A helicopter flight over the lunar landscape of Cha Am
Actually it is not allowed, but like so much in Thailand it is possible: a flight with a police helicopter above the coast of Cha Am. What looks like a beautiful tropical plain on the ground, looks most like a lunar landscape from the air, a cheese with holes. The title airplane was completely appropriate here. It was a 40-year-old Bell, which belonged to the Americans. Reassuringly, it was reported that the flying coffee machine…
According to Dr. Seree, there is less rain in Thailand this year
Who doesn't know him in Thailand? At the time of the floods upstream of Bangkok, Prof. Dr. Seree Supratid was not to be burned off the TV screen, especially after he had contradicted many predictions of other experts with his view. Would he also be right this time with his prediction that it will rain much less in Thailand this year? As a result, according to Dr. Seree, there will be much less flooding this year. I spoke to the learned gentleman…
In 2002 Anil Ramdas wrote a sharp column about Pattaya in the NRC
The recently deceased writer, journalist and program maker Anil Ramdas had a sharp pen, sometimes dipped in vitriol. This became apparent in 2002, when he wrote a column in NRC about Pattaya….
Hua Hin Hospital: a medical hive
Hua Hin has three hospitals, so it's usually: which of the three? The private Bangkok Hospital is brand new, but still has some teething problems. The San Paolo, also a private hospital, has good quality medical care, but is housed in an old building, next to a night market. Finally, we have the Hua Hin Hospital, built in 2007 and a government hospital. Since my friend Ray wasn't feeling well this morning, she opted for the latter...
My Fortuner does not live up to its name
The Toyota Fortuner is a beautiful car, manufactured in Thailand. In the Netherlands a very wrong vehicle, with a three liter diesel engine and a weight of about 1800 kilos. But in Thai traffic, the car (possibly) offers protection in the event of a collision. Yet my Fortuner has spent more time in the garage than I can drive it. My Fortuner is anything but lucky
Go crazy in Pattaya for once
With that slogan I don't mean: going full out on Walking Street. Then so many do. This has been reported so often. Do something surprising and go to a Temple. There are so many temples and I've seen enough of them now.
Pattaya: once, twice
There is no other city in Thailand where opinions are as divided as Pattaya. You love it or you curse the place, there is hardly any in-between.
André Rieu in Hua Hin
Almost all Hua Hinse hotels had registered for the opening of Oriental Living on Saturday evening. That is a nice shopping complex on Petchkasem Road in the seaside town, on the way to Cha Am, say. The owner is a wealthy man. Like many Thai businessmen, he wants to show that on occasion. Oriental Living is a store where all kinds of authentic looking Thai furniture are for sale. In fact, everything that Westerners think is in the houses…
Makro Hua Hin is definitely worth a detour
Unsurprisingly, on Makro's opening day in Hua Hin, people were hanging out with their legs. Finally, the royal seaside resort has a large supermarket.
From two-lane to four-lane in Western Hua Hin
Widening a busy two-lane road to a four-lane road is always a daunting task. The widening of the Canal Road in Western Hua Hin has been on the agenda for a long time, but it still has major consequences.
A Big Bike is a motorized horse for today's cowboys
Hua Hin has been dominated by Big Bikes the last few days. Real motorcycles, for real men, in all sizes, brands, types and trims.
40 years of journalism: a lecture to the Rotary Club in Hua Hin
At the opening of the new Bangkok Hua Hin Hospital in April of this year, I had already encountered the board of Rotary Club Royal Hua Hin. Dressed in a white polo shirt with a large emblem, I could hardly miss them. And because I co-founded a new Rotary Club in Venlo more than 20 years ago as a journalist/reporting editor at the then Dagblad for North Limburg, contact was quickly made. Despite the invitation...
The water is just the beginning of 'the end'
Regular reader of this blog Jan V. lives in a nice villa on the edge of a beautiful golf course under the smoke of the new airport Suvarnabhumi. If the rising water reaches the golf course, it could be three meters deep, according to insiders. The city of Bangkok may be protected on the side of the river by ramparts and walls, water always seeks the lowest point. Chances are that the flood…
Bangkok: cheapest city in the world for tourists!
The travel website Tripadvisor has compared the prices for tourists in popular cities with its TripIndex and came to the following conclusion: Bangkok is the cheapest city in the world!
TripAdvisor, the largest travel website in the world with 50 million unique visitors per month, has investigated the prices of accommodation in fifty international tourist cities. This study was about in which city you get the most bang for your buck.
Bangkok attracts fashion brands
Bangkok is becoming an attractive location for the world's most popular fashion brands. Uniqlo opened its flagship store in CentralWorld today and hopes to open in CentralPlaza Lard Prao and Central Rama IX in the next two months. Zara, Gap, Breshka and Forever 21 Inc have already established themselves in the capital and brands such as H&M Sweden, Givenchy, Alexander Wang and Lanvin are eager to get there. The Emporium and Siam Paragon have a long…
Discount card for attractions in Pattaya
Pattaya promotes five major attractions by offering a discount card. The campaign runs from September 9 to December 31 this year. The five attractions that you can visit for free (after purchasing the discount pass) are: Thai Alangkarn Show Alcazar Cabaret Tuxedo Magic Theater Sriracha Tiger Zoo Pattaya Dolphin World The card is beneficial for families who plan to visit more than two attractions. A discount card costs 999 baht, but represents…
Pattaya has big plans
Pattaya dreams of a great future. The popular seaside resort must become a 'greenovative tourism city'. A 10-year plan (costing 15 billion baht) consists of 132 projects between 2012 and 2022 in the areas of transport, public facilities, tourist attractions, agriculture and the environment. The 'green' refers to projects that promote sustainable tourism, such as providing information about organic farming to the local population, creating areas only accessible to cyclists, improving the environment in …