Blogs from Surin, North-East Thailand, Thailand, Asia

After checking into our hotel in Surin we set out to explore the nearby market area. It was very busy - in fact much busier then we have usually seen at markets later in the day, with no sign that the stalls would close down at all that day. In the centre of the market was a tall concrete gilt trimmed clock tower which was a great reference location point amidst the canvas and corrugated iron of the market area. Leaving the market area we were thrilled to discover a Pizza Express - great pizzas and an even better enormous green salad. I admit we even had another meal there before we left Surin... Surin is surrounded by dozens of silk weaving villages and next morning we planned on visiting one of them. The province is ... read more

We booked our two week elephant conservation project through the company, I-to-I, back when we were living in Australia. We'd been looking forward to the experience for ages and couldn't wait to meet our elephants! We headed back to Bangkok from Chiang Mai on the overnight bus and headed straight to our hotel. It was too early to check in, so we all fell asleep on the sofas in the lobby. The hotel was nice- the most luxurious accommodation we'd seen in a long while! We thought that someone from the project would be meeting us that night, but nobody came. We were a bit concerned so asked at reception who called I-to-I for us. We were told no one was coming tonight but be ready for pick up tomorrow to be transferred to Surin (where ... read more

Thailand is sandwiched in between The Gulf of Thailand on its eastern coastline and the huge expanse of the Andaman Sea on its western coast. It is in such body of waters that scuba divers could check out the marine life of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean free of having to cross continents. Thailand is an excellent vacation location for all, from those who are looking for a romantic getaway, to shoppers to the food lovers as you get to taste varieties of sea foods, down in the road to the most extravagant restaurants. It offers something to each traveler. Many travelers also come here for adventurous getaway. As this region provide you with all sorts of sport for all ages like scuba diving , snorkeling, wind-surfing and water-skiing .After all these actions you ... read more

Hello everyone, After the Songkran festival in Phra Pradaeng, I left Bangkok quickly to be on time for another monk ordination ceremony in the area of Surin, in the little village of Ta Klang in the east of Thailand. Ta Klang is a small elephant village. Elephants are kept here as pets. Almost each family has its own elephant under the house. To be honest, I didn't really like it. I do think people really like their elephant, but I still think that animals should be in the wild. I don't like the view of elephant tied up with chains to a house, even if they are loved by their owner. That's why I still haven't take part of any elephant ride or this kind of thing after 3 months in Thailand and I won't. But ... read more

After Chiang Rai, I went back to Bangkok to see another Songkran festival. South of Bangkok, in the Phra Pradaeng district, the Songkran festival happens 2 weeks after the rest of the country, because they use a different calendar (I think a moon/sun calendar, but I'm not sure). Songkran is celebrated over 3 days. The festival starts with a beauty contest as often in Thailand. According to the say of a Thai man I met who speaks French (rare enough to say it!), this the most important beauty contest in Thailand. I don't know if it is the most important, but this is definitely the longest! It started around 8pm I think, and finish around 3 am! I didn't stay until the end. Not the energy and after a while, it starts to be a bit ... read more