Songkran (Thailand)

Tag Archives for Songkran (Thailand).

Hip Hua Hin – Place Report

by Martin J Cowling 3 Comments

a lawn with chairs and trees by the water

Few tourists to Thailand include Hua Hin on their agenda which is a shame. At the risk of spoiling the town with a sudden over run of tourists, this beautiful relaxing town 200 km (120 miles) south of Bangkok is well worth at least a couple of days. Far from the “excitement” of Phuek nightlife and Bangkok, Hua Hin has been enjoyed by generations of Thais for weekends and vacations. Originally known as Samore Riang  or “rows of rocks”, it was adopted by the Royal Family as their seaside resort in the 1920s. Today, it is very popular amongst Thais who come…

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Not Smiling with Thai Smile

by Martin J Cowling 4 Comments

Thailand has a number of low cost carriers (Orient Thai, Lion Air, Air Asia) plus two popular “Premium Low Cost” airlines: Bangkok Airways and Nok Air, both of whom I have flown in the last year. In 2011, THAI Airways board began THAI Smile to compete in this market. The name came from a competition with 2,229 entries. For this flight, I was keen to discover the distinguishing marks of Thai Smile? Is the brand distinctive? Booking: 8/10 THAI Smile flies to about 13 domestic and one international destinations and is reportedly planning to expand international services. Confusingly THAI Smile use both…

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Chilling in Chiang Mai

by Martin J Cowling 9 Comments

I have been to Thailand a few times now but never to Chiang Mai until now. I am very sorry to have left the city alone for so long. The city is a little more isolated than other parts of Thailand but still attracts approximately five million visitors per year- 40 per cent of whom are from outside Thailand. I soon discovered why it was placed at 24 on TripAdvisor’s  “25 Best Destinations in the World” in 2012. Chiang Mai is 700 km  (420 miles) from Bangkok. Getting there requires a flight of about an hour or a 12 hour…

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