Thailand travel guide

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Thaizer — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:37:51 PST

Although there are plenty of stray dogs in Thailand, there are also some privileged pooches enjoying a pampered lifestyle. The two dogs in the photo below were curled up asleep on a stall at Chiang Mai’s Sunday Walking Street Market.

There is a fondness for the ‘narak’ (cute or charming) in Thailand, whether it be children or animals and these two dogs certainly fit firmly into the narak category. Dogs in motorbike baskets or perched with paws on handlebars are an everyday sight in Chiang Mai where there is also a trend to dress dogs in costumes during the cool season. The smaller breed of dogs in particular seem to be viewed almost as a fashion accessory. So much so, that one of my Thai friends in Chiang Mai claimed that his girlfriend paid more attention to her little dog than she did of him. His girlfriend meanwhile complained that he loved Manchester United more than he loved her. Now that I come to think of it, I shouldn’t have been that surprised when they split up!

Hello Kitty in Thailand

Thaizer — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:42:42 PST

I don’t pretend to understand the whole Hello Kitty phenomenon. I’m not exactly the target market, but in Asia and Thailand it can be surprising where the little cat mascot crops up. You’d expect to see it perhaps on young children’s school bags or notebooks, but maybe not on an adult’s t-shirt or motorbike. Well, This Is Thailand (T.I.T.) so expect the unexpected. It’s perfectly acceptable here for adults to indulge in the Hello Kitty craze which might be seen in other countries as kitsch or odd, but in Thailand is just ‘narak’.

There have been suggestions that the Hello Kitty character is based partly on the beckoning lucky cat (maneko-neko) which, in its various forms, has traditionally been a good luck symbol throughout Asia. However, this particular cat wasn’t quite so lucky for some unfortunate Thai police officers back in 2007. As part of a campaign to improve discipline amongst the Bangkok police force, officers who were late on duty or who committed minor transgressions had to wear a pink Hello Kitty armband for several days as a mark of shame. Amazing Thailand.

Photo © Thaizer

Phuket Airport Bus

Thaizer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:08:51 PST

If you are flying in or out of Phuket, the government-run airport bus can be a convenient transport option, especially if you are staying in Phuket Town. The route does not include the most popular beach resorts so it won’t be an ideal option for everybody, but it is still a useful service.

The Phuket airport bus starts/terminates at the main Phuket bus station in Phuket Town. Stops en route include the Boat Lagoon, Central Big C and the Pearl Village Hotel. If you are staying at one of the popular beaches like Patong, Kata or Karon it will be more convenient to take a taxi directly to or from the airport rather than take the bus. However, if you are staying in Phuket Town or are a Phuket regular familiar with the island the service is very handy. The one-way fare between Phuket airport and Phuket bus station is currently 85 Baht per person and is payable on the bus. The journey is timetabled to take 1 hour 20 minutes, but in reality it takes about 1 hour. If you are going to the airport you will be dropped off outside the departure terminal. If you are catching the bus from Phuket airport just follow the signs for ‘airport bus’ in the arrivals hall. The buses have 24-seats with plenty of room for luggage inside.

If you are looking at Phuket bus station from the front, the distinctive orange airport buses leave/arrive at the bay in the far left-hand corner (marked ‘airport bus’). If you have a flight to catch I would advise double-checking the bus times in person the day before you travel if you can. On the day I travelled recently, two of the afternoon services out of Phuket bus terminal were cancelled. It didn’t affect me because I was on a morning bus, but it’s always advisable to double-check. Should your bus be cancelled, it’s still easy to get a taxi to/from Phuket bus station and the airport. The airport bus timetable below is from January 2012. More details at www.airportbusphuket.com