Songkran in Pattaya, a week-long 'party'
That was a bit of a shock when I drove into Pattaya. I hadn't realized that Songkran is celebrated days later in this seaside town compared to the rest of the country. Hua Hin is the leader with only one day of water festival, but in the city where sin was invented, Thai and farang take no less than a week for it. A possible explanation for the late celebration could be that the many bargirls then …
It's over again, the festival of Songkran or the Thai New Year. For some, a wonderful celebration of tradition and Buddhist rituals. For others an ordinary water fight and drinking party. We can take stock and the positive news is that there have been significantly fewer deaths this year. The number is still substantial, but less than in previous years. Whether this has to do with announced police checks is not entirely clear 25% less …
Songkran is over, now back to Bangkok
It is over. The three-day celebration officially ended yesterday. The population movement is starting again, but now in the opposite direction. The Thai have said goodbye to family and are on their way back to Bangkok to get back to work today or tomorrow. Once again it will be very busy on the Thai roads. The SRT is deploying extra trains to transport travelers from the Northern and Northeastern provinces to Bangkok. It …
Songkran in Chiang Mai (video)
Chiang Mai is known for the Songkran celebration. It is a mix of the modern celebration (water festival) and the traditional celebration with parades and festivities. The whole is therefore a bit more subdued but still very cheerful.
Thailand: new world record water pistol fight (video)
Thailand has made its name with the largest water pistol fight in the world. More than 3.400 people, both Thai and tourists, gave each other a wet suit. Thousands of water pistols were aimed at each other for 10 minutes and a huge water fight broke out in the center of Bangkok. Songkran: the Thai New Year In front of a large shopping center in Bangkok, thousands of frenzied Thai people could let off steam on each other. The event was organized in connection with the celebration of Songkran, the Thai…
Songkran in Bangkok, the countdown has begun
Tomorrow is the official day. The first day of Songkran, the Thai New Year. The whole of Thailand will then be dominated by this huge folk festival for three days. Most Thai and many tourists love it. The many expats in Thailand think completely differently and stay indoors or book a short holiday to a neighboring country. Exodus The exodus from Bangkok to the province has been in full swing for several days. Factories and shops…
Photos from Koh Phi Phi
The Phi Phi Islands have become famous through the movie 'The Beach' starring Leonardo DiCaprio, among others. The Tsunami in 2004 caused a disaster on Koh Phi Phi. After the devastating tidal waves, almost all houses and resorts were wiped out in one fell swoop. There were many deaths. The Phi Phi Islands are located in the southwest of Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. The Phi Phi Islands are a group of six islands. These islands belong to a…
Koh Tao: after rain comes sunshine
After the torrential rain on the diver's paradise Koh Tao, it's time to take stock and get back to normal life. Koh Tao is a small (28 km²) island in the southeast of the Gulf of Thailand. The coastline is jagged and beautiful: rocks, white beaches and blue bays. The interior consists of jungle, coconut plantations and cashew nut orchards. There is no mass tourism, there are mainly small-scale accommodations. Koh Tao…
Thousands of tourists stranded on Koh Samui
Thousands of tourists have been stranded on the popular holiday island of Koh Samui. All flights to and from the island in southern Thailand have been canceled today. This is due to the bad weather conditions such as heavy rain and strong winds. The island of Koh Samui is one of the most popular destinations in Thailand. A spokesman for the airline said that there is no prospect of resuming flights. The next night will also be…
Hua Hin will be a 'clean' city
If we are to believe the reports, Hua Hin should set an example for the rest of Thailand. The police have announced that bars will have to close at midnight in the future, while the ladies and girls present will no longer be allowed to wear offensive clothing. Many bar owners fear for their business if tourists have to go to bed early. Forced sales are certainly not excluded. Especially the local karaoke is …
Accessible as a tourist in Thailand
It is very easy and not expensive to be reachable for the home front during a holiday in Thailand. Everywhere in the country you can easily buy a Thai SIM card for your mobile phone with a pre-paid card that you can buy in different values from 100 to 300 baht. As a rule, you will usually spend around a hundred baht for the SIM card. Just replace the Dutch SIM card with the ...
Mobile phone buying tips in Bangkok (video)
Buying a mobile phone in Bangkok is very simple. The choice is overwhelming and the price very favorable.
What's wrong with Phuket?
A few years ago I visited Phuket. That suited me fine at the time. We stayed within walking distance of Patong Beach. The food and entertainment was fine. The beaches were beautiful, especially Kata Noi beach, where we stayed many times. I remember the beautiful sunsets of which I made beautiful atmospheric photos. Still, Phuket has impressed me less than the rest of Thailand. Why? I can't give a clear answer. But …
Calendar Full Moon Party 2011
The most famous beach party in the world, the Full Moon Party in Thailand, who wouldn't want to experience that? Dancing all night from sunset to sunrise on Haad Rin beach under full moon. Going completely crazy with 15.000 young people from all countries and corners of the world at the Full Moon Party. Are you a party animal but have never been to Koh Pha Ngan? Pack your backpack and fly to Thailand. Go a…
Belgian creates his own dream island in Thailand
He had had enough of stress and wanted to retire. But Paul Vorsselmans, a man in his forties from the Kempen, had only just arrived in Thailand when the entrepreneur in him revived. The ecological resort that he has set up on a paradise island is now even praised by the renowned travel guide 'Lonely Planet'. Pieter Huyberechts: “I really had enough of all that materialism and that eternal achievement in our Western society. You…
Phi Phi islands are (again) under their own success
The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami killed thousands on the west coast of Thailand. Fortunately, many islands were 'swept clean' and stripped of all the rotten structures that had been built there over the years. Every opportunity for a new start, especially for the busy Koh Phi Phi, off the coast of Krabi. However, it looks like this beautiful island is once again succumbing to its own success…
"She loves me sincerely, she told me that after the pin"
A sentence from one of the songs of the Troubadour Gerbrand Castricum from Limmen. A well-known figure in Pattaya, who spends much of the year there. Armed with his guitar, he performs songs about the sultry (night)life in the city, which is world famous for its entertainment for adults. In 'Alkmaar op Zondag', a local newspaper, there is an interview with him. In it he talks about his passion for Thailand and emphasizes the…