SIAMSMILES

Location Almost opposite the 7-11 at the heart of Sairee beach you will find Simple life resort. It's a fairly large resort with good facilities. All rooms are located a bit from the main street so you will not be disturbed at night by the party people. But still the beach is just a few minutes away! Facilities The hotel has a large restaurant and bar located at the main street. From here you can enjoy your meal or drink while watching the business of the small island. A bit tucked away from the road is the reception area. I was welcomed with a big smile and checking only took a few minutes. Just behind the reception a lush garden hides the swimming pool and the building with rooms. Even though it's a rather big hotel it is quiet.  Rooms The rooms are large and nicely decorated. There is a large double bed, a desk with fridge and a large closet to tuck away your backpack and clothes. The closet had a safe to s...

Location The hotel is located within a two-minute walk to the two train stations - Asoke and Sukhumvit - that connect the BTS (aboveground) and MRT (underground) train systems.  Being in the business district makes it easily accessible for guests to get around the hotel.  Shopping centres such as Robinsons, Terminal 21 and the Emporium are within walking distance, placing shopping, food and entertainment at close vicinity. Venturing further out is made simple by using the BTS skytrain – Siam Central station, which is only four stops away, is linked by skybridges to the Siam Paragon, Siam Centre shopping malls and Siam Square. Just left to the hotel is a great place for food. It's a local restaurant which sells  street food but offer seating under a roof.  The rooms The 102 stylishly furbished guest rooms are spacious and equipped with comfortabel bed, tv and stereo set, minibar with coffee and tea and other amenities. The bed was per...

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.