Thailand - Articles - Zimbio

Emo Thai Boys - Jack and Lek

Tue, 20 Aug 2008 13:32:19 GMT

posted by thaieyes

The 2 Emo Thai Boys Jack & Lek are Akha hilltribe boys from a small Akha village
near Chiang Rai in Nortthailand
and they are the biggest fans from the Thai Emo Metal Band Retrospect, we ever met.
We asked them for a photosession and they agreed immediatly.
Jack & Lek want to show their love for Retrospect
and they are greeting all Retrorian fans around the world.

Doing the photoshootings with the 2 Akha boys was a lot of fun
and the Thai-Eyes Crew want to say a heartly THANX
to Jack & Lek
and to Mr. Wat from Cream Bar/Nightbazaar Chiang Mai
for his patience and support.

Our photo serial with the Retrorian Emo Thai boys Jack & Lek
Click on the pic, to make it big

Sawasdee to all Retrorians in the world !!!

NONGKHAI : How to get there

Tue, 20 Aug 2008 08:47:00 GMT

posted by tokpla

By Car
From Bangkok, take Highway No. 1 to Saraburi which connects with Highway No. 2 to Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Nong Khai. A total distance from Bangkok to Nong Khai is 615 kilometres.

By Bus
The Transport Company Limited has a regular bus service both ordinary and air-conditioned to Nong Khai every day. For further information, contact the Mo Chit 2 (Chatuchak) Bus Terminal, Tel. 0 2936 2852-66, or visit the website http://www.transport.co.th/ . In ddition, there is a private bus service: 407 Phatthana, Tel. 0 2992 3475-8, 0 4241 1261; Chan Tour Limited, Tel. 0 2618 7418, 0 4241 2195; Barami Tour, Tel. 0 2537 8249, 0 4246 0345; and Cherdchai Tour, Tel. 0 2936 0253, 0 4246 1067.

By Rail
Trains depart from Bangkok's Hua Lamphong and Bang Sue Railway Stations to Nong Khai every day. Call 1690, 0 2223 7010-20 or visit http://www.railway.co.th/ for more information.

By Air
Visitors can fly from Bangkok to Udon Thani and continue the journey by car to Nong Khai, some 50 kilometres from Udon Thani. Call 1566, 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 or visit http://www.thaiairways.com/ for more information.

Intra-provincial Transport
Visitors can use car rental services operated by many tour companies in town. They may choose a tricycle service called “Skylab” for visiting tourist spots in town and nearby areas, such as Tha Sadet Market, Wat Pho Chai, Sala Kaeo Ku, and Thai – Lao Friendship Bridge.

From the Nong Khai Bus Terminal, there is a bus service from Nong Khai to Loei, past Amphoe Tha Bo, Amphoe Si Chiang Mai and Amphoe Sangkhom in Nong Khai, and Amphoe Chiang Khan in Loei. The route runs along the Mekong River. In these districts, there are guesthouses available for visitors.

Inter-provincial Transport
Apart from a Nong Khai – Bangkok bus service, the Nong Khai Bus Terminal also provides its service on other routes: Nong Khai – Rayong (both ordinary and air-conditioned), and ordinary buses on the Nong Khai – Loei, Nong Khai – Nakhon Phanom, and Nong Khai – Udon Thani routes. Contact the Nong Khai Bus Terminal, Tel. 0 4241 1612.

Trains are available from Nong Khai to Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, and Bangkok three times a day. Contact the Nong Khai Railway Station, Tel. 0 4241 1582.

Distances from Amphoe Mueang to Other Districts

Tha Bo
Phon Phisai
Si Chiang Mai
So Phisai
Pak Khat
Sangkhom
Bueng Kan
Phon Charoen
Seka 228 kilometres
Bueng Khong Long
Si Wilai
Bung Khla 181
Sa Khrai

42
45
57
90
90
95
136
182
228
238
163
181
24

kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.

Distances from Nong Khai to Neighbouring Provinces

Udon Thani
Loei 202
Sakon Nakhon
Nakhon Phanom

51
202
210
303

kms.
kms.
kms.
kms.

Power by : http://www.tourismthailand.org

NONGKHAI : General Information

Tue, 20 Aug 2008 08:36:00 GMT

posted by tokpla

Nong Khai is a long thin province running along the Mekong River, providing the main access to Laos. Originally people went by boat from Tha Sadet, but the building of the Friendship Bridge across the Mekong has made Nong Khai a major centre for transport and trade with Laos.

Attractions include Wat Pho Chai, renowned for its large seated Buddha believed to have been cast in Lan Chang, and Phra That Nong Khai, an old chedi that slipped into the river and can now only be seen completely in the dry season.

Sala Kaeo Ku is a bizarre sculpture garden packed with statres of Shiva, Vishnu and Buddha as well as many other figures from Hindu and Thai culture. Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary near the Mekong River contains a number of beautiful waterfalls.

Nong Khai is 615 kilometres from Bangkok and has an area of 7,739 square kilometres. It consists of the following districts: Mueang Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Phon Phisai, Tha Bo, Sangkhom, Seka, So Phisai, Si Chiang Mai, Phon Charoen, Pak Khat, Bueng Khong Long, Si Wilai, Bung Khla, Sa Khrai, Rattana Wapi, Fao Rai and Pho Tak.

Power by : http://www.tourismthailand.org

MAEHONGSON : How to get there

Mon, 19 Aug 2008 07:10:00 GMT

posted by tokpla

Travel from Bangkok

By Car
Mae Hong Son is located 924 kilometres from Bangkok. Drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and then choose the following routes to Mae Hong Son:

Chiang Mai Hot Mae Sariang Khun Yuam Mae Hong Son (Route 108) with 1864 curves, a distance of 349 kilometres.

Chiang Mai Mae Malai Pai Mae Hong Son (Route 1095), a distance of 245 kilometres.

By Bus
Muang Nuea Yan Yon Tour (Tel: (0 2936 3587-8) operates an air-conditioned bus which runs directly from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son every day. The bus departs from Chatuchak (Mochit 2) Bus Terminal at 6 p.m. The trip takes about 17 hours.

By Rail
One can travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai by rail and then continue to Mae Hong Son by bus. For more information, call 1699, 0 2223 7010, 0 2223 7020 or visit http://www.railway.co.th/

By Air
Thai Airways flies Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son daily. Reservation should be made in advance at Tel: 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000 or call 1566 or visit http://www.thaiairways.com/ for current schedule.

PB Air offers flights from Bangkok-Mae Hong Son. Call 0 2261 0220-5, 0 2535 4843-4 or visit www.pbair.com

Travel from Chiang Mai

By Car
Mae Hong Son can be reached from Chiang Mai either by Highway No. 108 via Hot, Mae Sariang, or Highway No. 1095 via Pai.

By Bus
Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son buses operated by Prem Pracha Transport (Tel: 0 5324 4737, 0 5324 2767) departing from Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Terminal every day. The buses which run along Highway No.108 leave Chiang Mai frequently from 6.30 a.m. 9 p.m. The journey takes 8 hours. The buses which run along Highway No. 1095 leave Chiang Mai from 7 a.m.-12.30 p.m. The journey takes 6 hours.

By Air
There are 4 daily flights from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son. Tourists are advised to book tickets at least 2 days before departure. Contact Thai Airways Tel: 0 5321 0043-5, 0 5321 1044-7 (Chiang Mai), or 0 5361 1297, 0 5361 1194 (Mae Hong Son).

SGA offers flights from Chiang Mai to Pai District. Call 0 2664 6099 or visit: www.sga.co.th

Distances from Mae Hong Son town (Amphoe Mueang) to the other districts:

Pang Mapha
Khun Yuam
Pai
Mae La Noi
Mae Sariang
Sop Moei

64
67
111
134
164
192

km.
km.
km.
km.
km.
km.

Power by : http://www.tourismthailand.org

Savannakhet, Laos, visas and a few days R&R

Fri, 9 Aug 2008 02:08:12 GMT

posted by greg34

My 5 days in Laos or ‘How to get a Thai visa in Savannakhet’

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First, thanks to all who sent me messages about my earlier journal entry describing my dog bite/rabies. Clearly, I am still alive. I took all the vaccine I could get (one more to go). I will confess, now more skittish about dogs than before. Never been a dog guy, now even less so. My advice, get vaccinated before you visit SEA.

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In need of a new Thai visa, and wanting to try something new, I decided to travel to the central Laos town of Savannakhet (hereafter referred to as 'S'). S is a smallish town immediately across the Mekong from the Thai town of Mukdahan (‘Mook-Dar-Harn’—hereafter referred to as 'M'). The attraction of S is the presence of the Thai embassy, which can issue Thai tourist visas. There are also a few interesting attractions which are worth a look.

I had originally planned to travel south from S to see the town of Pakse and the nearby temple of Champasak, but heavy rain in the area rendered the road impassable. I did not know how long this would last so I headed back to Thailand after a few days. Next time.

Mukdahan

I arrived in M a day before my Thai visa was to expire. This gave me a day plus to sample the delights of M. My bus was delayed in reaching Surin (my starting point) and delayed in reaching M, by rain. M town had a reputation (imparted to me by the farang and Thai of Surin), as a 'very nice little town'.

I was also told, by the Surin ticket agent, who, admittedly, spoke little English, and who was aided by her ~12 year old daughter, who was far more interested in listening to music on the office computer than worrying about one lone farang, that the trip from Surin to M took 3 hours. In total the trip took 4 1/2 hours, we left at 17.30, not 16.30, so the bus arrived at the M bus station at 22.00, not 19.00 or 21.00, preventing me from sampling the local night life.

The trip and the bus were ok, but a pit stop along the way would have been nice. Thai people must have strong bladders, at one bus station I exited the bus, to the amusement of the stewardess.

Overnight in M I stayed at the Ploy Palace. This was a fairly pricey hotel, 1200b a night (I was told that there were no standard rooms available, ummmm, I had to take a deluxe), however, while pricey it was a good hotel. The view across the Mekong at night from the roof top restaurant was worth a lot all by itself. However, there were cheaper alternatives in town. If you arrive in M without a reservation hop on a tuk-tuk at the bus station and ask the driver to show you a few hotels, and see what takes your fancy.

sidenote: even though there were no standard rooms available, I was told when I went to have my ‘free’ breakfast that there were not enough guests to make a buffet necessary, ummmmmmm.

Around M: in short, not a great deal, there are a few small Wats, a few local sites (ferry terminal, gov offices, etc), and, last, but certainly not least the Ho Kaeo Mukdahan. This is a 65m tower built to commemorate the Thai King's 50 anniversary of his coronation. The structure contains a museum and display of Isan life, plus at lookout 50m high looking over town and the Mekong. Worth a visit. It is about 1km south of the town centre.

M is a quiet town, you can safely stand in the middle of a main street and take a pic. There is also a very nice ‘trendy’ cafe next to the Thai Immigration office near the river ‘Good Mook’. They also have a few souvenirs for sale (a few of which I bought for a few puy-ying in Surin). Outside of town is the Mukdahan National Park, small, but it has a few interesting ‘mushroom shaped’ rock formations, which I did not see. Maybe next time? If you are interested there is a local bus from the local bus station to the park.

Savannakhet

After one day I had seen what I wanted to see in M, time for me to go to Laos! This involved me returning to the bus station and getting a ticket to Savannakhet (50b). Bus run fairly frequently (everyone in Muk told me hourly, but this is not quiet true). We drove to the bridge, about 10mins, got off on the Thai side, and had the usual immigration fiddle-faddle. Here the process was reversed, for 1500b I was granted a visa on arrival (which take a full page of one's passport—thanks guys), and then headed into S town, where we exited in the local bus station. This was fairly primitive, bumpy road to the station, bare sand, hot and dusty— very 3rd world. I got off and said the magic words "tuk tuk" and my new friend Mr Hong transported me to the HongTip hotel. Again, all the single rooms were gone, ummmmm! I got a 'double', two single beds, for 800b a night. Quality wise, the Hong was not the best, a bit musty, but it was entirely adequate.

I spent the remainder of the day in Sav looking at a few local sites. The Dinosaur museum is small and a bit pokey, and the info is in Laos or French, so not much help if you know neither! I did meet the curator, who was also one of the guys who dug the fossils out of the ground. He spoke good English. He told me that November–December was the best time to dig, as there was no rain. He also told me that some of the displays, meteorites, gold and copper came from Aust! An Australian company, mining in SEA, Oxiana, provides assistance to the diggers.

I also saw Wats. The largest (and best) in town is the Wat-sain-yaphum with many (dozens) of monks, mostly young. There was a small construction area manufacturing Buddhas, and the place seemed fairly busy. I took a few snaps and then was beset (politely) by these young monks who wanted to practise their English. I spent maybe 30mins at which time I decided to retreat to my waiting tuk-tuk.

I spent an hour or more in the evening walking along the Mekong foreshore. I had dinner at a great restaurant on the Mekong ‘Sun-wan-la-den’, with a fine view of Mukdahan. $8 for my meal. This seems to be were the S ‘high rollers’ go to eat, socialise and relax. Most of the traffic in S was either push-bikes or motorbikes, but parked outside this restaurant were flash looking cars.

At dusk the river side becomes alive with people out to socialise, eat, drink, there are dozens of people cooking food for sale on tiny open air stoves, seats are scattered along the river, young people (boys and girls hehe) ride past of bikes chatting to each other.

The main tourist attraction is That Ing Hang. This is a religious shrine about 15 mins (15kms) from S. To be frank, to my eye, not a fantastic site. It is about 9m high, four sided, with carvings. It looks worn and old. My lonelyplanet told me it was originally constructed in mid-16th century. There were only a handful of other tourists there, I think from Korea. Adjacent was a small monastery, with a few monks sitting, chanting and reading. The tourist shop was bolted shut on a weekday.

I visited this temple in conjunction with a visit to Dong Natad. DN is a forest community with trees, a lake and a village. A pleasant walk, though it can be a bit spooky if you do it by yourself (though of course, I was not spooked).

Thai Visa story

The Thai people reading this (I hope there are a few) will sympathise with what I am about to describe, I hope, while many farang will have experienced this personally— Getting A New Thai Visa. This is a two day process. First, in the morning go to the Thai embassy, take passport, 2x pics, pen, glue, 1000b, 1x copy of passport, wait in line, wait, get form, fill in form, glue pics to form, go back to counter, with passport, with two pictures, with 1000b, 1x copy of passport, get number, wait, wait, when number called hand over passport, paperwork. You are done! Rejoice! Come back tomorrow afternoon, with number, wait, when number called collect your passport and your new visa. Easy!

About 200 people a day use the Thai embassy in S. 95% Laotians. It is a busy place. There is always a certain ‘tenseness’ in the air at an embassy, people’s futures are riding on the decisions of a few faceless bureaucrats. S was no exception. Many of the Laotians were quiet and a little grim, others were talking animatedly. I will admit, as always, I was thinking, what if I cannot get a new visa, would I have to stay in Laos for a few months?

Fortunately, as it never has, this did not happen. The next day I came back at 2pm, waited about 15 mins, my number was called, and I was handed my passport with its new Thai tourist visa. Success!

After four days it was time to move on or to come back to Thailand. I decided to come back. The return trip across the Friendship bridge was easy (though I was ‘patted down’ and my bags x-rayed), and hour plus and I was back in M.

the name says it all...

Me on bus to S

Thai embassy—fun fun fun

R&R on the Mekong

Ian at That Ing Hang

Me at S restaurant, and penguin!