There are two parking lots where you can park your bike for a small fee. If I don't remember wrong it should be 20 baht for a motorbike.
Coming from Kamala the first parking lot has a somewhat steep trail. Instead, drive to the second parking lot. Trail down here is not so steep, but longer.
Laem Singh Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on Phuket Island, so long you don't mind a beach with lots of sunbeds. There are also several restaurants under the trees along the beach.
Beach vendors are common at Laem Singh. A few minutes after you have settled down to relax, their radars will have detected you and will approach you with very nice goods. But don't expect to pay a reasonable price for anything they sell on the beach.
The beach is divided in two with lots of rocks in the water at the south end. The north end and most popular part of the beach has only a few rocks in the water.
Snorkeling is best at the south end, with okay snorkeling along the rocks.
Don't waist your time snorkeling at the north end. Walk south!
If you are bored with swimming or snorkeling, there is always the option of Jet Ski, Banana Boat or Water Ski.
Laem Singh Beach is a favorite beach for many people and the parking lot is always packed in high season.
Ko Phi Phi (หมู่เกาะพีพี) is a small archipelago in Krabi Province.
The named islands are:
* Ko Phi Phi Don, the largest and only populated island.
* Ko Phi Phi Leh (also known as Ko Phi Phi Lai), a smaller island to the south, popularised when parts of the movie "The Beach" were filmed there. Uninhabited apart from bird nest harvesters and a few Maya Bay wardens; expect plenty of tourists during daylight hours, especially in Maya Bay, the beach of the eponymous movie.
* Ko Phai ('Bamboo Island'), a small low-lying islet to the north of Phi Phi Don with several good beaches.
* Ko Yung (Yung Island) is north of Ko Phi Phi Don. The island has a stone beach in the east and small sandy beaches at the foot of the hills. It is teeming with various kinds of colourful coral reefs.
* Bida Nok and Bida Nai, two small adjacent limestone karsts to the south of Phi Phi Leh, with near-vertical cliff walls rising from the sea.
Although rapidly becoming less and less attractive due to the masses of tourists as well as the construction on the island, it's still a very beautiful place to visit, and is one of those places everybody should go at least once in their lifetime. Although the beaches are not the best in Thailand, the place has a good vibe and nightlife and there are dozens of dive shops to choose from.
Most of the (over)development of Phi Phi Don is situated in or around Tonsai village, which is on the low, sandy isthmus that joins the two hilly spurs that comprise the rest of the island. There are also other, quieter resorts on Long Beach, Laem Thong, and at other less accessible areas of the island.
Ko Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was wiped out. Redevelopment has, however, been swift, and services like electricity, water, Internet access and ATMs are up and running again, but waste handling has been slower to come back online.
It should be noted that, while very laid back, many of the local islanders are Muslim. You will lose considerable respect if you walk around town in your skimpies (this applies to Buddhist areas of Thailand too!). While many tourists do in fact parade down Main Street in their Speedos or thong bikinis, to avoid offending your hosts, it's usually best just to throw on a pair of shorts or a sarong; similarly, topless on the beaches, while grudgingly tolerated by most locals, is also probably best avoided.
Phuket (Thai: ภูเก็ต, formerly known as Tha-Laang or Talang) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phang Nga and Krabi, but as Phuket is an island there are no land boundaries. The island is served by Phuket International Airport, located in the north of the island.
The name Phuket (of which the ph sound is an aspirated p) is apparently derived from the word bukit in Malay which means mountain or hill, as this is what the island appears like from a distance.
Before that its old name was Thalang, derived from the old Malay "Telong" which means "Cape". The northern district of the province, which was the location of the old capital, still uses this name.
The most significant event in the history of Phuket was the attack by the Burmese in 1785. Captain Francis Light, a British East India Company captain passing by the island, sent word to the local administration that he had observed Burmese forces preparing to attack. Khunying Jan, the wife of the recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook then assembled what forces they could. After a month-long siege, the Burmese were forced to retreat March 13, 1785. The two women became local heroines, receiving the honorary titles Thao Thep Kasatri and Thao Sri Sunthon from King Rama I. During the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), Phuket became the administrative center of the tin-producing southern provinces. In 1933 Monthon Phuket was dissolved and Phuket became a province by itself. Old names of the island include Ko Thalang.
Phuket is the biggest island in Thailand, located in the Andaman Sea off southern Thailand. The island is mostly mountainous with a mountain range in the west of the island from the north to the south. The mountains of Phuket form the southern end of the Phuket mountain range, which ranges for 440 km from the Kra Isthmus. The highest elevation of the island is Mai Thao Sip Song (Twelve Canes), at 529 m above sea level.
70% of the island is covered by forest. The western coast has several sandy beaches, while on the east coast beaches are more often muddy. Near the southernmost point is Laem Promthep (Brahma's Cape), which is a popular sunset viewing point.
In the mountainous north of the island is the Khao Phra Thaeo Non-hunting Area, protecting more than 20 km² of rainforest. The three highest peaks of this reserve are the Khao Prathiu (384 m), Khao Bang Pae (388 m) and Khao Phara (422 m). The Sirinat National Park on the northwestern coast was established in 1981 and protects an area of 90 km² (68 km² marine area), including the Nai Yang beach where sea turtles lay their eggs.
One of the most popular tourist areas on Phuket is Patong Beach on the central western coast, perhaps owing to the easy access to its wide and long beach. Most of Phuket's nightlife and its cheap shopping is located in Patong, and the area has become increasingly developed. Patong means "the forest filled with banana leaves" in Thai.
Other popular beaches are located south of Patong. In a counterclockwise direction these include Karon Beach, Kata Beach, Kata Noi Beach, and around the southern tip of the island, Nai Harn Beach and Bang Tao Beach. These areas are generally much less developed than Patong, and sought out by individuals, families and other groups with a preference for more relaxed and less crowded environs than Patong.
There are several coral islands to the south of Phuket, the Similan Islands lie to the north west, and Phi Phi Islands to the south east. All the islands are suitable for diving.
Ayutthaya (full name Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Thai: พระนครศรีอยุธยา, pronounced eye-you-TEE-a) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Ang Thong, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Suphan Buri.
The name Ayutthaya derives from the Ayodhya of the Ramayana epic.
Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand (then called Siam) from 1350 until it was sacked by the Burmese army in 1767. This period of Thai history is now usually referred as the Ayutthaya period or Ayutthaya kingdom. The ruins of the old capital in the Ayutthaya historical park are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The province is also home to the Bang Pa-in summer palace complex.
Originally named Krung Kao (กรุงเก่า), the province was renamed to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya in 1919.
Ayutthaya Kingdom
The kingdom of Ayutthaya (Thai: อยุธยา) was a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. King Ramathibodi I (Uthong) founded Ayutthaya as the capital of his kingdom in 1350 and absorbed Sukhothai, 640 km to the north, in 1376. Over the next four centuries the kingdom expanded to become the nation of Siam, whose borders were roughly those of modern Thailand, except for the north, the Kingdom of Lannathai. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese, Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the city walls. The court of King Narai (1656-1688) had strong links with that of King Louis XIV of France, whose ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris.
Origins
The Siamese state based at Ayutthaya in the valley of the Chao Phraya River grew from the earlier kingdom of Lopburi, which it absorbed, and its rise continued the steady shift southwards of the centre of gravity of the Tai-speaking peoples. In 1350, to escape the threat of an epidemic, King U Thong moved his court south into the rich floodplain of the Chao Phraya. On an island in the river he founded a new capital, which he called Ayutthaya, after Ayodhya in northern India, the city of the hero Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana. U Thong assumed the royal name of Ramathibodi (1350-69) and claimed to be a descendant of the Lao royal lineage of Khun Boron.
Ramathibodi tried to unify his kingdom. In 1360 he declared Theravada Buddhism the official religion of Ayutthaya and brought members of a sangha, a Buddhist monastic community, from Ceylon to establish new religious orders and spread the faith among his subjects. He also compiled a legal code, based on the Indian Dharmashastra (a Hindu legal text) and Thai custom, which became the basis of royal legislation. Composed in Pali -- an Indo-Aryan language closely related to Sanskrit and the language of the Theravada Buddhist scriptures -- it had the force of divine injunction. Supplemented by royal decrees, Ramathibodi's legal code remained generally in force until the late nineteenth century.
Conquests
By the end of the fourteenth century, Ayutthaya was regarded as the strongest power in Indochina, but it lacked the manpower to dominate the region. In the last year of his reign, Ramathibodi had seized Angkor during what was to be the first of many successful Thai assaults on the Khmer capital. The policy was aimed at securing Ayutthaya's eastern frontier by preempting Vietnamese designs on Khmer territory. The weakened Khmer periodically submitted to Ayutthaya's suzerainty, but efforts to maintain control over Angkor were repeatedly frustrated. Thai troops were frequently diverted to suppress rebellions in Sukhothai or to campaign against Chiang Mai, where Ayutthaya's expansion was tenaciously resisted. Eventually Ayutthaya subdued the territory that had belonged to Sukhothai, and the year after Ramathibodi died, his kingdom was recognized by the emperor of China's newly established Ming Dynasty as Sukhothai's rightful successor.
The Thai kingdom was not a single, unified state but rather a patchwork of self-governing principalities and tributary provinces owing allegiance to the king of Ayutthaya under the mandala system. These countries were ruled by members of the royal family of Ayutthaya who had their own armies and warred among themselves, as well as self governing but subservient Malay states in the south. The king had to be vigilant to prevent royal princes from combining against him or allying with Ayutthaya's enemies. Whenever the succession was in dispute, princely governors gathered their forces and moved on the capital to press their claims.
During much of the fifteenth century Ayutthaya's energies were directed toward the Malay Peninsula, where the great trading port of Malacca contested its claims to sovereignty. Ayutthaya was successful with the military support of Ming China and Japan, who wanted to share the wealth of trade at Malacca. The northernmost loose confederations of Malay states were not well bound to Palembang, the Srivijayan capital. During this time, they stretched all the way north as far as modern day Chumporn, and far south including Pattani.
Malacca and other Malay states south of Tambralinga had become Muslim early in the century, and thereafter Islam served as a symbol of Malay solidarity against the Thais. Although it failed to make a vassal state of Malacca, Ayutthaya continued to control the lucrative trade on the isthmus, which attracted Chinese traders of specialty goods for the luxury markets of China.
Fall
In 1767, Burma invaded Ayutthaya, repelled the Ming Dynasty and took back Lannathai, while totally destroying Ayutthaya. This forced the government to relocate to Thon Buri, near present day Bangkok. It was the last of many Burmese invasions of Ayutthaya.
The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek was a flower festival held November 1, 2006, to January 31, 2007, in the Thai city of Chiang Mai that drew 3,781,624 visitors. It was one of the grand celebrations being hosted by the Royal Thai Government in honor of King Bhumibol, the world’s longest reigning monarch.
The Ratchaphruek (Cassia fistula L.) or Golden Shower Tree is the national flower of Thailand. It is also named "Khun" or "Chaiyaphruek". The reason that the Ratchaphruek is used to symbolize the nation lies in color: its yellow blossoms match the yellow of Buddhism; furthermore, the Thai people regard yellow as the color of the King as well. Moreover, all golden shower trees bloom at the same time; this unity in flowering is felt to reflect the unity and identity of Thais.
The event was located in 80 hectares of land at the Royal Agricultural Research Center in Mae Hia sub-district, Mueang district, Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand. The 92 days of the expo featured 30 international gardens reflecting nations such as Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Netherlands, South Africa, and Canada; more than 2.5 million trees of 2,200 species of tropical plants and flowers are presented to the world in this exhibition. The AIPH, the Association of International Horticultural Producers, gave this expo A1 status, its highest level; such an exhibition occurs only once a year throughout the world. In addition, a host country can only hold one such exhibition once a decade.
The festival included many highlights to attract tourists:
* Gardens for the king There were two features in this zone: one was International gardens, which were presented by 30 participating nations and covered 21,000 square meters; the other was Corporate gardens, which covered 27,475 square meters, and were presented by both Thai state enterprises, and domestic and international major corporations.
* Hor kham Royal Pavillion This building featured Lanna architecture, the architectural style of northern Thailand; inside, visitors saw pictures of King Bhumibol's works and his dedication.
* Thai Tropical Garden The enormous 100,000-square-meter garden showcased the diversity of tropical horticulture: fruit varieties, plants, flowers, herbs, and rare plants.
* Expo Plaza This was the focus of the exposition's fun-filled activities, amenities, and services. Visitors were able to purchase products from the Royal Projects and authentic local products from Chiangmai such as handicrafts, paper umbrellas, and souvenirs.
* Cultural shows A total of 45 cultural shows from various regions of Thailand were performed here, including traditional music and dance. In addition, cultural performances from other nations were presented in this place.
The Thai government had expected an average of 20,000 visitors per day, with over 100,000 visitors on a crowded day, and 3 million visitors in total to attend the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006. At the exposition's conclusion, organizers claimed that the exposition had injected 27 billion baht into the regional economy.
The Thai government has proposed transforming the site of the exposition into a permanent training center. Despite some complaints of corruption and substandard facilities, organizers believed the exposition achieved its goals of promoting tourism and developing Thai horticultural industries.
Koh Chang (Ko Chang) : A stretch of long white sandy beach dotted with coconut tree orchards is a common sight on Koh Chang the largest and busiest island in Trat and the second largest island in the country after Phuket.
Covering an area of 429 square kilometers, Koh Chang boasts several amazing natural wonders that blend magnificently with the traditional way of life such as 70 percent undisturbed island rainforest, steep hills, cliffs, waterfalls, notable wildlife, fine beaches, coral reefs and an abundance of marine life. In addition, numerous fruit orchards dot the island.WELCOME TO KO CHANG (Elephant Island)
Rural folks are always enticed by the bright lights of a big city. In the same way that nature, and all things related, works its magic for urban people. Bangkok is on a location which can be near to various places known for their natural riches. This opens a vast opportunity for its huge population to spend more time amongst nature. Some are reachable within 2-hour drive from the city, making them more familiar and thus, monotonous to the frequent visitor. But then, there are plenty of other places farther ahead that are often overlooked, waiting to be discovered…
Located in the eastern part of Thailand, Koh Chang (Ko Chang) is close to the border of Cambodia. Around 85 percent of Koh Chang (Ko Chang), along with 50 smaller islands, is part of the Koh Chang (Ko Chang) Marine National Park. Clear waters of various blue shades surround the island while a terrain of high peaks and steep cliffs provide magnificent scenic points.
In a matter of years, Koh Chang (Ko Chang) has undergone a huge change. Back then, only the simplest accommodation was offered. But now, Koh Chang (Ko Chang) is a boom town where the range has extended from economically priced bungalows to luxury resorts. To maintain the landscape of Koh Chang (Ko Chang) as unspoiled possible, a law has been enforced to limit the height of buildings on the island at 3 storeys. Water treatment system is required for new construction projects whereas island residents are discouraged for cutting down trees.
In 2003, Koh Chang (Ko Chang) was able to get a special status that meant less bureaucratic management while the government would finance infrastructure like waste water treatment facilities, garbage treatment sites and piers. While it is a place that faces more rapid growth, the community tries its best to maintain an ecologically sound environment.
Majority of the resorts in Koh Chang (Ko Chang) are thatched roof bungalows sitting on spacious land and long beaches. At the same time, plush hotels and resorts providing luxury services with modern architecture and amenities are fast becoming more numerous.
The beaches of Koh Chang (Ko Chang) are like characters from a fiction story which have their own trait. The most notable, White Sand Beach, is where most people get together. Restaurants, resorts, bars and pubs scatter the area making it the place to go to for nighttime entertainment. Klong Prao Beach (Had Khlong Prao) is distinct because of its more serene environment. Good for those who seek a calm and quiet vacation. The most popular area for those on a tight budget is Kai Bae Beach. Many backpacker-type accommodation are strewn on the area, but are nevertheless of good quality.
Fishing villages, such as Bang Bao and Salak Phet, incorporate visitors into their daily scene. Homes are built on stilts that sit on the waters and the village itself has a pier that serves as a gateway to satellite islands. Accommodation and small restaurants along the water take effort to blend in smoothly with the local lifestyle.
While the western side of the island has undergone a transformation, the eastern side prefers to retain its traditional face, wherein fruit trees and orchard plantation are generally seen.
In order to get around the island, there are pick up trucks called songtaew that have drop off points on the sole main road. Motorbikes and cars are also available for rent for those who would opt to get on the wheel by themselves.
A wide variety of activities are available on the island. A boat trip to smaller satellite islands of the national park is the most common way of spending free time. The beach is only one of the many places to take a dip into. Trek into the interior of the island, and take a plunge in the cool waterfalls. Aside from getting a tan and a massage, a tattoo is just one of the several things that you can take home with you as a souvenir of your vacation.
Koh Chang Photo Gallery
WAT SI CHUM lies about 1,500 mitres north of Wat Mahathat and was originally surrounded by a moat.A square mondop which is the main sanctuary, contains a monumental stucco-over-brick Buddha image in the attitude of Subduing Mara called "Phra Achana.".This Buddha measures 11.30 metres from knee to knee.The mondop is a passageway in the left inner wall itself which leads to the above crossbeam. On the ceiling of the passageway are more than fifty engraved slate slabs illstrating Jataka scenes.Other sites are Wat Sangkhawat, Wat Hin Tang, and Wat Khung Wai.
WAT SI CHUM Photo Gallery
