Over the past six years, residents of the southernmost part of Thailand have regularly been confronted with violence from Islamist separatists.
Pattaya is a unique city, especially for its nightlife. You won't find anything comparable anywhere in the world anytime soon.
Yet Pattaya has more to offer than just nightly entertainment with all the trimmings. You would do the city short to judge Pattaya only on the large number of beer and GoGo bars present.
Is it now all doom and gloom in the new fatherland? No, definitely not. But it's not all roses and roses either.
by Hans Bos Have you got used to your new homeland? And the rain that falls almost every day between May and October? Can you handle the heat in March, April and May? You certainly didn't think that the temperature in the north and northeast of Thailand can drop to about ten degrees in December, January and February? In the hills and mountains even to around freezing point! Then you had…
Mail to all travel agents in the Netherlands. You must have booked on these dates……. Flight cancellations China Airlines' CI 066 in September and October Amsterdam – Bangkok – Taipei. Dear Travel Agent, For operational reasons, our head office has decided to cancel the following flights: It mainly concerns Monday and Wednesday flights from Amsterdam: CI 066 with departures on 06, 08, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 27, 29 September and 04, 06, 10, 15, 18, 20, …
There you are, at the Thai airport with a name that you pronounce differently than you write. With a bit of luck you will be picked up by your new love or a Dutch acquaintance that you met on one of your previous trips.
At the end of 2010, construction will start on the tallest building in Bangkok, the MahaNakhon (in Thai: 'metropolis').
Once you have been to Thailand, you will wonder whether you would like/could live (semi)permanently in the 'Land of Smiles'. Particularly among people who are approaching retirement age, the possibility of exchanging the cold and relatively expensive Netherlands for a long-lasting holiday feeling is on the mind.
Readers of Travel + Leisure magazine voted Bangkok as the best city in the world. In an honorable second place is Chiang Mai. With that, these two Thai cities beat other greats such as: Florence, San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), Rome, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Oaxaca (Mexico), Barcelona and New York City. It is fair to say that the survey of the American glossy travel magazine was conducted before the demonstrations of the Redshirts in Bangkok. Nevertheless, it is a…
There are many options for cheap calls to Thailand. Some are even free. Now I will not describe all possibilities in this posting, but only my own experiences.
By TheoThai You hear it a lot lately. China Airlines or Eva Air flight from Amsterdam to Bangkok or vice versa has been cancelled. It's not entirely clear to me what it is. You will receive a text message or an email from the carrier informing you that the originally planned flight has been canceled or that you will be rebooked to an earlier or later flight. From the travel agency where you bought the ticket…
The Dutch embassy and the Dutch Association of Thailand are jointly organizing a spectacular Orange party around the final match between the Netherlands and Spain on Sunday evening. Dutch Football World Champion The Dutch in Thailand can see the Dutch become World Football Champion (I'm an optimist), in the garden of the Dutch Embassy. The famous Orange Parrot moves to the garden of the Embassy for this occasion. The Netherlands – Spain match can be followed live there. Every Dutchman in Thailand is…
by Hans Bos Suppose I want to go from Thailand to the Netherlands at the beginning of November this year, then I can go to some travel agencies here in Bangkok. But as an experienced traveler, frugal Dutchman and internet freak, I prefer to book at home from behind the computer. You have to be careful with that. One of the previous times I booked a return flight from Bangkok to Amsterdam on the EVA Air website for a reasonable rate in Thai baht, using my Dutch credit card. That …
In order to maintain peace in the country, the Thai government today agreed to extend the state of emergency for a period of three months. A state of emergency remains in force in 19 provinces, including the city province of Bangkok. The measure has been withdrawn in five provinces. A state of emergency is in effect in the following provinces: Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Ayutthaya and Chon Buri in the Central part of Thailand. Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and…
We are very happy with the reactions of the visitors to this blog. After all, a blog exists by the grace of its visitors. Among the visitors are many Thailand experts who make a meaningful contribution with comments, discussions, tips, recommendations, etc. We would like to keep it that way and certainly encourage it. What we do not want is that Thailandblog becomes the domain of a small group that responds very actively, especially to …
A video report from CNN Dan Rivers about the fight of the Thai judiciary against pedophiles. Lieutenant Colonel Apichart Hattasin's special unit in Chiang Mai is determined to hunt down pedophiles until these abhorrent practices are eradicated. Fortunately, Thailand has intensified the fight against these criminals. In many European countries, pedophiles can also be prosecuted in their country of origin. Such an international approach has the best chance of success.
By Khun Peter The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has had a 'beta version' of its new website live for some time now. In any case, an improvement compared to the old site, but there is still a lot to note. Websites Thai tourist offices, too sad for words For a country that is so dependent on tourism, I have always been amazed at the quality of the websites. And I don't mean…
You sometimes see them in Thailand, mopeds with three, four, five or even more Thai on them. Dangerous? Mai Pen Rai and Buddha watching over us. But this beats everything. I received the photo below by email from Pim. Looks like not Thai but from Burma or Laos, I think? If not, I will read it in the comments to this post. Also watch out for the baby in the bucket!?!
A Thai woman likes to marry a farang, a foreign man, to earn money for her family. Because it is the duty of a Thai woman to take care of her family and so marrying a Dutch man is a godsend.
There is an interesting post on Thai Visa about price developments in Thailand. The central question is: “Is Thailand still a cheap destination for foreign retirees and tourists?”
The Finnish airline Finnair is expanding the number of flights to Asia. From May 2011, Finnair will also fly daily to Singapore. Finnair already flies from Düsseldorf, with a stopover in Helsinki, to Bangkok in Thailand. Other destinations in the Far East include Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo. Singapore's modern airport, Changi Airport, offers European passengers good transfer options for onward travel to another destination in Southeast Asia, such as Bangkok. …
By Colin de Jong – Pattaya The Orange virus has also hit our compatriots in Pattaya like a bomb. The hospitality industry here also has a huge revival in the low season. Many surprises in this tournament as ex-world champions Italy and France went home early. England with a school football defense was wrapped up by a youthful Germany. Downside yet again a sleeping referee and linesman who have not seen a goal from Lampard. Chapel may…
