Recent Features
I've been with the British Council in Thailand since September 2005, so you can expect all the latest articles to be based around the region. More go up every month.
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Nan and the remote north (updated Oct 06)
For centuries, little known Nan was an isolated kingdom with few ties to the outside world. In more recent times a hideaway for bandits and communist insurgents. Now with improved road links and hotels it is set to benefit(?) from Thailand's tourist surge. At the moment however, it is still an untouristed and wonderfully picturesque and quiet corner of Thailand. There are plenty of sights, both natural (majestic mountains and rural scenery) and man-made (some beautiful and unique wats) and so perfect for a week's getaway. And that is exactly what we did...
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Bangkok 'burbs (updated Sep 06)
Around the outskirts of Bangkok there are many interesting nooks and crannies to explore. This page has some of those places. The first is Chatuchak Market, one of the biggest in Asia with a huge collection of tiny stalls selling everything under the sun from kitchen utensils to second hand books to pets, clothes and furniture. The second is Ko Kred, famous as a rural retreat within Bangkok and also for its ancient art of pottery making. Both are accompanied by short videos.
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Bangkok Wanderings (updated Aug 06)
OK, so I've been in Bangkok since September 2005 and it's taken me a year to put up some photos of Bangkok. However, if you've seen the other pages you'll know I've been busy. Anyway here they are. Hopefully not as boring as the usual tourist shots. And as I've just had another butchers down Chinatown and taken an evening riverboat trip I hope to update this page again before the week is out.
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Kanchanaburi (updated July 06)
Famous as the setting of the original Bridge over the River Kwai, Kanchanaburi has so much more to offer if you explore the surrounding countryside. There are ancient Khmer ruins, magnificant National parks, the opportunity to stay on a raft deep in the thai jungle and perhaps the chance to stumble across a traditional Thai wedding procession. We discovered all of this on a trip in May 2006....
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On the road to Angkor (updated jun 06)
Far away from the tourist hordes in a quiet corner of Thailand near the Cambodian border lie some magnificent Khmer ruins. The most famous, Phimai, is not necessarily the best. I found the hilltop palace of Phanom Rung to be far more impressive, followed closely by the less visited Prasat Meuang Tam. Both over 1000 years old and only recently restored to their former glory. We found an attractive guesthouse, hired a motorbike and went off to explore...
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Seadragon divetrip (updated May 06)
The Similan and Surin Islands in the Andaman sea are rightly known as home to some of the top divespots in Asia. Crystal clear waters and the chance of seeing whale sharks, manta rays, schools of barracuda and a myriad of reef fish was too much to miss.
Seadragon Dive Center in Khao Lac offer excellent liveaboard trips there and these pages show some great photos from above and below the waves of a very memorable holiday in April 2006. -
Weekend in Ayuthaya (updated May 06)
An hour but also a thousand years away from the bustle and grime of Bangkok, can be found this marvelous world heritage site. Although possible to explore them in a daytrip from Bangkok, it's much better to stay overnight, to soak up the atmosphere, not just of the ruins but also perhaps to have a quiet evening dinner on the banks of the Chao Phraya river which surrounds them. -
The ruins themselves are a little spread apart, but are all set in tranquil gardens just far enough away from the modern town which has built up to one side of them. Of course if you can't go yourself, just follow the links here for an armchair journey.
