About.com Thailand Travel

New Year's Eve in Bangkok

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:35:05 +0000

Christmas may be over but it's still high season in Thailand and there's still plenty left to celebrate here, too. Check out these great Bangkok New Year's Eve events. Still not convinced that high season is a good time to visit the Land of Smiles? Find out the top reasons so many people travel here in December and January.

New Year's Eve in Bangkok originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Saturday, December 26th, 2009 at 21:35:05.

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Madame Tussauds to Open in Bangkok

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:38:35 +0000

As if Bangkok didn't already have enough interesting stuff to do, Merlin Entertainments, a UK-based theme park operator is planning to open a Madame Tussauds' branch in Bangkok's Siam Square next year. The wax museum will feature the typical celebrities and historical figures the brand is known for but will also have images of some local folks.

While I can understand the attraction for locals, long-term visitors and wax figure enthusiasts of all kinds, it's a little tough to justify taking time from sightseeing in Bangkok to visit Madame Tussauds if you're just here for a few days. If you're desperately looking for something to do (and you've already exhausted all the shopping, eating, people watching and museum visiting in the Siam Square area), why not head over to Wat Pathum Wanaran?

Madame Tussauds to Open in Bangkok originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 17:38:35.

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Bangkok Protests Today

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:23:19 +0000

There is a big anti-government rally planned for today around Bangkok's Democracy Monument and officials expect there may be as many as tens of thousands of people involved.

If you're in Bangok and planning on doing some sightseeing in the Democracy Monument area (including Sanam Luang, the Grand Palace, Wat Po, and Khao San Road, depending on how big the demonstration gets) you might want to arrange your plans so you can do something different and avoid the area entirely.

Here's an excerpt from the US State Department alert (it specifically mentions US citizens but the alert applies to all foreigners):

We wish to remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are urged to avoid the area of the demonstrations and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations. For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and health-information resources can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or, for callers in other areas by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

If this is like other recent demonstrations (and there's no reason to expect it won't be), everything should be business as usual in the rest of the city.

Bangkok Protests Today originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 21:23:19.

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The Hunt for the Missing Hippo

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:36:06 +0000

A baby hippo disappeared from the Chiang Mai Zoo's veterinary hospital last week. According to news reports, the baby hippo was last seen soaking in a small pool on Thursday. A security guard fell asleep while watching the hippo and when he woke up, it had escaped.

Zoo officials believe the hippo made its way to a nearby forest. More than 100 zoo staff and volunteers have been dispatched on a search and rescue mission to find it.

The Hunt for the Missing Hippo originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 02:36:06.

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Thailand Most Hospitable Place in the World

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:08:22 +0000

Thailand ranks the number one hospitable place for a vacation, according to a recent survey done by hotel booking engine Zoover. More than 1,400 Brits took part in the survey and were asked to rank popular vacation destinations according to hospitality.

Thailand took a whopping 25% of the vote, Australia came in second with 19%, and Greece third with 14% of the vote.

This news comes as no surprise to those who've already visited Thailand, since charm and hospitality are among the country's many attractions. Since more vacationers from the UK come here than Americans, it's also no surprise that they agree.

Thailand Most Hospitable Place in the World originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 03:08:22.

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Meet Ultimate Thailand Explorers Contestants Ben and Brian

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:24:26 +0000

Ultimate Thailand Explorers contestants Ben and Brian were kind enough to answer a couple of questions about the upcoming competition. From December 10 through December 15, they'll be exploring Pattaya and sharing their experiences in real time with people across the globe.

Suzanne: Where are you from?

Ben and Brian: We live in Orlando, Florida

S: What do you think about Thailand?

B&B: Neither of us have been to Thailand before.

S:So you must be really excited about the contest?

B&B: We are looking forward to learning about the culture, sampling the local cuisine and of course discovering the many attractions and beaches that Pattaya has.

Pattaya is quite popular with European travelers but most Americans don't know about this bustling resort city. Find out more about Pattaya here. Ben and Brian already have their blog up, check out how they're preparing for their trip to Thailand.

Remember to log onto Ultimate Thailand Explorers to cast your vote and enter to win some cool prizes.

Meet Ultimate Thailand Explorers Contestants Ben and Brian originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 04:24:26.

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Ultimate Thailand Explorer Finalists Chosen

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:50:37 +0000

The votes are in the the folks at the Ultimate Thailand Explorer contest have announced the five pairs who will compete for $10,000. As you may recall, the contest is sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Thousands of people posted Youtube video entries explaining why they should be chosen for an all-expense paid trip to Thailand where they'd blog, twitter and post videos about their experience. Check out the five final teams on the Ultimate Thailand Explorer website. The five teams will arrive in Thailand on December 8 and begin a week-long tour of one of five popular destinations in Thailand. They'll post updates on the website every day and viewers get to vote on the winner. If you log in and vote, you get a chance to win lots of great prizes, too.

Ultimate Thailand Explorer Finalists Chosen originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 08:50:37.

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Free Seats on Air Asia

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:10:53 +0000

The free seat sale is starting at Air Asia's website on November 11 for flights from May 2010 to October 2010. You'll only pay airport tax, so tickets for flights inside Thailand will cost less than $5! Flights from Thailand to other countries in the region are around $20. Seriously good deals. You have to act quickly as the free seats go fast. If last year is any indicator of what will happen this time around, there won't be any seats left by the end of the day.

Free Seats on Air Asia originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 11:10:53.

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Business as Usual along Thai/Cambodia Border

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:24:30 +0000

If you're following the news in the region, you may have noticed that Thailand and Cambodia have been arguing a lot lately. At the heart of the dispute is some land surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple. The temple itself is in Cambodia, some of the surrounding grounds are in Thailand. The two countries have literally come to blows over this (and sadly for tourists, you cannot access the temple through Thailand right now).

To make matters worse, Thailand's exiled former prime minister (the one ousted in a coup a few years ago), has now agreed to be an advisor to the Cambodian government. Thailand reacted by pulling their diplomats out of Cambodia. Cambodia did the same. Who knows what will happen next.

The good news is that, at least for now, the land borders between Cambodia and Thailand remain open. This is great news for people who need to extend their visas. You can only extend a visa on arrival for 7-days from inside Thailand, but if you cross a border and return, you'll get another 30 days in the country (you cannot do this indefinitely, you can only stay for 90 days out of any 180 with such visas). The Aranyapratet/Poi Pet border between Thailand and Cambodia is where most go since the trip can be done in one day.

Business as Usual along Thai/Cambodia Border originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 04:24:30.

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Thailand's Cool Season has Arrived

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:38:26 +0000

Just like clockwork, Loy Krathong and Halloween are over and that means cool season has begun. Here in Bangkok we can really feel that the weather has changed. As of this week, things have finally started to cool off. At 7 a.m. this morning when I took my dog for a walk, it was actually cool! Not cool like I needed a sweater, but cool like at least I wasn't sweating. It rained a lot at the end of the rainy season and the weather was just stifling so some dry, comfortable weather is welcome!

Cool season is a really beautiful time of year in Thailand and will last for the next couple of months before the temperature starts rising again. Though you'll enjoy Thailand at any time of year, this is the best time to visit in terms of climate. Read more about the seasons in Thailand here.

Thailand's Cool Season has Arrived originally appeared on About.com Thailand Travel on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 07:38:26.

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