You all know about the golden palace, elephant village, and bridge of the river kwai but Thailand has other hidden gems. You have a plethora of memorable and odd attractions like fortune tellers, blind street musicians, baby elephants, just to name a few. But it is the strange and obscure things that we tend to remember while on holiday. Here is a list of places that you can visit within Thailand, which should make your trip a more memorable one:

You all know about the golden palace, elephant village, and bridge of the river kwai but Thailand has other hidden gems. You have a plethora of memorable and odd attractions like fortune tellers, blind street musicians, baby elephants, just to name a few. But it is the strange and obscure things that we tend to remember while on holiday. Here is a list of places that you can visit within Thailand, which should make your trip a more memorable one:

Shrine of Goddess Tubtim

There’s something odd about the West. We commercially show movies with frontal nudities and we are one of the leading producers of porn but we think it is scandalous to talk about “intimate” details. Thailand is the opposite. Their porn industry is nowhere near as big as ours but they have no problem displaying penises and even consider it a “holy” thing. Okay, this needs a bit of an explanation. It’s the Thai God of Fertility is represented with carvings at the shape of penises. The shrine is adorned with big stone sculptures that stand 10 feet tall and small wooden ones, which are meant to honor the Chao Mae Tubtim, a female fertility spirit. It is located on the grounds of the Swissotel Nai Lert Hotel in Bangkok.

Erawan Museum

The museum has a radial design in the shape of a three-headed elephant. It s creation and design was inspired by Lek Viriyapant, a business man who wanted to preserve a collection of his antiques in order to contribute to Thailand’s cultural heritage. The inside of the statue has three separate floors, which symbolize the universe according to Thai mythology.

Spirit Houses and Shrines

Thailand has a deeply spiritual background and the many spirit houses and shrines prove this. Spirit houses are meant as place where people can pray and offer gifts to spirits represented by doll-sized figurines of Buddha or human figures. Shrines are places of worship where people go to pray and pay their respects.

The Giant Swing

On the grounds of one of the oldest temples in Thailand, visitors will find a huge teak arch which is what remains of the Giant Swing. This artifact was originally used in a Thai ceremony meant to commemorate the rice harvest. Young men would compete to swing high in the air, sometime as high as 80 feet, to try and grab a bag of silver coins, using their teeth. But after a series of accidents and deaths, caused by the swing, the practice was banned by the government in 1932. Fortunately the ceremony still remains and is celebrated once a year in mid December, after the rice harvest.

Forensic Museum

This museum has a display of all things macabre in Thailand. Visitors can view the preserved corpses of Thailand’s killers, like the notorious mass murderer, See-Uey. Visitors can also view autopsy photos, murder weapons and preserved bodies of still born children, among other gruesome items.

Corrections Museum

This strange exhibition was once the site where the Bangkok Remand Prison was located. Guests are able to learn about the violent and extreme torture techniques which were practiced on Thai prisoners, in the olden the days. This old penal system used torture to punish criminals.

Bangkok Temples-Wat Mahathat

Here you will find the headquarters of Thailand’s largest monastic order and meditation centre. This is a great place to visit, if you will like to find out the roots of Buddhism and meditation. The temple also offers lessons to visitors, both in Thai and English, on the Vipassana meditation technique.

The Amulet Market

Thailand has a decidedly superstitious nature, which is signaled by the dealings in this market. This market attracts many visitors who are looking to buy amulets and small Buddha figures, which are meant to act as lucky charms. While in the market, you are likely to see shoppers checking those wares with magnifying glasses to identify the best lucky charm.

Mae Nak Shrine

This shrine is based on the tragic love tale between a pregnant wife and her soldier husband. According to the tale, Mae Nak (the wife) was alone at home in labor, where she died during labor. But since the love for her husband was so strong, her spirit refused to leave the house.

The Monk’s Bowl Making village

This is last remaining place in Bangkok that still makes the bowls that monks use to collect alms. This village has a lot of history and has been making those bowls since the 18th century.