions that I have any knowledge of.

I would love to know more about this enigmatic, lovely, bonkers country. I also know a few people who have visited Thailand many times, and I can understand why. So much to discover in a warm (both climatic and cultural), friendly, civilised environment. Lots of fascinating history which we barely touched on whilst we were there.

Maybe we’ll go back some day. I hope so.