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.

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.

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.

From the station it is an easy walk to the central part of town and the beach. Due to the fact that many Bangkok residents are also heading out of the city, hotel rooms in the surrounding central regions of Thailand are at a premium and it is worth checking online for specific hotel availability. Although the forecast is for rain over the next couple of days, it is not raining in Hua Hin now and the pleasant sea breezes are a welcome change from Bangkok’s humidity.

Twenty years ago Hua Hin was primarily a destination for domestic tourists and German visitors, and cuisine was limited to seafood dishes and pork steaks. All that has changed now and dining establishments serve up delicacies such as sushi, Indian curries and pizzas. A particular favourite is the S & S Indian Restaurant on Phetchkasem Soi 94 where dishes such as the piquant chicken vindaloo are offered at friendly prices.

Bang Saen is 90kms from the Thai capital and can be reached by taking the Bangkok to Chonburi Tollway 7, if driving, and following the signs or by public bus from Ekkamai or Mochit bus stations in Bangkok. The best times to go are on weekdays and outside national holiday periods.

Upon arrival in Bang Saen travellers will realise why it is popular with Thai visitors. The beach is edged by a palm shaded esplanade and vendors who set up shop near it offer anything from spicy somtam salad to grilled squid. There are deckchairs for rent on parts of the beach. While the water is not a crystalline blue it is certainly clean enough for swimming, floating on a rubber tyre or enjoying the thrill of a banana boat ride.

The complex that makes up the ancient city is surrounded by an old moat. After paying a small entrance fee, visitors enter the park and are soon walking beside ancient walls and through ancient archways with ornate lintels. Ruined pagodas and shade trees dot the complex. The three central towers are inside a central enclosure.

The middle of the three towers was constructed from sandstone and faces south in the general direction of Angkor Wat (Temple City) in Cambodia. The outside of the tower is adorned with bas reliefs showing scenes from the Sanskrit epic Ramayana and the god Shiva dancing.

Pimai was built in the classic Angkor style and is an ideal destination for those without the time to visit Angkor Wat, or if access to Preah Vihear Temple on the Thai-Cambodian is closed off due to ongoing problems between the two countries. Pimai hosts a boat race every November, a night market every evening and just outside town is a massive banyan tree that is a must visit sight for Thai tourists.

Thailand is a popular destination in Asia for so many reasons but among the many reasons why millions come to the kingdom every year, are the many islands. In fact when you arrive in Thailand, you are going to discover that there are so many islands to choose from and so little time and picking the right one to visit can be very daunting.

An overview of some of the best islands in Thailand include the best known spots like Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Samet and in my own opinion, these are the best islands in Thailand though they are so many others like Koh Chang and many others you will find in travel guide books.

One of the major high lights of coming to Thailand is to be able to go to the islands and just be near blue water, sea breeze and palm trees with the many activities that fit your budget. Some offer the best beach parties known to man like the full moon party that takes place in Koh Phangan every month and others offer world class restaurants and hotels and activities that is good for those with bigger budgets and other start from the cheapest accommodation and cheap eateries to the 5 star hotels and restaurants which means you will get to stay in a place that offers you the best deal as there are very cheap and expensive accommodations. It is always your choice of accommodation as long as you can afford.

-       The Bridge on River Kwai :-  This is an internationally famous bridge because of the several motion pictures and books, the black iron bridge was brought from Java by the Japanese supervision by allied prisoners-of-war which became the Death Railway, linking Thailand and Burma

-       Don-Rak War Cemetery:- This war cemetery is also known as the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery and it is located just opposite Kanchanaburi Railway station on Saengchootoe Road and it contains the remains of 6,982 Australian, Dutch and British war prisoners who lost their lives during the construction of the Death Railway.

-       Chonk-Kai War Cemetery:- This is a second world war cemetery located about 2km sooth of town on the bank of Kwai Noi River and occupies the Former Conk- Kai Prisoner of War Camp and it is very peaceful, attractively landscaped and contains 1,379 British, 313 Netherlands, 42 Malayan and 6 Indian. It was the site of the base camp, a hospital and a church built by the Prisoners.

Apart from the bad history of Kanchanaburi, there are many things to see, Jeath War Museum, war museum of the bridge, Ban Kao national museum national museum, there is also Kanchanaburi monkey school with the monkeys that will blow your mind because of the things they can do, there is an elephant world and not to forget the waterfalls, the Tiger Temple where you will get the chance to pet the Tigers and photos taken with them. If you are small budget traveler, there are so many cheap guesthouses on the Kwai River with a fantastic view and the accommodation, food and drinks, are very cheap compared to Bangkok

Getting to Doi Suthep, is enough as public transport is available to travel the road 16 kilometers northwest pout of Chiang Mai, past Chiang mai University and ascending the winding road up the mountain to the base of the temple and they are two choices once you have reached the base of the temple, either you hike up the 300 steps to the temple gate(admiring the longest Naga staircase in Thailand on the way) or , hop on one of the cable cars and get conveyed to the top though, it is more fun walking the stairs.

Once inside Wat Suthep, you are free to wander the grounds, admiring what each section has to offer and like many temples in Thailand, there are many elements of Hinduism, missed in with Buddhism and an intriguing array of statues, include the god of Ganesh, Peek out from the corners, cubby stones and from the sides of the temple. There are metal bells, double-stacked, line a couple of walls and are kept busy throughout the day.

This is a place not to be missed, if you are in Chiang Mai as the out-look area from the other side of the entrance gate, is an amazing view of the city of Chiang Mai and it’s international airport far below and from here, you can have clear views of the winding Ping River and the surrounding mountains. So don’t miss it, if you ever find yourself in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

If you ever find yourself in Chiang Rai or happen to be going or coming back from Mae Sai on a visa run, stop in Chiang Ray and a visit to Doi Mae Salong mountain will be well worth it. The Doi Mae Salong Mountain is located on Route 1089, 40 kilometers from Mae Chan and it is possible to get to the mountain by a bus from Chiang Rai to Ban Basang (fare 15baht) and from there, and you can pick up a songtaew to the mountain top (50 baht).

A brief history of Doi Mae Salong mountain is that, much of the area’s history has a strong Chinese connections because when the communists took over mainland China in 1949, remnants of the nationalist Chinese army fled to the Thai-Burmese border and 1961, they driven into Thailand and some settled down on Doi Mae Salong mountain and formed a Yunnanese community right in the heart of Thailand.

The Yunnese who settled here were involved in the opium trade until the Royal Thai army resisted these activities and a road was built into the area in the 1980s and since then, there has been a great effort to incorporate the Yunnanese into the mainstream of Thai society but despite these efforts, there is a strong Chinese heritage and Chinese language is often spoken so as the Chinese satellite TV.

There are so many reasons why a visit to this mountain is well worth it, aside from it’s picturesque scenery, there is quite a bit to do here and if you wanted, you could easily stay two or three days because it will give you time to take a tour to Chokechamrem Tea plantation which is a good sight, however this brand of tea, came from Taiwan, there is a museum, a village market and there is a number of Akha, Lisu, Mien and Hmong villages in the area which are unique and different, there is also a hill tribe development and a welfare center which supports them with the sale of their handicrafts, mainly, woven clothes and silverware.

The museum opens daily 08.30am to 16.30pm and the entrance fee is only 30baht.