Don Muang was the original airport of Bangkok until it was replaced by Suvarnabhumi. After closing down briefly, it reopened as a hub for low-cost airlines serving flights from the Asia-Pacific region. The airport was served by infrequent long-distance trains at Don Muang Station across the road. If you arrived at the wrong hour you […]
Notes on Udon Thani
Udon Thani is the capital of Udon Thani Province in Northeast Thailand. It is one of the “big four of Isan” alongside Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, and Khon Kaen. I visited Udon Thani as part of a railway infrastructure tour of Isaan. Udon Thani is currently served by the Northeast Line from Bangkok to Nong […]
Ornamental street signs of Thailand
In Thailand there are many cities that decorate their street signs with icons associated with the city. Here are some that I have seen over the years in my travels in Thailand. Patong Beach, Phuket Patong Beach in Phuket with a dolphin street sign. Krabi Town Krabi Town with a sword-wielding elephant. Of course. Maeklong […]
Notes on Nakhon Phanom: Down by the river, and hanging out at Uncle Ho’s House
Nakhon Phanom is the capital city of Nakhon Phanom Province in northeastern Thailand (Isaan). The city is on the Mekong River above Mukdahan Province, which is where I travelled from. There is a highway near the river that connects Mukdahan to Nakhon Phanom, though you rarely get a glimpse of the water along the way. […]
Notes on Mukdahan – Isaan life on the Mekong
Mukdahan is the capital city of Mukdahan Province in the Northeast region of Thailand (better known as Isan). Mukdahan is on the Mekong River, with Savannakhet in Laos on the other side. I’ve been to enough provincial capitals to know not to expect too much, but I have also been to Nong Khai on the […]
Notes on Khon Kaen – The Isan city with big ambitions
Khon Kaen is the capital of Khon Kaen province in the Northeast region (Isaan) of Thailand. It is one of the “big four of Isan” (along with Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani). My interest in visiting Khon Kaen was to see how it is progressing as a transport hub, and to see some […]
Notes on Ko Mook – A fishing village on an island paradise
Ko Mook (or Koh Muk) is an island in the Andaman Sea in Trang Province, Southern Thailand. I didn’t know about Ko Mook until I went to Ko Kradan and the boat stopped there en route. I was intrigued by its shape, with its long sandy beach and jungle interior, so I filed it away […]
Notes on Ko Ngai – The Thai paradise island that’s not just for honeymooners
Koh Ngai is an island in the Andaman Sea in Southern Thailand. The island is part of Krabi province, but it is easier to get to from Trang.. You are more likely to arrive here from another island than from a mainland port, so mainland provincial locations don’t matter once you are there. Koh Ngai […]
Notes on Koh Lanta
Riding from the port to my hotel I couldn’t help but smile as I sat in the back of the motorbike-tuk-tuk. It felt good to be back in Koh Lanta. I had just arrived from the tiny island of Phi Phi, and I was in Phuket before that. Phi Phi feels claustrophobic if you don’t […]
Notes on Koh Phi Phi – Backpackers return, and the rehabilitation of Maya Bay
The Phi Phi Islands (Koh Phi Phi) are an island group in Southern Thailand in the Andaman Sea, in Krabi Province. The two biggest islands in the group are Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Le. At the height of the tourism boom in 2019 they had become more famous for overtourism. Phi […]
