Samui Tourist Attractions

Koh Samui is a beautiful Thai island and is one of the most visited travel destinations of Thailand together with Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai.

There are plenty of things to do and places to visit for tourists. If you are planning a trip to Samui should definitely visit some of the wonderful tourist attractions listed further on in this article. Have a great time on this beautiful holiday island and be sure to visit some of the places listed here.

Beaches

If you love the beach then you certainly will have an amazing time on Koh Samui. Some of the finest Thai beaches are located on this tropical island. Some of the beaches that you should definitely visit during your vacation include Chaweng Beach, Big Buddha Beach and Lamai Beach.

Big Buddha Statue

The most famous attraction is most certainly the Big Buddha statue. The golden Buddha statue is twelve meters in length and is adjacent to a temple and various different Buddhist shrines. If you would like to visit it then please head down to route 4171 and go the direction to the airport.

Butterfly Garden

One of the most tranquil and unspoiled places on Samui is the butterfly garden. This magnificent attraction is home to large variety of butterflies and is open daily for visitors from 08:30 until 17:30.

Aquarium and Tiger Zoo

If you are traveling with your children then you should definitely take them to the aquarium and tiger zoo as they will have a wonderful time. There are a variety of daily shows which include shows with birds, tigers and even sharks. The Aquarium & Tiger Zoo is open every day of the week from 09:00 until 18:00.

Snake Farm

If you are interested in seeing a snake show involving King Cobras then head down to the Samui snake farm. Not only can visitors view a variety of venomous snakes but also dangerous centipedes and scorpions. The King Cobra shows start every day at 11:00 and 14:00.

Waterfalls

There are a number of remarkable waterfalls which you can visit during your holiday. The most popular waterfalls on Samui are Hin Lat and Na Muang and you can swim at both locations.

James is travel consultant living on Phuket and is working on a number of projects. If you are looking for information about Phuket then be sure to visit his Phuket guide which includes an excellent section on Phuket Laguna.

Sukhumvit - - How to Travel Around in It

There are a few different options for travelling around the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok in Thailand. Sukhumvit is an area that attracts foreigners in large numbers. One option is BTS Skytrain which runs in the air above Sukhumvit Road, the main road in the area. The closest BTS Station to the beginning of Sukhumvit Road is Pleon Chit. After this Station, the next Station on the BTS line is Nana. If you walk out on the left side exit you will be close to Soi 7/1, a popular entertainment Soi.

The next station after Nana is the interchange Station, Asoke. Underneath the Asoke Stationit is the MRT subway system which predated Skytrain. If you want to go further down Soi Asoke, this is the place to change to the underground subway system. The subway station is called Sukhumvit.

Phrom Phong is the next BTS Skytrain Station along Sukhumvit Road. If you exit on the right hand side you will walk into Thailand's most exclusive shopping centre and department store, The Emporium. Exiting on the left of Phrom Phone Station will take you to other Sukhumvit Sois such as the popular Soi 33, which is well known for its night life. For the average foreigner visiting Bangkok, Phrom Phong is usually as far as they wish to go on Sukhumvit Road or on the BTS Skytrain system.

Another way of travelling around Sukhumvit is by car taxi. However, there are times when the roads are so jammed up that taxis can not move very much. In the mornings, particularly between 7 am and 9 am, it is very difficult to get anywhere in Sukhumvit in a taxi because people are commuting to work. You might as well go back to that cafe or sleep in!

In the afternoons and evenings, between 4 pm and 9 pm, the Sukhumvit area is jammed up with traffic as well. Better to walk to Skytrain than try and get anywhere in a taxi at this time. Otherwise, when in a taxi, the flag fall amount is 35 baht. If you are stuck in traffic the metre will run quite slowly. You will find taxi drivers are reluctant to pick you up. This is because they can not make much money from the metre in a traffic jam. They will usually quote you a high fixed price to take you where you want to go.

There are also Tuk-tuk's in Sukhumvit. These are noisy two-stroke engine open-air taxis that ply their trade on Sukhumvit Road. They can be more expensive than a normal taxi. They have no metre, and as a tourist unfamiliar with Sukhumvit, you will not know what the fair price should be. They also have little protection against rain. If it pours you will be soaked. Tuk-tuks are best experienced a few times. Taxis are cleaner, cooler, and often cheaper.

Another way of getting around is by motorcycle taxi. This is a cheap way to travel. But it can be very dangerous. You will probably not have a helmet. The bikes zig-zag in-and-out of traffic. The chances of having an accident are much higher on a motorcycle in Bangkok. Motorcycles are best for short distances when there is high traffic volume. Sometimes, in traffic jams it is the only way to get from deep in a Soi to BTS Skytrain reasonably quickly.

Short distance rides on a bike are around 20 baht. If there is a sudden shower, you will be very wet and so will any bags that you are carrying. These are the ways of getting around in the Sukhumvit area. Remember though, if you have the time, you can walk to most places in Sukhumvit. It will take less than an hour to walk anywhere. In the rainy season if you are walking take a big umbrella!

Michael Edgerston lives in Thailand and writes on Thailand related subjects. He is building a Thailand Travel website at http://www.ThailandTravel.net and also has a Sukhumvit Blog at http://sukhumvitblog.blogspot.com.

Thailand Travel - 2010 Monthly Events January Through May

No matter which month you travel to Thailand there is bound to be a great event or festival scheduled. Not only is the area stunning, with white beach and tropical forests, but there is also a lot of entertainment. This country offers something for everyone and will make anyone want to return for a second vacation.

Events this January include the Bangkok Motorbike Festival, the Change World Reggae 2010 Festival, The Royal Trophy Tour, the Kohn Kaen International Marathon, and many more. There are music festivals, sports festival, and even an umbrella festival scheduled for this month.

One of the greatest events is scheduled in February! February 5th to February 22nd is the Chinese New Year Festival. There will be performances by artists from ten different Chinese provinces in everything from Kung Fu to gymnastics. There are actually several New Year Celebrations taking part throughout the country this month.

March 10th through March 17th is the World Thai Martial Arts and Wai-Kru Ceremony. See some of the greatest boxers in the country and the world. March is also hosting an Elephant Polo Tour and the Mekong River International Multi-Sport ITU Asian Cup 2010! March seems to be the month for those who enjoy sports.

April 2nd-4th is the great Magical Moments in Khmer Heritage Celebration. This is a one of a kind experience involving the suns rays and a perfect alignment that of amber rays filling the main doorway to a temple. The temple is located on a past volcanic mountain. Also in April is the celebration of Songkran, the Thai New Year, from April 10th through April 15th.

May is packed full of fun activities, including the Visakha Buddhist Bucha Festival from May 22nd through May 28th. Those into science should turn out for the Yasothon Bun Bangfai Rocket Festival, a great event for both children and adults. The entire month of May is celebrated with the World Durian Festival. They have beautiful fruit displays, trades made by homemaker, contests, and jewelry for sale.

January through May is packed full of fun stuff for families, couples, and singles. Don't be fooled though. The rest of the year is just as busy!

Yukorn Chanmanee: http://www.thailandhotelresorts.net

[http://www.thailandinfomation.com]

Kamthieng House - The Lanna Legacy In Bangkok

Kamthieng House, a traditional Lanna home in the grounds of the Siam Society in Soi Asoke Bangkok, preserves the 700 hundred year old Lanna architecture and culture from Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.

"A million rice fields"

The Lanna (a million rice fields) Kingdom is an old 13th
century kingdom in northern Thailand, started by King
Mengrai in 1259 who established his capital in Chiang Mai in
1291.

Captured by the Burmese in 1550s, retaken by King Taksin in
1774, Chiang Mai became a vassal of Thailand until the reign
of King Rama V when it came under direct rule.

From this kingdom grew a society with a distinctive culture
and language along with its own traditions and customs, rituals
and festivals.

The family home on the Ping River

One such Lanna family steeped in these traditions were
descendants of a prince from Yunnan in Southern China who
migrated to northern Thailand. The matriarch Mae Nai Saed,
a great granddaughter of the prince, built the original
Kamthieng House in 1848 on the banks of the Ping River in
Chiang Mai.

In a matriarchal society, the Lanna women are heads of
households, own property and have rights of inheritance.
The family home was owned by three generations of
descendants, Mae Nai Thip, Mae Kamthieng and Mae Kim
Haw who lived in the house till 1963.

Making of a museum

The timber house, with its characteristic "Kalae" or 'V'
shaped wooden carving at the apex of the gable, is regarded as
one of the rare examples of traditional Lanna architecture and
art. To preserve Lanna culture for future generations, Mae Nai
Haw donated the house to the Siam Society as an ethnological
museum.

In memory of her mother Mae Kamthieng, the museum was
named Kamthieng House.

It took two years to plan, dismantle and move the old house
from Chiang Mai to be reassembled in the grounds of the Siam
Society in Bangkok. The Asia Foundation and John D
Rockefeller Foundation funded the project.

On 21 November 1966, His Majesty King Bhumipol Adulyadej
officially opened Kamthieng House.

Lanna culture

A tour of Kamthieng House gives the visitor an insight to the
Lanna lifestyle, rituals, beliefs, family life, culture, art and
architecture.

Lanna society practices animism, a belief in the presence of
spirits in natural objects and phenomena. Special rituals are
performed to appease these spirits before any family or
communal activity.
The Naga serpent is symbolic of water vital for rice cultivation,
the rice goddess influences the rice crop, a staple food and the
buffalo spirit affects the beast of burden working the fields.

Being an agricultural society there's a deep respect for nature
and the need to be in harmony with the elements. Ancestral
worship is also practiced as seen from the family ancestral
altar in the guest hall of the main house.

Weaving, a traditional Lanna craft is evident from the
beautifully embroidered fabrics in the bedroom, where
elaborately carved wooden lintels are installed above the doors
to protect the occupants. Talismans and amulets are also
popular forms of protection for individuals and homes.

The exhibits displayed reflect family and community life,
combining traditional displays with film clips to illustrate
cultural activities and recorded ritual chants in the
background to simulate realism.

Kamthieng House is a museum dedicated to preserving a
lifestyle from a culture that's almost 800 years old, providing
an interesting study in a traditional society that's fast
disappearing.

Kamthieng House is one of the traditional Thai houses you'll discover in Tour Bangkok Legacies a historical travel site on people, places and events that left their mark in the landscape of Bangkok. The author Eric Lim, a free-lance writer, lives in Bangkok Thailand and writes for this a do-it-yourself historical travel guide for independent travelers.

The Little Known Shrine Of Goddess Tuptim

Bangkok has more sites than just Buddhist temples and Buddhist images. Nearly at every corner of Bangkok, you will see many small and big spirit houses and shrines to Hindu Gods and animism deities.

A must-see shrine in Bangkok is located on the grounds of Nai Lert Bangkok Hotel, also know as Swissotel. The hotel is located on Wireless Road. This shrine is decated to Phra Mae Tuptim. The exact origin of the shrine is not known and many tourists do not know about this shrine. The among the locals is that Nai Lert built this spirit house for the spirit that was suppose to be living in the large ficus tree on the very same spot.

Most Thais used to visit this shrine offered jasmine flowers, incense sticks and lotus buds. However, now the trend has changed. You will find many large and small phallic symbols around the shrine instead of the traditional offering because people believe that the shrine is dedicated to fertility.

Although the shrine is present within the boundaries of a hotel, not many people know about it. Even guests of the hotel are not informed of its existence. This could be because of the phallic symbols around the shrine; some are a few meters long! So people think it might not be politically correct to advertize a shrine like this.

No one can explain the name of the Goddess. Many believe that the name could have originated from the Thai word, Tuptim, which means pomegranate. Interestingly, many of the phallic symbols around the shrine are dark red in color resembling the color of pomegranate juice.

However, the site is well worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood.

About Author:

Pauline Go is a professional writer for many website like Thailandbuddy.com. She also writes other great articles like Thailand Travel Information, Thailand Real Estate Industry Analysis, Facts on the Stonehenge

Bangkok Protests

I'm sure you have heard about the protests in Bangkok. Just last year the military coup was in the news all the world when ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted.

In very simple language to common belief was that Thaksin sold shares of his company worth more them $1 billion to Singapore investors. Just before making this deal he passed a law that resulted in him not having to pay taxes for this deal.

Now this is the story that was in the news. The chefs that got sold were actually owned by Thaksin's wife, but everybody knew that he was the one running the show.

Whether you believe this story or not, the fact that he sold such a major stake in important sectors like telecommunications and media to another country was turned against him. Thailand is not for sale was a common slogan.

Fact is that there were two very powerful groups of people. Both groups have a lot of money and a lot of power. But they had a conflict of interest. And that is more or less what the current protests are also about.

After the military coup the people of Thailand voted for a party that was basically founded by ousted Prime Minister Thaksin. And many people believe that he was still pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Of course the people who started the protests against Thaksin in the first place where an all too happy to see that. They called the new prime minister a marionette. And they went on the street and protested a lot.

They even took hostage of a government building. But the government reacted very mild to that. They did not use military or police force, but instead surrounded the government building and just waited until the protesters would come out themselves.

Now you have to be aware of the fact that the currently ruling party can't be too sure off the support of the military. So they don't want to act very strongly against these protesters. And they don't want to use violence to shut up the protesters. Because this might cause the military to step up against them and lead to another coup d'etat.

At the same time they can be too lax in their policies, handling those protesters.

Recently, people died in the course of these protests. One protester had a bomb that went off accidentally and she got killed. As you can see this is a serious situation.

And that is also the reason why Thailand's economy is very weak these days. Investors don't like to spend money in a country that can't offer them security for their investments.

Add to that the worldwide economic crisis ahead and it's easy to see that currently the political and economical situation in Thailand isn't too good.

However, traveling there is still safe in my opinion. The protests are restricted to one area, most districts of Bangkok are not affected at all. And outside of Bangkok there really aren't that many protests going on.

In the south of Thailand there is a problem with violent muslims. There are bombings and shootings every month and thousands of people have died in the course of the last years. But this is a completely different subject from what is happening in Bangkok right now. All the tourist places are safe currently and people are still enjoying their vacation. So despite the recent movie "Bangkok Dangerous", Bangkok isn't really that dangerous and in fact has one of the lowest crime rates in the world for such a big city.

I hope that this article helps you to understand the current situation in Thailand better. For more information on what's going on in Bangkok just visit the Bangkok news website.

This website is written by an assistant professor in Bangkok who is opposed to the protests and pro-Thaksin. So it might not be the most balanced view of things. But it is a very informed and thoughtful overview on political happenings in Bangkok. You might want to balance that with other news sources about Bangkok, like the Bangkok Post or The Nation of Thailand.

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Thailand - Situation Update

Having lived in Thailand for the last two years I have experienced their military coup of 2006 as well and their path back to democracy. The coup was bloodless and the only person I am aware of getting hurt was a taxi driver who rammed a tank park in the street because he was frustrated with it being in his way. The Thai people's path back to democracy was well planned and quite structured by the military who was governing Thailand after the coup. Initially a new constitution was written that afforded more protection against governmental abuses. This constitution was accepted by the Thai people through a referendum vote. After accepting this constitution, the people then had a general election where the same ruling party (renamed as the PPP Party) that was ousted by the coups was voted back in. This party was voted back in for several reasons; one being the people living outside of Bangkok was enamored with the promises of money through governmental programs and tax cuts. The second reason was, as it turns out, there was vote buying, which we found this out in a recent conviction of the leading party's leader of voting fraud.

The current Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has made some huge political blunders both internally and internationally such as bringing Thailand close to fighting with Cambodia over the border line surrounding the Preah Vihear temple which was settled in 1962 by the World Court. The Thai People always felt cheated about this and PM Samak had "solved" the problem in a one day meeting with the Cambodian leader about six months ago. There has been a military build up on the border near this temple in the last few months...

So ... between the conviction and some actions and decisions that are not particularly cared for by the general population many Thai People are not happy with the current Prime Minister. The opposition party is staging protests and has been for the past 3 or more months (as of early September 2008). Peaceful protesting is a healthy expression of democracy, when the government allows people to express themselves in the open. The protests became unhealthy last week. The protesters were met with a rival group of "anti"-protesters supporting the current government. The two groups clashed and resulted in a death and over 40 injured people. The clash led to a "state of emergency" declaration by the government causing concern for the situation throughout the world.

But to put things into perspective, Thailand is still a very peaceful place to live, for everyone. The clash of political groups was an isolated event and seems to be remaining just that. Thai people should be commended for not allowing the situation to get out of control and allowing the violence to escalate. The emergency declaration, however, is worrying people wishing to visit and therefore hurting the economic situation here by impacting tourism. So we are all waiting to the politicians to solve their conflicts so Thailand can return to "the Land of Smiles".

Copyright 2008 Asia Products LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Christopher Snyder is the Founder and Managing Director of Asia Products LLC and currently is living in Bangkok, Thailand. He writes on a variety of topics including current events, politics, and travel ideas. He is documenting some of his more interesting travels in his Asia Travel Ideas website : www.apllc-connect.com/. He manages an e-commerce store buying products to sell on www.asiaproductsllc.com. You can email him by clicking here...

Political Unrest in Thailand

The situation in Thailand reminds me the old saying - be careful what you ask for you may just get it. In September of 2006, Thailand went through a military coup. The military asked for the Prime Minister to step down. After the coup, the provisional government investigated the ousted Prime Minister and charged him with many things, mostly related to a misuse of his position as PM, which lead to a huge increase in his and his family's personal wealth.

I had the fortune to be seated next to another expat on my travels from Thailand recently, he from the UK and me from the US. He lived in Thailand outside Bangkok and me living in Bangkok. We had a discussion about ousted PM Taskin. He indicated that he believed Taskin did great things for Thailand, giving more money to people living outside Bangkok. I believe ex-PM Taskin did give things and money to people living outside Bangkok. However, the amount of wealth distributed in these outlining areas is quite small compared to ENORMOUS increase in personal wealth of ex-PM Taskin and his Family.

In a capitalistic economy, wealth is distributed by competition. Basically if something is desired by the people, the person/company that can manufacturer the item better and cheaper will sell more, gaining wealth. The company produces more of these items and hires more people. These people spend their money on food and things they desire and the economy hums along. When normal competition is interfered with by governments, the distribution of wealth becomes skewed and the wealth tends to stay in the hands of the few with power. We have all heard of countries where the upper class grows unusually large and the middle class grows small and the lower class becomes huge.

Ex-PM Taskin used his political power and turned it into wealth for him and his friends. His political power came from his campaign promises to the people outside of Bangkok which led to his election. So, while he was PM he had to make it seem that the people living in these areas benefited. But did they benefit? Well, yes and no. Yes, they benefited directly by decreased taxes or a new blanket or other some such item. However, the amount of wealth distributed to the people was very small compared the amount of ENORMOUS wealth which went to his friends and family instead of making its way by unimpeded economic forces.

Now, a little over a year later after the coup, there is still political unrest in Thailand. The new democratically elected Prime Minister has invited the Ex-PM back to the country. There are many questions arising about the ability of the current Prime Ministers ability to govern, such as:

1. There is a question concerning the validity of the elections that put the current PM into office;



2. There is a question concerning his ability to remember past important events; and



3. There is a question concerning his ability to deal with Thailand's neighboring countries and their human rights abuses.

Now, the old PM has returned to Thailand and pleaded not guilty to the charges of abuse of power. I can almost feel the Thai people taking a big breadth, waiting to see what happens. I originally came to Thailand because it feels like a safe place to live and the people are polite and friendly. I can only hope it can stay that way.

Copyright 2008 Asia Products LLC.

Christopher Snyder is the owner of Asia Products LLC and currently is living in Bangkok, Thailand managing an e-commerce store buying products to sell on http://www.asiaproductsllc.com He is documenting some of his more interesting travels in his Asia Travel Ideas website: http://www.apllc-connect.com

You can email him by clicking:
here