Thailand Off The Beaten Path

  Mu Koh Ang Thong National Marine Park
by volopolo
 
  • Mu Koh Ang Thong National Marine Park
      Mu Koh Ang Thong National Marine Park
    by volopolo
  • Get away to Koh Tam Rang- Moo Koh Ang Thong
      Get away to Koh Tam Rang- Moo Koh Ang...
    by chonda
  • CHAWENG BEACH-Koh Samui
      CHAWENG BEACH-Koh Samui
    by mamasan69
  • Crowded Patong Beach
      Crowded Patong Beach
    by tvdandy
  • crowded Patong beach
      crowded Patong beach
    by tvdandy
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Thailand

26.

Lumpini Park   Bangkok

Lumpini Park, Bangkok

 9 Reviews  When we arrived at Bangkok (our last visit July 2006) my brother handed us over a paper where he had written down the Thai name of LUMPHINI - SATHOR. Our hotel was located in that area, and we had to... 

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27.

Villages and Beaches   Phuket

Villages and Beaches, Phuket

 37 Reviews  As a local I should really be keeping this a secret but I don't think many people will visit my page, so I am considering this as a prize for those who do stop by and end up using this... 

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28.

Beaches   Ko Samui

Beaches, Ko Samui

 8 Reviews  Koh Nangyuan is a small island about 1 and a half hour from Koh Samui. It has great snorkeling and diving. It's lovely and there is only a resort there. You can get there taking a catamaran sped ferry... 

 See All 40 Off The Beaten Path in Ko Samui

29.

Jungle Trek   Chiang Mai

Jungle Trek, Chiang Mai

 23 Reviews  This towering waterfall, about 250m high at the top, is an awesome sight. You approach it near Doi Inthanon National Park, and as you're hiking through the jungle (about a 10 minute hike) you can hear... 

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30.

Wats, Mosques & Temples   Hat Yai

Wats, Mosques & Temples, Hat Yai

 3 Reviews  Wats (Thai buddhist temples) are oblivious buildings around Hat Yai in part due to the majority of Thais who embrace Buddhism. We visited several Wats between hat yai and Songkla (a neighbouring... 

 See All 16 Off The Beaten Path in Hat Yai

31.

Bangkok's Canals - the Khlongs   Bangkok

Bangkok's Canals - the Khlongs, Bangkok

 12 Reviews  We walked along this pretty canal from near Wat Kalayanamit then found a bridge across so we could walk to Wat Arun. This canal is not really a canal it was part of the original Chao Phraya River till... 

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32.

Exotic animals   Phuket

Exotic animals, Phuket

 11 Reviews  probably not really off the beaten path, but well worth a look in. lots of exotic birds and other things to check out. one noticable difference to western zoos, is the abscence of any barrier cages.... 

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33.

Wildlife & Nature   Ko Samui

Wildlife & Nature, Ko Samui

 5 Reviews  Right up the top, on almost the highest point of Ko Samui, is the Magic Garden. A haven of peace inhabited by flowers and butterflies and very few tourists. Also the main reason for the visit are the... 

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34.

Elephants and Rafting   Chiang Mai

Elephants and Rafting, Chiang Mai

 14 Reviews  I came here as part of a long-necked tribe daytrip I did from Chiang Mai. We first rode on elephants for about 40 minutes or so alongside a river. We then transferred onto bamboo rafts and made our... 

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35.

Snake Restaurant   Hat Yai

Snake Restaurant, Hat Yai

 1 Review  For reasons of taste (in both senses of the word) I did not put this tip in the restaurant section! I had seen this spectacle on TV a few times but had not witnessed the real thing. There is a place... 

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36.

Backstreets   Bangkok

Backstreets, Bangkok

 11 Reviews  The area around Santa Cruz Church was mainly habited by westerners or farangs at the start of the 20th century. This is a peaceful area with narrow streets and some lovely wooden houses. it is close... 

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37.

Hat Nai Yang Beach   Phuket

Hat Nai Yang Beach, Phuket

 5 Reviews  This is a beautiful beach and everyone is so friendly. No fancy restaurants (except maybe at the few bigger hotels?) but lots of small restaurants right on the beach - eat with your bare feet in the... 

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38.

Waterfalls   Ko Samui

Waterfalls, Ko Samui

 2 Reviews  There are 2 Na muang waterfalls: The first one is the largest and you can swim underneath it which is very refreshing and cooling on a hot day. It has a fall of about 79 metres so it is quite a big... 

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39.

Karen Hill Tribe   Chiang Mai

Karen Hill Tribe, Chiang Mai

 5 Reviews  STOP 5 on TRIBAL TOUR Still continuing on back roads our next stop was the Karen Long Neck village. The long necks live here, we saw their homes in the distance. Instead of visiting these, we were... 

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40.

Wat Hat Yai Nai   Hat Yai

Wat Hat Yai Nai, Hat Yai

 1 Review  This is home to a large reclining Buddha, the 3rd largest in Thailand apparently, and a small mausoleum with a souvenir shop in the base. It is a little way out of town so you need to use a local... 

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41.

Nonthaburi and Koh Kret   Bangkok

Nonthaburi and Koh Kret, Bangkok

 4 Reviews  Ko Kret located in Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi province, northwest of Bangkok. Ko Kret is a small islet beside the Chao Phraya River. You can ride a boat from Bangkok or just across The Chao... 

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42.

Phang Nga Bay   Phuket

Phang Nga Bay, Phuket

 13 Reviews  At some islands there are partially submerged grotoes that can be entered by small boats during low tide. Swiftlets have made their nests in some of these caves where locals come to 'farm' these... 

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43.

Doi Inthanon National Park   Chiang Mai

Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai

 3 Reviews  Not a full bus for this tour, only 6 people including me! On leaving Chiang Mai, you head out in the countryside with mountain views. The road climbs, and the 1st stop is....... 1.........Vachirathan... 

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44.

Philatelic Museum   Hat Yai

Philatelic Museum, Hat Yai

 1 Review  If you've already seen everything there is to see in Hat Yai and are really stuck for something to do you could visit the philatelic museum and look at lots of stamps. Alternatively you could find... 

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45.

Forensic Science Museum   Bangkok

Forensic Science Museum, Bangkok

 2 Reviews  In the BTS guide we found a little piece about a Museum of forensic history. In the short description there were sentences like “for something out of the ordinary” and “not for the squeamish” and of... 

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46.

Sangkhaphaeng   Chiang Mai

Sangkhaphaeng, Chiang Mai

 3 Reviews  If you make it to Sangkhaphaeng you should try your hardest to visit the village of Ban On Luai Mae On!!! This is a small, friendly, and traditional village. Here you will find many interesting... 

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47.

Internet Access   Hat Yai

Internet Access, Hat Yai

 1 Review  Around Hat Yai there are many Internet cafes. Some are hopeless, their PCs crash all the time and connection speeds are extremely slow. The best one I've found is at the Ocean Shopping Centre on the... 

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48.

Chao Phraya River   Bangkok

Chao Phraya River, Bangkok

 8 Reviews  Jack’s Bar - as we nicknamed it - is a very rustic little place on the Chao Phraya River. Great for chilling out, people watching and taking in the atmosphere of the comings and goings of this busy... 

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49.

Wat Umong   Chiang Mai

Wat Umong, Chiang Mai

 2 Reviews  Way U Mong is located about ten minutes out of the main party of Chiang Mai but alot people miss going to this temple. The temple is located in the jungle and you immediatley notice the change in... 

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50.

Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market)   Bangkok

Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market), Bangkok

 2 Reviews  Go in the evening or at night - either by taxi directly there or by rivertaxi to Tha Rachini or Saphan Phut and walk. Walk along the streets to see the amazing variety of flowers - also try to find... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Khao Sok National Park

by bulldogtwo

One of the great things about Thailand is that the National Parks are pretty deserted. Having said that when we were at Khao Sok we probably saw more people than any other park we'd been to and that was in November, but still it's a big park and lots of space. You can get around and still be quite alone. You can do it alone but you may not find much, even with a map, although the trails are well marked. Take advantage of the waterfalls, in November they should still be good to swim in, they are very refreshing!!!!Have fun!http://www.thaiforestbooking.com/default-eng.htm

October weather in Thailand

by bulldogtwo

You can always get a shower here and there that usually don't last more than 15mn to 30 minutes and many of them are at night.The benefits of October is that the high season has not started yet as far as prices go. The rainy season is over for the most part and you can enjoy the lushness of the rainy season, not to mention some of the waterfalls that are fun to play around in.Again, have fun

Andaman coast

by bulldogtwo

I am not to sure about the kayaking, but the other, snorkeling and diving for sure. W love the Andaman coast side of Thailand. We fly into Phuket and then head north from there, usually ens up in Khao Lak. There are some pretty nice beaches there and you can get some places to take you out snorkleing and diving, and it is near the jump off point to the similan isl. national marine park. Most of the area along the coast north of Phuket is pretty quiet and relaxing, which for us was the major draw, along with the beaches and access to the national parks and marine parks, and there are many. We went to Haadthaimaung National marine park and had the beach to ourselves for 3 days, not another person on the beach for as far as we could see, that was on October. Other really like the Kho Samui area or Kho Lanta, but I odn't think they are as laid back as this area and relaxed.Good luck and have...

Condoms and Cabbages

by emugwynne

Condoms and Cabbages is a restaurant-internet cafe-bar-gift shop-and fun place to see. It was started by Mechai Viravaidya aka the Condom King. Mechai was responsible for educating people in rural Thailand of the benefits of condoms. He's a great guy with a kooky sense of humor. The restaurant is decorated in condoms and birth control pills. The food is okay, not great but not bad either- vegetarian stuff is available. The gift store was great, a lot of the same stuff you see on the street but oddly cheaper. The profits for various things go to education, poverty, and AIDS related causes, plus they sell great condom merchandise -condom rugs, key chains, watches, etc.They have more than one location. I visited the one in Bangkok, Sukhimvit, Soi 12

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Southern Thailand

by bulldogtwo

All along the Andaman coast is nice, couple of my favorite places are Khao Lak and Haad ThaiMaung National Marine Park. Both have some great beaches and both are very laid back and relaxing. You can't beat the area for relaxing as far as I am concerned.Have Fun

Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat

by tour_the_world

Instead of taking land transports, you may want to try taking express boat to places like Pratunam and Bobei. It's much faster, cheaper and a lot more fun! Most of the passengers are local. To take the boat, you need to be agile. You need to hop in/out of the boat when reaches the jetty. Not recommended for elderly. A guy will then go round the boat selling ticket. Prices are from 10 to 20 baht. Join and experience what the local do!

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Alternatives to Angkor Wat

by AlbuqRay

If you want to see Khmer ruins, you can also do it in Thailand. The Khmer Royal Road ran from Angkor Wat in Cambodia to Prasat Hin Phimai in southern Isan (northeast Thailand). You have many choices besides Phimai, including Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, Prasat Hin Muang Tam, Prasat Ta Muen Toj and Prasat Ta Muen Tom. There are also many smaller, less well known but interesting sites where a guide (such as Mr. Pirom in Surin) can take you. See also my Thailand travelogues on the Prasat Hin Phanom Rung and Smaller Khmer Sites, and my Northeast Thailand travelogue on Prasat Hin Muang Tam.There is yet another alternative which is in Cambodia but more easily accessible from Thailand. That is Preah Vihear (called Prasat Phra Wiharn in Thai). It is one of the more impressive Khmer temples and is worth the effort to get there. See my travel tips on Preah Vihear for all the details. One caution...

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Monthly stays in Thailand

by bulldogtwo

Hi Lisa,A couple of the places that I would suggest are Ko Chang on the Andaman side, not the eastern side. And the other one is the Khao Lak area. Ko Chang is an island and still pretty isolated from general tourism. Both places are beautiful and tranquil, and have decent rates for accomodations. You'll probably have more bio-diversity on Ko Chang than near Khao Lak, but Khao Lak is one of my favorite places in Thailand. If youare going to plan your stay during the rainy season then I would suggest Khao Lak, if not, then it's a coin toss and up to you.Good luck and have FUN!Sorry, can't say where to find the beer!, but I am sure if it's i Thailand some Vter will let you know

Itinerary advice, Thailand

by bulldogtwo

As far as hotels are concerned it really depends on what price range of hotel you are going to be looking to stay in. Mid to top end, yea, it's going to be busy so you'll need to book in advance, especially for Bangkok. I would suggest booking in advance for at least the first night in or two, that way you are not out looking for a place in the middle of the nightand or dragging your luggage all over Bangkok. After that and once you have settled in you can choose what to do. However, that brings me up to the second point I'd like to make, time. You don't have a lot of time to see Bangkok, Chiang Mai and then Phuket. Easily doable but you'll have to have yor act together to see them all and not be rushing around. Driving yourself from point to point is relatively easy but you may want to consider either flying to save time to get to Chiang Mai and Phuket and then renting a vehicle once...

First time in Thailand, where to go?

by bulldogtwo

Two three days in Bangkok would be good to catch the sites and must do's, then I would head off to the north, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai areas. You can get somewhat remote in some of the areas and the national parks, Pai, Chiang Dao, etc...Lots of good info on the internet to fine tune your intinerary or ask more specific questions about a specific area.Then I would head to the Amdaman part of Thailand, That is Phuket and everything north to Ranong. The Andama part is in my opinion the best part for beaches and ocean. All along the Amdaman coast there are national parks as well that people rarely frequent. Only the most popular parks get tourists and then they don't get too far into them. A couple of my favorite parks are the Haad Thaimaung National Park (beach)just north of Phuket and Khao Sok, double and triple canopy jungle. Can't say enough about the beaches on the Andaman side though,...

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Reviews and photos of Thailand attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Thailand sightseeing.

Experience Thailand
 

Questions and Answers

Ihearttheworld profile photo

Q:  I am from Canada and going to Thailand, what kind of plug adapter do I need to charge my camera? 

leics profile photo

A: You will find all the information you need about voltages and plug adaptors (and photos of plug types) here: http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm 

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