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I will chose Brasil but thats way over the other side of the world. So Thailand would be another good choice and if you are visiting an exotic country why look for expats? JW

I'm saving Brazil for another time.

Good point about the expat community. I just got the feeling, based on what I heard from friends who were there, that there are these little enclaves of expats from one country that stick together and never venture outside of their comfort zone. And, like my friends, I'd rather interact with the locals.

I'm also with you regarding meeting other expats, don't bother (perunamuusia ja lihapullia saa kotoakin). Or at least don't set that as the only target during your vacation.

Hard to give out any pros over another country that you're not mentioning, but personally I'd get there for food and people.
While I like both here in PH, I still prefer Thailand over this place. Thai food, while usually being too spicy for my taste, has more and better variety that Filipino one.

And while the language barrier might be a big bigger with non-English speaking Thais, I don't see that as a problem. Especially if your friend is a local or has local friends.

So if I understood correctly, your main question is:
Why Thailand over ( any other warm country )

I choosed Thailand at first for the "why the hell not" factor.
Its Incredibly cheap.
Local people are beautiful and helpful ( most of them )
Its in fact, hot and sunny. ( used to live in england, so it is a big point for me )
It has a wide variety of food 24/7 ( and im not talking of seven eleven's )
It is crazy at its best, but in a rather cool way.
There is plenty of white sand beaches and islands just a couple of hours away.
Even if you dont speak Thai fluently you can interact with thai people in a daily basis with hand signs and a drawing pad ( thats what i do, very funny to say the least )
You are able to meet lots of expats and travelers on a night out, just takes a couple of beers to get you talking with random strangers.

And I could go on, but in the end it is your decision.

Wow, thanks for your replies.

Eien, lol but so true. I don't get it really but I'm not judging. No really I'm not. Then again, we might actually know some of the same people. Considering how small the world is, I wouldn't be surprised. And yes, my friend, though not a local, does have local contacts.

Luis, the other country was Turkey. I have friends there as well and I do want to go there eventually. But Thailand sounds more appealing right now because I could prank a friend of mine there. And it would be the prank of the century, which in and of itself would make Thailand the obvious place to go.

On a practical scale, how hard is it to get a room where you guys are? I mean this as a general question for each person individually i.e. where you are at the moment and for those who will still answer. I was thinking of hopping around a bit and might get there before other people are already there or might want to go to other destinations while my friends are doing other stuff, hence the general question.

While the high season is about to start, there are rooms available everytime. High(er)-end hotel rooms might be already booked, but check something like hotels.com, or just wander around asking for available rooms and rates.

Again, thanks.

Well, from finland, you could get a return ticket for under 200 USD to turkey.
Turkey is quite expensive.
Turkey is on war footing and does not have a good human rights or woman's right record.
Turkey is filled with European tourists on pkg tours.
Turkish food is great.
Water in the med etc. is quite cool in the winter.

While I totally agree with Luis on all points, I can just add that January to March is the best period for coming to Thailand: high season, never rain, hot and sunny, clam warm crystal waters, best snorkeling and diving ever. In Turkey it`s still cold during that time and travelling within Europe you can do it anytime, but to Asia only once in a while, right? Easy to find a room here, everywhere and at any price.

Hmm  Thailand is a cool country.  well not cold but "cool" like person cool . There are a lot of things to enjoy in thailand . number 1 is   beaches! beaches everywhere!  I recently read a link that might help you phunawa.com/blog/10-reasons-travel-phuket-summer/ try this.

I too feel the same sadness when I leave Thailand. Again and again I want to visit there.

I would choose Thailand
its more fun and people are nice and friendly
and its really easy to travel because they have everything in Thailand
and more experiences too
I really don't know what to write here
if you want to know more from me
contact me