Thailand goes Luxury

by Neil Woodburn on

One of my favorite budget travel recommendations is Thailand. Any friend who asks me for suggestions but caveats it with the fact they don’t have much money to spend, I pull out a map and point to Thailand.

There is no better budget destination in my mind. The food, scenery and people are all spectacular and it’s cheap. What more do you want?

As a result, Thailand has never crossed my mind as a luxury destination. And yet, I had to laugh when I came across Backpacker Haven Turned Jet-Setters Dream in the Telegraph recently.

I guess that rich people want to visit Thailand as well and when they do, they expect the same level of service as they find in other parts of the world. Naturally an entire sub category of the travel industry in Thailand has risen to meet this demand. In fact, the National Tourism Board is rebranding the country with a brand new slogan, Chic by Thailand.

Sure, there has always been expensive places in Thailand but they were invisible during my backpacking days. But now, there are many, many more.

So, if you are interested in spending more than $5 a night for a dumpy beachside bungalow, check out the Telegraph article; there are plenty of very exclusive places to soak up your money.

On Sale Now: Canned Air from a Thai Mountain

by Justin Glow on

Remember that scene from Spaceballs where President Skroob (played by Mel Brooks) pulls a can of “Perri-Air” out of his desk drawer, pops the top, and takes a deep whiff of clean air? Classic!

Taking cues from American comedies from the 1980s, no doubt, Thai national park Doi Phu Kha has started selling cans of natural mountain air to tourists as souvenirs. Once again, I can’t help but think of ways to pinch a penny and take your own mountain air home without paying the inflated cost of nature’s most abundant (and typically free) element.* Couldn’t you just sneak a mason jar up and bottle your own?

Alright, I’ll stop being a cheapskate, but just this once. The Bangkok Post reports that “proceeds were being used to help villagers who had encroached on land in Doi Phu Kha National Park find new livelihoods,” so if you make it up the mountain, support the cause; leave your mason jar at home!

*I have no idea what nature’s most abundant element is. This is a guess.

Photo of the Day (1/3/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Today’s photo selection out of the Gadling Flickr pool comes from kelake. Taken in Bangkok, this cool shot of a bicycle standing alone, waiting to be taken on a Southeast Asian excursion caught my attention. It almost looks as though the back wall is a dark forest green color, though the photo appears to be B&W. Good stuff though and I hope to see more Thailand pics from kelake in the near future.

Word for the Travel Wise (12/26/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

Considering the type of luck some people have with street food or food found in foreign dining establishments this one should come in extra, extra handy if what you eat now doesn’t agree with you later.

Today’s word is a Thai word used in Thailand:

tórng sêea – diarrhoea

Learning Thai dot com is a great starting point for some basic Thai words and referrals to additional resources. For a brief history of the language, Thai alphabet, and pronunciation guide go to Omniglot. (A pretty clean and simple site with good details.) Another good source would be the Pimsleur language audio CD’s. I used these to prepare for my trip and they worked great! Before making the purchase look into your local library. There are several libraries carrying these audio CD’s and many more.

Past Thai words: hàat sai, wan sao, sawatdee khrab, dang, pák, wîng

Two Years Post Tsunami

by Adrienne Wilson on

This morning when I watched the news it was called to my attention that today marks the two-year anniversary of one the biggest natural disasters to occur in Southeast Asia. Footage of massive waves, bulldozing tiny tropical beach resorts in Thailand and water carrying the remnants of homes, vehicles, and those trying desperately to escape; glowed on my television screen. I cut the news off and retreated to my room. I wasn’t in much of a mood to see the sorrow mounted in the eyes of an orphan whose parents had been washed away in the ocean. I just couldn’t bear it so early.

Now as I sit hanging out on the web I see several stories remembering those who lost a great deal and how much progress still needs to be made. The International Herald Tribune has an excellent photo gallery displaying images of smiles from young girls like the two above whirling around in a playground (a donation by a relief agency), people playing volleyball on Thailand’s Patong beach, and then sad images as well. Most of Thailand’s beaches have been able to rebuild quickly, but other areas in Sri Lanka & Indonesia have been left to slowly pick up the pieces due to misuse of money (millions) and government corruption.

A drill system is being practiced across to Southeast Asia for future disasters and to commemorate the 9.3 earthquake two years back.