Is more sustainable tourism in sight? Well it may just be for me, because right now I am staying on the mainland opposite the Thai resort island of Koh Samet.
And Samet, in common with other tourist destinations around the world, has announced that it is striving to eliminate styrofoam and plastic bags from the ecosystem.
Continue reading Thailand national park bans plastic bags and styrofoam
One advantage of being a traveller who decides to live in the same place for more than a matter of days or weeks, is that you get to witness local rituals.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Thailand, on and off, over the past few years, and for the past few months I’ve been staying in a condo on the beach in Ban Phe, south of Bangkok. That has allowed me to see Thai people, and expatriate residents, come and go about their business and, in particular, gear up for the peak tourist season, which is nearly upon us.
Continue reading Preparing for an invasion of tourists …
Updated October 12 (see footnote)
“Come on in. You will not regret it.” That was the greeting I got from Grace (pictured), the waitress at Kings Cafe not far along along Pattaya’s infamous Walking Street.
I didn’t. The pork ribs were delicious, and the beer was very refreshing.
You could be forgiven if you thought that story was going somewhere else, given the reputation of Pattaya, the former fishing village now mega beach resort about 90 minutes’ drive south of Bangkok.
Continue reading A ‘bad guy’ goes to Pattaya
Updated: October 8
A well-travelled friend once told me that the most blatant form of corruption he had ever seen was at an airport in India.
An immigration official simply put his hand out and refused to let my friend, who had all the necessary documents, through until a bribe was proffered.
Continue reading Thailand visitors told: don’t ‘tip’ Immigration officers
Bangkok has topped the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index for the highest number of visitors — but it’s Dubai where the cashed-up tourists are going.
According to MasterCard, visitors stayed in Bangkok an average of 4.7 nights and spend US$173 per day during calendar 2017. The capital of Thailand attracts an average of 20 million overnight visitors in the year.
Continue reading Bangkok and Dubai: a tale of two top tourist cities
Before I took my first European trip, I invested in a phrase book, and I taught myself how to order a coffee and a beer in four languages. As it turned out, it wasn’t necessary, although my tortured pronunciation did provide some light relief for the locals.
As a native English speaker, I have a big advantage everywhere I travel: I talk the language much of the world already knows or is keen to learn. But is it simply lazy, or even disrespectful, to try to get by with English when you travel?
Continue reading When in Rome, should we speak Italian?(This is an edited version of an answer I gave on quora.com.)
Thinking of travelling to Thailand? Here are a few things you should know about the law.
Continue reading A behaviour checklist for tourists in ThailandMy continuing adventures in Thailand’s Rayong province, where I am staying until November …
Today I went to Klaeng. I didn’t mean to go to Klaeng, but I did.I caught the “baht bus” from Mae Ramphung Beach to Sukhumvit, where I crossed to road and hailed another baht bus heading in the right direction. I said to the driver, “Ban Phe?”, my intended destination, but didn’t get any reaction. That’s OK, I thought. I probably said it incorrectly.
Continue reading On the (baht) buses …
As a child, I was lucky enough to enjoy annual holidays at the beach. So, while I’m not a great swimmer, I’m very aware of the pleasures — and dangers — of swimming in the sea.
Sadly, many people who visit beaches have never been taught about the challenges of the surf. And that can be fatal.
Continue reading Don’t let a trip to the seaside end in tragedy
Have you heard the one about the Ugly Australian abroad? I was reminded of this when a friend told me that he could never live in Thailand because of the way the expatriate community behaves.
Having spent a lot of time in Thailand — and in other places where expats dwell — I have to say that I understand what he means. And it’s not just Aussies who are behaving badly.
Continue reading What to do about expats behaving badly?
A little while ago I wrote a post titled Five reasons why Airbnb is not really for me. As I write this, I am staying in an apartment on a beach in Thailand that I booked through Airbnb.
Things have been going so well, so far at least, that it seems that I have some explaining to do.
It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Thailand, and that I’d urge anybody who hasn’t visited to seriously consider doing so. However, as with every travel destination, there are risks that you should keep in mind.
A Quora user asked about tourist traps in Thailand. Here’s how I answered:
Thailand is very tuned in to the importance of tourism, and of it having a good reputation to keep people coming back. But, like everywhere, there are people trying to make a quick buck at tourists’ expense. The main problem is that a lot of tourists don’t realise the true (low) price of things, or they are so overwhelmed by the favourable exchange rate that they may not realise they are paying over the odds. Continue reading How to avoid tourist traps in Thailand
Thailand is one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, and it’s one of my favourite places.
Regardless of your interest — be it exploring temples, fine dining, water sports, jungle trekking or bar-hopping — you are more than likely to have a good time. But there are a few things you should know before you set out.
Continue reading Five things first-time visitors should know about Thailand
When I travel, I often use an app called TripCase. It usually works like a dream. I just forward my flight and hotel booking confirmation emails to TripCase, and my journey shows up on all my devices. Flight delays and other information is updated in real time.
On my most recent trip, however, something went awry.
When I sent it my booking confirmations for Cathay Pacific flights CX713, Bangkok to Singapore, and CX712, Singapore to Bangkok, TripCase decided that I was going to New England in the United States.
I have actually been to Augusta, Maine — for Thanksgiving, no less — and I had a wonderful time. But I’m not sure how I could go there twice on successive days starting from different Southeast Asian airports.
I’m wasting time at Bangkok airport on a cloudy day. Here are some pictures.
Social media in Thailand has gone a little crazy over a sign in a taxi setting down rules for passengers.
According to this report, the Thai-language sign comprises a list of “don’ts”, including don’t chew toffee, don’t have the volume up when playing games on smartphones, and don’t spray perfume or powder in the cab.
Continue reading The taxi driver who’s laying down the law to passengers
In places across the world, there’s a growing movement to ban or limit tourism.
It took on an extreme manifestation in Barcelona, when local residents spray-painted an anti-tourism slogan on a hop-on-hop-off bus outside FC Barcelona’s Nou Camp Stadium, and slashed its tyres.
Continue reading Travel’s golden rule: respect the place and the people
There’s a good reason for the absence of fresh posts on this blog for the past week. I’ve been busy relocating myself from Brisbane to Bangkok (via Taipei).
Here are a few pictures of where I’ve been in recent days. Words will follow in due course (translation: when I get the chance to write them.)
I once read an article about the apparently ridiculous “riders” that touring bands have in their contracts, such as asking for the red M&Ms to be excluded from the dressing-room snacks.
It turns out that they serve a function other than pandering to the ego or perceived power of the band members. And that reason can be useful to travellers.
Continue reading Is your travel provider really paying attention?
