Thailand the land of smiles 3
Destinations Thailand
The detailed information following is about some of the most
popular tourist destinations in Thailand.
Bangkok
Bangkok is a cosmopolitan city that slows down, but never
sleeps, a city with an exciting energy that can envelope you,
take a hold of you, and in many cases, won’t let go! Bangkok is
a city of things to do, places to be, endless tourist
attractions and museums! A city you keep coming back to feel the
vibe. Bangkok has an energy rarely found elsewhere.
I would like to say that Bangkok is a beautiful city with lots
of scenic parks, tropical gardens and other natural attractions,
but the truth is, Bangkok is really not that kind of a
city. Apart from a few areas, Bangkok is not a great scenic
city. It's rather flat without many great natural scenic
landmarks. That makes Bangkok a very easy place to get lost
thank goodness for taxis and tuk tuk’s.
As you travel around in the humidity, heat and fumes and of one
of Asia's largest cities, to the first timer. It can appear to
be another big, metropolis, without much heart or soul, but
really there are many exciting sightseeing tours for you to
enjoy and become more knowledgeable so exploring the city can be
a rewarding experience. Go to the sightseeing accommodation link
on this site and discover some things you might like to do in
Thailand.
As far as attractions and interesting things to see and do in
Bangkok go, there are many. The more historically and culturally
significant buildings and temples are in the area down near the
old part of town, the river, not far from the Khaosan Road area.
That is one part of the city that is actually quite nice. For
many on the tourist track the highlight of the area is the Grand
Palace, the most culturally important of all of Thailand's
40,000 plus Buddhist temples. The Grand Palace does suffer from
huge numbers of tourists and it would have to be the most
visited attraction in the country. This is one Buddhist temple
where you won’t get that peaceful relaxing feeling that comes
with a place of worship. The dress code for entry is strictly
enforced. You shouldn't wear anything to skimpy! Shoulders and
arms must be covered , but don’t despair if you fall short on
the dress code, you can buy a sarong or pants at the many shops
opposite the main entrance also a parasol for the heat may be a
good idea. The Thai ticket staff are not always the
friendliest, so make their day be polite and friendly.
Over behind the Grand Palace is Wat Po, It doesn't nearly attract
the same number of visitors as the Grand Palace, and there is the
huge reclining Buddha to see, the largest reclining Buddha in the
world.
The other major temple in this area is Wat Arun, most probably the
most photographed temple, or for that matter, location, in all of
Bangkok. Wat Arun is a fascinating temple just over the chao
praya river from the Grand Palace and Wat Po. You can take a
cross river ferry to reach it. The three most popular temples for
visitors to visit are the Grand Palace Wat Pra Kaew, Wat Po and
Wat Arun. There is something very enchanting about Wat Arun, you
are mesmerized and attracted to it. It’s a fascinating temple
complex to wander around and explore.
In addition to these three temples there are many other Buddhist
temples in the old part of town. As they are in close proximity,
they can be easily reached on foot however in the hot season, it
might be hard going! You decide what the day will allow you to do
in comfort. Being a nomad around the area is enjoyable and
pictorial scenic and you just never know what you are going to see
around the next corner. The Grand Palace has a higher entrance
fee. Virtually all of the temples in the area, have a small
entrance fee, some are free, however.
One of the tallest buildings in Bangkok is the Baiyoke 2. It's
located a few hundred meters up from the Central World Plaza in
the busy area of the Pratunam Market. The tower soars around 300
meters into the sky and from the top, on a clear day you get good
views of Bangkok. When overcast the view is not so good. Like
many buildings around the planet, there’s the city view
restaurant. If it was me I would grab some food on ground
level. Going up the tower to the observation level costs a small
entrance fee.
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Deevana Resort & Spa Patong
Phuket
It was the enchanting island of Phuket that first got me
interested in the Kingdom Of Thailand. A mate had gone to Thailand
the previous Australian winter and just wouldn’t shut up about how
great it was, especially Phuket and Patong. We were mates for a
long time and he knew the sort of stuff I liked and said that
Patong and Southern Thailand would be the ideal holiday spot for
me. At that time in my life, we were busy with business, no time
to scratch ourselves, so we decided to do some business in Bangkok
so we could explore the south more fully. When I finally made it
to Phuket Island, I was hooked on the casual way of life and the
friendliness of the locals. So Phuket, Patong, Kata Beach and
Karon Beach and the scenic vistas have a special place in my
heart. Hey but I still love that something special and the chaos
of Bangkok.
Phuket…… premier beach holiday destination
Phuket is one of the world's top beach holiday destinations and
ranks alongside the French Riviera, the Mediterranean & the Gold
Coast Australia and Hawaii as places where people will happily
endure up to 24 hours discomfort on a plane for the promise of the
exemplary beach holiday. But is Phuket really the ideal Thai
beach holiday get away. With Phuket now firmly ranking up there as
one of the world's premier beach destinations, the secluded beach
charm that this island once laid claim to, can still be found, you
just have to make the right decisions, Patong Beach far to rowdy,
Kata beach yeah ok, or Karon Beach well that’s quiter, nicer for
me. The search goes on really, it’s what do you want from a
holiday?
Phuket is an island connected to the Thai mainland by a bridge,
and is located about 860 km from Bangkok. While most people
choose to reach the island by plane, you can also drive the
distance, about 12 or 14 hours. Buses all depart Bangkok for
Phuket but the train doesn't make it that distance. If you wanted
to travel by train, you would have to get off at Surat Thani in
the south and make your way to Phuket from there by bus. There are
many beaches around the island province of Phuket but by far the
most developed is Patong Beach. Patong Beach is a tourist mecca
where all of the nations of the world come together. Europeans
holidaying read European newspapers, eat European style food and
demand all of the things that they expect at home. Here you will
find Indian and Italian and Thai restaurants demonstrating just
how cosmopolitan Patong has become.
Patong is the nightlife capital of the island and over the last
few years has grown into something of a sexy tourism destination.
Soi after soi can be found with girlie bars full of naughty girls
that need your money. Bangla Road on Patpong Beach comes alive at
night as garish neon signs and almost equally as garish women and
transvestites known as lady boy’s, actively seek out the company
of visitor hunks for the night, for a consideration. The girlie
bars can also be found elsewhere on the island, in fact wherever
you find visitors, you find girlie bars. There is a smaller
number at Karon and
even fewer over at Kata. For Phuket nightlife, Patong is it.
The beach itself at Patong gets very busy and you may find
yourself jostling for space on the beach with people from every
country you have ever heard of. Venture around a little and you
can find some lovely spots on Phuket island. South of Patpong
Beach is Karon Beach, with 3 km of soft white sand gently meeting
the gentle waves of the beautiful Andaman Sea. Karon Beach
doesn't have nearly as many hotels as Patong so there aren't
nearly as many people on Karon which makes it that much more
relaxing, sound good to you! and you can go to Patong any time you
like it’s not that far away. Have a quick look at the
accommodation link on this site so many to choose from Hotels,
Resorts and Spa and Bungalows. If you want a gorgeous beach with
less activity, a place where you can actually kick back, and
relax, then Karon is an ideal location. While accommodation prices
have moved in a similar direction to Patong, the prices at Karon
are more attractive. The only disadvantage, Karon Beach is not
considered safe for swimming in the monsoon time of year, which in
Phuket is from the end of May until the start of November, however
this does not deter many intrepid visitors.
South of Karon Beach is Kata Beach, a somewhat smaller beach that
is not a private beach for Club Med as some people believe. This,
like Karon, is another really lovely beach and a great place to
enjoy the days and bake yourself in the sun and swimming, but
remember to slip on a shirt, slop on a sunscreen and slap on a
hat. Accommodation and restaurants are a little cheaper there
than the other beaches. It is certainly much quieter and less
hastle. During the tourism high season from December right through
to the Songkran holidays in April, Phuket is over run with
Europeans, trying to escape their cold, politically correct
homelands. Phuket provides them with a tropical island paradise.
Is this my
beach!
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Getting around on Phuket, one option is the small red songtaews
that the drivers often refer to as tuk tuks, they clearly are not
tuk tuks. The drivers of these vehicles ask for and get silly
money for what really are short journeys. A typical journey would
be the hill road from Patong over to Karon Beach, or vice versa.
Today, the cost is more likey 250 baht. Traveling across the
island to Phuket Town will cost even more and I guess hiring one
of these little vehicles to get you over there would be in the
region of 500 baht maybe, it just may be more cost effective to
hire a private taxi off the street, but make sure the details are
clear before setting off.
Phuket Town, the provincial capital, is located on the east of the
island, around 20km from the popular beaches where much of the
tourism is. It is an interesting place. There are far more Thai
nationals living on Phuket than western visitors, but it is the
visitors that you notice on the west coast beaches. Phuket Town
is just like any other small provincial Thai town with many things
going for it, it’s pleasant and sub tropical and has a casual feel
to the place. There is a Robinson's Department Store which makes
for a nice place to go and escape the heat. In that shopping
centre there are a few other shops. You could go up the hill see a
monkey or two, and get a pleasant view over Phuket Town or go down
and see the port with all of the fishing boats. There is a large
Central Shopping Centre in the centre of the island, between the
beaches on the west coast and Phuket Town.
Old Phuket Town
The Thais know that tourists attracted to Phuket are a relatively
well off travelers and it seems to me that everything is geared to
that market, right across the board.
Phuket is a magnificent place for a holiday but if you are on a
tight budget, you will be able to have a great time if you do some
pre planning, as tourists continue to visit Phuket in record
numbers try to secure some cheaper accommodation well in advance
online before you leave home. And if you decide to go to Phuket by
air, the airport is a bit of a distance from the main beach areas
and it will cost you around 500 baht to get a taxi to reach one of
the West coast beaches. You can grab a seat in a minivan for 150
baht.
The west coast beaches of Phuket, namely Patong, Karon and Kata
beaches are almost entirely tourism based economies and the local
Thais are fully aware that it is the visitors that contribute to
the wealth of the area. While scams and overcharging may occur,
these beaches are generally safe and crimes of violence or theft
against tourists are scarce.
There are many day trip options available from Phuket. Two of
these in particular are well worthwhile. The first day trip is
the one that takes you from your accommodation to the harbour at
Phuket town then cruising to Phanga Bay and James Bond Island.
Phanga Bay is the province immediately north of Phuket and is
famous for its limestone cliffs and rock structures that jut out
of the water and are so scenic. Many of the day trips to Phanga
will include a visit to the James Bond Island, it was the location
for the movie, "Man With The Golden Gun". There is usually a visit
to one of the island based Muslim villages where lunch is served,
and it’s interesting to explore and get a feel of village life.
There's usually also a stop at some of the small offshore islands
where you get a chance to sit in the sun for an hour or so, soak
up the sun's rays and go for a swim in the crystal clear, warm
tropical waters. A lot of the time is spent cruising around the
scenic bay.
Spectacular
views on Phang-nga Bay
The second day trip that is well worthwhile is over to the small
paradise like island, Koh Phi Phi. This is the island where every
girl's heart throb Leo Di Caprio filmed the movie, "The Beach".
This island is stunningly beautiful and I think it is one of the
most idyllic places on the planet. You can stay overnight or for
a couple of nights, but accommodation prices can be expensive.
There’s a lot of diving operations operating off Phuket and the
diving in the area is really excellent.
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Koh Samet
Koh Samet is located about 200 km from Bangkok and as the word Koh
means, it’s an island. If you're coming from Bangkok you will
need to make your way to Bahn Pe where most of the ferries leave
the mainland, bound for Koh Samet, or Samet Island as it is called
in English.
Koh Samet can be reached from Bangkok in about four hours and
there are a couple of different ways of doing it. The easiest way
is to go to the bus station at Ekamai, almost beside the Ekamai
sky train station, and take the bus to Bahn Pe, a small fishing
town on the mainland from where most boats depart for the island.
The cost of the bus is around 200 baht and although the port won’t
be the last stop for the bus, it stops there and the driver will
ask if anyone wants to go to Samet, well this is the place to get
off.
Once at Bahn Pe, you take a boat over to the island. There are a
number of different piers with ferry boats going to the different
bays on the island so you need to know which part of the island
you wish to go to. The cost of the ferry was cheap as, each way,
you buy your ticket before you get on board. It is just a case of
getting on the first boat while the captain waits for enough
people to get on board. You don't usually have to wait very long.
The other way to get to Koh Samet is to buy an all inclusive
ticket from one of the many travel agents in Bangkok, particularly
in the Khaosan Road area. The all inclusive price to get there
varies but is usually around 500 baht. If you arrange the travel
yourself, you will get there much cheaper.
In choppy seas, the boat trip over can be a rocky affair and many
a traveler has suffered sea sickness. The boats usually stop going
over to the island early evening so if you arrive in Bahn Pe late
it can be difficult to get one to take you over. If you really
wanted to go over, you could hire a boat to take you over I have
no idea how much it would cost but I guess in the region of
several hundred baht. You can also hire a speed boat to take you
over which is obviously going to save time.
When you first arrive at Samet, at a pier where you will see some
songtaews little vehicles with bench seats, The drivers will take
you over the small hill to one of the beaches for a reasonable
amount, or more for one of beaches further away. It’s only a few
hundred meters to the first beach, so it's an easy walk. A great
way to explore Samet is by foot just wander around and see where
you end up.
The first time I went to this island with very scenic little
beaches, I was very impressed. The soft, white sand and the rows
of beautiful palm trees and coconut trees nestled up where the
sand ends all have a calming effect on you. It truly feels like
you have found a lost paradise. Koh Samet is really small in size
and there is very little industry on it apart from tourism,
fishing and basic services offered for both tourists and the
island's residents. If you are happy just lazing away on the
beach, reading, swimming and just relaxing the days away, you'll
probably really like it but if you are looking for an exciting
time, this is not the place. One disappointing thing about Koh
Samet is the quality of accommodation available. A lot of very
average places with expensive rates for what they offer.
Spectacular
Sunset Southern Thailand
Koh Samui
Ko Samui, once known as an affordable destination and a
backpacker's paradise, is the second largest island in Thailand.
It sits on the opposite side of the mainland from its larger
brother, Phuket. For so long the backpacker's domain, this island
has been rapidly moving up market for some time now and most of
the development appears to be up market.
You can reach Koh Samui on Bangkok Airways and a return flight is
a little under an hour each way. There are several flights between
Bangkok and Samui every day. You can reach the island overland by
travelling by Bangkok to Surat Thani by road and then taking a
boat across. This could take many, many hours and unless money is
tight, really I would fly. Khaosan Road travel agents offer deals
from Khaosan Road to Samui direct.
The other options for getting to Koh Samui are far cheaper but
take forever. First there is the train, bus, boat deal, you can
buy the tickets direct or go through a travel agent. If coming
from Bangkok, you take the Surat Thani train, then the bus from
Surat Thani to the port and then the boat over to Koh Samui. This
journey will take around 20 hours. Finally there is the bus and
boat combination and this takes about 18 hours and costs less. The
choice is yours air travel or a slow long journey.
Samui is dominated by two beaches, the largest and most popular is
Chaweng Beach, and Lamai Beach which is a few kilometers south and
very popular, although really a little quieter as it is smaller
and has less accommodation than the heavily developed Chaweng.
There are other locations all over the island including Bophut and
Big Buddha.
Chaweng on Samui has all the action, fun and dance, where people
say they have come for the laid back lifestyle. When really all
they seem to be doing is drinking, smoking substances and partying
until they drop. The beach itself is quite long it’s nice but
somewhat over rated. The beach of Karon on Phuket or even Lamai,
the other big beach on Samui are just as nice if not nicer. Lamai
Beach is really the best beach on the island, a gently curving
beach that while a lot shorter than Chaweng, is nicer. Very
scenic, Lamai seems to feature on more postcards than its larger
and more popular cousin, Chaweng. While everyone does it all the
time, it really is hard to compare Phuket and Samui as they are
quite different. Phuket is the Asian international beach
destination and Koh Samui is really not that far behind these
days.
Nearby Samui is Koh Phangan and not far from Koh Phangan is Koh
Tao. Koh Phangan is where a lot of the backpackers end up these
days, a smaller island that is a short boat ride north of Samui.
It happens to be the home of the full moon party when everyone
parties all night and gets silly on dope and all sorts of
dangerous and illicit substances, as I said previously life
changing if police find you, Thai jails are not very good. Koh
Tao is said to be one of the best places in Thailand for diving.
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Hua Hin
Hua Hin, is about 200 km from Bangkok, or about 3 hours by car,
depending on traffic, popular as a weekend getaway for the Bangkok
Thais for a long time, it has slowly risen in popularity with
westerners to the point, that it is now looked at as a very real
beach holiday alternative to Thailand's more popular beach resorts
of Phuket, Koh Samui and Pattaya.
Hua Hin is home to Wang Glai Gang Won, the beautifully named
palace means the palace a long way from anxiety & worry. His
majesty the King resides for much of the year. If you drive to
Hua Hin, as many people do, the palace is set back from the main
road on the left as you drive into the downtown area. Apart from
the royal residence, Hua Hin really is a relaxing seaside resort.
There is not much else there and the place operates almost
entirely on a tourism based economy. There are a number of high to
mid range hotels in downtown Hua Hin remember, prices vary in the
different Thai beach resorts. While Hua Hin might not be on the
backpacker trail, there are a number of guesthouses, some of which
are set right down by the water in fact some are on wharves right
over the water, while others are set back a bit from the beach, in
the heart of the nightlife area, or back up on Phetkasem Road,
that is the main road that runs through Hua Hin which is perhaps
500 meters back from the beach, but quite walkable! So check out
the accommodation & sightseeing link on this site to become more
acquainted.
The beach itself at Hua Hin is very nice. It is long, really,
really long and the sand is white and soft. The words hua hin in
Thai mean head of rocks so it should come as no surprise to learn
that the beach at Hua Hin has many, many rocks.
An attraction that I really like in the Hua Hin area is King Rama
6th Summer Palace, which is located about 15 km outside of the
main city area, on the main road along the way to Cha Am. This is
a very unique palace complex, and like Khao Da Giap is well worth
an hour or two of your time. Downtown Hua Hin seems to have many
restaurants specializing in Western style food other than Thai
food, and you can't help but wonder about some of the visitors who
come to Hua Hin. Even makes you think some don't even try Thai
food but simply stick to what they know. The number of Italian
restaurants is huge and you can sometimes find 3 of them right
next to each other. If you like Italian then try the Pizza joint
which is directly opposite the City Beach Resort on a road that
leads down to the main beach entrance. This Italian joint has
fantastic pizzas, and great pasta.
Cha Am
About 30 km north of Hua Hin on the way to Bangkok is Cha Am, a
beach that for some reason you'll read much less about in the
guides and brochures than Hua Hin, but which at the weekend seems
to be almost as busy, if not busier than its Hua Hin. The beach
area itself is not quite as nice as Hua Hin but as it is not an
area of royal residence, as Hua Hin is, the rules are less relaxed
and you get lots of people selling things on the beach.
Koh Chang
Koh Chang, in Thai means Elephant Island, is the second largest
island in Thailand and is located on the Eastern Seaboard, towards
the border with Cambodia. The island is part of a national park,
but unlike Koh Samet, you do not have to pay a fee to enter the
island. The fee on Koh Chang applies only to some of the inland
areas and to the area with the main waterfall.
Comparisons with Koh Samet are to be expected. Koh Chang is
similarly priced in terms of accommodation and restaurants. The
infrastructure in Koh Chang is also similar with electricity being
a problem at times and not all bungalows offering electricity
running for 24 hours. If travelling by the most common form or
bus, boat and then songtaew, the beaches at Koh Chang take about
seven hours to get to from Bangkok, whereas the beaches on Koh
Samet can be reached in four. To get to Koh Chang from Bangkok,
you need to take a bus from the Eastern Ekamai bus station to Trat
and this takes around 5 hours. From Trat, you take a songtaew to
the coast and from the coast, a boat over to the island. Once you
have landed on the island, songtaews are waiting to take you to
the beaches, the bulk of which are on the west coast.
There are several beaches on Koh Chang, most on the western side
of the island. They are all ok, but none of the beaches are as
nice as the best beaches on Samet, Samui or Phuket. Koh Chang does
not suffer from the boatloads of day trippers that Koh Samet
suffers from. It also seems free of jet skis and parasailing
though you can hire a kayak if you wish and boat trips are always
available. Like every beach spot in Thailand, you get the beach
vendors trying to sell you stuff but, in Koh Chang, they are not
pushy and only seem to sell things relevant to your beach holiday.
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Kanchanaburi
Just two hours by bus from Bangkok, Kanchanaburi is another of the
provinces close to the capital that attracts a lot of tourists.
There are quite a few things to see and do though apart from the
Erawan waterfalls, none of them are that impressive on their own.
With all of these attractions combined together however,
Kanchanaburi makes a nice break away from Bangkok for a day trip.
The Erawan waterfalls are a series of seven tiered waterfalls, it
is about an hour and a half by bus away from the main town. The
waterfalls are all in a national park, this park has the usual
collection of park rangers on duty to receive entrance fees and
supervise and be supportive.
From the main park entrance, the walk from the start to the top
waterfall takes about an hour or more and towards the last couple
of waterfalls, the track is pretty bad and for older trekkers,
there are some points that may prove impassable. Still, most of it
is fairly easy. It must be said that the further along the track
you walk, the more impressive the waterfalls get and there are
many opportunities to take some nice pix. Buses go to and from the
national park about every hour. There is a nice river running
through the city and you can go for a ride on these sort of Thai
style speed boats that is a bit of a thrill for a few minutes
though fairly expensive. Kanchanaburi is one of the hottest
provinces in Thailand and if you are there during the hot season,
with many of the attractions being outdoors, it may become
unbearably hot. It is a cool season destination, up to you of
course.
Perhaps the most over rated tourist attraction in Thailand, the
Death Railway is what most people who visit Kanchanaburi want to
see. I don’t want to sound uncaring, this is a particularly
uninteresting attraction other than it's historic value. It's
just a small, plain looking bridge. It's interesting to watch
Japanese tourists going oh ah at the site of where their
forefathers tortured large numbers of Thai and international
soldiers. In the immediate area of the bridge, Thai vendors fight
for the chance to sell the usual Thai food, snacks, and cans of
Coke at tourist prices. The next tourist destination is the
cemetery of the dead allied soldiers who died building the
bridge. I guess it is fascinating to see how many of your fellow
countrymen the evil and sinister Japanese killed and pay your
respects.
There is a shopping centre in Kanchanaburi Called "Kan" though you
would be best advised to save your shopping for Bangkok. In the
area immediately surrounding the shopping area are a number of
street vendors serving the usual mix of tasty Thai style street
food.
One thing that Kanchanaburi is very good for is accommodation with
there being a number of cheap hotels and guesthouses to choose
from. Some of them have nice locations down by the river and
they are very reasonably priced. Most of these guesthouses
also rent out bicycles. There are also a few restaurants set
down against the river.
Chiang Mai Region
Tourism is a huge part of the local economy and the city of Chiang
Mai the northern centre of Thailand, visitors are well catered
for. Accommodation is available in all price ranges. If you are
looking for lots of 5 star options, you won't have anything like
the range of hotels that are available to you in Bangkok.
Chiang Mai seems to be home to a many many guesthouses and a lot
of mid-range places, but far fewer really top end places. And
prices for a decent place to stay remain reasonable and are not
nearly at the same lofty levels as what a room goes for in
Bangkok.
In Chiang Mai there’s heaps to see and do. Chiang Mai is
different to Bangkok in terms of what to see and do. Most of the
things to do
are outside, temples to see, markets to visit, hills to climb,
hill tribes to visit. This is not the place for large glitzy
shopping malls but rather, a place to get in touch with the
culture of the country and down to earth and basics.
The city itself is quite pleasant with a lot of temples and there
are a couple of very impressive temples outside the city, Doi
Suthep which to me is probably the most remarkable temple complex
I have ever visited. It is a must see if you visit Chiang Mai.
It is up the hill overlooking the city of Chiang Mai and it takes
about half an hour to get there from the city centre by
car. Another of the popular trips is to Doi Inthanon, which is the
highest point in Thailand. It too, is worth a visit but be aware
that it is quite a distance from Chiang Mai and it is a big trip
to go there and come back, not quite a full day, but more than
half a day. It's a pleasant spot and impressive.
The weather is much more pleasant in Chiang Mai is cooler than
Bangkok but this can vary depending on the time of year you visit,
it has less pollution understandably and at night it can get quite
cool. The food in Chiang Mai is a different style to what is
usually available in Bangkok. The northern food is different to
food from other parts of the country. The people in Chiang Mai are
clearly more friendlier, more polite and generally nicer than
people from any other part of the country, they are more genuine,
and have little material goods and value friendships. People just
seem less hastled, more gentle, more polite, and a desire that
visitors really do enjoy themselves.
The north of Thailand, of which Chiang Mai is the centre, has done
a much better job preserving the culture of the country, and
indeed the region, than any other parts of the country and Chiang
Mai is the place to celebrate the major Thai festivals like
Songkran and Loy Kratong.
Isaan Province
Isaan, the Thai name for the northeast region of the country with
a population of around 20 million, is the poorest region and the
most traditional ways of life are still practiced.
Due to time frame constraints of people on vacation, very few
western visitors make it up to the north east of Thailand into
Isaan country, for there are too many must sees destinations
within Thailand. When you consider that there is a lack of visitor
friendly tourist infrastructure in this area, unlike Bangkok,
Chiang Mai and the beaches and islands of the southern Thailand.
Many tourists choose Thailand for the sun and sea and the
shopping, this Isaan province cannot provide for these
requirements.
What Isaan does offer visitors to Thailand is a chance to get an
insight into the traditional ways of life and daily living. If you
have the time and decide to travel into the Isaan province, and
travel overland, by train, car or bus, there are two major ways to
go. The first and most popular way is to follow highway two from
Bangkok up to Nongkhai. This road passes through the major cities
of Korat, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and on to Nongkhai.
Growing the rice
to feed the multitudes
The major centers of the Isaan region are slowly progressing into
larger, more modern cities. If you really want to get a picture
of traditional Isaan, you need to get away from the major centers
of Korat, Khon Kaen and Ubon which are slowly becoming westernized
with improved infrastructure. These cities are rather urbanized
and parts of them are not particularly different from the suburban
areas of Bangkok.
One of the difficulties of traveling in this area is that the
level of English spoken and comprehension, especially outside of
Korat, Ubon and Khon Kaen, the three largest and most developed
centers. You can get buy on English, but in some parts of town, no
English is spoken and there aren't even any signs in English!
Experienced travelers will cope just fine but those newbie’s, who
haven’t hit the trail before may struggle. Further, while general
costs are a lot lower for pretty much everything, the locals do
know that the foreigner has a lot more money in his pocket,
particularly the places that do get a few tourists, may try to
charge you more than the locals pay.
The food in Isaan is known for being particularly spicy, and a lot
of the dishes from the Isaan region also contain fermented fish
sauce, something which most visitors and indeed most Thais not
from the region wouldn’t want. A typical Isaan meal would consist
of a number of dishes from region and be accompanied by sticky
rice, which is rolled into balls with the fingers. Typical dishes
of Isaan region are larb a spicy salad, usually with some sort of
diced meat such as pork, beef, or chicken, wow I love larb. Other
popular dishes are gai yarng grilled chicken, and nam dok a spicy
salad where the meat is cut into larger pieces rather than diced
this ain’t half bad I can tell you, and the som tum papaya
salad. These dishes are popular with Thai and visitors alike.
Thai food is
just so delicious and fresh
In Nongkhai there’s nothing like a quite delightful restaurant
setting, sitting there enjoying the taste sensations, of chicken
larb, sticky rice and home made lemonade, overlooking the mighty
Mekong and looking across at Laos.
Korat
Korat, also known as Nakhon Rachasima, is located 250 km northeast
of Bangkok and if you travel to the Isaan region by car, bus, or
train, it is the first province you will reach. Korat is also the
largest province in Thailand with a population of around 7
million, many people live and work outside of the province. There
are a number of very reasonable hotels in Korat for around, or a
little over, 1,200 baht a night, which gets you a comfortable room
and a breakfast buffet. At the bottom end of the accommodation
market, some of the rooms for just a few hundred baht are very
average, so if you are on a budget, check out the room before
agreeing and paying. I wouldn’t spend more than one night in Korat,
the nightlife is even a bit sleepy. The most impressive attraction
in Korat is not in downtown Korat, but 50km north on the main
highway in Phimai. There you can find some very well preserved old
Khmer temple ruins. Hey this is well worth checking out, the
little town of Phimai is a very nice place with some lovely parks
and is worth spending and hour or two wandering around. The buses
leave Korat for Phimai regularly
Khon Kaen
About 200 km up the highway from Korat is Khon Kaen, this place is
considered the focal point of Isaan province. This is where you
find the university in Isaan, as well as the finest hospital in
the area. Like Korat, Khon Kaen it’s not a beautiful place, and
there is not really that much to see or do there, either in the
provincial capital, or nearby areas. So if you decide to visit
Kohn Kaen you will find the people in the town to be very friendly
and it is easy to meet up with people to hang out with either
Thai’s or other visitors.
The only place worth checking out in Khon Kaen is the 9 level
temple which is a few kilometers south of the city centre. It is
an unusual design and is very attractive.
Udon Thani
Another 100 or so kilometers up the highway from Khon Kaen is Udon
Thani, a smaller provincial capital which has proven to be popular
with westerner visitors in recent years and even has a thriving
bar scene. There are probably more western oriented bars and
restaurants in the city of Udon than in any other centre in Isaan,
and this is probably due to the high number of girls from Udon who
work in Bangkok and Pattaya bars, where they meet a westerner, get
connected, and then go and live happily in the Thai countryside.
Udon is said to have both the highest number of westerners in
Isaan.
Phanga bay so
relaxing so beautiful
The city of Udon doesn't have any major tourist attractions. The
provinces attractions are well outside the provincial capital and
include national parks and Ban Chiang, a site where a lot of old
fossils and relics were found. The food in Udon Thani is very
good. Visitors rave about the Thai and western style restaurants
and bars with fare from Ireland, Italy and Europe.
Nongkhai
About 50 kilometers or so up the road from Udon Thani is the
nearby attractive city of Nongkhai which sits on the banks of the
Mekong River overlooking Laos. The city is a little ordinary but
the people are very nice and friendly and there are a number of
very enjoyable restaurants on the banks of the river looking
across at Laos. A little outside the city is Sala Gowgoo, is what
could best be described as a Buddhist statue park where there are
a large number of concrete Buddha images. It is a little outside
the city so you'll have to get a songtaew, if you remember they
are a little like a tuk tuk, and the driver will take you if you
do not have your own transport. This is a must see location so if
you make it to Nongkhai don’t miss it. And if you can find a guide
to talk you through it all the better.
Nongkhai has a constant trudge of foreign visitors passing through
every day, especially the backpackers, who are usually on their
way to or from Laos. Nongkhai is an appealing little town which
is well worth a day of your time. Like so many of the towns in
Thailand that have a river running through it, Nongkhai has many
excellent restaurants on the banks of the river, looking across
the Mekong River to Laos. Although these restaurants do target
foreigner visitors, the costs are still very realistic and the
ambience at some of them is just wonderful. Imagine kicking back
in a riverside restaurant looking across the Mekong River as the
sun sets over Laos, it really is so nice.
Roi Et
Roi Et, meaning one hundred and one, the city is very appealing
with a lake in the down town area with an island in the centre of
the lake. The people are very respectful and the city is home to
many temples, all able to be walked to. Roi Et has the tallest
Buddha image in Thailand at approximately 65 meters in height and
it towers grandly over the city.
There are a small number of westerner resident in the Roi Et area
so there are at least a couple of western friendly restaurants.
Pleasant as Roi Et is, unless you really, really like the Isaan
region, you may find it rather lacking in stimulation. There are
a lot of temples in the city, and it is pretty, but there is
little to do. Like many of the smaller provincial cities in Isaan
the shutters are up by about 8pm meaning might as well chill out,
tired anyway, bed looks good. There is a bar area just outside the
city moat. Ask any tuk tuk driver to take you to rong bier and
they will know the place. In the area are a number of Thai style
venues where very cheap alcohol can be had, this is not a late
night venue.
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Nakhon Phanom
The city of Nakhon Phanom is one of the most distant cities in
Isaan if you are coming from Bangkok and is approximately 700 km
from the capital.
The city itself does not have any specific attractions to draw
visitors to other than that it is simply an interesting place, on
the banks of the Mekhong River with very scenic views across to
Laos. The city itself is clean and there is a very nice river
front area where people get together in the late afternoon.
Temple Ruins & Historical sites
Scattered all over Thailand there are many great historical sites
with old ruins that mesmerize you and stimulate your brain to
consider how the world use to be. Most of the best preserved
ruins are in the central, northern and northeastern areas of the
country. As you travel around different parts of the country, so
you will notice different styles of ruins in different areas. One
of the great things about the ruins in Thailand is that these
truly fascinating historical sites and are affordable to enter.
Ayutthaya
Heading north from Bangkok, about 20 km or so south of the main
temple area in Ayutthaya is the Summer Palace at BangPa. This is a
very impressive attraction with delightful, manicured grounds and
a very joyous feeling about it. There is a lot of history in the
palace with various buildings on the grounds being home to
previous generations of royalty. To get to BangPa, most people
get off the train at the BangPa train station and get a motorbike
or a tuk tuk to the palace. Alternatively you could get there by
car. The Bangkok to Ayutthaya bus may stop somewhere around
there. But probably the easiest way is to book a tour on this
site. The palace grounds are not that large and unless you are
feeling lazy, I would just walk around at a leisurely pace. An
hour is not really enough time to get around, to read some of the
history and of course, take lots of photographs, really this is a
photographer's paradise. You would almost certainly visit BangPa
In the same day you would visit Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya is really easy to get to from Bangkok, it's perfect for
a day trip if you are not planning on going any further north.
You can either take the train from the main train station at
Hualompong which takes about an hour and a quarter or
alternatively, you could take a bus from Mo Chit bus station which
gets you there faster. If you ever find yourself at either
Victory Monument or Future Park Rangsit, just north of the
airport, from both of these places several minibuses offer a
service to Ayutthaya and just depart when the van is full. Keep a
look out for vans with small plastic or cardboard signs in the
window or on the side that are usually in Thai, occasionally
English. Just ask one of the guys hanging around the vans and
they'll point you in the right direction. Once you have arrived at
Ayutthaya, you have to decide how you wish to get around. You
have a few options available to you and far and away the cheapest
is to hire a bicycle for the day. Ayutthaya is flat so getting
around on a bike is easy. The only problem is that some of the
ruins and temples are quite a way from each other so you will have
to do quite a bit of cycling and further, while they are not too
difficult to find, one can also get lost! Road maps can be
confusing in Thailand.
The ruins at Ayutthaya are spread over a wide area and in many
ways the entire town is an historical park. Just wandering,
cycling or driving around, there is no shortage of eye candy and
exploring is half of the fun. Most people seem to head for the
main temple in the centre of town with the three pagodas but there
are some equally impressive temples round about. Explore and see
where you end up. To see Ayutthaya comfortably you could, hire a
car a tuk tuk for a few hours to take you around. The central area
of Thailand can get very hot during the day and Ayutthaya is no
exception. Many people find that by mid afternoon the heat has
got to them so take it easy.
The Unesco World Heritage site of Ayutthaya is 85 kilometers north
of Bangkok. Ayutthaya was a thriving Siamese kingdom from 1350
until 1767, when it was captured by the Burmese. Today, Ayutthaya
is known for its spectacular ruins and temples. Many of its
temples are still intact, such as Wat Phra Sanphet, Wat Mongkhon
Bophit, Wat Panangcherng and Wat Chai Mongkol, known for its large
bronze statue of the Reclining Buddha. You will also see the
summer palace of King Rama IV with its mixture of Thai, Chinese
and Gothic architecture. The palace is a well preserved 'museum',
providing a glimpse into a time when Thailand was known as Siam.
On your full-day guided excursion from Bangkok you can book on
this site, you have a choice of visiting Thailand's former ancient
capital by boat and returning to Bangkok by van, or vice-versa.
During the boat cruise to or from Ayutthaya you will see temples
such as Wat Arun lining the Chao Phraya River.
Lopburi
Lopburi is a place of interest. It is a fairly small city, but
there is plenty to see and do and you could easily spend a day
wandering around, looking at the many attractions.
There is a huge old palace and beautiful grounds which is pretty
much in the middle of city. The grounds are huge and you can get a
good feel for what was once the old capital. There are these huge
doors there that took me a while to figure out, oh, they're for
the elephants! Scattered around the city area are various temple
ruins, most of which are a few hundred years old. None are as
impressive as the ruins of Ayutthaya or Sukhothai, but are worth
looking at nonetheless. Perhaps the most popular attraction in
the city of Lopburi is the temple ruin in the centre of the city
that is home to hundreds of monkeys. These little monsters are
everywhere and they are a great laugh though be careful as they
are famous for stealing things from visitors and have been known
to run off with sunglasses, cameras and wallets. The monkey temple
is probably the pick of the Lopburi attractions.
Kampeng Phet
You’re really in the north when you reach the old town of Kampeng
Phet. Although home to the Kampeng Phet Historical Park, you get
the feeling, not many visitors make it to this town. Quite
different from, any of the other historical parks, this one is in
a forested area just a few km from the city centre. A few local
Thais were there exercising, but apart from that, it was very
quiet, it was a little spooky in a country where constant noise is
just about everywhere. If you are touring the north by motorbike
or car and you are interested in historical parks, then this town
is worth checking out. But if you are reliant on public transport
or are feeling a little templed out, then Kampeng Phet could be
cross off your must see list. The city itself is pleasant without
being startling to the foreign visitor and it has a nice river
running through it along with a nice Khmer style temple complex.
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Sukhothai
The main Sukhothai historical park has several very well restored
temple ruins and it’s impressive, within one large park which
would cover a couple of square kilometers. The ruins here are a
lot more impressive than Ayutthaya and are easier to get around
and more stunning visually. The ruins themselves are quite some
distance from Sukhothai town itself. While more impressive than
Sukhothai, it can be seen in a shorter amount of time due to the
close proximity of all of the ruins. You could conceivably see
most of it in less than 3 hours, though some people will no doubt
want to spend the entire day.
Once you make it over to the other side, you can have a look
around Wat Arun. This
temple
looks better from the other side of the river and is not as
stunning up close, as it’s cheap to get over the river, it's
worthwhile doing it. This can be a good place to sit and relax
have an icecream and enjoy watching life on the river.
The Chao Praya River is one of the most interesting places in
Bangkok and there is always something going on with long tail
boats zooming visitors around, barges transporting cargo up and
down. If you know anything about engines, you will notice that a
lot of the long tail boats have old car engines running them,
ranging from the ever popular twin cam Toyota engines to a few
American V8s.
Rhythm of the Night
The infamous women of the night in Thailand. If you think you
will indulge with the ladies of the night, whatever you do, never
fall in love with a bargirl because you'll be in for a hell of a
ride on the hurdy gurdy! And it will haunt you for quite some
time. These bargirls, hey they are prostitutes, will treat and
seduce men of all ages very well in the process of separating the
man from his hard earned cash. They will say and do everything in
their power to achieve results and they will be charming and so so
nice, they are only after your money, beware.
Be careful of drinks you are offered from women who work in discos
and other bars, these prostitutes just come and go as they
please. It’s not unusual for them to spike the drinks of guys they
meet, so they can go back to the guy's room, and rob him. Please
also be aware that Thai women do not believe in the concept of
easy sex it’s something they see as an entirely Western concept.
So if you meet a Thai lady in a bar, or a place where women of ill
repute hang out and this may not be apparent right from the start,
and you later end up in your hotel room, there will be an
expectation of payment. So tread wearily, don’t drink so much
that you are not in control of the situation, and have a polite
exit strategy.
Terrorism
There have been major problems with separatist insurgents in the
far south of Thailand. For the present time the ongoing problems
have been isolated to the four southernmost provinces, where there
have been, gruesome murders with some of the victims being
beheaded and some bombings. The authorities have been very active
in keeping these activities contained, however there are threats
that the terrorists will take their terror to major population
centers, and the likely targets will be the very places where you
find western tourists including shopping centers and nightlife
entertainment areas and go go bars.
So whilst on your holiday in Thailand take care and stay safe, and
if something doesn’t look right move away and alert police or
security. Every day there are new victims of the scams, and the
conmen behind them continue to prosper. Don’t leave your money in
the hands of the scammers.
Tourist Police
The Thai Government appreciating the importance of tourism to the
country had the great idea to set up a special branch of the
police force whose job it, is to help travelers in distress.
Known as the Tourist Police, officers from this department can be
seen in most of the major tourist areas around Thailand. They
have the same brown uniform as the regular police with a badge
that says Tourist Police on their arm. The officers are friendly
and helpful and, are supposed to speak English too. If you have
any problems at all, they should be the first people you talk to.
In some centers the tourist police may have their own police
station but more often they will be stationed at the regular
police station. In some provincial centers, including Phuket,
Pattaya and Chiang Mai, there are volunteer tourist police as
well. They wear a uniform that clearly says tourist police
volunteer on the arm. They do not have the same powers or
authority of police but instead their role is to help anyone who
may be in distress.
Money - dual prices
It is a fact that in Thailand dual pricing is present and tourists
are the targets of the inflated prices. At many places from
national parks to tourist attractions and even to some restaurants
there are two sets of prices, one set for the Thais, and another
for visitors. Sometimes the price difference is small, but at
other times it is huge and can make the traveler feel like they
are being taken advantage of. When you take into account the
standard of living in Thailand compared to your homeland, it’s
best not to concern yourself too much.
Dangerous Creatures
Thailand is located in tropical Asia and it should come as no
surprise, there are all sorts of tropical animals, insects, bugs,
and snakes. You're not likely to see any in the larger cities but
if you go trekking in the countryside, it is possible that a
scorpion, snake or poisonous centipede may cross your path. It’s a
possibility! Many tourist sites in Thailand do not have the same
safety controls in place that you might expect at similar sites in
your country.
In Bangkok I really think a trip to Lumpini Park is good value, to
see and take pix of the huge, monitor lizards that call Lumpini
Park home. . I find these lizards fascinating and have spent time
in Lumpini watching them. Some are quite scary and very large!
They can bite so don’t get too close and their mouths harbor
germs, and the treatment for a bite is a course of
antibiotics. The word is that some people bitten by these lizards
have, had limbs removed due to infection. So be warned and take
caution!
Translations
of common every day Thai words
*The unit of currency in Thailand
is the
Baht.
*The main road in the backpacker area of Bangkok is
Khaosan Road.
*Thai for island is
Koh.
*Thai
for thank you
is
Kop khun.
*Thai
for temple is
Wat.
*Thai
for port or pier
is
Ta.
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