Chiang Mai

Introduction

Chiang Mai is a city built on the roots of a traditional heritage that dig deep into the soil of time. It's a city with a beautiful cultural personality of its own. In addition, it's been blessed with much majestic beauty in nature. The people themselves are an unforgettable part of Chiang Mai. Handicrafts of silk, silver and wood are timeless souvenirs for visitors from all over the globe. Along with all this, a wide variety of accommodation, restaurants, and entertainment all help to make Chiang Mai one of Thailand's prime tourist attractions.

Topography

A large part (69.31%) of Chiang Mai's land is covered by mountains and forests. These generally run in a north-south pattern through the province and give birth to several streams and tributaries (such as the Mae Jam, Mae Ngud, and Mae Klang) which in turn feed important rivers and irrigation canals (such as the Muang and Faay) which provide the water necessary to Chiang Mai's agriculture. Chiang Mai's largest and most important river is the Ping, which originates in the mountains of Chiang Dao and flows southward for 540 kilometers (337.5 miles). It is along the banks of this river that Chiang Mai's flat, fertile valley area lies. Chiang Mai is also home to Doi Inthanon Mountain, which stands 2,575 meters (8,448 feet) above sea level and is the highest mountain in Thailand.

Climate

● Cool Season : (late October to end of February). average temperature 21C and much cooler at night. The coldest months are December and January. ● Hot Season : (early March to end of May) Average temperature 29.9C. The hottest month is April. ● Rainy Season : (early June to end of October). Average temperature 25.5C. The wettest month is September.

Koh Samui

	Samui in brief. Summary information about Koh Samui including location, facilities, Weather and climate, Do's & Taboos and an overview of Samui's most popular beaches and areas around the island. Buddhism, Temples & Religion From ancient Buddha images to modern, colorful temples, there is a vast selection of interesting places to visit and sights to see.	Buddhism, Temples and Religion
Tourist attractions Pictures and locations of waterfalls, famous rock formations and other points of interest. Small maps highlight locations on the island so that you may plan an individual island tour. Some of the attractions are commercial but have become so popular that we must include them. The places of interest section also includes links to other pages.	infamous rocks: Hinta Hinyai	Waterfalls and attractions
Festivals and Culture	Festivals and culture What is "Songkran" ? Dates and location of events. Thai music and dance, traditions, Thai sport and culture centers on Samui. Sight seeing tours Excursions to Marine National Park, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and others, day and half-day Island tours, jungle and mountain tours, jeep safari, elephant trekking, etc...	Sight Seeing Tours
Massage & Rejuvenation	Jeep & Bike rentals	The standard transportation on Samui is the Pickup-Taxi. These "Taxis" drive around the island most of the day and night. You can also rent Jeeps and Motorbikes at many places on the island. All kind of cars are also available from Budget Thailand. Thai massage, herbal steam and other medical and rejuvenation facilities are becoming increasingly popular on Samui.

Diving, snorkeling, fishing, watersports. There are many scuba diving schools located around Samui offering a wide range of dive facilities including snorkeling, fishing and excursion tours. The area of Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and the Angthong Marine National Park are world famous dive places. Don't miss the KSH3 - The Koh Samui Hash House Harriers. The drinking club with a running problem ...	Diving	Hash House Harriers
Monkey show	Animal shows and entertainment. "Monkey work coconut", butterfly garden, tropical zoo, snake farm, monkey theatre, elephant trek - there are many shows on offer daily for your enjoyment around the island.	Animal shows
Nightlife & Bars	Dusk till Dawn: Samui nightlife ... Bars, cabarets shows and discos are located mainly in Chaweng and Lamai . The Green Mango, Reggae Pub, Santa Fe and Bauhaus are top-ranking island discotheques, often featuring live music, some open until sunrise.	Discos
Thai cooking	Dining and restaurants. Samui is well known for its seafood and many restaurants around the island offer a mix of Thai, European food and other specialties. You should also try the large range of seasonal tropical fruits and don't even think about leaving before you taste a fresh Samui coconut, yum! Shopping spree Lamai, Chaweng and Nathon town offer the shopper the most opportunities to haggle a good price: Tailored clothes and silk items, jewelry & gems, antiques, souvenirs and handicrafts ... test your bargaining power!	Shopping and Facilities
A recipe for the perfect culinary vacation? We think so. Come learn to cook one of the world's great cuisine on one of Southeast Asia's most beautiful tropical islands in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere.
	Around Samui the nearby islands Koh Phangan (Fullmoon Party), Koh Tao (Diving), Koh Nangyuan, Koh Tan and Koh Matsum offer more local attractions worthwhile investigating if you feel a little adventurous. Do you want more ? Choose from a wide range of hotels and resorts : budget to 5-star - but you may have already found these. What about Thailand's first live webcam ? or our guestbook ? Is there still something you miss? Please let us know so that we can complete the website info@sawadee.com

Phuket

Phuket is Thailands largest island, approximately the size of Singapore. Phuket nestles in balmy Andaman Sea waters on Thailand’s Indian Ocean coastline 862 kilometers south of Bangkok. Phuket is blessed with magnificent coves and bays, powdery, palm-fringed white beaches, sparkling island-dotted seas, sincerely hospitable people, superb accommodations and seafood, delightful turn-of-the-century Sino-Portuguese architecture; numerous sporting and leisure opportunities; a lush tropical landscape - all of which combine to create a delightful ambience for truly memorable holidays. The most famous beaches are Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala and Nai Harn Beach. Phuket and its islands are ideal for sailing, diving & snorkeling, golfing and all kinds of sports & entertainment you can wish for; you even can take a trip with a submarine to discover the colorful marine live. There is plenty of accommodation available ranging from standard bungalow resorts to 5 star hotels.
● Accommodation All Phuket Hotels ● Hotels by location: Patong Beach Kata Beach Karon Beach Bang Tao Beach Surin Beach Kamala Beach Other Beaches ● Maps Phuket Province Phuket Interactive Map Patong Beach Phuket Town Kata Beach Kata Noi Beach Karon Beach Bang Tao Beach Surin Beach Kamala Beach Nai Harn Beach Nai Yang Beach Islands around Phuket ● Tour & Travel Cruises Package Tours ● This & That Tourism Authority Phuket Useful Telephone Numbers Playing Safe	● General Information About Phuket Weather History Radio Festivals & Events Transfer Getting around Phuket Airport Dining Shopping Beaches Islands Health ● Activities Golf Pirate's Cove Minigolf Dino Park Minigolf Horseback Riding Thai Boxing Target Shooting Hash House Harriers Go-kart Phuket Joyland Mountain Biking Bungee Jumping Paintball Bowling ● Watersports Sailing Cruises Diving Fishing Canoeing Snorkeling Waterski Cable Ways Phuket Submarine Wind Surfing	● Animals Monkey School Snake Farm Aquarium Butterfly Garden and Insect World Gibbon Rehabilitation Center Phuket Zoo Crocodile World & Elephant Land Khao Phra Thaeo ● Nightlife & Entertainment Simon Cabaret Phuket Joyland Horror House Phuket Fantasea ● Attractions - in Amphoe Muang - in Amphoe Kathu - in Amphoe Thalang Thalang Museum Sirinat National Park Khao Phra Theaw Non-hunting Area Temples Waterfalls Museums Beaches Islands The Sea Gypsies ● Nearby Attractions Surin National Park Similan National Park Khao Lampi National Park Khao Lak Lamroo National Park Ao Phan Nga National Park Phi Phi National Park
Kata Beach Karon Beach Bang Tao / Surin Other Beaches

Pattaya

Pattaya is 147 kilometers southeast of Bangkok, and faces the Thai Gulf. It is Asias premier beach resort, and caters with equal appeal to families, couples and single visitors. Pattaya's relaxing tropical ambience is synonymous with every ingredient for memorable holidays. Accommodation ranges from luxuriously appointed backside hotels with superb convention facilities to simple guesthouses. Sporting opportunities abound both on land and water, and include some of the finest golfing, game fishing, and scuba-diving anywhere in Asia. Theme and amusement parks, offbeat museums and lush botanical gardens offer numerous forms of leisure activities and cultural entertainment for all family members. And after dark, Pattaya offers all the allure and magic of a truly vibrant nightlife with a spectacular variety of restaurants, night clubs, bars, discotheques, cocktail lounges and cabarets. Pattaya can be brash, bold, beautiful and bucolic, and offers everything and authentic international beach resort can.

Pattaya History Fifty years ago Pattaya was a sleepy little fishing village, dwarfed by her neighbors to the North, Na Klua, to the South, Rayong. Its only claim to fame being that it had, in the 13th century, been a resting place for the battle forces of the great King Narai during his campaign to oust the Burmese invaders. From that overnight bivouac, Pattaya derives its name. Then came the Vietnam war and incursion of more benign foreign troops. Thailand supported the American efforts in the area! providing bases, manned by thousands of young America requiring rest and recreation.

How is it possible to fix the date of an historical trend? Whilst Pattaya had achieved some popularity with a few adventurous souls who braved the rough road from Bangkok to take advantage of the crystal waters, great diving and soon following them, beach bars and restaurants, let us take the time when, on the 29th June 1959, four or five transport trucks loaded with American G.I.'s arrived in the village of Pattaya on leave from their base at Nakhon Ratchasima. On arrival in Pattaya they rented houses belonging to Phraya Sunthorn which were along the southern end of Pattaya Beach, now know as the "Strip". The marines stayed for about a week and returned to base. Having had a great time in Pattaya With the friendly residents, they spread the word. A new group of marines kept arriving periodically and the village geared up to cater to their every need. This can be considered as the birth of Pattaya as a tourist resort. Pattaya continued to grow in popularity at such a rate with both Thai and foreign tourists, that the local government could not cope with the administration. Administrative and infrastructure combination with Na Klua, took place in 1976 and the government promulgated the Pattaya City Act in 1978, there by joining Na Klua and Pattaya to form the fifth local government municipality. Thus was Pattaya City born, and thus, with an ever - increasing influx of visitors and residents from the burgeoning surrounding industrial estates, has she developed into what she is today.

Major Events ● Wan Lai Festival The heat in Thailand intensifies once the month of April comes. People of old were wise enough to initiate the Songkran festival to cool themselves off from the heat and celebrate it as the Thai New Year. In the central region, the festival is usually held on the 13th, l4th and 15th of April while in the East there is a difference as the water throwing activities commence on the l6th or 17th, 18th or 19th known as "Wan Lai" (Flowing Day). Pattaya City holds its Wan Lai festival annually on April 19th with activities such as water pouring for the elders, processions and the fun of dowsing and another with water, a time for Thais and foreigners alike. ● Pattaya Festival usually held at the middle of April to promote tourism and Pattaya's reputation. Floral floats are paraded along the streets. The Miss Pattaya Beauty contest is held as well as traditional aquatic sports competitions and construction of sand castles. A spectacular fireworks display takes place on the beach and fire crackers are also set off. Simultaneously, there are arts and cultural performances, exhibitions and souvenirs for sale. ● Chonburi Buffalo Races is held in Chon Buri during October every year. The water buffalo is one of the mainstays in the life of a Thai farmer, but in this annual event it is put to more amusing uses than ploughing the local fields, such as buffalo races and contests pitting buffalo and man. Beauty contests add to the fun a festival that attracts crowds from nearby seaside resorts.