we going to patong beach/phuket resort end august , anyone know if there is a webcam where we can get a view of the beach or resort. thanks
patong webcam ??Try www.marinaphuket.com. Click on ';around the resort'; %26amp; then ';Phuket live view';. This will show you a view of Karon beach.
Hello to all ta;s im going to Phuket in 2 weeks time and just have 1 quick question about tattoos.I have a full spread tattoo of jesus on the cross on my back and was wondering if any of you past visitors to Phuket think it may offend anyone i.e locals ,im pretty sure that thailand is a christian counrty as well as many other religions.But rather than offend people i would rather cover up .Many thanks
check out the search facility docky
Hi, coming to the full moon party in April , has anyone stayed here? Is it near to full moon party? also,are there lot%26#39;s of things to do around here, thanks, joanne
Hi - trying to find some info on Sunset Cove as well - found just the one review here which is good, but don%26#39;t see it on Sawadee - have you found a reputable booking site to reserve it through? Regards, Rory
Hi guys
Just came back from a week in Sunset Cove.
No, it is not in the vicinty of Haad Rin (Full Moon Party Beach), but you can go there by taxi in 30-40 min ~ 200 THB. Sunset Cove is on the NW side and Haad Rin is on the SW-corner of the island.
I just wrote a review of the place - will be on in a couple of days. There is not much going on in Sunset Cove - it%26#39;s a quiet and I think very nice place. The base-informations states 18 rooms, but they%26#39;ve recently added 1-2 rows of small cottages in the back, so I think the%26#39;yve doubled their capacity.
If you%26#39;re going there to party 24-7 this is not the place
If you%26#39;re going there to party 24-7 somewhere else and relax at the resort - this is the place
BR Hannibal
It´s at Ao Chao Pao Beach, so in the very north-west.. not on Had Rin.
Both beaches in the south are called Had Rin. Beach Had Rin Nai (south-west) SUNSET_SIDE and Had Rin Nok (Fullmoon) (south-east) SUNRISE_SIDE ;-)
I stayed at the Grand Inn, Sukhumvit Soi 3, in Bangkok in April and found it to be just right. It was 2/3 mins from Nana Entertainment Complex, very clean, aircon%26#39; , ID cards left at reception and the staff were lovely. What would be the equivalent in Pattaya?
Too many hotels are like Grand inn in Pattaya, Areca lodge, all the Eastinny, Flipper house, it%26#39;s only a small choices of hotels like Grand inn.
any suggestions - ';just another fear of flying freak';
thank god for XANAX!!
who is the safest and best carrier to get myself %26amp; family from Bangkok to phuket ???
thanks in advance!!
Nok air are cheap and reliable. (they fly out of Don Muang Airport).
Thai are expensive and reliable. (they fly out of Suvarnabhumi).
We had a great flight with Thai Airways from Phuket to Bangkok-no complaints at all !!
So you%26#39;ve decided against travelling by train and bus from Bangkok to Phuket Dannyboy3?
We%26#39;ve booked to fly with Air Asia in October. Have not used them before but the flights were convenient and the fares reasonable and I have not read any really negative comments about them anywhere apart from some delays here and there. Of course, with budget airlines with tight turn arounds, you must anticipate possible delay and plan any connections accordingly.
Hi Guys,
Will be landing on a Tuesday at 14.40hrs. What is the approximate transfer time please.
Thanks
Sarah
xx
Transfer time: DM Airport to SukhumvitIt all depends on the traffic really - we did this journey about 7-8am approx and it took somewhere between 40mins to one hour
Transfer time: DM Airport to SukhumvitHi Redbull,
That%26#39;s great I was banking on around 45mins to an hour.
Thanks
Sarah
xx
Found this video on My Space tonight and thought everyone might like it! Haha!
myspacetv.com/index.cfm鈥?/a>
If it was me on that plane I would NEVER fly again!
Reet xxx
Leaving from melb in 2 weeks.Starting to get stressed out about the flying.If only it wasn%26#39;t 9 hours.Might have to go to the doctors and ';get something';.I HATE IT!!!!!!!!That video was horrible,LOL
Oh my gosh. What a shame you can%26#39;t see what airline that was. The pilot must have thought he was in a helecopter,,, Thanks Reet for finding that. I will have a great day now.. :))))
Beezely xx
Thanks Reet, you%26#39;re a REAL champ.
We fly out for Phuket tomorrow so now I%26#39;m putting extra knickers in my carry on luggage....lol.
Love ya for that
Cheers
Bev xxxx
Hi Reet, that was a beauty, bad enough sitting at home watching it let alone being on it!!!!!
Rene
Haha sorry everyone , but if I had to suffer I figured all my online travel friends could too! It was Korean Airlines apparently!
I am definitely getting drugs to knock me out on my flights in Feb!
xx
Well,
You guys need to move to Perth. I love the direct flight (THAI Airways) to Phuket which takes about 5 1/2 hours.
The less take off and landings the better, I reckon.
Nice video Reet!
Regards
Niko
Think I will watch it on my return......Will be happily blissing out on assorted varieties of medication for my flight. Have advised hubby am abdicating responsibility for the children for the duration of the flight (part of the deal to get me to go).......
Hmmm, though maybe moving to Perth might not be such a bad idea.
Wilyroo,
Be a sport and watch it.. go on! I dare ya!!
Reet xx
Thank goodness I have a supply of Valium each time I fly!
Thanks Reet :-)
Janexxx
PS when%26#39;s the next Adelaide dinner???
hahaha where on earth has this mean streak come from Reet???
Luv the video. Luckily, I%26#39;m not going anywhere near a plane for awile.
Jubby
Finally, here is our report on the Sunset Sailing Tour with Captain Mark.
A couple of weeks ago we went on a Sunset Sailing Tour with Captain Mark on the Sakai.
What a fantastic afternoon/night this was.
After a little mix up with our transfers (we changed our pickup location at the last minute and the driver couldn’t find us) we were on our way to meet Mark, John %26amp; Ann from New Zealand and the lovely family from Perth, Ian, Tanya, Emma %26amp; Brooke from Bunbury W.A.
The weather was perfect, actually way to perfect for sailing as there was not a ripple on the ocean and virtually no wind at all. Not to worry, we were still on a yacht, the company was good and we were all about to have another fun adventure.
I didn’t have breakfast or lunch this day as I knew Ya would cook her special crunchy chicken wings not long after we boarded, so I was starving.
We were all spread out around the boat and then noticed smoke coming from the kitchen, oh no is it a fire??? No just Mark, he decided to let off a small smoke bomb to scare Ya.
Soon the chicken came out, sorry guys if I ate too many of them but they are sooo delicious.
Then it was time to anchor off Kho Naka Yai for some cooling off and swimming time. Ian and his daughter Emma swam to the island, while I sat on the Sakai thinking could I make it there as I’m not the world’s best swimmer. Mark took everyone else over on the dinghy and I took the big jump with Gary not far behind me.
The water was absolutely beautiful, warm and crystal clear and of course I made it to land ha-ha. (Probably the longest distance I have ever swam – and it was not that far)
All of us were mucking around in the water and then we started talking about of all things “SHARKS” Not a good topic when someone like me is around, no way am I swimming back to the Sakai now, I’m going back in the dinghy!! Then something grabbed my leg, holy cr**p, I only let out a little yell and then it surfaced, something with a hairy face called Mark.
Oh nearly forgot the sucker fish, Ian felt something on his leg and flicked at it, up into the air it went, some sort of white fish that decided to latch onto his leg, so it was called the Sucker Fish, (I thought of Ian and that fish last week while having a deep cleansing facial thingy at a Japanese place, they were using a machine that sort of sucked at your face and I had visions that it was a sucker fish, but that’s another story!!)
By the way Ian, how big was that fish, Im sure it was about a foot long!!
After an hour or so it was time to leave and off on a scenic cruise we went. The photos explain all of this much better.
Emma and Brooke wanted another swim so Mark anchored again, not sure where but it definitely was not close to land, it was out in the deep blue ocean – fathoms deep ha-ha.
Ian and the girls jumped in and Mark threw over one of the big foam cushions from the seats on the Sakai, they looked like they were having so much fun, but at this stage I was not sure if I wanted to be in there with them with my legs dangling down below.
Then Mark decided to show us how to correctly wear a life jacket. What a crackup, he put his legs through the armholes, did the jacket up, it looked like a big nappy, put a drink in a stubby holder and in he jumped.
When he surfaced it was just like he was bobbing around in an armchair, you had to be there to see how funny he looked.
Ok my turn but I want something to float around on as well, Noi threw me another one of the big cushions, what fun this was going to be, laying on a floating cushion out in the middle of the ocean.
Yeah right!!
No matter what I did I just could not get up onto the cushion. I would get half on – then fall off, or nearly be on it and roll off the other side. Ian held it for me and I still couldn’t get on the stupid thing, everyone is yelling out what to do but there was no way I could get on it. Then success – well sort of. I made it by dragging myself up from the end but had to use every muscle to stay on it as I kept rolling to the side.
Anyway I was happy to be the butt of everyone’s funny comments and laughter.
All I will say is – No other adults tried it and kids can do anything – go Emma %26amp; Brooke ha-ha.
Once everyone had had enough it was back on board for lots of fresh fruit, drinks and yes more of Ya’s delicious chicken wings.
Soon its time to head to Kho Naka Noi for a bbq dinner, brilliant sunset and fireworks!!
Mark took us all over in the dinghy along with beach mats, eskys, food and the most important person his cook Ya. After collecting a nice little pile of firewood Gary and Mark proceeded to build our fire and on went our kebabs – Survivor eat your heart out!!
Mark yelled out to me could I move one of the beach mats away from the fire as he didn’t want sparks landing on it.
Hang on, something doesn’t sound right here, I just had a feeling that he was up to something, so I carefully lifted the edges of the mat up and sure enough – under it was Marks huge rubber cobra. (I think he was disappointed he didn’t scare me).
Emma, Brooke %26amp; Mark collected some crabs and built a crab racing track where fortunes were then lost on the crab races.
Not long after I was standing not far from the fire and there was a huge bang behind me, scared the living whatever out of me, there was also a fine spray of sand go up my leg. It was sooo loud, yes – you guessed it - Mark again.
He was determined to scare me and he did by throwing a small cracker bomb behind me.
(I have to say it was not close enough to hurt me or anyone else)
Your time will come Mark; we are coming back just to get you.
Time to get our cameras out as the sun is setting now and it’s a beauty. It looked like it would pour at any time; there was thunder and big black clouds heading for us, pretty spectacular as there were also patches of bright blue in between this.
There are quite a few photos of the beautiful sunset.
Dinner was yum, first we had Ya’s famous Tom Kha Gai (Thai chicken %26amp; coconut soup) then lots of veggies, rice and fresh prawns, and we finished off with the most delicious bbq kebabs cooked on our fire by Mark %26amp; Gary. It was a feast and you will definitely not leave Marks tours hungry!!
Now its time for Marks fireworks display, oh no where’s the bag of fireworks gone? (Ann had decided to hide them earlier in the bushes, but then forgot where she had put them) So there we all are with torches looking for a plastic bag of crackers. We found them about 15 minutes later ha-ha
What a display Mark put on, here we are on a secluded beach, fire roaring away and our own private fireworks display.
A perfect ending.
I think we arrived back at the pier about 8.30-9.00pm.
There is no way I could choose my favorite between the Sunset tour and the day sailing tour as we loved both and they are so different.
Everyone had a great time and we all couldn’t stop talking about it on the way back to our hotels.
(What a scary trip back that was as well, our driver thought we were going back to Chalong, we let him know he was going the wrong way and we were going back to our hotel, it rained like I have never seen before, the roads were flooded around Chalong and Kata, all traffic was going very slow – thank god and then we came over the hill into Patong – Dry as a bone, not a drop of rain in sight!!)
We are so looking forward to doing both tours again next year.
Heres the link for our Sunset Sailing Tour photos
…google.com/CathyandGary/SunsetSailingTour25…
Cathy
Phew - another gem Cathy!
What a wonderful set of photos. Great pictures in the water, especially the one of the irrepressible Mark.
Our report on our trip with Mark and crew is to come shortly along with our JBR - I%26#39;ve just finished putting our pics on picasa.
Hope we can catch up soon, now that you%26#39;re back.
Peter, Audrey and Erica.
Peter, Audrey and beautiful little Erica,
Looking forward to your JBR and Gary and I would love to catch up with the 3 of you again.
Cathy xx
Hi Cathy,
Thanks yet again for another wonderful story about your holiday, this certainly sounds a great way to see the sunset, especially for our next trip. Photos are brilliant as usual.
Lee xx
Thanks for the report Cathy you summed it up perfectly.
What an honour for us to be the first crew on an evening sailing tour, something we will remember for ever.
For anyone going to Phuket you cant miss out on a tour with Captain Mark its an unforgetable experience and absolute value for money.
Cheers Ian Tanya Emma Brooke
Thanks for a great report Cathy. So looking forward to doing our day sailing tour with Mark, will now have to think about doing a sunset tour with Mark as well. Your reports bring it all to life, feel like I%26#39;m there with you.
Kerri
Hi Cathy
Another fantasic report and photos to match. Sounds like Mark was determined to scare you whenever he could. That flamin fake cobra scares the willies out of you .............nearly got me as well.
Chees
Karen
Hi Cathy
Fantastic photos!!!
I am going to show my sister to convince her we should do this when we are in Phuket in October, along with my 11 year old son.
Tania
Hi Cathy
Just love all your stories (and photos) ... this looks like another thing to add on my ';to do'; list. I have started planning the next trip back already hehe
Keep the stories coming.
Cheers
Jo
Wow !! Now this trip definately looks like doer. Love the photo%26#39;s. What an amazing sunset. And I loved the ones of the Sakai.
Can%26#39;t wait to try this next year. Yes Captain Mark....that is a warning!!
Luv ya Cathy and keepem coming.
Jubby
Amazing as always Cathy,
It sounds like you had the perfect day, you will have to start thinking of ways to get Mark back for all the jokes he has played on you......
We can%26#39;t wait for our day with Mark in October it sounds like we will have a ball, we are so looking forward to it.
Great Photos as well Cathy, whenever we feel down or need a boost we have a look over your Pics from this trip it gives us a huge lift.
Thanks so much for your efforts.
Cheers, Pete.
We wanted to see elephants in Thailand and really wanted to do the 1 day mahout training at Lampang Elephant Conservation Center. However, the 1 day course wasn%26#39;t being offered in July so we decided on the ENP. We were slightly concerned as it looked like a long day without really doing much and we are quite ';active'; travelers. However, the day absoluletely flew by and it was great. Michelle was a wonderful guide for the day and you will learn everything you ever wanted to know. And although they have some heartbreaking stories, you aren%26#39;t hit up for sponsorship etc all the time like can be other places. It was fabulous interacting with the elephants but with respect for their nature. Feeding and bathing in the river was an unforgetable experience. The journey there was long but very interesting to see the countryside. The lunch provided was incredible and we would highly recommend it. If you have younger children, the day might be too long and it is very hot and you do spend most of the day listening. But our girls are teenagers and enjoyed hearing all the stories and the activities. We would highly recommend it.
Thanks for that report, sounds great!!
I%26#39;m booked in for the 2 days/1 night on Nov 14th of this year!!
My main reason for going to Thailand is to go to ENP!!
I can%26#39;t wait!!
Hi JandRT,
Thank you so much for this tip!!
I just booked my day at the park next November,
I was wondering how to contemplate these great animals without making a contribution to there miserable life in satisfying the tourist industry...
A million thanks for that!!
Martin
ps Eljay, we will be able to share our experience at the Nov 30th bar b q in Phuket!!
Martin,
Great!! I look forward to meeting you there!
When are you doing your ENP adventure? :)
Excellent! We%26#39;ve booked a day at the Nature Park on Nov 7th....one of the partsd of our trip I%26#39;m really looking forward to!
Nov 20th for me!!
How exciting!!
I%26#39;m sure you all will enjoy it as much as I will!!
Martin - See you on Nov 30th!! Another thing I can%26#39;t wait for!
I just returned home from chiang mai. We went to the ENP and it was the highlight of our trip.
I have been reading some posts where people are interested in riding elephants. I would beg them not to do so.
At our day at the park, we learned about the brutal training that most elephants go through in order to ';domesticate'; them.
It involves abuse and injury that is sometimes permanent.
It may seem harmless to ride on an elephant, or go to shows where the elephants are painting or doing other tricks, or even demonstrating the logging techniques of the past. However, in order to get the elephants to perform, or to let people ride them, they have more than likely been abused.
I hope you ladies enjoy your visit as much as we did!
Spread the word about the dark side of the elephants in thailand, and lets help save the few thousand that are left!
I have just noticed on this thread that people are booking the ENP in advance. I didn%26#39;t realise that you could do that. Can someone please tell me how I go about doing it as we will be there the first week of November.
Thanks
Wendy
Hi Wendy,
Its best to book in advance as they have limited numbers each day out there (I think its about 6-10).
Two ways : if in Chiang Mai they have an office in the city where you can book or alternatively, the best way is online at www.elephantnaturefoundationonline.com
Reet x
The main way to book is through: info@elephantnaturepark.org
It gets a little confusing when you search for it online, as there are 2-3 websites. If you email the address above, you should get a response in a day or to. I am signed up to volunteer for 2 weeks in March, 2008. Cant wait!
Just wanted to find out from fellow travellers if the 90 min wait i had to endure while trying to clear immigrations is normal. Landed at the international airport at 135, deplane at about 145 and did not clear customs which thankfully was a breeze till 315pm. Was i simply unlucky or is this quite normal for a Thursday afternoon?
Thanks for your advice.
Hello Rafflesia,
I don%26#39;t know how busy it was when you arrived at immigrations and how many desks were open. I think they have three different entrances/sections for the immigrations at Bangkok International Airport. In June I also took the wrong one and had to wait for a while too. It takes about 3/4 minute per pax. They check and recheck your passport and you have to look into the minicamera.
Rafflesia
BKK airport has 800 planes in and out each day so it%26#39;s a busy airport. peak times though are usually 0600-0900, 1600-1900 and 2200-0100 so it%26#39;s surprising in one way that you had to endure a 90 minute wait. however this is not the first time i have heard of singaporeans having to endure close scrutiny at the airport and some awful behaviuour at some resorts in thailand. and here is the reason, i think.
i don%26#39;t know if you recall but the previous prime minister sold his company to Temasek which is the singapore government investment company for nearly 2 billion US dollars. now many thais believe that Thaksin should have payed capital gains tax when he sold this company but he didn%26#39;t. also they didn%26#39;t want to see thai assets in singaporean hands. in a way thais see Temasek as complicit in this and as a result there is still a lot of negative feeling towards singapore about letting thaksin get away with it.
so it%26#39;s payback time. then again there may have been a rush of planes when you arrived.
bkk3
Forgive me for being dumb.... but where is the connection between payback time for Singaporeans and waiting time at the BKK airport?.. Do they line up people who arrive from Singapore and force them to wait in a separate line?..
As already suggested.. BKK is a very busy airport.. and as people know.. busy airports equal wait.. I waited an hour and a half at BKK before and the same at other airports.. Just recently longer than that when clearing immigration at Charles De Gaulle (with an EU passport)... Moral is.. if you have connecting flights.. allow for at least 3 hours.. or risk missing your connection.
mosiegreen
actually i%26#39;ll tell you another story i heard from a friend here who has a singaporean girlfriend who lives with him and works here.
they went on holiday about 2 months ago to a resort in krabi, so it was low season. some of the girls family members came from singapore as well. the resort was only about at 1/3 capacity. according to my friend their treatment at the hotel was terrible compared to other people who were holidaying there. service was slow and sometimes non-existant compared to othe rholidaymakers. tours were not available even though others were booking them via the hotel. they were not allowed to upgrade their rooms - no explanation. no transport was available for them to the airport even though people had left for the airport earlier that day.
now i don%26#39;t expect you to understand the psyche of a thai when he%26#39;she has felt that they have been wronged, but at the time there was a huge amount of negative sentiment directed against the singapore government for buying Shin corp as they felt it was a national asset that should not be sold. the army felt it was a national security issue as the sale involved the sale of communication satellites. the papers were full of it, english and thai national dailies. that sentiment still lingers and it is no surprise that they had to wait for so long. however i did point out that there may be other explanations. but don%26#39;t for one moment think that thais are all smiles and nice and helpful 24/7, particularly at immigration and customs. thai society is quite divide here and racism is very evident, more so than in other asian countries i have lived and worked in.
bkk3
Dear Bkk3 and mosgrisen,
thanks for your reply. Appreciate your views. Bkk3, have been following your threads and i guess, u are truly deserving of being awarded the title local expert. Thank you for your views regarding the pysche of the Thai%26#39;s and the business transaction regarding Temasek holdings and Shin corp. Very interesting. However, I tend to agree with mosgrisen on this one as singaporeans were not the only ones that had to endure long waits. There were at least 5 other international flights with travellers from 2 asian,european and at least 1 middle eastern country waiting for their turn. I was bored and so was looking at the various passports and behavior and reaction of travellers. Will take it that this must have been one of the peak hours at the airport. It will be interesting if air travel magazines like business traveller would to write an article on the waiting time at the various international airports. I was prepared to wait 30-45 mins but must admit was not prepared for the 90 min wait. Thanks again.
Rafflesia
It%26#39;s pot luck! It has taken me over the tears probably an average of 40 minutes - but two weeks ago for the first time ever I walked straight up uo pasport control with no queue or wait at all.
Hello :
I was at the new airport in May, 2007. Arrived 01:30AM. at
the wee hour , the immigration counter was not that busy
. However, it took me 40minutes to get thru. the gate due to
some south Asians in front of me. I can say with a USA
passport , the officer did not hesitate to check me in Thailand
at all , just make sure fill out the immigration form in both sides.
I shall be better prepare when I come back this airport later
this year. I like the architecture design of this one a lot better
than the old structure LAX. with more open space %26amp; high ceiling.
Enjoy your trip,
Bangkok has always been slow on immigration though fortunately they do not have the small customs room that they had in Ye Olde days where the Bangkok Gestapo gave us all a hard time before we were let into the country.
Last December I arrived at about 11 AM and walked straight through without problems. As I am on the same flight this year, I hope for the same result.
Hi, we are an older couple and have a two night stopover in Bangkok, would appreciate some advice on a 4 or 5 star hotel close to shopping and markets, or at least close enough to do some bargain hunting and keep one of us happy for a day and a half. We don%26#39;t want to spend too much time in taxi%26#39;s or negotiating public transport.
All the hotels seem to claim some proximity to shopping but the city seems so spread out we need some first hand advice. My wife is particularly keen on night markets.
Thanks in advance of any replies.
Bangkok Shopping Hotel Advice
stowgray
the nearest 5* hotel located near the Suan Lum night markets is the Dusit Thani on Silom Road. it%26#39;s a 10 minute walk from here. however there are no major malls located here. for that you need to stay around the Ratchaprasong are. Thr Novotel Siam, Holiday Inn (Ploenchit) or the intercontinental are all within 5/10 minute walk from these hotels. Unfortunately you will have to use either public transport and/or taxi to get to the other area if you choose another area.
bkk3
Bangkok Shopping Hotel AdviceAs long as you are near the skytrain you can get to most places very easily. We have stayed at the Novotel Siam Square and the location is very central, its about a 3 minute walk to the skytrain station (Siam) and is surrounded by shopping opportunities and only 1 stop on the skytrain to MBK ( a great shopping centre where you can get lots of bargains, many of the floors are like markets within a mall setting.......with the benefit of airconditioning). You can also walk to MBK in about 10 minutes with lots of interesting stores along the way, Siam Paragon, Siam Centre etc are also very close by. At night time you can take the skytrain to Sala Daeng station and walk up to Patpong markets and the Silom Road markets along the way which are cheaper than the main Patpong area or you can transfer to the subway and take the underground to Lumphini station and visit Suan Lum market.
We have also stayed at the Pathumwan Princess which gives direct entry into the MBK shopping centre and this may suit you as you only have 2 days. It is great being able to shop and then drop your bags to your room and go back for more! The skytrain is accessible through the Tokyu department store in MBK (National stadium) and the markets I mentioned above can be accessed in the same way. Its only about a 10 minute ride on the skytrain to Patpong.
Personally we buy most of our stuff at MBK (you can get all the copy dvds, bags, teeshirts %26amp; polos etc) as it is much cheaper than Patpong markets and in a cooler setting with lots of restuarants and a great food court etc.
Hello :
The Landmark hotel on Sukhumvit is very close to Nana station
sky train.
Enjoy your trip,
The landmark would be quite nice too if you%26#39;re not looking for a too expensive hotel.
Thanks everyone for the great advice, looks like the princess or the landmark may be the best options so will check out the reviews. Don%26#39;t have a problem with using the transport system, just that our time is so limited and want to maximise it.
If you are happy to be a few stops down the Skytrain from the main shopping strip the next station from Nana is Asoke which is connected directly to the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit.
Top Hotel, very easy to get around the city from.
Regards
Robert
We loved the Pathumwan Princess as a hotel for great shopping. Loved the fact that we cvould take stuff back to our rooms rest a little and head back to the shops! the hotel itself was lovely and the staff and facilities great too!
enjoy your trip! MBK is fantastic for shopping
Thanks again everyone, the Princess looks very reasonable and an ideal location given the time we have available. Cheers
We are a family of 7 adults Flying into Bankok and have booked a villa in Hua Hin for the Xmas week then have booked a hotel at Patong beach, Phuket for the New year week.
Having checked all options of flying to our destanations I do like the idea of driving to Hau Hin then driving from there to Phuket then flying back to Bankok.
I would appreciate any advice anyone can give me.
Thank you
Dave
Driving is an excellent way to go - using a professional driver and vehicle, of course.
A van (also called a minibus), would take your party in comfort and allow for frequent comfort stops on the way, as necessary.
They will collect you at the airport and deliver to Hua Hin hotel in about 3 hours.
The same driver and vehicle will also be happy to collect you from your hotel and drive you to your Phuket destination.
This sort of chauffeur driven option is usually extortionately expensive in UK, but is economical for 7 people in Thailand, as you pay per vehicle and not necessarily per passenger.
There are many transport companies around contactable via the internet, but it is a good idea to collect advice from other travellers who have been happy with a service.
Also be aware that some vehicles are not properly insured, or have sufficient seat belts, so do ask those questions.
I am happy to give you the name of the company that we use, if you like.
Have a happy trip!
Hello David,
Talk about Deja vu - we ( me and my wife) are going to Hua Hin on the 21st of December til the 28th then going back to BKK and flying to Phuket the same day ,until the 6th of Jan, Staying at the Max hotel in Patong, Please remenber to book Richards Friday night BBQ In Patong on the 4th Jan.
See you there if not before,
Latch, Cumbria
any comment on construction noise on railay west...looking at Jan 08...any feedback would be appreciated and reciprocated...mikey
Had a great vacation there in July 2007. There is still some construction going on but it was almost insignificant noise wise. It seems like the heavier building stage is over and now it%26#39;s mostly finishing touches.
Have been there on June 2007 ..hmm..on West no or less Construction Noise is depend which Resort/Place you catch..
But if you will go for climbing ..there is allover (mostly )the sound from the Generator which produce the electricy.. this is is also on the eastern part ....
TButton
Hi Mikey,
I work in some resort at Railay West. The only one resort is under construction ';Railay Village Resort'; however, they have plan to complete before this September . The largest construction will be built at Railay East next year (Bunga Thani)maybe wrong spelling.They are doing 5 star resort there.
There are not many hotel located on ';Railay West';
Rayavadee, Railay Bay Resort, Sand Sea Resort, Railay Village,
Railay Beach Club.
Cheers,
Timmy
Railay Beach
Thanks Timmy for the reply about construction noise ..always good to get the information from someone who knows...Are you a local? What resorts in the medium price range do you recommend. I%26#39;ll be there on Jan 20.. cheers....mikey
Myself and my partner are planning a trip to Khao Lak at the end of October/Start November and plan to go for 2 weeks, spending most of the time in Khao Lak and 2 or 3 nights at the end of the trip in Bangkok.
Khao Lak looks and sounds from what people have said on here and what i%26#39;ve seen on the internet like a lovely place, not as over populated with tourists as Phuket and a bit quieter.
One of my partner%26#39;s colleagues has just told her that she ';has to'; stay in Phuket/Patong for a few nights before going to Khao Lak as ';Phuket is amazing and we can%26#39;t just travel through it as everywhere is so different.';
What are people%26#39;s opinion%26#39;s on this, is it worth spending time there, would it add much to the trip or would it just be a similar place for a few days?
I would personally recommend a few night on Phuket itself. Perhaps not Patong. Have a look at Surin or Kata as an alternative. Patong is great from a day. If you are at one of the other beaches you will only be about 20 mins to Patong.
Phuket is fantastic and there is so much to do. Khao Lak is more chill out.
I agree. Phuket is so much more than just Patong. It%26#39;s a great island with many different resorts that cater for all tastes.
Personally, I intend to spend more time on Phuket in the future, but this will not mean my time in Khao Lak is reduced!
So many choices, what a dilema!
Agree with the above We stayed 7 nights in Khao Lak followed by 5 in Phuket and 4 in Bangkok on our trip last year and enjoyed it so much we are doing a repeat this year but staying in different hotels in Phuket and Bangkok. We fell in love with Le Meridian in Khao Lak so are returning there again. We found the 3 resorts had different things to offer in all aspects and together made a great holiday.
Hi,
I also agree. Lots of places to stay in and around Phuket and loads of great trips to be organised from there.
I assume you are landing/leaving via Phuket, so why not 7 nights Khao Lak, 4 nights Phuket and 3 BKK.
Gives you a good opportunity to see different parts of the Island.
Sarah
xx
A mix of both places is great, as long as you have enough time.
As mentioned before, Patong is NOT Phuket and there is much more. Patong is good for a day of shopping and an opportunity to see just how whacked out the night life can be - but that can grow boring after a day or two.
Kamala is only about a 12 minute drive from Patong - so it is a good base with fewer people, a better beach and lower prices than Patong/Karon/Kata. Though Kata Beach is also exceptional.
The Kamala, Surin and Bang Tao Beach areas are great - and my personal favorites. You can find a lot of information about that area specifically at:
www.PhuketGoldCoast.com
My finance and I are going on our honeymoon to Thailand and are in need of some good advice. Initially we will be staying at either Kata or Karon beach. That will be the recovery part of the trip (after wedding and very long flight!). Then we will do a few days in Bangkok, a few in Cambodia (Angor Wat) and then have 4-5 days more.
I need to decide if it is worth risking monsoon season in Ko Samui or would we be better off going Krabi or somewhere else? Any recommendations? Ideally it would be relatively close to Phuket as we are leaving from there.
Any hotel recommendations would be appreciated as well.
Thanks for any input.
John
Hi there,
What month will you be in when you are looking to go to Koh Samui?
Koh Samui is definitely a gorgeous place to go to. I went last year in November for 5 days which was monsoon season. It was definitely enough time spent there. even 4 days will be enough time spent there. its pretty quiet in november which is good. no one hastles you. very peaceful. shopping is good but more expensive then phuket. beaches are very nice altho it would rain here and there for 10 mins also then stops and sunshine. so if your up for a bit of rain definitely expierence koh samui.
Cheers,
Izzy
Thank you Izzy!
we%26#39;re looking for a tasteful resort with fitness facilities also. A useable beach and good onsite restaurant (breakfast especially) that%26#39;s away from crowds but close enough to Chewang to get to at night. Our shortlist : Amari Palm Reef, Kandaburi,Anantara(bit overpriced?) Centara Grand. Saboey Resort and villas looked perfect but no gym . Any recommendations.
keep fit on holidaysThere is a terific gym in the heart of chawengs main drag..You are looking at 300 Bhat a work out..Heaps of free weights and machines..My hotel didnt have a gym either..With the humidity and general heat your metablism goes thru the roof..I try to factor my rest week when I am on vacation.
keep fit on holidaysthanks for that info on the gym in Chewang. Any idea how far it is from the Amari ? Walking distance or taxi ?
No sorry cannot ..the gym is called neptunes..If you do a google search of gymnasiums in koh samui you will see their web page..Also central samui resort have a good gym,But I have not seen this.
Neptunes Gym is near the Samui night plaza also near Als Huts.I suppose you could walk from the Amari but that would be in my opinion enough exercise in itself.Just jump in a songtaew it`s probably a 5 min ride
hi
not on your list but what meets your criteria is Sala Samui, its in choengmon which is 5 mins drive from chaweng away from the crowds, and it has a gym by the entrance area which is 150 baht a go.
Is sala samui near the impiana resort??
we will be in chiang mai in january for our honeymoon (for 5 nights). i cant decide between the four seasons and mandarin oriental. they book look amazing. it seems to me that the four season has better scenery around it, but the mandarin is closer to the city. not sure which one is a better overall experience. please help. thank you
While I don%26#39;t think you can go wrong with either one, my own preference is for the Four Seasons. It is a large property with a great aesthetic. The MO feels a bit overdone in the public areas, while the FS is a bit more serene.
Whichever you choose, do plan to spend a good deal of time in the resort itself, enjoying all it has to offer. If you plan to be out sightseeing from morning unitl night, you might consider a less expensive option, as it would be a shame to spend such a lot of money on a place to sleep.
We just stayed at the Mandarin. It was absolutely breathtaking, and the pictures of it on the web site don%26#39;t even begin to do it justice. There are two gorgeous swimming pools - - one an enormous resort-style pool, the other an infinity-pool overlooking the rice paddies. The rooms are enormous, but not at all pretentious or overdone. The craftsmanship throughout the property, especially of the spa, beggars belief. The hotel%26#39;s sensitivity to the Lanna culture and architecture of Northern Thailand is particularly commendable. The grounds are incredible: a veritable floral museum of Northern Thailand, together with working rice paddies. Another real plus: the day tours available through the concierge desk were excellent value. One day, we took a tour to Doi Suthep (don%26#39;t miss it!), followed by the old markets of Chiang Mai. The hotel provided a very luxurious van, with a driver and English-speaking guide, for pretty much the entire day. Every time we stopped, the driver provided cold drinks and towels. Another day, we took a trip to one of the elephant camps, where we rode and fed the elephants and watched their baths, and then rode bamboo rafts down the Ping River, and then visited the royal orchid conservatory. Again, our guide was excellent.
I%26#39;d have a hard time thinking of a better place for a honeymoon!
I am sure the Four Seasons is wonderful, too. In fact, we struggled, as you are, to pick between the two. One observation: the Four Seasons is much farther out of town, so if you want to see Chiang Mai itself, you are in for a bit more of a ride, and your trip from the airport will be farther.
We stayed at the Mandarin last December and also visited the Four Seasons. Our conclusion is that the Mandarin is by far a better choice. Location is close to the night market and the hotel provides complementary nightly shuttle. The rooms are beautiful and have more unique local flavor, and the intricate woodworking is stunning. Services is discreet and classy. They don%26#39;t nickel and dime you. The Four Seasons is nice too. However, the rooms and villas are not as impressive. I just can%26#39;t think of one category that Four Seasons is better. You can read my detailed review under the hotel review. Want to point out one more thing, Mandarin has an average of 5.0 traveler rating. I don%26#39;t recall any hotel has that perfect score.
how much does taxi cost from airport to hotels in patong?
thanks, mark
hi Mark, we went to the metered taxi stand (just turn right outside the airport exit) they have set prices, last month we paid 420 baht to patong. cheers
Anything under 500 is an ok deal, you might need to employ your bartering skills to get as fair a rate in the return direction.
Hi Mark,
We pay 650 bht from airport to Amari, this is with the hotel, I know it is more, but the last thing I want to do is start haggling on taxi prices, or even think about finding one, after a long flight, much better to have somebody standing there with your name on, for 150-200 bht feel it is worth it.
Mick
Mark,
If your hotel or guesthouse doesn%26#39;t do a Taxi service - most of them do - take the advice of the previous listing and get a taxi meter - when you exit the airport turn right and the booth is at the end of the airport building, we paid 470 tb in May to go to Patong.
Latch
We arrived on a Thurs around noon and found no taxis around, there were about 7 groups of people ahead of us and we waited for over 30 minutes before we decided to just get a ';limousine'; service to Karon for 650 (Usually cost 470 on meter). We decided to do that because the kids were getting antsy and hungry.
Travelling to Khao Lak early september and staying Ramada - ocean front villa with 2 young children. Will the ocean be very rough and is it likely to be impossible to enjoy the surroundings etc. We have a week in patong before this and are thinking maybe we should cancel KL and stay somewhere else in Phuket.
Thanks
Frederick.
When the weather is rough the sea is rough and that roughness tends to precede storms and linger a while after they pass.
That said, I don%26#39;t think the weather will interfere with your enjoyment of your trip. But, September is the rainiest month of the year. See:
http://khaolaklovers.com/khao_lak_weather.htm
I live on Phuket and tend to think that the sea is more mellow in Khao Lak.
Not to minimize the issue with the sea - but it needs to be put in perspective. When people speak about heavy seas here they are relating it to the winter months when the sea here is quite placid.
I%26#39;ve seen very few days here even during big storms when the sea would equal a normal day on much of the California Pacific coast, the northwest coast of Oahu or even the beaches at Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.
There are a few places on Phuket specifically that have fairly dangerous currents and undertows - that are a real problem if you are swimming when the sea is rough. People do drown on Phuket - I don%26#39;t want to minimize that - but when about 4 million people came here in the last 12 months, I don%26#39;t think the numbers are large. Add boozey people on vacation into the mix and . . . Don%26#39;t get me wrong - one drowning is too many, but these things do need to be put in their relative places.
Generally, in Khao Lak - if you take a good look at the water, you can tell if it is safe or not -assuming your good judgment, of course. Being from Australia - I am guessing you have seen FAR worse surf conditions that what is common here.
I hope that helps.
thanks so much that definately helps me out.
regards
Hi,
We were thinking of booking an Ocean Front Villa at the Ramada Resort for a week in late October. However, I%26#39;ve just read somewhere that these villas are not recommended during the monsoon season. Can anyone advise whether late October is still monsoon season?
Thanks.
October is kind of a transition month between the rainiest month of the year - September - and November, when the weather starts to settle down. So . . . late October things will be settling in for the dryer season when the seas are quiet.
BUT - I have to say that seas don%26#39;t tend to get too rowdy in the Khao Lak area - and people tend to speak relative to the times of year when the sea is very still and mellow.
Personally - I like the rainy monsoon time of year and being as close to the sea as possible is especially nice during that time of year. But - that is just me - if I can get a bit of sea spray on the terrace, I love it!
Try here for an overview of Khao Lak Weather:
http://khaolaklovers.com/khao_lak_weather.htm
Thank you, Tedkarma,
I think we%26#39;ll probably go for it.
Hello,
Could any of the Bangkok experts out there recommend a good dentist? I need to get some bridge or implant work so want someone that has a good reputation but is also cheap (if that is possible) - although anything would have to be cheaper than the quotes I received in Australia!
Reet xxx
Dentist Recommendations Please!!I had my teeth done at the Yanhee hospital, I didn%26#39;t have an appointment but they saw to me in 5 minutes. Very friendly and very cheap www.yanhee.net/eng/cont/contact_us_main.asp#
Dentist Recommendations Please!!Thanks Gary, will look into them...
One I have found (which I think I have heard mentioned before) is Bangkok Smile... has anyone experienced them? They seemed to be geared towards tourists.. wondering if that makes them more expensive... although their prices are alot more reasonable than Oz....
Reet xx
Hi EmjayReet. I have been twice to the Bangkok Smile Clinic on Ploenchit Rd opp the British Embassy.
You can check out their web site, they have maps and prices on there. All the US %26amp; British embassy people use them and i have had no problem, i will be going back in Feb for a crown $300 !
Had 2 fillings ans 3 x rays and a big scrap %26amp; polish $100 AUD.
There is also a branch on Sukhumvit 63 which is also a heath spa, it looks fab ! Nothing like the drab scary clincs we have here !!
Hope this helps.
Phill.
O My God. I was writing this before i read your last post !! ha ha
So that must be a sign.
Hahaha that is a sign... I was at the Dentist today and had a chipped tooth repaired - $145! I am meant to be going back to get my teeth cleaned tomorrow for $95! Think I might put it off 6 months... its $35 at Smile!
They quoted me $4000 + for a dental implant and to just get a dodgy bridge made up of filling material it is well over $1000! Dodgy!!!
Thanks - will check both those places out... any more recommendations appreciated!
xx
OMG ! $5000. Thats a whole months holiday in Thailand on the money you can save doing it over there !!
Most of the dentist in Thailand are women, so have that gentle touch as well.
Yep... thats 2 months holiday on my budget! Hahaha!
If I am going to do it, its gonna be in Thailand... way too expensive here!
I use Silom dental in Bangkok and if I am in Phuket I go to the Dental clinic at the Bangkok Hospital in Phuket town which is slightly cheaper than Silom Dental.
I recommend both of them.They are very good and gental.
Silom Dental is great, but there are so many of them over in Thailand, and they are all good.
Have a look at www.dentaltravelaustralia.com
They have a big list of Thai dentists (all in Bangkok), and they have a few videos as well.
It%26#39;s for Australians considering dental treatment in Thailand.
Hi. Myself, my mum and her partner all had work done at Bangkok Smile on Asoke Road in June. They were extremely accomodating and helpful. I had major works done which involved hospital stays and they arranged all of it for me. I can thoroughly recommend them both in their professionalism and their fantastic prices. Ask for Miss Tak when you email them for quotes. She was extremely helpful and her english is great.
PS - we all had implants - mum had a single one, her partner had two lower ones that will clip onto a modified denture, and I had all my teeth replaced with a upper and lower implants. So if you have any questions about the procedures I am happy to help. Email me privately at perfectlyperth @yahoo.com.au (remove the space first).
My same friends as in the HOTEL post - sorry to be a bother! Anyway they are from Arizona - hot and dry - and want water water water . . .
They are going to stay in the Patong, Karon or Kata area - and want suggestions on great places to eat - with a VIEW of the sea and/or right on the beach.
Upscale and cheap, Western, Eastern, MEasten or Thai - all suggestions are welcome.
Suggestions, recommendations and reviews 鈥?happily accepted!
Hi Ted,
You posted this for me about 18 months ago and we have been there 3 times and taken two lots of friends. We thought it was great. Last time we ere there was Sept last year though.
';Try Pan Yaah, just a couple kilometers north of Patong on the coast road - past Kalim - good good very nice view.
Big green sign - across the street from Villa Santi - get there by 5:30 so you can get seats right at the edge of the restaurant - great view of Patong and the bay. Also, if you have them, take binoculars - great for looking at the yachts that anchor in the bay.';
Ted, What about Kru Surit Floating Restaurant at Koh Maphrao, they would be surrounded by water and only a short ride from Patong, then a free longtail boat over %26amp; back to restaurant. (Its something different from the normal type restaurants).
P%26gt;S Also almost forgot my favorite cheap eat - best view of Kata.
Small View
Don%26#39;t know whether it is still there but On the Rocks overlooking the end of Karon Beach was wonderful. Had to book early to get a table by the rail overlooking the rocks and the ocean.
Thanks! Pan Yaah - is on my list - but I am not familiar with Small View. Is it the place up on the high road with a view of all of Kata Noi Beach? Sits on the cliff overlooking the KataThani?
Also - how do you get to Kru Surit Floating Restaurant at Koh Maphrao? Or, at least, how do you get to the long boat? Is this the area just north of SuperCheap - where several restaurants are?
Great Ideas - Keep them coming please!
Arandora,
Sorry to display my ignorance - but that is why I am asking . . .
Is ';On the Rocks'; down on the south end of Karon Beach - or the north end coming from Patong?
I%26#39;m going to check all these places out when my friends arrive (or before!) - food is MY hobby!
Ted, Its only a few minutes drive from Phuket Town at Laem Hin port, Laem Hin Seafood restaurant (on the water) is there (recommended on Jamies pages) walk past that restaurant and theres the longtails to take people to floating restaurants. Theres a couple there. Great fresh food, not expensive and no tourists.
Cathy
Ted,
On the Rocks is ';A grottolike seafood-and-barbecue restaurant carved into the southernmost rocks of Karon Beach (it%26#39;s part of the Marina Phuket Resort),';
See link at with a rel time webcam of the view at:
concierge.com/destination/鈥?/a>
Hi Ted
Here is a link to a review on ';On the Rocks'; I discovered when searching for restaurants in the Kata area for my trip in November this year.
www.phuket.com/magazine3/ontherocks.htm
Hope this helps.
Jane
Hi,
Don%26#39;t want to repeat others, however On the Rocks would be a must for me!!
Have ate there 2 - 3 times each time we have been, will again next year!
Carinna
Hi Guys
Coming to Phuket in just under 2 weeks, sorting all our stuff out and have just realised we dont know what the electricity supply is over there or what kinda plugs they use, so we can get the correct adaptors! Can anyone help please?
cant wait to leave cold UK for warmer weather!
Joolsss
They use the 2 prong type plug and you can buy adaptors when you arrive and some hotels offer them.
Thailand%26#39;s voltage is 220-240v AC, 50 Hertz. If you want to buy them before you leave the go for the universal adapters. That way you can use them anywhere worldwide.
you can get the adaptors in asda
For most plugs here you won%26#39;t need an adapter. Most places can take a two prong round or straight pin plug.
Yes, but you%26#39;ll need an adapter coming from the UK (3 pin plugs).
Hi Joolsss
Finding adapters localy is not a problem but you should pay attention to the local voltage as Rex-Diver mentioned. Without a voltage converter you will fry any 110 applience as sone as you plug it in with your new addaptor.
Most appliances will state on them that they can be used at 110 and at 220 if it does not say then do not plug it in. Labtops, Walkmans I-pods charging systems should be good for both but if you want to pack something like a hair drier it would be better to get a cheap local one then bying a converter.
Regards From Phuket
Richard %26amp; Megumi
So coming from UK - there still seems to be some confusion as to what type of plug - definitely seems to be two prong but is it round, straight, prongs at an angle - I bought quite a selection so maybe I should just take the lot and do I need one of these converter things if I am just charging phones, cameras etc?
I am travelling overland from Trat? to Siem Reap in about 3 weeks after staying on Koh Chang. Would appreciate any feedback from anyone who has done this recently as I can%26#39;t find any bus timetables, prices etc on the net. Also is it advisable to get my visa in Bangkok as I have read that it is timeconsuming and expensive to do it at the border crossing?.
Diseygoldcoast
the reason that you can%26#39;t find any info is that nobody gpoes that way to Siem reap. however if you do go from trat the nearest border crossing is at Aranyaphratet. cross here, go to Sisophon. but be warned the roads are terrible (in cambodia), buses are dangerous and i would estimate it will take you at least 2 days to get there.
bkk3
talesofasia.com/cambodia-siemreap-guide.htm
talesofasia.com/cambodia-siemreap-guide-get.鈥?/a>
Hi all,
I am thinking of visiting Ko Samui in late October or early November. What are the chances that it could rain quite heavily during this period?
Cheers,
Chris
We have visited samui twice - both times the first half of november. Its the monsoon season in november but i can assure you it wont ruin your holiday especially if you come from the uk like us and just want hot weather. On our first trip in 2005 it rained only a couple of times each shower only lasting about 20mins the rest of the time it was beautiful sunshine! The next time we went in 2006 there was some extremely heavy down pours with heavy winds every few days but once again it would nt last long maybe a couple hours tops. It didnt ruin things i just thought it was awesome being in the middle of a monsoon .........and on a boat! It was a great experience seeing things you only see on tv!
hi chris, thirteen of us went for a wedding to koh samui we arrived 27th dec 05 just after they had bad floods. there was a bit of rain every couple of days or so but it never spoilt anything, it was refreshing as it only lasted an hour or so, then it was gorgeous and sunny and hot, the day of the wedding 3rd jan 06 it bucketed down for hours we thought it was all going to be ruined but at sunset we had the wedding on the dry beach in beautiful sunshine, hot and fresh it was magic, dont be put off if rain is around it will not spoil anything.
tracey
ps we went back this year in march and still had the same weather and again it did not spoil a thing, also we had a boat trip in a tropical rainstorm we laughed til we cryed it was amazing
Hi Chris,
It could bucket down for days on end or it could be as the posters have experienced, one thing is it won`t be cold.You can ask this question many times on many different forums,look at rainfall statistics etc %26amp; be none the wiser coz it will all come down to luck of the draw.
Good luck
Jamie
I think it rains a lot more in the hills so it also depends where your accomodation is, some of the luxurious villas are up in the hills, my neice a Thai girl lives in Samui and tells me it rains most days of the year, but it is always very hot and the rain is refreshing, although it is heavier when you are going, its the luck of the draw really. in december 05 when we went, there was floods everywhere and mud slides had killed people,,the rainy season had started late and lasted one month longer so it rained in the January when we were there and it should have stopped by then. and when we went in march this year they were telling us it have been usually dry,we saw that all the water falls had dried up. so you cant predict what you will get really
i%26#39;m sure you will have a great time whenever you go
Check this site for weather in Thailand by region.....
http://www.travelfish.org/weather_fish.php
Oct and Nov are the 2 wettest months on Samui
PS - It is illegal to build on land in Thailand that is on more than a 19 degree incline....this means that a huge amount of the hill side developments should never have been built! - All part of the rape of Samui.....
Many thanks for the replies, all much appreciated and much food for thought.
Thank you :-)
Samui weather is actually quite predictable - it has a double wet season - one is not so wet and the other is really potentially very wet....they come from both sides of Thailand the Indian Monsoons and the S.E. Asia wet season. the dry lasts about 3 months
the result is that Samui is wettest from September to January but there is also a lot of rain in May (especially) June July and August. How heavy this is will vary from year to year and with your own location on the island - and yes rain usually falls over high ground and runs down into the lowlands causing flooding. landslips are cause often by deforestation and development in the hills. One fortnight on thr island is not enough to get a good impression.
however as has been pointed out tropical rain to a visitor can be very enjoyable or exiting - so long as you house hasn%26#39;t been washed into the sea. And the rain is usually interspersed with periods of good sunshine. I recall going to Samui one Xmas and being told that it had rained every day continuously for 5 days - I stayed for a week and the worst I got was an occasional drenching and a couple of flooded roads - no problem really - umbrellas are cheap anyway - I%26#39;ve left ozens in bars all over thailand.
HI
We are off to Hua HIn 4 weeks today ( 16th Aug) staying at the Anantara and are worried about the weather - forecast seems to be windy and rainy !
Has anybody recently returned from Hua hin or Koh Samui ( we go there on 25th Aug to Baan Samui) what was the weather like ?
We are hoping for hot and sunny to escape from rainy Bolton !
Thanks for your time !
Sorry but need to ask about the weather ...........
We are in Hua Hin now until September - the weather this week has been cool in the mornings (welcome cool, I may add), getting hot by mid morning and then clouding over to rain (thundery) at about 4pm for 1 hour.
This is the usual pattern for rainy season - it is not like the rain in Bolton, it is tropical and exciting, believe it or not.
Rain in the afternoon is a good excuse for a siesta, or long rest in a street side bar people watching etc.
No need to worry at all - you will love it!
Sorry but need to ask about the weather ...........thanks for letting me know- so we should see some sun then !
I did not think it was actually the rainy season we coming in - I will bring my umbrella !
4 weeks today we should have arrived cant wait !
Deb26 - we are off to Anantara on 18th Aug so if you get any more weather updates (we want to escape cold and rainy Glasgow too) please let me know!
Im staying at the Anantara 6th Aug for my honeymoon so will be keeping an eye on this topic. Is it ';sunbathing weather'; over there as would be nice to come back with a decent tan.
Twirly123-
I have heard weather may turn to cloudy and rain later afternoon, I hope we see some sun though will be gutted if not !
We are in hua hin for 8 nights then off to baan samui on koh samui for another 8 nights , its our third time there but first in hua hin cant wait!!
You may see us around the pool at the Anantara, though we are only booked into garden rooms and not lagoon rooms- we are travelling as a party of 9 - so we may catch up when we go and see Gee for those cocktails !!
I have just emailed my hotel to make a dinner reservation and enquired about the current weather. I was advisd that the weather is cloudy and windy with occassional showers and little sun as this is the rainy season. Can anyone advise if this is true or whether I am likely to see some sun??
You will see some sun - it is just impossible to say how much (as it is the rainy season). December gets a lot of sun but then I did,nt get muh in H.H. last year. Just goes to show....the weather is mucked up pretty much everywhere these days.
How much is a round of mini golf at Dino park?is it worth going.Staying at Horizon Karon
Hi JK1
Sorry, I cant remember the prices but it was overly expensive. Of memory, I think it was between 400 - 600 Bht each (around $5 -$6 bucks ???).
At any rate, considering where your staying, its worth a short stroll during the evening to enjoy a game of mini golf and the display. Your about a ten minute stroll away. Our family enjoyed it anyway....
Sorry, I meant that it WASNT overly expensive.....
I am unable to recall exact cost either but i think about 500 baht each also.
IIt is a lot of fun and well worth doing and if u can go in the night it is a bit cooler and all the lights and special effects are on and makes it just that bit more fun.
We ate at the restaurant after, at about 9pm and that was a great meal also, not super cheap by thai standards but cheaper than home and the setting is beautiful and the food was lovely. I think from memory a meal for 5 of us with drinks and desert was around $75aud, 2100 baht. It was one of our dearest meals for the trip but we thought was well worth it and had a great night.
You are very close to it staying at Horizon Karon and may i say i am very jelous!
Hi Jkaye
We have just come back and we all went to Dino Park. I belive it was approx 660bhat for 2 Adults and 1 Child for a round of mini golf. You can also pay just to walk through (think that was 120 Baht per Adult). We all had a ball there and the golf course is definitely soemthing to see ...
One word of warning a friend of ours who was ahead slipped over - i do advise that you walk on the walkways that they provide instead of one the greens as some of them are quite steep :)
Cheers
jo
Hi Jkaye
Your children will love the dino restaurant. Also at night there is a baby elephant there that you can pat and feed.
Chizzel
400 to 600 bht in Australian would be $13 to $20. I think it was 600 baht because l remember it was going to cost around $60 to $80 dollars Australian for my children and l to play, so we gave it a miss
Murf
We just got back a couple of weeks ago, and i rememeber it was like 300-400 per person. Not really worth doing. The course isnt really anything special at all, I probably wouldn%26#39;t bother if I were you.
Thanks, Alicia
We went last year and took kids 6 %26amp; 8. They really enjoyed it but we did also. It wasn%26#39;t very expensive but from what I remember it was hot so make sure you carry some water!.
I thought that it was worth going to and we got some great pictures of dinasaurs, waterfalls and the volcano erupting.
As everyone has a different opinion on wether its worth it or not, I can only suggest that if this sort of thing does appeal to you , you will enjoy it....
tThe advice to go later on when it was cooler is spot on.
Cheers
Karin
Your absolutely right Murf,
As you can tell I wasnt having a good day on writing this. My currency conversion obviously needs a lot of work. ha ha
This is a great place, we rolled up to thinking what a joke. Had dinner their, got our meals-they were great. After that had a look around the park, feed the elephant. Mini golf was the best course i have ever seen(amazingly cool) it was only 200bt per person. A great night out, at a great price!!!!
Hi
I%26#39;m going to Samui in September and consider staying in Sans Souci. Searching other hotels I found out that two hotels in close neighbourhood of Sans Souci will be in reconstruction at that time. Searching further I found more hotels announcing that they will be in construction beginning of September. Is this usual for this period on Samui? Now I%26#39;m bit afraid that half of the Island will be one big work site...
There is a lot of building going on, we went in January last year and again March this year and was amazed how much building is going on, also there were loads of road works because the extra visitors are wearing out the roads and also the big vehicles being used in the new buildings. however there are still a lot of lovely quite areas, try along the west side and consider getting a hire car to explore as its a bit remote, the island is easy to travel around but there is a lot more traffic than last year. we hired online with www.fastcarhire.co.uk we paid 拢126 for two weeks, it was convenient and confortable and loads of places to park also they are realising they car make money from car parks that are springing up (although they are a bit primitive).
we have stayed at the Big John Resort and the Samui Amanda Resort both very nice not expensive, but i preper the Amanda its a little more refined
anyway have a great holiday
tracey
Thanks a lot!!! I won%26#39;t book in advance, so I will probably try Sans Souci and if it%26#39;s bad, will find something else. Is it easy to find nice bungalows when you are there or is it necessary to pre-book? My budget is 2000 Baht per nignt, maybe more if I like the place
you can stay at the amanda from about 拢37 per night in sept, its a gorgeous resort, really relaxing and quiet, nice beach and fantastic food, although you will get cheaper food out side of the resort, a very quick search I found this one
asiarooms.com/thailand/鈥spa.html
but have a look around cause many different sites charge different rates (we booked thru opodo), i think you%26#39;ll get the best deal booking online though, i read about one guy who turned up at a resort and expected the online rate so the receptionist told him to go next door in the internet cafe and book online, he got it loads cheaper!
(when on the island you really cant see all the resorts that are on the beaches as they are tucked away) but you could always ask around when you are there
good luck
tracey
Thanks again for useful tips!
Hi There,
You two intreped travelers!!
I just had one of my regular looks at your travel photos and
wow you%26#39;ve got lots more there for us to view.
They are all fantastic , and I can%26#39;t wait to get over there and have a look at some of these places.
Well done and thank you so much for all of these photos and ideas of what we can do when next in Thailand.
I haven%26#39;t even had time yet to check out your Cambodia photos but I am sure they will be great too.
Thank you both so much!!!
Luv Lindy.
Haha thanks Lindy, Glad you are enjoying them. One day I will get around to naming them all - maybe
Cathy
Hi Marilynjoy,
Cathy is a very special Lady isn%26#39;t she, the Photos are just awesome. They have helped so many people with their postings and have inspired so many with different things to do while over there.
Thanks Cathy %26amp; Gary.
Cheers, Pete.
We are travelling from UK to Phuket for first time in three weeks (also first time to Far East). Could someone please advise whether we should take US dollars as well as bahts, i.e. are there places that only accept dollars? Also is it worth booking any of the trips online before we go? Thanks
take euros or sterling or trav cheques
change the sterling etc,when u get there, in the local booths for the best rate
also take debit cards to use in the many cashpoints
dont use cards or give the cards over to pay for anything there ,as fraud/clonings a big problem
use cash instead
better safe than sorry
also use the search function on here for more info (top right)
I agree 100% with andy53.
Many problems with credit card.
Travel with cash %26lt;thai baht%26gt; is better.
Good Luck !
Many thanks
my posts are appreciated for once
hooray !
As Andy has said the best advice is to take your own currency and exchange there, there are money changers every 100 Metres in the main shopping areas and they all display the exchange price on a digital screen for your revue.
You can change cash with them into Baht and there are ATM%26#39;s all over the place where you can withdraw money from your own accounts.
Don%26#39;t use credit cards and if the Hotels requires a credit card imprint for your stay just say you don%26#39;t use them and a cash deposit will be ok and is usually around the $100.00 AUD mark.
Book your trips there as the tour operators are very competitive and you will get a better price.
Enjoy your stay in the Land of Smiles.
Cheers Pete.
I always use traveller%26#39;s cheques and thai bahts, then you can%26#39;t go wrong. Definitely don%26#39;t use credit cards.
Thanks everyone - you have all been really helpful.
Every travel forum I%26#39;ve been on, non-US citizens are asking if they should take US$ to non-US destinations.
I feel like I%26#39;m missing out on a big secret: why would anyone even consider this?
Thanks.
Please remember, if you exchange your local currency at the exchange booths, be sure to count the baht back at the counter. Lucky for us we took this advice, as twice , we got down to the last few hundred baht and .......like magic.......the woman produces another 500 baht from behind the desk. Once you%26#39;ve left the counter it%26#39;s hard to prove if you have been short changed.
Jubby
Thanks Jubby.
I%26#39;ll remember this when we are there in 12 sleeps time...........
I%26#39;m taking NZ$ as well as baht but have got my trusty little calculator with me so hope all goes well.
Regards
Bev
Has anyone done teeth whitening in Phuket, if yes, where did you go and how much did it cost.
We have located http://www.thaidentalcenter.com/, does anyone know about this crew.
Teeth Whiteningi have been to Bangkok Hospital Phuket, in Phuket Town. I don%26#39;t recall how much it costed, but i remember it was cheap and i asked for the pice in advance, by email. I was very surprised for its facilities and the personal%26#39;s skills and eficiency. I think this is a good option, if not the best.
Teeth WhiteningThanks for your reply.
Hi there,
my friend and i both got ours done at Andaman Dental in Patong. http://www.andamandental.net/
great communication, i just emailed them to ask what they use etc, prices and booked the appointment. was a little worried not knowing what is was like so we went the day before to check it out everything was clean and fantastic. i was desperate to get them done right then and they fitted me in that day a little later on. teeth were a little bit sensitive that night. i recommended this dentist to one of my friend%26#39;s and she is a smoker, i saw her teeth when she got back and they came up really good!
best of luck.
How much did this cost to have them done?
thank you
cost me 8,500 baht for the in house office bleaching
I dont think that is much,if any,cheaper than in Oz.I have composite veneers across my front teeth and when I emailed a few Phuket dentists for quotes on having them maintained there,it was $50AUD more expensive per tooth than my dentist in Melbourne charges.
Hi all,
It%26#39;s only one sleep to go and I%26#39;m starting to freak out abit.
Any last minute advice to ensure a fun, happy and safe trip???????
Thanks to everybody here who has given their great advice. It%26#39;s been very useful and much appreciated :)
Hi Jenny, I%26#39;m a bit the same way with all the last minute packing, making sure the kids are ok whilst we%26#39;re away, tickets are in order blah blah blah.
Kerri
Hi Jenny,
Have a ball in Phuket, smile at everyone and and they will return that smile, be polite and Barter with a smile on your face.
The Thai people are very warm and friendly people and if you treat them with warmth and respect they will return the pleasure.
Say no thanks in your stride to suit sellers and time share people and keep moving.
Be daring with restaurants as some of the ordinary looking (but clean) ones are often the best.
Have a visit to Bang La road and you will have a ball.
Be careful riding in Tuk Tuks late at night and be sure to get a firm price per ride, not per head before you travel in them.
Above all have a ball and with any luck you will be converted to being a Phuket lover like the rest of us in a few days.
Cheers, Pete.
If we don%26#39;t get a chance to catch up Jenny, have a great time.
Kerri
Hi Jenny
Have a great holiday, I%26#39;m sure you will have a ball.
That%26#39;s really good advice Pete.
Cheers
Lee
Thanks Pete for the advice.
Kerri, Hopefully we will catch up, but if not, have a great trip also.
Have a great time Jenny!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pete has given you some great tips.
Don%26#39;t forget to tell us all about it when you get home.
Jubby
Can anyone let me know the approx price of having a mens shirt made....or a suit etc.
Could anyone tell me if there are any halloween celebrations in Bangkok ? Are there any fireworks,fancy dress, etc ? Where would be the best places to go ? Thanks
It%26#39;s commercially celebrated in the shops and some bars.
Last year we wandered down Kaoh San Road and had a good time.
It%26#39;s a western festival so Kaoh San Road, with all the foreigners taking part was a good choice.
Hi,
I need some advise on where to find good and cheap shopping in bangkok. Common place I know is Mah Boon Krong...where else? looking at mainly ladies clothings, bags and shoes....
Also, can recommend which is the better hotel to stay in to be most accessible to these shopping places? My preference would be not the budget hotels eg. asia hotel, probably 4 or 5 star ones.
thanks!
MBK shopping centre - for this, stay in Siam area or anywhere close to skytrain
Khao San road - for fake brand clothes, watches, silver etc...worth visiting, same things as on PatPong but cheaper - for this, find hotels in ';Khao San area';
ChatuChak market - huge traditional market, many locals, you can find there anything, crafts, clothes etc, everything very cheap
For cloths and accessories , a must go place is Siam Square. All my girlfriends go wild there.
just opposite mbk is siam square with lots of lovely litle shops and shopping malls. I bought some really nice shoes from there at a reasonable price.
Platinum Mall (Close to Central world,near Pratunam)- if you looking for cloth.As far I heard it came from Hongkong or china.It%26#39;s very bargain price,if you buy three items in the same shop you get the wholesale price which is very cheap.
If you looking for hip and chic clothes Siam Square is the right place.
Dont forget to take a look at shoes shop around MBK and SIAM.There are many shop sell shoe for one price 199bht.
If you want to stay right in the middle of shopping area itself ,Novotel siam Square is in the middle.
Centre Point, Wireless road is next to Chitlon BTS which you can take 5 min to Siam Square.
Chatuchak weekend market is also a-must-go if you come shopping in Bangkok.
Enjoy shopping :)
I second that recommendation for platinum mall. Great place to shop!
