Generally, visitors to Thailand tend to stick to the popular destinations in the central and southern areas. But the real way to appreciate the true value of Thai society is to head north from Bangkok. The Northern and North-Eastern regions are home to the traditional values of hard work, trading and markets.

The North
The obvious symbol of Thai culture in the North is the different hill tribes located around the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son. The various tribes have their own unique customs and dress and are still generally wary of visitors.

The tribal communities are descendents of immigrants from across S.E.Asia coming from Laos, China, Myanmar and the ancient Khmer empire. The most famous of the tribes has to be the "Long Necks", where women have a gold ring added to there dress collars every year.

The older the woman, the longer the neck! The men of the village use this method to ensure that their wives are faithful. Any woman caught in any compromising situations would have the rings remove in one go, thus the the neck would break..!!

To best appreciate the tribal lands of the North, check with tour operators who will know the best areas to visit and more importantly, places to avoid!

The North-East (Isaan)
Isaan is the poorest region in Thailand, being mainly farming communities. Yet despite the lack of luxuries, the Issan people are the friendliest in the Kingdom. The life blood of the region is the Mae Klong River, or as the western world knows it, the Mekong.

Longtails boats run up and down the water all day buying and selling goods and ferrying people around. These traditional Thai folks have no interest in big hotels, air conditioning or US Dollars. They are happy with what they have and they will gladly offer you hospitality.

The more developed provinces of Nakhon Ratchsima (Korat) and Khon Kaen are good places to start your trip around Issan. After sampling local food, traditions and customs head to the more remote provinces along the Mekong, Nakhon Phanom, Ubon Ratchathani or Nong Khai.

Known throughout Thailand as "Laos People", the river acts as a natural border between the two countries, who have for many, many years always had good relations.