A country of contrasts, Thailand has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in recent years. This is due to its combination of extraordinarily cosmopolitan cities like the capital Bangkok, and remote beaches in the south of the Indochinese Peninsula (like on the islands Koh Pha Ngan and KohPhi Phi). In the capital, travellers should visit the Royal Palace as well as the Chinatown district, both a part of the whirlpool of commotion and chaos which is the city's daily life. The second most important city in the country, Chiang Mai, is more orderly than Bangkok, as it has both less traffic and less pollution. There you can visit ancient temples.