Ao Nang, One of Thailand's Premier Attractions

Ao Nang is steadily becoming one of Thailand's premier tourist attractions. Getting there is quite easy, by bus, car, minivan, or plane, but sadly not by train. The Thailand train from the Thai border with Malaysia stops at Hat Yai then goes East across country to Surit Thani thus missing Krabi altogether. Krabi is the main town in this area, and from here Ao Nang is easily accessible.

If you're not keen on a flight to Krabi, which is in fact an international airport, my advice is to take a minivan from the van terminal in Hat Yai which will only cost about 200 baht and takes about three to four hours.

If you're coming from Bangkok, then the train will get you to Surit Thani and from there again I advise a minivan. It's also about 200 baht and takes about the same time.

Once in Krabi a local opened backed bus will take you to Ao Nang for about 60 baht and takes about 30 minutes. The bus ride to Ao Nang takes you through some beautiful countryside and then just as the bus approaches the town you find yourself surrounded by towering limestone cliffs which are a feature of this area. It really is an amazing site. Ao Nang is a small, quaint, seaside town loaded with things to see and do.

There is just one main street that bananas from one side of town to the other. One side of the road is filled with shops and restaurants and the other side of the road is pure beach.

The beach here is excellent, great for swimming, lazing and walking. There is a colony of monkeys at one end that are always ready for a feed and a pose for some pictures. All along this beach you will find the long tailed boats that are ready to take tourists to the many islands and beaches that are easily accessible from here, fares are quite reasonable too.

There is plenty of accommodation here from 2 star upwards and a bargain can always be found. There are plenty of good eating places ranging from the humble street kitchen to top grade restaurants, you will also find the usual fast food outlets.

There are plenty of tour shops, chemists, 7/11's, massage parlors, and bike hire outlets. There are two good bar entertainment areas for those who want to stay up late.

Ao Nang is a great place to spend time on your travels, I did and I will return.

Hello, my name is Jim and I have a website designed to give honest and real advice to travelers going to Thailand, I have toured all over the country and I am happy to pass on my experiences which will hopefully improve your trip. http://www.thailand-cheap.com

By James D Jones

Visiting Koh Samui

Koh Samui is 700 kms to the south of Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand and 50 kms from Surat Thani. Regular flights are the most comfortable way to reach the island. For those looking to save money, trains, buses and boats can be used. If you have car or motorcycle, there are car ferries.

Via Air

Koh Samui's little open airport has both domestic and international flights from Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. There are hourly flights from Bangkok's Suvunarbhumi International Airport between 6 am to 9 pm for Koh Samui everyday. There are hourly Bangkok Airways flights and Thai airways has 2-3 flights per day. These flights cost 2200 - 3500 baht for Bangkok Airways and can go up to 7400 baht for Thai Airways. The duration of the flight is about 1.15 hours.

Bangkok Airways also conducts daily flights to Koh Samui from Phuket, Chiang Mai and Pattaya and twice a week flights between Krabi and Koh Samui. For economical flights, opt for Air Asia's flights from Bangkok, costing 600 - 900 baht. These flights take you to Surat Thani, from where you can take local shuttles or cabs to Donsak Pier or Samui Ferry Pier and then continue further to the island.

For international tourists, Bangkok Airways conducts direct flights from Hong Kong on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Berjaya Air has 2 flights per week on Thursday and Sunday from Kuala Lumpur.

Via Train and Ferry

You have to buy train & ferry tickets separately. So you have to take local transport from the train station to the dock, where you can buy ferry tickets. To prevent any delay, find out about ferry timings in advance. However avoid online booking of trains from Bangkok to Surat Thani by using your credit card to prevent addition of handling fees to the ticket costs. You may also have to face the risk of waiting for a boat to Koh Samui or being overcharged for local transport to the dock. So it advisable to buy a combined train/shuttle/ferry ticket from one of the numerous travel agencies in Bangkok. There are 2 trains departing from Bangkok's Hualamphong station everyday and arrive at Surat Thani in 8 hours. When you take a combined ticket, you are escorted and taken to the ferry, from where you can arrive at Koh Samui in 1.5 hours. The costs starts from just more than 1000 - 1700 baht, based on the type of train seat selected for the journey.

Via Bus (or coach) and Ferry

For cost conscious, bus and ferry trip is the best option. Air-conditioned overnight buses depart from Bangkok's southern bus station everyday. These buses leave at late afternoon and early evening. On reaching Surat Thani, buses are transported to Koh Samui. Bus fares start from 300 to 400 baht based on the class of service selected and travel time is about 14 hours. Ferry fares lie below 50 baht. Private companies operate coaches and pick up people from numerous spots in Bangkok. They usually let travelers buy a combined coach/ferry tickets from local travel agencies. This journey takes around 13 hours. The cost lies between 350 - 650 baht based on the type of the service. There are daily bus services from Hat Yai, Phuket and Krabi. However this trip is meant for the toughest travelers. Unscheduled local buses halt at any spot to pick up anybody looking to board the bus. The trip may take longer than the overnight buses and coaches

Via boat

Express catamaran service to Koh Samui departs from adjacent Koh Tao and mainland ports of Chumphon and Surat Thani. There are also usual ferry service and smaller boat services available. Long-tail boat service operates planned trips to and from Koh Phangan.

Via car or motorcycle

There is a ferry service departing every hour from 06:00 - 18:00 from both Donsak Pier and Samui Ferry Pier. The time taken is about 1.5 hours.

You are welcome to publish the article along with the hyperlinked URL: Samui Hotel

By Jack Dan

Hat Yai - Growing City in the Southern Thailand

Hat Yai is one of Thailand's southernmost cities, located in the province of Songkhla. It is only 30 km from the Malaysian border. The city began as primarily a railroad hub between Thailand and Malaysia. It is one of the lesser known tourist spots in Thailand and is attractive to those who wish to 'get away from it all,' but still have the features of a city available.

The city is becoming increasingly popular among gays. There are at least 3 gay bars now and a gay sauna called GL Sauna as well. Admission is 250 baht and includes a drink.

The gay bars are within easy walking distance of each other, the most popular being the G-Men bar.

The city was a small village until the coming of the railroad in 1922 and has slowly, but surely increased in size ever since. The population is now about 160,000. The official name of the city is Ma Hat Yai. Ma Hat is the Thai word for a fruit tree relative of the popular Jackfruit. Yai means large or big.

Getting to the city and the area is no problem. There are buses, airline service, and obviously railroad service. Within Hat Yai there are plenty of mini buses, tuk-tuks, and motorcycle taxis.

Accommodations are relatively in expensive in Hat Yai as it is not a beach town or resort city. Food in Hat Yai is mostly Thai, but some of the shopping malls have restaurants that feature 'farang food' and there are a few 'farang food' restaurants. It is best to book a room via a travel agent. You will almost always get a better rate from a travel agent than booking directly through a hotel in Hat Yai.

Night life in Hat Yai includes a surprising number of bars for a small city, several of which include live music. A popular place to go is Oceana, and entertainment complex just outside of Hat Yai. There you will find a very nice open air restaurant and bar that covers two floors and is in a beautifully romantic landscaped setting, open until about 2:00am. There is a disco nearby and it seems to remain open until about 4:00am.

The Lee Garden Plaza features fast food restaurants including McDonald's, KFC, and Sizzler. There is also a modern multiplex cinema at Lee Garden.

There is not very much in the way of sightseeing in the Hat Yai vicinity, but the three most popular attractions are:

Wat Hat Yai Nai - Features a 35 meter long reclining Buddha, the third largest in the world.

Hat Yai Municipal Park - This park is quite popular among the Thais and includes an abundance of flowering plants and a very good aviary.

Ton Nga Chang Waterfall - Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Thailand. It is a 7-tiered waterfall, the most popular being the third level, known as the "Elephant Tusk" waterfall. Here the falls separate into two streams, resembling elephant tusks. You can easily hire transportation to and from the park for about 400 baht.

Many farang doing visa runs go to Hat Yai due to its close proximity to the Malaysian border. The run takes you to Dannok. From there you simply cross over the border on foot, take care of your visa renewal, and return, although there are plenty of motorcycle taxis to take you, if you wish, 20 baht each way. Mini vans are available to take you back to Hat Yai for about 60 baht, but they do not depart until they are full. The trip takes approximately 90 minutes.

To keep up with the latest info on this great city, go to http://thailandvisa.com

For all the information you need to know about Thailand Visa and Immigration issues and about living and working in Thailand, go to http://www.thailandvisa.com The Thailand Visa website is a free resource for expats living in Thailand and for travelers who want to visit the country. Michael A. Allen lives abroad and loves travel and adventure.

By Michael A. Allen

Cheap Flight, Then Train to Thailand

Here is an idea for travelers from Australia taking the train from Kuala Lumpur to Thailand. I used this travel plan and saved about $500 on my normal fare. You do need to be a little flexible with your travel dates, and be prepared for a little waiting at times.

My trip started in Adelaide. Having such a limited choice of carriers here encouraged me to do some PC work. OK, first I went to the Airasia site and looked up return flights from the Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur. I was looking at going around November time and the price was around $600 to $700 return. So I started checking day before and day after, you know how it works. Anyway to my amazement I found a return fare for $220, yes $220 return. First thing I did was hit the button, got out my stretched credit card and booked and paid for it. This was in July, so I thought plenty of time to recoup the money. My normal fare from Adelaide on Singapore Airways is around $1200 return, sometimes $1000.

Next thing was to book a return from Adelaide to Gold Coast. Being a little governed now by the Airasia flight, I managed to find a flight for $200 return on Jetstar. Ridiculous I know, Adelaide to Gold Coast = 2 hours = $200 and Gold Coast to KL = 8 hours = $220, takes a bit of understanding I know. Anyway, my flight to KL was leaving at 09.30 which meant I had to be in the Gold Coast the day before. As a traveler, I didn't mind having to sleep in the airport, I have done it before as I am sure many of you have.

What I did not realize was that the Gold Coast airport is NOT 24 hours, oop's hahaha. The backpackers just a mile down the road was full, so I found a bench just outside the main building and got a few hours sleep there.

The good thing was that the airport actually opens at 04.00, so it was not so bad. So to carry on with my journey, I then flew on to KL with no problems. Once on the ground I went straight through immigration and on to a waiting Airasia shuttle bus, which I had prepaid for to the KL Sentral Station.

I then booked a 2nd class sleeper which would take me to Hat Yai and all the way to Bangkok if I wanted. I was going to Hat Yai as I have a good friend there that I always visit on my trips. Cost of this train was $18. Which also served as a night's accommodation. So doing the figures, I got into Thailand for well under $500. Now that is a good deal from Adelaide of course.

Now the train journey was great as usual, takes about 12 to 14 hours to get to Hat Yai. About an hour and a half before getting to Hat Yai you will reach the border crossing. This is really easy to complete, the train stops at the border station and you all get off. Some travelers take their belongings some don't, but remember it is a border crossing and they may want to look through your cases or bags.

Anyway once all people are off the train it leaves the station to uncouple the Malaysian carriages which go back to KL and then the train comes back with just the Thailand carriages on it. Inside the station you will be directed where to go to sign out of Malaysia and then go to the next section to sign in to Thailand.

Make sure you check your visa before leaving the counter. TAKE NOTE that entering Thailand overland will only give you a 14 days visa, so if your planning to spend more time then you will need to do a visa run or pay a visit to the Thai Consulate.

I enjoyed traveling this way and will certainly do it again.

http://www.thailand-cheap.com

By James D Jones