Bangkok To Chiang Mai

Posted on May 3, 2013 by koomatzu

About Chiang mai

Chiang mai is situated in the North of Thailand and is it’s second largest city after Bangkok. It can be much cheaper than the South of Thailand and the food is not only healthier but also tastier and more vegetarian friendly in my opinion. The old city in the centre of Chiang mai can feel almost like being in a tourist bubble – while Chiang mai retains it’s beauty and history it has greatly succumbed to tourism, the eastern side in particular being heavily laiden with Thai guesthouses, tuktuks and farang restaurants and bars.

While the old city is full of temples, scenic sois and the Chiang mai night market walking street, outside the Chiang mai old city is more modern and local. For the average person from Bangkok to Chiang mai, three days would probably be a suitable amount of time to spend about Chiang mai but it also depends on how many activities each individual wants to take part in.

Wat Phra Singh, the largest temple within the walled city

Bangkok to Chiang mai

You can generally travel by bus from Bangkok to Chiang mai for around 500 baht or take a train, a first class sleeper costing around 1300 baht. You may want to book in advance to be safe though. The train takes roughly half a day from Bangkok to Chiang mai and the bus is similar also. Planes tend to cost around 1500 baht each way but can vary in price – Nok airways and Air Asia are the cheapest airlines for this route from Bangkok to Chiang mai and take only 1 hour 15 minutes; domestic flights often leave from Don Muang airport in Bangkok.

How to get from Chiang mai airport to the city

Make sure to get a ticket from the taxi counter once about Chiang mai airport – it allows you to get a taxi for the fixed price of 120 baht to anywhere in the old city of Chiang mai. It is very clearly marked.

Travel Map Of Chiang Mai

Key areas of Chiang mai for tourists

Thapae gate, at the eastern end of Chiang mai old city, is the most convenient area for tourists to stay about Chiangmai; it’s brimming with both cheap and luxury accommodations alike, packed with charming and delicious restaurants, bars and ‘van’ bars that pop up on the sidewalks at night. You won’t struggle to find what to do in Chiang mai if you stay around Thapae gate. It’s easy to arrange tours and transport as there are plenty of travel agents; it is also in very easy walking distance to the Chiang mai night markets and famous Loi Kroh road.

For pure comfort and luxury, De Naga Hotel is perfectly situated in the heart of the old city at Thapae gate. A cheap nearby alternative to stay around Thapae gate is Pepper House costing from only 350 baht per room. There are many other cheap places along the road of Pepper House to choose from though.

Chiang mai old city is actually quite small and compact, being around 1.5km in length each way so it is perfectly feasible to explore the area by foot. Transport is actually a little lame about Chiang mai old city if I am honest – something to do with the mafia so I have read – so you will not find taxis around, only tuktuks and Songtaews left to wreak havoc on tourists and charge whatever they feel like.

Most Chiang mai guesthouses offer bicycle or scooter rent though – you really don’t need to look hard to find some place renting them out otherwise. Scooters cost from 200 baht while bikes start from 50 baht. The roads are relatively tame and not too busy within Chiang mai old city, however surrounding the walls is a super busy, multi-laned, heavily trafficked system which may be quite terrifying for some people.

What to do in Chiangmai

Rent a bicycle and cycle the pretty sois to explore the old city of Chiang mai at your own pace. Stop at souvenir or clothes shops, characterful cafes and the many temples that scatter the old city. See above for info on bike hire about Chiang mai.

Wat Jet Lin, one of Chiang mai’s lesser known temples that are dotted around the old city

There are many guided trekking tours available. Treks vary in the number of days they take and usually involve a waterfall visit, rafting and an overnight stay with a hilltribe. Check Travelhub in Chiang mai for a good selection of activities.

Horse riding with Thai Horse Farm. Explore the natural beauty of Chiang mai on the back of a horse by day and camp in the wilderness by night.

Drive a trail bike or ATV through the jungle, go bungee jumping or try your hand at xorbing with Xcentre or many of the other companies offering extreme sports activities in Chiang mai.

Stuff with elephants! Riding an elephant is a must for most tourists in Thailand… however without sounding too preachy, it is important to bare in mind the ethics and treatment of the animals by each particular company when partaking in elephant related activities. You can read more about elephant cruelty in tourism here. Patara Elephant Farm are a good company and their programme allows people to own and take care of an elephant for the day in Chiang mai. It’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for (i.e. good karma and a clean conscience!). I also do not recommend Tiger Kingdom in Chiang mai as the morality and animal friendliness of this is questionable.

Visit Pai. Pai is a popular mountain village amongst Thai tourists and young travellers. It is a peaceful and colourful retreat with a creative spirit ideal for a place to just simply hangout. Buses in Chiang mai leave hourly for only 190 baht bookable through most travel agents and hotels.

Visit the historical, ex-capital city Sukhothai and it’s vast ruins in the Thailand countryside.

Do a cookery class – not very original but still easy, fun and great to meet people nonetheless. Generally, the price (average 800 baht) includes a trip to a market, a recipe book and the making/eating of around five Thai meals (depending on the school). Basil and Thai Cottage are good schools about Chiang mai but there are many others to choose from.

Eat! Dining out is so much cheaper in Chiang mai than it is in the South of Thailand and in my opinion, way tastier. Dada cafe, on Ratmakka Road near Thapae gate road, do very good vegetarian and healthy food as well as great smoothies. ‘Gat Glang Wiang’ is a very pretty, hidden courtyard of restaurants and cafes sometimes with live jazz music on an evening. It is located smack bang in the centre of the old city, on Ratchadamnoen Road, with a Wawee Coffee shop at the front of it. For authentic and cheap Thai cuisine in Chiang mai, make sure to stop by the infamous Aroon Rai restaurant between Thapae gate and Loi Khor road.

Hot Chilli at the Gat Glang Wiang courtyard

Relax in Queen Sirikit gardens or the Doi Suthep national park and temple grounds. Picnic in Huay Tung Tao lake a few km north outside of the old city, either by scooter or pushbike – for more cycle routes and info visit chiangmaicycling.org

Take a two hour cruise on the Mae Ping river tour

Zipwire through the Thai jungle with flight of the gibbon

Umong temple, an unusual and somewhat unorthodox temple situated in the forests outside of Chiang mai, offer weekly meditation classes and talks in English every sunday at 3pm.

What to do in Chiang mai at night

See the performances at the night bazaar’s food court

Visit the Chiang mai Night Market Bazaar on a weeknight. Sample the food, be entertained by the free shows, marvel at the lights and spend all your hard earned money on the silks, wooden carvings and jewellery.

Chiang mai night bazaar

On the weekend make sure to check out the Walking Street (Chiang mai night market) – it seems to go on forever (in a good way) and has some really unique items for sale including loads of paintings and artwork. There are many people giving performances and playing live music in the middle of the roads too. On Saturdays you can find the Chiang mai night market walking street on Wualai Road just at the southern gate of the old city, on Sundays it is on Ratchadamnoen Road which starts at the eastern Thapae gate.

Drink. Loi Kroh road is the most popular road for nightlife among tourists in Chiang mai, however despite the immense number of bars it can be a little samey and also more geared towards men. There are mainly ‘bar girl bars’ along here but you can still find other bars if you look for them and it’s worth a gander anyway even if you do find it to be a tad sleazy. Chiang mai is really quite relaxed and mellow in comparison with the South of Thailand – meaning tuktuk drivers arent so pushy and Loi Kroh road is more subtle and chilled out without any hassle like say, Patpong in Bangkok.

Random cocktail car on south Ratpakinai Road – the south eastern side of the city.

For a different scene, grab a Songthaew out of Chiang mai old city to Nimmanhaemin Road, a much more modern and fresh area of the city where the young locals and Thai students hangout.

Quirky accessories/ furniture shop nearby Nimmanhaemin Road

From Bangkok to Chiang mai… Looking for more travel ideas for what to do in Thailand? End your holiday with a relaxing visit to the beach for some island hopping.

Trains In Thailand

Posted on April 1, 2013 by koomatzu

Do trains in Thailand get fully booked?

Do I need to book the train in advance in Thailand? In my opinion it is best to book ahead when travelling by train in Thailand just to be sure to avoid disappointment. I especially recommend it around new year and before the dates of the full moon party if travelling South. It’s not easy to book trains in thailand though… it’s a real ball ache actually. You can’t book Thailand trains online through the official Thai railways website – either you have to do it through a travel agency or make an extra trip to the train station itself before hand. If you are very lazy like myself though, you may find www.thailandtrainticket.com a useful website to book Thailand trains online.

Hualumpong Train Station Scam

I did not book the train ahead when I took a trip to Koh Samui this weekend in Thailand. The trains and buses to the islands and beaches of Thailand get pretty full up what with them being one of the biggest attractions for foreigners. However, having the prematurely anti-social spirit of a grumpy, elderly woman, I also did not realise that I was travelling around the busiest time of the full moon party. I had my hotels sorted, transport planned by the exact memorized Thailand train timetable… We arrived at Hualumpong train station one hour early before the 19.30 train was supposed to leave Bangkok for Surat Thani and nonchalantly approached the man on the tourist information counter for a timetable.

After asking a colleague about our train, the Thailand tourist information guy then informed us that the trains to Surat Thani were actually all fully booked that day. At this point I was starting to panic that I had screwed up our plans. But it wasn’t a problem – he explained to us that there was also a bus that went there… only it was due to leave in 10 minutes time. He bought us to another Thailand tourist information office and handed us over to the travel agent. Again, the new man reasserted that there was a bus about to leave in 10 minutes but it may be fully booked. My panic bar crept up slightly more… He phoned someone up to check for us and eventually turned back to us. “They have last two seats left. But they cost this much:” He got his calculator out and punched the numbers into it – 1300 baht each.

Now, from my experience living in Thailand so far, it’s never a good sign when people get out the calculator. People normally expect you to haggle when they get out the calculator, so obviously they type in some ridiculously over priced figure to start off. I did not expect to haggle over a bus ticket in an official-looking booth in a train station though. I enthusiastically nodded my head with relief. Yayy we got the last two tickets! So lucky!

…. 50 minutes went by after we bought out train tickets. Not only did the bus not leave 10 minutes after we had been told it would, but about 15 people entered the office after us and bought tickets for the very same journey. He’d just lied to us to panic us into paying more for our tickets -_-

I don’t think joint bus and ferry tickets from Bangkok to Samui should cost any more than 1000 baht. Maybe they can cost even less than this I am not 100% sure as maybe I was ripped off the 2^nd time I bought tickets also! Who knows? Either way, I’m not sure what happened. It is a possibility that the trains were not fully booked and the overly helpful Thailand tourist information guy just got paid commission from bringing tourists to book bus tickets. On the other hand though, it was four days before the full moon party and it’s a very popular route for tourists in Thailand afterall.. Being ripped off though, particularly on the very first day of a trip in Thailand, can be really demoralizing and frustrating.

Be warned and do not make the same mistake. Try booking the train in Thailand in advance and don’t let people panic you into paying more than you should. Hopefully someone else can gain something from this experience and some good may come from my gullibility. 😉

Thailand Island Hopping

Posted on April 1, 2013 by koomatzu

Island hopping in Thailand

For those interested in island hopping from Bangkok, here is a rough guide on how to get to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan as well as some ideas of what to do on the islands in Thailand. Phuket is located the opposite side of the mainland and in my opinion, the beaches are more attractive with soft, fine white sand. However these three islands are a little less built up than Phuket and ideal for island hopping in Thailand.

Personally, I get bored staying too long on a beach, even if trying my hand at some of the watersports and chilling out in the bars on the shore. However, getting to these particular islands from Bangkok can take a long time if you’re not flying, so you kind of need to spend more than just a few days island hopping in Thailand just to make your time travelling there worthwhile. However, a flight to Koh Samui costs from around 3000 baht each way.

Koh Samui

How do you get to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangnan from Bangkok

You can catch a joint ferry + sleeper train from Hualumpong train station in Bangkok to get to any of the islands in Thailand. An ideal time to catch this train is around 19.30 as this way you can get a decent night’s sleep rather than waste day time – the ferry arrives on each of the islands late morning the next day. If you book the joint ferry ticket you will be taken to a shuttle bus to connect you to the Don Sak ferry port from Surat Thani to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, respectively.

I recommend booking the train in advance for island hopping in Thailand though – it can get booked up at times, leaving you prime pickings for a stitching up by the tourist info people booking the buses. You can read my article on why you should book train tickets in advance in Thailand here. Trains to Surat Thani cost around 1300 baht each way (depending on the class).

Alternatively, for island hopping in Thailand you can also catch a bus straight from Bangkok to Surat Thani or Chumpon. From here you can take the ferry to Koh Samui etc. The bus to the Thai islands from Bangkok is slightly quicker and cheaper than the train but not as comfortable; it’s a pretty grueling journey being stuck on a bus for over 8 hours though. A joint bus + ferry ticket costs around 1000 baht if you book with Lomphraya – prices vary from company to company though. You can book tickets at any tourist office in Bangkok, it’s best to do in advance to avoid paying more or being stuck on the slower ferries and coaches.

Koh Samui

Koh Samui is the largest of the three islands and more built up too. Koh Samui has plenty of places to eat, bars on the beach and five star resorts. For those visiting Samui for the nightlife, Chaweng is the busiest and liveliest area of Samui to stay. Ark Bar Beach Resort costs around 1500 baht per night and is ideal for the younger tourists to stay in Koh Samui. Bophut is quieter but still packed with plenty of restaurants and pubs on the seafront as well as other day time activities available. This makes it ideal for couples, families or more chilled out groups of friends staying in Koh Samui. Smile House is a very good hotel to stay in Bophut costing from 1200 baht per night.

How to get to Koh Samui: You can book a ferry at any travel agents or directly at the main ferry ports such as Tong Sala on Koh Phangan or Surat Thani on the mainland. Island hopping on the ferry to Koh Samui takes roughly 1.5 hours from the mainland. Taxis generally charge around 600 – 900 baht to transfer you to your hotel from the ferry port on Koh Samui, there are some minibuses around though – one company called Travel Hut seems pretty reasonable. They have an office located around the port and charge 150 baht per person to drop you to your hotel. Alternatively, you can hire motorcycles for 250 to 400 baht per day (dependant on the engine size). It can be a fun way to explore Koh Samui island and it’s beaches, although the islands in Thailand are quite famous for their particularly dangerous roads so take care.

Walking Street, Fisherman’s Villaage

What to do in Koh Samui: If staying in Bophut, it can be a good idea to make sure you are staying in Koh Samui on a Friday. In Bophut fisherman’s village there is very lively ‘Walking Street’ every friday night, complete with fire poi shows, traditional thai performances and many stalls selling silks, clothing, handmade coconut beauty products, artwork and authentic Thai snacks. During the daytime, chill out on the beach or try your hand at windsurfing for 360 baht per hour. The conditions in Koh Samui are apparently the best in the world for windsurfing so it’s not a bad place to try it out if you’re interested. As well as windsurfing in Koh Samui, you can also rent kayaks for 250 baht.

Bophut

Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan is primarily known for it’s famous Full moon parties and Jungle parties. The best place to stay for groups of friends and good nightlife on Koh Phangan is Hat Rin. V2 Seagate Hip Hotel is situated right in the middle of the nightlife in Hat Rin at a reasonable price too. For families and couples though, a good place to stay on Koh Phangan is perhaps Than Sadet. Mai Pen Rai bungalows on Than Sadet beach are very cheap at around 500 baht. They are located off the beaten track with their own peaceful, secluded beach.

How to get to Koh Phangan: A ferry to Thong Sala from the other islands costs around 400 baht and it is worth booking in advance with one of the tour offices during the full moon party time. You can also catch a slightly cheaper long tail boat from Maenam beach pier on Koh Samui but you cannot book this one in advance. Again, you can hire a motorcycle once in Koh Phangan but I would only recommend this for very confident drivers as the roads can be very steep and.. jungly.

What to do in Koh Phangan: There are other beach parties throughout the month in Koh Phangan as well as the full moon party, you can check the dates here to plan when to go. You can hire snorkels for 100 baht per day and kayaks for as little as 100 baht per hour. For fans of the tv shows Takeshi’s castle and Wipeout, you must visit Koh Phangan Wipeout located not too far from Thong Sala pier at Laem Son Lake. It costs 500 baht for the day and they are open Tuesday – Sunday 10am until 6pm.

Than Sadet Beach

Koh Tao

Koh Tao is the smallest and most unspoilt of the three islands which makes it ideal for nature lovers and scuba divers island hopping in Thailand. There is an abundance of sea life and coral reefs for diving. Koh Tao is popular island with divers and younger travellers, it’s ideal for groups of friends looking for adventure and cool nightlife.

Sairee beach is the most popular and lively area to stay on Koh Tao but the beach is rather dirty and neglected – it’s worth a visit for the nightlife on the evenings at least though, especially the bars along the beachfront. There are many other more secluded bays such as Ao Leuk and Mango bay for prettier beaches. Koh Tao Resort in Chalok is a good medium with a cool divers community and small, sandy beaches.

It’s best to rent a scooter for 150 baht per day to get around Koh Tao as you cannot catch taxis for any less than 250 baht per journey. Taxi drivers on Koh Tao will generally want between 50-100 baht per passenger or 400-500 baht per journey and will not be haggled down to less than 250 baht.

How to get to Koh Tao: Again, you can book a ferry to Koh Tao for around 400 baht from either Koh Samui or Koh Phangan. To get from Bangkok to Koh Tao, you can catch a coach to Chumpon pier and take the ferry straight to Koh Tao. It’s slightly quicker to get to Koh Tao from Bangkok than it is to get to Koh Samui or Koh Phangan; the bus can get there in 6 hours and the Lomprayah catamaran ferry 90 minutes. You can book joint ferry + bus ticket for around 1100 baht per person. Alternatively, you can hire a minibus and driver from 3000 baht for the day, it may well make a fun road trip.

What to do in Koh Tao: There are absolutely loads of different companies which offer scuba diving courses on Koh Tao, from 1 day to 7 days in length and it is the most ideal island to do this out of the three. Alternatively, if you feel there is not enough to keep you entertained on Koh Tao alone to make it worth staying, you can just book a day trip there instead through any of the Tour agencies on the other islands for around 700 baht. This usually includes some lunch, snorkel hire and a trip to Angthong National Marine Park as well.

You can rent ATVs for around 1000 baht to get around Koh Tao, not only are they good fun and safer than scooters, but they can also get you to some of the more isolated and more beautiful bays of the island too. Koh Tao also has a shooting range and an island-to-island zip wire for more beach-unrelated fun.

Island hopping in Thailand. For more Thailand travel ideas and tips, click here.

Erawan Elephant Museum, Bangkok

Posted on March 18, 2013 by koomatzu

Located just on the outskirts of the city of Bangkok, you can find the unmissable Erawan Museum- a unique museum in that it is enclosed within a 43 metre tall, giant elephant. It was built in 1967 by an eccentric multi-millionaire resident of Bangkok to preserve his collection of antique art and to showcase the four major religions of Asia. The grounds of the museum consist of beautiful gardens with carpe ponds, ornate statues surrounding the museum and a shrine built into the structure of the towering three-headed elephant above.

The main museum and shrine

Below the elephant building is the small museum dedicated to the history of Sukhothai and antique pottery of the region. The lobby-like area above this and under the shrine itself is very elaborately decorated with an extravagant and colourful circular staircase swirling around the dome shaped room up to the beautiful stained glass roof at the top. At the top of this level, you can either take the elevator or continue climbing yet more winding stairs which bring you into the body of the elephant itself.

Lobby area inside

Here, there is an interesting and unconventional shrine located at the very top of the structure, brightly decorated with a less traditional and modern edge to it than the more historical temples in Bangkok. There is also a small window at the top where you can view the scenery and gardens from above. Due to the actual size of the gardens and museum, a visit to Erawan Museum would need no more than an hour for many people. However the gardens, although small in size, have some intriguing sculptures and attractive flora for a little extra entertainment and relaxation.

Surrounding gardens

Entry to the Erawan Museum in Bangkok costs 300 baht for foreigners and 150 baht for Thais. It is open 8.00 am until 5.00 pm daily

How to get to Erawan Musem:

Take the BTS skytrain to the terminal station at Bearing. A taxi from here should only take 5 or 10 minutes and will cost around 55 baht depending on traffic. In thai, Erawan Museum is ‘peepeetapan erawan’.

Tip: Erawan Museum is a religious site, it is wise to try to dress a little more modestly to avoid the risk of being denied entrance to the actual museum and shrine. Avoid wearing short shorts or vests for example.

Bangkok To Sukhothai

Posted on February 27, 2013 by koomatzu

Thailand is a huge country full of so many choices of what to do and where to visit. To help guide people on where to travel and what to do in Thailand, I will be starting a mini series of tried and tested mini trips in Thailand. When it comes to organising holidays in Thailand I am ridiculously meticulous and spend a stupidly long time planning the best places to go, what to do and researching the best value hotels with the top reviews.

Ruins at National Historical Park, Sukhthai

Two nights in Sukhothai

How to get to Sukhothai

Day 1: Catch the train (terminating in Chiang mai) from Bangkok Hualumpong station to Phitsanulok. For some reason you can not book the train online anymore, but tickets can easily be purchased on arrival at the train station. Check out www.railway.co.th for an up to date timetable.

N.B: A 2^nd class train ticket to Phitsanulok including aircon on the DRC train will cost around 490 baht. This train leaves at 8.30 and takes 5hrs + meal and snacks included – It’s clean, comfortable and quick with a western toilet

A 2^ndclass train ticket with fan only on the Rapid train will cost around 289 baht – This train does not include a meal and has a squat toilet instead (Quite the challenge on a bumping and jerking train). This train is also slower, taking around 7 hours. It is fine when travelling during the daytime, but it does become a bit of a bug fest at night time with all the windows open (not to mention a tad grubby).

A 3^rd class train ticket costs from around 69 baht- it’s not particularly comfortable so I would not recommend this for journeys over an hour long.

Catch the bus from Phitsanulok bus terminal to travel to Sukhothai – the ticket kiosks are clearly marked and the staff are very helpful in pointing you in the right direction. A bus ticket costs 43 baht and the journey to Sukhothai is just over an hour long. There are tuk tuks and buses outside of Phitsanulok train station which can take you to the Pitsanulok bus terminal located about 5 minutes away – the tuk tuks tend to charge around 60 baht for this.

Where to stay in Sukhothai

For people on a low budget, check in at TR Guesthouse in Sukhothai for around 300 baht per night. If you have time to spare, a trip to the main Sukhothai market is advised where you can buy some extremely cheap clothing and shoes or tuck into some of the local Sukhothai food. Also make sure to visit the Chopper Bar in Sukhothai, a few doors up from TR Guesthouse; a biker style bar where they have an awesome local musician to play american/ country infused Thai folk music every night.

Sukhothai historical park

After exploring Sukhothai town, on day 2 visit the Sukhothai historical Park – Hire a moped from 200 baht and cruise around the historical park ruins with a prepared picnic. Alternatively, catch the songthaew to the old city, and then rent a bicycle to cycle around Sukhothai historical park. It’s best to head out early in the morning or later in the afternoon/ evening to avoid the heat and the crowds. The Sukhothai historical ruins are absolutely huge, but in my opinion, 4 or 5 hours will suffice. Entry to each of the sections of Sukhothai historical park costs around 100 baht each.

Sukhothai countryside

Book a tour with Cycle Sukhothai

As well as Sukhothai historical park tours, Cycle Sukhothai also do countryside, sunset and Karma & Darma tours which are all a little more off the beaten track and show you a side of Sukhothai that you will unlikely experience as a tourist otherwise. In my opinion, touring the Sukhothai historical park is something you can easily do alone without a guide though. Cycle tours can cost from 350 baht – Check out www.cycling-sukhothai.com

Day 3: Take a taxi to the Sukhothai bus terminal for 60 baht and catch a bus back (they come roughly every hour) to Pitsanulok.

+ Optional Phitsanulok detour for nature lovers!

The charming Rainforest Resort, Phitsanulok

*Phitsanulok and Sukhothai are actually situated along the main route to Chiang Mai, so if you have not been before, it is a good idea to continue on the same train and make a visit to Chiang mai too.

The town of Phitsanulok itself, is a little lacking in things to do on it’s own. But if you hire a car or don’t mind catching the bus around, there are plenty of national parks and waterfalls to explore and experience the Phitsanulok rainforest, although they are fairly spread out.

Take a bus from Phitsanulok bus terminal to the highly recommended Rainforest Resort for 25 baht. This place is situated, if you can’t guess, in the rainforest area about 35km outside of Phitsanulok town and off the beaten track. Make sure to write the Thai address down and mention Khaeng song water fall (pronounced nam dtok gaeng song) so that you can catch the correct bus. It is a 5 minute walk back towards Phitsanulok from this waterfall. 1 night in a bungalow will cost from around 2000 baht.
The rainforest resort offers kayaking and white water rafting activities. You can also easily check out the nearby Khaeng Song waterfall where the Phitsanulok locals spend their days off for picnics and swims in the river.

A bungalow at Rainforest Resort

Road trippin’ Phitsanulok and Sukhothai. You can check here for more ideas of what to do in Thailand.

Where To Live In Bangkok

Posted on January 22, 2013 by koomatzu

Areas Of Bangkok

The best place to live in Bangkok mainly depends on each expat’s priorities and commitments they will have while living in Bangkok. There are the ‘Hi-so’ areas of Bangkok for those with good job prospects and finer tastes, and there are places to live more suited to a local Thai style for those on a budget.

Understandably, apartment rent in Bangkok typically costs much more when located closer to a BTS or MRT station. For many, once they have become a seasoned Bangkok expat they tend to grow a distaste for walking more than two minutes in the sweaty Thailand heat! Therefore, renting near a BTS station can be well worth the extra cost…

You can find the BTS, MRT and airport link routes and their areas on the map below (the green, blue and red lines respectively). Although you may want to bear in mind that some condos in Bangkok offer a free shuttle service to the nearest station.

If you plan on driving or don’t mind commuting by bus, songtaew and motorbike taxi, then you will find much cheaper condos and even more flexibility of where to live in Bangkok. Areas of Bangkok such as Bangkok Noi, Pinklao, Ratchada Thapra (both located to the west across the Chao Praya river), Lat Prao and Lak si further past Chatuchak, all provide great value accommodation.

It can be difficult to decide where to live in Bangkok without knowing exactly where the different districts, transport links and essentials are located.

Best place to live in Bangkok

Pathum Wan district – Central Bangkok

BTS: Siam, Chit Lom, Ploenchit, National Stadium

Pathum Wan stands as the central area of Bangkok and is home to a huge chunk of the mega expensive and fashionable malls of the city. For both human traffic and transport traffic, it is perhaps the busiest and liveliest area you could live in Bangkok. If you stick to the main streets of Siam you’ll find the glamorous hi-so socialites and fashionable business folk of Bangkok, yet veer off slightly to the side streets and you’ll find bustling local streets exploding with cheap stalls and food carts.

The centre of Bangkok has everything you could possibly need: Live music, yoga classes, pole dance classes, gyms, restaurant brands from around the world and even a giant Blade Runner stylee technology market, Pantip Plaza – get bored and there will probably be something going on or some kind of activity you can take up in this Bangkok centre.

The centre of Bangkok will be particularly appealing to the shoppers and expat fashionistas. Conveniently, a skywalk even runs through a large part of Siam, connecting all the big Bangkok shopping malls with Chitlom BTS stations. You’re never too far from the luxury of air con here – people in the centre really don’t like to sweat too much…

The Bangkokians in Siam tend to be very glamourous and fashionably dressed. Let’s just say walking around the shopping malls here… I feel like kind of a pauper scruffbag. If you search for apartments near the National Stadium side of Pathum Wan though, you can still find some affordable places to live and still be in a great Bangkok location.

Cost of Living in Pathum Wan: $$$$ – $$$$$

Points of interest in Pathum Wan: Siam Centre, Paragon, Central World, Siam Square

Where to live in Bangkok Pathum Wan: Budget apartments near National Stadium – 74 Mansion, Patumwan Oasis

Rattanakosin

Ferry Pier: Phra Athit

Rattanakosin is located away from the subway and skytrain systems, perhaps to preserve it’s historic roots as the Old City of Bangkok. The area is great for tourists but not so great as a place to live for expats in Bangkok. Getting around can be difficult as traffic is terrible and taxis often refuse fares and are reluctant to take passengers far.

Options are limited between taxi and ferries on the main canal and the Chao Phraya river. The district of Rattanakosin is also a little less modern than other areas of Bangkok, lacking in amenities due to the lack of expats living there. There are still expats living in Bangkok who enjoy renting in this area though, mainly those who work there or others who peacefully stick to the hidden away hippy communities.

Cost of Living in Rattanakosin: $$

Points of interest in Rattanakosin: Khaosan Road

Phayathai

BTS: Victory Monument, Phayathai, Rachathewi, Sanam Pao

The Phayathai district is ideally located in central Bangkok within very close distance to Siam centre. The BTS system allows easy travel between all the main areas of Bangkok such as Siam, MBK, Silom and Chatuchak weekend market which are all within just a couple of stop’s reach.

Phayathai is perhaps the best location in the city for public transport. The traffic is terribly busy in the area, but expats in Phayathai have access to Bangkok’s airport rail link and city link, the BTS system and the mini bus hub. Yet despite it’s convenient, central location and fantastic transport links, you can actually find some good value condos for rent in the area.

The area around the Victory Monument and Rangnam Road offers plenty of entertainment such as shopping, restaurants and Thai nightlife, plus some great bars with live music such as the Rock Pub and Saxophone Pub. Phayathai is not overly touristy so you can rest assured that you won’t get hassled too much by Tuk Tuk drivers like in Nana, Silom or Rattanoskin, but it is still an extremely busy and lively area to live in Bangkok.

In the evenings, the streets become heaving with crowds and street stalls selling food and clothing. For some expats, it can be a little overwhelming and hectic to live amongst this after a while. Nonetheless, if you love a bit of classic hustle and bustle, you can rent surprisingly cheap apartments for such a central area of Bangkok… plus it’s definitely a hard area to beat for convenience and entertainment – Thai-style!

Cost of Living: $$$

Where to live in Bangkok Phayathai: Budget – 21 Living Place, 507 Residence

Bang Rak Silom

BTS: Sala Daeng, Chong Nonsi / MRT: Silom

Silom offers pretty much everything you could possibly need while living in Bangkok and provides a lively atmosphere 24 hours a day, everyday. Silom boasts a wealth of multi-national bars, irish pubs, pizzerias, sushi restaurants, markets, malls, useful shops and supermarkets ideal for expats in need of some home luxuries. On the other hand, there are plenty of cheap, local places to eat for those living on a budget in Bangkok as well.

The Silom area of the Bang Rak district is conveniently located in close distance just stops away from the main centre via both BTS and MRT. It’s both a convenient and entertaining place to live, however this does come at a cost. Apartments are hard to find for less than 15000 baht per month minimum. By all means though, if you can afford to live in this area of Bangkok it may well be worth paying the extra money.

It’s useful to know that there are two sides to Silom that are extremely different in atmosphere. The attractive, palm tree lined western end of Silom, nearest the Chao Phraya river, is considerably more subdued and less lively during evenings, whereas the eastern end, that surrounds BTS Sala daeng and borders Lumpini Park, is quite the opposite. On the main Silom road here, as dusk falls and the highstreet shops start to close, the streetwalks begin to quickly fill up with vibrant, fairy light-covered night stalls, where you can buy shoes, bags, dresses and trinkets throughout the whole night.

The red light district area in Sala Daeng, known as Patpong, may be seen as rather seedy and unappealing to some. It is pretty harmless and easy to avoid once you know the roads though.

The whole of Silom is a popular area in bangkok to stay for tourists. This means you might get some of the usual tourist trap shouts by tuk tuk drivers and restaurant workers like ‘Oi you! Where you going? You want Thai food? Ping pong show?’. This may get annoying for some people. Not only is the Silom area of Bangkok a hotspot for locals, expats and tourists, it is particularly popular with Japanese expats, hence you will find the famous ‘Japanese Street’, or Thaniya Road, brimming with Tokyo style neon signs and Japanese restaurants.

Cost of Living in Silom: $$$$

Points of interest in Silom: Roadhouse Pub, Central Silom Complex, Patpong night market, Lumpini Park, Thaniya Road

Where to live in Bangkok Silom: Luxury – The Legend Apartments

Bang Rak Sathorn

BTS: Saphan Taksin, Surasak / MRT: Lumphini

Sathorn is somewhat more of a business district area of Bangkok and hence has a slightly more subdued atmosphere than some of the other central areas of Bangkok. Weekends are eerily quiet but the weekdays provide a balanced, lively crowd of bustling locals and business workers.

Sathorn makes a good place to live in Bangkok for an atmosphere that sits between the busy, hectic tourist centres of the city and the perhaps less interesting, outer areas of Bangkok. It makes for quite a pleasant, hidden escape from some of the craziness you might find in Phayathai, Nana and Silom, for example.

Location-wise, Sathorn is ideally situated on the BTS route just a few stops away from the centre of Bangkok, still close to all the main activity of the main city. The western end is a little more quiet than the eastern side with quaint backstreets offering plenty of local activity and cheap Thai cooking. It provides easy access to BTS Surasak as well as easy walking distance to the western side of Silom.

Just one stop away on the BTS, you can find the central pier which will grant you access to all the areas along the Chao Phraya river. For those on a budget living in Bangkok, you can find some relatively cheap apartments for rent towards the western end of Sathorn; studios start from as little as 5000 baht per month and provide a convenient base to commute or travel around the city.

The eastern end of Sathorn, towards Lumpini Park and Lumpini MRT station, offers slightly more sophisticated and professional surroundings: you’ll find the Life Center shopping mall elegant restaurants and five star hotels dotted along the main road.

Cost of Living: $$$

Points of interest in Sathorn: Jameson’s Irish Pub, Launch Pad Co-work Space, Chinese Cemetery & Park, The Life Center, Lumpini Park

Where to live in Bangkok Sathorn: On a budget – Sathorn Saint View (Review here), Baan Sathorn, Purita Apartments, Medium – Littlest Guesthouse, Thai CC Residence, Luxury – Sathorn Gallery Residences

Sukhumvit 9 – 27

BTS: Nana, Asoke / MRT: Sukhumvit

Sukhumvit is the extremely long, main road that runs through Bangkok city and connects all the areas by numerically ordered numbered sois. When you live in Bangkok, you’ll find that people use the Sukhumvit Soi numbers to explain locations to people – the smaller the number, the closer to central Siam.

The Nana and Asoke area of Sukhumvit is a hugely multicultural area teaming with expats and holiday makers from around the world. Nana in particular is a very lively and busy area of Bangkok. On the main Sukhumwit Road through Nana, it’s actually difficult to walk on the paths without being hassled in one way or another; being persuaded to buy a suit or hounded by the street stall owners along the way.

Personally, I find Nana busy in a bad way rather than a good way, and I find it a chore to make it through the hectic way of the sidewalks – this may be all fine and dandy for tourists who might actually be interested in the souvenirs for sale and the prospect of tailor made suits, but for expats it’s just a plain pain in the ass.

Location wise, Nana and Asoke make a convenient place to live in Bangkok, being only three stops away from the centre station at Siam and just a 5 or 10 minute walk to the cool shopping mall, Terminal 21. And to top that off, the area has some of the best and most renowned nightlife Bangkok has to offer. For all the modern nightclubs (many especially popular amongst expats), rooftop bars, pubs and huge range of restaurants, soi 11 is absolutely crammed full of choice in nightlife for the average person.

For the go go bars in Bangkok, ‘Soi Cowboy’ is one of the most famous ‘red light district ‘areas in Thailand for it’s choice and sheer volume of bars. Some may find the atmosphere of this area a little seedy and distasteful because of this though. Personally, other than the bars on soi 11, I’m not much of a fan of this area and think it is perhaps not ideal, or 100% safe, for couples or females living in Bangkok.

Cost of Living: $$$$

Points of interest on Sukhumvit: Terminal 21, Benjakiti park, Soi 11 nightlife, Soi Cowboy red light district

Where to live in Bangkok Sukhumvit: K-House

Sukhumvit (Soi 29 – 65)

BTS: Phrom Phong, Thonglor, Ekkamai

Phrom Phong, Thonglor and Ekkamai are known to be the posh areas of Bangkok, the hi-so place to live in Bangkok if you will. Phrom Phong in particular is recognised as where to live in Bangkok for high flying expats with professional jobs. Conveniently, you’ll find many good restaurants, hair salons, western pubs and shops catering for expats with English signs outside.

A 20 minute BTS ride about 5 stops away from Siam centre, this part of Sukhumvit manages to evade the pushy hustle and bustle of tourist trap tuk tuks and other tack that you mind find in other areas of Bangkok. It offers a little more sophistication in the form of fashionable complexes, trendy bars and clubs, and fine dining restaurants.

You can still find some charming, hidden away Thai gems such as cool bars, cute beer gardens and casual outdoor Thai buffets. Thonglor and Phrom Phong tend to be especially expensive to live in Bangkok and mainly appeal to expats with well paying transfer jobs. Ekkamai offers equally pleasant scenery and amenities though, as well as better value apartments for rent. Typically, you can find a one bedroom apartment in Ekkamai from around 15000 baht per month (£300 or $470).

Cost of Living: $$$$-$$$$$

Points of interest in Sukhumvit: Emporium Mall, SD BBQ, Banrie, Tuba Bar, Iron Fairies, Witches Tavern, Roast, Soi 55 and 63 nightlife

Where to live in Bangkok Sukhumvit: Low/medium – The Hive, Luxury – Ivy Thonglor

Wongwian Yai & Talat Plu (Thonburi)

BTS: Wongwian Yai, Po Nimit, Talat Plu, Krung Thonburi

Thonburi is located a little further out of the city centre, across the Chao Phraya river that cuts through Bangkok. In recent months, the BTS route has been expanded to include Po Nimit and Talat Plu stations, and continues to build further on.

This means that despite Thonburi’s distance out of the city centre, it is still well connected to all the main areas of Bangkok via the newly built BTS stations. It also means that apartment rent is currently very cheap in this area as it doesn’t seem to have built up and caught up with the rest of Bangkok yet. There are a many new apartment buildings popping up in the Thonburi district near the BTS stations very quickly, and they all seem to offer great value condos for the money.

Where there are advantages though, there are usually drawbacks as well. The main areas near the BTS route in Thonburi, particularly Talat Phlu, tend to have rather unsightly overpasses and carriageways running through them. There are also ongoing building works of the extending BTS route. Therefore, as the area is currently being modernised and built up, many parts are suffering a rather ugly in-between stage.

There are not many expats and tourists in Thonburi at all and you will find locals speaking a lot less English than they do in the centre. People tend to notice foreigners more and respond with more stares and giggles than other areas of Bangkok. Due to the lack of foreign influence though, the cost of living such as food and shopping prices are much cheaper.

Cost of Living: $

Points of interest in Thonburi: The Mall Thapra

Where to live in Bangkok Thonburi: Budget – Lumpini Place, Medium – Casa Condo, Parkland, Metro Park

Safety & Travel Tips In Thailand

Posted on January 21, 2013 by koomatzu

Everybody learns better from their own experiences… trial and error. But, to those who don’t have the same ‘it will never happen to me’ attitude as I do, and for a smoother and more enjoyable trip to Thailand, here is a guide for some lessons I learned the hard way, take heed…

Avoid getting mugged and ripped off in Thailand:

If it is your first time to Thailand and you’re feeling a little clueless as to how much to pay when shopping, check out our Buying Guide before heading out. Most stalls will expect you to haggle in Thailand and this is not easy when you have no idea how much something is worth in the first place.

Check your change. This applies especially for 500 notes, which look very similar to 50s. I bought 70 bahts worth of doughnuts at Mister Doughnuts, thinking it was a large chain I figured it might be a good idea to break up my 1000 note in my pocket. The cashier handed me my change, I glanced at it quickly to make sure it was right but then the next day when I checked my pocket, it turned out to be a 50, not a 500. D’oh!

Avoid pushy tuk tuk drivers. When a tuk tuk driver approaches you in Bangkok, and mentions it being some kind of special day – Holy day, Happy buddha day, National tourism day, whatever – or insists wherever you happen to be going is closed… don’t buy it. He will most likely just take you to a suit shop or gem shop as he get’s paid commission for taking you there. Unless you actually want to buy a suit, it’s not the most pleasant experience as you will more often than not be chased out by the offended shop owners.

It is a common occurrence, particularly in Chatuchak Market, to have your bag slashed with a knife and the contents stolen. If possible, keep your bag in front of you and be very aware of the people around you in busy places like this.

Bag snatchers generally tend to work on motorbikes and in Thailand it is perfectly acceptable for motorcyclists to drive on the sidewalk. Although most motorcyclists are perfectly honest citizens, be aware when you hear them approaching and always have your bag on the opposite side to the roadside of wherever they will be driving in order to deter them. Avoiding short strapped ladies handbags and wearing your bag across your shoulder will help enormously.

Bag snatchers have been known to drive by and steal bags which female tourists place beside them when they get on Tuk Tuks. Wherever you are, always keep a hold of your belongings – wrap the strap around your leg… whatever you can.

Shopping Guide: Prices In Thailand

Posted on January 19, 2013 by koomatzu

Thailand Shopping Price Guide

Haggling and bargaining for prices in Thailand is standard shopping practice but it’s not always so easy for a foreigner shopping in Thai markets when, for example, you don’t know how much clothing typically costs; Not to mention when you are buying something in an foreign currency as well. Some of the street vendors in Thailand can be… a little untrustworthy and sneaky when it comes to giving prices to a ‘farang’…

They may well act charming and generous, offering you discount and ‘special prices’, but in reality some of them will take advantage and you may well end up paying as much as five times the actual price. So for anybody new to shopping in Thailand, wondering how the hell much stuff is supposed to cost and worrying if they’re being scammed or not… here is a rough Thailand shopping price guide for you!

Please note that these prices are rough… they are merely the cheapest prices I have found so far in Thailand and individual products may differ in quality and value:

Average prices in Thailand

Small pineapple or melon chopped fruit bag 10 baht
Whole dragon fruit chopped 15 baht
Corn on the cob 15 baht
Pack of 5 pomelo segments 20 baht
Large rose apple or pineapple fruit bag 20 baht
Small bottle of pomegranate juice 40 baht

Ipod cover 100 baht
Knockoff Beats By Dr Dre earbuds 80 baht
Knockoff Beats By Dr Dre Headpones (Medium)150 baht
Knockoff Beats By Dr Dre Headpones (Large) 300 baht
Fake Samsung Galaxy S3 3500 baht
Large suitcase 1500 baht
Fake knockoff sunglasses – Rayban, Oakley 100 baht

Standard T-shirt 200 baht
Fake knockoff SuperDry T-shirt 350 baht
Ladies Denim Jacket 390 baht
Ladies Jeans Shorts/ Hotpants 80 baht
Embroidered Handbag 100 baht

Thin (faux) Leather Belt 50 baht
Chunky Leather Belt 150 baht
Sarong or pashmina 50 – 199 baht
Crochet Cropped Cardigan (bolero) 250 baht
Ladies Vest 35 baht
Plain Leggings 100 – 150 baht
Flip Flops From 40 baht
Fake Havaiana Flip Flops 150 baht
Ladies Rope Thonged Sandals 250 baht

Thailand shopping tip:

Never pay more than 300 baht for a low quality pair of shoes in Thailand. If the price is more than 500 baht, then they should be decent quality shoes… even some of the fancier malls in Thailand price some good shoes from 390 baht – so bare this in mind. And for a price of more than 800 baht, you can some very nice quality shoes. I will add more when I can, but anybody: please feel free to contribute more Thailand prices (or correct)!

Applying for a Non-Immigrant Thai Visa from Kuala Lumpur Embassy

Posted on January 18, 2013 by koomatzu

How much does a Thai Visa application Run to Kuala Lumpur Cost?

A three day Thai visa trip to Kuala Lumpur on a budget – 8000 baht. Easy.

If you fancy seeing a little bit of Malaysia while doing your Thai Visa application, you can do so relatively cheaply and easily. You can get two trains from Hua Lamphong station to Kuala Lumpur, first to Penang (where you can check out George Town for some sightseeing) or Butterworth, then changing over to Kuala Lumpur. This does, however, take about two days of travelling time I believe, and costs not much less than a cheap flight. If you are flexible with dates, you can get a return flight to Kuala Lumpur from Bangkok for about 5000 baht – not too bad.

From the airport, you can catch the KLIA train to the centre of Kuala Lumpur for 35 RM (£7) and find a decent youth hostel for 35 RM (£7) per night – Explorers Guesthouse is a particularly good one for this price. Also, food is cheap in Kuala Lumpur – you can get a meal from 4 RM and catch the metro from just 1 RM. So you can get by on a small amount of pocket money if you’re on a budget.

How to apply for your Non-Immigrant Thai Visa and what to expect

It’s important to make sure that your stay in Kuala Lumpur is no shorter than two working days. You will need to make sure you bring a photocopy of your passport, 2 x recent passport photos, 220 RM fee and all the necessary documentation. Then get to the Thai embassy in the Ampang area for 9.15am (as it gets busy). There is a metro station (Ampang Park) very close by.

Once you’ve filled out the visa form and got your receipt, you can spend the day sight seeing! Yay! But… there is not that much in the actual city to do or see in my opinion so you do not need more than a few days in Kuala Lumpur for sightseeing… unless you have the cash to go on some excursions out of the city.

You won’t be able to collect your passport and visa until 2.30pm the next working day. I’ve seen people at the embassy completely screwed because they were expecting it all to be done on the day… so they booked the flight the same day and everything 🙁

You can only get a single entry visa from Kuala Lumpur, but as a single entry visa is considerably cheaper than a multiple one, I personally think it’s much better to apply for one of these anyway. If you ever need to leave the country or go on a holiday, you can simply apply for Re-entry at an embassy in Thailand for a small fee.

Batu Caves In Kuala Lumpur