Places in Thailand you havent been but want to

[LaosLover]

1 minute ago, bignok said:

If I get excited i might add on sukhothai.

Sukothai will quell that excitement fast. I like old Buddha's. I was good for 2.5 hours at Sukothai. The weekend market is undewhelming.

 

There's an old teak house guest house right near the park. Great restaurant and a few local boat noodle-ish dishes.  

[LaosLover]

Chiang Rai -should be called 'after six hours here, I realize I picked the wrong Chiang". 

 

-Only one real sushi restaurant, so for me, that's gonna be a no, Dawg.

 

Take a look at Tak. You like waterfalls, that's big 'un. A real hump to get to tho, even with a car.

[KannikaP]

10 minutes ago, Goat said:

No girls or beer in your home country?

The micro-breweries are good in UK, but most girls are munters!

[LaosLover]

25 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

The micro-breweries are good in UK, but most girls are munters!

Have you tried Beer Lao IPA? It's middling, but good for here.

 

I married an English woman and I think you're being too kind.

[bignok]

6 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

Chiang Rai -should be called 'after six hours here, I realize I picked the wrong Chiang". 

 

-Only one real sushi restaurant, so for me, that's gonna be a no, Dawg.

 

Take a look at Tak. You like waterfalls, that's big 'un. A real hump to get to tho, even with a car.

Gee so you like Luang Prabang and Chiang Mai.

[LaosLover]

15 minutes ago, Goat said:

What happened to the Fang hot spring?

Within the thread, why do tourists go to the same 5 or 6 places?, a Fang fan said that a lot of the streams have dried up.

[orchis]

I love Pattani. 

[LaosLover]

20 minutes ago, bignok said:

Gee so you like Luang Prabang and Chiang Mai.

Yeah, I'm all about good restaurants and fusion-ish food. That's a big part of why I travel around the region. It's like living in France, food-wise here, except I like this cuisine better.

 

I like your food pics, but I prefer to eat Asian food from a place where the chef went to school, preferably in the west. I only really eat once a day, so I def want to eat something great around 5 each day (I'm late for tempura).

 

Luang Prubang was formerly my favorite eating out place in the world (including Manhattan). It's been Covid-decimated and prob will never come all the way back.

 

Chiang Mai has at least three 5* restaurants in every category, and that goes double here in Nimman. Food-wise, I'd rather live in Bangkok, but Nimman is close enough. I like super local food too. You went to NUUM in The Old City on my recco.

 

Tin shack genius restaurants in N. Laos are at least a letter grade over N. Thailand. Much more food of the jungle, much more Shan hilltribe food, and the light hand of the French in their cuisine elevates it over (already brilliant) Thai food.

 

If you went there instead, it would be much more striking. But you're a Thai-ophile, not a Lao-ophile, so follow your bliss.

[FruitPudding]

The only thing with Thailand is the lack of unique places:

 

- Isaan is just one big rice field.

 

- The north is just smokey smoggy hills

 

- The south is just one big polluted beach with cheeky people preying on tourists.

 

- The center is just nothing with a side pad krapao every day.

 

 

The west might be worth a look actually. I've never been so I can't judge.

[LaosLover]

2 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

 

 

- The center is just nothing with a side pad krapao every day.

 

 

 

Everything you said is true, but this one is the truest.

[thailandsgreat]

Go to Baan Hin Taek, drug lord Khun Sa:s former base. He smuggled opium. Chinese nationalists also involved. In 1967 one caravan went wrong and was bombed by Lao air force that finally claimed the opium. Khun Sa had refused to pay the nationalists for free passage and had also 800 muleteers fighting KMT.

 

CIA Air America flew opium for the minorities. When Pathet Lao took over they had to flee. Olympic gymnastic winner 2020 Suni Lee is Hmong. Her family probably escaped to US then.

 

Now they have renamed it Baan toed Thai  to erase memories  ????

 

There is a museum in Khun Sa house

 

I met a group of Burmese monks there. They invited me to pansang/burma which I failed to reach on several trips. So far I have met them in Tachilek and Kentung. I always wanted to take pictures of the poppies in bloom, but never made it. Any suggestions welcome.

 

But respect for Thailand. All has been cleared up now and where Khun Sa had his base there is now paved road and 7/11. No drugs to be seen today.

[bignok]

17 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

The only thing with Thailand is the lack of unique places:

 

- Isaan is just one big rice field.

 

- The north is just smokey smoggy hills

 

- The south is just one big polluted beach with cheeky people preying on tourists.

 

- The center is just nothing with a side pad krapao every day.

 

 

The west might be worth a look actually. I've never been so I can't judge.

So positive

[bignok]

23 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

The only thing with Thailand is the lack of unique places:

Youtubers - wow amazing

You - nah its all crap

[Screaming]

I have always wanted to go to Trang, Thailand but never did. Several years ago a friend from the States moved to Trang and I was going to visit him. This friend went back to the states for his 50 year high school reunion. When he returned to Thailand, he had a heart attack on the plane and died in Taiwan during the lay-over.  Maybe some day I will make that visit. Anyone been there?

[orchis]

3 minutes ago, Screaming said:

 Anyone been there?

Yes. about 20 years ago. emerald cave. probably crowded now.

[bignok]

4 minutes ago, Screaming said:

I have always wanted to go to Trang, Thailand but never did. Several years ago a friend from the States moved to Trang and I was going to visit him. This friend went back to the states for his 50 year high school reunion. When he returned to Thailand, he had a heart attack on the plane and died in Taiwan during the lay-over.  Maybe some day I will make that visit. Anyone been there?

Went twice. Average town. Emerald cave crowded. Ko Kradan is the best place.

 

 

[Lacessit]

Phu Chi Fa is worth a trip. So is the new Skywalk at Chiang Saen.

Fang has a good hotel behind the Tesco Lotus. Doi Ang Khan is in that area.

[bignok]

1 hour ago, LaosLover said:

Everything you said is true, but this one is the truest.

Pai you like? 

[thailandsgreat]

3 minutes ago, bignok said:

Pai you like? 

Maybe Lao-philes love Pai and Vang Vieng ????

 

My best memory from Pai is two girls in bikinis, on skateboards in the middle of the road, having stopped for a red light.

 

(sorry for bold font, it has got stuck)

[LaosLover]

Yeah, but I went a month ago. So that's Pai done and dusted for about a year. My wife has never seen CR, so that'll be the next excursion. Call it 3 days, with a big drive around to the sticks one of those days.

 

Viang Viang has likewise been destroyed by covid. And was overbuilt at Pokara levels before that. You can still get that magic tea that lets you sleep really, really well.

 

Someday, there will be historic preservation interest in even places like Pai and Khao San Road.

[KhunLA]

Visiting in August, and that completes visiting all of the provinces of TH

Pattani

Yala

Narathiwat

[thailandsgreat]

4 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

Yeah, but I went a month ago. So that's Pai done and dusted for about a year. My wife has never seen CR, so that'll be the next excursion. Call it 3 days, with big drive around to the sticks one of those days.

 

Viang Viang has likewise been destroyed by covid. And was overbuilt at Pokara levels before that. Someday, there will be historic preservation interest in even places like Pai and Khao San Road.

Yes. In Saigon the Vietnamese toured Pam Ngu Lao st. in buses for hippie-watch-tours.

[bignok]

8 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Visiting in August, and that completes visiting all of the provinces of TH

Pattani

Yala

Narathiwat

Caught up to Paddy Doyle

[LaosLover]

1 hour ago, Screaming said:

I have always wanted to go to Trang, 

I liked Trat and Chantaburi a bit better, but the whole Eastern Seaboard is worth a leisurely trawl.

 

Whenever we go out to a Thai restaurant that has diff regional sub-menu's, we always order heavily from the Eastern Seaboard side of the menu. This is where Thai Fishcakes originated; a rubbery bore in the west, light and piquant here.

 

In BKK, Sri Trat Restaurant is the Mecca of this cuisine. Been twice, would go twice more. (Reservation needed).

 

[thailandsgreat]

11 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

I liked Trat and Chantaburi a bit better, but the whole Eastern Seaboard is worth a leisurely trawl.

 

Whenever we go out to a Thai restaurant that has diff regional sub-menu's, we always order heavily from the Eastern Seaboard side of the menu. This is where Thai Fishcakes originated; a rubbery bore in the west, light and piquant here.

 

In BKK, Sri Trat Restaurant is the Mecca of this cuisine. Been twice, would go twice more. (Reservation needed).

 

Trat and the coast nice. Chantaburi was a natural stop on the coastal route from Cambodia. But the last couple of times it wasn't as inviting. I believe the gems were running out and Africans were smuggling in gems.

[LaosLover]

Chantaburi is a particularly nice collection of old teak houses down by some water.

 

Ubon has a good such site too. Hua Hin is prob the best of these.  

 

How many of these are enough to see? I say: 4.

 

We moved here from The Blue Ridge Mountains. People would drive 6 hours to see some old log cabins. When you're around them all of the time, you don't even notice them. Locals in Trat are likewise amused at anyone staying a second night there.

[blackshadow]

mae hong song/doi inthanon

[thailandsgreat]

16 minutes ago, LaosLover said:

Chantaburi is a particularly nice collection of old teak houses down by some water.

 

Ubon has a good such site too. Hua Hin is prob the best of these.  

 

How many of these are enough to see? I say: 4.

 

We moved here from The Blue Ridge Mountains. People would drive 6 hours to see some old log cabins. When you're around them all of the time, you don't even notice them. Locals in Trat are likewise amused at anyone staying a second night there.

And yomjinda road in Rayong. Chinese influenced, wooden houses in many places near the sea. And French traces in Chantaburi. The cathedral.

 

Trat people friendly. Once two ladies on a tricycle stopped and offerered a ride. I said I was going to Robinson. But they took me to the bus station ????

[Keeps]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Phu Chi Fa is worth a trip. So is the new Skywalk at Chiang Saen.

Fang has a good hotel behind the Tesco Lotus. Doi Ang Khan is in that area.

Do you happen to remember the name of the hotel in Fang near the Tesco Lotus? I have a short, upcoming trip to Fang and haven't yet seen any Hotel I particularly fancy on the likes of Agoda.

 

Thanks in advance.

[FruitPudding]

1 hour ago, bignok said:

Youtubers - wow amazing

You - nah its all crap

I speak the truth.