Thailand, a nearly 1,000-year-old kingdom with a population and landmass to match the UK, is a land of plenty. Old-growth jungle cloaks the mountains. Brilliant beaches rim hundreds of islands. The scent of tropical aromatics—galangal and coconut, finger root and bird's eye chilli—steam from endless markets.

So far, so travel brochure. But dig deeper and you'll find a country in transition, rethinking its tourism business model for the post-covid era in an attempt to shake off its reputation for over-tourism, crowded beaches and (for better or worse) lower spending backpackers.

In the cities you'll find a metropolitan and youthful culture that's marching into the 21st century at a pace that would shame the snoozing Europeans and North Americans, with lively music and arts scenes and a political awakening that is shaking the country's establishment to its core.

But Thailand is still Thailand—all bustle, noise and excitement. And yes, venture out of the cities and you'll see that shimmering rice paddies, jungles and glorious (if not entirely deserted) beaches, are still there.

You might even spot a temple or two.