Nude coffee shop waitress video featuring Jaenae with the big boobs went viral

A video of the Pattaya-based internet-famous Arisa Suwannawong a.k.a “Jaenae with the big boobs,” featured the top-heavy model wearing nothing but an apron in a video promoting Nina Coffee Shop. Thai model who posed as a nude coffee shop waitress raised an uproar on social media last week, but told Coconuts Bangkok she made the now-viral clip in a good-hearted attempt to help out the shop’s owner, who is now facing obscenity charges.

In the photos, Ming — also wearing nothing but an apron — can be seen serving coffees to male customers. Jaenae, who has more than 365,000 Facebook followers, said she she and Ming do the shoot for free — it was their idea.

If the shop was looking for attention, Jaenae’s suggestive video seems to have done the trick, with more than 1.1 million views at this point. Saucy photos of her colleague Minggomut “Ming” Kongsawas, meanwhile, were picked up by international outlets.

She claims they stopped by the coffee shop in Chonburi’s Sattahip district after a “sexy photoshoot” in Rayong and felt bad that the cafe didn’t have a lot of customers.

“I talked to the owner, and he said that no one comes to his coffee shop because it’s far from the city, so I offered to make a video and he could share it. Ming posed in the photos,” Jaenae explained.

“I wasn’t paid for this at all. I was just on my back from a photoshoot, and I was wearing sexy clothes anyway,” she said. Good Samaritans come in all shapes and sizes, folks.

Train to Chiang Mai from Bangkok

Northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai is the 5th biggest city in Thailand. The city is remarkable greener and calmer than Bangkok and is one of the important culture and art center in Thailand. The city was once very difficult to access so this isolation created a very unique and interesting culture which can be seen in the city even today.

You can take a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai (700 km distance) or take a bus but the most popular ways to travel between Bangkok and Chiang Mai is by train. You can buy your train tickets in Hua Lamphong train station ( beware of scammers who will try to direct you to some bogus ticket offices).

Getting from Chiang Mai train station to city center takes less than 10 minutes ride. There are at least 6 trains from Bangkok to Chiang Mai from 08:30 AM till 10:00 PM in the night. The journey takes 1w to 15 hours and a first class sleeper on the train costs 1,700 Thai Baht. The train is a very popular way to travel between Chiang Mai and Bangkok so if you are planning to take the train, book in advance.

There are 1st class sleepers, air-conditioned 2nd class sleepers, non-air conditioned 2nd class sleepers, 2nd class seats and 3rd class seats options on Chiang Mai - Bangkok trains. 1st class sleepers have 2 berths and your ticket will buy one bed so you will travel with strangers. You can have sole occupancy of a 2-berth sleeper for an extra 500 baht (£10 or $16). The most popular class is air-conditioned 2nd class sleeper.

The best would be getting a night train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in a first class sleeper and spend the night on the road. This will save you hotel money and effectively it will be less tiring and time consuming than taking flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Even if you want to see the Thailand country side, night train like this is still a very good option. The last one third of the train ride will be in the daylight and you will have a chance to watch the sunrise from the Chiang Mai train in the morning. The scenery in this section is in the mountains and is particularly good.

Chiang Mai train offers a fantastic view of Northern Thailand's hills.

We recommend you to take 9/10 trains because the night travel will be very convenient and the new Chinese-built high-quality sleepers on trains at these hours are excellent. These new trains feature seat- mounted screens for watching TV and movies during your journey and aircraft -type toilets, not the old kind that drop straight onto the tracks. If you cannot find a ticket on this ultra popular trains, 13/14 is the second-best sleeper train using the next most modern cars. This train still passes the best scenery near Chiang Mai in daylight.

First class sleeping compartment in new Thailand trains. These trains serve the Bangkok - Chiang Mai services at 9 & 10. Photo - Bangkok Post

Bangkok Jazz Festival 2017 – 7 Reasons Why You Can’t Miss It

Bangkok Jazz Festival is one of the most popular music festivals held in Thailand each year. The festival was launched in the year 2003 in commemoration of the King of the country, who is known widely for his love for music, especially Jazz. The Bangkok Jazz Festival has held annually at Sanam Suea Pa, located in Dusit. The festival lasts for three days and takes place in the month of December each year.

Each year over 30,000 people from across the world visit Bangkok to enjoy this truly magical event, and many of the top Jazz artists and musicians are known to participate in the event. If you are in love with the music genre of Jazz, then visiting the Bangkok Jazz Festival is a must for you. There are many reasons why attending this festival is a good idea, and here we would narrow down 7 top reasons as to why you should be visiting Bangkok Jazz Festival 2017 –

Love For Music

If you love music, then visiting Bangkok Jazz Festival is a natural choice for you. The vibes of this festival need to be seen to be believed. The entire arena is filled with music loving people from across the globe, and it is crowded yet happy and loud yet friendly. The kind of experience you have during the Bangkok Jazz Festival is hard to match with any other experience you ever have. You would also discover some of the most talented musicians in this festival you never heard about before, and if you are a musician yourself, rest assured you would learn a lot from this musical experience.

Love For Jazz

For people who love Jazz, visiting Bangkok Jazz Festival is like a pilgrimage. The festival would be attended by Jazz lovers from across the globe, and you would get to listen to some of the top performers in the music industry. The festival attracts a lot of new Jazz artists as well. If you love Jazz music, then this festival would ensure that you fall in love with this genre all over again. The live performance by different artists and in a different form would give your ears something new and exciting to enjoy after long.

For people who love Jazz, visiting Bangkok Jazz Festival is like a pilgrimage

Network With Jazz Musicians

As mentioned above, the Bangkok Jazz Festival is attended by over 30,000 people each year, and in 2017, this number is speculated to increase drastically. It means that you would get a chance to meet a lot of individuals from different countries, backgrounds, and culture. It is truly an international experience in a setup that is based on love for music and jazz. So, get ready to meet some of the interesting musicians as well as music fanatics when you visit this festival and rest assured, the experience would be worth it.

Watch Top Performers Live

Each year many top Jazz artists from across the globe perform live at Bangkok Jazz Festival, and the scale and the grandeur of this festival in 2017 are only going to be bigger than the previous year. So, get ready for some extravagant surprises and see some of the largest names in the music industry and top jazz performers live in action at the festival. You might even get a chance to meet some of these artists and musicians as the festival happens in a very friendly atmosphere.

Get ready to see some of the top jazz performers live in action at Bangkok Jazz Festival 2017

International Crowd Of Music Lovers

The Bangkok Jazz Festival, as mentioned above, is one of the biggest events for the genre of Jazz and people who love Jazz music flock into the festival from across the globe. Whether you simply love Jazz music or a professional Jazz trained musician, you would get to know many musicians and people from different country, which would be an exciting as well as a learning experience for you. It won’t be another event where people look bored while the artist continues to carry on singing with little to no interest. Everyone you see at the event has a love for music and jazz, and that is the reason they are present there. It means that you would find many like-minded people there, and it would be lovely interacting with them and sharing your taste in music and jazz playlist with them.

Make New Friends With Similar Music Taste

When you visit Bangkok Jazz Festival, you would invariably end up making a lot of friends who has similar taste in music and love jazz equally. It is an excellent platform for the jazz lovers from across the globe, and you would love witnessing the event as well as meeting new people with similar taste in music. Many of the connections you make here can also help you with your profession if you are a musician.

Discover New Jazz Artists

Even if you are one of the biggest fans of Jazz, it is entirely possible that you don’t know about all the talent out there in the world of Jazz music. As each year, more and more Jazz artist participate in the event, it helps you get introduced to some of the most talented and budding Jazz artists from across the globe. You would be able to know more about the Jazz music as a whole too. Many of the artists who participate in the event can also be found at the Jazz themed Gastropub named Apoteka in the Sukhumvit Soi 11. It is one of the most popular and lively gastropubs in town with a lot to offer regarding food, drinks and fantastic music to its customers.

These are the few reasons why visiting Bangkok Jazz Festival is a must for you, especially if you love Jazz.  It would help you indulge in the kind of music you love like never before, and most of all, the festival is an all-inclusive experience, and music is just a part of it. It ensures that you have a lovely time listening to some of the best jazz live music, meeting new people, networking with musicians from across the globe, and get to learn a lot more about Jazz than what you knew before.

Where to stay in Pattaya?

Although it is still known as the sex tourism capital of the world, Pattaya is trying to develop some family friendly image to attract more diversified segments of tourists. In a sense, Pattaya is quite there already: many families flock to Pattaya from capital Bangkok for a weekend holiday and we see increasing number of tourists going to Pattaya for its sun, beaches and activities. But even if you are not into red light districts and their workers, the `trade` is quite obviously done out in the streets and clubs. So if you will not be able to stomach the `scene` it may still be better to not visit Pattaya. On the other hand, if you are going to Pattaya to bang, it will be a paradise for you.

Pattaya's city center is quite straight forward. The city lies in the north-south direction, parallel to the sea. Between the sea and the city, there is Pattaya Beach and Beach Road running parallel to the sea and the beach. In the south, Beach Road becomes Walking Street, the infamous Red Light District of Pattaya. Inside Pattaya, Second Road runs parallel to Beach Road and these 2 are connected to each other with 3 main roads and many narrow sois (see the map below).

Pattaya is indeed offering a lot of fun other than its naughty night life. It is a heaven for water sports lovers and the city also offers golf, horse riding, bungee jumping, swimming and etc.

Where you should stay in Pattaya depends on why you are in Pattaya. If you are in for the `trade` you would like to stay near Walking Street. If not, Jomtien Beach will be a more family oriented and tranquil place to stay.

Most hotels will allow you to bring your "hourly" or "nightly" friend to the hotel. This means some do not, so if you are planning to bring in someone, then you should be sure that you can do it. Some luxury hotels will charge extra "joiner fee" to discourage you to bring in new "friends" so this is also something to check. Security will keep the identity card of your new friend for your safety. If this new friend is younger than 20, many hotels will not accept her/him.

Another thing to know about Pattaya hotels is the smoking free room issue. Many do not have it. Most of the hotels with smoke free rooms will have a limited number of them. If you have an issue with tobacco and its smell, stick to hotel chains and luxury hotels.

Pattaya map and its main streets

South Pattaya - Pattaya Walking Street

South Pattaya is in fact is not the southern most area in the city (to the south you have Buddha Hill and Jomtien Beach). Pattayaland and Walking Street are here in South Pattaya. Walking Street is the main tourist attraction in the city and is the red light district. There are many beer bars, go-go bars, brothels and small stalls selling many things you can buy and eat. This 20th century Gomara is worth to visit even if you are not into the trade here.

Pattayaland is the poster child of Pattaya with its neon filled space. The place is in fact nothing compared to Walking Street (only 8 and so go-go bars here).

There are many hotels in South Pattaya. Cheaper ones tend to be on bars or other establishments and may be very noisy. For the hotels, their room prices and customer reviews refer to South Pattaya hotels, and Walking Street hotels pages.

Pattaya Walking Street

Soi Buakhao, Soi LK Metro and Soi Honey
You can find cheap hotels, hostels and guest houses in Soi Buakhao, Soi LK Metro and Soi Honey. Very noisy and many hotels here does not have online booking but you can just show up in the reception and book a hotel.

Jomtien Beach
Jomtien Beach is seperated from Pattaya Proper by Buddha Hill and is quite quite and clean compared to Pattaya city center. The beach is a heaven for water sports lovers and kids will find it entertaining in amusement and water tower.

If you want to be a little away from the circus in the south Pattaya, this is a very nice place to stay. For Pattaya hotels here go to Pattaya Jomtien Beach hotels.

Pattaya Jomtien Beach

Islands Near Pattaya

For many, islands near Pattaya means a daily tour but you can indeed stay in some of them. Ko Lan is the most famous and largest one offering many hotels and resorts.

Ko Lan

Where to stay in Krabi?

Receiving tens of thousands of visitors, Krabi Province along southern Thailand’s Andaman shores is not as famous as Phuket but ıt is as beautiful as Phuket. Krabi features idyllic palm-fringed beaches, sparkling waters dotted with exotic islands, elephant trekking, rock climbing, fantastic dive sites, many water sports activities, a wide range of hotels and resorts and Thai and western dining. In terms of a travel destination in Thailand Krabi is fairly new, and this is one of its main advantage. It is less developed and spoilt compared to Phuket.

Not many people know that the iconic Phi Phi Islands are within Krabi Province’s jurisdiction. Phi Phi offers not only breathtaking beauty, but hedonistic nightlife, and great scuba diving and snorkeling as well. But Phi Phi just one of many great holiday destinations in Krabi. The 160 km coastline is a veritable treasure trove of natural delights, and even Krabi Town itself has a quirky attraction to it. You can find a colorful night life in Ao Nang and Koh Phi while Railay Beach is a must-visit experience.

Here we will look at some places you can stay in Krabi. Instead of going to individual Krabi hotel recommendation, we will look at some major towns, beaches and islands you can stay in Krabi.

Krabi Town

Krabi, a modest-sized town of about 20,000 inhabitants, is one of the oldest settlements in Thailand, with roots going back thousands of years to when it was a ‘kraal’ containing mainly elephants. Of course the only reminders of this rich history are natural sites such as Tiger Cave, but the town itself retains an undeniable, almost timeless rural charm. The Krabi River, running through the town, also adds to the allure with a riverside market, guesthouses, restaurants and atmospheric cafés. For shopping, Krabi Town does not particularly shine, but it does have interesting textile shops, fresh markets and several large stores on its outskirts. An early evening relaxing stroll through its streets will reveal its laid-back and unassuming personality.

For hotels with their prices, customer reviews and available discounted room rates, you can visit Krabi hotels page.

Krabi Map

Ao Nang

Beachside, bustling and directly aimed at the tourist market, Ao Nang is changing monthly. By road, Ao Nang is 20 minutes from Krabi Town and Klong Muang Beach, and a minute or two from Noppharat Thara Beach. Via the sea, Railay’s beaches (including Ton Sai) and a grab bag of small intimate islands are mere minutes away. Ao Nang has a decent nightlife and quite a few reputable restaurants, and it’s possible to walk from one end of town to the other. Several clusters of bars provide different ambience, with the newly renovated Center Point on Beach Road at the town’s nightlife nexus. Shopping is a relaxed affair here, with good boutiques lining the road out to Noppharat Thara Beach.

For hotels with their prices, customer reviews and available discounted room rates, you can visit Krabi Ao Nang hotels page.

Railay Beach

One of the most famous beaches in Thailand, Railay’s distinct craggy and striking appearance is etched on many a visitors’ memory. The distinctive limestone cliffs that form the boundaries of the beach are excellent for rock climbing and the area plays host to many climbing schools. In just one small peninsula, you’ll find gorgeous white-sand beaches, soaring limestone cliffs, viewpoints, caves and a lagoon hidden inside the cliffs, shaped and fed by the changing tides. And all within walking distance. Because it is only accessible from the sea, the area has a mysterious allure that is only heightened come sunset. Railay is not a shopping destination and the only vehicles you’ll encounter there are bicycles and hotel golf buggies.

For hotels with their prices, customer reviews and available discounted room rates, you can visit Krabi Railay Beach hotels page.

Railay Beach Krabi Thailand

Koh Phi Phi

Iconic, unique and an idyllic party hub, Koh Phi Phi is a love-it-or-hate-it sort of place. Its undeniable beauty belies the fact that the place turns into party central at night, with groups of inebriated (and usually young) visitors on noisy pub crawls. By day, however, its beaches are iconic, with nodding palms providing shade, by turquoise waters and talcum-white sand. The island’s many day visitors tend to lend the illusion that the place is busier than it really is and at night, away from the nightlife areas, Phi Phi is a place where you could be tempted to spend the rest of your days. A major scuba diving departure point, and featuring good restaurants and colourful shopping, Phi Phi is certainly an unforgettable holiday experience.

For hotels with their prices, customer reviews and available discounted room rates, you can visit Koh Phi Phi hotels page.

Nopparat Thara Beach

Nopparat Thara Beach is located 18km west of Krabi Town and is adjacent to Ao Nang. This quiet beach lies within the Hat Noppharat Thara-Koh Phi Phi National Park and features a three-kilometre long sandy stretch lined by casuarina trees. Like most of Krabi’s beaches, you won’t find miles of deckchairs and beach umbrellas, so buy a beach mat and find the perfect spot. It’s also possible at low tide to walk from the beach across to Koh Kao Pak Klong Island in the bay. It’s popular with local Thai picnickers and those who like to swim eat and laze in the sun. The northern end has good seafood restaurants, while the southern extreme, bordering Ao Nang, has some nightlife.

For hotels with their prices, customer reviews and available discounted room rates, you can visit Krabi Nopparat Thara Beach hotels page.

Klong Muang and Tubkaak Beaches

Klong Muang Beach is situated 12km north of Ao Nang and is, to say the least, a tranquil hideaway. Its natural rustic beauty marries well with the tranquility of the area, and for a slice of ‘real’ Thailand it is hard to beat. Shopping, dining and nightlife here are all decidedly modest but that’s the very charm of the place. Tubkaak Beach, a 20-minute drive from Ao Nang and 30km from Krabi Town, is even more remote and enjoys soft white sand and a sense of peacefulness that is hard to imagine without actually experiencing it. The islands that make up the fantastic Koh Hong archipelago can be seen from the beach. You can get a
closer look on a daytrip around the islands. There is no nightlife or shopping at Tubkaak Beach.

Where to stay in Bangkok?

Cultural phenomenon, shopping haven and tourist treasure Bangkok is one of the most cosmopolitan, contrasting and, above all, compelling of Asian cities. A steamy, pulsating, yet smiling metropolis of more than ten million souls – intense at first, but addictive as anything. You can find your niche among dazzling temples, hotels of every type and size, eclectic markets, gleaming palaces, ritzy shopping malls, a famous
nightlife and the many things in between. Enjoy a memorable dinner cruise along the Chao Phraya River. Bask in the city’s warm, affluent glow at a skyscraping rooftop bar. Experience all the things – a tuk-tuk ride, a ladyboy show, Muay Thai (kickboxing) match, Thai massage – everyone always comes home talking about.

Bangkok has a tropical monsoon climate and holds claim to being the hottest city in the world. Sitting close to the equator, it is both hot and humid in equal measure, is unrelenting simply because it doesn't cool
significantly at night. The period between April and May is the steamiest (avg. 25-35° C). The Southwest monsoons arrive between May and October, and with it pouring rain and thunderstorms – for many, though, this is a welcome respite.

We will answer where to stay in Bangkok by introducing them main areas people stay in the city. Most popular and convenient are the areas around rail based public transportation stations like BTS Skytrain because the traffic in the city is just awful.

Bangkok

Sukhumvit

The longest road in Thailand, both it and its many adjoining 'sois' (sub-streets) are poor on traditional tourist attractions but rich in of-the-minute shopping, eating and nightlife. While there are touches of 'Thai-ness' on every corner, the many fashionable restaurants, bars, air-conditioned malls, luxury hotels and hip clubs give the area a distinctly modern, cosmopolitan, aspirational flavour. Some of the city's most ‘sinful’ spots, red-light districts Nana Plaza (Soi 4) and Soi Cowboy (off Soi 23) are also found here. The elevated Skytrain (BTS) helps make exploring its daunting options incredibly easy.

For hotels in Sukhumvit, their room prices, customer reviews as well as deals and discounts check Bangkok Sukhumvit Hotel page.

Bangkok Sukhumvit

Siam

Siam is the place which is nearest to be considered as central Bangkok. It is also unquestionably the centre of shopping in Bangkok, home to some of the city's most popular and important shopping centres like MBK Center, Siam Discovery Center, Siam Center, and Siam Paragon. Within Siam Square itself, there is a wide range of shops and services, including restaurants, cafés, designer clothing boutiques, record stores, cinemas, bookshops, a Hard Rock Cafe, hotels and banks. Shoppers vary, from young-aged school and college students to office workers, trend-setting city dwellers and, of course, throngs of tourists.

For hotels in Siam, their room prices, customer reviews as well as deals and discounts check Bangkok Siam Hotel page.

Bangkok MBK Center

Silom

Silom means windmill. This area was a largem empty, swamp-like field with a tall windmill in the middle. Today, Silom is one of the city's most important financial districts with many bank headquarters, financial institutions and office buildings. Fine hotels, smaller type malls and great restaurants abound in the area too -and then of course there's the infamous nightlife scene of Patpong.

For hotels in Silom, their room prices, customer reviews as well as deals and discounts check Bangkok Silom Hotel page.

Riverside

Bangkok's riverside is where its historic roots lie; the traditional heartland of this magical city with origins that read like an epic novel – complete with fallen and rising Kingdoms, heroes and traitors. One of the most fascinating and scenic areas of Bangkok, the riverside reflects a constantly changing scene day and night; water-taxis ferrying commuters and heavily laden rice barges chugging upstream, set against a backdrop of glittering temples and palaces, historical landmarks and luxury, five-star hotels. Despite some condominiums and corporate towers that have risen from the river banks over the past decade or so, the area has retained its unique identity, exclusiveness and seductive charm.

For hotels in Riverside, their room prices, customer reviews as well as deals and discounts check Bangkok Riverside Hotel page.

Khao San and Old City

The Old City (Rattanakosin) is where you'll find Bangkok's most spectacular and revered historical attractions, among them The Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho. Not only part of the Kingdom's rich past, but intrinsic to it, a day or two spent exploring here will give you a deep insight into the heart, soul and psyche of the Thai people. Part of the Old City, Khao San’s 500-metre long strip – dubbed backpacker’s street – is jam-packed with budget guesthouses, internet cafés, swanky bars and clubs, restaurants, massage parlours, travel agents, bookshops, market stalls, tattoo shops and much, much more. Once, Khao San was one of the 3 "K"s only adventurous visitors came in the Far East : Khao San, Katmandu and Kuta (Bali).

For hotels in Khao San and Old City, their room prices, customer reviews as well as deals and discounts check Bangkok Khao San Road Hotel and Rattanakosin Hotels page.

Rattanakosin

Chinatown

Packed with market stalls, street-side restaurants, shrines, Chinese medicine stores and probably the greatest concentration of gold shops in the city, Chinatown is an experience not to miss. After sunset, the entire strip becomes a food haven for new-generation gourmands who flock here to explore the vibrant street-side cuisine. The energy that oozes from its endless rows of wooden shop-houses is plain contagious – it will keep you wanting to come back for more. Plan your visit during major festivals, like Chinese New Year and the annual vegetarian festival in October, and you will see Bangkok Chinatown at its best.

For hotels in Chinatown, their room prices, customer reviews as well as deals and discounts check Bangkok Chinatown Hotel page.

Where to stay in Phuket?

Phuket is a large island in Thailand and offers a lot of places on the beach front to stay (unlike Bali, Phuket does not have places to stay inland). Most of the popular tourist destinations are on the west coast of Phuket and Phuket’s biggest resort town Patong is also on the west coast. Since many will visit Patong, many either stay in Patong or on the beaches near Patong.

On the east coast of Phuket there are also some fantastic resorts and hotels. But these are quite far from Patong and are for those who like meditative quiteness and relaxed environment. And beyond Phuket towards Krabi, there are some small islands with some fantastic resorts and beaches on them.

If you ask us an advise on where to stay in Phuket, we would recommend you to stay on the west coast in beaches near Patong. This will allow you to avoid Patong’s noise and dust but also keep you near its offerings. Kata Yai, Karon or Kamala Beach areas are recommendations. But of course Phuket is not limited to these and there are many other places to stay on the island. For those looking for calm, less developed and more natural places, the smaller islands between Phuket and Krabi are offering better accomodation options than Phuket itself.

Patong Beach

Patong is the town on the west coast of Phuket and is the main tourist resort. The Phuket Night Life with its all “naughty” elements are here as well as a lot of hotels, dinning and shopping. Patong Beach is a long white sandy beach which is quite popular among tourists.

A typical tourist stays here on his/her first time in Phuket. Although Phuket’s sex tourism is mostly in Patong and is quite openly traded, if you stay clear away from Bangla Road, Phuket’s Red Light District, you can stay completely away from this internationally known side of Phuket.

If you plan to stay in Phuket, read hotel reviews before booking because some hotels in Patong are quite near the clubs and are very noisy in the night.

For a comprehensive list of hotels in Patong, as well as room prices and customer reviews, you can check Phuket Patong Hotels page.

Phuket Map and main Phuket beaches

Karon Beach

The second most popular beach in Phuket is Karon Beach which is 5 kilometer to the south of Patong Beach. Karon does not have the best beach in Phuket but it is near enough to Patong to be near colorful dinning and night life of Phuket and far enough to be away from Patong’s naughty side.

For the list of hotels in Karon, as well as room prices and customer reviews, you can check Phuket Karon Beach Hotels page.

Kamala Beach

This is our second most favorite beach in Phuket. The first beach to the north of Patong, Kamala is near PAtong for shopping and dinning but far away from its hussle and bustle. Kamala has a small village atmosphere, nice pubs and restaurants towards to south end, a very nice beach and several good hotels.

We find Kamala Beach quite family friendly too. Beach Road to the south of Kamala Beach is where you can call its center. Quite, calm and relaxing Kamala is not as famous as Karon but in our opinion it is a better alternative to it.

Our favorite hotel in Kamala Beach is The Palms on Kamala Beach Hotel Phuket.

For hotels in Kamala Beach as well as the best and cheapers room prices and guest reviews, visit Phuket Kamala Beach hotels page.

Kata Beach

Kata has two beaches: Kata Yai and Kata Noi. And Kata Yai is our most favorite area to stay in Phuket. Perfect for families and tourists who are in Phuket to relax in a quite environment. This long beach has everything a Phuket traveler needs: a small center, a long sandy beach, clear waters, plenty of restaurants and pubs. Here our favorite is Phuket Orchidacea Resort overlooking Kata Yai. You can refer to our hotel review for this resort here : Phuket Kata Beach Orchidacea Resort

For hotels in Kata Beach as well as the best and cheaper room prices and guest reviews, visit Phuket Kata Beach hotels page.

Kata Yai Beach from Orchidecia Resort

Surin Beach

Pansea Bay at the northern end of Surin Beach is known as millionaire’s row thanks to its high end villas on the tropical hills overlooking the Andaman Sea. Rich, famous and VIP stays in Pansea Bay and the place has very few shops and restaurants.

For hotels in this area, you can check Pansea Bay or Phuket Surin Beach hotels pages.

Bang Thao

A large open bay, Bang Thao houses Laguna Phuket with its 7 luxury resorts spanning 1,000 acres of tropical parkland. We have covered this fantastic Phuket resort location in a previous post in this blog : Laguna Phuket Resort Destination.

Laguna Phuket Aeriel from Sea

Mai Khao and Nai Yang Beach

These north-west Phuket beaches are also the nearest to Phuket Airport. Mai Khao is the longest beach in Phuket (17 kilometers) and is in natural park area. But the area is not as “untouched” as it is heavily marketed by the hotels and resorts here. These are quite far to Patong and needs a relatively long taxi ride to reach there.

Beyond Phuket: Ko Yao and Phi Phi

There are some nice islands between Phuket and Krabi which also has accomodation. Recently, people who are tired of Phuket’s over-developed and noisy mass tourism environment, started to escape to these islands some of which has exclusive luxurious resorts.

Phi Phi needs no introduction. This is a must see in Phuket and most goes to Phi Phi on a day tour. But the large island of Phi Phi Don (Phi Phi is composed of 6 islands) has some hotels on it to stay. Tonsai and Loh Dalum Bays on Phi Phi has some budget hotels and hostels and north east part of Phi Phi Don has some luxury hotels like 4.5 star Outrigger Phi Phi Island Resort & Spa and Zeavola Hotel.

For hotels in the paradise island of Ko Yao, refer to Thailand Ko Yao Hotels page.

Six Senses Yao Noi Resort, Thailand

Where to stay in Hua Hin?

Hua Hin is one of Thailand’s most popular seaside resorts among overseas visitors as well as Thais. Located on the sunrise (west) side of the Gulf of Thailand, Hua Hin lies some 200 km. or a three-hour drive southwest of Bangkok and is renowned as Thailand’s most traditional beach resort. It was here, King Rama VII built a summer palace, thus creating a vogue among high society for Hua Hin as a favourite retreat from Bangkok’s summer heat. Today the Royal Family continues to reside at Hua Hin for part of the year. Hua Hin is noted for its traditional fishing port with many seafood restaurants, and a splendid sandy beach which starts from a rocky headland next to the port and curves gently for some 3 km. to its southern point where Buddhist temples surmount hilltops. Hua Hin is a well-established beach destination, with full facilities. But in contrast to Pattaya, the long-established resort on the opposite shore of the Gulf, Hua Hin provides a quiet, relaxed retreat amid surroundings which preserve a typical Thai ambience. Hua Hin is thus well suited for families or those who wish simply to escape the city bustle.

The answer to where to stay in Hua Hin question is easy: near Hua Hin Beach. This 3 km beach with its fine white sand extends from one side of Hua Hin to another. There are many resort hotels and many water sports opportunities here and beach is the main reason people come all the way to Hua Hin.

Cape Nidhra, Hua Hin (5-Star, 800 meters from the beach), Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa (4-Star, only 200 meters from the beach), Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin (5-Star, only 300 meters from the beach), Baan Laksasubha (4-Star, only 300 meters from the beach) and Citin Loft Hua Hin (3-Star 700 meters from the beach) are some of the best hotels in Hua Hin to stay.

For resorts and  hotels around Hua Hin Beach, room prices and details like customer reviews, you can go to Hua Hin Beach Hotels page.

Hua Hin Beach, Thailand. Hua Hin is a popular beach resort destination from Bangkok.

One of the good things about Hua Hin is that it has some nightlife but does not have the seedy and naughty night life of Pattaya and Phuket. With its long, sandy beach, restaurants, shops, quite interesting attractions and azure waters, it offers everything you can expect from a tropical, seaside holiday.

Khao Takiab
Hua Hin is popular and relatively crowded. If you want to be a little outside Hua Hin's tourist traps but still want to be a short ride away from it, Khao Takiab is a place to look at. This fishing village (Khao Takiab means "Chopstick Hill") offers a nice beach, clean waters, plenty of beachside dining and accomodation.

For resorts and  hotels around Khao Takiab, room prices and details like customer reviews, you can go to Hua Hin Khao Takiab Hotels page.

Pran Buri
30 km to the south of Hua Hin, Pran Buri offers sun, sand, pristine beaches, the clear waters of the Gulf of Thailand and a charming local village. You can find luxury resorts as well as budget accommodation here and hotels are quite apart so there is a sense of privacy and quiteness.

For resorts and  hotels around Pran Buri, room prices and details like customer reviews, you can go to Hua Hin Pran Buri Hotels page.

Cha-Am
Cha-Am is technically not in Hua Hin. It is a neighbouring district and a famous beach resort town in Thailand. Its long and peaceful coastline has many hotels and resorts with direct access to beach and  unlike many Thailand beaches, the beaches of Cha-Am are less crowded with people and activities.

Pattaya Night Life : Red Light Districts

Pattaya's extra colorful night life is infamous with its sex tourism offers. Although you can have a holiday in Pattaya without going into this naughty part of Pattaya night life, if you will not be able to take a very young girl/boy (sex worker) hand in hand with an old uncle, than Pattaya is probably not for you.

But if your reason to be in Pattaya is commercial sex in the first place, Pattaya is the capital of it. This type of tourism does not necessarily stop after 1-2 hour horizontal sports: there is something called boyfriend/girlfriend experience in Pattaya (and in fact in all Thailand tourism attractions) where you hire a woman or man to be your temporary partner in your entire holiday. A very good opportunity for a working lady, boy or ladyboy to empty your vallet.

Pattaya Walking Street
Walking Street is the main red-light district in Pattaya with hundreds of beer bars, go-go bars and brothels. Pattaya is famous for its beer bars and its bar girls who are for hire for sex tourists who drink there. But majority of the customers you see in these bars in fact do come there to drink and flirt with the girls without bar fining them (paying the bar fine and taking them).

Go-go bars are indoor bars where there is a stage full of bikini clad (and occasionally topless and fully naked) dancers. All the dancers and usually all the girls serving drinks are "for hire" with a "bar fine". These places are also open for those who go just to drink and watch. But you cannot take picture and camera the action inside and if you are caught doing this you may be beaten up.

Some famous and best go-go bars in Pattaya Walking Street are Baccara A Go-Go (one of the most lavish and impressive clubs in Pattaya), Airport Club (dancers in bikini style air hostess outfits), Living Dolls Showcase and Peppermint.

If you want to stay near Walking Street, choose hotel in Pattaya Beach Road area. Here are the list of Pattaya Beach Road hotels with their ratings and reviews.

When living the Pattaya night life to fullest do not forget to bring your common sense (as well as condoms) with you. Since most of the blood in your body will be sucked by your "little" buddy, to keep whatever intelligence you have, do not drink a lot. Beer is cheap in Pattaya (compared to many Western countries) and in go-go bars they will push you to drink a lot (especially the cute lady hanging with you).

Many do not have any significant issue during Pattaya stay but some simple cautions are necessary. Never be directed to a go-go bar (or any bar) by a stranger. Always either choose your destination before heading to streets or go into places you choose. Also, this is important, do not go into any go-go bar which is not on the street level (ideally entered from street and you can partially see inside from street).

Pattaya Walking Street

Many tourists end up drinking a lot and having sex without so much memory of the night and then spend more money to HIV tests than the bar-fine, the girl and the beers.

Walking Street is full of colorful neon lights, girls, boys, lady-boys and snatch thieves. Do not carry large sums of money or valuable on you. When choosing a Pattaya hotel choose one with safe-boxes and use them.

It is best to avoid commercial sex in Pattaya but if you are really into it, note that picking a street-walker or engaging in sex without condom in a place where people from all around the world comes for boogy nights is a playing russian roulette with your life.

Fake Bangkok Explosion News prompt Facebook Safety Check

Fortunately, the news about a massive Bangkok explosion on Tuesday night are fake. But the fake news were perceived so real that at about 9 PM, Facebook activated its safety check-in system for this "reported" explosion.

According to Independent, the safety check system was accidentally activated by a local and minor incident which is picked up by Facebook as a major incident because it was talked about a lot :

But no such explosion actually happened and the fake alert seems to be the result of changes that the company has made to its Safety Check feature. It appears to have been activated by a minor incident, reported only in the local news, where a man took firecrackers to a government building in an apparent protest.
....
That seems to have become seen as a major incident because people on Facebook were discussing it. Earlier this year, Facebook announced that it would be using people's posts to help decide when the Safety Check would be activated – meaning that it didn't necessarily need to be turned on by staff at the social network.
Source : Facebook Safety Check scares Bangkok residents with false report of major explosion

In Twitter, Bangkok Explosion has been trending and now the thread is full of messages calling it a hoax.

Fake Bangkok Explosion News prompt Facebook Safety Check

Facebook went further to say that the crisis was confirmed by media reports but the reports they are referring were themselves referring to a more than a year old article about bombing of the Erawan Shrine in 2015.

As of 10:15pm, the Facebook alert had been deactivated.

Thai women charged for insulting sexy dance in front of a temple

Two Thai women performing a sexy dance in front of a historical Thai temple,  Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Ayutthaya, charged for performing 'insulting' sexy dance. The five-minute video clip, which is posted on YouTube, shows Ms Thannicha Nampanya (27) and Ms Nitikarn Chotthanapongsathit (30) dancing in front of the Unesco World Cultural Heritage site. The women turned themselves in after the video went viral and charged with violating a section of the Ancient Monuments, Antiquities and National Museums Act.

The video shows both women wearing short red dresses and according to Rawat Prasong, the assistant governor of Ayutthaya, both their dance and attire were inappropriate.

Thai Police escorting the women to the temple for re-enacment. Photo Bangkok Post

Thailand: World’s greatest motorcycle touring destination?

Welcome to: http://www.bigbiketours.net

Let us allow it to be formal, lets? Thailand is among the world’s best motorbike journey locations. Numerous many years and a number of other thousand kilometers of fervent study have proved this to me, and every time I got down to strategy a brand new journey, or evaluation an current 1, I’m struck from the depth of encounters that a motorbike journey in Thailand affords.

Motorcyclists select a riding destination to get a couple of main factors:

1 - High quality of road surface and originality of the route

2 - High quality of all-natural surroundings for your motorcyclist to appreciate

3 - Solutions for your motorcyclist, like resorts, eating places, motorbike upkeep, and naturally, availability of fantastic bikes!

4 - Non-Motorcycling actions to mix using the journey like nearby festivals, actions and enjoyment, and so on.

Through the years, certainly one of my missions continues to be to advertise Thailand as being a world-class motorcycling location as well as in performing so Smiling Albino has discovered to mix these four factors having a degree of creativeness and enjoyable that's 2nd to none. In the event you really are a severe journey traveler or motorcycle fanatic, motorbike journey in Thailand ought to be in the leading of one's lifetime highlight reel.

1 - Quality of street surface area and uniqueness from the route
You are able to generate on easy, thoroughly clean highways in only about any nation, but motorcyclists understand that the true magic is discovered around the back again streets, the farm streets and nationwide parks routes that tease the throttle and ignite the enjoyable. Thailand is just excellent within this regard. With sixty five million individuals along with a land mass approximately that of France, Thailand has a rare community of rural streets, nationwide parks, and concealed corners with blacktop tarmac which are a motorcyclist’s aspiration. Whilst obviously you will find obstructions (chickens, drinking water buffalo, canines, individuals, parades) the roadways in Thailand are motorcycle-friendly.

I have usually been delighted through the years that a few of the from the way in which routes on provincial maps frequently show to possess superb motorcycling circumstances and therefore are rarely traveled, without big truck and industrial visitors from the primary highways. The provinces of Chiang Rai, Loei, Phayao, Phrae, Nan, Ubon Ratchathai, Khon Kaen, Si Saket and Mae Hong Son offer 1000's of kilometers of aspiration routes, numerous seemingly mild many years far from visitors and industrial automobiles. Actually, just 15kms northeast of Bangkok, with the Lad Krabang shortcuts in the direction of Prachinburi are a few outstanding, curvy streets amongst rice fields, coconut trees and smiling locals. You do not have to go much in the metropolis to know why  Thailand is really a fantastic motorcycling location. Ironically, political pork-barreling through the years has accounted for a few excellent streets within the impossible of locations. Who understood that far-flung corners of Si Saket, Ubon Ratchathani and Sakorn Nakorn experienced a huge selection of kilometers of undiscovered blacktop streets? I as soon as discovered a shortcut from Nong Khai in the direction of Nakorn Phanom in Thailand’s northeast and it felt like I used to be the very first individual at any time to journey on this ideal extend of black asphalt. More than an hour or so of bliss, seemingly nobody in sight. Thailand delights using these nice discoveries.

2 - Quality of surroundings for your motorcyclist to appreciate
When it comes to stunning all-natural surroundings, Thailand is blessed by mountains, rivers, forests and jungle. A mainly agricultural country outdoors from the money indicates that secondary streets, like those linking Chachoeng Sao to Prachinburi, or Khon Kaen to Udon Thani are flanked having a eco-friendly backdrop, smiling farmers, canals, and luxurious banana plantations on all sides.

Additional afield, in much less populated corners like Nan province, or northern Phayao and Chiang Rai, you are able to journey for an hour or so without passing a village whilst becoming charmed by two,000-meter higher mountains, dense forest, along with a stunning variety of twisty highland streets.

Motorcycling is so great which i have a tendency to ignore anything. Waterfalls, glimmering temples, nationwide parks and raging rivers abound within the much north, northeast and higher central locations of Thailand. Contact them espresso stops, or photograph opp’s, they are an excellent purpose to drag more than and marvel at exactly where you're and turn out to be a brief celeb for curious locals. Khao Yai Nationwide Park, for example, is Thailand’s oldest and 2nd biggest park. Set up in 1962, the sleek street via Khao Yai Nationwide Park is really a favorite among motorcyclists having a backdrop of evergreen forests and grasslands, also as almost 70 species of mammals.

Thematically, you are able to style a motorcycle expedition according to a few of these nearby phenomena. Smiling Albino as soon as developed a visit known as ‘The Angkor Road’, which loosely traces the traditional thoroughfare of historic stone ruins from Central Thailand alongside southern Isaan’s border with Cambodia all of the method to the Emerald Triangle in Ubon throughout the Mekong River from Laos.

Alongside the way in which we go to 900-year previous Khmer ruins that rival numerous of these noticed at Angkor, like Prasat Pimai, Phnom Rung, Prasat Muang Tam, and a few beautiful concealed gems like Sikhoraphum, Prasat Phnom Wan, Prasat Phum Pon, amongst other people. It's accurate that a few of the most opulent Khmer ruins arewithin Thailand’s borders.  This route also passes via a few of the much more surreal landmarks of south Isaan, like the famous bottle temple in Si Saket, built from 1000's of discarded beer, whiskey and soda bottles.

As befitting a motorcycle journey, this route also tends to make a significant try at musical publicity - particularly the north japanese Thai phenomenon of maw lam, an nearly hypnotic people rock-a-billy rhythmic occasion really worth the journey by itself. This sort of songs is 

usually performed in wood “roadhouse”-type institutions all through the north and northeast. For a few purpose, this energetic nighttime nation vibe in Thailand goes hand-in-throttle with rural motorcycle discovery.

An additional route, for all those needing much more factors that just the using, could be to adhere to the mighty Mekong River from certainly one of its northern factors, like Loei or Nong Khai province, eastward and after that south past Nakorn Phanom,

Mukhdahan, Ubon Ratchathani and after that bid the river farewell because it crosses Thailand for your final time and disappears into to Laos-Cambodia border. This can be a stunning 500-kilometer extend of street that requires the rider via a few of Thailand’s most charming riverside cities, some nonetheless in their authentic wood store-front condition, like Chiang Khan in Loei, or Khong Jiam in Ubon.

After traveling to almost forty countries, I'm able to attest that Thailand’s leading rides contend using the best streets anyplace on the planet.  Probably the most magnificent routes in Thailand would be the higher streets about Phu Chee Fah, Chiang Rai, Bo Klua, Nan, Phu Luang, Loei also as Doi Mae Salong and Doi Angkhang within the much north. These road-runner, cartoon-like streets merely delight the motorcyclist (or van assistance riders!) with completely beautiful mountain vistas and luxurious character. This is actually the Thailand we purchase in postcards, which will be the Thailand we market to our buddies, which will be the Thailand we want to protect. Cruise via it on two-wheels and it rekindles a adore affair having a location born to make sure you. You will find less finer stretches of street around the earth compared to the 80-kilomter aspiration route over the clouds from Tune Kwae, Nan, to Chiang.

Kham, Phayao, or even the mountain leading extend from Wang Saphung, Loei towards Lom Sak, Petchabun. Much in the recognized vacationer trails, obviously, these streets had been developed by motorcyclists!  You will find fortunately much more curves, twists and dips than would seem essential. It's pure using bliss and that i problem anybody to find finer streets anyplace.




3 - Solutions for your motorcyclist, like resorts, restaurants, motorbike upkeep, and naturally, availability of fantastic bikes!

Over all, this really is where Thailand truly sets by itself aside as being a supreme motorcycling destination. Whether or not a 90-kilometer trip, or perhaps a 300-kilometer large working day on large bikes, Thailand is full of concealed gems and boutique resorts to attach the dots from the journey. On current journeys we have stayed inside a personal royal villa around the banking institutions from the Mekong River, to luxurious golf resorts like Kirimaya Vacation resort in Khao Yai, to charming rural qualities like Bo Klua See Resort in Nan, or even the fantastic Phu Pha Nam  in Loei. These qualities can be found alongside a few of the nicest streets in Thailand, and arriving on two wheels delivers something uniquely enchanting towards the remain. Do a couple of working day rides and remain a bit longer. This is actually the Thailand I hope by no means modifications.

There are fantastic solutions for your customer and also the resident alike on the Thailand Motorcycle journey. We companion with personal motorbike golf equipment like our great buddies at Siam Wheels, also as trustworthy resources to rent out bikes on brief phrase journeys like Joes Bikes in Chiang Mai, Large Cycle in Udon,  ST Motorcycle in Chiang Rai, Bangkok Bikes and a number of other in between.

A great supply for common understanding on riding in Thailand and also the area may be discovered at GT Rider, and you will find excellent maps of each corner of Thailand, like the Roadways Team of rural maps, and naturally the groovy people at Groovy Map, and also the well-detailed PN Maps.
We've invested a while compiling a summary of trustworthy mechanics in places as much absent as Surin, Nong Bualampu, Phayao, Buriram, and Nong Khai, and it would shock you that you could get some Ducati services in Ubon Ratchathani, or tune up a Harley-Davidson in Udon Thani. This can be a motorcycling country, albeit generally on a lot smaller sized bikes (usually 100cc scooters), but nonetheless the solutions are available in the event you appear within the correct locations. We have transported motorcycles on trains, boats and vehicles so as to begin and finish the journey just in the correct location, Just in the correct second. Much better however, deliver a mechanic and bicycle assistance group alongside along with you and trip in fashion.

What bike to trip?  Certainly one of my favourites of late will be the Kawasaki 650cc ER-6n. This really is an excellent bicycle for motorbike touring in Thailand. Nimble, responsive, and fantastic in a number of weather and street circumstances, the ER-6n is good for just about any street trip within the kingdom.

Having said that, various routes need various bikes, and also the lengthy, winding streets of Isaan really are a delight on big bikes like Harley-Davidson’s. Smiling Albino groups up with Siam Wheels to supply the sole totally personalized, high-end motorcycle touring to supply all kinds of bikes starting from Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Kawasaki, BMW, Hayabusa, Yamaha and much more. There's something thematic about cruising via Thailand’s “wild east” in Isaan on the chopper. Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda would concur, and also the nighttime songs vibe will entice you back again repeatedly.

4 - Non-Motorcycle Activities
Strategy a motorbike journey having a little bit of whimsical journey in your mind. Lately we took a bunch of eight riders in Nan Province white-water rafting as component from the journey, and also the yr prior to on the personal elephant polo session in Surin, or wine tasting in Loei at certainly one of Thailand’s rising vineyards, and naturally an excellent spherical of golfing right here and there. With a few preparing, you are able to achieve all these issues in a solitary journey (nicely, perhaps not the elephant polo).

On some routes like heading back again from reduce Isaan or south in the direction of Pattaya, the mountains satisfy the ocean by way of a sequence of back again streets, and also you can leap from bikes to some golfing program, and after that to some personal catamaran to get a sunset cruise and BBQ all inside a solitary afternoon. Logistics require some finesse, however the expenses could be a portion of attempting exactly the same trio of encounters in California, Australia, or Europe. The encounter is priceless.

High-quality motorcycle touring can and will be mixed with cultural conversation, along with an accurate appreciation to get an area and its individuals.  From Khmer ruins towards the distinctive meals and songs all through Isaan, to Thailand’s indigenous mountain peoples within the north, towards the numerous cultural kinds of the Lanna, Thai-Laos, and Thai-Shan areas of Thailand’s border areas. There's a mosaic of cultural discovery beneath the street map. Strap on the helmet and go discover it!

Every yr we host 3-4 motorbike journeys starting from 5-10 riders, and we carry on establishing the regular for unique, high-value motorbike adventuring. Greater than just fantastic streets, funky eating places, or perhaps a enjoyable songs pub, we attempt to weave all of it with each other right into a sequence of encounters that propel the motorbike adventurer into an encounter of the life time. Thailand was produced for motorcycling.  Get available on two wheels and uncover it!

Book you Motorcycle Tour in Thailand now: http://www.bigbiketours.net

Shake It Baby for Chuchok

According to Buddhist legend, Chuchok was an old beggar from Kalingkarat Province and thanks to the good deeds he has done in his previous lifes he has became very rich from being a beggar. And although he was quite ugly he has married to a very young and attractive woman. Today, Chuchok is thought by many Thais to be one of the very best amulets for bringing wealth and granting wishes.

There is at a small shrine in the suburbs of Bangkok which is quite an interesting place to visit. But what makes it truly remarkable are the coyote dancers(*)!

The story is this: a few years ago someone won very big in lottery thanks to Chuchok. He has decided to reward the beggar with scantily clad dancers and a new tradition has started. If you want to have good fortune, a lot of money and a beautiful lady, all you need to do is to offer this old Brahmin a nice show! If you are lucky enough, you can enjoy to watch one of these offers when you visit the shrine.

Thai dances in front of statues of Chuchok

The shrine is privately-owned and run by a ultra colorful lady named Kung Kemika who also lives there. She tells that her legal name is “Madam Boobs-slap Na Songkla” because her occupation is boobs slapping, face slapping and bitch slapping. Well obviously she also runs a business doing breast slapping and do not ask me what kind of service is this (you can watch a demo in the video below).

10 years ago she was suffering from final-stage kidney disease and she made an oath. She asked Chuchok for once-in-a-life-time miracle and she had unexpectedly received a donated kidney. She then made an oath that she will love, worship and nurture him for the rest of her life.

For the story of Chuchok you can refer here: Story of Chuchok.

(*) - The coyote dancers are a bunch of highly energetic, young girls who are highly professional dancers. They are engaged by bar owners at dance bars, clubs, karaoke joints in Bangkok as well as in parties and festivals to perform and entertain the crowd.

Coyote dancers are not go-go dancers. Coyote dancers are professional or semi-professional dancers, who are hired to perform at bars to entertain guests.

How to go to Bangkok city center from Suvarnabhumi Airport?

Taxi is the first option that comes to mind when you are getting to Bangkok city center from Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Especially if you are coming from a long intercontinental flight, no other option will look good to your tired body. But Bangkok is famous with its horrific traffic especially during rush hour. If you land the airport during this time, a taxi ride will be a quite long journey to your hotel. Besides, when heading to the airport from your hotel, the traffic may result in a missed flight. Back in July 2013, I and a friend went to airport by using new Airport Rail Link and two if his friends took a taxi. They have missed their flights due to the evening traffic! So it is wise to know your alternatives.

Airport Rail Link is the best transportation option between the Bangkok city and the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (I am writing the name openly because there are two airports in Bangkok). This rail system reaches to both BTS Skytrain and Bangkok MRT system. There are two type of trains here: Express trains will directly go to Makassan (for MRT) and Phaya Thai (for BTS Skytrain). It comes every 30 minutes and have enough space for your luggages. Express Airport Rail Link costs 90 bahts one way.

City Link trains (second option) stops in every station from airport to Phaya Thai. It is cheaper (45 bahts) but slower and does not have enough space for big luggage.

Let me give an example of how you can use it: In my last visit to Bangkok I stayed in ALoft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 Hotel. I was light on luggage. I took City Link train from airport to Phaya Thai.

Bangkok Mass Transit Map. BTS Skytrain (Sukhumvit Line and Silom Line), Bangkok MRTA Subway line and Airport Rail Link can be seen here.

At Phaya Thai, I took off the City Line and walked to Phaya Thai BTS Skytrain Station on Sukhumvit Line. This part may be difficult if you are heavy on lugagge since it needs going down from a platform up to another in a different station. Also note that during peak hour, the skytain cars are quite packed so you may not be able to get in with large and heavy luggages.

Anyway, I took skytrain from there to Nana station. At Nana, I have exited from Exit 3 (some stations have no escalator so you need to carry your luggages down from the platform) and took Soi 11 to the hotel. All this journey took less than an hour and 75 bahts.

Private Airport Express buses

Once upon a time there were these private airport express buses. One of these was even going to backpacker heaven Khao San Road. They do not exist anymore.

Taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport

If you will take taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport be careful! Follow the “public taxi” signs that lead to the outside of the airport premises, queue up and state your destination at the desk (English is understood). You’ll get a two-part slip with your destination written in Thai on it. There will be many people trying to take you out of this simple route and direct you to their taxis which are usually scams. Smile to them and completely ignore them. If you do not you may end up paying 2500 Baht to go to Bangkok city center!!!

Read more here: Bangkok Guide : Get In

Bangkok Night Life

Bangkok night life still may mean the naughty sex trade in red light districts of Bangkok but in the last decade, the tourism capital of South East Asia has developed a quality night life to enjoy from trendy bars and clubs to romantic river cruises. Here we cover some of your alternatives for a good and entertaining night in Bangkok.

 

Rooftop Skybars of Bangkok

A nice rooftop bar looking over Bangkok with a fantastic bird-eye view is the place to go in a Bangkok night and no Bangkok trip is complete without visiting one of the many great rooftop bars in Bangkok with fantastic bird-eye view.

Here are some of them you can visit:

• Vertigo and Moon Bar (Banyan Tree Hotel)
• Park Society (Sofitel So on Sathorn)
• Sirocco Sky Bar (Lebua at State Tower) – Yes you know this place from The Hangover Part II wherePaul Giamatti was having his brunch at the end of the movie.
• Three Sixty (Millennium Hilton Bangkok)
• Octave Rooftop Bar

Night Life and Party Venues

Bangkok offers many pubs, restaurants and night clubs for those who would like to have fun in the tropic nights of the “City of Angels”. We have listed some of the most popular ones here.

Route 66 Club (225/9 -10 Soi Thong Lo10, Sukhumvit Rd.  Klonton Nau, Wattana Bangkok 10110) is the place for a crazy loud music with lazer shows and energetic dance. 3 types of music is offered here: The Level, The Novel and The Classic. Very popular among youngsters and the prices for drinks are quite reasonable.

Funky Villa (225/9 -10 Soi Thong Lo10, Sukhumvit Rd.  Klonton Nau, Wattana Bangkok 10110) needs some deeper pocket. The terrace offers a nice dinner and the bar is calm and relaxing.

Safe House (Thonglor Si 10, or Ekamai Soi 5/1, Bangkok) is open until the first lights of the next day (most bars and clubs in Bangkok officially closes at 02:00 AM) and offers hip-hop and electronic dance.

Sirocco SkyBar Bangkok

Muay Thai (Thai Box)

Watching Muay Thai competitions in the night is a uniquely Thailand experience which is missed by many. You can find Thai Box Stadiums in almost all cities in Thailand but Bangkok is the best place to view this.

Lumpinee Boxing Stadium at Silom and Ratchadamnoen Stadium at Rattanakosin are the two venues to head to if you want to watch them. Although the “show” will go on all the night, best matches are the last ones so schedule a long night there. Entrance is quite expensive 1000 – 2000 Baht but it worth the money.

Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is probably Tayland’s best known Muay Thai place. You can watch Thai box here on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

There are also Muay Thai matches at MBK on every Wednesday between 18:00 – 21:00. These are free to watch.

Bangkok Dinner Cruise Tour

In the early night, you can take a dinner cruise along Chao Phraya River. You will typically sail on a traditional Thai boat (i.e. converted teakwood rice barge) and spend the night watching great night views of The Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), Wat Phra Kaew and The Grand Palace while you are having your delicious Thai dinner served under the candlelight and classical Thai ‘kim’ music and dance performances.

Dinner CruiseTour on Bangkok River

Bangkok Night Markets

Although most Bangkok malls are closed by 21:00, there are some malls open until midnight. You can visit several Bangkok Night Markets which offers a great night shopping experience like:

• Asiatique – A night bazaar and a mall combined which is near BTS to Saphan Taksin.
• Khaosan Road – This backpacker heaven is best visited at night. You can shop everything here but I do not suggest to buy private bus tickets or travel packages here if you do not know what you are doing.
• Khlong Lod Night Market
• Khlong Thom Market

Bangkok Red Light Districts

It is not a secret that “bang” part of Bangkok night life is very famous. Bangkok has 3 main Red Light Districts catering to foreigner and expats: Patpong, Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza. These are main centers for sex tourists but many people visit these places just to see this infamous part of Bangkok Night Life. The way it works is same as anywhere in Thailand: These places are full of go-go bars where man goes and drinks. There is a platform in the bar where girls dance in bikini (and occasionally topless or totally naked). Almost all the dancers and most of the waiters are sex workers. If a man wants a girl he request her by the number she carries, pays a bar-fine (money paid to take the girl out) and money for the girl (usually to a mama). Then they go to the man’s hotel or a nearby hourly “room” for the trade.

It is totally acceptable to go to these bars and just drink and “watch”. In fact many tourists visit these bars and just drink and watch.

Soi Cowboy is a 400 meter street offering 20+ bars and is much calmer than Patpong and Nana Plaza. For sightseeing this is the place to go. Soi Most popular of all go-go bars in Soi Cowboy is Baccara at the end of the street.

Soi Cowboy is located near Sukhumvit Roadand is within walking distance from the BTS Skytrain’s Asok Station and the Bangkok Metro’s Sukhumvit Station.

Patpong is where this side of Bangkok Night Life has started. Best known of these 3 Red Light Districts, Patpong is famous with its go-go bars and ping pong show. You can access Patpong from Sala Daeng Station on BTS Skytrain Silom Line or Silom Station on MRT Blue Line on foot. Patpong has 2 parellel streets : Patpong 1 and Patpong 2. Most tourists visit this place.

You can access Patpong from Sala Daeng Station on BTS Skytrain Silom Line or Silom Station on MRT Blue Line on foot. Patpong has 2 parellel streets : Patpong 1 and Patpong 2.

Bangkok Night Life : Red Light Districts

Nana Entertainment Plaza is a 3-storey building and is the most commercial sex oriented of all these 3 places. Not a place to go for sight-seeing. There are beer bars at the ground floor but the real action starts from Level 1. It is on Sukhumvit Soi 4 and can be accessed from Nana BTS Skytrain Station on foot.

Thailand travel deals from Singapore

Thailand, the tourism capital of South East Asia, offers almost everything you would want from a holiday. And it offers all types of holidays. You can go for fantastic beaches, waters and jungles as well as fascinating mountains, night life and culture. The country is littered with historic sites and where ever you go you will find very good food.

Thanks to its proximity, Thailand is a popular tourist destination from Singapore. Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Pattaya are the most popular destinations but it also offers many more lesser known places to visit. Thanks to the start of budget airline age in Asia in 2004, last decade made Thailand cheap and convenient to access destination from Singapore.

A more recent development for travelers to Thailand is the group buying sites. Thailand is one of the most popular travel deal destination in these web sites and you can find many deals to the destinations in the country ranging from hotel stay deals to full package holiday deals including flights and land transportation. Although coupon deals were mostly budget a few years ago, you can now find a lot of mid to luxury level travel deals from Singapore to many destinations, resorts and hotels in Thailand.

Even if you already arranged your Thailand hotel and flights, it still worth to check these Thailand travel deals below (click the image to continue).. There are also many activity deals among them which can save money for you in your trip.

Thailand travel deals from Singapore