SIAMSMILES

Crocs, crocs and crocs... Spending a few days in Bangkok is fun. The city has a lot to offer to tourist or frequent visitors. Beautiful temples, the royal palace, river cruise or biking around town, you have much choice how to spend your day. But one thing is sure you will be accompanied by a lot of other tourist. So if you want to avoid the mainstream spots and all the crowds try to make a trip over to the  crocodile farm  in Samut Prakarn. How to get there Samut Prakarn is on the outskirts of Bangkok, a bit below Suvarnabhumi airport. To reach the crocodile farm you can take a taxi anywhere in Bangkok. I guess a metered taxi will cost around 300 to 500 bht. A more convenient way is to take the BTS to Bearing station and from there take a taxi which will cost an additional 120 bht depending on traffic. Currently the BTS line is being extended so in the future the last part by taxi will be much shorter causing the trip to get there to be more easy. ...

If you say "diving" and "Thailand" Koh Tao is one of the places in Thailand to visit. Koh Tao is a small island in the gulf of Thailand and famous for its dive spots. Most of these spots are close to the island and in shallow waters so it's the perfect place to get you PADI and explore the ocean. The main beach of Koh Tao is Sairee beach. The place is packed with hostels and guesthouses and lots of places to eat and drink. Every accommodation can hook you up with a dive school so you can get an introduction to diving or enlist in a 4 day course to get your PADI.  Getting your PADI is cheap in Koh Tao. For around 8k to 10k bht you can join a 4 day course which teaches you the basics in diving. And you will explore the underwater world directly. Boats will bring you to diving spots around the island. Lots of coral and fish can be spotted and the water is clear so visibility is great. The below video shows white rock.From the surface y...

Bangkok is famous for its nightlife. From high end clubs, sky bars for smaller or bigger wallets, to backpacker cafes and the infamous agogo bars, you can all find it in the city. Not so long ago the American branch of Hooters also opened in Bangkok and they now have two locations in the city. You can find one branch on Sukhumvit soi 4 just opposite of Nana Plaza. The other branch is on Sukhumvit soi 15 near Asoke. Each location has some pretty girls serving drinks and food and at certain times also perform a small group dance to entertain the clients.  The menu mainly list burgers and wings in different sizes and flavors but in general the food is of good quality. Several draft beers can be ordered and another number of bottled beers are available. Also liquor and shots are sold. Patong beach also has a Hooters branch. Last time I visited they had a charity event for homeless children. For a donation the Hooter girls will wash you...

Thailand is a tropical country which means most of the time it's hot and now and then large amounts of rain can fall in a short period of time. Especially the South of Thailand receives a lot of rain. When it's the rainy season always be prepared when leaving your house of hotel. Take a raincoat or umbrella with you but don't expect to stay completely dry unless you can take shelter. The sewer system also has to cope with the large downpours and as the infrastructure is not always the best floodings are not rare. The below video was shot at Kata beach on Phuket island. While having a drink it started to rain and within minutes the road turned into a river.

When in Pattaya and you need transportation to Bangkok there are a few possibilities.  Taking a private taxi, minivan or bus are the most common ways to travel but there also is the possibility to take the train although it's not advised. The bus is one of the most convenient and cheapest ways to travel. There are many busses, about 3 an hour, leaving for Bangkok Ekkemai station. But also a few to Bangkok Morchit and southern terminal. The trip to Ekkemai will take about 2 hours for 119 bht.  Busses have AC and are comfortable enough for the 2 hour trip. 

When holidaying on Koh Lanta one of the best day trips to make is a  full-day excursion  the southern islands of Koh Lanta. After a pick up by van or truck a long-tail boat will be waiting for you at the port in the old town. On this trip 4 islands will be visited including the famous Emerald cave at Koh Muk. The entrance of this cave is only accessible by boat during low tide. Best is to just jump in the ocean and swim through the 80 meters long cave. Guides with torches will assist you as is pitch black in the middle of the cave. At the end of the cave you will find paradise, a gorgeous white beach totally surrounded by steep cliffs covered in jungle vegetation. The beautiful Koh Krahdan is a nice place to have lunch. The island houses just a few resorts and is surrounded by clear waters with magnificent corals making it a perfect place for snorkeling.  On the way back to Koh Lanta the boat will make a stop cl...

Conveniently located on Sukhumvit Road between soi 27 and 29 you will find the RetrOasis hotel. It's tucked away from the busy Sukhumvit road therefore quiet but still in the middle of all the action.   The hotel provides 63 rooms all decorated nicely in a funky retro design. Size of the rooms is ok, not to small with good bathroom. Rooms come with mini fridge and water cooker for tea or coffee.  All the rooms are located around a court yard which gives it an intimate feeling. Here you can also find the swimming pool and reception. The hotel provides breakfast at the small coffee corner in the same building as the reception is located. It has a small living room atmosphere to relax and order some nice coffee during the day. About 5 minutes walk will bring you either to the Emporium shopping malls. This area is known for it's fashion boutiques and boosts some of the biggest names in the industry. Walking the other way brings you...