Living in the Crazy Fun and Weird Bangkok

Karon beach, definitely one of Phuket's more famous beaches. A long expanse of white sand, cleaned on a regular basis from the waste of Thais and tourists alike. When we went it was being cleaned by school children in the early AM, and further down the beach by someone likely employed at a nearby resort. Karon is the second largest of Phuket's tourist beaches, and is 3 km long from tip to tip. Definitely a great beach to run down. It gets very very busy during high season though. Umbrellas and a place to place your drink are available for 200 baht.  Grade : A- a squid washed up on shore the long beach- Karon playground equipment near the beach Kata beach

Yanui Beach- Phuket Some snorkeling exists just offshore.  This shore is Rocky on one side and Moore Sandy on the other side of the wall dividing it in the middle. Canoes are available nearby, as well as snacks sold from a nearby shop. Often one finds trash on the beach and in the water, some of which as a good Samaritan, I pick up and place in a plastic bag, carrying it to a trashcan near the road. As always, I wish that people would pick up after them selves rather than letting the plastic get carried out to great Pacific garbage heap. There are far nicer beaches on the island, this is definitely not a must see, but if you go there, by all means enjoy. It is still far prettier than the majority of beaches in the world! 

So, there is a great Two Week itinerary for Thailand  at this link, but it doesn't necessarily take into account if you are traveling with children. To aid in your quest for a great vacation, here is an alternative two week itinerary if you're traveling to Thailand with kids. From Reddit user Adventure_Lover---  I don't know. What do you want to see? Here's one example (good for families/ children older then 8?): Day 1: Arrive in BKK early afternoon. Go to Lumpini park. Walk around, rent a boat on the lake, paddle around, eat street food, sleep. Day 2: Touristy things tin Bangkok. Grand Palace and China Town. Day 3: Dusit Zoo. It's a decent zoo. I like it. I learned things from it, and I think children will like it too. After the zoo, take a taxi to Siam Paragon, they have a place to see Penguins. If they get board, there's Ice Skating next door at Central World. Day 4: Kanchanburi. Rent a car from the airport (relax, driving in Bangkok isn't...

Recently went into the jungle around Chiang Ma on  Flight of the Gibbon ,  the second time in less than a year I have gone on this awesome zipline experience . I highly recommend it. One of the highlights for me was seeing gibbons swinging from one branch of a tree to another. Their agility was astounding! Here is a video I took of my fortuitous sighting. Video : Gibbons swinging from vine to vine Also, a video of my fairly timid mother and how she found the experience. It's a great experience for all! Go do it!

Bangkok, where businesses don't even bother shuttering the windows it's so safe. Buddhist societies are probably the most trusting in the world. It's exemplified by this local fruit and flower stand which think nothing of leaving their storefront totally unlocked for the entire weekend. And while only homeless people in most countries would steal the bananas, the orchids are in fact rather valuable, and would represent a decent loss to the proprietor were they to find them gone. video : the open storefront in Bangkok This is in sharp contrast with Saudi Arabia, a place where, although you could leave your car window open and your wallet on the front seat, and be guaranteed to find it there when you return, the reason for this is quite different: because the penalty for theft is getting your freakin' hands cut off! I'm not advocating leaving your wallet out in the open in Thailand, merely illustrating the general trust which exists between people in Thail...

Flight of the Gibbon a zip line sprung between trees in the jungle Location: near Chiang Mia Price: a little over $100 US. Buy from any tour agency Worth it? -- 100% oh my God yes. # recommendation of things to do in all of Thailand, maybe Asia. check out the video below to see why it might be so memorable for you. Video :  Flight of the Gibbon I cannot recommend this enough. Of all the attractions in Thailand this is #1. The beauty of the jungle is immense and combined with the exhilaration and speed of zip-lining, it makes this a must if you are in this beautiful country! 

So you're a company in Bangkok and want to advertise to drivers traveling down a road. Sadly, it appears to be cheaper to pay people to kneel for hours holding up the sign, than to get a metal holder to prop up your message. For more travel adventure stories  

Rule #1- too many people ask the same question about flying here from some distant locale for a week. You'll be suffering from jetlag and regret from the hefty ticket prices you paid for such a such short time. We highly recommend at least two weeks here in Thailand. With that said- here is a link to an itinerary that makes a lot of sense for two week vacationers. Thailand- Two Week Vacation Itinerary  Thoughts or comments leave them below. 

welcome to Maekhamin Waterfall Okay, so it's a couple hours from  Erawan Falls , a decent distance from Bangkok, but soooo worth visiting- Maekhamin Waterfalls. For nature lovers, it's a must, and comes with the distinct  advantage of being far less crowded than Erawan. I suggest renting a car.  There is little to any English spoken in the area, and there are no ATM's so make sure you bring enough cash. That said, the area is cheap and inexpensive, and is a great experience.  Watch the video below and sift through the photos to get an idea of the area's beauty. Enjoy! :) Maekhamin Waterfall- all levels of the falls: National of park Thailand a gentle flow down for more photos of  Maekhamin Waterfall

one of 7 levels of Erawan Falls Only a few hours away from Thailand's sprawling capital lies Erawan National Park, home to a 7 level waterfall. It's SE Asian nature at it's best, and a meditative experience watching the light blue water cascading down the mountains, cleverly changing its course as the jungle's obstacles present.  You get there via K anchanaburi, where you can take a shared van to and from the city, then either hire a taxi or just rent a car and travel up sightseeing the area. You can check out the video below to get an idea of how beautiful the area is.  It's a fabulous experience and well worth the trip! Video :  Highlights of Gorgeous Erawan Waterfall all 7 Levels - national park Thailand

First of all, for as beautiful and fertile a country as Thailand is, the average person here is quite poor. The minimum wage is 300 baht per day, and a decent salary for Thais is the equivalent of $500 per month. That said, there are VERY wealthy Thais for whom money is no object, but the majority of people here live on a very low income.  Which is why I am always so amazed to see so much wasted food here. Growing up, I thought it was a sin not to finish all my food because so many people go without, but on my honeymoon in Koh Kood, a beautiful but hard to get to island an hour and a half off the coast, I saw a group of wealthy Thais leaving most of their Expensive meal at a resort untouched. I was aghast, it included a plate of super expensive seafood fresh from the ocean, left on the plate exactly as it arrived. would leave crab claws and shrimp untouched It's hard for me to account for. I wanted to chase after them and chastise them for waste/ find out how they could poss...

Before I begin, I discussed previously what an awesome city Bangkok is , but in interest of fairness, it's not Xanadu. I love this city, but let's discuss-- The Downside of Living in Bangkok as a Foreigner 1. Traffic - There is a light, the Sathorn light to be exact, that often takes in excess of half an hour to get through. To get through one light! I remember taking a taxi ride home through the district on an exceptionally busy night and our poor driver, who is used to the horrendous congestion here, kept dropping his head and sadly stating, "oohhff, trrafffikk." That might have been the only English word he spoke. Bangkok traffic, depending on the metric, is often ranked the worst in the world. It's something all Thais are proud of. 2. Language Barrier - With a completely different alphabet, featuring a whopping 44 consonants and 15 vowels, that combine into at least 28 vowel forms, and several different tones, Thai is one of the hardest languages in t...