Apr 24, 2015 |
Quiet beaches are a common sight in Prachuap Khiri Khan…
Just under a 45 minutes drive south of the beach side city of Hua Hin is the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan. It’s an area that is still largely untouched and spared from massive development. So if you love mountains, acres of palm trees and coconut farms or even bands of roving monkeys, Prachuap Khiri Khan you will enjoy.
But it’s not only a place where you’ll find natural beauty. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported through time. Well at least a little. Because the area is largely undeveloped you will see a lot of locals going through their daily lives. And because most live by the coast you will find many small fishing villages with small boats docked by the bay. Freshly caught baskets of squid and dried salted fish line the houses of most locals to be sold to passing neighbors.
This was snapped at one of the many fisherman’s bay in Prachuap Khiri Khan. I only had an iPhone 5s at the time which is why the pic is so noisy. The sun lit the sky on fire as it set, it was beautiful…
Prachuap is not an easy place to get to. You will need a car or perhaps you can hire a driver. But having your own car is the best way to go in my opinion or at least a moped. Hua Hin is the place to go if you need to rent one. And it’s worth it.
Sep 19, 2013 |
Whenever I’m on the lookout for new places to eat I always try and find out where the locals go. So I figured why not find out where Thais go to get the best currency exchange rates. Thais love to travel especially to other parts of Asia, Europe and of course the good ol’ USA.
So where do Thais go to get the exchange rates that are way better than what Thai banks have to offer?
They head to Super Rich money exchange. What a funky name right?
The best place to exchange for Thai Baht…
Super Rich is not a bank but they are still one of the most recognized businesses in Thailand for getting the best rates.
Just recently $1US dollar was around 32THB which is really good. When I arrived into Thailand a few months ago it was around 29THB. Before that it was around 27THB. I know a few THB here and there doesn’t seem like a whole lot but the difference is certainly noticeable if you’re changing a lot of big bills.
Of course they are able to exchange major currencies from all the world from Yen to Euros.
There’s a Super Rich close to me at Central Ladprao Mall but they do have branches in Silom and Chidlom which are all convenient locations for tourists.
Just to remember to bring along your passport which is a new requirement for foreigners.
May 14, 2013 |
Last night I watched a television show called Scam City on the Science Channel. It’s a show revealing scams perpetrated by con artists in major cities around the world. The lasts few weeks I watched episodes on Rio De Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Prague and last night the episode on Bangkok.
I was super curious and excited to watch the episode on Bangkok because sure I know about the tourists scams. I’ve never fallen for one because you hear so many stories already about getting ripped off by gem stores when they advertise a “last day 30% discount on high quality gems”. Or sex show (never been to one either. Really, I’m not lying) touts promising bottles of beer for 100THB ($3USD) but only find out when the bill arrives a bottle of beer cost 10x more. And if you don’t pay the bar will threaten you with physical harm.
Scam City’s host, Conor Woodman places himself right into the scams while capturing the whole event on hidden cameras. And he’ll have a buddy follow along with another camera filming everything with a DSLR. So it was interesting to see what actually happens in gem shops and sex shows. It’s a whole lot different than reading about it.
Like the gem scam. These scam artists mainly hang around the tourist attractions, like the Grand Palace, National Museum and Wat Pho in the old quarters. They also hang around the commercial districts of Bangkok too, like near the Four Headed Buddha in Chidlom and Silom by Lumphini Park.
The modus operandi is always the same. Thai con artists are neatly dressed. And they can speak conversational English and tell you they are professionals, like accountants, doctors, lawyers, etc. These are ways to lull tourists into a false sense of security. Then they’ll proceed to “fill you in” on special sales of precious gems with a 1 day sale that only occurs every 7 years. They’ll start piling on more BS by telling you can make good money by reselling them back home.
And tourists do fall for this. Matter of fact on the Bangkok Scam City episode, Conor had a video chat with a New Yorker who bought some gems in Bangkok following the suggestion of a con artist. When he took the gems back to the Diamond District in NYC the dealers were telling him the stones were not worth as much as he paid. Even though with all the information out there warning tourists of gem scams, people are still falling for it. Unbelievable.
Anyways, here is my 1 BIG TIP to AVOID GETTING SCAMMED IN BANGKOK. If anyone approaches you in the city, do not talk to them. This is especially true when they can speak perfect English. It’s the same what mom taught you as a kid. Don’t talk to strangers.
Yeah, I know, that advice sounds so anti-social. Isn’t one of the facets of the joy in traveling is to meet new people? Sure, I guess. But we’re not in a story book world like Eat, Pray, Love. It’s a sad fact that if you don’t want to have a scam ruin your vacation in Bangkok then don’t speak to strangers who approach you.
I’ve been approached too by by con artists hanging outside of the Grand Palace. And they’ll flat out lie and tell me it’s a Buddha holiday so the Grand Palace is closed, even when the entrance is just 30 yards away and you see dozens of tourists streaming in and out. I just ignore them. And you should too.
Okay, I don’t want to scare off anyone from visiting Bangkok. Hell, even innocent Thais get scammed, probably a lot more than tourists. Really, I’m not kidding. I hear so many elaborate schemes concocted by Thai con artists that it’s hard to believe. Check out my post on one instance where I got scammed. That happened far from any tourist centric areas.
Fly by night carnivals scam local Thais every night…
And from watching past episodes of Scam City, Bangkok is not that bad. Not that I’m making light of a bad situation. In Buenos Aires, Conor discovered that tons of counterfeit pesos are floating around. And most bogus bills were passed off to tourists from taxi drivers. Even some shop keepers were handing bogus bills and some were short changing tourists. I did some more research and found instances where ATMs in Buenos Aires had counterfeit cash too.
In Rio pickpockets are quite brazen during festivals though this type of crime happens in every tourists hot spot the Brazilians take it to a whole different level. In Prague, depending on which taxi company you choose you can be paying 5 times the normal rate. And if you don’t pay the driver might have a weapon to change your mind. Also in Prague currency exchangers charged fees but you wouldn’t know unless you can read Czech.
Serious crimes against tourists does occur in Thailand especially in the big cities, just like it does in most major cities in the world. Though not as frequently but everyone should be cautious no matter where they go. But from watching episodes of Scam City, Bangkok is quite tame. So to increase your chances to avoid getting scammed, do what your mother taught you long ago and don’t talk to strangers who approach you.
Apr 26, 2013 |
At the Ayutthaya Floating River Market…
The mighty elephants are still revered today in Thailand. But sadly not as much as before. Back in the days elephants were used to build ancient Thai cities and were even ridden to defend them from invaders afterwards. Some special temples were even built specifically on the spot where one dies. Sadly today many Thai elephants are killed for their tusks. Or young elephants are towed into cities as a walking, hulking curiosity where their handlers charge money to let tourists have a photo souvenir. Such ‘street elephants’ are often mishandled and drugged so as they do not spook easy and run rampaging through crowded streets.
I’ve always admired elephants ever since I read that they actually mourn when there is a death in the herd. And they will try and comfort a sick elephant up until its final moments. And upon death the herd will dig a shallow grave and cover their lost member.That really says a lot about an elephant’s nature. Because if compassion is also a trait in elephants then we should hold them in high regards.
Fortunately there are many organizations that run elephant camps where they are well cared for. The best elephant camp that I know of is up north in the city of Chiang Mai called Maesa Elephant Camp. There you ride elephants around a trail and even become a Mahout where you’re taught the basic commands to lead an elephant and give it a bath. And that’s a souvenir you’ll never forget!
Mar 22, 2013 |
It cost 1900THB to get a 30 Visa extension…
On an older post I wrote about the Thai tourist visa I mentioned that you can extend each entry to 30 days for a total of 90 days. To get the 30 day extension you have to make your way to your nearest Thai immigration office. In Bangkok I head to the Chaeng Wattana office, which is about a 20 minute taxi ride if you’re coming from the Chatuchak area.
It’s a pretty straightforward process, as long as you have everything ready. You’ll need:
- 1 Passport sized photo
- A copy of your passport photo page, tourist visa page, departure card and entry date page.
- Tourist visa extension from which you can get at the office
- 1900THB which is the fee for extension. Kind of pricey don’t you think?
The Thai immigration building is huge and there are many government complexes nearby. You’re goal is to make it to Building B which is the immigration office. There are free buses withing the grounds that take you to building B or you can take one of the motobike taxis. They only charge 20THB which isn’t a bad deal at all.
As I said it’s a big building but there are many information kiosk all over the area so people can point you to the right way easily. There are photo copy and passport photo services on the floor below, just use the escalators. Photo copies cost 1 Baht each, don’t remember how much the passport photos cost but it I believe it’s around 200THB for 8 or 10 photos. Lots of coffee shops, stores and a big decent food court can be found there too.
The immigration office opens at 8:30am and closes from 12pm to 1pm for lunch. I believe the office closes at 4pm – 4:30pm. But as long as you have a numbered ticket on your hand they have to service you, even when the office officially closes.
So how long does it take to get the tourist visa extended? From my experience it takes about 2 hours, which is from the time I finish filling out the visa extension form, get my ticket number, get my application reviewed by the immigration officer and finally getting my passport back with a 30 day extension stamp.
But here are a few tips to avoid getting delayed and waiting longer at the immigration office.
Make sure you put down the address you are staying in Thailand clearly. And include your mobile telephone number. Avoid visiting the Thai immigration office before and after a major Thai national holiday where government offices are closed.
I once made made a visit to the immigration office after a big holiday and man, I had to wait like 4 to 5 hours. What made it even worse is that traffic is really bad in the area when 5pm rolls around.
Mar 15, 2013 |
Hua Hin – One of our favorite beaches in Thailand…
The last time I visited Hua Hin was about 4 years ago with my wife and her younger sister. So my wife and I was thinking its about time to go back and check out one of Thailand’s fast growing seaside resort. We went to Cha Am last week where I made a review of Puktien Cabana Beach Hotel too and since I have just a week to go before I head back to the NYC why not enjoy the first reason why I came to Thailand the first place, its wonderful beaches.
But this time we wanted to invite her best friend and two kids who were on school vacation. It’s the very first time we had young rambunctious kids in our car on a 4 hour drive. So we’ll take this chance as a practice run for our own kids.
We decided to book the same hotel we stayed in 4 years ago. Its called Casa Del Mare Hua Hin (Update 2018 – Casa Del Mare is now called Escape Hotel Hua Hin) and the hotel is located right on the main road and about a short 5 minute walk to the beach accessible by the hotel’s beach entrance.
When were first stayed at the Casa back then it was newly renovated. And quiet too. We felt like we were the only a few handful of guests. On this latest visit we noticed a big difference. Lots of local and foreign guests this time.
We booked 2 rooms that were next to each other and when into our rooms on the ground floor with a terrific view of the pool. The rooms were in great condition, neat and clean and quite spacious. Everything was in perfect working order.
Though 4 years ago when I booked 2 rooms next to each other, we were given rooms on the second floor and the balconies had a door to join both rooms. Which is great for families so everyone can hang out in one large space right on the balcony with comfortable seating area.
Our room…
Our room…
Our room…
Our room’s porch…
There’s no joining door on all of the rooms on the ground floor
However, all of the rooms on the ground floor have porches that swing open and locked with a simple wooden latch. So guests on the ground floor have quick access to the pool.
That’s one of the best things of all I like about Casa Del Mare. All of their 46 rooms have a view of the beautiful pool and garden. There’s no need to pay extra just to have a room to sleep in with a view of the pool like you would have to in most other hotels. I paid about $110 USD a night which includes a buffet breakfast coupons for everyone.
Compared to other hotels in the area where we stay by Hua Hin’s beach a room at the Casa is an absolute bargain. It’s peak season rates now and a superior room with breakfast will set you back about $140USD which was the rate I found on the hotel’s website.
However I found discount rates for Casa Del Mare’s superior rooms with breakfast included through Agoda.com that were about $30USD lower than booking through the hotel’s directly. With taxes and all I ended paying $110USD per room.
Literally right next door is the 5 star Intercontinental on the same beach and staying there would cost 3 to 5 times as much. So the Casa Del Mare is a 3 star shining gem in a patch of diamonds and I highly recommend staying there.
Speaking of the pool the kids couldn’t wait to jump in. Barely 10 minutes after check in, I heard the kids out in the pool squealing and splashing around. And I gladly joined in too. My wife and her best friend didn’t join because they didn’t want to tanned because it’ll darken their skin. So you’re wondering why bother going to a pool or beach if one is afraid of getting dark? Don’t bother asking, it’s just a Thai thing. I’ve learned to stopped asking questions a long time ago.
After an hour in the pool the sun was coming down a bit so we all decided to take that short stroll to the beach. When the ladies parked themselves on the beach chairs the kids and I went over to the beach. It was loads of fun. And it reminded me of the times my dad used to take my brother and I to Coney Island. In hindsight sure Coney Island’s beach and water couldn’t hold a stick to Hua Hin. But being with my dad made a world of difference.
The kids and I had a blast in the water as we we’re getting tossed around by the rolling waves as the surf came.
And I was amazed that they were not afraid of going deeper even though the water to me was shallow to them it was quite high and getting higher with each successive wave. Just an hour ago the little girl name Mew didn’t believe his brother Dew when he told her the kiddy pool was shallow. Both were getting bolder while the waves were coming in more frequently so I decided to call it a day so for safety. We stayed at the beach for a t
But the timing went down perfectly because the weather got a little cool and everyone was starting to getting hungry. There was one place to go where everyone else headed at night and that’s the Hua Hin Night Market right in the center of the city.
We decided to hire a taxi which in Hua Hin is basically the common 3 wheeled tuk tuk with no meters. The drivers quote a rate which is usually based on distance. But the average is around 100THB. Casa Del Mare provides a one way complimentary shuttle service too but the service ends around 7pm. So we were too late to take advantage of the free service and we didn’t want to drive either since we were worried we couldn’t find parking. So we just hired a taxi who charged us 120THB.
After walking around a bit at the Hua Hin night market we picked the same restaurant we ate in 4 years ago. Somewhere along the way, the restaurant’s food quality went downhill. Or it could’ve been the head chefs night off. The fish we ordered wasn’t fresh. And the large plate of khao put buu had only a few pieces of crab.
The biggest mistake was ordering the steamed whole crabs. We’ve never ordered crabs there in the past so we had no clue that the crabs were going to be terrible.
They steamed the crabs not to order but have it cooked way beforehand. Fresh cooked crab won’t have a strong fishy taste and a shell that literally tears apart like paper. Well we learn something new every day. And that is to avoid any restaurant that displays precooked crabs out in front of a restaurant.
Afterwards we did another quick stroll and ended up at the 7 Eleven where we bought a bunch of ice creams and then roti from a stand to drown out our dinner disappointment. It was getting a bit late and the kids had to get some rest as well as the grown ups from the long day so we took a taxi back to our hotel.
The kids wanted to stay in our room and play with our iPhones but we told them it was late and time to get some sleep. And besides, my wife’s best friend is deftly afraid of ghost. To make a long story short, Thais probably believe in evil spirits more than others and the prospect of someone committing suicide or a murder in the exact same room she was staying at is a high probability. Lucky the kids didn’t put up much resistance and went back to their mother’s room.
One thing certain about at any room in any Thai resort is that you will come across mosquitoes. Housekeeping staff keeps the doors wide open so there is plenty of chance for the blood sucking invaders to enter the room. There is nothing more in this world that hate more than mosquitoes who seem to have a personal vendetta against me.
After squashing as much as I could before sleep there were a few hidden away in Ninja mode. As soon as the lights go off they come out and sucked some blood from my knuckle. Doesn’t it feel worse when they bite you anywhere near a bone joint? So in the middle of the night I turned on the lights and waking my wife up from her restful sleep. It always happens, mosquitoes never bite her but go straight for me, what’s up with that?
So she tells me there’s a mosquito zapper in the closet. She only noticed it when she opened it to get the hair dryer. I’ve never used a mosquito zapper which basically shocks the little bastards. It’s shaped like a small tennis racket and is battery powered with a light beaming out to spot the suckers easier.
It took about a good 30 minutes to find the Ninja mosquito and when I did, I used the zapper. I lined up the electric net, pressed the button to activate and tapped the sucker. It fell right on my bed where I crushed disposed of it. There was no more after that so it was the last. Sweet victory.
This mosquito zapper is awesome…
Casa Del Mare gets major kudos for keeping these mosquito zappers around. It has made it’s way to my Top 10 most important inventions of the world behind toilet paper. I even made note of it on their comment cards in which now someone from the hotel is looking at and thinking I’m an idiot.
When morning rolled in we were woken up by the kids knocking on our porch door. It was breakfast time and they were hungry and ready to storm the breakfast buffet. And there was much improvement on the variety of food choices compared to 4 years ago. They have french toast, pancakes and of course eggs cooked to order. Fruits, yogurts, breads and Thai food were also available.
After breakfast, what else was there to do? The kids knew, they were already in their bathing suits and right after eating they went straight to the pool. Forget about waiting after eating and swimming. Check out time at the Case Del Mare is 12pm so they had a few hours to play before we headed back to our rooms at around 11pm to pack up and head back to Bangkok.
Sign leading to the Casa Del Mare on 25/2 Petchkasem Road…
Recommended by Agoda and Tripadvisor…
I like this hotel and I’m quite the creature of habit so whenever my wife and I visit Hua Hin we’re definitely going to stay at Casa Del Mare Hotel again. They provide free wi-fi internet access too I have to add. And the connections are quite good. There is a spa which we’ve never tried though on arrival we were given 20% off vouchers. Maybe next time. Casa Del Mare has a lot of great reviews coming not only from me but from Agoda customers and tripadvisor. And their kudos are well deserved.
Through the years Hua Hin’s beaches and slow pace has not only attracted the attention of Thai middle class but many foreigners who have chosen to run out their clocks and retire in Thailand. There’s a decent hospital plus plenty of sun and affordable condos and houses. I can see why one would choose to uproot themselves from whence they came and decided to plop themselves down in Hua Hin’s sunshine and surf. I can see why one would want to buy a second home there. I’m tempted too. But maybe sometime down in the near future.
