Nov
06
2011
Some of our other regional Travelfish.org blogs have been busy of late giving you the rundown on popular and prevalent scams in their respective patches (such as here and here) so we thought we’d do the same for Chiang Mai… the only problem is we can’t find any! Many scams in other cities involve transport … read the full post
Nov
05
2011
For the past few weeks, floodwater has been rushing towards Thailand’s capital (and today it continues to do so). Tales — and rumours — have spread of what this means for animals, such as the poisonous green mamba snakes rumoured to be swimming around and fully-grown snappy crocodiles on the loose wanted back alive by … read the full post
Nov
05
2011
Seeing the sights around Ko Samui powered by only the wind in your boat’s sails, rather than a noisy engine, can be truly rewarding. Sure, a speedboat can get you around much more quickly, but this lacks the romance and adventure of sailing in the breeze and savouring the view along the way. Samui’s weather … read the full post
Nov
04
2011
The slowest of all disasters, the flooding in Bangkok continues to creep its way southward, muscling its way into what constitutes central Bangkok. The spring tides (cyclical tides that are higher than normal) have abated for the time being; in many communities along the Chao Phraya River the cycle of inundation followed by drainage has … read the full post
Nov
02
2011
After looking at the background to the Kayan or “Long Neck Karen”, we’ll now deal with the question of “Should you visit the Kayan or “Long Neck Karen” by looking at some of the specific pros and cons, and arguments for and against visiting the villages where these people live. For us, one of the … read the full post
Nov
01
2011
With fingers and toes crossed, it looks like Bangkok may have dodged the worst of the floods. Yes, upcountry has been hammered in order to save Bangkok, many lives have sadly been lost, and we imagine or at least hope for significant debate on the approach taken by and priorities of the Thai government. But … read the full post
Oct
30
2011
So far, Bangkok’s central business district has fared well compared to the outskirts of the capital and many other provinces suffering the floods that have swept through the kingdom over the past few months. Limited tidal flooding has occurred along the Chao Phraya river and a few of the canals that crisscross the city, while … read the full post
Oct
29
2011
As the tide swells and Bangkok empties of noodles, condoms, and now people, tourists have been advised to plan around the floods. The US Embassy issued a travel alert on Thursday, while the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has now advised against all but essential travel to Bangkok (see our thoughts on that here). … read the full post
Oct
28
2011
There’s plenty of travel advice to Thailand floating around in light of the current flooding. Here we’re not going to offer any new tips, but rather attempt to put some of the existing information into perspective. We’re somewhat put out, though hardly surprised, by some of the Western media’s rather sensational coverage and here’s an … read the full post
Oct
27
2011
The situation in and around Bangkok has deteriorated further with Friday night and Saturday morning suggested as the latest “mega-flood” days. At the same time The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has now advised “against all but essential travel to the city of Bangkok and the 26 provinces in Thailand affected by flooding.” So … read the full post