Loy Krathong Festival

What is Loy Krathong Festival ?

Loy Krathong is Thailand’s very own ‘festival of lights’. A national event, it is held annually on the evening of the 12th lunar month, usually in the first half of November. Celebration involves various rituals at the Buddhist temples around Phuket, but the most famous and popular part is the launching of a krathong – a floating lantern carrying candles and joss sticks, as well as all of your wishes. As any large body of water is illuminated with thousands of little lights, it creates a magical, wondrous sight.

Best Places to celebrate Loy Krathong

Asiatique The Riverfront

Traveling places and shopping beside Chao Phraya River. There are many activities such as selling krathong, demonstrating how to do krathong, simulating “Rub-Bua” tradition, taking retro photo, demonstrating ancient Thai fireworks, demonstrating fish mobile, playing Muay Ta Lay

 

 Rama VIII Bridge

It is another gorgeous place for Loy Krathong festival. With the good view of the bridge, the light of candles from krathong floating fully on the surface of water. That’s why this place is still being famous to float Krathong every year. 

   

 Wat Arun Ratchawararam

Another one special place that went for Loy-Krathong festival which has an ancient waterfront temple atmosphere. The temple is magnificent and has traditional reflects to the good cultural roots in the past, so it is organize every year.

Where to stay ( Hotel or Condo ) ?

In this article I  want to share with you my experience about the difference between staying in an hotel or condo or any serviced apartment.

1-staying in a Hotel :

Advantages:

Hotels contain features that make them the preferred accommodation for travelers. They provide security, comfort and luxury. Convenience starts from the booking process.

24 hours security is typical in hotels. It assures the guests that they are safe within the vicinity. Another amenity of hotels that you can enjoy round the clock is the room service

Disadvantages: 

well in my experience if you like freedom like you are in your apartment or house you will not get this feeling in the hotel .

whenever you go out or in you are like watched by the reception and guided with their rules.

you will not able to bring anything in or out only according the rules ( companion or stuff ) 

2- Condo or any serviced appartment

Advantages

well 1st of all home sweet home , do what ever you want go out or in as your house , and feel free to enjoy everything.

cook and eat in your own kitchen.

bring friends and have fun ( of course without disturbing the neighbors )

in one word do what you do in your home 

Disadvantages

well you have to clean your own shhhh ;-) as if your at your room 

be careful about your stuff and security when you get out of the condo

self service ( no room service )

most important thing don't loose the keys or you are in a deep shhhhh ;-)

In my opinion i prefer to stay in a condo rather than in an hotel.

the choice is yours  :-)

Phi Phi Island ( one day trip or stay overnight or more ? )

Should you visit PhiPhi island for one day , or  should you stay there for one or two days ?

1st of all a general description : The Phi Phi Islands are in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the west Strait of Malacca coast of the mainland. The islands are administratively part of Krabi province. Ko Phi Phi Don

Well in my experience to visit phi phi iland for one day is the best way to explore the island and the surroundings , cause if you wanna stay more than one day its kind of boring and little activities to to do inside the island.

unless you like to relax and do nothing well it will be ok for you stay for more than one day.

bellow some pics of my last visit to the island with big ferry boat from phuket which takes around 2 hours to the main island , and we stayed at a hotel called phphi beach front.

Kho San Raod - Night Life

Kho San Road

Khaosan Road or Khao San Road (Thai: ถนนข้าวสาร) is a short (410 meter long) street in centralBangkok, Thailand. It is in the Banglamphu area

Well as you see in the picture , if you wanna meet the back packers and enjoy your night with cold beers and great music. all you have to do to khosan road .

its a 400 meter street surrounded with bars massage parlors , restaurants and shops.

street vendors.

If you wanna just walk or shop or party its the right place to be.

concerning the price range its cheap and everything affordable because its all back packers around they will not pay too much :-)

  After party street foods are all around , if you are street food fan you can enjoy a spicy dish after the cold beers and the wild dance .

How to get  there ?

with taxi or tuk tuk from anywhere in Bangkok , just tell them to take you to kho san road , and enjoy the hustle and bustle.

Street Food on 

Sukhumvit Soi 38

Where to eat Thai street food ?

Like many food streets you can grab a table anywhere along soi 38 and order from a selection of stalls. 

Sukhumvit Soi 38 offers a great initiation into Thai street food. Located only a few steps from the BTS at Thong Lor.

Stalls open starting in the evening around 5 – 6 pm  

Located just below Thong Lo Station (ทองหล่อ), on the Sukhumvit Line of the BTS, Soi 38 is extremely accessible and centrally located.Everyday, beginning at about 5 pm, a variety of street food stalls begin to set up on both sides of the road

• Opening Hours: 18:00 till early hours of morning
• Location: End of Sukhumvit soi 38 near the BTS
• BTS: Thong Lo
• 
• 
  

So If you wanna grab some thai street food , and enjoy same main dishes, like Pad thai, gay young, sticky rice , mango cream, all you have to to do is to head to sukhumvit soi 38 and explore the thai traditional street foods. 

 River Boats & Ferries in Bangkok

There are different types of boats offering different services, and some of the express boats only stop at the main piers. If you simply want to cross the river, there are ferries which cost 3 baht, available at several boat landings. River taxis operate up and down the river and cost from around 10 baht, depending on the length of the journey.

Express Boat River Taxis

There are five different types of Express Boat River Taxis:

1. No flag (Local Line)
2. Blue Flag Line (tourist boat)
3. Orange Flag Line
4. Yellow Flag Line
5. Green Flag Line

Boats with No Flag (Local Line)

• Stops at every pier
• 06:00 - 18:30, Monday to Friday
• 10-20 baht

Boats with No Flag (Local Line)

• Stops at every pier
• 06:00 - 18:30, Monday to Friday
• 10-20 baht

This boat has no flag and stops at every pier from Wat Rajsingkorn (Pier S1) in the south to Nonthaburi (Pier N30) in the north. It only runs on weekdays only. Departures are scheduled every 20 minutes. As with all types of boat, you can pay at the ticket kiosk or directly to the staff on the boat.

Blue Flag (Tourist Boat)

• Stops when you want
• 09:00 - 19:00, daily
• 40 baht/trip or 100 baht for all-day pass

Operating between Nonthaburi in the far north of Bangkok to Sathorn Central Pier from 07:00 to 18:25. The fare is 40 baht per trip or 100 baht for an all-day pass with unlimited journeys allowed. English speaking staff will call out every stop clearly over a microphone and ask if anyone wants to alight at that stop. If there are no passengers to get on or off the boat will not stop. In between stops, staff explain the sights lining the river on either side.

Orange Flag

• Stops at the main piers
• 05:50 - 19:00, daily
• 15 baht per journey

Orange flag boats operate between Wat Rajsinkorn (Pier S3) and Nonthaburi (Pier N 30). Fares are set at 15 baht per journey. It stops at all the most popular piers along the route from 5:50 to 19:00.

Yellow Flag

• Large express boat for commuters
• Morning 06:15 - 07:00, Afternoon 16:45 - 20:00, Monday to Friday
• 20-29 baht

Running only during rush hours, yellow flag boats are the larger type also used by the Tourist boat. It can fit more passengers on, has better quality seats and is faster in the water. Stopping at only 10 piers, it is an express boat designed primarily to service commuters coming to and from work from the northern outskirts of Bangkok. Fares range between 20-29 baht.

Green Flag

• Express boat for commuters
• Morning 06.10 - 08.10, Afternoon 16.05, Monday - Friday
• 13-32 baht

My Opinion : River Boats are  fast and fun way to transport in Bangkok, but my only advice is to be careful while getting in or out of the boat . cause the only one is responsible for your safety is you.

so enjoy ;-)

Pantip Plaza - The Electronic mega shop

Pantip Plaza

    If you are in Bangkok and wondering where you can buy or fix your electronic stuff , than Pantip plaza will be your best choice

Pantip Bangkok or Pantip Plaza to use its full name, is the place to go for all your computer needs. If you want pre-built computers, computer parts, laptops, monitors, software, projectors, printers, scanners, MP3 players cameras and so on, it's all there, under one roof, scattered over 5 floors. 

Located in a drab, five-story building on Petchaburi Road, it houses hundreds of shops selling computer hardware, software –- both pirated and legit -- accessories and other tech-related gadgets. 

Nearly every Bangkok resident, not to mention tech-loving tourists who have done even a tiny bit of research, knows that if you need new gear for cheap, go to Pantip. But while the shopping center is well-known to many, the fluorescent and neon-lit space still holds a few surprises

Pantip’s official hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., but some shops open later in the morning, while others close as evening approaches, as early as 6 p.m.

So if you are still wondering where to buy your electronic stuff , keep heading to pantip plaza :-)

Songkran " Thai water festival "

Songkran

What is Songkran?

Songkran is the occasion for family re-unions, temple visits and annual house cleaning. Many Thais observe the holidays by spending time with families and friends. Traditionally, Thais perform the Rod Nam Dum Hua ritual on the first day of Songkran, which is officially the National Elderly Day. During the ritual, young people would pour fragrant water into the elders’ palms as a gesture of humility and to ask for their blessings.

The second day of Songkran is officially the National Family Day. Families would wake up early and give alms to the monks, then ideally the rest of the day would be spent sharing quality family time together. An important religious ritual on Songkran is ‘Bathing the Buddha image’, in which devout Buddhists pour fragrant water over Buddha statues both at the temple and at home. More religious Thais would engage themselves in Buddhist ceremonies and merit-making activities throughout the holidays

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Having fun is a big part of Thai culture, 

and having fun amidst scorching heat is no exception. The hottest month of the year, April sees the entire country go bananas in friendly water fights and street parties that last nearly a week. During Songkran, most office buildings, banks as well as family-run shops and restaurants shut down completely, while big shopping malls usually remain open. Bangkok experiences a mass exodus, as at least half of its residents travel back to their home towns for family re-unions. In their place are tourists, who fly into Bangkok particularly to enjoy one of the most colourful and festive times of the year.

So if you wanna have fun at April your only destination , is Thailand your destination.

GRAND PALACE -Bangkok must visit places

The Grand Palace 

A palace worth to visit when you are in Bangkok

 * For just about 150 years, Bangkok's Grand Palace was not only the home of the King and his court, but also the entire administrative seat of government. Within the crenelated walls were the country's war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace full time around the turn of the twentieth century, but the complex remains the seat of power and spiritual heart of the Thai kingdom.

Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century.

  Admission Fee

Admission to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Central Court of the Grand Palace is 500 Baht (14.05 USD). Note that the admission fee also includes an admission ticket to Vimanmek Mansion and some other sights around Bangkok (the exact list varies from time to time) that can be used within seven days of your Grand Palace visit.