tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11461666815300614162024-03-12T16:14:13.050-07:00Blue Maroon Thailandbluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-68370324650216969242015-05-05T05:38:00.000-07:002018-06-17T20:01:47.844-07:00Travel North Philippines - Best Value Group Tours<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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10 Day Northern Discovery (US$500/person) - Banaue/Sagada/Ilocos Norte and Sur/Pinatubo/Manila<br />
15 Day Philippine Escape (US$900/person) -<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Banaue / Sagada / Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur/ Mount Pinatubo / Manila</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>PLUS your choice of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>BORACAY</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>or<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>PALAWAN</b><br />
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PM us now for full details!<br />
If you are group of 6-10 pax ready to go, you can choose your own dates! We will even knock $50 off for each person.</div>
bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-21815651226920009662009-05-14T22:03:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:37:45.224-07:00Welcome to Beautiful Thailand<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYO2QyFSDFo_e6XM6ojWP5n8t-HPNJvwzlBr9lUr0q6UhqQFFNxGqOl3i6k9GIbmykU83e1OSvcyZMCPFyWXmWbeh6S_w065CldFUrjWVTAo9RBhX3vX41QfoYFn4CIMBDnYXfIBqRL4s/s1600-h/journey-title.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335914186361885650" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 228px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYO2QyFSDFo_e6XM6ojWP5n8t-HPNJvwzlBr9lUr0q6UhqQFFNxGqOl3i6k9GIbmykU83e1OSvcyZMCPFyWXmWbeh6S_w065CldFUrjWVTAo9RBhX3vX41QfoYFn4CIMBDnYXfIBqRL4s/s400/journey-title.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><strong>Welcome to Beautiful Thailand</strong><br /><div><div><div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtoeADq7Gq6inD6rUt1zdzxd9490jE-KB_mWXFT0BE1ietEBiCk-Np6aGWdUxArqUcFwneZRD4jAo2w99DCFY37dTJZJThc6y9pygkmIG6IH8vTYrk1YQ5IHzaU0WDDmj6-f29rtGPJkZ/s1600-h/temple.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335913733108531250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 167px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 237px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJtoeADq7Gq6inD6rUt1zdzxd9490jE-KB_mWXFT0BE1ietEBiCk-Np6aGWdUxArqUcFwneZRD4jAo2w99DCFY37dTJZJThc6y9pygkmIG6IH8vTYrk1YQ5IHzaU0WDDmj6-f29rtGPJkZ/s320/temple.jpg" border="0" /></a>Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in South-East Asia, and for a reason. You can find almost anything here: thick jungle as green as can be, crystal blue beaches that feel more like a warm bath than a swim in the ocean and food that can curl your nose hairs while tap dancing across your taste buds. Exotic, yet safe; cheap, yet equipped with every modern amenity you need, there is something for every interest and every price bracket, from beach front backpacker bungalows to some of the best luxury hotels in the world. And despite the heavy flow of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential Thainess, with a culture and history all its own and a carefree people famed for their smiles and their fun-seeking sanuk lifestyle. Many travelers come to Thailand and extend their stay well beyond their original plans and others never find a reason to leave. Whatever your cup of tea is, they know how to make it in Thailand.</span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OK8eEqPI4_OBWwfUsibLNJd2FGqjjKKV30GwKFKM98a4vcm5kFd51UTh1RdYik9WmKzkhNcsrl65xURIcxtOvYwVWQhmg_cndX4YW0AZvML5Mf_gjV9HCEnuQavq21OXT_mXF5VdDNXT/s1600-h/1276_new-year-bangkok.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335913728165936930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 295px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OK8eEqPI4_OBWwfUsibLNJd2FGqjjKKV30GwKFKM98a4vcm5kFd51UTh1RdYik9WmKzkhNcsrl65xURIcxtOvYwVWQhmg_cndX4YW0AZvML5Mf_gjV9HCEnuQavq21OXT_mXF5VdDNXT/s320/1276_new-year-bangkok.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Cities </strong><br />Bangkok - Thailand's bustling, frenetic capital<br />Ayutthaya - a historical city, world heritage site and old capital of Thailand<br />Chiang Mai - the capital of the North and the heart of Lanna culture<br />Chiang Rai - gateway to the Golden Triangle<br />Hat Yai - largest city in the Southern region<br />Kanchanaburi - home of the Bridge over the River Kwai<br />Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) - main city in the Isaan region<br />Pattaya - one of the main tourist destinations<br />Sukhothai - Thailand's first capital<br />Surat Thani - Main city of Ko Samui Ko Pha Ngan Ko Tao and Srivijaya Empire.<br /><br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Other destinations</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYT62SFbEpF-6os7Td0g70Wp8Fe0YZykp58MHpynQRdbnK_iDuWQ5miP7kfOw7CpW6emhtiFq_jVGNcEJDtch2Zu_D9nJhnsUXekfpsgJQLOppJGFsSsYakcBA24rkPvzg9uwZqJQpUSax/s1600-h/ThaiFishingBoat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335913732450915938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYT62SFbEpF-6os7Td0g70Wp8Fe0YZykp58MHpynQRdbnK_iDuWQ5miP7kfOw7CpW6emhtiFq_jVGNcEJDtch2Zu_D9nJhnsUXekfpsgJQLOppJGFsSsYakcBA24rkPvzg9uwZqJQpUSax/s320/ThaiFishingBoat.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Islands & beaches:</strong><br />Ko Lipe - Small island in the middle of Tarutao National Park amazingly unspoilt, great reefs and beaches absolutely stunning, a must see.<br />Ko Chang - once quiet island undergoing major tourism development<br />Krabi - Southern beach and watersports Mecca, includes Ao Nang, Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta<br />Ko Lanta - sleepy southern island with rapidly developing tourism<br />Ko Pha Ngan - site of the famous Full Moon Party with miles of quiet coastline<br />Ko Samet - the nearest island beach escape from Bangkok<br />Ko Samui - comfortable, nature, and entertainment hippie mecca gone upmarket<br />Ko Tao - Small Island neighbor of Samui<br />Phuket - the original Thai paradise island now very developed but still with some beautiful beaches remaining<br />Rai Leh - stunning beach by the limestone cliffs of Krabi, rock climbers mecca </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXZIOs-A_rKqL5Hu6uatPc7REqPokSFYmoyEDYxRMM_nDMm5gAKQg94ruWpvZXE2eEd9r5sa5azWaMHTNzgMd5z1yQdxm9HYIwCI_W9LeOLURyOd-8OhBGDgz587aMZ6xMXagDKyYcY2w/s1600-h/chang+22.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335913732605125442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXZIOs-A_rKqL5Hu6uatPc7REqPokSFYmoyEDYxRMM_nDMm5gAKQg94ruWpvZXE2eEd9r5sa5azWaMHTNzgMd5z1yQdxm9HYIwCI_W9LeOLURyOd-8OhBGDgz587aMZ6xMXagDKyYcY2w/s320/chang+22.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>National Parks:</strong><br />Ang Thong National Marine Park - in Surat Thani Province<br />Khao Sok National Park - in Surat Thani Province<br />Ko Phi Phi - Thailands largest Marine National Park and backpacker favorite where The Beach was filmed<br />Khao Yai National Park - in Isaan<br />Ko Chang National Park - in Trat Province<br />Similan Islands - in Phang Nga province<br />Tarutao National Park - in Satun Province</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand">http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand</a></span></div></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-28783709331420520622009-05-14T21:57:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.727-07:00Thai People and Culture<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksryp6A9HfBuM5TIFk-41uVhESXW_v6W3zxK1mA5DoJ71_QiTJhV8h3uUG-bVYFLnQo16SgKzNyt6Xh7c4Grw3qtgVfJXcI-qKrHp2_O4LwVkQzpPEymJsRHt0ZlFunliGcxJjjuivYbM/s1600-h/yookino94929.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335910607200079842" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksryp6A9HfBuM5TIFk-41uVhESXW_v6W3zxK1mA5DoJ71_QiTJhV8h3uUG-bVYFLnQo16SgKzNyt6Xh7c4Grw3qtgVfJXcI-qKrHp2_O4LwVkQzpPEymJsRHt0ZlFunliGcxJjjuivYbM/s320/yookino94929.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWcdqYXrbSrGavB_s0mVBnFBG5krvmroilw42snBaNPHBlIk-YDSBLanjPu9aQ4IKKTcuDB_-lTkhAbA-uiy1V1DGun08BLRfJmLBdI-y1HYR5g32uA3pdbWA9IC_QrPA8UgTz7KHYC2d/s1600-h/an3.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335910600986202322" style="WIDTH: 270px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWcdqYXrbSrGavB_s0mVBnFBG5krvmroilw42snBaNPHBlIk-YDSBLanjPu9aQ4IKKTcuDB_-lTkhAbA-uiy1V1DGun08BLRfJmLBdI-y1HYR5g32uA3pdbWA9IC_QrPA8UgTz7KHYC2d/s320/an3.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>People </strong><br />Thailand's people are largely Thais, although there are significant minorities of Chinese and assimilated Thai-Chinese throughout the country, Muslims in the south near the Malaysian border and hill tribes such as the Karen and the Hmong in the north of the country. The overwhelmingly dominant religion (95%) is Theravada Buddhism, although Confucianism, Islam, Christianity and animist faiths also jostle for position.<br />The people respects the royalty, the King and the Queen, very much. Even pointing fingers to the picture of them is considered bad.<br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm9VOlujDH8tSTZHcQlh1VhfRrpfXnVEXazSZNWPbsflwcjGJ_GsT9Ur9iWKhANu_RJgkfX2BGiJ1KMhPXJ3jgqQTqrnAlYrjYa3xES4y8KCjsJBtqFx66JnuookR0vHqoIObanEzLKXL/s1600-h/_44280721_monkpriest_afp416.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335910598870712818" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 230px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm9VOlujDH8tSTZHcQlh1VhfRrpfXnVEXazSZNWPbsflwcjGJ_GsT9Ur9iWKhANu_RJgkfX2BGiJ1KMhPXJ3jgqQTqrnAlYrjYa3xES4y8KCjsJBtqFx66JnuookR0vHqoIObanEzLKXL/s320/_44280721_monkpriest_afp416.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Culture</strong> </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Mainland Thai culture is heavily influenced by Buddhism. However, unlike the Buddhist countries of East Asia, Thailand's Buddhists follow the Therevada school, which is arguably closer to its Indian roots and places a heavier emphasis on monasticism. Thai temples known as wats, resplendent with gold and easily identifiable thanks to their ornate, multicolored, pointy roofs are ubiquitous and becoming an orange-robed monk for a short period, typically the three-month rainy season, is a common rite of passage for young Thai boys and men. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">One pre-Buddhist tradition that still survives is the spirit house (ศาลพระภูมิ saan phraphuum), usually found at the corner of any house or business, which houses spirits so they don't enter the house and cause trouble. The grander the building, the larger the spirit house, and buildings placed in particularly unlucky spots may have very large ones. Perhaps the most famous spirit house in Thailand is the Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok, which protects the Erawan Hotel (now the Grand Hyatt Erawan) - built in 1956 on a former execution ground - and is now one of the busiest and most popular shrines in the city.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IPQX4m0WUA_Q4B7GJtrrjyRrEZuT5wSKb_jOIzTnnB90tSTla4ZgqAKI6ATz8FDZENXhHqAHP2oPKeerRedyYg3HZG3mjVEmGKVxwXxT2aOVKYHfl6_Xxgq1aCjt8h74fIi0djaNZrHd/s1600-h/muay-thai-kicks-1.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335910604404689634" style="WIDTH: 247px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IPQX4m0WUA_Q4B7GJtrrjyRrEZuT5wSKb_jOIzTnnB90tSTla4ZgqAKI6ATz8FDZENXhHqAHP2oPKeerRedyYg3HZG3mjVEmGKVxwXxT2aOVKYHfl6_Xxgq1aCjt8h74fIi0djaNZrHd/s320/muay-thai-kicks-1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Some traditional arts popular in Thailand include traditional Thai dancing and music, based on religious rituals and court entertainment. Famously brutal Thai boxing<strong> (muay Thai),</strong> derived from the military training of Thai warriors, is undoubtedly the country's best known indigenous sport.<br />In addition to the mainland Thai culture, there are many other cultures in Thailand including those of the "hill tribes" in the northern mountainous regions of Thailand (e.g., Hmong, Karen, Lisu, Lahu, Akha), the southern Muslims, and indigenous island peoples of the Andaman Sea. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9LjnS3HDS1GRBAT7Qg47mR0WVw9A5Ewna8wIAqYU9w3PzAYyOIPIm924Qkfu6FqeoyIIDNgPEJoxCewZB7lGOIxmY1QuHS1hDfcuTRbPdWcez7H_gUy0INNMxZFive5TVVZc4EPbTVfY/s1600-h/ClassicThaiDance.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335910605098183746" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 227px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9LjnS3HDS1GRBAT7Qg47mR0WVw9A5Ewna8wIAqYU9w3PzAYyOIPIm924Qkfu6FqeoyIIDNgPEJoxCewZB7lGOIxmY1QuHS1hDfcuTRbPdWcez7H_gUy0INNMxZFive5TVVZc4EPbTVfY/s320/ClassicThaiDance.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-36724627747129189022009-05-14T21:45:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.728-07:00Holidays in Thailand<div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Thailand has a lot of holidays, mostly related to Buddhism and the monarchy. Nobody celebrates all of them, except for banks, which seem to be closed a lot.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Makha Bucha (มาฆบูชา)</strong> - falls on the full moon in of the fourth Lunar month, which usually falls in February or March, and commemorates the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 people before the Buddha, which led to their ordination and subsequent enlightenment. At temples in Bangkok and throughout Thailand, Buddhists carry candles and walk around the main shrine three times in a clockwise direction.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>During Chinese New Year (ตรุษจีน),</strong> Chinese Thais, who are numerous in Bangkok, celebrate by cleaning their houses and offering food to their ancestors. This is mainly a time of abundant feasting. Visit Bangkok's Chinatown or Yaowarat to fully embrace the festivity.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeig6l-smIhcq8ZkoFVPUDOU9K1JKh3XatQ5uQhOagOhY9UlrsZ6QzsBoPNrk7M0dCkJW279V_AFx7n6-72dVMoFNVhIlBFEsoJ5w7aHR9nURZu0hONKyL1KT09lT1s1rbxTztKL442tH/s1600-h/songkran.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335908236490513426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBeig6l-smIhcq8ZkoFVPUDOU9K1JKh3XatQ5uQhOagOhY9UlrsZ6QzsBoPNrk7M0dCkJW279V_AFx7n6-72dVMoFNVhIlBFEsoJ5w7aHR9nURZu0hONKyL1KT09lT1s1rbxTztKL442tH/s320/songkran.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Songkran (สงกรานต์</span></strong><span style="font-family:arial;">) - undoubtedly the most fun holiday - is the celebration of the Thai New Year, sometime in April (officially April 13th to 15th, but the date varies in some locations). What started off as polite ritual to wash away the sins of the prior year has evolved into the world's largest water fight, which lasts for three full days. Water pistols and Super Soakers are advised and are on sale everywhere. The best places to participate are Chiang Mai, the Khao San Road area in Bangkok and holiday resorts like Pattaya, Ko Samui and Phuket. Be advised that you will get very wet, this is not a spectator sport. In recent years, the water-throwing has been getting more and more unpleasant as people have started splashing iced water onto each other. It is advisable to wear dark clothing, as light colors may become transparent when wet.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Loy Krathong (ลอยกระทง)</strong> falls on the first full moon day in the twelveth month in Luna calendar, usually on November, when people head to rivers, lakes and even hotel swimming pools to float flower and candle-laden banana-leaf (or, these days, styrofoam) floats called krathong (กระทง). The krathong is meant as a thank you offering to the river goddess who gives life to the people. Thais also believe that this is a good time to float away your bad luck and many will place a few strand of hair or finger nail clippings in the krathong. According to tradition, if you make a wish when you set down your krathong and it floats out of sight before the candle burns out, your wish will come true. Some provinces have their own version of Loy Krathong, such as Sukhothai where a spectacular show takes place. To the North, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, have their own unique tradition of floating Kom or lit lanterns balloon. This sight can be breath-taking as the sky is suddenly filled with lights, rivaling the full moon.<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Coronation Day (May 5)</strong> commemorates the crowning of the current King in 1950 (although his reign actually began on June 9 1946 - making him not only the longest-serving monarch in Thai history, but also the world's longest-serving current Head of State).<br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKxVlCaZcj952NXoDHmA49sqldx7LL9PtjpNau_w-yVFQJFAKSpJPDlp0iLUaTFs3qf1dd4tPT4iawHzokidQzKGzX5je6n-o5Eop9p3lrYSD-R-QAjipBhgw6g_wL9VaN9hTjPrPUn9C/s1600-h/King+Thailand+Attends+Trooping+Colour+DJz__2o25ijl.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335908239253776082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKxVlCaZcj952NXoDHmA49sqldx7LL9PtjpNau_w-yVFQJFAKSpJPDlp0iLUaTFs3qf1dd4tPT4iawHzokidQzKGzX5je6n-o5Eop9p3lrYSD-R-QAjipBhgw6g_wL9VaN9hTjPrPUn9C/s320/King+Thailand+Attends+Trooping+Colour+DJz__2o25ijl.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>The King's Birthday (December 5)</strong> is the country's National Day and also celebrated as Father's Day, when Thais pay respect to and show their love for His Majesty the King. Buildings and homes are decorated with the King's flag (yellow with his insignia in the middle) and his portrait. Government buildings, as well as commercial buildings, are decorated with lights. In Old Bangkok (Rattanakosin) in particular, around the Royal Palace, you will see lavish light displays on trees, buildings, and the roads. The Queen's Birthday (August 12) is Mother's Day, and is celebrated similarly if with a little less pomp. </span></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-12977074452534511082009-05-14T21:38:00.001-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.729-07:00How to get to Thailand<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWo5LjbSELAG3Ey5qwzd-ASS25yRng7nCf0oXusV5sagRlu3D9vkVy1ALecMABSYAgarvE1zG5u3G-S92_gOsCXVLcA2HAZW13LCdXl3ihMm0V1OzNX6SJuaY4QSWMdhaOHYztRgJiiNvJ/s1600-h/Suvarnabhumi+Airport+(1).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335905540438323490" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWo5LjbSELAG3Ey5qwzd-ASS25yRng7nCf0oXusV5sagRlu3D9vkVy1ALecMABSYAgarvE1zG5u3G-S92_gOsCXVLcA2HAZW13LCdXl3ihMm0V1OzNX6SJuaY4QSWMdhaOHYztRgJiiNvJ/s400/Suvarnabhumi+Airport+(1).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><strong>How to get to Thailand</strong></div><div><br />Ordinary passport holders of many Western and Asian countries, including the United States, Canada, most European Union countries, Russia, most ASEAN countries, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia, do not need a visa if their purpose of visit is tourism. Visitors arriving by air receive 30-day permits (except for citizens of Korea, Brazil and Peru who get 90 days), but effective December 15, 2008, those arriving by land are only allowed 15 days. Thai immigration requires visitors' passports to have a minimum of 6 months validity and at least one completely blank visa page remaining. Visa-on-arrival is available at certain entry points for passport holders of 20 other nations, including India and China. Check the latest scoop from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . By law, you must carry your passport with you at all times </div><br /><div><br /><strong>Proof of onward transit,</strong> long happily ignored by Thai immigration, has been known to be strictly applied in some instances. (Airlines, who have to pay for your return flight if immigration doesn't let you in, also check this.) A print-out of an e-ticket on a budget airline is sufficient to convince the enforcers, but those planning on continuing by land may have to get a little creative. Buying a fully refundable ticket and getting it refunded once in Thailand is also an option. Land crossings, on the other hand, are a very straightforward process and no proof of onward journey required (unless the border officials decide otherwise). </div><br /><div><br /><strong>Overstaying in Thailand is dodgy.</strong> If you make it to Immigration and are less than 10 days over, you'll probably be allowed out with a fine of 500 baht per day. However, if for any reason you're busted overstaying by regular cops — and drug raids etc are fairly common — you'll be carted off to the notoriously unpleasant illegal immigrant holding pens and may be blacklisted from Thailand entirely. For most people it's not worth the risk: get a legal extension or do a visa run to the nearest border instead.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>By plane</strong> </div><br /><div>Bangkok is one of Asia's largest hubs as well as the busiest airport in Southeast Asia; practically every airline that flies to Asia also flies to Bangkok, meaning competition is stiff and prices are low. </div><br /><div><br />There are also international flights directly to/from Chiang Mai, Ko Samui, Phuket, Krabi and Udon Thani. </div><br /><div><br />The national carrier is the well-regarded THAI Airways [4], with Bangkok Airways [5] filling in some gaps in the nearby region. Bangkok Airways offers free internet access while you wait for boarding to start at your gate. </div><br /><div><br />Chartered flights from and to Thailand from international destinations are operated by Hi Flying group. They fly to Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui and Udon Thani. </div><br /><div><br />Many low-cost carriers serve Thailand - see Discount airlines in Asia for an up to date list.<br />For a full at-a-glance list of all Thai-based carriers, see the Thai airlines section (below).[edit] By road </div><br /><div><br />Cambodia - six international border crossings. The highway from Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor via Poipet to Aranyaprathet, once the stuff of nightmares, is now merely bad and can usually be covered in less than 3 hours. </div><br /><div><br />Laos - the busiest border crossing is at the Friendship Bridge across the Mekong between Nong Khai and the Lao capital Vientiane. It's also possible to cross the Mekong at Chiang Khong / Huay Xai, Nakhon Phanom / Tha Khaek, Mukdahan / Savannakhet, and elsewhere. </div><br /><div><br />* Vientiane / Udon Thani - A bus service runs from the Morning Market bus station in Vientiane to the bus station in Udon Thani. The cost is 80 Baht or 22,000 Kip and the journey takes two hours. The Udon Thani airport is 30 minutes by Tuk Tuk from the bus station and is served by Thai Airways, Nok Air and Air Asia. </div><br /><div><br />Malaysia and Singapore - driving up is entirely possible, although not with a rented vehicle. Main crossings (with name of town on Malaysian side in brackets) between Thailand and Malaysia are Padang Besar (Padang Besar) and Sadao (Bukit Kayu Hitam) in Songkhla province, Betong (Pengkalan Hulu) in Yala province, and Sungai Kolok (Rantau Panjang) in Narathiwat province. There are regular buses across the border, mostly to the southern hub of Hat Yai. </div><br /><div><br />Myanmar:<br />* Mae Sai / Tachileik - foreigners can access this crossing from either side, and enter and/or exit either country here; no onward travel restrictions; to get to Tachileik or Kengtung from the rest of Myanmar, a domestic flight must be taken (eg from Heho). </div><br /><div><br />* Mae Sot / Myawaddy - foreigners can only access this crossing from the Thai side; neither onward travel into Myanmar (ie beyond the border town) nor overnight stays are possible. No visa needed; instead there's an entry stamp fee - USD10 if paid with USD notes, more (500 baht) if paid with Thai currency. </div><br /><div><br />* Three Pagodas Pass (Sangkhlaburi / Payathonzu) - foreigners can only access this crossing from the Thai side; onward travel into Myanmar (ie beyond the border town) is not possible; entry/exit stamps are NOT issued here, and foreigners passports are held at the Myanmar checkpoint, where a fee is levied - USD10 if paid with USD notes, more (500 baht) if paid with Thai currency. However, as of November 25, 2008, this crossing is temporarily closed. </div><br /><div><br />* Ranong / Kawthoung - foreigners can access this crossing from either side, and enter and/or exit either country here; no onward travel restrictions (other than those that apply to everyone, no matter how they enter); access to/from Kawthoung is by sea (Mergui/Dawei & Yangon) and air (Mergui & Yangon). If entering without a visa, maximum stay is 3 days / 2 nights, travel beyond Kawthoung is not permitted, and there's an entry stamp fee - USD10 if paid with USD notes, more (500 baht) if paid with Thai currency. </div><br /><div><br /><strong>By train</strong><br />Thailand's sole international train service links to Butterworth (near Penang) and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, continuing all the way to Singapore. Tickets are cheap even in first class sleepers, but it can be a slow ride; the 2-hour flight to Singapore will take you close to 48 hours by rail, as you have to change trains twice. The luxury option is to take the <strong>Eastern & Oriental Express</strong>, a refurbished super-luxury train that runs along the same route once per week, with gourmet dining, personal butler service and every other colonial perk you can think of. However, at around US$1000 one-way just from Bangkok to Butterworth, this is approximately 30 times more expensive than an ordinary first-class sleeper! </div><br /><div><br />While you can't get to Laos or Cambodia by train, you can get very close, with railheads just across the border at Nong Khai (across the river from Vientiane) and Aranyaprathet (for Poipet, on the road to Siem Reap). A link across to Mekong to Laos is supposed to open in March 2009, but service to Cambodia remains on the drawing board. </div><br /><div><br />There are no rail services to Myanmar, but the Thai part of the infamous Burma Death Railway is still operating near Kanchanaburi.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1_layYMTMDsTfA87VsIZm2wJ-fKwS2soGmj8962qrakR5dOUUf4dQsyZ2YYFv4CLky1R9KgCZocRyyWaPenq-kMchZ2Y5gw24zR-_9JbDKyFEo3ukQbPMBs-Bc94JdFR12-6VFp6LAW_/s1600-h/ferries_01.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335906972918822098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1_layYMTMDsTfA87VsIZm2wJ-fKwS2soGmj8962qrakR5dOUUf4dQsyZ2YYFv4CLky1R9KgCZocRyyWaPenq-kMchZ2Y5gw24zR-_9JbDKyFEo3ukQbPMBs-Bc94JdFR12-6VFp6LAW_/s320/ferries_01.jpg" border="0" /></a>By ferry</strong><br />Ferries cross from Satun in southern Thailand to the Malaysian island of Langkawi, while over in Narathiwat province, a vehicular ferry shuttles between Tak Bai and Pengkalan Kubur, near Kota Bharu in Malaysia's Kelantan state.<br />There are also occasional cruises from Malaysia and Singapore to Phuket and Bangkok, the main operator being Star Cruises, but no scheduled services. </div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-87967107997583280242009-05-14T21:06:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.731-07:00Getting Around Thailand<div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Getting Around Thailand</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /> </div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>By plane</strong> </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Thailand is a large country, and if sitting in a bus for 11 hours is not your idea of a fun time, you may well want to consider domestic flights. Never terribly expensive to begin with (at least by Western standards), the deregulation of the industry has brought in a crop of new operators: with a little research, it's possible to fly pretty much anywhere in the country for less than 2000 baht. Note that various taxes and (often hefty) surcharges are invariably added to "advertised" prices.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXeoJBqxHkzsniUQYVxYk2VpUOX-0f0TsN1Kd43-r3BjJqYxRWtS0wFxPCOdSIGX6dD5Zt8Jb0QHhvdw-XTHweIv6rw86CYLU9raNUT-5dyi-vzwSxiRdBNbFdL5BsmM-XO8vwmBugcGA/s1600-h/061102a_lg.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335897595432087362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUXeoJBqxHkzsniUQYVxYk2VpUOX-0f0TsN1Kd43-r3BjJqYxRWtS0wFxPCOdSIGX6dD5Zt8Jb0QHhvdw-XTHweIv6rw86CYLU9raNUT-5dyi-vzwSxiRdBNbFdL5BsmM-XO8vwmBugcGA/s320/061102a_lg.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Thai airlines</strong><br /><strong>Bangkok Airways </strong>promotes itself as "Asia's Boutique Airline", and has a monopoly on flights to its own airports at Ko Samui, Sukhothai and Trat. Their <strong>Discovery Airpass</strong> with fixed per segment rates can be good value, especially if used to fly to Siem Reap (Cambodia) or Luang Prabang (Laos). Note that the Discovery Airpass can now only be purchased from abroad.<br /><strong>SGA Airline</strong> Now joint with Nok Air, is currently the only passenger carrier offering daily flights to/from Hua Hin Airport. New routes also between Chiang Mai-Pai, Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Sorn.<br /><strong>Nok Air </strong>took to the skies in 2004 sporting lurid paints scheme with a bird's beak painted on the nose. Owned mostly by Thai Airways, they compete with Air Asia on price and, with a fairly comprehensive domestic network, are a pretty good choice overall. However, they've run into some serious turbulence in 2008, cutting their flights by two thirds, and their continued survival is now in doubt.<br /><strong>PB Air</strong> flies domestically to Lampang, Nan, Mae Hong Son, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Buriram, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and also to Danang (Vietnam).<br /><strong>Thai AirAsia</strong> is a budget airline offering discounted tickets if booked well in advance, but prices rise steadily as planes fill up. They fly from Bangkok to a number of places domestically, as well as Cambodia, China and Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Vietnam. Keep in mind the price displayed in your search results is only the base fare, additional "taxes and fees" mean the true price will be appreciably higher. On-line booking is straightforward but must be done at least twenty-four hours in advance; ticket sales at the check-in desk close one hour before the departure time.<br /><strong>Thai Airways</strong> is the most reliable, frequent, and comfortable Thai airline, but usually more expensive than the alternatives. Travel agents can usually sell only THAI Airways tickets; you can also book on-line.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidRYQt-olPLp1PctsqN5pnB9zRycoCCU6i4YNhTp2bqFtjXL-NQFUZjayV68NpxJdztlri0aGmyUeajkUN4TXzEEhMS_-3k7xZXr6JDKjp_sJz7LCiggfU87yp-KOxV6H0QBxqtHdne-8/s1600-h/016_jpg_10441.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335897591059161602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 238px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidRYQt-olPLp1PctsqN5pnB9zRycoCCU6i4YNhTp2bqFtjXL-NQFUZjayV68NpxJdztlri0aGmyUeajkUN4TXzEEhMS_-3k7xZXr6JDKjp_sJz7LCiggfU87yp-KOxV6H0QBxqtHdne-8/s320/016_jpg_10441.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>By train</strong><br />State Railway of Thailand [15] (SRT) has a 4000-km network covering most of the country, from Chiang Mai in the north all the way to (and beyond) the Malaysian border in the south. Compared to buses, most trains are relatively slow and prone to delays, but safer. You can pick up fruits, snacks and cooked food from hawkers at most stations. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Point-to-point fares depend on the type (speed) of the train and the class of the carriage. There are three main classes:<br /><strong>* First class (chan neung)</strong> 2-berth sleeping compartments with individually regulated air conditioning are available on some trains, but prices are sometimes matched by budget airfares.<br /><strong>* Second class (chan song)</strong> is a good compromise, costing about the same as 1st class buses and with a comparable level of comfort. Some 2nd class trains are air-con, others aren't; air-con costs a little more. Second class sleeper berths are comfortable and good value, with the narrower upper bunks costing a little less than the wider lower bunks. Food and WCs are basic. 2nd class Express Railcar trains have reclining seats and refreshments are included in the fare; unlike all other Thai passenger trains, they can match buses for speed, but cannot carry bicycles.<br /><strong>* Third class (chan saam)</strong> is the cheapest way to travel in Thailand, with virtually nominal fares, and can be great fun. Sometimes packed with tuk-tuk drivers heading home with a sack of rice and a bottle of cheap whisky for company, as a farang (foreigner of European ancestry) you're guaranteed to be the center of attention - quite enjoyable in small doses, but 10 hours of this might be a bit much. Some 3rd class trains have wooden seats, others are upholstered; some services can be pre-booked, others cannot; refreshments are available from hawkers who roam the aisles.<br />Pre-booking is recommended, especially for sleeper berths. Tickets on all main lines can be purchased online at SRT's official E-Stars site [16]; however, only a quota of 10% of seats can be sold online, so it will often show trains as full when, in reality, there's still plenty of space. Alternatively, many travel agencies can book tickets for a service fee (100-200 baht/ticket), or you can reserve with SRT directly by e-mail at </span><a href="mailto:passenger-ser@railway.co.th"><span style="font-family:arial;">passenger-ser@railway.co.th</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> for a 200 baht/booking surcharge.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>By road</strong><br />Thailand's roads are head and shoulders above its neighbors Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, but driving habits are still quite dangerous. Drunk driving, speeding and reckless passing are depressingly common, and bus and taxi drivers (especially for private companies) work inhuman shifts and often take drugs to keep themselves awake, with predictable and tragic results. It's common for motorbikes — even police! — to drive close to the curb on the wrong side of the road. Death tolls sky-rocket around major holidays, especially Songkhran, when bystanders often throw water on passing cars and bikes. Many drivers don't use headlights at night, multiplying risks, and it is wise to avoid or minimize overnight travel by road.<br />Note that unlike in its neighbours (except Malaysia), traffic moves on the left side of the road in Thailand and Thai cars are generally right-hand drive. All official road directional signs are written in both Thai and English. </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8S8f_CY1ClHGiH7Vrp556XVEBK1MwfPox4Op8XZ9mxU8M1YWVsxfXrtWKKSGDouTnOjC5wzs2Vz3MKmL28xdwZKEz4DdrhKSd30d_VNhAxJ0AmsANLVkdr_BIhyphenhyphen22Raq8Zz1e3ZjdLNx/s1600-h/krabi-bus-2.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335897774638614322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8S8f_CY1ClHGiH7Vrp556XVEBK1MwfPox4Op8XZ9mxU8M1YWVsxfXrtWKKSGDouTnOjC5wzs2Vz3MKmL28xdwZKEz4DdrhKSd30d_VNhAxJ0AmsANLVkdr_BIhyphenhyphen22Raq8Zz1e3ZjdLNx/s320/krabi-bus-2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Bus</strong><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Buses travel throughout the country and the government's bus company BKS (บขส Baw Kaw Saw), known in English simply as the Transport Company [17], has a terminal in every town of any size.<br />Generally speaking, BKS buses are the best option for both price and comfort. There are also many private bus companies, who mainly compete on price and are less reliable in terms of amenities, schedules and safety. In particular, beware of non-government "VIP" buses, which may be nothing of the sort. A special subclass are the cheap Khao San Road buses, targeted at backpackers. These are the slimiest of the lot and you may find that your supposed VIP bus is in fact a cramped minivan - after paying in advance, that is.<br /></div></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">The basic bus types are </span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24UOsoSn1ps4s79S4tk96nXKZa4gkL6EpYAcpmCaTLjnaz5KnmNZwTKjnVIRUFB_w0sBksap8f0GPUJLxHjUYaRvquqd-PK9RMQfBP_uE67eKFGIUdAj54WZti1UKkpiX3fPy-j22odbb/s1600-h/img021.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335897775236542722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 165px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj24UOsoSn1ps4s79S4tk96nXKZa4gkL6EpYAcpmCaTLjnaz5KnmNZwTKjnVIRUFB_w0sBksap8f0GPUJLxHjUYaRvquqd-PK9RMQfBP_uE67eKFGIUdAj54WZti1UKkpiX3fPy-j22odbb/s320/img021.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>* Local </strong>- relatively slow, can be cramped when full (nevertheless there's always room for one more), and stop at every village and cowshed along the way. Many are of larger songthaew flavour. Not suitable for long-distance travel, but may be the only cheap way to get around locally.<br /><strong>* Express (rot duan)</strong> - skip some stops, but no other frills. Identifiable by their orange colour. Size varies, with the largest having around 65 seats (five seats per row) as well as an open space across the width of the bus by the back door for you to sling your rice / chickens / bicycle / backpack.<br /><strong>* Second class (chan song) -</strong> skip more stops, but often take a less direct route than 1st class / VIP / S-VIP. Blue and white with an orange stripe, usually 45-48 seats per bus, air conditioned (some provide blankets, some do not), and most have no on-board toilet (however the frequent stops mean this isn't a problem).<br /><strong>* First class (chan neung)</strong> - generally take the most direct routes and make very few stops. Blue and white in colour, air conditioned, blanket usually provided, fewer (larger, longer pitch) seats (typically 40, but some double-decker types seat 60+), snack and drinking water included. Most have a toilet on board (only very short haul services sometimes do not).<br /><strong>* "VIP" -</strong> as per 1st class, but with only 32-34 seats, which have more leg room and recline further. Basic meal included and freshly laundered shrink-wrapped blanket provided. Also blue and white (or sometimes blue and silver) but usually signed "VIP".<br /><strong>* "S-VIP" -</strong> Super-VIP is very similar to VIP, except there are only 24 seats, which are wider - the aisle is offset, each row having a pair of seats on the right and only a single seat on the left. Primarily used on overnight services.<br />Some buses may have TVs and sound systems blaring, so earplugs are well worth having, just in case.<br />On long-haul buses, if your ticket allocates you a front seat, you may have to switch seats if a monk boards.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#990000;"><em><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IaOOTKQ7G1Yq1HvOjuX4GTrWRDt9Vx3UEf3T4HVmQgZYMWlnkD2p6MjAyiJG4Z5kv_gnlOk4fPdPYCZ7JgmRQ-EEGoqzTWmXQRmi8ADTZD2wy-iHVY5xMlWy7Ih7kkltNWShqFI7CEjz/s1600-h/800px-ChiangSaen_Bus_Inside.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335897596731611378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 129px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IaOOTKQ7G1Yq1HvOjuX4GTrWRDt9Vx3UEf3T4HVmQgZYMWlnkD2p6MjAyiJG4Z5kv_gnlOk4fPdPYCZ7JgmRQ-EEGoqzTWmXQRmi8ADTZD2wy-iHVY5xMlWy7Ih7kkltNWShqFI7CEjz/s320/800px-ChiangSaen_Bus_Inside.JPG" border="0" /></span></a>VIP - Very Inferior Product?</strong> Travel agencies, particularly those on Bangkok's Khao San Road, are keen to sell you VIP bus tickets. These are more often than not cramped minibuses that will do their best to arrive late, often by breaking down right next to a conveniently located restaurant, and sell you to the guesthouse that gives them the highest commissions. Theft, particularly on routes to the south, is also a major problem. Thais never use them, opting for public BKS buses instead - and you should too.</em></span> </span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span> </div><br /><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx90iOfpV8C3GjWDIBNawIU0dfWy0lK3zvnAEf8vhaglFV8In-fgl_nPrPpK5bImFs7bZCloSeoBvJ_2BoHpzhxnLH8eySD1hR9xMSVfa7ro8oOzuLodWu9cdhZRDFHo2BC6JwoztR979W/s1600-h/800px-Yellow_Songthaew.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335897594573149778" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx90iOfpV8C3GjWDIBNawIU0dfWy0lK3zvnAEf8vhaglFV8In-fgl_nPrPpK5bImFs7bZCloSeoBvJ_2BoHpzhxnLH8eySD1hR9xMSVfa7ro8oOzuLodWu9cdhZRDFHo2BC6JwoztR979W/s320/800px-Yellow_Songthaew.JPG" border="0" /></span></a>Songthaew<br /></strong>A songthaew (สองแถว) is a truck-based vehicle with a pair of bench seats in the back, one on either side — hence the name, which means "two rows" in Thai. In English tourist literature, they're occasionally called "minibuses". By far the most common type is based on a pick-up truck and has a roof and open sides. Larger types start life as small lorries, and may have windows, and an additional central bench; smaller types are converted micro-vans, with a front bench facing backwards and a rear bench facing forwards.<br />Songthaews are operated extensively as local buses (generally the most economical way to travel shorter distances) and also as taxis; sometimes the same vehicle will be used for both. Be careful if asking a songthaew to take you to someplace if there is nobody in the back, the driver might charge you the taxi price. In this case, check the price of the ride before embarking.<br /></div></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUmu7FM3ZxT065WHWdkTtpFD9eIHlFoTUONnVfbuA-eK9P9NOVpQ3bLevO8zShCmTudewz7QdPCFt02tywMMqx_1wxTLZoUAHCMs-cKsEhjq15WbVoL2inyN2eit03aboWc-QVXCWEDtB/s1600-h/TukTuk1_jpg.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335903500371726274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 216px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUmu7FM3ZxT065WHWdkTtpFD9eIHlFoTUONnVfbuA-eK9P9NOVpQ3bLevO8zShCmTudewz7QdPCFt02tywMMqx_1wxTLZoUAHCMs-cKsEhjq15WbVoL2inyN2eit03aboWc-QVXCWEDtB/s320/TukTuk1_jpg.jpg" border="0" /></a>Tuk-tuk </strong></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">The name tuk-tuk is used to describe a wide variety of small/lightweight vehicles. The vast majority have three wheels; some are entirely purpose-built (eg the ubiquitous Bangkok tuk-tuk), others are partially based on motorcycle components (primarily engines, steering, front suspension, fuel tank, drivers seat). A relatively recent development is the four wheeled tuk-tuk (basically a microvan-songthaew) as found in Phuket.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Taxi </strong></div></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Metered taxis are ubiquitous in Bangkok and starting to become more popular in Chiang Mai, but rare elsewhere in the country. When available, they are an excellent means of transport - insist on the meter. Beware of taxis which idle around touristy areas and wait for people. They are looking for a tourist who will take their taxi without using a meter. Always use the meter!</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Motorbike<br /></strong>As is the case throughout virtually all of Asia, motorcycles (motosai) are the most common form of transport overall; the most popular type are the 100cc-125cc step-through models. These are very widely used as taxis, with fares starting from as low as 5 baht. </span></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLL0uoOzjvr5foc-9nDNY69zqCF8yfZC8HC7wKWMxrZQzmgOaDfg55BIwLSuD4lLhzl5QFSo17XCd2C1YxwT6Z2ZEjcoveJ-pv_Z8cxjcIzo7DsNwLQ7I_YdgMI3sbzf3PFl5-SmEoB8AL/s1600-h/070624_bangkok_hmed_3p.h2.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335898430560911234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 242px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLL0uoOzjvr5foc-9nDNY69zqCF8yfZC8HC7wKWMxrZQzmgOaDfg55BIwLSuD4lLhzl5QFSo17XCd2C1YxwT6Z2ZEjcoveJ-pv_Z8cxjcIzo7DsNwLQ7I_YdgMI3sbzf3PFl5-SmEoB8AL/s320/070624_bangkok_hmed_3p.h2.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Motorcycles can be rented without difficulty in many locations. Rates start at around 150 baht/day for recent 100-125cc semi-automatic (foot operated gearchange, automatic clutch) step-through models, 200 baht/day for fully automatic scooters; larger capacity models can also easily be found, although the rates reflect the risks - up to around 2500 baht/day for the very latest model high capacity sport bikes, such as the Honda CBR1000RR. In all cases, lower prices will apply if paying upfront for more than a week or so; in some cases, long-distance travel may be prohibited. </div><div> </div><div>Motorcycle rentals do not include insurance, and both motorcycling accidents and motorbike thefts are common. </div><div><br />Many places will rent to you without requiring a license, but legally speaking you must have a valid Thai license or International Driver's Permit. Often a deposit will be required; sometimes a passport photocopy, or even the passport itself (don't do this- bargain to leave some baht instead), will be requested. </div><div>Helmets are normally included, but are usually ultra-basic models with very flimsy chin-strap fasteners - if you're intending to travel by motorcycle and have a good quality helmet at home, then bring it with you. If supplied a helmet with a chin-cup (many cheap rental helmets are), slide the cup up the strap out of the way and securely fasten the bare strap directly under the jaw, as this is much safer.<br />Insurance is usually not included (or even available), so try to ensure in advance that the insurance you leave home with is going to cover you; alternatively, arrange cover with an insurance broker locally in Thailand. If you rent a vehicle without insurance and it's damaged or stolen, the bottom line is that you will be required to pay in full the cost of repairing or replacing it. Furthermore, some travel insurance policies will only provide medical cover in the event of an accident if you hold a motorcycle license in your home country. </span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Motorcyclists (including passengers) are required to wear crash helmets and to keep their headlights switched on at all times. Enforcement varies widely, but in tourist areas spot checks for helmets and/or licences are commonplace. While the fines are light (typically 200 baht) the inconvenience can be considerable as offender's vehicle is impounded until the fine is paid, and the queue at the police station can be lengthy. </span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Some (but not all) border crossings allow motorcycles through. At those which do, documentation including proof of ownership must be produced (with the possible exception of day visits to Payathonzu, Myanmar via Three Pagodas Pass).</span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Rental car</strong><br />Driving your own car in Thailand is not for the faint-hearted, and many rental companies can supply drivers at a very reasonable price. Prices without insurance for a self-driven car start from around 800 baht/day for small cars, and from as little as 600 baht/day for open-top jeeps; cars with insurance start at just under 1000 baht/day, and come down to around 5600 baht/week or 18000 baht/month.<br />Driving is (usually, but not always!) on the left hand side of the road. As of June 2008, fuel at large petrol stations is 37-41 baht/litre. Small kerbside vendors who pump by hand from drums and/or pour from bottles charge a few baht more.<br />Cars can be rented without difficulty in many locations. It's worth paying a little more than the absolute minimum in order to use one of the international franchises (eg Avis, Budget, and Hertz) to minimize the risk of hassles, and to ensure that any included insurance is actually worth something.<br />More reputable agencies require that valid licences be produced: foreigners who do not have a Thai driving licence must carry a valid International Driving Permit. Even if you manage to rent a car without an IDP, not having one will invalidate the insurance and count against you in the event of an accident.<br />A common rental scam involves the owner taking a deposit, and then later refusing to refund it in full on the basis that the customer is responsible for previous damage; the Tourist Police (dial 1155) may be able to help. Another common scam involves the owner having someone follow the rented vehicle and later "steal" it, using a set of spare keys. Always report thefts: a "stolen" vehicle may mysteriously turn up as soon as the police become involved.</span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /></span></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8HZJDi4L_VxvMbnKskJ2bUlK7qnWk38UxDYKoIWV4272LJ2HATbtERqNE8aN7u3sm4EVE97yHfH4c1EiLJc693V0V82w3KB90CVuh-SCNUJXLmVxHTzPM0TGIdOEbtp52WqACeSPM31l/s1600-h/240px-AoNang_Longtails.JPG"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335897591560158482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8HZJDi4L_VxvMbnKskJ2bUlK7qnWk38UxDYKoIWV4272LJ2HATbtERqNE8aN7u3sm4EVE97yHfH4c1EiLJc693V0V82w3KB90CVuh-SCNUJXLmVxHTzPM0TGIdOEbtp52WqACeSPM31l/s320/240px-AoNang_Longtails.JPG" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>By boat</strong><br />One of the Thais' many names for themselves is jao naam, the Water Lords, and from the river expresses of Bangkok to the fishing trawlers of Phuket, boats remain an indispensable way of getting around many parts of the country.</span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Perhaps the most identifiably Thai boat is the long-tail boat (reua hang yao), a long, thin wooden boat with the propeller at the end of a long 'tail' stretching from the boat. This makes them supremely manouverable even in shallow waters, but they're a little underpowered for longer trips and you'll get wet if it's even a little choppy. Long-tails usually act as taxis that can be chartered, although prices vary widely - figure on 300-400 baht for a few hours' rental, or up to 1500 for a full day. In some locations like Krabi, long-tails run along set routes and charge fixed prices per passenger.</span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Modern, air-conditioned speedboat services, sometimes ferries (departure every 30 mins) also run from the Surat Thani to popular islands like Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan. Truly long-distance services (eg. Bangkok to any other major city) have, however, effectively ceased to exist as buses, planes and even trains are faster. Safety measures are rudimentary and ferries and speedboats do sink occasionally, so avoid overloaded ships in poor weather, and scope out the nearest life jackets when on board. </span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-81331548460525089122009-05-14T20:57:00.001-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.732-07:00Things to do in Thailand<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3uofavSyu6_U5lDxYYv_G3EsCP9-4q-SLNA4DYZPo-gB5l93PcJPuF6ez1rlJ6E9uVEcrolMlsxpCpmfj1VWm4k0d47TaCH5JShvJqCw-vDAha-C6X3VJpwpGWM2dh65tHsG9MHj9qQn/s1600-h/thai_beach3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335895113806944818" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3uofavSyu6_U5lDxYYv_G3EsCP9-4q-SLNA4DYZPo-gB5l93PcJPuF6ez1rlJ6E9uVEcrolMlsxpCpmfj1VWm4k0d47TaCH5JShvJqCw-vDAha-C6X3VJpwpGWM2dh65tHsG9MHj9qQn/s320/thai_beach3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH1r_m98SGEhjff95BZT6K6cfPDzLVW94f6VVHHS1kS7c4gd9q97AsK-ztU9ULQF4bfDxgreQHHJc5192AScCrsq2JVCt4hh0OnEW29F2mQOl9n9qdbI9hK-XY2d7VUiCtNsnqMcAI9qf/s1600-h/Spa_Li24.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335895110233670434" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 220px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH1r_m98SGEhjff95BZT6K6cfPDzLVW94f6VVHHS1kS7c4gd9q97AsK-ztU9ULQF4bfDxgreQHHJc5192AScCrsq2JVCt4hh0OnEW29F2mQOl9n9qdbI9hK-XY2d7VUiCtNsnqMcAI9qf/s320/Spa_Li24.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9U6L8xdveIP7ecQrvi76NMpSfWF5_T7KgsKU-9uaLp_gQodUVUaPhtOEwouS59Hpn1TrRsp8HhTHtnsRpBCiiOn-_wh1q0OxxhyfAhC7qYROA0GCwp9ZSZS9s9fV1JOA_cKCYUxNOwur/s1600-h/large_thailand_scuba_diving_courses__6_.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335895107642269730" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9U6L8xdveIP7ecQrvi76NMpSfWF5_T7KgsKU-9uaLp_gQodUVUaPhtOEwouS59Hpn1TrRsp8HhTHtnsRpBCiiOn-_wh1q0OxxhyfAhC7qYROA0GCwp9ZSZS9s9fV1JOA_cKCYUxNOwur/s320/large_thailand_scuba_diving_courses__6_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Things to do in Thailand</span></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Thailand's a big enough country that you can find a place to practice almost any outdoor sport. </span></div><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Some selections:<br />* Golf - see the separate Golf in Thailand article<br />* Rock climbing - the cliffs of Rai Leh in Krabi are arguably among the best in the world<br />* Scuba diving - easily accessible Ko Tao and Ang Thong National Marine Park (near Ko Samui) draws the crowds, but also possible in Pattaya and Krabi, and the Similan Islands are worth the journey. See also Diving in Thailand<br />* Trekking - very popular up north around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai<br />* Surfing - possible in Khao Lak, Phuket and Koh Samui<br />* Liveaboard Diving see the separate Diving in Thailand article<br />* Spas - Although spas weren't introduced here until the early 1990s, Thailand has quickly become the second-highest ranking spa destination in the world. There are a phenomenal variety of spa types, and spas can be found at almost every destination in the country. The most popular spas can be found at major tourism destinations such as Phuket, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Bangkok, Ko Samui and Chiang Mai.<br />* Medical tourism - Many travellers go to Thailand to undergo medical treatments at a fraction of the cost charged in their home countries. The renowned Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok attracts on average 400,000 foreign patients per year or an average of 1,000+ a day. Other hospitals, such as Samitivej also specialize in serving foreigners. Private hospitals in Thailand are accredited by the government according to standards that meet or exceed those in North America, and many of the doctors in Thailand hold international accreditation and relevant licenses. Popular treatments, ranging from cosmetic, organ transplants and orthopedic treatments to dental and cardiac surgeries, are available at a price much lower than the US or Europe. Treatments also include physical and mental therapies. </span></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-30911145453712870102009-05-14T20:52:00.001-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.734-07:00Money Matters in Thailand<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdzKk4gyyA6m99OvztqaPRuUa5hLN4WAQc4s7mwsWDbtIPuaMAVV-iLfFJUtXtC_ubWPERjIwDa2Z44zmepHqLoDA3LnL6jU0frWNIgBLiUC5fdx2poiGS5v82ZuMvNGbxJgSMVvfC0hv/s1600-h/thai_money.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335893732942046402" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 225px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdzKk4gyyA6m99OvztqaPRuUa5hLN4WAQc4s7mwsWDbtIPuaMAVV-iLfFJUtXtC_ubWPERjIwDa2Z44zmepHqLoDA3LnL6jU0frWNIgBLiUC5fdx2poiGS5v82ZuMvNGbxJgSMVvfC0hv/s320/thai_money.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;">The currency of Thailand is the baht (THB, ฿), written in Thai as บาท or บ. There are six coins and six notes:<br />* 25 and 50 satang (cent, copper colour) coins - nearly worthless and only readily accepted (and handed out) by buses, supermarkets and 7-11s<br />* 1, 5 (silver colour), 2 (gold) and 10 baht (silver/gold) coins<br />* 20 (green), 50 (blue), 100 (red), 500 (purple) and 1000 (grey-brown) baht notes<br />The most useful bills tend to be 20s and 100s, as many small shops and stalls don't carry much change. Taxi drivers also like to pull the "no change" trick; if caught, hop into the nearest convenience store and make a small purchase. Beware of 1000-baht notes, as counterfeits are not uncommon: feel the embossing, look for the watermark and tilt to see color-changing ink [18] to make sure the note is real. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>ATMs</strong> can be found in all cities and large towns, and international withdrawals are not a problem. When using a debit card, an ATM will typically provide a much better exchange rate than a money exchange counter, and this is especially the case if you have a card that does not charge a transaction fee for overseas withdrawals (becoming common in countries such as Australia). ATMs are available at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport (BKK) after collecting your bag and clearing customs, and while it is advisable to arrive with a small amount of baht if possible, you may want to obtain most of your cash from an ATM after landing.<br />More remote areas (including smaller islands) don't have banks or ATMs, so cash or traveller's checks are essential. Many hotels and guest houses will change money for guests, but hefty commissions and poor rates may apply. US dollars in small bills (1s, 5s, and 20s) are invaluable for onward travel to neighbouring countries other than Malaysia, but are only useful in Thailand for exceptional purchases (eg paying visa fees for Cambodia). </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Credit cards</strong> are widely accepted in the tourist industry, restaurant and shopping mall or widely used in Bangkok and major cities. Fraud is regrettably common though, so use it sparingly and tell your bank in advance, so your card doesn't get locked down because you are using it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong></strong></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Costs</strong><br />In a word, Thailand is cheap, and excellent value to boot: the combination of a weak currency, low labor costs and plenty of visitors means that everything a tourist could possibly want is both available and affordable. 800 baht will get a backpacker a dorm bed or cheap room, three square meals a day and leave enough for transport and sightseeing. Doubling that budget will let you stay in decent 3-star hotels, and if you're willing to fork out 4000 baht per day or more you can live like a king. Bangkok requires a more generous budget than upcountry destinations, but also offers by far the most competitive prices for shoppers who shop around. The most popular tourism islands such as Phuket and Ko Samui tend to have higher prices in general. </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span> </div><div><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand</span></a></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-11975659305439242242009-05-14T20:45:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.735-07:00Shopping in Thailand<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HTbYFksMhghyphenhyphen2P20AiaGBKJYX4F6AJoY8Wy-dj-_Iy1vi5csiGN_E3YMmsAKx3kN8Nfo_klLg8X5XPOepvtTsTCe2NnEbzO-mCx6CmAmRBW2QM4ucYTVq0AEs5IhK98XFXft2KEyWcjl/s1600-h/FloatingMarket.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335892838040220082" style="WIDTH: 318px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HTbYFksMhghyphenhyphen2P20AiaGBKJYX4F6AJoY8Wy-dj-_Iy1vi5csiGN_E3YMmsAKx3kN8Nfo_klLg8X5XPOepvtTsTCe2NnEbzO-mCx6CmAmRBW2QM4ucYTVq0AEs5IhK98XFXft2KEyWcjl/s320/FloatingMarket.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgeTzgX-_jZ_aMZZA5CdNeDQ4vg9tnXf8buuZp-MeMzfsHRaxt9IOY11iEVt1EAHvBPaFU0Hp-s_wOcKwgOrgXaCmcUPWswW3H0YKc_Re0PLFx9CHyiuUtKCNWq_W9tRrjGA3upl7WGJ8/s1600-h/bangkok_shopping.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335892830289079186" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgeTzgX-_jZ_aMZZA5CdNeDQ4vg9tnXf8buuZp-MeMzfsHRaxt9IOY11iEVt1EAHvBPaFU0Hp-s_wOcKwgOrgXaCmcUPWswW3H0YKc_Re0PLFx9CHyiuUtKCNWq_W9tRrjGA3upl7WGJ8/s320/bangkok_shopping.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong></strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Shopping in Thailand</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Thailand is a shopper's paradise and many visitors to Bangkok in particular end up spending much of their time in the countless markets and malls. Particularly good buys are clothing, both cheap locally produced streetwear and fancy Thai silk, and all sorts of handicrafts. Electronics and computer gear are also widely available, but prices are slightly higher than in Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.<br /></div></span><div><span style="font-family:arial;">A Thai speciality are the night markets found in almost every town, the largest and best-known of which are in Bangkok and the Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai. Here a variety of vendors from designers to handicraft sellers have stalls selling goods which cannot normally be found in malls and day markets. Most night markets also have large open air food courts attached. </span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iVv4ARg9ovJt4jS_1Qu6OtveBb-Thd7VAbmYITLa1rxYZbewbzotg6L_j_vzyvJIispR4o8Ho9ZH-Yb0o53_x1PgJd5up80SRRgg8-bGdz7gS_JDuWU-ttn-qgrLOmFnSVugXltUFGYB/s1600-h/luxury-shopping-bangkok.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335892834097390338" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 191px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iVv4ARg9ovJt4jS_1Qu6OtveBb-Thd7VAbmYITLa1rxYZbewbzotg6L_j_vzyvJIispR4o8Ho9ZH-Yb0o53_x1PgJd5up80SRRgg8-bGdz7gS_JDuWU-ttn-qgrLOmFnSVugXltUFGYB/s320/luxury-shopping-bangkok.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">You can also find marvelously tacky modern clothing accessories. Witness pink sandals with clear plastic platform heels filled with fake flowers. Night markets along the main roads and Bangkok's Mahboonkrong (MBK) Mall, near the Siam skytrain stop, are particularly good sources. Not to be left out is what is often touted as the world's biggest weekend bazaar - The Chatuchak Weekend Market or knowned to locals simply as "JJ" Market. Chatuchak sells a myriad of products ranging from clothes to antiques, covers over 35 acres (1.1 km square) and is growing by the day! </span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoCfscNkbfSVXrWA4D8ijilHKWymNk088-Nhx5AMuXzQl-9fXd6w8BV2an-tFGzFcpgu39GpTHdWHq1i9CJs2d7QnOAR9H6TjywfG1-nvYmUs5NP3znt0s8oKOMtQzuskc0NpkQhJMc_l/s1600-h/Bangkok-Shopping-420x0.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335892829610590690" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoCfscNkbfSVXrWA4D8ijilHKWymNk088-Nhx5AMuXzQl-9fXd6w8BV2an-tFGzFcpgu39GpTHdWHq1i9CJs2d7QnOAR9H6TjywfG1-nvYmUs5NP3znt0s8oKOMtQzuskc0NpkQhJMc_l/s320/Bangkok-Shopping-420x0.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Haggling is the norm and often market and road-side vendors will try to charge you as much as they think you can afford to pay. It's not uncommon to buy something, walk outside, and find somebody who bought the same item for half or one third what you paid (or even less). Try to figure out the item's rough value first — adjacent stalls, government-run fixed price shops and even hotel gift shops are a good starting point — and you'll find that prices drop drastically when the seller realizes you have some idea of what it costs. </span></div><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand">http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand</a>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-40972090763602364442009-05-14T20:40:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.737-07:00Accommodations in Thailand<div><div><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">Accommodations in Thailand</span></strong></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnau6l37dpfHCRRXKNp8KQgeAoCWJ764IN6Y6MzRKDOyk8PtHehi7hdEfWNfFk1iuodh4I-ZZpa6938jBgnDrEi0EflERfLrlKxfClJ6Sg8M_MTTLxS_K14ltk95QunceIUaQnjMzzUQi/s1600-h/resort.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335891384762281458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnau6l37dpfHCRRXKNp8KQgeAoCWJ764IN6Y6MzRKDOyk8PtHehi7hdEfWNfFk1iuodh4I-ZZpa6938jBgnDrEi0EflERfLrlKxfClJ6Sg8M_MTTLxS_K14ltk95QunceIUaQnjMzzUQi/s320/resort.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Thailand has a plethora of accommodation in every price bracket. Always take a look at the room (or better still several rooms) before agreeing a price. In smaller establishments also do ask for the agreed price in writing to avoid problems during check out.<br />The best prices (30%-50% off rack rates) for accommodation can be found during Thailand's low season, which is during May - August, which not surprisingly also coincides with the region's monsoon season. The peak season is during December - February. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Guesthouses are usually the cheapest option, costing under 200 baht per night (or less for a dorm bed). This gets you a room with a fan, a squat toilet (often shared) and not much else.<br />Thai hotels start around 200 baht and go up to around 800 baht. The upper end of this range will be air-conditioned, the lower end will not. The primary difference is that with a hotel room, your bathroom should be private, bed linen and towels should be provided, and there may be a hot shower. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Tourist hotels are generally around 1000 baht and offer the basics for a beach vacation: swimming pool, room service and colour TV. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Thai Boutique hotels, 2000 baht and up have mushroomed during the past few years, they usually provide less number of rooms (usually 10 or less) and a more personalized service. The more recognized of this genre include The Old Bangkok Inn , Chakrabongse Villa both of which have royal connections, and The Aleenta group of hotels which is based in Thailand's Southern beaches. </span></div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaah926LUgZlRukTMuDvtK_20atUSfsTKsWtcJq34G4NWnl41d0JC3xaBgkk20zqLy4zDYevOoYTewscv9OJ_G0Y8u_jepMAeB1bftuYCicyrMxcP-vVVZCl-cvMeaXYjLNz_j7HBeFGFx/s1600-h/Entrance+evening+short.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335891385417878466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 203px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaah926LUgZlRukTMuDvtK_20atUSfsTKsWtcJq34G4NWnl41d0JC3xaBgkk20zqLy4zDYevOoYTewscv9OJ_G0Y8u_jepMAeB1bftuYCicyrMxcP-vVVZCl-cvMeaXYjLNz_j7HBeFGFx/s320/Entrance+evening+short.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Business and luxury hotels , 4000 baht and up, offer every modern amenity you can think of and are largely indistinguishable from hotels anywhere else in the world. Some, notably Bangkok's The Oriental, The Sukhothai and The Peninsula are among the world's best hotels. The most luxurious resorts also fall in this price category, with some of the very best and most private adding a zero to the price. </span></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-16630339557425990692009-05-14T20:32:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.738-07:00Dining in Thailand<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BKPBB9veF9yc4FJ0dOd9A3jnGOPk_K1poLiSkrmJVKV-DknWmLruyrv5wmmhbjcOoY9dRF8PNKyAUnG9fHaR2GyR-GEmKhHn_y_6pFKgglHTiFLx1MYGLrg_EAOxOYzs5xiV0qB0pRuX/s1600-h/thai+food.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335890411390967010" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BKPBB9veF9yc4FJ0dOd9A3jnGOPk_K1poLiSkrmJVKV-DknWmLruyrv5wmmhbjcOoY9dRF8PNKyAUnG9fHaR2GyR-GEmKhHn_y_6pFKgglHTiFLx1MYGLrg_EAOxOYzs5xiV0qB0pRuX/s400/thai+food.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong></strong></span> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong></strong></span> </div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Dining in Thailand<br /></strong>The food alone is really reason enough for a trip to Thailand. Curries, fruit shakes, stir fries, fresh fish made a zillion ways - and that's just the beginning. Food in Thailand can be as cheap and easy as 20 baht phat thai (Thai fried noodles) cooked at a street stall or as expensive and complicated as a $100 ten-course meal by a royal chef served in one of Bangkok's 5 star hotels.<br />Since most backpackers will be sticking closer to the first than the second, one of the great things about Thailand is that food from stalls and tiny sidewalk restaurants is usually quite safe. Unlike some Asian countries, travellers should worry more about overeating or too much curry spice than about unclean kitchens and bad food. In fact, street restaurants, where you can see what you'll get and everything is cooked on the spot (usually in a pool of germ- and diet-killing vegetable oil) can be a safe option.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Etiquette</strong><br />Thai food is most commonly eaten with fork and spoon. Hold the spoon in your right hand and use it to eat, and reserve the fork for piling food onto your spoon. Chopsticks are only employed for noodle soups and East Asian-style dishes.</span></div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2096_WS38DD1d-eYYhPgaKmX_y3EGixTP2HsSr8PwZmF1htJ_KoEHrs5rddYZmnr3D0wTT_hyphenhyphenz-mcFJEeMuBy5nSrk2s5CYndruaCDM9l6OBcasLMuxt0ui6PUSXnWkwu_CLAgybz3Sc3/s1600-h/Thai_seafood_curry.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335889091320309506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2096_WS38DD1d-eYYhPgaKmX_y3EGixTP2HsSr8PwZmF1htJ_KoEHrs5rddYZmnr3D0wTT_hyphenhyphenz-mcFJEeMuBy5nSrk2s5CYndruaCDM9l6OBcasLMuxt0ui6PUSXnWkwu_CLAgybz3Sc3/s200/Thai_seafood_curry.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Thai food is meant for sharing. Everybody gets their own plate of rice and tiny soup bowl, but all the other dishes are laid out in the center of the table and you're free to eat what you wish. Though some people believe that taking the last piece from a shared plate is considered slightly unlucky, and you may hear people make wishes for others to compensate for their own misfortune — a popular wish is that "may my girl/boyfriend be beautiful"![edit] Thai cuisine<br /><strong>Thai cuisine</strong> is characterized by balance and strong flavors, especially lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander, the combination of which gives Thai food its distinctive taste. In addition, Thai food has a deserved reputation for being spicy, with hot little torpedo-shaped chillies called phrik khii nuu (พริกขี้หนู, lit. "mouse shit chillies") making their way into many a dish. Thais are well aware that these can be more than Westerners can handle and will often ask if you like it hot (เผ็ด phet); answer "yes" at your own risk!<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Thai dishes can be roughly categorized into central Thai food (around Bangkok), northern Thai food (from the northern region around Chiang Mai, with Burmese and Chinese influence), north-eastern Thai food (from the Isaan region bordering with Laos) and southern Thai food (with heavy influences from Malaysia). The following list covers some better-known dishes; see Isaan for Isaan food, which is widely available throughout the country.<br /></span></div><strong></strong><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Rice<br /></strong>The Thai staple food is rice (ข้าว khao), so much so that in Thai eating a meal, kin khao, literally means "eat rice".<br />* Khao suai (ข้าวสวย) or "beautiful rice" is the plain white steamed rice that serves as the base of almost every meal.<br />* Khao phat (ข้าวผัด) is simple fried rice, usually with some pork (muu) or chicken (kai) mixed in.<br />* Khao tom (ข้าวต้ม) is a salty and watery rice porridge served with condiments, quite popular at breakfast.<br />* Khao nio (ข้าวเหนียว) or "sticky rice" is glutinous rice - usually eaten dry, traditionally by hand, with grilled/fried pork or chicken or beef.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMiebTQrQjVfXVqJNZOZc45NEYk4F2ZK5KMUAQua1CQa_TsT94H1yimNSV1CvMFnN9cStCxgazJRtL-Gyt1bzxrfcYbV3Q4fsdqm3b0AeRHeniYGG5Yx1WCR_Svvbb5-KYznD8nsqev9s/s1600-h/Tasty_Thai_Noodles.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335888759610258658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 171px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMiebTQrQjVfXVqJNZOZc45NEYk4F2ZK5KMUAQua1CQa_TsT94H1yimNSV1CvMFnN9cStCxgazJRtL-Gyt1bzxrfcYbV3Q4fsdqm3b0AeRHeniYGG5Yx1WCR_Svvbb5-KYznD8nsqev9s/s200/Tasty_Thai_Noodles.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Noodles </strong><br />Thais are great noodle eaters. The most common kind is rice noodles, served angel-hair (เส้นหมี่ sen mii), small (เส้นเล็ก sen lek), large (เส้นใหญ่ sen yai) and giant (ก๋วยเตี๋ยว kuay tio), but egg noodles (บะหมี่ ba mii), Chinese-style stuffed wonton ravioli (เกี๊ยว kio) and glass noodles made from mung beans (วุ้นเส้น wun sen) are also popular.<br />Unlike other Thai foods, noodles are usually eaten with chopsticks. They are also usually served with a rack of four condiments, namely dried red chillies , fish sauce, vinegar and sugar which diners can add to their own taste.<br />* Phat thai (ผัดไทย), literally "fried Thai", means thin rice noodles fried in a tamarind-based sauce. Ubiquitous, cheap and often excellent - and as an added bonus, it's usually chili-free!<br />* Ba mii muu daeng (บะหมี่หมูเเดง) is egg noodles with slices of Chinese-style barbecued pork.<br />* Kuai tio ruea (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรือ) is a rice noodle soup with a fiery pork blood stock and an assortment of offal. An acquired taste, but an addictive one.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUaKAhsllSF9PrAKddpPJXJS-CEVVQFmcB1NhGdEAdT_5hJE68ZcyD8vppHSz2rF-8Xt8fJ-C1OSoG0xo-SuVRXG6fEUldbkm7sx1Hyzu0j415wWjBrcw4VVdmruRiviTGKlMD3tgupy1/s1600-h/Tom+Yum.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335889096481587506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 133px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUaKAhsllSF9PrAKddpPJXJS-CEVVQFmcB1NhGdEAdT_5hJE68ZcyD8vppHSz2rF-8Xt8fJ-C1OSoG0xo-SuVRXG6fEUldbkm7sx1Hyzu0j415wWjBrcw4VVdmruRiviTGKlMD3tgupy1/s200/Tom+Yum.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Soups and curries<br /></strong>The line between soups (ต้ม tom, literally just "boiled") and curries (เเกง kaeng) is a little fuzzy, and many dishes the Thais call curries would be soups to an Indian. A plate of rice with a ladleful of a curry or two on top, known as khao kaeng (ข้าวเเกง), is a very popular quick meal if eating alone.<br />* Tom yam kung (ต้มยำกุ้ง) is the quintessential Thai dish, a sour soup with prawns, lemongrass and galangal. The real thing is quite spicy, but toned-down versions are often available on request.<br />* Tom kha kai (ต้มข่าไก่) is the Thai version of chicken soup in a rich galangal-flavored coconut stock, with mushrooms and not a few chillies.<br />* Kaeng daeng (เเกงเเดง, "red curry") and kaeng phet (เเกงเผ็ด, "hot curry") are the same dish and, as you might guess, this coconut-based dish can be spicy. Red curry with roast duck (kaeng pet yaang เเกงเป็ดย่าง) is particularly popular.<br />* Kaeng khio-waan (เเกงเขียวหวาน), sweet green curry, is a coconut-based curry with strong accents of lemongrass and kaffir lime. Usually milder than the red variety.<br />* Kaeng som (เเกงส้ม), orange curry, is more like tamarind soup than curry, usually served with pieces of herb omelette in the soup.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Mains</strong><br />Thais like their mains fried (ทอด thot or ผัด phat) or grilled (yaang ย่าง). Fish, in particular, is often deep-fried until the meat turns brown and crispy.<br />* Ka-phrao kai (กะเพราไก่), literally "basil chicken" is a simple but intensely fragrant stirfry made from peppery holy basil leaves, chillies and chicken.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhC9S8giRCEbYo-ddty04pihH3TdrNRaxDFb9cEkeBqUnnxT8Y4KjP-bVb0wgcJN9dhZPr2sdCbLaKtjViJ3M0lbhJzOo0lB552zA_mjqAKxmeomnpBeqnSo4vqZfskE0-7ck0n10XfPrS/s1600-h/thai_salad.gif"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335888762474135122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 140px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhC9S8giRCEbYo-ddty04pihH3TdrNRaxDFb9cEkeBqUnnxT8Y4KjP-bVb0wgcJN9dhZPr2sdCbLaKtjViJ3M0lbhJzOo0lB552zA_mjqAKxmeomnpBeqnSo4vqZfskE0-7ck0n10XfPrS/s200/thai_salad.gif" border="0" /></span></a>Salads</strong><br />About the only thing Thai salads (ยำ yam) have in common with the Western variety is that they are both based on raw vegetables. A uniquely Thai flavor is achieved by drowning the ingredients in fish sauce, lime juice and chillies - the end result can be very spicy indeed!<br />* Som tam (ส้มตำ), a salad made from shredded and pounded raw papaya is often considered a classic Thai dish, but it actually originates from neighboring Laos. However, the Thai version is less sour and more sweet than the original, with peanuts and dried shrimp mixed in.<br />* Yam ponlamai (ยำผลไม้) is Thai-style fruit salad, meaning that instead of canned maraschino cherries it has fresh fruit topped with oodles of fish sauce and chillies.<br />* Yam som-o (ยำส้มโอ) is an unusual salad made from pomelo (a mutant version of grapefruit) and anything else on hand, often including chicken or dried shrimp.<br />* Yam wunsen (ยำวุ้นเส้น) is perhaps the most common yam, with glass noodles and shrimp.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBHvmQxGhC1Sqm9t-e3jp7TZaTba5JDThU2FWRpL-iMpRdgNP7b3f74kL2nKFl90vgKJnZln1fV1G91drWGYPuRsKyhJUbmMy32qX6zQzLxkL0u5KtRgU-TyYchl93amL7NyN6VBbu6HR/s1600-h/thai+deseert.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335888759244748770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 191px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBHvmQxGhC1Sqm9t-e3jp7TZaTba5JDThU2FWRpL-iMpRdgNP7b3f74kL2nKFl90vgKJnZln1fV1G91drWGYPuRsKyhJUbmMy32qX6zQzLxkL0u5KtRgU-TyYchl93amL7NyN6VBbu6HR/s200/thai+deseert.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Dessert<br /></strong>Thais don't usually eat "dessert" in the Western after-meal sense, although you may get a few slices of fresh fruit (ผลไม้ ponlamai) for free at fancier places, but they certainly have a finely honed sweet tooth.<br />* Khanom (ขนม) covers a vast range of cookies, biscuits, chips and anything else snackable, and piles of the stuff can be found in any Thai office after lunch. One common variety called khanom khrok (ขนมครก) is worth a special mention: these are little lens-shaped pancakes of rice and coconut, freshly cooked and served by street vendors everywhere.<br />* Khao nio ma-muang (ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง) means "sticky rice with mango", and that's what you get, with some coconut milk drizzled on top. Filling and delicious and an excellent way to cool the palate after a spicey Thai dish!<br />* Waan yen (หวานเย็น), literally "sweet cold", consists of a pile of ingredients of your choice (including things like sweet corn and kidney beans) topped with syrup, coconut cream and a pile of ice, and is great for cooling down on a hot day or after a searing curry.<br /></span></div><strong></strong><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv6gT3Z7-uaH1jZAd8iLbAQ2nM7v_PQlHuAyUAu_kaHsUbZLQzA1S6FJQo3qe5MWp6OFiQAlOmNhh_v2neozYffpln-EM6GxW6vuIagWCxtiM9TKc0Y0JxcK3vkVAPRt-XEaeepOHF6Pj/s1600-h/3115171275_0dae52c35c.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335888756818188306" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKv6gT3Z7-uaH1jZAd8iLbAQ2nM7v_PQlHuAyUAu_kaHsUbZLQzA1S6FJQo3qe5MWp6OFiQAlOmNhh_v2neozYffpln-EM6GxW6vuIagWCxtiM9TKc0Y0JxcK3vkVAPRt-XEaeepOHF6Pj/s200/3115171275_0dae52c35c.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Vegetarian food</strong><br />Vegetarians won't have too many problems surviving in Thailand, with one significant exception: fish sauce (น้ำปลา naam plaa) is to Thai cuisine what soy sauce is to Chinese food, and keeping it out of soups, curries and stir-fries will be a challenge.<br />That said, Thailand is a Buddhist country and vegetarianism is a fairly well-understood concept, especially among Chinese Thais (many of whom eat only vegetarian food during several festivals). Tofu is a traditional Thai ingredient and they aren't afraid to mix it up in some non traditional dishes such as omelettes (with or without eggs), submarine sandwiches, and burritos. Since Thai dishes are usually made to order, it's easy to ask for anything on the menu to be made without meat or fish. Bangkok features several fantastic veggie and vegan restaurants, but outside of big cities make sure to check that your idea of "veggie" matches the chef's.<br />Some key phrases for vegetarians:<br />* phom kin je (m) / di-chan kin je (f) ผม(ดิฉัน)กินเจ "I eat only vegetarian food"<br />* karunaa mai sai naam plaa กรุณาไม่ใส่น้ำปลา "Please don't use fish sauce"<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8a0OylYjPgdGABPTWFJLcz1w-VtBY5jBxfa3gOwdG2c1ps_2Ea0c_3_R5zkU-oc5JFhaFuz0M30ynbZ4ZMRSnjp3S9lpHgIVapsdeVHWZOcJKa88MGppxnkykP439Ufrr6VthfiGBAqV/s1600-h/appetizers+smll+file+1.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335888758768850418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 182px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8a0OylYjPgdGABPTWFJLcz1w-VtBY5jBxfa3gOwdG2c1ps_2Ea0c_3_R5zkU-oc5JFhaFuz0M30ynbZ4ZMRSnjp3S9lpHgIVapsdeVHWZOcJKa88MGppxnkykP439Ufrr6VthfiGBAqV/s200/appetizers+smll+file+1.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Restaurant chains</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Thailand has a large number of indigenous restaurant chains offering much the same fare as your average street stall, but with the added advantages of air conditioning, printed menus (often in English) and some semblance of hygiene. All the chains are heavily concentrated in Bangkok, but larger cities and popular tourist spots may have an outlet or two.<br />* MK and Coca are near-ubiquitous chains specializing in what the Thais call suki, perhaps better known as "hotpot" or "steamboat". A cauldron boils in the middle of your table, you buy ingredients (10-30 baht a pop) and brew your own soup. The longer you spend, the better it tastes, and the bigger the group you're with, the more fun this is!<br />* S&P [25] outlets are a bakery, a café and a restaurant all rolled into one, but their menu's a lot larger than you'd expect: it has all the Thai mainstays you can think of and then some, and most all of it is good. Portions are generally rather small, with prices mostly in the 50-100 baht range.<br />* Yum Saap (signs in Thai; look for the big yellow smiley logo) is known for their Thai-style salads (yam), but they offer all the usual suspects as well. Quite cheap with mains around 50 baht.<br />* Kuaytiew Ruea Siam (signs in Thai; look for the boat-shaped decor and hungry red pig logo) does dirt-cheap noodles with prices starting at 25B. Portions aren't too generous, but at that price you can get two! No concessions to English speakers in menu or taste, so point & choose from the pictures and watch out for the spicier soups.<br />* Fuji [26] and Zen specialize in surprisingly passable Japanese food at very cheap prices (at least compared to Japanese restaurants almost anywhere else); rice/noodle mains are less than 100 baht, and you can stuff yourself full of sushi for less than 500 baht.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">And yes, you can find the usual McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Komalas etc if you insist. If you do end up at McD's, at least try the un-Maclike fried chicken with McSomTam (green papaya salad). For those craving American-style pizza, try the ubiquitous The Pizza Company, which is a less expensive and (arguably) tastier local chain.<br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-7089583283895433932009-05-14T20:13:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.740-07:00Drinks and Drinking in Thailand<div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Drinks and Drinking in Thailand</strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Tap water is usually not drinkable in Thailand. Bottled water (น้ำเปล่า naam plao) is cheap and ubiquitous at 5-10 baht a bottle, and drinking water served in restaurants is always at least boiled (น้ำต้ม naam tom). Ice (น้ำแข็ง naam khaeng) in Thailand usually comes packaged straight from the factory and is safe; there is only reason to worry if you are served hand-cut ice.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH-L8vpg5uXXVJNboia44Bc7PJOmxlQH-weG_ljbebvM-9VtWqpgkeJPAY3Ky3BLiCdOmW2Diqi3ozJsIQm67GpduNm4sceXsIicY9RY-1FD2NVlk5WKU6sYxD4fN2AlXkWq03nd1prWm/s1600-h/thailand_coconut_water.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335885283937466802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 134px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhH-L8vpg5uXXVJNboia44Bc7PJOmxlQH-weG_ljbebvM-9VtWqpgkeJPAY3Ky3BLiCdOmW2Diqi3ozJsIQm67GpduNm4sceXsIicY9RY-1FD2NVlk5WKU6sYxD4fN2AlXkWq03nd1prWm/s200/thailand_coconut_water.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Iced drinks<br /></strong></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Coconut water (น้ำมะพร้าว naam ma-phrao), iced and drunk directly from a fresh coconut is a cheap and healthy way to cool the body - available at restaurants and also from vendors that specialize in fruit juice. </span><br /><br /></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Fruit juices, freezes and milkshakes of all kinds are very popular with Thais and visitors alike. Most cafés and restaurants charge 20-40 baht, but a bottle of freshly squeezed Thai sweet orange juice (น้ำส้ม naam som) - which really is orange in color! - can be sold on the street for 10 baht or less. Thais often add salt to their fruit juices-- an acquired taste that you might just learn to like. Thais also like to have basil seeds in their iced fruit juice sold on the road - which looks like small jelly balls down of the bottle. </span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIfovFFKgbrCbQyAX5Zqh-vPvnGOzedOIcVVRz-oAM9FnxQMMossCud0BXK_qUeSpM4ZmonqYhvfM2tkv8VDuUWnwIJff0Ccn203uSI76i0so36-RI5Blpn3pLKNnLSM5_ZFRBe5zcR-1/s1600-h/coffee-based.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335885281107639138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 181px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIfovFFKgbrCbQyAX5Zqh-vPvnGOzedOIcVVRz-oAM9FnxQMMossCud0BXK_qUeSpM4ZmonqYhvfM2tkv8VDuUWnwIJff0Ccn203uSI76i0so36-RI5Blpn3pLKNnLSM5_ZFRBe5zcR-1/s200/coffee-based.jpg" border="0" /></strong></span></a><strong>Tea and coffee<br /></strong></span><span style="font-family:arial;">One of Thailand's most characteristic drinks is <strong>Thai iced tea</strong> (ชาเย็น chaa yen, lit. "cold tea"). Instantly identifiable thanks to its lurid orange color, this is the side effect of adding ground tamarind seed (or, these days, artificial color) during the curing process. The iced tea is always very strong and very sweet, and usually served with a dash of condensed milk; ask for chaa dam yen to skip the milk. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Naam chaa and chaa jiin are weak and full-strength Chinese tea, often served in restaurants for free. Western-style black tea is chaa ron (ชาร้อน). Coffee (กาแฟ kaafae) is also widely available, and is usually served with condensed milk and lots of sugar. Ask for kaafae thung to get traditional filtered "bag" coffee instead of instant. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">The Starbucks phenomenon has also arrived in Thailand, but for the moment local competitors <strong>Black Canyon Coffee</strong> and S&P still have the edge in marketshare. These are the places to look for if you want that triple-moccha latte with hazelnut swirl and are willing to pay 100 baht for the privilege. Black Canyon Coffee [27] is Thailand's home-brewed Starbucks, but while coffee is their mainstay they also offer a limited meal menu. Try the chaa yen (lurid orange Thai iced tea with milk). </span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJkppS6pNuk_hES1txYhIBHh2Fe5rBoh0UdxEAnwzIezTXig9fAunLccaVvmsOrcc1HrWoEr_mRiRzQzGorjz9nh33vcAzFLF-TphsZKEMlxG0C_3xD-QN6wIQ_TNU7J4_Utgo5YCmLkc/s1600-h/gallery-subjects-metalwork-red-bull-comp-bull-power.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335885282019557154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 186px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJkppS6pNuk_hES1txYhIBHh2Fe5rBoh0UdxEAnwzIezTXig9fAunLccaVvmsOrcc1HrWoEr_mRiRzQzGorjz9nh33vcAzFLF-TphsZKEMlxG0C_3xD-QN6wIQ_TNU7J4_Utgo5YCmLkc/s200/gallery-subjects-metalwork-red-bull-comp-bull-power.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Energy drinks<br /></strong></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Thailand is the original home of the Red Bull brand energy drink - a licensed and re-branded version of Thailand's original Krathing Daeng (กระทิงแดง, "Red Bull"), complete with the familiar logo of two bulls charging at each other. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">The Thai version, however, is syrupy sweet, uncarbonated and comes packaged in medicinal-looking brown glass bottles, as the target customers are not trendy clubbers, but Thailand's working class of construction workers and bus drivers in need of a pick-me-up. And a pick-me-up it most certainly is; the caffeine content is higher even than Western-style Red Bull, and packs a punch equivalent to two or three shots of espresso coffee. Krathing Daeng and its many competitors (including M150, Shark, .357 and the inevitable Karabao Daeng, "Red Buffalo") are available in any convenience store for 10 baht a pop, although in some places you can now buy imported European Red Bull for five times the price.<br /><br /><strong>Alcohol</strong> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Drinking alcohol in Thailand, especially if you like Western tipples, is actually comparatively expensive - but still very affordable by Western standards. Note that retail sales of alcohol in supermarkets, convenience stores etc are banned between midnight and 11 AM and, more bizarrely, 2-5 PM. Restaurants and bars are not affected, and smaller, non-chain stores are often willing to ignore the rules. </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Whisky</strong> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">The misnamed Thai whisky (lao) refers to a number of distilled rice liquors, the best known being the infamous Mae Khong ("Mekong") brand and its competitor, the sweeter, vaguely rum-like Saeng Som ("Sangsom"). The only resemblances to whisky are the brown color and high alcohol content, and indeed many people liken the smell to nail polish remover, but the taste is not quite as bad, especially when diluted with cola or tonic water. This is also by far the cheapest way to get blotto, as a pocket flask of the stuff (available in any convenience store or supermarket) costs only around 50 baht. Out in the countryside many villages distil their own moonshine (lao thuean), which is strictly speaking illegal, but nobody seems to mind very much. Especially when hilltribe trekking in the North you're likely to be invited to sample some, and it's polite to at least take a sip. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Beer </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf901_I0P1CLb6zWq1cVyIhGq8Rq-Y6OA8wMoE9gqJTOdfHDei-xQ7YKMqZlRkXpABgsm2LGibKxl5XpiZbkrsiFyf1X5BUcr0RzeIoot6KhfVz0MO86hMAXaPUFGrgYImK1dIN3ezmAk0/s1600-h/022.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335885275549911346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 182px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf901_I0P1CLb6zWq1cVyIhGq8Rq-Y6OA8wMoE9gqJTOdfHDei-xQ7YKMqZlRkXpABgsm2LGibKxl5XpiZbkrsiFyf1X5BUcr0RzeIoot6KhfVz0MO86hMAXaPUFGrgYImK1dIN3ezmAk0/s200/022.jpg" border="0" /></span></a>Beer (เบียร์ bia) is a bit of an upmarket drink in Thailand, with the price of a small bottle hovering between 50 and 100 baht in most pubs, bars and restaurants. Thais like their lagers with relatively high alcohol content (around 6%), as it is designed to be drunk with ice, so the beer in Thailand may pack more of a punch than you are used to. </span></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Local brews:</strong> For many years the only locally brewed beer was <strong>Singha</strong> (pronounced just Sing) but it has lost market to cheaper and stronger <strong>Chang.</strong> Both are pretty strong though, but for those who prefer something a bit lighter, both local brands have introduced low-alcohol versions of their beers. <strong>Singha Light</strong> comes in at 3.5%, <strong>Chang Draught</strong> is 5% and <strong>Chang Light</strong> is 4.2%. There are also some cheaper local beers which are rarely found outside of shops and supermarkets - Leo and Archa being among the most popular. </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Premium brands:</strong> The two most popular premium brands are <strong>Heineken </strong>and <strong>Tiger</strong>, but <strong>San Miguel, Federbrau</strong> and other Asian beers such as the Japanese<strong> Asahi</strong> are also fairly commonplace. The premium beers tend to be a bit weaker than the full-strength local beers, and are about 10-20% more expensive. </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Imported beers:</strong> Most upmarket pubs in touristy areas will have at least a couple of imported beers available along with the usual local brands, either on draught, in bottles or both. Belgian and German beers can often be found, as well as Irish stouts and ales such as <strong>Guinness,</strong> British bitters such as <strong>John Smiths</strong> and the light Mexican beer <strong>Corona </strong>is gaining in popularity. Regional favourite <strong>BeerLao </strong>has also started to make an appearance in bars and pubs around the country. All imported beers (with the exception of <strong>BeerLao</strong>) are very expensive though, being about twice the price of locally sourced beers. </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Other non-beers:</strong> The usual range of "alcopops" is available in Thailand, with <strong>Bacardi Breezer</strong> enjoying the lion's share of the market.<strong> Spy</strong> wine cooler is also popular. Cider is harder to find, although some pubs have started to stock <strong>Magners </strong>and <strong>Bulmers</strong>.</span></li></ul><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJwVbUXICRMfyVKCVQq6nlgFhdN9J76P6YD9En6Xfe47Fn2wUkI5VxEc2ju4M5Faj9sUBJ8XopAhpEweNq2aOoYCaPGzDm5LiBIpIwNAAMnnHtPbtMmEUIqocq8Qt4GSZKiKIpGZPYBrb/s1600-h/jackdaniels.gif"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335885279228630834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 165px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJwVbUXICRMfyVKCVQq6nlgFhdN9J76P6YD9En6Xfe47Fn2wUkI5VxEc2ju4M5Faj9sUBJ8XopAhpEweNq2aOoYCaPGzDm5LiBIpIwNAAMnnHtPbtMmEUIqocq8Qt4GSZKiKIpGZPYBrb/s200/jackdaniels.gif" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> <strong>'Imported drinks'</strong> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Imported liquors, wines and beers are widely available but prohibitively priced for the average Thai. A shot of any brand-name liquor is at least 100 baht, a pint of Guinness will set you back at least 200 baht and, thanks to an inexplicable 340% tax, even the cheapest bottle of wine will set you back over 500 baht. Note that, in cheaper bars (especially the go-go kind), the content of that familiar bottle of Jack Daniels may be something entirely different. </span></p></div></div></div></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-87129124174962920852009-05-14T20:04:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.741-07:00Thailand Travel Tips<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSONATckDDDSt2eTA6enP3HcFJAEROwoAhhBLhTJzgZJl92Og32NwF5MCbOHsuPCGgsYAqlYHqE_a7QY45T1NnfZxQTkK2Zx_lSWKxEfrh6Q91Dxyt9HBi1_4hQ2SOapIytmKb-n9LDazx/s1600-h/beach-in-thailand.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335881940022138082" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSONATckDDDSt2eTA6enP3HcFJAEROwoAhhBLhTJzgZJl92Og32NwF5MCbOHsuPCGgsYAqlYHqE_a7QY45T1NnfZxQTkK2Zx_lSWKxEfrh6Q91Dxyt9HBi1_4hQ2SOapIytmKb-n9LDazx/s320/beach-in-thailand.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Thailand Travel Tips</strong><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Bring an open mind and a sense of humour. Don't come with too many preconceived ideas about what Thailand is like, as media and friends’ experiences have a habit of distorting reality. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />If you're sticking to major cities and tourist areas, don't worry too much about under-packing; you can get hold of any essentials you've forgotten. Essentials are a swimming costume, a day pack, an umbrella in rainy season and some warm clothes if traveling in October to December, as some areas get cool. Some sources say there is no point in bringing a raincoat during the warm rainy season because it is so hot and sticky your raincoat will be uncomfortable. You will only need a couple of changes of clothes as you can get washing done anywhere cheaply. Sandals for when your hiking shoes are too hot can be bought cheaply in Thailand, although large sizes for women are harder to come by. If female and anything above a size 2, busty, or tall, it is often difficult to find clothes that will fit you in any of the Thai shops. If you are male and have a waist more than 38" you will have trouble finding pants. You will largely be limited to backpacker gear (the omnipresent fisherman pants and "Same Same" t-shirts) or Western imports in Bangkok malls, for the same prices as back home or more. While laundry is cheap, it is useful to bring a few changes of clothes, as you may sweat your way through several outfits a day in the Thai weather.<br /><br />Take enough padlocks for every double zipper to stop wandering hands and lock up your belongings, even in your hotel room. Lock zippers through the lower holes, not the upper ones on the pull tabs — although even this precaution won't help much if you encounter a razor-blade artist.<br /><br />Take snorkeling gear or buy it on arrival if you plan to spend a lot of your time in the water.<br /><br />Alternatively put up a notice looking for gear from someone who is leaving. A tent for camping if you are a national park buff is a good idea, as is a compass. You might like to bring compact binoculars too if wildlife is your thing. A good map of Thailand is also handy.<br /><br />Take earplugs for when you're stuck in a noisy room or want to sleep on the bus. Take a mirror for shaving, as often budget places won’t have any. String is very handy for hanging up washing.<br /><br />Cigarette papers can be difficult to find, except in tourist centres. Climbing shoes for rock climbing are useful as Thailand has some of the best cliffs in South-East Asia.<br /><br />A spare pair of prescription glasses or contact lenses plus a copy of your prescription is a good idea. Bring a book you're prepared to swap. A personal music player is great as a huge range of cheap music is available everywhere.</span><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Into the toiletries bag throw sun screen and insect repellent. Mosquito coils are also a good idea. A small pocket size torch / flashlight will come in handy when the electricity goes out or for investigating caves. Passport photos come in handy for visas. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />If you plan to travel long distances by motorbike, purchase a good quality helmet, which you can do in Thailand. Last but not least, pack your stuff in plastic bags to stop them from getting wet, especially when travelling in the rainy season or on boats.<br /><br />Aside from the above, the following are recommended:<br />* Prescriptions for any prescription medications being brought through customs<br />* Travel insurance<br />* Blood donor/type card<br />* Details of your next of kin<br />* A second photo ID other than your passport<br />* Credit card plus a backup card for a separate account<br /></span><br /></span>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-6792018975255848692009-05-14T19:59:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.743-07:00Telephone Communications in Thailand<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGLtmAFBfgFnXSpOPRdpSFThUAi2CV4v6z-_w5dDeevqhsA_ORosqDPw1Hh_v-UcQGwqRGSUlff5XhUDn5RqVK-XkT5ruv53MtKhVgaAusnWUWEVpZQF0bXoZhsqE7Q0k1WPxEnjxoxwn/s1600-h/GSM-Mobile-Phone-M008-.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335880868070558226" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 208px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGLtmAFBfgFnXSpOPRdpSFThUAi2CV4v6z-_w5dDeevqhsA_ORosqDPw1Hh_v-UcQGwqRGSUlff5XhUDn5RqVK-XkT5ruv53MtKhVgaAusnWUWEVpZQF0bXoZhsqE7Q0k1WPxEnjxoxwn/s320/GSM-Mobile-Phone-M008-.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Telephone Communications in Thailand</span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">To place an international call, you can buy a prepaid card (available for 300 baht at many convenience stores and guesthouses) to use with one of the bright yellow Lenso payphones. You should rarely have trouble finding either of these unless you're way out in the countryside. The international access code is 001.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">For mobile phone users, Thailand has three GSM mobile service providers - AIS [28], DTAC [29] and Truemove [30]) - which may be useful if you have (or can afford!) a mobile phone that will work on either one or both of the GSM 900 or 1800 frequency bands (consult your phone's technical specifications). If you have one, you can buy a prepaid SIM card for any of the Thai carriers in any convenience store for as little as 50-200 baht and charge it up as you go. Most mobile providers lock the phone to their own SIM card when you first purchase the service, so if your phone refuses to work with another SIM card, the wizards at Bangkok's MBK shopping mall will be happy to solve this for less than 500 baht. If you need to buy a mobile phone, you can pick those up at MBK as well, as a huge selection of cheap secondhand mobiles can be found on the 4th floor.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">International rates from a Thai carriers are surprisingly good - DTAC, for example, charges 10 baht/minute to call America. Moreover, you can reduce rates even further - from 1,5 times and up to 5-6x for some countries like Russia - by predialing 009 or 008 instead of + before the international country code. For instance, 009 1(xxx)xxx-xxxx for America will give you 5 baht/minute rate, at the expense of slight voice quality decrease (which is often unnoticeable, though).</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Coverage is very good throughout the country, all cities and tourist destinations (including resort islands) are well covered, and even in the countryside it's more likely you'll get the network signal than not. However, if you plan extended stays in remote non-tourist areas, AIS (their prepaid service name is '1-2-call') is a better choice, at the expense of more pricey local calls than DTAC. But the difference, once very significant, becomes less and less with time, both in call rates and coverage.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">If you plan to visit Thailand at least once a year but not for too long time, consider buying the SIM with minimal validity restrictions (usually one year from the last top up, even if it was 10 baht). By doing this, you can re-use this SIM on the next trips, thus avoiding hassle of buying new one every time, keeping your Thai number the same, as well as saving a bit. For example, DTAC offers Simple SIM plan for that, and before 7-elevens sold this one by default, but now they seem to offer cheaper (but with limited validity) Happy SIM instead. Just ask for the former one. Local calls will be a bit more pricey (international are not affected), but usually this is not of much concern for a short time visitor. If you already got Thai SIM and want to switch plan, it is also possible for free or with small charge - consult respective operator's website for details.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">For short term visitors, international roaming onto Thailand's GSM networks is possible, subject to agreements between operators.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">* Thailand SIM cards [31] - Pre-paid Thailand nationwide SIM cards for use with your mobile phone. * GSM World - Thailand [32] - list of networks, coverage maps, and frequency bands * CAT Telecom 009 IP Telephony service rates [33] - see how much you'll save on international calls if using 009 instead of + </span>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-12042433710513210972009-05-13T22:18:00.001-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.744-07:00Safety in Thailand<strong>Stay safe</strong><br />Political unrest<br /><br />Long-simming tension between pro- and anti-government groups came to head in 2008, with the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) first blockading several airports in the South for a few days in summer and in November taking over both of Bangkok's airports for a week, causing immense disruption to tourism and the Thai economy. However, while several protesters were killed or injured in scuffles, by and large the protests were peaceful and no tourists were harmed.<br /><br />Following the resignation of the prime minister in December 2008, things have gone back to normal for time being, but the situation remains unstable. Keep an eye on the news and try to keep your plans flexible.<br />Scams<br /><br />Thailand has more than its fair share of scams, but most are easily avoided with a modicum of common sense.<br /><br />More a nuisance than a danger, a common scam by touts, taxi drivers and tuk-tuk drivers in Thailand is to wait by important monuments and temples and waylay Western travellers, telling them that the site is closed for a "Buddhist holiday", "repairs" or a similar reason. The 'helpful' driver will then offer to take the traveller to another site, such as a market or store. Travellers who accept these offers will often end up at out-of-the-way markets with outrageous prices - and no way to get back to the center of town where they came from. Always check at the front gate of the site you're visiting to make sure it's really closed.<br /><br />Some Tuk-tuk drivers might demand much higher price than agreed, or they might take you to a sex show, pretending they didn't understand the address (they get commissions from sex shows). For the same reason, avoid drivers who propose their services without being asked, especially near major tourist attractions.<br /><br />Don't buy any sightseeing tours at the airport. If you do, they will phone several times to your hotel in order to remind you about the tour. During the tour, you will be shortly taken to a small temple, without a guide, and then one shop after another (they get commissions). They might refuse to take you back home until you see all the shops. On your way back, they pressure you to buy more tours.<br /><br />Easily identified with practice, it is not uncommon in tourist areas to be approached by a clean cut, well dressed man who often will be toting a cellphone. These scammers will start up polite conversation, showing interest in the unsuspecting tourist's background, family, or itinerary. Inevitably, the conversation will drift to the meat of the scam. This may be something as innocuous as over-priced tickets to a kantok meal and show, or as serious as a gambling scam or (particularly in Bangkok) the infamous gem scam. Once identified, the wary traveller should have no trouble picking out these scammers from a crowd. The tell-tale well pressed slacks and button down shirt, freshly cut hair of a conservative style, and late-model cellphone comprise their uniform. Milling around tourist areas without any clear purpose for doing so, the careful traveller should have no difficulty detecting and avoiding these scammers.<br /><br />Many visitors will encounter young Thai ladies armed with a clipboard and a smile enquiring as to their nationality, often with an aside along the lines of "please help me to earn 30 baht". The suggestion is that the visitor completes a tourism questionnaire (which includes supplying their hotel name and room number) with the incentive that they just might win a prize - the reality is that everyone gets a call to say that they are a "winner", however the prize can only be collected by attending an arduous time-share presentation. Note that the lady with the clipboard doesn't get her 30 baht if you don't attend the presentation; also that only English-speaking nationalities are targeted.<br /><br />Another recurrent scam involves foreigners - sometimes accompanied by small children - who claim to be on the last day of their vacation in Thailand, and having just packed all their belongings into one bag in preparation for their flight home, lost everything when that bag was stolen. Now cash is urgently needed in order to get to the airport in a hurry and arrange a replacement ticket for his/her return flight in a few hours time.<br />Robbery on overnight buses<br /><br />Thailand is quite safe for tourists. However, there have been some reports about people getting drugged and robbed while traveling on overnight buses. To avoid this, steer away from cheapish and non-government buses, make sure you have all your money stored safely in a money belt or another hard-to-reach place and always check your money balance before getting off. Warning your travel companions about this danger is also advised. In case this happens, firmly refuse to get off the bus, tell the rest of the people about the situation and immediately call the police. It may not be possible to stay on the bus, as your refusal may prompt the staff to unload your hold luggage onto the street and then continue to drive the bus without your luggage, forcing you to disembark or lose it.<br />Prostitution<br /><br />Thailand's age of consent is 15 but a higher minimum age of 18 applies in the case of prostitutes. Thai penalties for sex with minors are harsh, and even if your partner is over the age of consent in Thailand, tourists who have sex with minors may be prosecuted by their home country. As far as ascertaining the age of your partner goes, all adult Thais must carry an identity card, which will state that they were born in 2533 or earlier if they were over the age of 18 on January 1st 2008 (in the Thai calendar, AD 2008 is the year 2551).<br /><br />Some prostitutes are "freelancers", but most are employed by bars or similar businesses and if hiring a prostitute from a bar or similar business, you will have to pay a fee for the establishment called a "bar fine". This entitles you to take them out of their place of employment; it does not pay for any bedroom gymnastics.<br /><br />Remember that bar girls, gogo girls and freelancers are all professionals, who are far more likely to be interested in money you can give them than in any continuing relationship for its own sake. Cases of visitors falling desperately in love and then being milked out of all they are worth abound. Thailand has a high rate of STD infection, including HIV/AIDS, both among the general population and among prostitutes. Condoms can be bought easily in Thailand in all convenience shops and pharmacies but may not be as safe as Western ones.<br /><br />Technically, some aspects of prostitution in Thailand are illegal (e.g. soliciting, pimping), however enforcement is liberal and brothels are commonplace. It's not illegal to pay for sex or to pay a "bar fine".<br />Drugs<br /><br />Thailand has extremely strict drug laws and your foreign passport is not enough to get you out of legal hot water. Possession and trafficking offenses that would merit traffic-ticket misdemeanors in other countries can result in life imprisonment or even death in Thailand. Police frequently raid nightclubs, particularly in Bangkok, with urine tests and full body searches on all patrons. Ko Pha Ngan's notoriously drug-fueled Full Moon Parties also often draw police attention.<br /><br />Possession of cannabis (กัญชา ganchaa), while illegal, is treated less harshly and, if busted, you may be able to pay an "on the spot fine" to get out, although even this can set you back tens of thousands of baht. It's highly unwise to rely on this.<br />Civil conflict<br /><br />In 2004, long-simmering resentment in the southern-most Muslim-majority provinces burst into violence in Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala provinces. All are off the beaten tourist trail, although the eastern rail line from Hat Yai to Sungai Kolok (gateway to Malaysia's east coast) passes through the area and has been disrupted several times by attacks.<br /><br />Hat Yai (Thailand's largest city after Bangkok and its Nonthaburi suburbs) in Songkhla has also been hit by a series of related bombings, however the main cross-border rail line connecting Hat Yai and Butterworth (on the west coast) has not been affected, and none of the islands or the west coast beaches have been targeted.<br /><br />In September 2006, three foreigners were killed in bombings in Hat Yai. Some rebel groups have threatened foreigners, but while targets have included hotels, karaoke lounges and shopping malls, westerners have not been singled out for attacks.<br />Passport<br /><br />Make a photocopy of your passport and the page with your visa stamp. Always keep your passport or the photocopy with you (the law requires that you carry your actual passport at all times, however in practice a photocopy will usually suffice). Many night clubs insist on a passport (and ONLY a passport) as proof of age. It is not required that you leave your passport with a hotel when you check in.<br />Security<br /><br />Carrying your own padlock is a good idea, as budget rooms sometimes use them instead of (or as well as) normal door locks; carry a spare key someplace safe, like your money belt, otherwise considerable expense as well as inconvenience may result should you lose the original. Also consider some type of cable to lock your bag to something too big to fit through the door or window.<br />Wildlife<br /><br />Thailand has a few dangerous animals. The most common menace is stray dogs which frequent even the streets of Bangkok. The vast majority of which are passive and harmless, but a few of which may carry rabies, so steer clear of them and do not, by any means, feed or pet them.<br /><br />Poisonous cobras can be found throughout Thailand, hiding in tall brush or along streams. You're unlikely to ever see one, as they shy away from humans, but they may bite if surprised or provoked. The Siamese crocodile, on the other hand, is nearly extinct and found only in a few remote national parks. Monitor lizards are common in jungles, but despite their scary reptilian appearance they're harmless.<br />Racial issues<br /><br />Thais are normally very tolerant of people and tourists, regardless of skin colour, are very unlikely to encounter aggresive racial abuse. However some dark skinned visitors, especially those of African descent, may encounter some uncomfortable situations related to their race. Usually these situations are limited to stares or unwanted attention in shops. Prejudice against blacks tends to be based on nationality. Black tourists from the USA, Canada and Western Europe can expect to be treated much the same as white tourists from western nations and will generally receive better treatment than Africans. If you are black, you may be more likely than non-black people in certain situations (entering a nightclub, etc.) be asked to present your passport.<br />Fights<br /><br />Do not get into fights with Thais. Foreigners will eventually be outnumbered 15 to 1 (even against Thai people not initially involved) and weapons (metals, sharp objects, beer bottles, martial arts) are never omitted. Trying to break up someone else's fight is just as bad and your good deed will be punished.<br /><br /><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand">http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand</a>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-67751548291881373282009-05-13T22:14:00.001-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.745-07:00Your Health in Thailand<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXevIl2-Zz7k8JOo3jS6OVSqNX4cNwRoTKOzVUvQsHYQBjkuXIdipNdxaytMsalk2ScBR4iPbYcBfXOIycq2pwxzWDjCivEYpz34MoM4JhmMhePcW-SgwJdDUcqxdorK1kF3uj5GEWuYgG/s1600-h/hospital1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335543842549857874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 208px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXevIl2-Zz7k8JOo3jS6OVSqNX4cNwRoTKOzVUvQsHYQBjkuXIdipNdxaytMsalk2ScBR4iPbYcBfXOIycq2pwxzWDjCivEYpz34MoM4JhmMhePcW-SgwJdDUcqxdorK1kF3uj5GEWuYgG/s320/hospital1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Being a tropical country, Thailand has its fair share of exotic tropical diseases. Malaria is generally not a problem in any of the major tourist destinations, but is endemic in rural areas along the borders with Cambodia (including Ko Chang in Trat Province), Laos and Myanmar. As is the case throughout South-East Asia, dengue fever can be encountered just about anywhere, including the most modern cities.</div><br /><div><br />Food hygiene levels in Thailand are reasonably high, and it's generally safe to eat at street markets and to drink any water offered to you in restaurants. Using common sense — eg. avoiding the vendor who leaves raw meat sitting in the sun with flies buzzing around — and following the precautions listed in Food poisoning is still advisable.</div><br /><div><br />HIV/AIDS (adult infection rate is 1 in 66) and other sexually transmitted diseases are common, especially among sex workers. Condoms are sold in all convenience stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, etc. Avoid injecting drug use. </div><div> </div><div><a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand">http://wikitravel.org/en/Thailand</a></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1146166681530061416.post-20343443525504199102009-05-13T22:09:00.000-07:002010-07-22T15:38:15.747-07:00Telephone Communications in Thailand<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBHgZzDEwGa5UAdJXyb4RgD5wvb7BdgU02wseHHgTDm_pPRqoSwcYN44i6vsHWN14oQIk9ZD8LmzaqxDXsexPAzyZfqFvidRsvh5IV1fma1ldNHOjrZqYVSPiX3QhDs6q9dP1rtRzEQ1u/s1600-h/GSM-Mobile-Phone-M008-.jpg"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335543145299652498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 208px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBHgZzDEwGa5UAdJXyb4RgD5wvb7BdgU02wseHHgTDm_pPRqoSwcYN44i6vsHWN14oQIk9ZD8LmzaqxDXsexPAzyZfqFvidRsvh5IV1fma1ldNHOjrZqYVSPiX3QhDs6q9dP1rtRzEQ1u/s320/GSM-Mobile-Phone-M008-.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family:verdana;">Connectivity in Thailand is generally quite good.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">To place an international call, you can buy a prepaid card (available for 300 baht at many convenience stores and guesthouses) to use with one of the bright yellow Lenso payphones. You should rarely have trouble finding either of these unless you're way out in the countryside. The international access code is 001.<br />For mobile phone users, Thailand has three GSM mobile service providers - AIS [28], DTAC [29] and Truemove [30]) - which may be useful if you have (or can afford!) a mobile phone that will work on either one or both of the GSM 900 or 1800 frequency bands (consult your phone's technical specifications). If you have one, you can buy a prepaid SIM card for any of the Thai carriers in any convenience store for as little as 50-200 baht and charge it up as you go. Most mobile providers lock the phone to their own SIM card when you first purchase the service, so if your phone refuses to work with another SIM card, the wizards at Bangkok's MBK shopping mall will be happy to solve this for less than 500 baht. If you need to buy a mobile phone, you can pick those up at MBK as well, as a huge selection of cheap secondhand mobiles can be found on the 4th floor.</span></div><br /><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">International rates from a Thai carriers are surprisingly good - DTAC, for example, charges 10 baht/minute to call America. Moreover, you can reduce rates even further - from 1,5 times and up to 5-6x for some countries like Russia - by predialing 009 or 008 instead of + before the international country code. For instance, 009 1(xxx)xxx-xxxx for America will give you 5 baht/minute rate, at the expense of slight voice quality decrease (which is often unnoticeable, though). </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Coverage is very good throughout the country, all cities and tourist destinations (including resort islands) are well covered, and even in the countryside it's more likely you'll get the network signal than not. However, if you plan extended stays in remote non-tourist areas, AIS (their prepaid service name is '1-2-call') is a better choice, at the expense of more pricey local calls than DTAC. But the difference, once very significant, becomes less and less with time, both in call rates and coverage. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">If you plan to visit Thailand at least once a year but not for too long time, consider buying the SIM with minimal validity restrictions (usually one year from the last top up, even if it was 10 baht). By doing this, you can re-use this SIM on the next trips, thus avoiding hassle of buying new one every time, keeping your Thai number the same, as well as saving a bit. For example, DTAC offers Simple SIM plan for that, and before 7-elevens sold this one by default, but now they seem to offer cheaper (but with limited validity) Happy SIM instead. Just ask for the former one. Local calls will be a bit more pricey (international are not affected), but usually this is not of much concern for a short time visitor. If you already got Thai SIM and want to switch plan, it is also possible for free or with small charge - consult respective operator's website for details. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">For short term visitors, international roaming onto Thailand's GSM networks is possible, subject to agreements between operators. </span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">* Thailand SIM cards [31] - Pre-paid Thailand nationwide SIM cards for use with your mobile phone. * GSM World - Thailand [32] - list of networks, coverage maps, and frequency bands * CAT Telecom 009 IP Telephony service rates [33] - see how much you'll save on international calls if using 009 instead of + </span></div>bluemaroonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14025823698932144481noreply@blogger.com0