Thailand Tourism News

The night has been short, as we’re not professional film editors… Even more, the computer charger of Emi burned during the work! Only one computer for 2 makes you go to bed at 4H30 morning! We decided to cancel the paramotor flight of the morning (too tired) and to prepare one for the evening. We chilled a bit in the streets of the old Phuket, saw nice old houses, met some nice personns, smelled parfumes of Orchids. Photos here When we come back to the car, surprise: it is locked. Mathieu probably parked on a forbidden place! The mission is now to get the car back; thanks to Chai, our liaison helper, who manages to talk to police! But we had to pay the fine, and finally, we laugh a lot of this small experience. We are searching the take off, but we get lost, and we pass by an Orchid farm. We decide to visit it, and see lots! Photos here The wind is perfect, the light is good! Take off for Math and Emi. We fly around a kind of street built on the sea. It is very scenic, and we invite you to visit it on the ground, it’s full of ambiances, ...

The first time we checked Samui on the internet, we noticed that it had a go-kart race track on the island.  That delighted me so much because I had always wanted to try driving a go kart. My interest in racing began with a video game.  My all-time favorite video game is the Super Mario Kart for Super NES.  Driving is so much fun when there is speed involvde: whether in real life or  in the virtual world.  It is the satisfaction of getting the best time possible for  certain lap or distance.  I have always believed that I am called to be a Formula 1 driver if I hadn’t gotten into business (Yeah, in your dreams, Mike!). And so we must do the kart to find out if I am meant to be a great race car driver. There weren’t any customers when we arrived in Samui Go-Kart at Bophut Beach.  Maybe it’s  because it was a Monday and people were still tired from partying over the weekend,  plus it was a working day. The rate for a 15 minute drive around the race track cost 500 Baht.  You can choose to drive from 2 kinds of Karts: top speeds of 40 kph or 100 kph.  We tried the 40 ...

Okay Explorers, let’s begin with a YouTube video from our afternoon at the Pattaya Floating Market… Looked like fun, huh? We enjoyed ourselves at the floating market. There’s lots to do. Our visit was on Day 1 in the afternoon. Our first priority was lunch. There are “traditional”-style restaurants scattered among the platforms in the market. But for a unique experience, you should try dining from the many boats docked along the walkway. Nestled in each boat is a full stove with a pot of bubbling broth with an assortment of spices and main dishes: chicken, pork, fish and noodles. Most of the menus are written solely in Thai, so point to the photo of the plate that looks good to you and relax at the your table. Dining is done on the floor, on a mat. Your server will bring your meal to you. Remember to leave your shoes on the walk before entering the dining area. Brian and I each enjoyed our selections. Given that this is a market there are shops selling all sorts of products. Food stalls with ice cream, drinks and snacks are scattered throughout. There’s plenty to keep you entertained. Dancers, magic acts, martial arts, Thai boxing over water and ...

Chatuchak Market, also known as JJ Market, is a popular destination for many shop owners who travel from other parts of Thailand as well from around the world to replenish inventory for their own stores. With over 9,000 shops to choose from it is easy to get lost in a wealth of choices. With thousands of booths, it is easy to understand how one can purchase everything from pets to musical instruments with a meal and drink thrown in.  Supposedly this week end market is divided into sections ranging from arts and crafts to books and magazines but don’t let this organizational structure fool you into thinking that you can easily find your way back to revisit a shop that had that special item you were thinking about buying. A GPS system would have an impossible time navigating through this labyrinth. The best method is just to wander and let chance be your guide. Located at the end of the Sky Train, Mo Chit Station, this week end shop provides something for everyone regardless of your interests. Blogger: Curtis & Mark

The Chiang Mai Night Safari is quickly becoming a huge tourist draw in Chiang Mai.  Where else in the world can you feed a baby white tiger (only 300 in the world) milk while it sits on your lap?  Or play with a baby hyena?  Or hold and feed a newborn baby puma?  We were able to do all these things and more at the Chiang Mai Night Safari!  The Night Safari officially opened on February 6, 2006 and has had over 2.5 million visitors since then.  We first watched the biggest Musical Fountain and Water Screen Show in SE Asia and then took the Predator Prowl route through the park at around 9:30 PM.  This area is primarily carnivorous animals and consists of about 27 species and over 200 animals, including lions, tigers, white tigers, bears and crocodiles.  It is a strange experience being so close to these large and dangerous animals at night, but you are perfectly safe thanks to a proven and tested safety system.  The safari-goers are seated in an open-air trolly, which really adds to the excitement of being right there with the animals.  After our hair-raising predator experience, we went through the Savannah Safari zone.  This exhibit ...

After that earth-shaking experience, we had lunch at Tesco Lotus and  treated ourselves to a BIG bowl of ice cream at Swensen’s. Big was with us this time and we discovered he also liked chocolate! This bowl of ice cream is sooo creamy, with 10 different flavors in it! And it only costs 180 Baht (around PHP 190 or USD 4.50)! My favorite would be the peanut butter pecan.  We had a fun time talking and relaxing with Big, before went on our next adventure. Big also initiated a cherry knotting contest. It so happened that we had more than 3 cherries on our ice cream. We were amused that Big would know about this western tradition. Who won? Nobody! Not one of us was successful. We need more practice I guess!  Blogger: Michael Paul & Jennifer

Pattaya is working hard to change it’s appeal from being an adult-oriented destination to one that appeals to families. Mini Siam narrows this gap with a fun afternoon out for the little ones you brought with you on your vacation. Mini Siam recreates notable landmarks from around the world in painstaking detail. Set against the backdrop of manicured lawns and gardens, the kids will have fun getting up close with famous sites previously seen only in textbooks and on television. Here’s a YouTube video with our antics at this tiny attraction. We also used this opportunity at Mini Siam to flex our photography muscles with some silly photos. Take a look. More photos are also posted on our Flickr Site here. |Know Before You Go| Appeals To: Families with children, the budding photographer who wants some zany landscapes, fans of kitsch. Suggested Stay: 1 hour Cost: 300 Baht ($10) Getting There: Directly off the main road, Sukhumvit. It’s near a McDonald’s so you can grab some food for the kids before/after visiting. Don’t Miss: Taking silly photos for your scrapbook. Visit Online: | web | BTW: Mini Siam is open until 10:00 P.M., making it one of the few attractions open late at night. Pattaya: Blogger: Benjamin & Brian

We take the plane, early morning, and fly for 1H30 to Phuket. It is for sure the first time that we take a plane with all our (heavy and huge) staff, without any problem! Thanks to TAT and Bangkok Airways! Photos here We have a car a bit bigger than other contestants, but nearly no place left for Chai, our liaison guy! We arrive in the Sukko Spa resort, it is like being in jungle, we have the best comfort ever! Even a private massage place in our room! Photos here We prepare to make our firsts tasks, and have a lunch in a typicall Thai restaurant. The waiters are laughing, because farangs (foreigners) probably never come in this small restaurant. The food is delicious, fast, and super cheap (we ate more than enough for 40 bahts, less than a euro per personn)! We arrive in the Phuket Aquarium, and we discover local faune and flora. Also, worldwide fishes, corals shows their beautys! But, to tell the truth, we had the chance to see many of them in real scuba diving opened water recently, and, of course it is not the same taste. Photos here Our programm brings us to the Phuket Zoo; we spend ...

The legend behind Doi Suthep is that the site was chosen in 1371 by an elephant carrying a piece of holy relic that had split from the original at Wat Suan Dok in the city. The elephant took three days to climb the mountain then he circled the spot three times before it knelt down and died. The central gold-leaf chedi, now 16 meters tall covers the hole where the relic was buried. The original copper plated chedi is the most holy area of the temple grounds. There are beautiful pagodas, statues, bells and shrines within the site. The wat has both Hundu and Buddhist characteristics and symbols. There is a model of the Emerald Buddha and a statue of the Hindu God Ganesh. You can climb the mountain by foot up the naga stairway (309 steps) or use a cable car. There are beautiful views of Chiang Mai city once you get to the top too. Doi Suthep is our favorite temple in all of Thailand because of its uniqueness and amazing design.  It is close to the city, but far enough away that it feels like a nice little road trip.  Doi Suthep is located northwest of the ...

Lumpini Boxing Arena in Bangkok quickly became one of our most thrilling outings in this competition. As the smell of tiger balm/sportscream permeated the arena, we were suddenly immersed in something that was obviously very near and dear to the Thai people. The arena was literally a breathing entity of boxing energy contrasted with nods to Buddhist prayer before and after each match. The clarinet led band playing ringside was curiously silent between rounds which is a stark contrast to boxing in the West. The passion and intensity of the event created an adrenaline charged activity for anyone slightly interested in boxing.  All we can say is wow! Blogger: Curtis & Mark