Vivid red poinsettias are used to decorate Thai homes and gardens at Christmas and the fact they are still in bloom is a timely reminder that the festive season has only just passed. Nong Buak Haad Park is on the inner side of the southwest corner of the city moat and is the place to head for to see the best displays. Vendors set up stalls here and sell flowers, plants, seeds, snacks and children’s toys.

The park is also the end point of the Flower Festival highlight, a parade with floats garlanded with blossoms and local beauty queens. The parade sets off from outside Chiang Mai Railway Station at around 08:00 on Saturday. The floats then make their way up Charoen Muang Road, over Narawat Bridge and up Thapae Road to Thapae Gate, before following the road round to Nong Buak Haad.

Anywhere along the procession route is a good vantage point. The parade does not move much faster than a snail and there is ample time to take photographs and accept roses from traditionally dressed locals and hilltribe people. Once the parade reaches the park, it is time for refreshments and snacks. In the afternoon a bevy of beauties line up for the Flower Festival Queen pageant.

Koh Lao Liang is actually two neighbouring islands off the coast of Trang which have been left relatively untouched by Thailand’s booming tourism industry. Climbers choosing Koh Lao Liang to indulge their pleasure can stay right on the beach in spacious tents. Their climbing playground soars above them. There are various climbing routes which are suitable for both novices and those with lots of experience.

Koh Yao Noi is an island in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, halfway between Phuket and Krabi. Although a relaxing atmosphere and fabulous beaches draw most people here, it also has some great climbs with guide companies such as Mountain Shop Adventures having developed some excellent climbing routes replete with titanium bolts.

Those who prefer easy access to their climbs could enjoy Tonsai and Railay by staying at the cheaper Ao Nang beach and taking boats across for daytrips. Although there are lots of tourists at Thailand’s two iconic climbing spots, the sheer beauty of the locations and the exhilarating challenge remain the same. The massive limestone cliffs are loaded with stalactites and have routes for people of all abilities.

Frequent buses from Bangkok’s Ekamai and Morchit bus stations and the airport’s transport interchange convey travellers to Pattaya in around 90 minutes. After arrival in Pattaya, a walk along Beach Road will offer visitors wonderful views over the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand. The shaded park-like areas on the thoroughfare are great for people-watching. Vendors stroll along selling snacks and prepared fruit as well as items such as fake Ray Ban sunglasses.

On the other side of Beach Road there are lots of shops and bar-restaurants. The local Hard Rock Café and Vic’s Bar are two of the more popular options. Walking a bit farther south around Pattaya Bay will bring visitors to the legendary entertainment and dining establishments on Walking Street.

Visitors will find an eclectic mix of eateries, bars, discos, cabaret shows and gogo-bars offer something for all. Lucifer and Insomnia are the best known of the discos. Go-go bars are easily recognised as scantily clad females stand outside them trying to entice customers to step inside. The cosmopolitan air of the street is underscored by restaurants which serve anything from Scandinavian to Indian cooking.

A much better option is to pay a little more and take one of the air-conditioned buses. These luxury coaches have less seats, only two on either side of the aisle, and a quality of service which can rival that of passenger aeroplanes. Larger visitors can take VIP buses which offer bigger seats and more legroom. On major routes such as Bangkok to Chiang Mai, the difference between these two classes is around 100 Baht.

All towns and cities in Thailand have their own bus terminals. The stations are often some way out of town, supposedly to keep traffic out of the centres, but ostensibly to keep taxi and song taew drivers in work. In Bangkok there are three stations: Ekamai serves eastern routes including Pattaya, the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai in Thai) and Morchit, which is the boarding point for all destinations in the north and northeastern regions of Thailand.

Buying tickets at terminals in the smaller towns can sometimes be a problem, yet there is often somebody willing to practice their English and help. Long distance buses for journeys of eight hours or more are generally timed to depart early in the morning or in the evening, giving great arrival times. Buses for shorter trips run throughout the day, with frequencies depending on the popularity of the particular route.

Thai food markets or shopping centre food courts are usually the best and cheapest locations to sample staples such as noodle soup (ku-ay tiow), stir fried basil dishes (pad krapow) or spicy papaya salad (somtam) and sticky rice (kow nee-ow). A sign bearing the legend ‘Good Food, Clean Taste’ indicates the vendor has passed hygiene tests.

If visiting Chiang Mai in the north of the country, the ubiquitous khao soy is a pleasing blend of curry soup and egg noodles. Seafood is available in all of the major inland tourist hubs, yet is probably not quite as fresh as when it has just been hauled out of the sea in Pattaya, Phuket or Prachuap Khiri Khan. Tom yam gung is Thailand’s signature seafood offering and is a sour and spicy soup with prawns.

Over recent years, moo krataa restaurants have proliferated in Thailand and can be found in even the smallest towns. Moo krataa is best described as a barbecue buffet where diners pay a set price and then cook their dinner over a charcoal grill. Moo krataa restaurants are easily spotted as they tend to be hangar-sized, open-sided structures with tendrils of smoke above them.

Most foreign visitors in Thailand celebrate New Year’s Eve in Bangkok, beach locations or around the Moonmuang Road-Loy Kroh Road area of Chiang Mai. Although it is not a full moon night, the legendary party island of Koh Phangan is staging a countdown party. At Pattaya’s Bali Hai Pier, the countdown to the New Year began on Christmas Day and will culminate with a fireworks and live entertainment extravaganza tomorrow.

In Bangkok, the plaza at the front of CentralWorld Shopping Centre is the principal venue for New Year’s Eve. The live entertainment and countdown here are broadcast live on national TV. Local artistes and an amazing light and sound show as well as beer gardens are among the offerings at CentralWorld. Judging by past years, Khao San Road, Royal City Avenue and Thonglor will be among other Bangkok locations ringing in the New Year until the early hours.

The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek expo was previously held in 2006. A major draw then was the Netherlands Gardens. A highlight for local visitors at this garden was tulips as they do not grow in tropical climates. The tulips are making a re-appearance and are expected to draw massive crowds again. Other prominent draws include Yemen’s dragon’s blood tree, a native of the Socotra Islands; cold climate offerings from Canada and 30 locally grown varieties of lily.

Indian, Chinese and Sudanese gardens are among the other international areas. There are also covered gardens with numerous different kinds of colourful orchids in them. Regional carrier AirAsia has its own garden and is promoting it in conjunction with special air fares. Royal Flora Ratchaphruek ends on 14 March. Admission fees for adults are 200 Baht, and for children and pensioners they are 100 Baht.

The most popular parks seem to be Inthanon, just outside Chiang Mai, and Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The queues of traffic on Highway 108 to Inthanon National Park over the New Year holidays attest to its popularity. One of the less visited parks is Nam Nao in Phetchabun Province. This pristine haven is around 50kms from the town of Lom Sak.

It boasts pine and evergreen forests where keen ornithologists might glimpse species including woodpeckers, yellownapes and orange-breasted trogons. The occasional piles of elephant dung provide evidence there are some wild pachyderms in the vicinity, although these are usually heard and not seen. Caves such as Tham Yai and Tham Phaya Naak can be explored. Nomadic phra tudong monks often frequent the caves. There is an interesting shrine close to the entrance of Tham Yai.

A little farther south, Koh Kam Yai and Koh Kam Nui are two of the offshore islands that can be visited on daytrips. Long-tail boats run out from Laem Son National Park to the islands, where deserted beaches offer hours of swimming and sunbathing. Several dive operators run tours out to the Mergui Archipelago during the October to May tourist season. Black Rock is one of the spectacular dive sites that are so far not on the itineraries of major Thai travel agents.

Many Thai visitors and local residents head out to the hot springs just off Phetkasem Road. Three pools and basic bathing areas permit visitors to bathe in rejuvenating waters. One of the tubs is hot enough to boil eggs in. Another local tourism destination is the triple-level Punyaban Waterfall. The cascade is set amid pristine evergreen forest which has a short hiking trail through it.

On the ground floor there is a busy food court with a diverse choice of dining establishments. Burger King and Subway sit alongside cafés serving Thai style rice dishes and noodle soups. Desserts in the form of pastries, cakes and staples such as boua loy round off the food court’s offerings. Heading up the escalator to the next floor, outlets of world famous retailers including Patek Philippe, Cartier and Jimmy Choo will tempt those not on a tight budget.

Car showrooms in Siam Paragon boast the latest models of high-end manufacturers including Lamborghini, Lotus and Aston Martin. Continuing upwards there are small stores selling mobile phones and accessories, electrical gadgets and home furnishings. The upper levels of Siam Paragon are home to a California Wow! fitness centre, the 38 lanes at the Blu-O Rythm Bowling Alley and the Paragon Cineplex’s 14 screens.