Best Beaches In Thailand

Posted on March 29, 2014 by koomatzu

Which beach in Thailand?

Whether you’re hoping for postcard-perfect famous movie beaches, backpacker party islands, family-friendly beach resorts, laid back island getaways or simply Thai beaches that are easy to get to, there are beach resorts in Thailand to suit everybody’s preferences. I’m not a seasoned beach expert from Thailand, but I think I’ve at least been to enough beaches in Thailand to give my own rough guide on which beach is best for who.

Thailand Beach Guide

Beaches near Bangkok

Hua Hin

Okay, it’s important to know that Hua Hin does not have the best beaches in Thailand. If you’re looking for paradisal, soft white sand beaches like in all the holiday brochures, then I don’t recommend Hua Hin for you. The skyscraper backdrop and brownish sands of the main Hua Hin beach in particular makes it far from one of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand (but hey, it does have some tough competition). But! I’d say that Hua Hin is by far the one of the easiest of beach resorts to get to from Bangkok. It’s located on the mainland about a two hour drive from Bangkok – no annoying ferry transfers and no expensive flights necessary.

Because of it’s mainland location, Hua Hin has plenty of excursions available and is within easy access to popular places like Kanchanaburi and Bangkok, plus a nice variety of waterfalls, temples and attractions. The beaches are still ok too, with plenty of sports and things to do available. Perhaps one of Hua Hin’s best attributes, is it’s more relaxed and honest atmosphere in comparison to the heavily tourist trap vibe that is so prevalent in most of the other Thai beach resorts. Hua Hin is relatively free from the sleazy bars and sex tourism of Thailand – this makes it a lot more pleasant for families and couples etc.

Koh Samet

Just a 2 or 3 hour journey away from Bangkok, the hugely underrated island of Koh Samet is perfect for purely sitting back, relaxing and doing nothing! It’s a tiny little island so there isn’t much to do in the way of attractions and activities, but there are still plenty of bars, restaurants and beaches – great as a getaway for Thai expats, or as a break from sightseeing for tourists.

Popular with Bangkok locals, Koh Samet – similarly to Hua Hin – boasts much less of a tourist trap atmosphere and is super laid back. In fact, Koh Samet is my personal favourite beach resort in Thailand. Not only is it easy to get to and chilled out, but it also has some really beautiful, soft white sand beaches – skyscraper free too.

Pattaya

I’ve never been to Pattaya, it doesn’t really appeal to me. Pattaya is mainly famed for it’s attraction of sexpats as it has a crap load of gogo bars and stuff like that. But it’s by the beach too! A sexpat paradise! However, I really don’t think Pattaya would be an ideal beach resort for couples, families or groups of friends looking for cool parties. Super close to Bangkok though – just a 90 minute drive away.

Koh Chang

Koh Chang is the second biggest island in Thailand and still reasonably close to Bangkok. It takes about 4 or 5 hours to get there via bus and ferry, or you can fly direct from Bangkok. Again, Koh Chang doesn’t seem overly touristy so you’re not as prone to getting ripped off or feeling like a walking money sign. This also has the added bonus of making it easy to get around, despite it’s large size, because of the cheapness of songtaew taxis.

There are plenty of activities and attractions such as waterfalls and zip wires, and the white sandy beaches to the western side are very pretty. Koh Chang has something for everyone – backpacker beaches and clubs; gogo bars in the ‘Little Pattaya’ area (but easily avoided); quiet little fishing village hideaways to escape the crowds; and family-friendly restaurants on the main beachfront.

Eastern Coast

Located on the eastern side of southern Thailand, these islands take a really long time to get to if you’re not flying. You can catch a coach or train to the islands, however this takes between 8 and 12 hours and is not a comfortable journey. Coaches there are usually only frequented by backpackers and hardened travelers on a budget. These three islands are pretty good for a bit of Thailand island hopping.

Koh Samui

Koh Samui is one of the more famous islands in Thailand and hence a little spoilt by tourism for some. Taking a coach from Bangkok to these islands, I can’t help but feel like some kind of dopey farm animal being herded around by shouty Thais – it just seems to have a slightly fake and money driven vibe. It’s not that bad though, and you can still easily escape this if you stay away from the main strip.

There is plenty to do on Koh Samui for holiday makers of all backgrounds – walking streets, water sports and day tours – plus it has some lovely beaches. The island is relatively big and the roads in good condition, so it’s very easy to rent a scooter to get around yourself. It’s also big enough to avoid the sleazy areas. Good all-rounder island.

Koh Phangnan

Koh Phangnan is a slightly more adventurous alternative to Koh Samui. Much smaller and with more wild, jungle landscapes, it’s ideal for both nature lovers and backpackers. Koh Phangnan is mostly renowned for it’s famous full moon parties and crazy backpacker parties so it tends to attract mostly younger travelers with a mission to get totally off their faces.

It’s good fun to explore the winding, overgrown roads on a moped though, or search around for hidden secluded beaches. Koh Phangnan has some of the most beautiful beaches and is perfect for a care free holiday for groups of friends, solo travelers or couples.

Koh Tao

Koh Tao – the diver’s island. People mainly go to Koh Tao either to join a diving school, or to get drunk and party. It’s a little more laid back than Koh Phangnan and with less under-20 year old backpackers and more drunken divers of all ages. Again, it’s quite a care free island to hang out with a group of friends or meet people as a solo traveler. Despite it’s small size there is still loads of fun nightlife.

Despite it’s reputation as an unspoilt Thai island though, I think Koh Tao is still quite touristy – it even has a bit of a tuk tuk cartel going on. I was always under the impression that Koh Tao had the best beaches in Thailand too, but it’s no better than Koh Samui or Koh Phangnan in this respect. In particular, the main beach is very disappointing and completely littered with rubbish. You can still find very beautiful beaches in Koh Tao though, don’t get me wrong.

I think it’s important to know that Koh Tao does not have the most beautiful, clear water conditions for diving either. This is a misconception. Apparently it is the best island for diving simply because of it’s abundance of diving schools – not the conditions.

Western Coast

Phuket

Phuket is a huge island, home to some of the best beaches in Thailand. Phuket boasts the famous Phang Nga bay, known as James Bond island, a highly popular excursion among tourists. Here, you will find picture perfect scenes right out of the brochure; however this has also made it very touristy and it’s hard to escape the crowds and the tack from the resorts.

If you don’t mind the crowds and tack – go for it; if you hate crowds and tack – track down the quieter areas of Phuket like Kata, you might still enjoy the powder white sand beaches. It’s a big island with decent roads, so it’s still possible to explore lesser known places by moped. You might have to sacrifice seclusion in Phuket, but you’ll get to see some of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand.

Phi Phi

I’m not going to lie: I haven’t been to Koh Phi Phi yet. But Koh Phi Phi is reputed to have the most beautiful beaches in Thailand. You don’t need to go there to recognize it’s famous scenes from movies like The Beach. So I hear, it’s recent fame in Hollywood movies has attracted heavy tourism which often spoils people’s experiences. I personally reckon that it would still be less touristy than Phuket but it’s best not to expect completely secluded and unspoilt beaches to avoid disappointment.

Of course there are loads more beaches and islands in Thailand that I’ve not included in this guide. But for all the main Thai beaches and islands, I hope this helps in deciding which beach is right for you.

Expat Life In Thailand

Posted on March 15, 2014 by koomatzu

It takes a while to adapt to life in Thailand and – especially living in the busy capital Bangkok – the craziness can be overwhelming to start with. But, it feels good when you suddenly realise that, actually, maybe you have finally acclimatized to life in Thailand. Maybe you’ve even been living there just a little too long…

You know you’ve been living in Thailand too long when:

You don’t feel like a douche for shielding yourself from the sun with your UV umbrella on a cloudless sunny day; not a rain drop in sight. Nope, don’t feel even the slightest bit like a douchey Pride & Prejudice wannabe… Okay maybe just a little bit.

Drinking Pepsi out of a plastic carrier bag seems perfectly plausible.

Drinking everything through a straw has now become mandatory. Everywhere you go in Thailand, you will be given a straw with your drink; even the more elegant establishments have embraced the convenience and easiness of a straw. Buy a pint of milk from the 7/11, and they will literally just chuck a handful of straws at you. I mean, hell, you’re gonna need so many straws to polish off that mammoth pint of milk with. How am I supposed to drink my iced tea without a straw should somebody ever forget? Out of the bottle? Like some sort of animal!?

You grow to anticipate motorcyclists around you on the side walk. It takes a while to get used to the fact that you’ve got to dodge motorcyclists on the pavement as they sneak up behind you – in Thailand it’s perfectly normal for cyclists and motorcyclists to use the pavement. When you cross the road… screw looking two ways, you’re looking five ways!

The green man at the traffic lights means nothing to you now – why do they even have crossings and green men in Thailand? Crossing the 6 lanes of traffic is every man for himself.

Hygiene issues. You can order some ominous, unidentifiable meat on a stick from a street vendor in Bangkok, and carry on blissfully and unaffectedly munching away when a grubby looking rat leaps across your foot from underneath the vendor’s cart.

You feel the urge to add ‘na ka’ on the end of all your sentences. You might let out a little cheeky ‘krap’ or maybe even a sneaky Wai when you’re around foreigners.

You increasingly start making Thai sounds. ‘Ooiwee!’ when surprised, or ‘err, err’ when in agreement.

Miser syndrome. You find yourself unable to frequent Starbucks anymore because you can’t help counting how many Thai meals you could buy instead of a coffee or cake. 110 baht for a coffee?! I could buy four meals with that! Despite amazingly good quality meals being comparably cheaper up to your own home country’s standards, your wallet becomes much tighter. $4 for a steak is way too expensive!

You have an annoyingly huge collection of 1 and 2 baht coins that have accumulated in a random corner of your apartment since you first arrived in Thailand. Now you have to slowly try and use them up on toilet paper and milk from the shop down the road. The cashier glares at you irritatedly as you hand them yet another handful of satangs to count out. I will use those coins up I tell you!

Top 5 Cafes In Bangkok

Posted on March 15, 2014 by koomatzu

Bangkok is absolutely jampacked full of unique and refreshing cafes, there are loads to choose from. Whether you just fancy some hella tasty cake or a comfortable hangout to chat with friends, there are loads of cafes in Bangkok for just about all tastes.

My top 5 best cafes in Bangkok:

1

Mr Jones’ Teddy Bear Orphanage is perhaps one of the most charming and quirky cafes of all in Bangkok. As far as I know, there are two different branches of Mr Jones’s teddy bear orphanage in Bangkok – one in Thonglor and one in Siam Center. Both cafes are set out in a traditional English tearoom style, only they are also packed with quirky and cute details such as hanging teddy bears, miniature toy soldiers and ornate cake displays.

Price range: 80 to 250 baht

2

Agalico Tea Room is a beautiful tearoom in central Bangkok that has traditional English decor with a bright and modern twist. The interior is so impressive that they even have portrait photographers working on the upper olden period floors. Particularly for expats missing simple Englishness, Agalico Tea Room is a great cafe for tea lovers and cake lovers – they have pretty much every kind of Western tea available, complete with traditional teapot and teacups.

The main tearoom is light and airy with a refreshing white colour scheme throughout. Alternatively, you can sit outside in the large gardens and Pavilion. The cakes aren’t the best in Bangkok, however the ambience alone makes it one of Bangkok’s best cafes.

Price range: 120 baht +

3

The Double Dogs Tea Room in Chinatown has a mega selection of Chinese teas, perfect for green tea lovers. The inside of double dogs tearoom makes a stark contrast against the busy craziness of Chinatown just outside – elegant Chinese furnishings, welcoming staff and warm, ambient lighting make for a tranquil atmosphere. It’s fantastic for sampling Chinese cakes, treats and teas – they even have a special tea man serving up the all-you-can-drink tea buffet in miniature Chinese teapots.

Price range: 95 to 250 baht

4

Petite Audrey is a modern European styled cafe located right in the middle of the fashionable Siam Center shopping mall. There is often a queue waiting to be seated, always a good sign of food quality. There is a great range of both savoury and sweet food with generous sized portions of waffles and ice cream sundaes. It’s perfect the stuffing your face with cake in a sophisticated cafe environment!

Price range: 60 to 300 baht

5

Coffee Beans By Dao is an extremely popular restaurant cafe with middle-class Thai locals. The interior is nothing special or particularly interesting – maybe even a little gaudy – but the cake however, is to die for! Make sure to get the Tobelerone cake, my favourite cake in Bangkok for sure! They also have a very extensive savoury Thai & International menu as well as humongous cake selection. If you visit the branch in Chit Lom, there is a nice seating area outside on the road front, but take lots of mosquito spray!

Prices range: 120 baht +

Staying in Silom? Check out the Bug & Bee cafe next to the BTS Sala Deng station – this cafe specializes in crêpes, however has a great selection of affordable cakes and smoothies too. For cat lovers, or maybe just for shits and giggles, take a look at the quirky Purr Cat Cafe in Thonglor.

Vegetarian Food In Thailand

Posted on March 8, 2014 by koomatzu

Despite Buddhism typically being one of the most prominent religions of Thailand, vegetarian and vegan food is actually rather hard to come by, particularly in Thailand’s capital city Bangkok.

You’ll find an abundance of skewered meats, grilled fish, processed meatballs, deep fried chicken and meaty fried… well everything, yet very little vegetarian protein alternatives. Tofu or vegetarian dishes are nowhere near as common as meat dishes in Thailand.

Thankfully, Thai people seem to love their eggs and you’ll commonly find a side serving of crispy fried eggs to accompany your meals. Or, if you’re lucky, you may sometimes come across the sweet, tamarind sauce coated and deep fried, hard boiled ‘mother in law eggs‘. Search out the right restaurants, and you’ll be able to order delicious tofu curry soups and Thai salads. Eating at some Thai street food stalls however, you may find that, as a vegetarian, you need to settle for vegetable fried rice or other unsubstantial alternatives.

How to order vegan and vegetarian food in Thai language

For a more in-depth guide on how to order Street food in Thai check out my main Thailand street food phrase guide here. Remember, women use chan and men use pom for I. To be polite, add ka or krap on the end of sentence for women and men, respectively. When ordering vegetarian alternatives in Thai language, it’s useful to know these keywords and phrases…

Vegan: Jey
Vegetarian: Mang-sao-we-rat
I am a vegan: Pom/ chan gin jey
I am a vegetarian: Pom/ chan gin mang-sao-we-rat
I don’t eat meat: Pom/ chan mai gin neua-sat

Do you have a vegetarian menu? Mee a-haan jey mai?
Can I have vegetarian… (fried rice)? Ao (khao pat) jey?

If you don’t eat fish, be careful as a lot of Thai recipes include fish sauce – even if you do tell them that you are vegetarian. To make your order extra clear you can use the Thai phrases…

Don’t put … in it: Mai sai …. (For example, Don’t put fish sauce in it: Mai sai nam bplaa)
I don’t eat …: Pom/ chan gin … mai dai (For example, I don’t eat meat: Pom gin neua-sat mai dai)

Meat: Neua-sat
Fish: Bplaa
Fish sauce: Nam bplaa
Beef: Neua
Chicken: Gai
Pork: Moo
Crab: Bpoo
Egg: Kai
Tofu: Dao-fu

Remember to add ka or krap or you might sound like a bit of an ass! Usually, a waiter or stall vendor will reply with…

Of course: Dai
No I can’t: Mai dai
Yes, we have (a vegetarian menu): Mee
No, we don’t have (a vegetarian menu): Mai mee

A vegetarian’s guide to Thailand

Okay, so it can be hard to find decent, cheap vegetarian street food in Bangkok, but you can still find some nice vegan and vegetarian restaurants around the city at not bad prices. Make sure to check out my guide on the best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Bangkok here. Outside of Bangkok, the best place I have found for vegetarian food in Thailand is up north in Chiang mai and Pai. Many of the restaurants in Chiang mai are very vegetarian and vegan friendly with plenty of tofu substitutes and creative Western menus.

An absolute must for all vegetarians in Thailand is to visit the Thai vegetarian Festival. During this time in Thailand, 99% of all street stalls and restaurants will provide great vegetarian alternatives. There are some delicious vegetarian salads, noodle dishes and meat substitutes on offer – it’s a surprise that they don’t offer these dishes throughout the rest of the year in Thailand. You can read more about the Thai vegetarian Festival in my article here.

Bangkok To Koh Chang

Posted on March 1, 2014 by koomatzu

Koh Chang is home to some of the nearest beaches to Bangkok. Thailand’s second biggest island, it is located about a 4 to 5 hour journey from the capital.

A quick guide to Koh Chang

Similarly to Koh Samet, the island of Koh Chang has a much more laid back vibe compared to Thailand’s other more famous islands. If you prefer less of a tourist trap vibe, then Koh Chang is a pretty good choice for a beach holiday in Thailand. It’s not quite as ‘Thai’ as Koh Samet though, and attracts mainly foreign tourists rather than local Thai tourists.

Where to stay in Koh Chang

The best area to stay in Koh Chang is along the northern and western coasts – these areas have the most beautiful beaches and the most activity.

To the north is White Sand Beach, the most popular resort in Koh Chang. Although this is often described as overbuilt and over-touristy, for an island in Thailand it’s really rather chilled out and tame. White Sand Beach, as you may have guessed, boasts beautiful, soft white sands and shallow waters with plenty of cool Thai bars along the beachfront. From 2900 baht per night, the Banphu Koh Chang is a great beachfront hotel on White Sand Beach.

To the west, is Lonely Beach. Lonely Beach has much more of a backpacker vibe with some lively bars and characterful, bohemian accommodation and cafes. The beach itself is perhaps equally a beautiful as White Sand Beach, only much more peaceful without any bars along the front. The Siam Beach Resort is well located near Lonely Beach and is at a reasonable price.

If you’re looking for a little more tranquility and romance in Koh Chang, the eastern and southern coasts offer a much more secluded atmosphere. The beaches, however, are not as conventionally beautiful as White Sand and Lonely Beach. Not as white and sandy, obvs.

Getting Around Koh Chang

The island of Koh Chang as a whole is rather big and can be quite a journey to get around. However, in my experience, Koh Chang is one of the easiest islands to get around because of the reasonably priced and regular songtaews.

There seems to be one main road that runs through the main areas of Koh Chang and most hotels are located within easy access to it. You shouldn’t have to wait longer than 5 minutes on the main road before you find a Songtaew – they seem to charge a set price of 100 baht per person during the day (although they get a little greedier at night). Considering the size of the island though, 100 baht per person really isn’t too expensive at all for an 8km journey.

You can also rent scooters to get around on Koh Chang. The terrain is quite easy to get around by visa – unlike some of the other Thai islands, Koh Chang’s main road is in a decent condition and it doesn’t get too jungly in places. Scooters cost from around 150 baht per day.

Things to do in Koh Chang

Sports – There are plenty of fun activities to keep you busy on Koh Chang: Take an ATV tour, a bike tour or head to the tree top adventure park. There are loads of water sports (scuba diving, wind surfing etc) available on the beaches as well – at much cheaper rates than many of the other Thai islands. Many of the hotels on Koh Chang offer Kayak rental services. If you stay at a river hotel in-land, then you can paddle along the river all the way to the sea.

Waterfalls – At 200 baht entry, you can go swimming in Klong Plu Waterfall – This is easily accessible via scooter

Charter your own boat – For larger groups, private fishing boat charters are available for around 7000 baht for the day, or for about 1600 baht per person for a shared boat. Boat trips usually include free pick up, snorkeling, fishing and an on-board lunch and fruit platter. Of course, if you charter your own boat then you’ll have a lot more flexibility to customize your own trip. Just head along to any of the travel agents on the island to book – and don’t be afraid to haggle a little.

Nightlife – There are two main nightlife areas: White Sand Beach and Lonely Beach. Suitable for younger groups, Lonely beach is a little more lively with plenty of blaring dance music, casual beach clubs and random bars selling happy space cakes. In contrast, White Sand Beach is a little more slow-paced – ride the mechanical bull at the Buffalo Bill Steak House; watch live fire shows and bands at the beach front Sabai bar; or simply chill out on a futon at one of the fairy lit bars along the beach.

An evening on White Sand Beach

How to get from Bangkok to Koh Chang

The cheapest and quickest way to get from Bangkok to Koh Chang is by bus or mini van. You can catch a bus from the Ekkamai bus terminal next to BTS Ekkamai station, or catch a mini van from the Victory Monument. If you get the cheaper bus, it costs around 200 baht, whereas the mini van costs 400 baht per journey. The mini van, however is a little faster than the public bus (you can catch mini vans every 20 minutes or so from 6am in the morning).

Whichever bus you choose to take, you’ll be dropped off in Trat. When you get off at Trat, catch a songtaew to Laem Ngop pier. Ferries run hourly throughout the day to Koh Chang from here.

If a 5 hour bus/ferry journey from Bangkok to Koh Chang sounds a little too much for you, you can always fly to Koh Chang instead.

Shops and hostels at Lonely Beach

Homesick For Thailand

Posted on February 22, 2014 by koomatzu

After only three days of being back in England, I already felt painfully homesick for Thailand – worse so than my homesickness for England in reverse. When I arrived back at London Heathrow airport, I reveled in the cockney accents and the feeling of ‘fitting in’ with my brethren… But my excitement to be home was short-lived from there on out.

If I can sum up my return to England in three words, it would be: underwhelming, depressing and dull. For the first couple of months anyway… the grey winters of England have a hard time living up to the glitz of Bangkok.

Homesick for Thailand

But! Moving on from my depressing pining for Thailand – until my future return, let’s focus on the things I love about the most amazing country – my true spiritual home – in the world:

Firstly, the weather: In Thailand it’s always warm and sunny – you can sit outside whenever you want, take a walk whenever you want, or go see friends whenever you want. The warm weather allows people to be much more sociable and flexible in their lives, whereas the weather in many European countries can completely limit people and affects their moods. The permanent greyness and rain really do make you feel caged up and trapped inside your own home.

Creativity and quirkiness: The Thais are so creative! Now, I’m not talking about music or movies, I’m talking about the little things in daily life. Thai people make so much effort to add a little humour and colour to their homes, stalls, shops etc: Hanging beer can decorations, potted plants, ferry lights, and general clutter make every single street in Bangkok charming and interesting. I returned home to England at Christmas, greeted by a dull slap in the face of poxy, lazy Christmas lights hanging sorrily in the city centre. I mean, really England? Bangkok isn’t even a Christian country yet it’s decorations wiped the floor with the drab, dark streets of Bristol. Somebody in Bristol needs to get fired me thinks.

Modern life: Bangkok is modern, young, fresh and creative – I came to the realization that the west evolved/ modernised a little sooner than Asia but this isn’t necessarily a good thing. Thailand is just about coming into bloom with all it’s cool new restaurants, sleek bars, colourful office spaces and spectacular sky scrapers. I think this contributes towards Thais exercising a lot more creativity too – ferris wheels at festivals, cheeky mascot characters in office spaces, and intricate vintage themes in bars. Bangkok is definitely a city for young people. Unsurprisingly, Bangkok has been recently ranked as the number 1 city for expats to live in due to it’s great social life.

Toilet hygiene: The Thais really do rule the world when it comes to toilet hygiene! I mean, you do not get any cleaner than the toilet’s best friend, the ‘bum gun’ as it is so affectionately called by Thai expats. Coming back to England, I can’t believe we don’t have bum guns in the west… Seriously, I feel like some kind of neanderthal returning to the stone ages… Tissue paper? Really?! (Of course, let’s just ignore the squat toilets in Thailand for now because I really really hate those)

Thai people: I miss Thai hipsters and their awesome styles; the little pyjama grannies brightening up the backstreets; the cheerful street vendors easily impressed by a farang’s rubbish Thai skills; and I miss the cheeky little ‘krap poms’ I used to hear every now and then (FYI: translates to ‘yes sir!’). Not only do I miss all the colourful characters of Thailand, I also miss that all important attitude that characterizes the Thai race so proudly around the world: The ‘Mai Ben Rai’ attitude. All the petty little things in life – Thai people’s answer is to rationally react with a charming smile… because it just doesn’t matter! Sometimes when you think with clarity and peace of mind, you realise that life’s too short for stupid little quarrels and qualms. But Thai’s think like this all the time – there’s no petty road rage, no over-worrying… nothing matters. That is Mai Ben Rai. When you step in front of a moped without thinking, and brace yourself for some sweary anger, you are pleasantly rewarded with a lovely, warm smile…

ASBO Free: I think ASBOs are solely an English thing. ASBO = Anti-Social Behaviour Order. This is what we call all the naughty kids and teenagers in England. ASBOs have a tendency to loiter outside corner shops looking ugly and antagonising their elders. But in Thailand… the kids are so well behaved! Awww! Not to mention kids in general are much more quiet and unnoticeable – it’s all about the adults in Thailand, oh yeah!

The Language barrier: Language barriers can actually sometimes be a good thing – overhearing ‘interactions’ between douchebags in your home country can be pretty depressing. I’m sure there are plenty of douches in Thailand too, but hey, what you can’t see can’t hurt you. I can’t tell when people are being douches in Thailand because I can’t understand what they’re saying. Ignorance is bliss…

Dignified dressing: In England, as soon as the sun comes out, the streets become a shameless strip show, a nationwide flesh-fest. Generally, people cover up much more of their body in Thailand. Whether this is for humble reasons or because of fear of tanning – to me, it’s all a lot more graceful and dignified. No nude sunbathing, no eyefuls of skin… it’s all just left to the imagination.

Movie edits and cuts: This one will probably have people shaking their heads in disagreement, but I loved the movie edits when I’d watch Fox movies and HBO in Thailand. With the Thai edits, you end up missing out on the fked up rape scenes and torture scenes in horror films. Watching movies is all a whole lot more pleasant in the protective bubble of Thai TV editing =] (Bring on the happy Disney films any day)

Food EVERYWHERE: You’re never hungry in Thailand! There’s always a street vendor hiding around the corner somewhere, selling some kind of Thai snack or treat – bags of fruit, meat skewers with chili sauce, sticky rice and cheap Thai meals. Not to mention all the MSG makes everything so damn tasty! Nothing is better than a plate of Khao Man Gai from a street vendor at 3am in the morning after a late evening in the pub.

So for all those of you going through a hard time of homesickness – be strong and stick with it, because Thailand really is a special place =]

Suan Luang Rama IX Park Bangkok

Posted on February 15, 2014 by koomatzu

Despite being lesser known than Bangkok’s other parks, Suan Luang Rama XI Park is the biggest in the capital at over 200 acres big. With a plethora of themed gardens and a huge flower display in commemoration of the King of Thailand, a visit to the park makes a refreshing rest from the craziness of Bangkok city.

King Rama IX Park

Close to the entrance of King Rama IX Park, you’ll find a hedge maze, a huge lake and an S&P restaurant. The S&P restaurant has a small terrace overlooking the lake if you fancy fuelling up or cooling off in the air con before taking a walk around the park. If you feel like it, you can even take a quick ride on the rather aged pedalos just outside the restaurant.

Just beyond the lake, you can see a prominent futuristic-looking building which houses a museum dedicated to the King. I’ve not visited myself, but for anybody interested in Thailand culture and the King it might be worth a look.

Past this point of the park it’s ridiculously easy to get lost in the hugeness of the grounds. Deep within the grounds though, there is plenty to explore: a plant nursery, botanical gardens, an outdoor gym, tai chi classes and, best of all, a beautiful Thai pavilion that sits right in the middle of a peaceful lotus pond.

King Rama IX Park is also home to a number of themed gardens from around the world including an Italian garden, French garden, a Japanese bonsai garden, American cactus garden and even a garden of giant topiary animals.

December Flower Festival Bangkok

The best time to visit King Rama IX Park is during December, the King’s birth month, when the park comes alive with amazing, colourful flower displays. The flower displays are absolutely huge and offer a mix of both tasteful flower beds as well as other quirky plant-related scenes. From sun flower gardens and rainbow patterned flower beds as far as the eye can see, to life-sized flower people, flowerpot Wellington boots, giant heart-wreaths of roses, and quaint little ‘play house’ style settings.

However, during the flower festival in December, King Rama IX Park is considerably busier than the rest of the year. The park grounds are teaming with local kids on school trips, camera-trigger happy Japanese tourists and teams of wedding photographers snapping photos of young couples.

In fact, I’ve never seen so many brides in one place as I have at Rama IX Park during the Bangkok flower festival – I must have seen five different wedding couples in the space of one hour. Despite the hugeness of this flower festival though, there are still a few Western tourists that seem to visit the park.

How to get to King Rama IX Park

The King Rama IX Park is only really reachable by taxi as it’s about a 15 minute drive away from the nearest BTS skytrain station. The nearest BTS skytrain station is Udomsuk station – from here, it’s best to catch a taxi. Ask the taxi driver to take you to ‘Suan Luang Rama gao’ and he should know where it is.

Suan Luang Rama IX Park is located close to Paradise Park Mall and should cost around 70 Baht for the journey. Once you get to the park, you will have to pay a 10 baht entrance fee – can’t really complain about such a cheap entrance fee…

Top 5: Local Thai Eats In Bangkok

Posted on February 8, 2014 by koomatzu

Are you itching to try some real Thai food in Bangkok? Screw all the fancy Thai restaurants, when you dine out off the beaten path – local style – then you can truly experience Thai food in Bangkok.

Not only do the local Thai restaurants in Bangkok serve hearty and traditional cuisine, but they ‘re also super cheap if you’re travelling on a budget. At most of the Thai restaurants popular with the locals, you can dine from just 70 baht per person… And remember that these restaurants are popular for a reason.

Thai Style Restaurants

Local restaurants in Thailand have a very different vibe to the more mainstream restaurants which are aimed at tourists, they’re worth visiting if you want to see a real part of Thai culture that you could otherwise completely miss.

A typical experience dining in a local Thai restaurant is casual, where diners share food platters in the middle of the table, are served drinks from shabby metal trolleys, drink from 5 litre beer towers and maybe even get to hear a Thai folk music performance from a local singer. A really popular feature of some local restaurants in Thailand, also seems to be the do-it-yourself barbecues, where patrons cook their own food on the table in front of them.

For the best local Thai restaurants in Bangkok, here’s my personal top 5:

1

Banrie Coffee is by far my best Thai restaurant in Bangkok. It’s open 24 hours a day, has live music, cheap beer towers, a cute beer garden, laid-back atmosphere and simple good food. Banrie Coffee is perhaps a little more sophisticated than your average local Thai restaurant, it’s more of an evening hangout for both young Thais and expats in Bangkok. But not only is it a cool hangout, but this Thai restaurant also has an extensive menu of Thai cuisine at an affordable price, complete with a fairy-lit urban garden.

2

SD Bar BQ is an all-you-can-eat buffet style restaurant in Bangkok, totally Thai style and packed full of cheerful locals. It’s not got the cheapest of prices by local standards, but for the range of dishes on offer and the unlimited food, it’s really not bad value at 129 baht per person. In fact if you’re looking for a place to sample a complete range of Thai cuisine, SD Bar BQ Buffet might be just what you’re looking for.

The layout of SD barbecue is casual and authentically Thai – tables are set out in long lines of benches with holes in the middle to barbecue your own food. Yep, this is a typical do-it-yourself barbecue-style restaurant (and it get’s pretty damn hot too) – of course there are other pre-cooked options available too if you don’t feel like cooking your own food. (Tip: another good barbecue restaurant in Bangkok worth visiting is the rooftop restaurant Bar-BQ)

3

Yong Lee is a Chinese-Thai style restaurant which has been around for almost 50 years and definitely looks it’s age. With grease splattered walls and tattered old menus, this is about as local as it gets. The restaurant itself is nothing fancy but the food is still pretty good for an off the beaten path visit.

Food at Yong Lee can be a little more adventurous, with Chinese fried bowels and beef tongue soups, however there are also a range of traditional Thai dishes too. Yong Lee is great for a casual lunch off the beaten track in Bangkok.

4

The Good View is a more extravagant restaurant compared to many other typical, local Thai restaurants in Bangkok. In fact, this is probably the most expensive restaurants out of my top 5 local Thai restaurants in Bangkok.

Located on the riverside, the restaurant has sophisticated wooden decking, a fairy-lit terrace and an indoor bar area with live music performances and a dance floor. It’s still pretty off the beaten path though, and has an extensive Thai, Western and Japanese menu with plenty of typically Thai beer tower’s available. If you’re after a special or romantic night out in Bangkok, Thai-style, then try Good View.

5

Sabai Jai Gai Yang, like Yong Lee and SD barbecue, is another humble little eatery in Bangkok. With a battered menu, plastic tablecloths and a modest karaoke-style folk stage, the restaurant maintains a casual yet lively atmosphere. It’s specialty is grilled chicken, however it has an extensive menu of Thai dishes and is great for sampling the local cuisine.

Picture by leolaksi

Golden Mount Wat Saket Temple Fair Loy Krathong

Posted on January 28, 2014 by koomatzu

What is Loy Krathong?

Loy Krathong is a festival in Thailand celebrated every year during the full moon in November. It’s one of the most popular and famous celebrations in Thailand along with Songkhran; People from all over the country journey to their nearest river, lake or pond, to float their own individual ‘krathongs’ to pay respect to the water spirits. The Loy Krathong celebrations symbolize letting go of one’s hatred, anger and sins. You’ll find krathong floats for sale everywhere during the evening on Loy Krathong day from just 10 baht per float.

Golden Mount Temple Fair

During the day in Bangkok, a good place to witness some of the Loy Krathong celebrations before taking to the waterways, is the Golden Mount, also know as Wat Saket. At the Golden Mount grounds, the locals hold a lively temple fair with numerous bustling stalls, children’s fairground rides, and offerings to the Buddha in the temple.

The temple fair at Golden Mount is great for sampling all the Thai food and snacks; shopping at the clothes stalls and knick knack stalls; or winning prizes on the various shooting games and darts games – There’s even a ferris wheel too. Some of the stalls have some pretty weird food for sale at the temple fair if you’re feeling brave: fried insects and frogs on sticks – quite unusual snacks even for Thailand.

Offerings to the Buddha at Golden Mount

Golden Mount gets really busy during the Loy Krathong festivities, so it’s best to be prepared for some big crowds during your climb up the temple stairs. Before you enter, you need to make a 20 baht donation at the stall at the bottom of the stairs. In exchange for this, you’ll be given a flower and some incense to offer at the temple. The stairs up to the Golden Mount are long and winding – and freakin’ hot – but they offer some amazing views over the Old City of Bangkok.

Watching the local Thais serenely ringing the huge bells during the walk to the top of the temple makes for an interesting journey. Once you get to the first room, you need to make your offering of the flower and incense to the Buddha statues whilst kneeling and praying. There’s a small piece of paper which has been tied to the flower – you need to keep hold of this and take it to one of the next rooms. Here, you can open it up, peel away a tiny little gold sticker, and stick it on the golden covered buddha.

For such a holy day, Wat Saket Temple doesn’t come across as particularly spiritual. Inside the temple, Temple goers seem herded through the connecting rooms which, by the way, have way too many souvenir shops. I know right, wtf? Souvenir shops inside a temple?

I suppose it’s not uncommon for a Bangkok temple, but the atmosphere is a little too commercial and busy for my liking – if you’re expecting a spiritual and peaceful experience, you may be disappointed. It’s not all bad though, at the very top of the temple there is a beautiful golden Chedi draped with red cloth and windswept flags. Even with the hordes of people queueing to snap photos, it’s a beautiful sight and there are breathtaking views over the city which are worth seeing.

How to get to Wat Saket Golden Mount

If you happen to be staying near Khaosan road or the Banglamphu area of Bangkok then Wat Saket Golden Mount can be easily reached on foot. Alternatively, you can take a taxi or canal boat – perhaps the canal boat might provide a more scenic route. If taking the canal boat, look out for the stop called ‘Phan Faa’ and get off there. If taking a taxi, most drivers should know it if you mention ‘Wat Saket’.

Mansion 7 Haunted Mansion Bangkok

Posted on January 9, 2014 by koomatzu

A more extreme take on the traditional haunted house experience, Mansion 7 in Bangkok has created it’s own badass version ghost house especially for adults. This is not for the feint hearted…

What is Mansion 7?

There seems to be a wee bit of confusion as to what exactly Mansion 7 in Bangkok is. I’ve seen descriptions of it as a spooky themed mall and other descriptions of it as a nightlife centre full of bars and pubs. Well… it’s not either of those. Mansion 7’s main feature is it’s haunted mansion experience; Other than this, it has one gift shop, a small cocktail bar, a snack bar and a few pool tables, air hockey tables and table football.

Mansion 7 is pretty derelict and devoid of customers – I guess this just makes it all the creepier but I don’t know if it will be able to stay open much longer! It’s unpopularity in Bangkok isn’t that surprising though to be honest. The outside lobby area of the actual haunted mansion is rather disappointing.

The large Mansion 7 lobby, or ‘playground’ area, has an open snack bar with cool background tunes and plenty of table games. This includes some very cool, peculiar-shaped pool tables, however many of these sadly seem to be out of order. Then there’s the cocktail bar, perhaps the most expensive bar I’ve come across in Bangkok yet (other than the famous Sky Bar): A small bottle of Heineken beer costs 280 baht (about $9 or £6) and a bottle of soda water costs 80 baht – so be warned.

The Haunted Mansion Experience

The main centre piece of Mansion 7, the haunted mansion has three background stories for you to choose from. You can read about the different stories just outside the entrance to the haunted mansion and pick your scenario for the ‘ghost house’ experience. We picked one about a deranged, brain damaged prisoner – joy!

If you’re wearing flip flops, you’ll be asked to change into a pair of shoes at the entrance (so that you can run safely for your life) and leave your camera, phone, bag etc in a locker outside. The staff then give you a set of rules to read through (i.e. don’t freak out and punch the actors) and then a rope for you to both hold onto so you don’t get separated (scary!).

I’ve got to admit, I never really thought of myself as a screamer before, but I proved myself wrong at Mansion 7! The haunted mansion is pretty damn scary: pitch black dark rooms, doors slamming behind you and all sorts of horrible surprises. And I bloody HATE the dark too! Opening doors into the next room was one of the hardest and creepiest feelings. Oh, and being chased by crazy, psycho mentalist prisoners. Seriously, not for nervous people!!

The haunted house at Mansion 7 costs 320 baht each – quite expensive by Bangkok’s standards but good fun nonetheless. For this price, the haunted mansion was also over rather quickly, probably all of about 10 minutes long. But… I was pretty glad it was over to be honest, I think I would have had a heart attack if it had lasted any longer.

You can also buy ‘hilarious’ photos of your traumatic experience from the gift shop afterwards for 135 baht per picture. Probably the first and last photo I’ll ever post of myself on Can I Live In Thailand, here’s a photo of me and my boyfriend completely shitting ourselves:

Mansion 7 Bangkok – Worth a visit?

As the haunted mansion experience is so short, and because there’s not really much else to do at Mansion 7, I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to visit it on it’s own in Bangkok. There’s not much else to do in the surrounding area, but you could maybe tag it on to some other day trip along the same route. For example, make a detour there after shopping at Terminal 21 or Chatuchak weekend market, or hit some of the nearby (ish) nightlife on Sukhumvit or Nana Soi 11 afterwards.

How to get to Mansion 7 Bangkok

Bangkok’s Mansion 7 is open from 6pm until midnight (not in the daytime as it says on some other websites). To get there, catch the MRT to Huai Khwang station and then take exit 1 outside. Turn right outside of the station and follow the main road for a couple of minutes walk. Mansion 7 will be just on your right hand side.