One of the most infamous streets in the world, Walking Street Pattaya is known for it’s bright neon lights, loud music, go-go bars, beer bars, discos, restaurants, and of course girls.

Walking Street closes down to traffic at 6pm and becomes the center of Pattaya Thailand’s nightlife.  For the first time visitor the sights and sounds of 1000 meters of debauchery can be overwhelming.  There are go-go bars and beer bars lining the street, with a bevy of beautiful Thai girls outside trying their best to get you to come in and have a drink or two.

In addition to the beer bars and gogo’s, there are a number of great restaurants, souvenir and t-shirt shops, and entertainers putting on street performances.  There are girls and ladyboy’s packed into every bar and many freelancers working the street.  The number of freelancer’s increases as the night gets later and bars around other parts of Pattaya shut down.

If you are looking to shoot a game of pool and not be hassled by the girls, there are a few bars that cater to this as well.  Up for a little live music?  You can check out the Blues Factory Pattaya.  A live band plays blues and R&B music.  If your fortune enough to go when Lam Morrison is playing, it is a must see.  He is hands down the best and most well known guitar player in Thailand.

There are a number of well known discos and nightclubs that keep the party going until the wee hours of the morning.  Lucifer’s, Marine, and Insomnia are three of the most popular.  These Walking Street Discos usually have a small cover charge to get in, and the later it gets, the bigger the crowd.

In addition to the Main drag of Walking Street, there are also several smaller Soi’s that jut off the side.  Here you will find many more bars, go-go’s, and restaurants.  Soi Diamond being the most well known entertainment street.

Walking Street is the crown jewel of Pattaya nightlife.  It is well known for its crazy and wild night time entertainment, and rightfully so.

Soi 6 is Pattaya’s daytime Walking Street.  It’s been refered to as sexy, seedy, and sinful.  All could be an accurate description.  Soi 6 is Pattaya Thailand’s daytime center for crazy fun and debauchery, a walk down here is not for the meek and mild mannered.

Soi 6 is a street filled with short time bars and go-go’s that starts operating in the early afternoon and goes on till late.  However it is best know as a place for daytime fun.

The bars and staff are known to be a little bit rougher than their Walking Street counter parts.  A lot of the bars are small and somewhat run down, but that is part of it’s attraction to the regular Pattaya travelers.

On your first walk down Soi 6, you will see dozens of Thai girls sitting outside the front of their bars.  Cat calling to the passing men as only they can do.  “Hello Hansum Man..”  Some will come out to meet you in the street and pull you into their bars.  If your not interested just tell them no thanks and walk on to the next gauntlet of beautiful Thai girls trying to get your attention.

You’ll also find several ladyboy bars and go-go’s on Soi 6.  However most of the bars are strictly girls.  There are too many individual bars to list, but in a future update we’ll put up a map with all the bars on Soi 6.

Soi 6 Pattaya is not for everyone.  But if your in the mood for some daytime debauchery with some of your friends, than it maybe just what you are looking for.

Before heading off on your trip to Pattaya, or your destination of choice in Thailand, you can pick up some useful Thai phrases to use on your journey.  You can pick up a few key phrases and build your vocabulary from there.

Learning the language will help ingratiate you to the locals and may even surprise them while bringing a smile to their face.  It is a nice way to show that you are not just like every other farang and have taken an interest in their culture.  Below you’ll find the first lesson in Thai for Beginners.

Greetings:

Hello – sa-wat-dii khrap

How are you? – sa-baai-dii mai

I’m fine – sa-baai-dii

Thanks – khawp-khun khrap

Sorry – khaw-thot khrap

yes – chaino – mai chai

good morning – a-run-sa-wat

good afternoon – sa-wat-dii tawn-thiang

good evening – sa-wat-dii tawn-yen

good night – raa-trii sa-wat

no problem – mai-pen-rai

my name is – phom-chue

what is your name – khun chue a-rai

nice to meet you – yin-dii thii daai ru-jak

good – dii

that’s great – yiam maak

Eating / Food:

I am hungry – phom hiw

are you hungry? – khun hiw mai

I am thirsty – chan hiw-naam

Are you thirsty? – khun hiew-naam mai

let’s have breakfast – thaan aa-haan-chao kan

let’s have lunch – thaan aa-haan-thiang kan

let’s have dinner – thaan aa-haan-yen kan

What do you want to eat? – khun yaak thaan a-rai

Is this one spicy? – an-nii phet mai

Can you make it not too spicy – chuay tham-hai mai phet maak duay

Our next installment of things to do in Pattaya is the Sanctuary of Truth.  Pattaya has a number of fun things to do that don’t get a lot of attention.  This is another great way to spend a couple hours during the day, and an excellent opportunity to take some great photos.  The castle is within the city limits and close to most hotels.  The Sanctuary of Truth is entirely had crafted out of wood and has been under construction for the past 20 years.  According to the guide, it is estimated that it will take another twenty years before it will be completed.  The intricate wood carvings hold both spiritual and philosophical meanings.

Getting to the Sanctuary of Truth

Located within the Pattaya city limits, in the Naklua area, it is a short trip from most Pattaya hotels.  You can book a tour through most travel desks, but this really isn’t necessary.  You can hire a baht bus (Songtaew) to take you and your friends there.  The cost will depend on how many people you have and how good your negotiation skills are.  I recommend that you also talk to the driver upon your arrival to get his phone number to get him to pick you up.  Most drivers will stick around and wait for you, knowing the baht they will get for the personal hire will be more than they will make doing circles around second road.  If you choose to send your driver on his way, be aware you may be waiting for a while to see another baht bus show up if it is a slow day.  You may have to hoof it to the main road in order to catch a ride home.

History of the Sanctuary of Truth

There is way too much information and philosophy related to the Sanctuary for me to summarize it here, but I will try to provide a brief overview.  The Sanctuary of Truth was conceived by a successful business man and billionaire name Khun Lek.  It is a fine example of traditional Thai architecture, and elaborately inlaid with hand crafted wood sculptures.  It has a blend of influences from the major religions found in Thailand, Buddhism, Hindu, Khmer, Chinese, and of course Thai.

There is work constantly going on at any time, with upwards of 200 woodcrafter’s working at any one time.  Being entirely hand crafted is part of the reason it is going to be a 40 year process to completion.  Each of the four wings represent a different philosophical aspect, elemental and religious.  The building site is continuously under construction, so hard hats are required

The Tourist Attractions

The Sanctuary of Truth Pattaya is one of the great places to take photos on your trip.  It overlooks the ocean from a rocky hilltop, and the vast amount of sculptures and architecture can keep you busy for hours if you let it.  There is also a dolphin show in the lagoon a couple times a day.  If you wish to see this arrive at the right time.  There is also an elephant feeding area.  You can buy some bananas for a small fee, and feed the baby elephants that are on site.  I saw two at the time I was there.  This is a great photo opportunity, and the elephants may get a little frisky, which can give you some funny photos.  There are also ATV rides available, but if it is rainy season be prepared to get muddy.

The entrance fee was 500 Baht at the time of writing.  This is quite a reasonable price since you get a personal tour guide, and the groups are quite small.  Their English language skills are quite good and they are very knowledgeable about the Sanctuary.

This is a fine day trip and a good photo outing for those who are looking for a little more than nightlife on their holiday.  Take a trip to the Sanctuary of Truth in Pattaya Thailand and enjoy!

When most people think of a holiday to Hua Hin Thailand, they immediately think of a nice relaxing time at a beach resort.  While this is a great way to spend your vacation, there are some other interesting ways to spend your time, soaking up the sun.   If your looking for a little something different to do on your Thailand holiday, why not spend a few days touring the vineyards and getting in a few rounds of golf.  Your friends will be surprised to hear about you Hua Hin Wine tasting excursion, some will even be jealous.

Thailand is known to have some great golf locations, and Hua Hin is definitely one of those places.  You could play at a different golf course everyday of the week and still have plenty of excellent options left.  But I don’t know of anyone who thinks, “why don’t we go to the vineyards in Hua Hin?’  But surprisingly, Thailand’s largest wine maker, Siam Winery established a vineyard there in 2007.  Siam Winery is the maker of Monsoon Valley wine and Spy wine coolers. So enjoy the wonderful Hua Hin Weather on these fun side trips.

The Hua Hin Hills Vineyard

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard is located about 40 miles outside of Hua Hin.  According to their website, the vineyard tour is offered in a “wine & snack” or “3 course meal” package, and you can book with or without transportation from your hotel in Hua Hin.  It includes a presentation from the company, fresh grape juice tasting, snacks, a refreshing towel, a tour of the vineyard on the back of an elephant (can’t do that in Napa or Bordeaux) and of course a tasting of their Monsoon Valley wines. These wines are uniquely crafted to go well with the culinary delights of Thai food.  Hua Hin wine is a lot better than you would expect.

An interesting fact about the vineyard, it was developed on the grounds of a former elephant corral and training center.  This is where wild Asian elephants were brought to be tamed and trained.  Hua Hin Hills also puts on a jazz festival ‘Jazz in the Vinyard’ in the early part of the year.  Another reason to make a visit. It is the first, and as far as I know, only wine vineyard in Hua Hin.  Why not take a day and go ahead and tour the vineyard on the back of an Elephant,  it will be an experience to remember.

Hua Hin Golf Experience

For another fun outing, why not go out and play a round of golf at one of the many great courses located in and around Hua Hin.  For about $65 US, you can get transfer from your hotel to the course and a round of golf with a caddy – you don’t see that much anymore.

You can play at Thailands first golf course Royal Hua Hin Golf Course.  Designed by a Scottish Railway engineer, the course opened it’s doors for play in 1924.  It’s known for it’s tree lined fairways, jungle surroundings, and views of the Gulf of Thailand.  This one is a must for a golfer’s first visit.

Some other notable courses are Springfield Royal Country Club – designed by Jack Nicholas, Sawang Resort Golf Club, Palm Hills Golf Resort, and Majestic Creek Country Club.  There are several brand new golf courses in Hua Hin, the Black Mountain Golf Club and the Banyan Club Hua Hin.  As I mentioned before there are plenty of world class course in the area, and that list is not all inclusive.  And the value you get for your money is hard to beat.

If you are a die hard golfer there are also many tour companies that specialize in golf only tour packages to Hua Hin.  They will set you up at a hotel or resort, and arrange tee times for you at several of the top resorts in the area.

So if you are tired of sitting on the beach and want to try something different for a couple days.  Look into taking into sampling some Hua Hin wine and play a few rounds of golf in wonderful Hua Hin Thailand.  It’s definitly a Thailand Essential!

We’ll I’ll be headed back for another Thailand Holiday in less than two weeks.  I always find myself going back to the same few places, which is really a shame because there are so many unique places to visit and things to see.  Yet I return to places like Phuket, Ko Samui, and Hua Hin, because I’ve had such a great time there, and I always try and work in at least a few new sites to see.  I enjoy the beach and SCUBA diving, however I can only take so much.  I really enjoy the thousands of years of history and architecture that Thailand has to offer.

This time around I will be going to stay in Bangkok for two days before heading off to the beach.  I really enjoy the city, it has all the hustle, bustle, and flair of a major city, with plenty of Wat’s and Historic Buildings to occupy my time.  I’ll catch a flight out of Bangkok Airport and arrive in Phuket for about seven days.  It is the rainy season, which may put a damper on some of my beach plans, but I’m not worried.  Phuket weather can change on a dime, one minute it is sunny, the next it opens up and pours rain for an hour or two.  But it is rare that you will have to wait out an entire day for the sky’s to clear in your hotel room (or bar, traveler’s choice).

But as I head out on my next vacation, I can’t help but think about where I should visit next in Thailand.  On the flight home from my first trip, I met a couple who had spent ten days in Chiang mai, touring the many temples and visiting with a hill tribe.  Their stories have stayed with me, and I think it is finally time I make a trip up north.  As I’m a planner by nature, but still like to do things on the go, I’m sure I’ll be digging up all the information I can get on Chiang mai Thailand so that I can really put together an excellent trip.  I like to have a pretty good itinerary outlined before my wheels lift from the tarmac.  However, spontaneity makes for more of an adventure.

I don’t know what it is about that country that made me fall in love with it, but I am.  It has the history and beauty, friendly people, great food, and modern amenities.  The cost of a trip is relatively inexpensive compared to traveling in the first world, and I do like to get a bang for my buck.  It is also a location where English is spoken quite fluently and knowing only a few Thai phrases help get you buy in a pinch.  But above all else it is the adventure and experience of exploring a foreign country that really gets me excited.  Who knows, if I had visited somewhere else in Asia first, I might be always thinking of returning there, time and again.

For now I will just have to heed the siren call for my next Thailand Holiday.  Further adventures still await me there.  Where the next place the travel bug will bite me I can not foresee, but I look forward to what journey it might bring.  Till then, I’ll be returning to a country that is starting to feel like a second home.

Hua Hin Weather

As with most of the Gulf Coast, the weather in Hua Hin is quite nice all year long, however they due have seasonal changes.  The best time to go is the dry season, January through the end of June.  After that, the monsoon season is quite wet.  October can be the rainiest of months.  Hua Hin weather does tend to be drier during the rainy season compared to Koh Samui and Phuket.  The average temperature throughout the year is between 75-85 Fahrenheit.  Quite pleasant year round.

Don’t fear the rainy season.  The sky’s may open up, and pour the rain down for an hour or two.  But it is a rarity that you see week long deluges of rain like you will find in some places.  The monsoons do tend to bring in some cloudy days though.  So if your plan is to lie on the beach at your Hua Hin hotel and soak up the sun, you might want to stick to the dry season.  If you are a golfer, I think it is easy to say the dry season is the best time to come.

If your are looking for the ideal months to book your stay at on of the Hua Hin Resorts, it would probably be November through February.  They are dry months with lots of Sun, just not as powerful as you would find during the summer.

What to Wear

Shorts, sandals, and light clothing will make you very happy.  If you are off to visit temples rember to dress respectfully and appropriately.  Long Pants, no sandals, halter tops, tank tops, or similar dress.  An evening out is beach dress casual.  Shorts, or light long pants with a dress short sleeve shirt is good.  This is a beach resort area, so you will see others dressed in simply a t-shirt and shorts.

Although this is a warm destination.  Allways be prepared with a light jacket or some warmer clothing that you can stack on in layers.  You main also want to pack some rain gear, just in case.  It is always better to be safe than sorry.  You don’t want to find your self kept in your hotel room should the weather make a sudden change.

If you are looking for a pleasent, laid back beach vacation.  The Hua Hin Weather will not let you down.  Definitely one of the prime locations in Thailand.

Make Hua Hin A Travel Destination On Your Next Trip

The beaches of Hua Hin have been a popular retreat for the Thai people since 1926.  King Rama the VI had a seaside palace constructed there, next to what was at the time just a small fishing village.  It quickly became a popular beach destination for the Thai People.  It has quickly become a destination of both domestic and international tourists.  If you are looking for a beach get away why not put this beach resort on your itinerary.  Hua Hin travel is relaxing, fun, and very enjoyable.

HuaHin is a short trip from Bangkok, 105 miles, or 17okm if your not from the States.  What was once a small fishing village has truly turned into a resort mecca.  Hotel companies from Marriott to Sofitel have invaded the area and put up mega hotels.  Gone are the feelings of a small fishing village, in it’s place has grown a resort town.  But it still has it’s own charm.  With a lot of foreign influence has also come a large amount of cafes and restaurants with that certain flair.

The Hua Hin Beach resort does not have the flashy sleaze factor of places like Pattaya.  The Beer Bars and crazy night life can be found, but it is more subdued than their sister cities on the other side of the Gulf.  They are better know for their fantastic white sand beaches, and they are still relatively uncrowded compared to Phuket.  It is a relaxing place to spend a weekend or a week.  And the Hua Hin Weather will not disappoint you either.

You can vistit on a budget, or a full on luxury vacation.  Hua Hin resorts range from the modest to five star.   There is something for every price level.  With the exchange rates, Thailand is a reasonable place to visit, and you can usually get a much nicer hotel for the same price that you would pay in your home country.

The white sand beachs have the expected Thailand style with thatched beach umbrellas, lounge chairs, beach bars that will bring beer, crab, sandwiches, right to your chair.  The beach is very scenic with that South Pacific feel, and the surf is pleasant for swimming – the currents are fairly calm.

Hua Hin has a truly laid back feel, with a town that has all the trinket shops and tailors you could need.  It is more of a family resort that a party hard island like Phuket, Pattaya, of Ko Pha-Ngan.  You should definitely put Hua Hin Travel on your itinerary.

We here at Thailand Essentials believe it is very important to have a well thought out plan before you head off on your adventure.  We will cover the most important aspects of what you need to know, and do in this article.  Traveling halfway around the world to a foreign land is exhilarating, but also a little scary if you are a new traveler.  If you are traveling solo, then I expect you may have an even larger sense of anxiety.

Do not worry!  Let the excitement take hold, but don’t let let yourself get over anxious about it.  Yes, it maybe a new experience for you, but you are not even close to the first person to make this trip.  Quite the opposite, there are thousands of backpackers and tourists that flock to Thailand every year in order visit thousands of years of history, and world class beaches.

Things to know

• English is commonly spoken in Thailand.  Signs are posted in Thai and English
• The people are very friendly, some of the friendliest in my travels
• It is NOT a third world country.  I’m always surprised at the number of Americans who think anyone outside of the US and Western Europe live in mud huts.  Bangkok is a hustling, bustling, modern city.  And for those shoppers out there, they have top-of-the-line shopping malls.
• The prices are great – much better than taking a vacation to Florida.  But don’t set false expectations for yourself that things are cheap.  Even thought you can get an amazing Hotel in the off season for $45 a night, and you can eat a huge fresh seafood meal for $8, and you can take a taxi around town for $2….wait a second, where was I going with this point?

So you’ve got the basics under your belt.  You’re excited but not scared.  What to do next?  Let’s start the Pre-Trip Planning

Thailand is a big country, and you are not going to see it all in a week or three.  You need to ask yourself what type of vacation are you looking to have?  If it’s a first trip, I recommend spending two to three days touring Bangkok and visiting all the historic palaces and temples, as well as the shopping malls.  When you’ve had enough of the big city head on down to one of the fantastic islands to sit on the beach, get some sun, and catch a buzz off a couple of Chang beers.

If this is your first trip and you only have seven to ten days, stick to one of the more popular tourist destinations like Ko Samui or Phuket.  Both of these destinations have white sand, tropical beaches, and blue oceans.  There are many actives for you to engage in, including SCUBA diving, para-sailing, golf, kayaking, and Elephant rides….just to name a few.   You can spend a lazy day at the beach, or saddle up for an adventure in the mountains and jungles.

If you are interested in having some active night life, both islands have plenty of bars and discos where you can dance the night away.  If you are in the mood for a more subdued holiday, then you can book yourself in a hotel on a more tranquil beach.  If you want to party you can always take a tuk-tuk (taxi) into town to get your fix.

So you’ve got a few good ideas on locations, now it is time to start researching hotels and airfare.  I’ll cover both of these topics in more detail in their own posts.  But for starters hit the major travel sites they will give you a good idea of what fares will cost.  I have a few other avenues to approach for cheap airfare to Bangkok and finding a reasonable hotel room, close to the beach.  But I do have to save something to write about later…

Now that we’ve covered the first of the major items when planning your trip, we’ll cover a few more topic.

• Destination
• Airfare
• Hotels

Next article I will cover more of pre-trip planning, including the best time of year to go (either for weather or discounts), the weather, and ideas for daily outings.

Till then – keep it real and come back to Thailand Essentials for the next installment.