CHANTHABURI - as my guide kept saying “Beautiful too much” Chanthaburi near the south eastern coast of Thailand is a very beautiful place to visit with many nice beaches, historical landmarks and waterfalls. I was fortunate to have a Thai friend and guide show me around for a few days. This is not an area regularly visited by foreign tourists and I saw only a few other farangs. There is not much English spoken although the roads were fairly well sign posted in English. Some of the hotels can organise tours but I have not seen much advertised on the internet [View Full Entry]

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Holy Days and Street Parades From squat toilets to western comfort Well I have reverted to my western comforts and spent a few days staying at the Korat Resort about 10km from the village near Chock Chai. The father of the family I stay with and usually sleep in their house was a bit unsure as to my reasoning for this but I explained that the dogs bark and wake me up in the middle of the night. He laughed and seemed to accept my excuse, lets face it, I need a good night's sleep and it doesn't happen in the [View Full Entry]

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Oh to be beside the seaside !!! Pattaya and Jomtiem I was not impressed about my first trip to Pattaya in 2008 and it can be very sleazy near the beach and beer bar areas. Everyone seems to be trying to sell something or themselves down by the seaside area, "you need a suit sir?" or "massage sir?", or just use your imagination on what is being offered. Since returning I have found that with some effort this can also be a fairly relaxing place with great shopping and food malls all in close proximity. If you escape from the tourist [View Full Entry]

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My Sunday in a Thai village Saturday night in Bangkok There are not many other places that I would rather be, everyone was excited to take me to the disco near Ratchada. I love the Thai discos, I may be the only foriegner there with my Thai friends but it was not going to happen tonight. I returned to my room at 9.30pm with a promise to return later but my eyed were red, maybe a victim of the Bangkok pollution and my whole body seem to have an allergic reaction, possibly some msg in my pineapple rice at the pub [View Full Entry]

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Songkran - 3 days of fun and chaos in Thailand Amidst the political turmoil of Thailand, none of which is mentioned in the rural areas except for a glimpse of the news on TV, I boarded a truck full of kids and adults from the village near Chock Chai about three hours by bus north-east of Bangkok. It is Songkran water festival time and "Happy New Year" for the Thais. I stood in the middle of the crowded truck next to a large barrel of water and everyone was armed with water shooting guns and anything suitable for throwing water. Soon [View Full Entry]

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Please close the Airport !!! Everyone says you must be happy to be home - er, not really. After six trips to Thailand I am not sure anymore. I was hoping the airport in Bangkok would be closed again and I would be kept from returning to Australia a little bit longer. No such luck as the Thais seem happy with their new Prime Minister - for now anyway. Yes I am a proud Australian and my home is Adelaide but it is difficult to leave the many friends I have made in Thailand. I have been back in Australia for [View Full Entry]

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Beautiful Jomtiem Beach and Pattaya - Up to You I caught the minibus from near the BTS Skytrain Terminal at Victory Monument to take me to Pattaya and then went to Jomtiem Beach a few kilometres along the coast for the first night of my stay. There has been a previous entry about the Pattaya area and it is not my favourite place in Thailand. Why did I return? It is close to Bangkok and I need some fresh air near the beach. The tourist beach part of Pattaya is a place where there are many touts and if you walk [View Full Entry]

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Hua Hin - Paradise City - Clean and Tidy Hua Hin is 2.5 hours by mini-van south of Bangkok. Just catch the BTS Sky train to Victory Monument station and walk down the stairway towards the Century Cinemas and you will find the minivan depot where you can purchase a ticket for 200 baht. The King of Thailand has a Palace in Hua Hin which probably has something to do with why it is one of the cleanest and tidiest cities in the country. There are many foreigners living here with numerous golf clubs and residential estates. The highlight of the [View Full Entry]

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Welcome back to the village Tuesday December 23rd I arrived from Bangkok to a warm greeting at the Korat bus station from the Thai family I stay with in their home and village near Chock Chai. This time we caught a taxi all the way to the village instead of the local bus which is a bargain for 400 baht and saves an hours waiting and travelling time. Everyone was happy to see me back and there was a large gathering around the table for my first night back including youngsters Fah, Poi, Pim and Gamling who are always teaching me [View Full Entry]

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Elephant Nature Park At the Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai in northern Thailand the elephant can roam free. In Thailand the traditional training methods are very harsh for the elephant and the demise of the logging industry has seen elephant numbers fall from 100,000 in the last century to now around 3000. Elephant Nature Park looks after injured, mistreated and orphaned elephants in single and family groups. The elephants at the park are treated with kindness and love by founder Sangduen "Lek" Chailert who was named a hero of Thailand by Time Magazine. Other staff inclu [View Full Entry]

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