November 2009 - February 2010

This Time I visited Thailand I spent three months traveling to Banagkok, Phuket, and Up country to Esarn province.

I Travelled with Etihad Airways, which I believe to the best flying experience I have had, my flight out of Heathrow to Abu dabi took approx 8.5 hours with an hour stopover then approx another 6 hours to Bangkok. The in flight services were excellent, the quality of in flight food menus and entrainment were exceptionally good, ( See Photo) and yes thats correct you can see metal cutlery in the photo.

I arrived in Bangkok and stayed at the "Hotel Opera" located on the Petchburi Rd Soi 11, this is a great Little family owned hotel has good aircon, sky tv, swimming pool, and all the other trappings of a good hotel and is very reasonable priced 1 nights stay = approx 700bht = £14 .

It is located in the centre of Bangkok city with connections to all the main transport links MRTS, BTS(sky train)coach stations, taxi , motor bike taxi ( though I would use this mode of transport with caution as you pretty much take your life in your hands, though is exceptionally good in rush hour!). Connection from hotel to Airport is approximately 30 mins however this can be excessively longer at peak times.
Eating out in Bangkok is varied with so many different tastes and experiences that just make your mouth water , personally I ate out at street food sellers located on many if not all soi's in bangkok centre, these can range from, Fish, Chicken, Pork, Beef, Seafood, Noodles, Vegi,Rices, but to name a few as I could write pages alone just talking about food !.
Prices of street food can range from 30 bht - 80 bht (approx 60pence - £1.70) per meal. There are street stalls which mainly consist of plastic tables and chairs lined along the street, and smaller restaurants tucked in to small door ways and shops fronts again generally with plastic furniture, DONT NOT BE PUT OFF BY PLASTIC FURNITURE AND THE NOT SO STERILE ENVIRONMENT WE ARE USED TO BACK HOME, as a rule of thumb with Thai restaurants , if it's full of Thai's eating and is very busy , then there's a good chance that this eating place comes quite recommended with the Thai's and good quality dining.

Another alternative street eating out is ( As I found to be a fantastic night out!!) a Thai music night known as " kow-wang-dang" ( apologies for any spelling mistakes)
Here I was only one of two non Thai's the rest of the clientele are the workers of the city ranging from taxi drives , office workers, some bar girls, doctors and hospital staff, plus many others disciplines, THIS IS WHERE THE THAI'S GO TO RELAX AND SOCIALISE. Basically for less than a 1000 bht ( approx £17.50) this will include a huge meal a bottle of Whisky and mixers and a night of cabaret and musical dancing which EVERYBODY joins in to , this is a fantastic experience and you leave at the end of the evening gagging to go back the next night ( as I did many times) not to mention some great Thai friends I have made whilest at these evenings.

Early December I visited Chaiyaphum ( Esarn Province) Very deep country Thailand , Four words come to mind: Beautiful, Breath taking , Poor, unfortunately this is the same as many countries where it is unspoilt and beautiful also has very poor people inhabiting these areas, however just because they are does not mean there hospitality is poor in fact quite the other end of the scale , they are very hospitable and do everything to make you feel welcome and comfortable, HOWEVER be advised most locals DO NOT speak English and speak local dialect Thai /Loas , thankfully I thai is not bad and my Partner is from this area.

Photos Will be uploaded in due course.

June & July Visit

In my Blog this time I will write about new bars I visited and the Restaurants I ate at.

Where to start?
Kata Beach : Now the season is low and there very few tourists to this resort, so the prices for accommodation and eating out have dropped a little, making your money go that little bit further. Some of the Bars I have been to (known as Jo bars where Thai ladies will join you for a drink if you so wish !!), have been great, and very friendly. Just relax and play pool and just chat with new friends, which to be honest is generally the order of the day, I have made some good friends through these bars and found some fantastic local parties. A few of the bars worth visiting include:- Madam Bar , B Good bar, and G P Bar and I will attach some photos at a later point so you can see for yourself :-)

Kata Noi / Kata Hill Road leading out on the Ko Chang Road is a fabulous restaurant serving fresh fish dishes and many Thai dishes as well, the views from this establishment are an outstanding setting for an early evening meal with views over Kata Noi Beach and the Andaman Sea , the prices are little bit higher than in the main town but well worth it for the experience the name of this restaurant is "Baan Chom View"

Eating out, Restaurants,Kata Beach,Kata Noi,Karon

Traditional Papya salad being made







Pick n' Mix selection of deep fried insects







Eating out in Kata Beach, Kata Noi, Karon and Chalong

I am going to give you a basic break down of what I experienced while eating out in the above locations:

Kata Beach has a mixture of fine dining along the beach front businesses (Hotels and Restaurants) as well as middle of the road (ferlang or foreigner) restaurants situated mainly in the towns main drag, there are also a few FANTASTIC Thai restaurants tucked away with mainly only Thai customers (these are the little gems you want to be eating at!!) as you can probably imagine premium restaurants charge a premium price, middle of the road venues can be pricey as well , however the Thai restaurants have fantastic prices and REAL Thai food (that's to say Thai food not catered for with tourists in mind) so your going to get the real deal !! Warning some Thai dishes are extremely hot , One Thai restaurant I really must give a mention is the RED CHAIR Restaurant located on the Kok-Tanod Road.

Kata Noi is a much smaller resort and generally frequented by the visitors staying in the nearby hotels , food here I found to be mainly catering for the holiday maker ( which is by no means a slur on these establishments its just to say don't look for exciting new food and express Thai culture) . over all my experience would say it was ideal for families & children or maybe a relaxed change for a quite meal with your partner.

Karon is much more fast lane Burgers/ Kebabs/ Pizza etc there are a few nice Thai restaurants around but not as good as the ones I experienced in Kata Beach, I didn't really eat out as much in Karon, however there are some very Busy/Noisy bars located near the main strip along the beach front (if that's what your looking for).

Chalong has a few good eating establishments including an English styled 16th Century Inn ( The Green Man) It is actually a very upmarket venue boasting some fantastic steaks and fish dishes and prides its self on cultural music evenings of Jazz and in the cellar they have a wine tasting tour ( I can highly recommend this and booking is probably best advised). the rest of Chalongs eating scene is mainly Thai local foods and delicacies ( which is absolutely fantastic and very healthy way to eat AND CHEAP!!).

Overall eating out in Phuket can be as varied as you want it to be, do try the road side sellers for local delicacies these might look a little bit basic but just remember where you are !!! alot of Thai's eat from these guys regulary and so have I.

Restaurant/ Eating out/ Kata Beach/Bar & Grill

The Two Chefs Bar & Grill deliver excellent choice and quality of food with a happy and relaxed atmosphere, ( be sure to keep your eyes open for lunch time specials or specials of the day) you can find some excellent dishes served at extremely cheap prices , ( don't think because the prices are low that the food quality is low ) it's not and you can take that from my personal experience.

There is also Accommodation available which is very clean , comfy bed, cable TV, front and rear balcony, fridge, air conditioning, and a ceiling mounted fan, prices range from 9ooBHT a night low season to 1500BHT a night in High season ( however I'm sure if you haggled a little you might get it for less , or you may not but its always worth asking!!).

The Views from the Accommodation are fantastic and you can clearly see Kata Beach looking out over the Andaman Sea, Here comes the bad bit, unfortunately the Accommodation is located on the side of a hill ( a VERY VERY steep hill) and Sir Ralph Fiennes has reportedly been seen traversing the hillside ( only joking), its not that bad but if you struggle with steps then this accommodation is not for you.

The restaurant and accomodation are located approx 50metres from Kata Beach and less than 5 mins from the main Kata nightlife/Bars/other restaurants and shopping areas.
Phuket Airport is approximately 45mins transfertime to this venue.

Cheap Hotel in Phuket

An excellent hotel I stayed in recently in Kata Beach Phuket was the " Casa e Mare Hotel " this was an Italian owed hotel, run by Eddie and Lorella, both were extremely friendly and helpful.

The location of the Hotel is approximately 5 mins walk from the Beautiful golden sand of Katabeach and has a 24hr supermarket next door, washing and ironing facilities are available however opposite the hotel is a laundry which will do it for you, 70 Bhat (BHT) for 1KG of clothes this price includes it ironed Approx £1.10

If you want a Swimming pool there is one located on the rooftop of the adjoining hotel 100BHT cover charge but includes free drink the views from the roof top are exquisite

The hotel is approximately one year old so is very modern and clean , the rooms have excellent large beds, Cable TV, Ceiling fan ,Fridge, very good shower, and more than efficient Air conditioning, and all rooms have a balcony (not that i used mine much).

Rates are very competitive, CHEAP if staying for 1-2 nights prices may very from 1000BHt per night and upwards in high season the prices will rise . if your planning on staying longer these prices can fall dramatically ( this is a privately owed Hotel so you will be able to barter a much better deal, dont be afraid to ask management or Eddie as he is very approachable).

Rooms can be as cheap as 500 - 800 BHT per night but as i said earlier, the longer you stay the better your chances of a Cheap deal.

Motor Cycle rent is also available from the Hotel typically 250BHT a day , and discounts for longer hire are available, again tied in with your Hotel deal you could be saving a reasonable amount of money, All motor cycles are brand new and come with insurance and helmet ( WARNING : If considering hiring a motor cycle WEAR YOUR HELMET AT ALL TIMES If not for the safety reasons , but for the Police they will stop tourists and fine you on the spot for not wearing your helmet (300Bht approx) plus an additional (200Bht) for not carrying your driving license which then means a trip to the Police Station in Chalong. telling the Police officer you have just come from the beach and have no credentials will not wash (As I personally found out!!).

The Big question everyone asks? Drink driving laws in Phuket. What can I say, everybody drinks and drives, yet it is not considered a problem unless you crash (Mortality rates for motor cycle accidents are very frightening). My advice would be to enjoy, relax and ride slowly and safely, don't over do it, if the police see you weaving and swerving around they will stop you and either fine you on the spot or arrest you and take you back to the Hilton suite at the Police station to share with some lovely friendly local criminals !!!!!.

For more information please comment on this Blog page.

Flights to Phuket Thailand

Getting there

Flights operate several times a week to Suvamabhumi [Su-wan-i-pum].

I chose ThaiAirways and found them to be extremely efficent.

Prices range from £500 to £600 for return flights.

Check in was perhaps the fastest I have come accross in my many travels abroad.

The staff were very helpful both in England and Thailand.

In-flight services were extremely good and included complimentary drinks (Alcoholic and soft), in-flight meals were good quality with varied choices.

In-flight entertainment included a pool table (only joking), movies not yet released in the UK cinemas and various music channels.

The guy I was sitting next to on my last flight there, was 6' 3" tall and did not stuggle for leg room and I found the seats good enough to sleep in.

On arrival at Suvamabhumi Airport I was impressed with the architecture of the building. SMOKERS - There are smoking rooms within 100 metres of disembarkation (next to the travelators).

Customs advice - Check your allowances, although it may be tempting to bring back lots of duty free the allowances are very limited (example 200 cigarettes etc).

PS - It may be advisable before booking your flights to consider a couple of days in Bankok to break up the travel journey. Please see my blog "Stop-over Bankok"

Good luck - Graham

Introduction to Phuket

Right then, where do you want me to start?


Flights

Hotels

Kata Beaches

Bars

Eating out

Activities

Shopping

Culture and the people

Useful phrases

What to look out for and what to avoid