My Visit to Thailand

The major highlight was the Royal Grand Palace, it is indescribable, a sensory overload. Wat Po, next door to the Grand Palace is quite grand also.

Personally I enjoyed Bangkok itself. It may have bad air pollution but it makes up for that by being vibrant and colorful.

Quick Tips:

Simply take Bangkok as it is; don't try to compare it to anywhere else and allow yourself to enjoy. For the Tech minded a visit to Pantip Plaza is a must.

Best Way To Get Around:

I used taxis and feet. Feet were more direct if going short distances.

The Skytrain is fast, clean, efficient, and cheap. A tourist pass for one day is Bht100 around A.00. I didn't use tuk tuks in BKK but I did in Hua Hin as I was staying 4ks out of town.

I liked this hotel; it is not new but it is not shabby either. Very clean; everything works. There is a good tour desk in the lobby which I used to book my tours to River Kwai and Ayutaya.

Nice, clean with a pool. Thai touches in the decor. Convenient to visit the historical park but recommend using a tuk tuk as it is very humid. Take the night tour.

I had read about S&P in Lonely Planet and was happy to find one near my hotel. I cannot eat food that is too hot so finding somewhere to eat is a major undertaking. These resturants have good food, good descriptions and photographs of most dishes.

Ayuttay was the capital of Thailand until the Burmese invaded and blasted it to smitherines with cannon during an invasion.The Historical Park has been designed to give an impression of how it would have looked back then.

Many of the buildings have been restored but not to pristine condition which would detract from the feel of the place. The architecture has a Khmer look about it, very intricate carvings. It was built of bricks which are still produced on the island.

Some of the atmosphere comes from the fact that the island is subsiding giving the place a leaning tower effect.

I went with a day tour, but If I were to visit again I would travel by train from BKK, go to the Hotel then take a tuk tuk to the Historical Park. The day tour does cover a lot including a meal and a canal trip but it does not give enough time to soak up the atmosphere. I stayed overnight but as I was going by train to Hua Hin the next day, I did not see anything extra. I would do two nights next time, and a night tour is worth the money.

I did this as a day tour and as such it was worth the money for me as I was on my own and at this time a little nervous. The bridge is a pretty ordinary steel bridge but there are nice views of the river and floating resturants. No historic stuff at all. I went on the train along death railway and enjoyed the trip. I was able to imagine the enourmous difficulties faced by the POW''s and the others who built the bridge and the railway.

If you visit independently stay for a couple of days and hire a taxi to visit local sights as the scenery is quite spectacular.

Totaly WOW!!! in your face glitter fantastic designs. I was quite stunned. There is so much to see and so many people to watch.

Take the Skytrain to the river pier and a ferry up the river, lots to see on the way, and the Grand Palace is easy to find, simply follow the crowds and if anyone tells you it is closed for whatever reason, don't believe them. (That goes for anywhere you are going).

Be prepared to be stunned.

This is a small town 180klms from BKK. It is a seaside resort and is quiet compared with Bangkok. It caters mainly to Thais escaping BKK at weekends.

I stayed at Tao Takiap which is about 4klms from town, at Kaban Tamor resort which is very different and had round rooms based on a seashell design. The resturant and pool are the only facilities but the service is good, and the little township is friendly, but not pushy.

There is a great Kwan Yin Temple in the area. It is brand new and very Chinese. Open Air with good views.