Thailand Travel- a personal view

First impressions of Thailand travel
My first impressions of arriving in Phuket Thailand are a bit hazy as I spent most of my time on Phi Phi Island. Still, I spent a fun night in Patong savouring the possibilities of real food after 4 weeks in the mountains of Nepal. I had been given some Thailand travel time by my then boss at Out There Trekking company, guiding a group of trekkers near the Annapurna's range.

After Nepal, Thailand struck me as a place well used to receiving westerners to it's shores and yet distinctively original. I could sense a proud people, sure of who they were and yet gracious in receiving people to their land. What also hit me like a sledge hammer were the smiles. The nick name of the land of smiles is no joke as you are greeted politely with a smile wherever you travel. The new hot surroundings and the smiling world around me was liberating so I felt free but there was more to come.

Thailand Travel-a Thai Smile

One of the reasons I love to travel is my love of new and interesting tastes in the food I eat. Having spent time in the Indian subcontinent and a year in Japan I was well used to being surprised by new food, but the sheer variety of dishes in Thailand just swept me away. Later on I tried to work it out. If you are in the tropics with many growing conditions, virtually every type of animal, vegetable, fruit and grain can grow.  Add to this the seas being full of every type of marine life and you have the recipe for some great food.  Thai people are nothing without their love of food so now I find it no surprise that the list of different food types is seemingly endless. When I first arrived I couldn't seem to find one day or meal where they same food was on offer. It was simply spectacular.

Thailand Travel-Phat Thai

Cheap Air Tickets to Thailand -Guest Blog

Cheap Air Tickets to Thailand

Thailand is one the most popular beach destinations in the global tourism industry because apart from the panoramic beaches to rejuvenate and abundance of water activities to enjoy it offers luxury at budget prices. Thick jungles, crystal blue waters, lip-smacking cuisine, exotic culture and cheap yet ultra-modern accommodation facilities attracts millions of tourists from across the world to relax, refresh and rejoice in this vivid land, Thailand. If you’re also looking forward for a budget friendly vacation in Thailand, the first thing is book cheap airline tickets at the earliest and rest assured that the whole trip would be suitable to your pocket.

Here are some tips to book cheap airline tickets to Thailand:

1) Plan your trip 30-60 days in advance: Except for July and August months (being monsoon season), there’s a lot of traffic to Thailand. The fewer the seats vacant, the higher the ticket cost is. Hence, waiting for last minute deals won’t be a great idea. Hence, waiting for last minute deals to Thailand is certainly not a good idea if you want to book cheap air tickets.

2) Travel on week days rather than weekends: Many people make their travelling plans on weekends taking care of their working schedule. This is the reason air fares tend to be higher on weekends.

3) Check for Early Morning or Late Night Flights: Early morning and late night flights are usually cheaper as not many people prefer to board flights during odd hours. If you are not travelling with kids, it would be a great idea to book these flights as there will be comparatively less number of passengers on board.

Thus, planning for departure on a weekday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, and coming back on early Saturday or Sunday morning may help you in getting air tickets for cheap. And by booking your tickets a month or two before departure may fetch you the cheapest fare for the same dates.

4) Subscribe CheapOair RSS: This will keep you update about special airline deals CheapOair has and about when the fares are going up and when are they going down.

To know more about airlines tickets or book your tickets online, visit CheapOair.com. CheapOair is an online travel company, an online travel company providing cheap air tickets, hotels, car rentals and vacation packages.

Author: Rachna, CheapOair Travel Blog

Thai food court

If you are a lover of Thai food in all it's guises then a trip down the local food court is one of Thailand's great foodie pleasures. Food courts are a name for an organized places to eat where the landlord will bring together a full and wide range of differing food types. These mini shops are owned by individuals who share their profit with the landlords and have 2-3 meters shop front to sell their specialities. As you go in you buy coupons and use them to buy your meals at the stalls. This ensures that the landlord controls the amount taken. The stall holder gets a percentage of the profit. You can return the coupons for cash at the end.

If you love curry you will love this!

Lining up for the coupons. This doesnt take long.

You might get a couple of curry stalls, a couple of noodle soup variations, Thai salads, chicken and rice, pork, rice specialities and Thai deserts and drinks. You might get Northern Thai food delicacies in the south and southern delicacies in the north so you might find it an excellent place to find food types you cant get in your hotel or resort. There are rarely less than 7 or 8 of these mini stalls in a food court but sometimes, like my favourite in Bangkok Airport, over 20.

Pahd Thai heaven.

I like going to the food courts as my Thai wife can eat something totally different to me and we are both happy. The food show cased is rarely available in restaurants at the same level of originality. I find menus catering to the westerner's tastes relatively mild in flavour and small in variation and so I appreciate this real deal. It is disappointing to me when hotel Thai food is so without any spice and too often lacks the intensity of preparation. The food courts are also fast and very good value.

Thai desserts

The food courts are packed at office meal times but as many people will snack these places are often busy throughout the day. Traditionally the meals are small because it is common to have
a couple of dishes rather than one large meal, European style. More often than not people will eat with friends rather than be alone as is the norm for most of Asia. This means the process of sharing food will allow you to try more than a couple of dishes. This is very Thai, very communal and very sociable.



Variety of food in Thailand often takes a traveller by surprise. The number and variation of ways of preparing rice or noodle, the number of soups types not to mention the variations of vegetable and fruits makes this experience truly memorable if it is your first time.

Fresh Mango with Khao Niaow rice and coconut sauce

Thai food courts are inexpensive, often street food brought into a collective environment to give the eating public a great variation in one location. Nearly all large public buildings seem to have them. They are an essential ingredient of the Shopping mall and can be found in their older format next to old markets.

Issan Food from the North

One of my favourites is at the salubrious Supercheap wholesale market on Thepkrassattri Rd Phuket. Here you can get meals with the freshest ingredients and the tastes that really jump out at you. The curry stall owners vie with each other on choice and variation each day creating over 20 different dishes just on each stall.

As it is linked to the wholesale market it brings in fresh produce and the meals are sold to those who know fresh and in that sense have high standards. It's not the cleanest of venues, it is open air without air con but the through put of food and the 600 degrees in which food is cooked ensures safe eating (well for me anyway).

A mix match plate from a curry stall

Another surprise food court I love is at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Click on the link to see a video. You have to dig through the airport map to find it as it is there for the workers at the airport and anybody wanting the original local tastes of Thailand. (The food court is near the MRT, the modern rail link, entrance).

One final gem. Seafood which is so hard to find in many parts of Europe can be found at many food courts especially if you are near the sea. As well as having a stunning variation it comes at fantastic value. This is worth checking out.

Bar BQ squid .... wow

If you are staying in a Hotel or resort or seviced apartment you will not find food like this around the premises. If this kind of food exploration excites you then take a walk or get down to the nearest shopping Mall and head for the top floor.

More links to articles on Thai Food
Dining on Phi Phi Island
Recommended Trendy Restaurants in Phuket
Thai cooking classes
Restaurants in Haad Rin
Bangkok restaurants
Recommended Restaurants in Pattaya

RussellAbroad; The latest Thailand Blog...enjoy

Maya Bay Phi Phi Island

RussellAbroad

I have lived in Thailand on and off for 20 years and have been involved with the Travel industry nearly all that time. I have had houses in Phuket and Phi Phi Island (on the Indian Ocean) and have travelled widely around Thailand.

Arriving as a traveller myself in the southern islands, hopping between resort and bungalow, I remember the incredible emotion of Thailand. That happy state where you cant believe your luck.... everybody was smiling and polite, the weather was simply gorgeous and the food was to die for. As I run my travel business hotelatm.com I continually try to remind myself that this is what makes Thailand special. It's a unique travel destination, a place where you can be excited, intrigued, enthralled, or if you just need some down town, a place where you can kick your shoes off, relax and let the day take your worries away on the wind.

It is with this in mind, I come to write this blog. I hope some people might be interested in this view of Thailand, a place where everything seems possible for those on a well earned break.


Two other aspects will be key to these missives, local news and hotel stays.

Thai News

Bangkok Skytrain

Not all of Thailand can be seen through the rose coloured spectacles of holiday life, as, underneath the charm of the fine resorts and hotels, runs another life, something more dynamic and rich. Thailand is a democratic monarchy whose king is greatly revered. Thai society is a traditional Asian one with great elegance, structure and not without it's foibles. In this Thai Blog I will endeavour to comment on the interesting aspects that make travelling in Thailand such a rewarding experience. From local news to national events, Thai life often plays out in ways not expected by those from outside the Kingdom.

Thailand is not without it's problems, but when you dig deep enough, which country can't put it's hand up and say, so has ours? However, what has always struck me over all these years, is the way Thai people push through to a solution. Very rarely confrontational unless provoked, the Thai way is for consensus and harmony. This doesn't mean a perfectly ordered solution, and often by western standards, the solution might not be considered fair, but society does get through a lot of life with a smile on it's face and a desire to get on.

Hotels, Resorts, Guesthouses and Hostels in Thailand

The beach scene at Zeavola Phi Phi Island

I will also point readers to some of the best hotels and resorts in Thailand. Thailand has a huge number of places to stay which vary wildly in quality and value, from 5 star international chain hotels to wooden tree houses, from elegant locally run hotels with character to perfect beach villas. Sometimes it is just good sense to pick up some tips from people who have been round the Thai tourist Industry.

The key tourist destinations of Thailand are Bangkok, Chiang Mai Pattaya, Hua Hin, Phuket, Phi Phi, Samui and Koh Phangan. The perifery tourist destinations of Krabi, Khao Lak, Phang Nga and Koh Tao will also recieve mention.

When I first arrived I was a backpacking traveller and came down after a stint in the Himalaya and so got to learn how to survive on a budget as my other blog Cheap Hotel or Guesthouse on Phi Phi Island testifies.

Since then I have travelled around Thailand and done countless site inspections of Hotels and Resorts. This has given me a broad view of Thai accommodation and allows me some knowledge in calling quality and value.In the RussellAbroad Blog I will take time to describe Resorts Hotels, Guesthouses and Hostels that come under the heading of good value as it is great to arrive at a holiday destination knowing you have got a great deal.



So, if you have a little time, or are happy to dip in every now and again, please see what's going on in the land of the RussellAbroad Blog.










Also, if you like what you see ..... tell a friend about this page.



Phil Russell

Wat Chalong Phuket