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Visiting Thailand’s North Provinces

July 31, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

First Things First

Although Thailand is a great place to visit, when you venture out of the main cities and tourist locations, you will often be confronted with third world conditions. While this is nothing to be alarmed by, it is something that all travellers should be aware of.

Theft and poor food preparation and hygiene skills are something that you may notice in certain areas, which is why it is important to purchase comprehensive travel insurance. Not only will this cover your medical bills should fall ill from something simple such as gastro (even treatment for this illness can be expensive), but if something should get stolen, that too could be replaced, depending on your policy.

Discover Thailand

Some of the most popular places for tourists in Thailand are Bangkok, Phuket, Phi Phi Island and Koh Samui. However, there are many more destinations that should be seen, to really be believed:

• Chiang Mai – full of traditional heritage

• Chiang Rai – situated 785 kilometres north of Bangkok

• Kamphaengphet – the name means “strong as walls” or “forts made of diamonds”

• Lampang – famous for their horse-drawn carriages

• Lamphun – located on the bank of the Kuang River

• Mae Hong Son – this town has been isolated from the western world

• Nakhon Sawan – where the rivers of Ping, Wang, Yom and Nam all meet to form the Chao Phraya River

• Nan – a province rich in rock salt deposits

• Phayao – intriguing religious sites

• Phetchabun – the name means “land of crops and food”

• Phichit – several crocodile farms can be found in this province

• Phitsanulok – a great base for those wishing to adventure throughout the north and western northeast

• Phrae – one of the largest reserves of teak forests

• Sukhothai – the first truly independent Thai kingdom

• Tak – known for the area’s beautiful mountains and forests

• Uthai Thani – rich with native wildlife

• Uttaradit – a well known port for goods transportation

Now, if that seems like a lot of places to visit, there is still so much more! The aforementioned provinces are only the ones located in the north of the country. The central, east, north-east and south are also there for you to enjoy!

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Filed Under: Thailand Articles Tagged With: Provinces, Thailand's, Visiting

4 Most Beautiful Thailand Beaches

July 30, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Thailand has one of the most beautiful beaches on the planet. For those that have traveled there they know that the beauty of this untouched place makes for some of the best vacations in the world. This is coupled with the vast amount of historical culture that abounds the countryside and there is never a shortage of things to do in this country. Because much of this land is untouched by development you will find that relaxation and peaceful living is more than possible. The reaches of the mighty have not gotten this far and that means that you will get the very best in the vacation arena, especially when it comes to the Thailand beach areas.

Khao Lak is a wonderful Thailand beach. Just a short drive from the airport, this paradise offers a remote vacation area like no other. Thanks to the area being largely uninhabited, there is lush rain forest nearby along with a whole host of wildlife to be viewed. The water remains warm in the November through December months and the fishing and scuba diving is out of this world.

Phuket Thailand Beach is another great spot. Enjoy this resort November through March. There is more than enough to do. It is a bit more crowded than other beaches as this area thrives on the tourism dollars that it brings in. The scuba diving is top notch in this area and you will also find some of the warmest most clear water in the world. There are several nearby attractions to keep one busy for quite a few days.

Phi Phi Don Thailand beach is quite the turn around. Once a remote and nearly unknown place, this Thailand beach came to life when Hollywood came in and filmed a movie here. It is now considered to be one of the most popular beaches in the entire country and is frequented by many big names. This is a site that you will not want to miss, as the views are breathtaking and the water warm and inviting.

West Railiy Thailand beach is one of the undiscovered diamonds in the rough. There is very little that is expensive here and one can stay at the “resort” for over a week and barely tap the budget. The sands are milky white and the water clear. Scuba diving is very popular here as well as the fishing. This location is only accessible by long tail boat so plan for a bit of a long ride.

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Filed Under: Thailand Articles Tagged With: Beaches, Beautiful, Thailand

Thailand Check-In – Important Checklist You Need to Know Before Departing to Thailand

July 29, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

A Thailand checklist is a guide for any travelers to prepare themselves before landing in Thailand, the land of smiles.

Getting There

There are several ways to arrive to this country depending on where you come from.

By air: The main airport of Thailand is in Bangkok called Suvarnabhumi International Airport. However, there are many other airports in every region around Thailand in order for travelers to connect to all parts of the country such as in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Samui and Krabi. A little trick is that as there is a high competition in domestic flight market, travelers should compare the air fares from more than one source before booking. Also, be careful with the initial price offered as there could be a large amount of extra taxes and surcharges applied in the further booking steps. So, make sure, you continue the booking process until the final total price is shown. The popular airlines for domestic flights are Thailand Airways, Bangkok Air, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air and Air Asia.

By train: If tourists travel from Malaysia, a train is another option to enter Thailand. Moreover, as the railway connects to every part of the country, if tourists do not mind spending a little more time on transportation, this is another option to travel around the country and enjoy scenery of Thailand.

By ship: This way is becoming more popular nowadays. There is the cruise line heading to South East Asia route, including visiting Thailand. The recommended 5-star service cruise is Costa Cruises.

Checklist before Thailand check in

1. Seek for some basic information

After choosing the transportation to enter the country, learning some basic information is always a wise idea to do before your arrival. Tourism Authority of Thailand or TAT is always a trusted and valuable source to seek for any information about the country. The main channel to connect to TAT is through its website. In addition, even when you have arrived to the country there are many branches of TAT around Thailand to serve tourists, starting from the one at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

2. Vaccinations preparation

In term of health preparation, vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, polio, rabies, typhoid and tuberculosis are advised but not necessary. If you plan to get into jungles around the border areas (connected to Cambodia, Burma and Lao), Malaria vaccination is also recommended.

3. Entry document check for Thailand Check in

For Visa, the regulations for visa can be changed without notice so when planning to visit Thailand, make sure to re-check with the Thai embassy before departing. For passport, it must be valid for at least six months from the date you arrive Thailand.

4. Prepare some money and know its currency

About currency, currency used in Thailand is Thai Baht. Its money includes both coins and notes, starting from “satang” coins, 100 satangs equal to 1 baht, 1 baht, 2 baht, 5 baht and 10 baht coins. For bank notes are 1,000 baht, 500 baht, 100 baht, 50 baht and 20 baht notes. One recommendation is that do not keep the large-denomination bank notes such as 1,000 or 500 notes or try change them to the smaller ones as street vendors or taxis don’t usually have large amount of changes. Exchange counters are also scattered around the country especially in tourist places. It is highly recommended to exchange your money at these bank counters rather than at hotels as the rate from the latter one would be more expensive. Besides cash, it is also a wise idea to bring cards with you as ATM machines are widely available everywhere around Thailand. Credit card is also accepted in many places however make sure you keep an eye on who handling your cards to avoid any cheating practices such as copying your card codes.

5. Clothes to match with the climate

The usual weather in Thailand is hot. There is a Thai joke that Thailand has 3 seasons: hot, hotter and hottest. As a result, clothes to be used in this country should be something light with short sleeves. However, trousers or a long skirt are something you should also bring at least one as some tourist attractions such as temples will not allow people with shorts or singlet to get in. Some winter clothes may be needed only if you plan to go up the hills in the northern part or north eastern part of the country during winter time, otherwise, they will be quite useless for your trip. To make sure with this, it is highly recommend travelers to check the weather forecast again before their departure.

6. Baggage check

To make your Thailand check in smoother, check the allowance of your baggage properly and make sure your bags are not overloaded. The baggage allowance is up to the airline policy so check this in your booking that issued by the airline.

After all the lists have been checked, you will be quite ready for checking in to Thailand. The final suggestion is that always find the promotional prices in advance for any services you are going to use in Thailand such as accommodations, transportation, limousines, spas or other activities. Many services are often offered great deals for advance booking.

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Filed Under: Thailand Articles Tagged With: Before, CheckIn, Checklist, Departing, Important, Thailand

Is it Safe to Travel to Thailand?

July 28, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Over the last six months, Thailand has reached the headlines across the globe. In November 2008, the “Yellow Shirts” held the International Airport at Bangkok under siege, and over the last few weeks, the country has faced another national emergency, when the “Red Shirts” decided to fight back with their protests in Bangkok. Yet, in many areas of Thailand, all seems peaceful and quiet, and there are no signs of these political protests. No sign that is, apart from the concern and worry of the locals, and the quieter bars, restaurants and hotels.

The issues behind these protests are complex, but to put it as simply as possible:

The Yellow Shirts (also known as The People’s Alliance for Democracy or PADs), agree with the concept of democracy, but also feel that people need to have some understanding of the long term economic, social and political consequences of their vote. They believe that Thaksin used corruption to gain the vote of the majority population of the rural regions of Northern Thailand, on the lead up to the 2001 elections that made him prime minister.

The Red Shirts, however, see Thaksin more as a Robin Hood character, who took from the rich and gave to the poor. They believe they would be financially better off both in the short term and the long term under the rule of Thaksin. Now, Thaksin faces corruption charges, and an unelected party and prime minister are ruling their country. As a result, they feel cheated.

Who is right and who is wrong is not for discussion here. We are currently more concerned with the impact these struggles could have on the economy of Thailand and on the number of tourists who want to visit. When the first major protests began in November 2008, many holidaymakers cancelled their trip, and having just recovered from the impact of the Tsunami, many businesses in the tourism industry of Thailand faced yet another season of lowering tourist numbers. The fallout from this is wide spread. Entire families rely on the income delivered by tourism to survive.

As such a high proportion of the population in the tourist hotspots of Thailand survive on the income of tourism alone, the majority of the locals in these places want nothing but a peaceful resolution. They want foreigners to continue to regard Thailand as The Land of Smiles.

Whilst no one wishes to encourage you to walk into the middle of a conflict, I’m sure I’m speaking for the large majority when I ask you to consider the real impact of these struggles on your visit to Thailand. Neither the Reds nor the Yellows have an issue with tourists or expats, but if you are concerned about the recent troubles in Bangkok, I would like to highlight that you do not need to fly to Bangkok if you wish to visit Thailand. You can fly from Kuala Lumpur to Krabi, or fly direct into Phuket. From there you can go straight to your final holiday destination, where a warm welcome and a peaceful atmosphere awaits – just as tourists have grown to expect from Thailand – The Land of Smiles.

Hotel Artport

Filed Under: Thailand Articles Tagged With: Thailand, travel
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