<h1 class="ChapterName">Central Thailand </h1> <p>Central Thailand could be a microcosm of the rest of the country. East of Bangkok, the coastal highway follows the progression of economic development; shiny new refineries and power stations dominate the landscape from Si Racha to Rayong, while construction sites and highway traffic yield to groves of <em>durians</em> and <em>mangosteens</em> farther east. Ko Chang remains a backpacker’s favorite despite an onslaught of upscale development, and its surrounding islands provide ample opportunity to escape the crowds. Ko Samet boasts the best beaches on Thailand’s east coast. Despite its notoriety for its involvement in the sex trade, Pattaya offers an array of tourist attractions and accessible water activities, while nearby Trat teems with untouched mountains, jungles, and waterfalls. West of the capital, the lush landscapes of the fertile Chao Phraya River Basin stretch from Hua Hin in the south to Nakhon Sawan in the north. In the midst of all this sit the awe-inspiring ruins of Ayutthaya and Lopburi. Southbound buses and trains wind through the beginnings of peninsular Thailand, a preview for the sandy playgrounds farther south. </p> 2009-06-01T16:22:34+00:00 137 false 13926 Central Thailand 0 243 12527 2010-01-05T22:40:01+00:00