Thailand Land of Smiles» Thailand Travel

Thailand Tourist Visa’s Free Again

Talen — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:19:34 +0000

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports have asked the government to extend the tourism stimulus measures for another year and yesterday deputy government spokesman Watchara Kannika confirmed that the the measures will be extended from April 1, 2010 and go through to March 31, 2011.

The free tourist visa measure was set to expire on March 5, 2010 and it looks like it still will and there will be a period of 3 weeks where the tourist visa will again be charged for before the April 1st stimulus measures start.The good news is that coupled with the free tourist visa initiative each foreign tourist will also be granted $10,000 of free riot insurance which will cover their trip in the event that things get dicey on the political front. The insurance policy provides for payments of up to $10,000 in the event of death, injury, and/or trip inconvenience, and will only cover people in possession of a 60-day tourist visa.

The Riot insurance was first instituted last year between the months of May and October when many foreign tourists complained that they couldn’t buy trip insurance due to Thailand’s ongoing political instability. The trip insurance will cost the Thai government $1.00 per tourist or about 15 million dollars over the next year.

Full measures cited in this stimulus package include:

Visa fee exemption for foreign tourists.
Helping state agencies hold seminars and field trips in the country to boost domestic spending.
Cutting the electricity consumption guarantee fund for hotel operators.
Reduced aircraft landing and parking fees.
Providing free-of-charge riot protection insurance worth US$10,000 for each foreign tourist.
Allowing business operators who organize domestic seminars, training courses and tourist destination trips for employees to deduct the cost for tax purposes.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports noted that tourism was down by 3% from 2008-2009 and they feel that continuing the stimulus measures will help bring tourism numbers back up to where they are expected to be for 2010. It’s estimated by the Ministry that 15.3 to 15.5 million foreign tourists will visit Thailand in 2010.

All in all some very good news to anyone visiting the Kingdom of Thailand this year for an extended stay.

No More Free Tourist Visa’s to Thailand

Talen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:53:34 +0000

Update: Thailand’s tourist visa’s free again until 2011

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok have confirmed that tourist visa fees will be reinstated as of March 5, 2010.

Thailand’s tourist visa fee’s were removed last year in a bid to revive travel and tourism to the kingdom. Since June 25, 2009 all tourist visa’s from anywhere in the world were free and will remain free until March 4, 2010.

Apparently the Foreign affairs Ministry, who oversee the Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates worldwide, believe that Thailand tourism in 2010 will be booming, or at least that is the hope. While there has been some grumbling across the net due to this news you can hardly blame the ministry as they said last year this would only last until March of 2010. Apparently some people can’t get over the fact that they will once again have to pay the princely sum of $35 to enter the country again on a tourist visa.

The Thailand tourist visa allows for a maximum stay of 60 days with extensions available at local immigration offices.

Passport holders of the following countries may enter and stay in Thailand without a visa for a maximum stay of 30 days for purpose of tourism only. This can be extended by 7 days at a local immigration office or 15 days by crossing a land border:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, *Brazil, Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chili, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Qatar, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel,. Italy, Japan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Lao, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Monaco (effective 26 Oct 07), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, U.A.E., U.K., U.S.A., Vietnam.

List of countries whose nations may apply for visa at the Immigration checkpoints for the purpose of tourism for the period of not exceeding 15 days (Visa on Arrival)

Bhutan, China (including Taiwan), Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Mauritius, Oman, *Peru, Poland, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine.

If you are not a passport holder of the above countries or you are going to go Thailand for other purposes than tourism, you need a visa.

List of countries whose nationals are exempted from visa fees:

Rep.of Korea, Malaysia, *Philippines, Singapore, Tunisia.

More info can be found in the Thai Visa section.

Boosting Thailand Tourism?

Talen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:46:24 +0000

With tourism down dramatically many Thai companies are trying new advertising to combat the the ever growing slump they are seeing in their bottom line. It’s not enough that the world wide economic situation is keeping tourists away, Thailand can’t help itself when it comes to making even dedicated travelers think twice.

Thai politics have been a major concern since the coup in 2006 and the recent events regarding Cambodia have some travelers on edge. The continued violence in the South of Thailand with the Muslim community and the recent attacks on freedom of speech have been keeping Thailand in the news for all the wrong reasons.

You would think the easiest way to go would be accentuating the beauty and diversity that is Thailand and calling out the cultural aspects of the country. Instead the advertising that has been coming out just leaves potential travelers scratching their head.

Medical tourism has long been a strong suit for Thailand with procedures generally being one third of those in the West. A good dental bridge in America might cost you $4000 once all is said and done but in Thailand the same bridge would cost $600.00.

While the majority of tourists are aware of these deals the advertised deals usually draw the wrong attention. Local ads like the one below are a usual sight. I have to admit though, the ad is compelling. Come to Thailand for a short stay and for under $10,000 you can go home a new man…don’t want to be a man anymore, go home a new woman.

Thai Air is also rolling out new advertising but one might wonder what demographic they are targeting. The new ads, while very well done and quite beautiful, don’t really convey Thailand, do they? They have opted to leave out their planes or pictures of Thailand for beautiful pictures of Thai women in flowing colorful gowns.

I’ll give them this, it does make me think of orchids and beauty so it does draw me to Thailand but I’m an easy sell and usually ad campaigns aren’t there to preach to the chorus. These ads will be rolling out to America and Europe soon.

It’s not easy for any country in the current economic climate but at the very least most countries know their strong points and aren’t struggling to find their identity or appeal.

Thailand should take a cue from The Australian tourism campaign of the 80’s and 90’s. Find a well liked Thai comedian and have him throw a shrimp on the barbie while extolling the great diversity and beauty that Thailand has to offer. Well, they might need to change it to a grasshopper in the oil or a rat on the barbie but you get the idea.

I haven’t seen a Thailand tourism ad in America for a long time but they may want to start with the company that did the below ad back in 2007. Someone there understood marketing.

Fallout From Big Trouble in Thailand Documentary

Talen — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:10:30 +0000

Photo Courtesy Phucket Wan

Since the airing of the first episode of the documentary filmed for the Bravo Television channel in the U.K there has been a lot of discussion across Thailand blogs, forums, Thailand news and in Thailand itself.

There seemed to be a even divide amongst watchers as to whether or not parts of the documentary were staged. The Thai police have had a viewing of the first episode and promptly arrested Winai Naiman ( JJ ),the jet ski operator that appeared to have threatened Royal Navy personnel with a rifle. The rifle has since been discovered to be a BB gun.

The scene involving the jet ski incident has drawn the most commentary due to the fact that it happened at the jet ski owners house/boat yard instead of on the beach. The Royal Navy Police officer who decided to go it alone instead of involving the Thai authorities, which one would think is proper protocol, added to the debate.

One good thing that has come of this is that Thai authorities seem to be cracking down on the jet ski operators and the scams they perpetrate on the tourist community.

The Governor of Phucket, Wichai Praisa-nob, has also responded stating:

Jet-skis are allowed to operate as a sport in Patong, not as a business. Unless this kind of activity stops, we will ban them all.

At a meeting with Phucket’s jet ski operators yesterday at Patong Municipal offices the governor told the assembly that they will all be required to have their jet ski’s insured for damage at their expense. Hopefully this will filter throughout Thailand’s beach destinations and the scams will stop for good. Although I’m sure the more industrious operators will find new scams to employ.

Good or bad the documentary has received a lot of press recently and we all know there is no such thing as bad press. You can be assured the next installment of the 8 episode documentary will be very heavily watched.

The Producer/Director of the Documentary, Gavin Hill, has also responded on a few blogs to clear up what he believes are misconceptions about the documentary as well as stating that no scenes were staged.

Gavin Hill also went as far to say that he will release all the raw footage of the jet ski incident to show it wasn’t staged. He has since released the raw footage of the incident, while it does make the incident more believable it still doesn’t answer the question of how this came to take place at the boat yard of the business owner which is reported to be 10 minutes away from the beach.

There is the possibility that JJ somehow talked the young marine into going back to the boat yard to get an estimate which would make this just a very foolish mistake on the Marine’s part. As an interesting aside if you watch the raw footage from JJMarines 2 at the 5:30 mark the marine admits to crashing into another jet ski but then quickly doesn’t remember crashing. Apparently his friends also left him on the beach to deal with this alone.

The one troubling aspect of the original footage where JJ gets a rifle out is oddly absent from the raw footage and seems like it may not have been part of the confrontation but spliced in to look as it was. Hopefully that isn’t the case and more raw footage is forthcoming that explains the rifle. The jet ski operator, JJ, has been arrested and charged due to the rifle scene in the documentary.

Gavin Hill’s full statement can be read here: From the Producer/Director of Big Trouble in Thailand

The first episode of the 8 part documentary can be seen in the video gallery.

Thailand’s Tourist Police Volunteers

Talen — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:05:48 +0000

In my previous post, Big Trouble in Thailand?, I related my opinions on a scene involving the Pattaya Tourist Police Volunteers in the British Documentary Big Trouble in Thailand, which was aired on Bravo TV.

Mr. Howard Miller who is the head of the Pattaya Tourist Police Volunteers responded to my post and I thought I should further clarify some misconceptions about the Tourist Police and it’s volunteers as well as give some further opinions on this matter.

I believe that the volunteer tourist police perform a vital function in regards to helping to assist tourists who have found themselves in need of assistance in Thailand. I respect the fact that these volunteers give of their free time to perform these duties, and likewise I think over all they provide a much needed service.

The tourist police volunteers are there to assist the regular tourist police in aiding tourists who have had a problem with a merchant, a Thai national and or any manner of crimes they may have committed or had committed against them. Assisting the police can come in many forms from playing the role of interpreter to simply calming down a distraught individual and giving them a degree of comfort that they are not alone when dealing with the Thai authorities.

The problems start to arise when there is no clear line drawn and the perception becomes that the tourist police volunteers are actual police. Mr. Howard Miller will tell you himself and he has stated on this blog that he is not a police officer and I don’t have any qualms with Mr. Miller or any member of the tourist police volunteers in that regard.

While the tourist police volunteers will tell you they are not regular police their dress and demeanor often belie that fact. They dress in police like uniform, They wear the embroidered badge of the tourist police, they wear the medals and insignia of the regular tourist police as well as don hand cuffs and batons as the regular Thai tourist police do. These items are not provided by the Royal Tourist Police but purchased by the volunteers themselves.

The tourist police volunteers are a constant presence in Thailand’s popular tourist destinations. On one hand it gives you the reassurance that they are there and ready to help if you should need it but on the other hand you get the impression that they are acting like real police . The addition of the para military style uniform and wearing of handcuffs and batons infers that they have the authority to to arrest, detain and or subdue you. The tourist police volunteers do not have this authority at all as per Thai law or per the Royal Thai Tourist Police.

As per the Royal Tourist police website application:

1. Volunteers clearly understands that this program is purely volunteer, no payment in kind or cash for contribution what-so-ever
2. TPD will not be held responsible for any loses or accidents during volunteer work
3. Volunteer must pass probabtion period of 3 months to be fully endorsed as a TPD assistant
4. Volunteers understand that being a volunteer is to assist the work of a police officer and not act on behalf of a police officer
5. Volunteers should not be involved in activities such as arrests, interrogations, investigations or inspections.

The below video was taken in March of this year by a gentleman filming on walking street. While I don’t believe the video is as bad as some would suggest I do think it illustrates that the Tourist Police volunteers in Pattaya act as if they have authority that they clearly do not have. The tourist police in this situation had no authority to stop this man, question this man and or tell this man that he had to ask before filming on walking street.

A month before this incident the Tourist police volunteer identified as Mr. Harrison in the above video, who was out of uniform, was involved in an altercation on beach road while off duty. Mr. Harrison saw an arguement happening between Thai nationals and tried to intervene. Apparently 2 ladyboys were trying to close a deal with a tourist for sexual services when a Thai woman told the tourist that they were in fact men. At this point an arguement ensued between the ladyboys and the Thai woman.

As the arguement became more heated Mr. Harrison, who was walking by, stepped in to break up the fight. Mr. Harrison pulled out a can of pepper spray and used it on one of the individuals. Mr. Harrison was off duty and out of uniform at the time. He was called to the police station later that night to give his statement. While his intentions may have been good in helping to diffuse an arguement his actions were not in line with his duties as a Tourist Police Volunteer. An off duty volunteer at that.

This incident and others like it have called into question the role Tourist police volunteers provide in helping to assist the Royal Thailand Tourist Police in their mission of helping tourists and promoting Thailand tourism.

While I think there is a place for the tourist police volunteers they need to be identified clearly as volunteer personnel, which means having a look that is distinguished as different from actual Thai tourist police officers. They should not be allowed to dress in uniforms or carry handcuffs and batons which they are not legally allowed to use.

The biggest problem with this program is that there is no iron clad set of standards enforced from city to city in regards to the Tourist police volunteers. Each departments mission statement reads differently. For example:

In Chiang Mai Lieutenant Col. Nattawut Chotikanjanawat, inspector of the Chiang Mai Tourist Police states in an interview with the Nation:

These volunteers are not here to fight crime. They are here to serve as an intermediary between tourists and the Thai culture and police. They translate between various languages and Thai, they teach our tourist police to speak English, they tell tourists where to find certain things, or what to do under various situations.

While the Phuket branch of the tourist police volunteers defines the role of their volunteers as:

FUNCTION & RESPONSIBILITY

Functions and responsibilities of the Tourist Police Division are as follows:

To suppress and to protect criminal problems affecting international tourists.

To facilitate and to provide both Thai and international tourists with the security and protection of their interests.

To promote the Thai tourism industry.

To join with or to support any activities of the authorities concerned.

The duty of the Tourist Police is to help and care for tourists throughout Thailand. We would like you to enjoy your trip in the Land of Smiles. We can advise tourists about how to take care of themselves, as well as alerting them to some common problems that they should be aware of when travelling in Thailand.

And then back in 2005 we have a Stickman Bangkok interview with an Australian Tourist police volunteer who states:

Stickman: What are the roles of the farang tourist police? Just how much power do the farang tourist police volunteers have? Can you arrest people? Can you detain people? Are you equipped with equipment or weapons of any kind?

Volunteer: We are regulated by a long list of rules. We can arrest anyone. We can detain an offender (like a ladyboy who steals the wallet from a farang and wants to run off) until a regular cop turns up. We need to speak at least a reasonable amount of Thai. We cannot carry firearms, but we do carry handcuffs, a baton and a radio, as well as some of us who are first aid officers and carry medical kits.

Remember, the official line from the tourist police themselves in the the application for becoming a tourist police volunteer states:

5. Volunteers should not be involved in activities such as arrests, interrogations, investigations or inspections.

There needs to be a clearly defined role for the volunteer tourist police assistants throughout all of Thailand and they should have a clearly defined mission statement that explains exactly in what capacity they are acting when the are wearing the badge of the tourist police.

I think in the majority of cases the Thai Tourist Police Volunteers perform a much needed service and should be applauded for their work. Even so I believe they would be doing themselves and Thailand a huge favor if they dressed more appropriately to their role as assistants to the Royal Thai Tourist Police. Handcuffs and batons should give way to notepads and flashlights and the para military style uniforms should be orange vests with tourist police emblems. Not only would they become more visible to tourists they would also be much more inviting to a tourist who may feel threatened at the time of contact.

For another view of the Tourist Police Volunteer program please read this article published by the Bangkok Post:

Farang “squad” a force to be reckoned with

Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha

Talen — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:10:49 +0000

While I was in Bangkok in April I wanted to visit as many important landmarks as I could in the short time I had. At the top of the list was WatPho, better know to the Thai’s as Wat Phra Chetuphon. Everyone else will know it as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.

Wat Pho is the largest and the oldest temple in Bangkok, sitting on 20 acres and predating Bangkok being named as the capital city of Thailand by 200 years. The temple not only holds the largest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand it also boasts the most Buddha images of any Wat in Thailand, having over 1000.

As a tourist attraction it is among the most impressive in the world. The gold plated statue of the reclining Buddha represents the passing of Buddha into Nirvana and measures in at an amazing 15 meters tall and 46 meters long. Aside from the gold plating the Eyes of the Buddha and the bottom of the feet are made of mother of pearl. The soles of the feet are inlaid with intricate designs showcasing the 108 characteristics of the true Buddha.

While the main Wat complex is made up of two walled compounds, the North compound is where you will find the temple of the reclining Buddha while the Southern compound is still a working monastery. You’ll know exactly where the North compound is when you see throngs of people gathering at the entrance. The entrance fee for western visitors is 350 baht while Thai’s are alowed in for free. Before entering the temple you will remove your shoes and store them in special shoe boxes outside the temple.

Once inside the temple you basically follow the flow leading down the front side of the Buddha and then back towards the exit from the rear of the Buddha. There is no time limit so you can wait out the crowds to get the best photos. While waiting for the best shot you can take in the beauty of the wall murals finished in gold leaf.

Once you round the feet of the reclining Buddha and move towards the rear of the statue you will see a line of brass pots against the wall leading to the exit. A small desk behind the feet is where you will get a handful of prayer coins for a 20 baht note and as you exit you place one coin in each brass pot for blessings to be bestowed upon you. This really adds to the ambiance of the temple.

This is really the one attraction not to miss when visiting Bangkok. The temple grounds are very beautiful and the statue of the reclining Buddha is amazing in all it’s splendor. More photos can bee seen in the gallery Wat Pho-Temple of the Reclining Buddha.

The Port of Nakhon Phanom

Talen — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:16:26 +0000

The road along the Mekong in Nakhon Phanom proper is where you will find most if not all of the government offices and about the midway point of the Mekong prominade you will see a long line of trucks waiting at the Port house for the ferry across to Laos.

Trade between Laos and Thailand is very high and the ferry across the Mekong is evidence of that. The Port operates 6 days a week from sun up till sundown. Most days there at least three ferries in operation taking anywhere between 5-10 trucks and cars each trip.

Now, you might think this is a great way to go over and explore Laos as I did but the crossing can be complicated for the falang. Although the Nakhon Phanom Immigration offices are directly across the street from the customs house there is no immigration checkpoints on either the Thailand or Laos side. The closest route across the border to Laos that has an immigration checkpoint is in Mukdahan via the Friendship 2 bridge.

Even though there isn’t an immigration checkpoint at the ferry dock in Nakhon Phanom all is not lost if you are planning on living or spending a considerable amount of time here. You can apply for a crossing permit through the immigration office that, if granted, will allow you to cross the Mekong into Laos via the ferry. From what I understand the permit can take up to three months to obtain because of the paperwork involved. No only does Thailand have to approve the application but it then needs to be sent to Laos for their approval.

I have heard differing prices on the application for permit but 3000 baht seems to be the number that comes up the most.

So, if you are considering using Nakhon Phanom for a visa run you may want to re-think your plans and head across to Laos from Mukdahan, which is only 20 minutes away, where there are immigration checkpoints. Apparently some people got the information that they could use the ferry because while I was in Nakhon Phanom last time I saw a few falang trying their best only to be turned away.

Tomorrow I’ll write more about the Immigration office in Nakhon Phanom as it was without a doubt one of the easiest and fastest immigration experiences I have had while in Thailand.

Phonetic Spelling in Thailand

Talen — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:35:12 +0000

Soi Bukow Soi Bukaow Soi Bukhao.

The Thai language is a tonal language so it doesn’t lend itself well to phonetic spellings due to the fact that the Thai alphabet is centered moreso around sounds than letters like most western languages. So, it’s always funny to me when I see an arguement pop up on a Thailand based forum or website claiming a correct phonetic spelling for a certain Thai word or place.

Just look at these pictures of a popular road in Pattaya named Soi Bukow or if you like Soi Bukhao. If the Thai’s can’t claim a correct phonetic spelling for it then how can we. Then again, looking at the different mispellings of English signs in Thailand maybe that arguement falls flat as well

Like many I am learning the Thai language and phonetic spellings of the words really help me sound them out properly. I’ve found that the best phonetic spelling is what works for me not what may be accepted by others.

For instance whenever you see the phonetic spelling for the polite female/male ending of a sentence it’s almost always ka for the female and krup for the male. Ka works because it sounds as it reads and as a Thai female would speak it. Krup on the other hand doesn’t work. Whenever I have heard a Thai male speak it I never hear the R so the the word sounds like cup. Of course there are the words with R sounds where the Thai’s are using an L sound. So the word for foreigner can come out Falang or Farang and in the case of my girls Aunt it comes out Fallung.

As far as phonetic spelling is concerned there is no right or wrong. Whatever works for you and sounds correct when speaking it is fine. Getting the sound and the tone correct is the most important thing and learning from Thai’s is usually the best way to really get the tones correct.

By the way the correct phonetic spelling of the road above is Boocow

Bangkok’s Floating Market

Talen — Sun, 17 May 2009 20:38:18 +0000

Although it’s known as Bangkok’s floating market the Damnoen Saduak floating market is actually about 100 kilometers Southwest of Bangkok in Ratchaburi Province . If, like me, you’ve seen many pictures of people selling many colorful fruits and vegetables on the open waters of the canals then this has been on your list to see while in Bangkok. Although there are many different floating markets to be seen around Thailand, Damnoen Saduak floating market is the oldest and largest of them.

Unfortunately all those pretty pictures you’ve seen of Damnoen Saduak floating market are either a marketing ploy or just some tourists way of making themselves feel better after being ripped off at Thailand’s largest tourist trap. The truth is 90% of the merchants at the floating market are selling tourist trinkets like carved elephants, Thailand t-shirts, hammocks and of course those straw hats you see the merchants wearing at the market. Most of the merchants are actually on the banks of the canals and the boat drivers get a cut of the sales so they stop at all the souvenir shops. You’ll see people selling fruits and vegetables from their boats but they are few in comparison to the trinket traps.

Now, I knew all this going into it and actually the scam starts well before you get to the market but I had other plans. First let me tell you how the scam lays out. Taxi drivers throughout Bangkok have brochures of the floating market and they push it to all the tourists. They will tell you that they will take you there on the meter or off the meter for 800-1000 baht. You might think that’s a good deal considering the distance away from Bangkok, and it is.

The taxi drivers make their money from kickbacks. Once they get you to the area they take you to the power boat tour of the Damnoen Saduak floating market where the operators meet you at the taxi and give you a bottle of water before telling you the cost for a 2 hour trip around the market will cost you 3500-4500 baht per person (over $100). At this point they have you. Most likely you know nothing of the market and don’t realize there are other boat operators and you’ve come such a long way to see it so you relent and pay up.

Knowing all this beforehand I decided to go about my trip to Damnoen Saduak floating a different way. One morning while walking through Bangkok a taxi driver gave me the spiel and I told him I knew the deal but I still wanted to go. I needed to go to Pattaya in a few days and I told him I would use him for that trip as well if he could get me a deal, surprisingly he said “ok”. He said I could pay the meter or 1000 baht and he would charge me 1400 baht to go to Pattaya. The deal was set and he picked me up 7am the next morning.

You see, I didn’t care about the floating market except to get a few of the traditional photographs of the fruit and vegetable merchants selling from their boats. I knew that the two market areas that comprised The Damnoen Saduak floating market were a very small part of the canal system, the larger part is where the people live and that was what I wanted to see…and like a box of crackerjacks there is a prize hidden in the canals, a beautiful temple which very few tourists to the floating market ever get to see.

After the hour and a half journey to the floating market the taxi driver hooked me up with a power boat owner that would cruise me through the markets then through the residential canals and to the temple located further back. The boat set me back 800 baht but that was a cheap price to see the markets my way without stopping at every souvenir shop along the way.

The two main areas of the floating market were indeed made up of many trinket shops but there were still great photos to be had of the merchants selling from their boats. I’m told that if you can get onto the klongs (canals) before 8am then you will have the best scenery to shoot as that’s when the locals are actually paddling around selling to each other and there aren’t many tourists around. By 9am the klongs surrounding the markets are heaving with full boats of tourists and you can get quite jostled around by the boats hitting one another in the crowded lanes.

Once through the market areas We stopped for some coconut soup before heading into the residential area of the canals which were beautiful. You can see the floating market’s impact on the surrounding area by the new houses being built, some of them are very nice. All the houses had many flowers planted and the owners seemed very proud. Of course there were some real shacks as well with trash strewn everywhere but they were few and far between.

We then went to the Wat at the end of one canal. I still don’t know the name of this Wat so if anyone out there recognizes it let me know. The Wat itself was very beautiful but certain areas looked like they needed to be fixed up. I spent over an hour at the Wat complex and was surprised that I was alone the whole time, not one other tourist was to be seen.

All in all it was a great trip for me because I knew what I was in store for. If you find yourself wanting to visit Damnoen Saduak floating market keep in mind a few things. Getting there early is key to getting the best pictures of the market. Plan beforehand how you will be getting to the market, whether it be by hotel tour or taking a taxi ride. The powerboats are expensive but the paddle boats will cost you 100-200 baht per hour. Keep in mind that you will be riding in these boats with other tourists unless you can make a deal and they also won’t go much further than the markets due to paddle power.

If you are tight on time and have many of Bangkok’s attractions to see then give the floating markets a pass because it isn’t worth missing Wat Arun or the Grand Palace. If you still have your heart set on seeing the floating market then make a day trip out of it and visit the famous rose gardens and Tiger Temple as well as they are very close.

Over 300 pictures of the floating market and surrounding residential canals can be found in the Gallery Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.

Wat Arun

Talen — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:55:13 +0000

On my first trip to Bangkok back in 2006 I spent half a day at Wat Arun taking pictures only to find out later that my camera had broken and only a few pictures were able to be salvaged. I finally made it back to Wat Arun this past April and luckily the camera held up.

I originally wrote a little about the history of Wat Arun in Bangkok’s Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun and added what few picks I had been able to salvage. So this time around I thought I would share a lot of pictures and my experience there.

Wat Arun is definitely one of the sights not to be missed while in Bangkok. As a matter of fact there are a lot of major attractions such as The Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Chinatown very close together and easy to get to. The easiest and cheapest way is to take the skytrain to Saphan Taksin station. If you are near the Nana area of Bangkok you’ll have to jump off the skytrain at Siam station which is the interchange and jump on the lower train to Saphan Taksin, which is the last stop at the city pier on the Chao Phraya River. From here you just need to jump on a river taxi which will cost you 13 baht and head to stop #8 which is the Tien pier.

Once at the Tien Pier you will take the ferry across to the West bank of the Chao Phraya River and Wat Arun. The ferry will cost you 2 baht each way. Tien pier is also the stop on the Chao Phraya River that you will need to get to The Grand Palace, Wat Pho, The Tien Market and the National Museum. So, it is possible to make a day of it from Tien pier but you will be very tired as it will be a long day.

It’s very easy to spend a couple of hours at Wat Arun if you like to take pictures. The site is absolutely beautiful and you can climb and crawl through most of it. You can walk to the top landings of the central prang but keep in mind that the steps are very steep and tall. The steps to the first landing aren’t too bad but the steps to the second are very steep and you won’t really notice it until it’s time to come down so take your time and be careful.

I chose the hottest and sunniest day of the year I think when I visited in April and coming down from the second landing proved difficult as the railings are black Iron and the midday sun heated them to ultra hot.

This is a must see if you plan on visiting Bangkok. To see more pictures of my visit please check out the Gallery, Wat Arun-Temple of Dawn

A Stroll Down Nakom Phanome’s Riverfront

Talen — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:41:40 +0000

The other day Pookie had to renew her drivers license which turned out to be a 5 hour affair but it gave me the chance to walk through the city and relax in it’s beauty. Nakom Phanome sits on the Mekong directly across from Laos in the North East area of Thailand.

The one thing that gave me a chuckle was all the different signage throughout the city with the name spelled phonetically different on each sign. There was every possible spelling from Nakom Phanome to Nakorn Panom. The signs were a minor detraction from the beauty of the city and just how proud it’s people are of it.

The one particularly striking feature of the river walk is the many temple complex’s along the 2-3 mile road that fronts the river. Many of the Wats were building new temples or restoring old ones.

I have a lot of stories to tell in the future but for now just a load of pics that I hope you enjoy.

Internet connection is getting better…this post only took 3 hours!

Mukdahan Village Life

Talen — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:32:05 +0000

It’s been a lazy few days living in Mukdahan. With Songkran over here everyone is still in holiday mode and doing a lot of eating and sleeping. Pookie’s family lives about 10 minutes outside of Mukdahan city in a sleepy little village where most of the neighbors are related. There is nothing to do here at all except relax and of course snap photo’s.

The place has changed a little since my last visit. Young brother now has his own room…or small shack if you will, built next to the main house. Pappa has also built Mama a new kitchen. I’ve gotten used to squatting again but I will never get used to pouring cold water out of a clay pot in the morning as a shower. The only real problem I’ve had is the damned roosters and one in particular that I have vowed to eat before this trip is over.

Fortunately for me we will be heading to Nakom Phanome shortly where I will give up the village life for a hotel on the Mekong. I’ll still be visiting the village and helping on the farm daily but I will sleep in air con and not have roosters waking me!

Although there isn’t much to do in the village I’ve had a lot of time to re-connect with Pookie and a lot more time to connect with her daughter Fa, who can melt my heart with her giggle and and make me laugh with her devious little grin. She’s adorable and loves to play with me…It’s way too easy to fall hard for a Thai girl…especially when she’s only 3.

Have been eating some very interesting dishes as well…tadpoles anyone?

A few pics to show you my little slice of village life in Mukdahan…

Getting Ready for Songkran 2009

Talen — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:58:28 +0000

With Songkran just a few days away it’s high time we got prepared! First stop was the Tuesday/Friday market on soi bukaow in Pattaya to shop for the most important thing for Songkran…the shirt! Colorful shirts are being sold everywhere and everyone in town is already wearing them. Of course to be well prepared you must be well armed too. So far we’ve picked up small ordinance for the kids back home, although that Pooh Bear back mount squirter could come in handy sooner.

Seeing As I will be in Pattaya for the first day of Songkran and will definitely be heading to the heaviest of war zones, soi 8, I had better start looking for the big guns because you don’t want to be caught short in this water battle. After leaving Pattaya I’ll be in Mukdahan for the second offensive or day 2 of Songkran and then on to Nakom Phanome for the final day of Songkran.

I’ll be taking a lot of pictures as long as I can waterproof the camera well enough…but with my history of breaking camera’s in Thailand I had better keep my fingers crossed.

Thailand’s Red Shirts on the Move

Talen — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:14:08 +0000

It’s become increasingly difficult to call the “red shirts” the DAAD party(The Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship). At one time the red shirts were synonymous with DAAD but with more and more groups joining their cause and donning the red shirts it’s become apparent that many in Thailand are dissolutioned with the political process that has been called democracy.

Today was D-Day for the red shirts with over 40,000 gathering in Bangkok to protest the government and it’s Prime Minister whom they feel was not democratically elected. The red shirts have taken a page out of the yellow shirts (PAD -People’s Alliance for Democracy)playbook and in speeches this morning leaders of the red shirt movement have declared they will shut down the airport at the end of the month.Of course this will probably piss off the blue shirts (club of operators of passenger vans in Bangkok) who will try and stop any closure of the airport. At least they are all color coordinated so you can tell them apart.

With the ASEAN summit beginning in a few days in Pattaya it seems that the political process will be played out at the beach. The red shirts plan on protesting en masse in Pattaya at all of the hotels and conference centers where the visiting dignataries will be gathering. Mix in the start of songkran and this could be a recipe for disaster.

I’m not sure how I feel about all of this at the moment. The red shirts definitely have a case and should be heard out. If they close the airport, which is a very real possibility , then I get some extra vacation time and if it plays out like it did when the yellow shirts shut down the airport then I might even get payed for my trouble.

Personally I would love to see the yellow and red shirts fade away to a united color that could bring Thailand’s people and classes together but I think that may be a tall order for a country struggling to find it’s political identity.

Anyone in Pattaya or Bangkok over the next few weeks might do well to stay away from wearing yellow or red shirts just in case.

Another Beautiful Sunrise in Pattaya

Talen — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:26:19 +0000

Well, the last few days have gone rather quickly. I’ve been doing a whole lot of nothing for the past two days due to some dodgy pork I ate the other night. The good news is I am much better now thanks to the doctor at the clinic and Pokie taking good care of me.

It’s an odd thing that I can get quick, efficient and cheap medical care here in Thailand whereas if I were in the States it would be the exact opposite. Now, I’m not talking about brain surgery here but the kind of medical care most families need on a daily basis. The quick in and out have a sore throat or stomach cramps kinda thing. There was a time in America when everyone had a family doctor they would go to for such things and the doctor knew you and treated you quickly and cheaply…a relic of our past I guess.

Anyway, I’ve still been busy the past few days. Hanging out in the rain at Starbucks next to Tukcom for a bit and then shopping for ingredients for a home cooked Lao meal. Looks like next week I’ll be heading to Mukdahan for Songkran then on to Nacome Phanom where I’m told I’ll be having a working vacation. For now just a few pics.

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