Rock climbing on the Andaman Sea coast

Towering cliffs and majestic limestone karsts on Thailand’s southwest Andaman Sea shoreline offer rock climbing for people of all abilities. While rocks above Railay and Tonsai beaches near Krabi are the best known, they are by no means the only ones as destinations such as Koh Lao Liang and Koh Yao Noi are beginning to attract adrenalin seeking climbing aficionados.

Koh Lao Liang is actually two neighbouring islands off the coast of Trang which have been left relatively untouched by Thailand’s booming tourism industry. Climbers choosing Koh Lao Liang to indulge their pleasure can stay right on the beach in spacious tents. Their climbing playground soars above them. There are various climbing routes which are suitable for both novices and those with lots of experience.

Koh Yao Noi is an island in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, halfway between Phuket and Krabi. Although a relaxing atmosphere and fabulous beaches draw most people here, it also has some great climbs with guide companies such as Mountain Shop Adventures having developed some excellent climbing routes replete with titanium bolts.

Those who prefer easy access to their climbs could enjoy Tonsai and Railay by staying at the cheaper Ao Nang beach and taking boats across for daytrips. Although there are lots of tourists at Thailand’s two iconic climbing spots, the sheer beauty of the locations and the exhilarating challenge remain the same. The massive limestone cliffs are loaded with stalactites and have routes for people of all abilities.

A Pattaya mini-break

Pattaya is a great place to spend a few days. Legendary nightlife and cuisine as well as a range of activities suitable for all age groups and personal tastes attracts millions of visitors to Thailand’s favourite seaside resort every year. For tourists staying in Bangkok, or arriving at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, it is also easy to get to.

Frequent buses from Bangkok’s Ekamai and Morchit bus stations and the airport’s transport interchange convey travellers to Pattaya in around 90 minutes. After arrival in Pattaya, a walk along Beach Road will offer visitors wonderful views over the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Thailand. The shaded park-like areas on the thoroughfare are great for people-watching. Vendors stroll along selling snacks and prepared fruit as well as items such as fake Ray Ban sunglasses.

On the other side of Beach Road there are lots of shops and bar-restaurants. The local Hard Rock Café and Vic’s Bar are two of the more popular options. Walking a bit farther south around Pattaya Bay will bring visitors to the legendary entertainment and dining establishments on Walking Street.

Visitors will find an eclectic mix of eateries, bars, discos, cabaret shows and gogo-bars offer something for all. Lucifer and Insomnia are the best known of the discos. Go-go bars are easily recognised as scantily clad females stand outside them trying to entice customers to step inside. The cosmopolitan air of the street is underscored by restaurants which serve anything from Scandinavian to Indian cooking.

Travelling by bus in Thailand

In Thailand cheap travel is easy with a bus network that covers most parts of the country. On the principal inter-city routes, especially close to the mainland tourism hubs, travellers are usually offered a choice of different bus classes. Fares for the basic government transport company buses in Thailand are as cheap as third class trains, but with the convenience of many more destinations. The only snag with these buses is that they are usually crowded and get very hot during the summer. They are only cooled by two or three internal fans.

A much better option is to pay a little more and take one of the air-conditioned buses. These luxury coaches have less seats, only two on either side of the aisle, and a quality of service which can rival that of passenger aeroplanes. Larger visitors can take VIP buses which offer bigger seats and more legroom. On major routes such as Bangkok to Chiang Mai, the difference between these two classes is around 100 Baht.

All towns and cities in Thailand have their own bus terminals. The stations are often some way out of town, supposedly to keep traffic out of the centres, but ostensibly to keep taxi and song taew drivers in work. In Bangkok there are three stations: Ekamai serves eastern routes including Pattaya, the Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai in Thai) and Morchit, which is the boarding point for all destinations in the north and northeastern regions of Thailand.

Buying tickets at terminals in the smaller towns can sometimes be a problem, yet there is often somebody willing to practice their English and help. Long distance buses for journeys of eight hours or more are generally timed to depart early in the morning or in the evening, giving great arrival times. Buses for shorter trips run throughout the day, with frequencies depending on the popularity of the particular route.

Enjoying Thailand’s epicurean delights

Thailand is famed throughout the world for the diversity of its cuisine. As the popularity of Thai dishes has grown, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of Thai restaurants overseas. I have sampled a few of the offerings at these eateries, and though the dishes are satisfactory they are often prepared to local tastes, and also are much more expensive than similar ones in Thailand.

Thai food markets or shopping centre food courts are usually the best and cheapest locations to sample staples such as noodle soup (ku-ay tiow), stir fried basil dishes (pad krapow) or spicy papaya salad (somtam) and sticky rice (kow nee-ow). A sign bearing the legend ‘Good Food, Clean Taste’ indicates the vendor has passed hygiene tests.

If visiting Chiang Mai in the north of the country, the ubiquitous khao soy is a pleasing blend of curry soup and egg noodles. Seafood is available in all of the major inland tourist hubs, yet is probably not quite as fresh as when it has just been hauled out of the sea in Pattaya, Phuket or Prachuap Khiri Khan. Tom yam gung is Thailand’s signature seafood offering and is a sour and spicy soup with prawns.

Over recent years, moo krataa restaurants have proliferated in Thailand and can be found in even the smallest towns. Moo krataa is best described as a barbecue buffet where diners pay a set price and then cook their dinner over a charcoal grill. Moo krataa restaurants are easily spotted as they tend to be hangar-sized, open-sided structures with tendrils of smoke above them.

Spending the New Year in Thailand

Most Thai people celebrate three New Year holidays. The first one begins at midnight tomorrow, the second one is the Chinese which falls on 23 January in 2012 and the last is the traditional Lanna New Year on 13 April. Despite the fact there are so many holidays, Thai people never pass up an excuse for a party and all areas of the country will be toasting the advent of 2012 at midnight tomorrow.

Most foreign visitors in Thailand celebrate New Year’s Eve in Bangkok, beach locations or around the Moonmuang Road-Loy Kroh Road area of Chiang Mai. Although it is not a full moon night, the legendary party island of Koh Phangan is staging a countdown party. At Pattaya’s Bali Hai Pier, the countdown to the New Year began on Christmas Day and will culminate with a fireworks and live entertainment extravaganza tomorrow.

In Bangkok, the plaza at the front of CentralWorld Shopping Centre is the principal venue for New Year’s Eve. The live entertainment and countdown here are broadcast live on national TV. Local artistes and an amazing light and sound show as well as beer gardens are among the offerings at CentralWorld. Judging by past years, Khao San Road, Royal City Avenue and Thonglor will be among other Bangkok locations ringing in the New Year until the early hours.

Chiang Mai hosts horticultural extravaganza

In Chiang Mai, on 14 December, the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek Expo 2011 opened. The flower show is being held on a 200-acre site in the southern Mae Hia region of Thailand’s second city. The gardens have been divided into different sections, with some sponsored by domestic Thai organisations and companies. There are also different areas set out to represent traditional gardens from 30 different countries around the world.

The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek expo was previously held in 2006. A major draw then was the Netherlands Gardens. A highlight for local visitors at this garden was tulips as they do not grow in tropical climates. The tulips are making a re-appearance and are expected to draw massive crowds again. Other prominent draws include Yemen’s dragon’s blood tree, a native of the Socotra Islands; cold climate offerings from Canada and 30 locally grown varieties of lily.

Indian, Chinese and Sudanese gardens are among the other international areas. There are also covered gardens with numerous different kinds of colourful orchids in them. Regional carrier AirAsia has its own garden and is promoting it in conjunction with special air fares. Royal Flora Ratchaphruek ends on 14 March. Admission fees for adults are 200 Baht, and for children and pensioners they are 100 Baht.

Visiting Thai national parks in December

Although Thai people do not really celebrate Christmas, there are still plenty of national holidays in December. Thai tourists often take advantage of these holidays to visit national parks in the northeast and northern regions of Thailand. The reason for the trips is the chance of witnessing the rare spectacle of frost and temperatures hovering just above 0°C in a tropical climate. Most of the parks are mountainous and hiking is most comfortable at this time of year. It is usually only a couple of months after the end of the rainy season and vegetation is still verdant and fresh.

The most popular parks seem to be Inthanon, just outside Chiang Mai, and Khao Yai in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The queues of traffic on Highway 108 to Inthanon National Park over the New Year holidays attest to its popularity. One of the less visited parks is Nam Nao in Phetchabun Province. This pristine haven is around 50kms from the town of Lom Sak.

It boasts pine and evergreen forests where keen ornithologists might glimpse species including woodpeckers, yellownapes and orange-breasted trogons. The occasional piles of elephant dung provide evidence there are some wild pachyderms in the vicinity, although these are usually heard and not seen. Caves such as Tham Yai and Tham Phaya Naak can be explored. Nomadic phra tudong monks often frequent the caves. There is an interesting shrine close to the entrance of Tham Yai.

The attractions of Ranong

Ranong is one of Thailand’s lesser known seaside destinations, with most foreigners only passing through on daytrips over to Kawthaung-Victoria Point to renew their visas to stay in Thailand. Beaches, world-class diving, hot springs and pristine natural vistas are among the numerous reasons for spending a few days in Ranong. Hat Laem Son and Hat Bang Ben are two mainland beaches south of town and are rarely crowded, allowing tourists to take leisurely strolls on soft sands with a backdrop of rainforest covered hills.

A little farther south, Koh Kam Yai and Koh Kam Nui are two of the offshore islands that can be visited on daytrips. Long-tail boats run out from Laem Son National Park to the islands, where deserted beaches offer hours of swimming and sunbathing. Several dive operators run tours out to the Mergui Archipelago during the October to May tourist season. Black Rock is one of the spectacular dive sites that are so far not on the itineraries of major Thai travel agents.

Many Thai visitors and local residents head out to the hot springs just off Phetkasem Road. Three pools and basic bathing areas permit visitors to bathe in rejuvenating waters. One of the tubs is hot enough to boil eggs in. Another local tourism destination is the triple-level Punyaban Waterfall. The cascade is set amid pristine evergreen forest which has a short hiking trail through it.

A day at Siam Paragon entertainment complex

Siam Paragon on Rama I Road in central Bangkok is one of the finest entertainment and shopping centres in Southeast Asia. It would take at least one day to enjoy all the offerings from the various outlets here. The jewel in the centre’s crown is the Siam Ocean World aquarium. The aquarium is a walkthrough facility in the complex’s basement which allows visitors to get up close with species such as groupers, rays and sand tiger sharks.

On the ground floor there is a busy food court with a diverse choice of dining establishments. Burger King and Subway sit alongside cafés serving Thai style rice dishes and noodle soups. Desserts in the form of pastries, cakes and staples such as boua loy round off the food court’s offerings. Heading up the escalator to the next floor, outlets of world famous retailers including Patek Philippe, Cartier and Jimmy Choo will tempt those not on a tight budget.

Car showrooms in Siam Paragon boast the latest models of high-end manufacturers including Lamborghini, Lotus and Aston Martin. Continuing upwards there are small stores selling mobile phones and accessories, electrical gadgets and home furnishings. The upper levels of Siam Paragon are home to a California Wow! fitness centre, the 38 lanes at the Blu-O Rythm Bowling Alley and the Paragon Cineplex’s 14 screens.

Visa re-entries for long stayers

An unfortunate fact of life for most long-term visitors in Thailand is the necessity of extending or renewing their permits to stay. Those requiring new visas can get one in Thailand’s neighbouring countries. Thai embassies or consulates at Rangoon in Myanmar, Vientiane or Savannakhet in Laos, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Georgetown or Khota Bharu in Malaysia issue new visas upon receipt of the correct supporting documentation and fees.

People wishing to extend a tourist or non-immigrant visa endorsed with double or multiple entries, or just wanting to extend a stay by an additional 15 days, can travel to any Thai border crossing open to foreigners, enter the adjacent country and come back with a new permit to stay. Possible crossing options are Mae Sai in the north; Nong Khai, Aranyaprathet or Ban Leam in the east, and Padang Besar or Sungai Golok in the south.

It is possible to get on public transport to the border, go across and come back. A much more convenient option is to use one of the visa-run companies that specifically deal with re-entries. In Bangkok for around 2,000 Baht, Jack Golf or Thaivisarun will pick up visa-runners from pre-arranged points, transport them to the crossing, escort them over the border and back again to the Thai capital. All people need to do is pay the fee, take two photographs and their passports, and all the pain of a visa run is taken care of.