On arrival in Thailand , nationals of about 39 countries are eligible for a 'visa-free' entry for 30 days. this can be renewed by leaving and re-entering the kingdom but a foreigner cannot stay over 90 cumulative days within a six month period. For this reason I had to cross the border to Myanamar for a day to have officially 'left' Thailand and ( Read more... )

Three seperate towns, all in Northern Thailand and all located in the mountains. Overall, I spent eight days around the three but did the same thing in each: RELAX ( Read more... )

After waking to images of my pending death by motorcycle, I decided to sneak away in the morning and 'forget' about my arrangement with Jim. His motorbike really didn't look large enough to support two commuters, my front pack and back pack for a two hour journey on the freeway. I value my life more than that. I ahave also travelled on ( Read more... )

Once again my motivation for my visit was not based on historical aspects of the city, or glimpses of ancient wats, but a chance to see some kind of Thai creature narby, Unlike Lopburi though, my heart was set on elephants this time ( Read more... )

It seems that my historical whirlwind wasn't going to be coming to an end soon. Sukhothai was the first capital established for the Empire of Siam and is regarded as the most authentic era of Thai religion, style and architecture. As it was once held in such an aura, it houses a very large and impressive park of ruins. While I wasn't sure how ( Read more... )

I left Ayuthuya for Lopburi as locals do, by the regular bus. No air-conditioning, cramped conditions and interesting observations along the way ( Read more... )

Having served as the capital of Thailand (previously known as Siam) from 1350 to 1767, Ayuthaya has a deep history and a great deal of ruins to show for it. As most of the major Wat ruins were within walking distance of my guesthouse, Ayuthaya was a good overnight stop on-route north ( Read more... )

Situated about 22kms from the Myanamar border, this quiet little town was the perfect stop to prove to myself that Thailand hasn't been overrun with tourism. Sitting on the massive lake, Khevan Khao Laem, while not offering much in terms of activity, the serene setting is relaxing and great for reading a book on the water ( Read more... )

After the two days I spent in Bangkok, I craved a more rural setting. Due to its close proximity (130kms west), Kanchanaburi seemed like a good starting point. Not only did I want to try my hand at some Thai cooking but a large slice of the horrors of WWII resided there ( Read more... )

Big bustling, bumpa-rumpa Bangkok! The alliteration is endless as are the tourists and the copious amount of cheap knock offs. While large aspects of the metropolis have succumbed to the will of the 'farang' (foreigner), Bangkok still retains a cultural charm ( Read more... )