By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.net

THAILAND is known for its beautiful beaches like Phuket and Ko Samui. Most tourists tend to stay near the country’s fine shores instead of the countryside. In comparison, there are wonderful places in Thailand not often seen by visitors but are worthy of praise as the country’s beaches. Seven hundred kilometers north of Bangkok is a land-locked city known as Chiang Mai. After visiting a couple of Thailand’s beaches in the past, I got the chance to go to Chiang Mai recently. It takes about one hour by plane to reach the city or about a day’s travel by bus. Lucky for me, I took the shorter and more comfortable way.

My trip to Chiang Mai was part of an IT conference organized by IBM. I stayed at the wonderful Chiang Mai Shangri-La Hotel where most of IBM’s partners and clients also stayed. The walk around the hotel alone was superb. The entire structure had been designed with historic Northern Thailand architecture in mind but with many modern touches. The path leading to the main entrance had four elephant sculptures that welcomed visitors. The façade had three tiered gazebos with wood shingles and designed to look like traditional temples. [Read the rest of this entry »]

In places that you visit, there are things that you remember. And there are things you discover when you come back.

I have been to Khao San Road at least three times, but this is my first time to have actually stayed there. I first knew about it after watching “The Beach” movie, where a character played by Leonardo DiCaprio travels to Thailand and eventually discovers a yet unexplored beach. He stays in a rickety hostel in Khao San. I’m guessing it’s Khao San Palace, which I discovered early on, carries quite a negative reputation. I almost ended up there when I arrived without a booking.

Khao San is widely-renowned as a backpackers’ haven, and I’m pretty sure I was the only Filipino staying there during that time. That it attracts backpackers is not so surprising. From here, you can hop on a bus to Kho Samui, Kho Pangan, Kho Tao, and all these islands South of Thailand (also Kho Phi Phi, where I remember The Beach was filmed). I thought you can only go there by plane. In a way, that makes me feel glad to know it’s more affordable to go there. I hope I can someday.

And then there are things I remember about Khao San that never changed since the last time I was there. The scene is still jumpy, rowdy, and very much alive and almost feels like the strip is a world of its own, while the rest of Bangkok is quiet in slumber. The pad thai was still terrific, and at 25 baht (40 baht if you add chicken), it still is a lot better than anything I’ve ever had in Manila.

Eventually, I spent my last few bahts on another round, this time with spring rolls (hey, it’s my last night so let me splurge and pig out) and a tall Heineken, bought from 7-11. Yes, you can buy beer from there if you want to go cheap. Just don’t bring it inside a restaurant or bar. But don’t worry, you can go sit on the sidewalk and drink like the rest. You, and a hundred more souls from all over the world, are all part of this magical place.

And one more tip: If you should be getting a Thai massage (which undoubtedly is in a Bangkok first-timer’s checklist), try not getting one at night, unless it’s fine for you to have your muscles kneaded to the tune of Axl Rose’s Sweet Child of Mine.

By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

ARRIVING in Bangkok past midnight without a hotel booking, I took my chances on Khao San Road tagging along with two French women I met at the airport. I figured it was a lot easier to find a place to stay there. Turns out I had to cherry pick hotels in the wee hours of the morning.

Khao San greeted me with its bright lights, thumping music (Blur’s “Girls Against Boys” mixed with this shalala-la ditty), streetwalkers and all the revelry — exactly like that scene in ”The Beach” as I remember it.

After scouring through every available signboard I laid my eyes on, I spotted one leading to an alley — Sawasdee Bangkok Inn, the familiar purple giving me some sort of comfort after flying Thai Airways thrice in the last two days.

Patience is indeed a virtue, it was the most decent-looking room I found — the rest were either too big or too ratty, depending on your tolerance. D&D Inn (where the two French women were staying — WITH RESERVATION) looked really nice but it was full, apparently a traveler’s favorite. Stay away from Khao San Palace, shitty rooms. O

My room was cozy enough in size, the TV small but an essential antidote to loneliness. Hot shower, check. With breakfast, check. 1,375 baht for a three-day promo, not bad.

Nevermind the not-so-picturesque window view, the al-fresco restaurant downstairs makes up for it. A Continental breakfast and watching the NBA Finals on their big screen TV while I was writing this was a huge plus — and they have wifi.

HERE’S interesting news from Bangkok.

The latest fashion craze? The fishskin bikini, made from the skin of the tilapia fish.

Check out this Reuters video.

Hmm, how about our designers, what are they doing with our tilapia?