The bowling alley that I grew up going to was dark and cheap and rank: dented lanes, wheezing ball machines, worn furniture, and the smell of warm beer and cigarettes. The alley was inhabited by my middle class neighbours: secretaries, builders, teachers blowing off steam, chain-smoking cougars on the prowl, college kids lured in by … read the full post

Little visited Ko Kut (also spelt Ko Kud and Ko Kood) sits a little to the southeast of the far better known Ko Chang. The island used to mainly only offer homestays for accommodation, or you could head there on an organised trip, but these days the scene is better developed. Choose from a range … read the full post

Headed off to Chiang Mai in Thailand’s north or the beaches down south (or to Penang, Kuala Lumpur, or Singapore)? Want to explore Isaan by motorbike or strike out east into Cambodia? Who’s your best friend for all these long sojourns? The train. Taking the train is how lots of Thais travel; you’ll notice that … read the full post

Although not far from the main tourist drags, Plai Laem just past Big Buddha is often devoid of tourists who seem oblivious to its existence and quaint charm. Slightly better known is Choeng Mon, which consists of a main beach as well as several intimate coves often only accessible via resorts, or dirt paths that … read the full post

As we all know some of the best Thai food can be found in markets and street stalls. In Chiang Mai, the night market at Prathu Chang Puak or Chang Puak Gate market, is one of the best food markets we know of in town. It’s located on the exterior side of the northern moat … read the full post

Stuck in an airport, even one that feels like outer space, can be a claustrophobic experience, verging on the traumatic. If you have some serious time to kill before you’re heading home, or you’re in Suvarnabhumi Airport on a layover, you can peruse through the duty-free section for “authentic” Thai souvenirs; just because you didn’t … read the full post

One of the most fabulous things about Bangkok (and Thailand for that matter) is the food — especially the street food. Not only is it delicious to eat, it’s also often fascinating just to look at. From bubbling green curry to lip-smacking sweets, there’s rarely a good reason not to be munching in Bangkok.

Cast relatively far out in the Andaman Sea, the tiny southwestern Thai island of Ko Lipe is geographically little more than a sliver of sand ringed by picturesque, coral-studded seas. Unlike similar islands of this size, however, Lipe has developed not into a typical resort island with lacklustre, overpriced food, but a true international enclave … read the full post

Look up Chiang Mai province in a guide or on a map and you’ll see the same Thai place names cropping up over and over again: Doi this, Mae that and so on. So what do they all mean? Some you may well have already guessed at but here goes with a few of the … read the full post

If you’ve spent much time on the internet over the past decade, chances are, at some stage, you will have sat though one of the “Dancing Matt” videos on Youtube. American Matt Harding put together a short video of himself and his distinctive dance in a number of countries around the world in 2003 and … read the full post