Thailand: Bangkok (Arrival in 2016)

It has been a while since the last time we updated our travel blog. We have been busy with works, kid and travels. This year, it is time to travel back to Thailand again. This year is a bit challenging because we have our little one joining in our family. This was a bit challenging for me with such a long international flight without my husband's help. I tried to manage a few hours of layovers in each transit as little as possible. Unfortunately, we had snowstorm the night before we supposed to fly in early morning, but we could not. All the flights were cancelled, and I had to book our flights from Canada to Thailand again. Due to limited seats and many people rebooked their flights, we could get our flights confirmed 2 days later. It might be a good idea that snowstorm happened at that night. That means we, as passengers, could fly anywhere till we got to Bangkok, Thailand. I booked our flights with Air Canada, and they normally fly through Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. I selected the choice that we wanted to fly directly from Canada to Thailand without overnights anywhere due to a child's concerns. Then I told the airline that I wanted to fly through London, UK and that saves our time to fly less hours than expected when comparing to those countries. I was a bit nervous to fly with our young child alone and a lot of stuff to carry along and 4 checked baggage. Luckily, all the checked baggage checked through all the way to Thailand, so that left me worry-free in London, UK. When we arrived in UK, everything was smooth and we did not have to go through custom immigration. While waiting for boarding with Thai Airways (A380), we could walk around and did some shopping. In Heathrow airport in the UK, there is a play area to kill time. If you have young children, this might be the place. If you fly to Asia, the terminals are pretty far from this play area. Please make sure you check your time and get to terminals in time for boarding your next flights.

When we boarded A380. I was surprised how huge this plane was. I thought I would not have a chance to fly this type of aircraft since my husband and I have travelled a lot together in the past. We were so lucky to board this plane because travelling with a young child, there is so much leg room and that our child's legs could not reach the back of front's seat. The crew was so friendly and played with children when they were not on duty. Everything went well until we arrived in Bangkok. I was worrying about the checked baggage and how I would handle that alone because I had to have our child on a stroller with 2 carry-on bags. Luckily, I could find and paid a ground helper who delivered our checked baggage till we saw our family at the exit.

Here we were in Bangkok, Thailand. It was the first time that my family saw our child. They had not seen me for over 3 years. I could say that things have been changed a lot since I left the airport. One thing that I still saw was people's smile and respect. These symbols/tradition are forever with Thai people. Our child was surprised how things were changed from where we came from. I explained him from places to places, little by little and it was only a few weeks, he could adapt himself into routines in Thailand. It was a big change for a young child such as weather, day/night time, food, people, places, language, etc. Tonight we would sleep really well after our long flights.

Thailand: Krabi

Koh Lanta is located in Krabi, Southern Thailand. The best time to go there is between February and May. That means you may likely pay more in flights and accommodation. We went there when it was in March, so the price was not too expensive. We considered to go to Lanta Island. There are many places to go in Krabi. Another famous one that you should not miss is Railay. Railay and Koh Lanta are a bit far apart. I am not sure how long it takes but it will probably take about 1-2 hours by car. There are some tour agencies that could take you from place to place but the tour may be more expensive because these two places are not in the same area or nearby.

We chose to go to Koh Lanta because it's more quiet and pristine beaches than Railay area. In Koh Lanta, there are many nice and beautiful  beaches such as Kaw Kwang Beach, Klong Dao Beach, Pra Ae (Long Beach), Klong Khong Beach, Klong Nin Beach, Klong Jark Beach (Waterfall Beach) and Ba Kan Tiang Beach.

If you go to Ba Kan Tiang beach, you may be subject to national admission fee as it is a national park. It is sometimes included in the tour price or excluded, depending on the conditions of the tour agencies. This place you would see the nicest beaches in Koh Lanta and you could see dragon komodo if you are lucky! Make sure you should not feed them because you never know if you might be bitten accidentally. The tour normally ranges from $60 to $80 depending on where your hotel is. This is a one day tour but it gives you enough time to relax and enjoy the nice pristine beach in Ba Kan Tiang. Lunch is normally provided in the tour price, but it is better to check with the tour agency before you consider to buy it.

As mentioned above, there are many nice beaches in Koh Lanta, we stayed in Klong Klong beach because it is more quiet but the disadvantage is there are too many rocks close to the shore. That means you could not even swim but you could see the nice sunset. If you look for the cheaper price of hotel stay, this may be your choice.

After riding the motorcycle around the beaches, Pra Ae (Long Beach) is the best and beautiful beach after Ba Kan Tiang Beach. This is the good place for swimming. There are many hotels situated in this beach but the price may be higher.

If you know how to ride a motorcycle, I would suggest to rent a bike. We paid $12 per 3 days, so it is easy to get around the island.

To get there, if you depart either from Bangkok or from Phuket, you have to make sure you arrive in Krabi. Normally, it depends on the airlines. If you take Air Asia (low cost airline), it normally takes you to Krabi (Lanta) with the shuttle bus service with free of charge. If you take other airlines, you may have to take a bus, a van or hotel car. Normally, you will get this from the airport but it may be a bit confusing for some people. Unless you prefer paying $80-$100 from Krabi airport (if taken other airlines except Air Asia), someone will pick you up at the airport.

Tips: Koh Lanta may be a bit more quiet than Railay, so some areas may be conservative due to Muslim community. If you want them to respect you, please make sure you wear your pants at knee length (This is my observation!).

Thailand: Bangkok (Vachirabenjatas Park)

Vachirabenjatas Park or Rot Fai Park is situated in Chatujak district, Bangkok. There are many activities to do. This park is one of the nicest parks in Bangkok. This park allows you to rent a bike and a boat. When I went there, I rented a bike because I wanted to see many things around the park as much as possible. If I remember it right, I paid 20 Baht (around 5 cents). Price may remain unchanged or may be gone up a bit now.

This park has a butterfly park inside, so you could see all kinds of butterflies here. If you love cycling or running, this may be the place for you. It will be a great relaxation on the weekend for families and friends.

To get there, you can take either MRT or BTS and get off at Chatujak station. Do not get confused with Chatujak Park and Vachirabenjatas Park. They are nearby and they both are huge, so you have to make sure you walk further parallel with the traffic (same direction), you will find it. The easiest way is if you take MRT, there will be the sign to tell you which exist you need to take. Once you are out from MRT station, you will see a little entrance of Vachirabenjatas Park.

This park is open every day but will have a lot of people on the weekend because this park is close to Chatujak weekend market, where is the biggest outdoor weekend market in Southeast Asia.

Thailand: Bangkok (Temple of Dawn)

Temple of Dawn of Wat Arun is situated in Bangkok, Thailand. This Buddhist temple has an influence from the Hindu god Aruna. This temple has existed since the 17th century and has unique spires built during the King Rama II. This temple is one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in Bangkok.

To get there, there are many ways to get to this temple, but many tourists prefer going there by boat. That means they will take either a tailed boat or regular boat. If you want to sightseeing along Chao Praya River, this may be a good option.

There is the admission fee for foreigners and it is open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm daily. Please make sure you wear long pants and tops with short sleeves. This is the way to respect the place and  the locals will treat you with respect.

If you are in Bangkok, you should not miss this temple. Also, the two big giants are the highlight of this temple. Do not miss this as well!

Thailand: Phang Nga

Phang Nga is in the South of Thailand and is on the Andaman Sea. If you are in Phuket, you could buy a day tour to Phang Nga easily. I paid 1600 baht for this day trip in  2007, so I assume the price may be higher now! Anyway, if you go with the tour, you could visit many places in one day and it is worth your money.

In Phang Nga, tourists can take a longtail boat in order to see different caves, especially James Bond Island (or called Koh Tapoo). I do not have to go in details about James Bond movie because they filmed in this location before! This place  has the cave on the beach as well, if you are interested in seeing limestone cave. You should not miss!

Some travel agencies may have a day tour for kayaking to caves. You could have a day tour or half day tour if you wish. I did the kayaking a couple of times. There was one cave but I could not recall the name, it was really beautiful and is wide open and encompassed with this cave. It was really great experience!

The last trip of this day tour is to go see the villagers, they live along the sea and people are so friendly! Try seafood if possible, that place is awesome!

Thailand: Phuket (PP Island, Similan Island & Chalong Temple)

I think most people know Phuket. Phuket is popular for beautiful beaches and Phuket is ranked for the best world beach in the world for many years. The best season to go to Phuket is summer (Feb-Apr) if you want to see nice crystal clear beach and water. One of the best islands that I love is Similan Island but I will talk about both Similan Island and PP Island.

The most beautiful and famous temple in Phuket is Chalong Temple or Wat Chalong.  This is the temple of Phuket people who come to pay homage. This temple is really beautiful both interior and exterior. You should not miss this temple if you are in Phuket.

Another place that you should not miss before you want to head to the island, you should go to Laem Promthep. It is huge beautiful big panorama view of Phuket. The sunset view is awesome in this place. Again, if you want to explore Phuket around before heading to the island, you should rent a car or buy a cheap package or a day tour. It will be more places where I am talking here such as market tours or any other places for shopping. If you want to be in the mainland, you could rent a car or take a bus to Patong beach. This takes about 30 minutes from the airport. There are many beaches here too, but I found PP island and Similan island are the best beautiful islands in Phuket. You should arrange your day tour or 3 days 2 nights with the travel agency and they will tell you what is included in the package. You should book it before you arrive in Phuket. If you buy the package up front or at the hotel, it may double in price. The better you are well-prepared, the cheaper you will get!

There are some tourists who want to camp in Similan Island. This is part of National Park as well, you have to make sure that the admission fee is part of your package or you may have to pay the fee separately. Some travel agencies may tell you but some may not. If you love scuba diving, this is the place for you! You will not be disappointed with nice and beautiful coral reefs. As I have mentioned earlier, to get nice and clear beautiful pictures of the under ocean, I would suggest you come in March or April. It is a high season, so the price is high and the hotels or even camping may be booked up quickly!

Just a note, Phuket in an international airport as well as Bangkok airport. If you had traveled in Bangkok before you head to the south of Thailand, you could book your cheap flights with Air Asia or Nok Air. Those are low-cost airlines unless you want to have Thai Airways!

Similan Island taken in late March, 2007

Similan Island taken in late March, 2007

Laem Promthep in August 2007

PP Island taken in August, 2007

PP Island taken in August, 2007

Thailand: Rayong (Samet Island)

Thailand has many beautiful beaches in different regions; the east, the west and the south. The top beaches are based in the south of Thailand. This one in the east of Thailand is called "Samed Island or "Koh Samet". There are many nice beaches on the island but it depends on how busy or quiet beach you want. If you love crowds or stay in the busy areas, I would suggest you to go to "Na Darn or Had Sai Kaew". If you love more private or quieter, you may go to "Ao Wong Dueng, Ao Thien or Ao Ta Yai". When you arrive at the pier in Baan Phe, you need to buy a boat ticket to the island. It will take approximately 30-45 minutes depending on which beach you want to stay. You need to make sure that you do not miss your boat. It is recommended if you buy the ticket in Ban Phe, you should buy a return ticket there as well. It will save you cost and time and you can see and ask for timetables with the officer there. When you want to return from the island to Baan Phe, you should ensure to ask the officer at that beach prior to boarding. This is just in case that they know you are leaving and they will ensure that seats are provided enough for passenger in that schedule.

From my experience, I like somewhere quieter, I always go to Ao Thien, it may be a bit difficult at night because I had to walk a bit with my lamp to Ao Wong Duen, where has a couple of bars and where people like hanging out at night. In Ao Thien and Ao Tayai are a bit quieter, it may be a good place for a couple who like to be private and do  not want to be with the crowd. I found Ao Thien is the most beautiful beach in Samet Island because the beach is nicer and if the day is bright (especially in summer), Ao Thien is the best place for kayaking as well). The accommodation is really reasonable when comparing to many other places with the atmosphere. Food is awesome there and people are service-minded and friendly to people.

Before I miss something, I am not sure if this may be changed now for the admission fee of Samed Island. It is common in Thailand wherever you go to many beautiful beaches, they are parts of National Parks, so visitors have to pay for admission fee. As I remember in 2007, the admission fee for Thais is 40 baht but foreigners cost 200 baht. You need to pay this upon arrival to the island (National Park). Do not be fooled to pay more than one time.If I remember right, you will receive a receipt after your payment. You should check things and ensure things are well-prepared before you come here if you want to have a pleasant experience in this beach. Enjoy!

I did not take many photos but most pictures had me in them, so these are what I have only.

Thailand: Samut Prakarn (the Ancient City)

The Ancient City or called "Mueang Boran" is situated in Samut Prakarn Province, Thailand. This Ancient city is on the same way where the Erawan Museum located. This place is modeled of all regions of Thailand in one place. Each region represents the famous places here. I suggest you to go there early, so that you finish all regions in one day. This place is the heritage of Thai wisdom and it will be good education and sightseeing for children if you are interested in culture.

You may want to rent a bicycle if you wish or have a private tram for a group of 30 people. This may be expensive but will be cheap for a big group. Renting a bicycle costs 50 baht excluding an admission fee.

For Admission Fee

For Thais, adults cost 350 baht, children cost 175 baht. This fee includes tram, bicycle and boat)
For foreigners, adults cost 500 baht, children cost 250 baht. This fees include tram, bicycle and boat).

The Ancient City opens every day from 8 am to 5 pm.The schedules and activities may be subject to change. If you do not want to waste your time and money, you should check or call them prior to visit this place. If you are looking for more details, please visit here.

Thailand: Samut Prakarn (the Erawan Museum)

I have been travelling in many places in Thailand but I found the Erawan museum is appealing to me. In the past, I had photos taken from the camera film, but this is the only time I had them taken from the digital camera.

Anyway, the Erawan Museum is located in Samut Prakran province, Thailand. The big symbol of this museum is three- headed elephant (the Elephant of Universe). The museum was created by Lek Viriyapant, who was a Thai millionaire and was responsible of the museum construction. The Erawan museum was influenced by Hindu and Thai Buddhism and many Thai people come to this museum to pay respect and seek blessings from "God Elephant" (Wikipedia, September 17, 2012).

People can visit inside the Erawan museum. The inside of the museum looks decorative and beautiful. The basement symbolizes the underwater and there are three floors symbolized the universe, which are detailed in the history of Hindu and Thai Buddhism. The most appealing feature is the curved wall and ceiling which represents the eternal cosmos with hand-painted pattern (Wikipedia, September 17, 2012).

The Erawan Museum

The ceiling inside the Erawan Museum

For admission fee

- For Thais, adults cost  150 baht & children (age: 6-15 years old) cost 75 baht.
- For foreigners, adults cost  300 baht & children cost 150 baht.
- For elderly (age: 60 years old or older) and Samut Prakarn people cost 100 bath only.

The Erawan museum is open from Monday to Saturday and there are seven schedules each day (Referred to the website below).

Reference

Wikipedia (September 2012), The Erawan Museum. Retrieved February 16, 2013, from Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erawan_Museum