Having snacked, supped and cappuccino-ed your way along the Tha Pae side of town you’ll probably be ready to hit the much quieter southside of Chiang Mai’s old city. Well, okay, it’s true you’ve got to ignore the four lanes of traffic, but the roadside action is much less in what’s more of a low-key … read the full post

Magnolia Cafe in Ko Samui’s northern Chaweng is a European-style coffee shop with comfy chairs, couches, newspapers and subdued lighting. Other than Starbucks, there are few establishments on Samui with a real coffee-shop type atmosphere, but this place has that lounge about, read the paper, catch up on gossip with friends feel about it. Entering … read the full post

Within a city bursting with history and doused with malls, culture comes in many forms. In a Terminal 21 shopping line, in Wat Pho on the river, around the ring of a muay Thai boxing fight. This weekend, I sought out another shade of Bangkok’s cultural mishmash, along the busy streets of the financial district Silom. … read the full post

If you include all the stands slinging coffee streetside, there have to be a million coffee shops in Bangkok. Being the coffee enthusiast (read: addict) that I am, I’ve probably tried half of them. Most sell a standard mix of decent Thai coffee, overly sweet lattes, milky chah yen (Thai iced-tea), a few juices and … read the full post

In this modern age of factories and mass production, increasingly few artisans carry on the traditional ways of a craft. Like the flute makers of Baan Lao and alms bowl producers of Baan Bat, however, Jiam Sangsajja bronze studio in the tiny bronze-smith village of Baan Bu in Thonburi defies the odds by keeping its … read the full post

Chiang Mai railway station serves around a million passengers a year, making it one of the busiest stations in Thailand. The station building itself was first opened in 1922 when Thailand’s northern line was completed with help from German engineers, though the current construction dates from 1948, since the original was destroyed by Allied bombing … read the full post

A new Ko Samui hotel with a name that’s a mouthful opened at the beginning of June 2012. Boutique the Green Bay View Hotel is located on the top floor of a two-storey shopping complex, at the junction to the airport from Bang Rak. The building was originally designed as shops downstairs and offices above, … read the full post

One of the most interesting ways to get around Bangkok, and especially useful for those staying at one of the hotels or guesthouses along the Chao Phraya River on Khao San Road, in Banglamphu, Chinatown, or Thonburi, is the Chao Phraya river boat system. Blessedly free from the traffic that wracks the rest of the … read the full post

Some of the best-value resorts on Ko Samui are great in most departments, but lacking a swimming pool. Should they be located on a beach, this may not be a problem, but sometimes a splash in a pool, decked with sun loungers and an attentive barman on call, is just what the day needs. Don’t … read the full post

Chiang Dao is a small provincial town located in the Ping Valley about an hour’s bus ride north of the capital Chiang Mai itself. Chiang Dao is the name of the town as well as the district, the nearby national park, the mountain that towers over the town (one of the highest in the country), … read the full post