Wat Pho - Bangkok
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Cultural HistoryTemples, Wats and Gorgeous beaches.
That's not all, endless shopping and snorkeling and scuba It's a great holiday destination - no wonder it's the top visited country in the world |
Hua Hin Night Market
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Food & DiningForget Pad Thai - there is so many choices from boat noodles to seafood galore.
And best of all, it's Cheap !! Caution Lobster and Giant Prawns sometimes cheaper in your own home country. Many of these restaurants / mkts are catered to the Chinese Tourist and Groups so inflated. All your favorite Western options are available too if you need a change. |
Images of Thailand
Koh Nang Yuan - Seychelle of Thailand
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Long Neck Karen Tribe - Northern Thailand (stayed in their home)
Demons of Grand Palace - Bangkok
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Thailand - Land of Smiles
Thailand, my favorite country in Southeast Asia. I've been there twice 1991 and 2019. Boy have things have changed greatly in 30 yrs.
Bangkok was only starting to build a subway and traffic was a nightmare - the MRT and Sky train are complete but traffic is still a nightmare. Gone are the Tuk Tuk, with the exception of the few used only for tourist at inflated prices. Taxis or the Sky-train is the way to go now. Bangkok has become a shopper's paradise housing some of the nicest malls in the world (eg Icon Siam).
Elephant treks once acceptable in the golden triangle are not popular now - big taboo. Phi Phi island once an unknown gem now is home to a flood of tourist and has become a party island house a Burger King and McDonalds. The government even closed down Phi Phi Ley an island where the movie The Beach was film, due to the huge influx of tourism and the impact on the coral reefs and environment. (Updated reopened 2022). Well, it has all changed as tourism has now peaked to almost 30 million a yr of which 10 million come from China. Scam though still exists. Remember only take a taxi if they use the meter.
It is still exotic but some places are too touristy such as Phuket and Koh Samui. Thai food is re-known around the world and still is excellent here and dirt cheap. Remember to bargain for your food too. The best Shrimps in the world and green mussels. Not sure though about their shrimp/fish farming practices though. Fish are plentiful and cheap unless you go to a formal restaurant. You can still eat well for $1.50 (bowl of noodle) to $12 for a great seafood meal ( In my first visit it was $.50 for noodle and $5 for seafood). But do try the food. Don’t stick to the boring Pad Thai noodle or Tom Young Soup - be adventurous! Eat at food stall too, like the locals. Its safe, even the ice and bubble teas surprisingly unlike other Asian countries
My favorite island in my first visit was Phi Phi (pee pee) island in the south. It was absolute paradise. But I heard it's all changed and big resorts have entered since I was there. It has recovered quickly after the 2004 devastating Tsunami . The laid back atmosphere was the charm of the island, Locals and backpacker side by side minding their own business. You would stay in a cute bungalow for about $2-$6 per night. The sand is fine/white and the water is turquoise blue. Snorkeling is great just off shore with tons of clown fish. I recommend a day trip where a boatmen will take you to see where they get birds nest (Chinese delicacy) and great lagoons for snorkeling. In my first visit there was 2 restaurants on the island and i basically chose which to go to that night based on the movie they were showing. Boy have things changed now. Fireshows, tons of bars and restaurants, it's now no sleepy island but a party island. With popularity comes environmental disasters. Currently Maya Bay (a neighboring island to Phi Phi don) where the Beach was film is closed indefinitely due to over tourism. Some Phi Phi island tours will also stop off at a sand bar in the middle of the sea. All this for $7-$10 (1991) including lunch! You can easily stay on Phi Phi for a week. Do hike up to the lookout point !
Phuket island, 2hrs from Phi Phi is too touristy with foreign tourist (Mainland Chinese, Japanese, Hong Kong, & Germans). If you do go there the beach near Club med is more relaxing (Karon/Kata Beach). There is really no real Thailand here just resort after resort with lots of massage parlors and restaurants. No character anymore. Phuket City does have a great festival in Novembers. The Vegetarian Festival is a attraction to work your vacation around. Each temple compete to see which members can inflict the most pain on their body as a way of sacrifice. It's pretty gross as lots of blood and self infliction with knives/spiked balls as the participants are in a trance.
In my current travels in 2019, i spent 8 days on another gem, Koh Tao. Scuba capital of Asia if not the world. Beautiful beaches abound and a good backpack feeling and atmosphere without the jet setter crowd of Koh Samui or Phuket. Koh Nang Yuan was a gem to chill and snorkel or dive but extremely busy with day trippers from Koh Samui. Prices a bit more than Bangkok but still reasonable. Note: summer rainy season doesn't necessarily mean rain. Had very little rain during my stay but waters were rough for a few days due to monsoon winds. So snorkel on East side beaches in summer. Best place to eat on island is Coffee Boat (ate there like 8 times) - cheap and good food. A few bucks will fill you up. Another 995 Duck Restaurant is a distant second but still good.
A stop at Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai is a must. The night market in Chiang Mai is fun. All the tribal people go there to sell their local goods. What you must do is a trek thru the jungle. To get more authentic you might want to start off in Chiang Rai. The ones near Chiang Mai are touristy. I did a 6 day trek. Walking in the pouring rain, thru streams and getting sucked by leaches -feeling soak and wet and cold. Sleeping in the huts in villages under pigs. It was worth it now that you look back. You visit many tribes. Karen tribe, the Lahu tribe. The most bizarre is the Longneck Tribe. They stretch there necks for beauty. It's not practiced by the younger generation now. Did you know they never take off those rings and if they did they would suffocate as they have no neck muscles. I understand currently they have set up a fake village for tourist to visit. When I originally went I stayed and visited their actual village and even bonded and played volleyball with the men there. You also go on elephant (take a gravol as you can get elephant sickness) and go rafting as part of your trek. It's definitely worth it. Shop around for the best guide in Chiang Mai. Don't go for the cheapest necessarily.
Bangkok was not exciting except for the Grand Palace during my first visit. Lots of gemstones thru out the palace. Gaudy but nice. Beware of Patpong and the sleazy bars and con artist.! Asok's red light area is not as bad and centred around Cowboys 2 club. In my latest visit i enjoyed Bangkok much more visiting all the shiny nice malls such as Icon Siam and many markets such as the Chatuchuk Weekend Market and Ratchata Train Night Market. Chinatown market is more local and prices are good. One thing always to remember is that everything you buy with a brand name is FAKE in a market!! Favorite place is to eat at food courts in malls esp. Pier 21 @TERMINAL 21 (cheap & popular with local and best yet clean and A/C)
Ayuttaya (pronounced by tourist "are you tired") is great to bike around ancient Wats and Temples. Watch out for the thorny grass, I got 2 flat tires! Once the capital of the kingdom of Siam its an easy day trip from Bangkok
Sukathai is also worth a day. It was ancient capital. It better preserved and grander than Ayuttaya. Lots of Wats, Temples, Buddahs etc......
Hua Hin is an interesting place. Close resort town to Bangkok. Lots of Ex Pats and does have a bit of sex industry but it's still a nice town. The beach is not one for swimming as lots of jellyfish and water is not clear. Also horse poop all over as popular to ride horses on main beach. The market is fun and to eat seafood seems to be the thing to do for Chinese tourist. I found prices not the best and higher than back home for some seafood esp lobster. There are some good local mkts and a nice monkey temple nearby which is worth the trek.
Bangkok was only starting to build a subway and traffic was a nightmare - the MRT and Sky train are complete but traffic is still a nightmare. Gone are the Tuk Tuk, with the exception of the few used only for tourist at inflated prices. Taxis or the Sky-train is the way to go now. Bangkok has become a shopper's paradise housing some of the nicest malls in the world (eg Icon Siam).
Elephant treks once acceptable in the golden triangle are not popular now - big taboo. Phi Phi island once an unknown gem now is home to a flood of tourist and has become a party island house a Burger King and McDonalds. The government even closed down Phi Phi Ley an island where the movie The Beach was film, due to the huge influx of tourism and the impact on the coral reefs and environment. (Updated reopened 2022). Well, it has all changed as tourism has now peaked to almost 30 million a yr of which 10 million come from China. Scam though still exists. Remember only take a taxi if they use the meter.
It is still exotic but some places are too touristy such as Phuket and Koh Samui. Thai food is re-known around the world and still is excellent here and dirt cheap. Remember to bargain for your food too. The best Shrimps in the world and green mussels. Not sure though about their shrimp/fish farming practices though. Fish are plentiful and cheap unless you go to a formal restaurant. You can still eat well for $1.50 (bowl of noodle) to $12 for a great seafood meal ( In my first visit it was $.50 for noodle and $5 for seafood). But do try the food. Don’t stick to the boring Pad Thai noodle or Tom Young Soup - be adventurous! Eat at food stall too, like the locals. Its safe, even the ice and bubble teas surprisingly unlike other Asian countries
My favorite island in my first visit was Phi Phi (pee pee) island in the south. It was absolute paradise. But I heard it's all changed and big resorts have entered since I was there. It has recovered quickly after the 2004 devastating Tsunami . The laid back atmosphere was the charm of the island, Locals and backpacker side by side minding their own business. You would stay in a cute bungalow for about $2-$6 per night. The sand is fine/white and the water is turquoise blue. Snorkeling is great just off shore with tons of clown fish. I recommend a day trip where a boatmen will take you to see where they get birds nest (Chinese delicacy) and great lagoons for snorkeling. In my first visit there was 2 restaurants on the island and i basically chose which to go to that night based on the movie they were showing. Boy have things changed now. Fireshows, tons of bars and restaurants, it's now no sleepy island but a party island. With popularity comes environmental disasters. Currently Maya Bay (a neighboring island to Phi Phi don) where the Beach was film is closed indefinitely due to over tourism. Some Phi Phi island tours will also stop off at a sand bar in the middle of the sea. All this for $7-$10 (1991) including lunch! You can easily stay on Phi Phi for a week. Do hike up to the lookout point !
Phuket island, 2hrs from Phi Phi is too touristy with foreign tourist (Mainland Chinese, Japanese, Hong Kong, & Germans). If you do go there the beach near Club med is more relaxing (Karon/Kata Beach). There is really no real Thailand here just resort after resort with lots of massage parlors and restaurants. No character anymore. Phuket City does have a great festival in Novembers. The Vegetarian Festival is a attraction to work your vacation around. Each temple compete to see which members can inflict the most pain on their body as a way of sacrifice. It's pretty gross as lots of blood and self infliction with knives/spiked balls as the participants are in a trance.
In my current travels in 2019, i spent 8 days on another gem, Koh Tao. Scuba capital of Asia if not the world. Beautiful beaches abound and a good backpack feeling and atmosphere without the jet setter crowd of Koh Samui or Phuket. Koh Nang Yuan was a gem to chill and snorkel or dive but extremely busy with day trippers from Koh Samui. Prices a bit more than Bangkok but still reasonable. Note: summer rainy season doesn't necessarily mean rain. Had very little rain during my stay but waters were rough for a few days due to monsoon winds. So snorkel on East side beaches in summer. Best place to eat on island is Coffee Boat (ate there like 8 times) - cheap and good food. A few bucks will fill you up. Another 995 Duck Restaurant is a distant second but still good.
A stop at Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai is a must. The night market in Chiang Mai is fun. All the tribal people go there to sell their local goods. What you must do is a trek thru the jungle. To get more authentic you might want to start off in Chiang Rai. The ones near Chiang Mai are touristy. I did a 6 day trek. Walking in the pouring rain, thru streams and getting sucked by leaches -feeling soak and wet and cold. Sleeping in the huts in villages under pigs. It was worth it now that you look back. You visit many tribes. Karen tribe, the Lahu tribe. The most bizarre is the Longneck Tribe. They stretch there necks for beauty. It's not practiced by the younger generation now. Did you know they never take off those rings and if they did they would suffocate as they have no neck muscles. I understand currently they have set up a fake village for tourist to visit. When I originally went I stayed and visited their actual village and even bonded and played volleyball with the men there. You also go on elephant (take a gravol as you can get elephant sickness) and go rafting as part of your trek. It's definitely worth it. Shop around for the best guide in Chiang Mai. Don't go for the cheapest necessarily.
Bangkok was not exciting except for the Grand Palace during my first visit. Lots of gemstones thru out the palace. Gaudy but nice. Beware of Patpong and the sleazy bars and con artist.! Asok's red light area is not as bad and centred around Cowboys 2 club. In my latest visit i enjoyed Bangkok much more visiting all the shiny nice malls such as Icon Siam and many markets such as the Chatuchuk Weekend Market and Ratchata Train Night Market. Chinatown market is more local and prices are good. One thing always to remember is that everything you buy with a brand name is FAKE in a market!! Favorite place is to eat at food courts in malls esp. Pier 21 @TERMINAL 21 (cheap & popular with local and best yet clean and A/C)
Ayuttaya (pronounced by tourist "are you tired") is great to bike around ancient Wats and Temples. Watch out for the thorny grass, I got 2 flat tires! Once the capital of the kingdom of Siam its an easy day trip from Bangkok
Sukathai is also worth a day. It was ancient capital. It better preserved and grander than Ayuttaya. Lots of Wats, Temples, Buddahs etc......
Hua Hin is an interesting place. Close resort town to Bangkok. Lots of Ex Pats and does have a bit of sex industry but it's still a nice town. The beach is not one for swimming as lots of jellyfish and water is not clear. Also horse poop all over as popular to ride horses on main beach. The market is fun and to eat seafood seems to be the thing to do for Chinese tourist. I found prices not the best and higher than back home for some seafood esp lobster. There are some good local mkts and a nice monkey temple nearby which is worth the trek.
BANGKOK:
Grand Palace
Pier 21 Food Court - Terminal 21
Amora Neoluxe Hotel - Bangkok
Prince Palace Hotel - Bangkok
Seoul Korean BBQ
Sushi Express - Terminal 21
KOH TAO
Ao Note Bay - Koh Tao
Coffee Boat Restaurant - Koh Tao (5*)
Sairee Cottage Diving Resort Restaruant - Koh Tao
Seashell Resort - Koh Tao
995 Duck Restaurant - Koh Tao
Sai Nua Beach - Koh Tao
Ao Muong Beach - Koh Tao
Koh Nang Yuan
Huan Hin
Huan Hin Grand Hotel
Grand Palace
Pier 21 Food Court - Terminal 21
Amora Neoluxe Hotel - Bangkok
Prince Palace Hotel - Bangkok
Seoul Korean BBQ
Sushi Express - Terminal 21
KOH TAO
Ao Note Bay - Koh Tao
Coffee Boat Restaurant - Koh Tao (5*)
Sairee Cottage Diving Resort Restaruant - Koh Tao
Seashell Resort - Koh Tao
995 Duck Restaurant - Koh Tao
Sai Nua Beach - Koh Tao
Ao Muong Beach - Koh Tao
Koh Nang Yuan
Huan Hin
Huan Hin Grand Hotel
Places Visited in Thailand