[SS-Traveller]

I'd been unable to update the travelogue for some time now, because my MTNL connection at home refuses to cooperate with me about my activities on this website .

Here are some pics from the beach at Pattaya.

[aerohit]

Could not view all the pages of your thread as there are more pics than there should be. For example, there are like 10 pics of just the tiger alone, which may be unnecessary (the reason i am saying is because it makes it difficult to browse and slows down the browser window)

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Thais are remarkably different from Indians. Most noticeable are

The cleanliness: Each one is neatly dressed, with clean attire, clean hands and (mostly) sparkling teeth! No one spits or litters on the pavement, and fruit-sellers and street food vendors who end up doing so, clean up afterwards with brooms and detergent!! Even the street vendors are smartly and cleanly dressed. And so importantly, everyone has a smile for you.

Smartly dressed driver and conductor (conductress?) of a VIP bus

Do you mean to say the only people dressed shabby are Indian tourists in Thailand?

[predatorwheelz]

Beautiful pics of the beach, SS da. This was one awesome trip you had!

Originally Posted by aerohit

Could not view all the pages of your thread as there are more pics than there should be. For example, there are like 10 pics of just the tiger alone, which may be unnecessary (the reason i am saying is because it makes it difficult to browse and slows down the browser window)

Dont mean to offend you, but what is the point of a travelogue without pics? Do we just read the text and imagine whatever he is depicting? In my personal opinion, the more the pics, the better a travelogue is in conveying its true sense. Especially for us unlucky souls who havent physically been there and relive the experience through the narrator's pics.

If someone happens to have a slow network connection, tough luck!

Originally Posted by aerohit

Do you mean to say the only people dressed shabby are Indian tourists in Thailand?

Please dont start another "Indians vs the rest of the world" argument like the Australia thread. Smart and clean dressing conveys a sense of professionalism like nothing else. If SS is pointing out clean habits of lowly people like bus conductors and fruit vendors in Thailand, it should be a learning experience for us Indians. Why take it as an insult to our country?

Now lets just get back to the travelogue, shall we?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by aerohit

Could not view all the pages of your thread as there are more pics than there should be.

Well, I guess I'll post with a smaller installment of pics in each post - I intentionally reduced the pic sizes to 150KB to avoid slowing down your browser. Maybe I'll upload smaller sizes than what I was doing. And yes, now that I am confined to using my datacard instead of the broadband (MTNL) connection to check TBHP activities, I know what you mean!

Originally Posted by aerohit

Do you mean to say the only people dressed shabby are Indian tourists in Thailand?

Strange thing to say... In fact the shabbiest clothes were worn by the 'goras' there - crumpled T-shirts, half-torn shorts/jeans, and in Pattaya, often practically no clothes at all! The dress code that the Thais enforce for tourists entering their palaces and temples is mainly meant for these folks, who chuck their suits and ties in the heat and humidity of Thailand.

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Why take it as an insult to our country?

@PW: I don't think aerohit is taking it as any kind of insult to India. I think the question was raised to figure out how badly Indians behave abroad. I might as well say here that in most instances I've observed Indians to be model citizens whenever they are NOT in India, converting back to their spitting-scratching-littering-lane-cutting-soiling habits as soon as they step out on Indian soil. Hope you'll agree with me there, aerohit.

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Beautiful pics of the beach, SS da. This was one awesome trip you had!

Thanks. Good time for you to take a trip there too! Fares are rock-bottom now, and especially cheap ex-Kolkata.

[SS-Traveller]

A collage of aerial panoramic views of Chiang Mai, Suvarnabhumi and the Thailand countryside.

[sami316]

The pics with the tiger were awesome. Really once in a lifetime.

[raj_7703]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

A collage of aerial panoramic views of Chiang Mai, Suvarnabhumi and the Thailand countryside.

Hello SS-Traveller,

That is one great Travelogue and it is very helpful as me and my wife are taking a trip to Thailand in mid september for 5 days.

All the pics are very nice and sharp. COuld you tell me what is the camera that you used?

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by raj_7703

COuld you tell me what is the camera that you used?

Mostly a Sony H3. Also an Olympus FE35, and the camera on my cellphone (SE K800i).

[archat68]

The beach pictures are truly beautiful.

[SS-Traveller]

Thanks for the appreciation, guys.

Came across this news item a few days ago:
Maharashtra Minister in dock for fondling a tiger in Nagpur Zoo - Yahoo! India News
Maharashtra minister enters tiger cage with gunmen: India Today - Latest Breaking News from India, World, Business, Cricket, Sports, Bollywood.

and realised what a stark contrast Thailand is to India, in matters of touching tigers at least! The Honourable Minister would do well to take a trip to that country to indulge to his heart's content in fondling tigers!

So also in matters of the monkey. Our "madari's" have been put out of their livelihood in the name of cruelty to animals, and here we see in Thailand, performing monkeys, and the fee for a 45 minute show is 200THB!

Monkey collects coconuts from tree...










...rides tricycles...








... dives into a pool...








...performs other tricks...






... sits on one's lap (don't touch them, the trainer says, or they will pee on you)






... and they even let you cuddle an oh-so-cute baby!

[SS-Traveller]

Reviving a 2-year-old thread to inform you that we are off to Thailand again the coming Sunday, for 8 more days. On the trip 2 years ago, we covered Central & Northern Thailand (Bangkok, Pattaya, Kanchanaburi and Chiang Mai). This time we plan to take a driving trip for 4 days to South Thailand, plus some work (mixed with pleasure ) at Bangkok itself. The southern destination is Krabi, with probable visits to Phuket, Koh Phi Phi & Phang Nga.

Hoping to update this thread on the move as well.

[SS-Traveller]

15 & 16 May, 2011

Our bags are packed, and so are a few small gifts for friends. Security decides to open up and investigate what these are.


T3 international side is as swanky as it gets.








The Air Asia low-cost flight to Bangkok takes off on time from T3, and it is running half-empty.


Doesn't look like the season for Thailand tourism, and we heard it's been raining quite heavily over there. Interestingly, the chatty gent at the immigration counter at T3 tells us we are the 10th & 11th doctors (and more specifically, the 3rd and 4th dentists ) to pass before him that evening. Doctors and dentists are on their summer break en masse - stay healthy, folks!


Air Asia isn't too bad; not if you choose to consider the expenses on food and water as a costlier ticket, and not be irritated by the price of water being as expensive as liqour.


You might even consider this a "dry" flight in more senses than one - a rather warm and dry one at that, because they refuse to set cabin temp below 25*C! The pre-booked and pre-paid food has smaller portions than we expected or saw pics of (and thus felt very pricey), and just one 100-ml cup of water to go with it. But buying more water is a rip-off at 60INR for a 350-ml bottle. What is worse is that the purser denies us the accompanying tea/coffee that was mentioned in the booking. We were a little worried at check-in because with the 20-kg pre-booking, our checked in bags weighed in at 21.5 kg, but thankfully Air Asia didn't ask for money there!


Funny that Air Asia issue Air India-printed boarding passes though.

[SS-Traveller]

16 May 2011

We land at Bangkok while it is still dark, and the tarmac is rain-soaked and shiny.




The passage through Suvarnabhumi airport is not very painful, mainly because we were prepared in advance with passport photos (4cmx6cm), copies of return tickets, filled up immigration forms and the 1000THB each that is required as visa fees. It still takes us an hour to get through, mainly because of the bumbling honeymooners who are not prepared and hold up the line.

The taxi ride to the city is smooth in the early hours, except for one spot where a truck has crashed into a Hiace and a Corolla taxi,spilling glass Coke bottles all over the road.




The sky seems all ready to rain.




We are back to the Prince Palace Hotel, where we'd stayed earlier.




The hotel allows us early check-in, and allots us our rooms. Soon after, we get our first 'tasty' taste of corruption in the Thai system! A front desk clerk sidles up to us on hearing that we are exploring options for breakfast, with a 'special offer'. He offers us 3 breakfast coupons for 300THB, where breakfast for one person costs almost 300THB. Closer inspection reveals the coupons have been issued earlier to guests in other rooms, but may not have been used by the guests and was passed on to us. The excellent spread is worth every paisa (or satang), and does wonders to our famished tummies - so much so that we can safely skip lunch.












Time to explore the wholesale garment market below the hotel, but after one walk round the block to pick up a SIM connection at the local 7-Eleven store (49 THB for the True Inter SIM, another 50 THB to recharge, call costs to India @3THB per minute) the skies finally open up.




We decide to troop back to our room and catch up on some lost zzzz...

[SS-Traveller]

The plan for the afternoon is to head to the Palace and other temples (Wat) in the vicinity. Let's take a look around the market quickly first, we'll go around 3PM, said SWMBO. In the event, we drift deeper and deeper into the garments market, and by the time my feet and shoulders realize that they must protest, it is already after 5 PM. Therefore, no palaces and reclining Buddhas for you, dear reader, just be happy with the following scenes around one of the biggest markets for readymade garments in Thailand, alongside a delicious fruit market.

[SS-Traveller]

This video was shot during the Spy Wars Stunt Show at the Bangkok Safari World. Befor I bore you with all the other mundane details and photos of our trip there, take a look at this...

YouTube - ‪MOV 0121‬‏