I almost forgot why I have been bouncing around Thailand for the last week. I am in Bangkok to participate at the Thailand Travel Mart, a tourism convention filled with buyers, sellers, and media from around the world bent on putting together the best tours and travel news for Southeast Asian countries. The Thailand Travel Mart, or TTM, officially began

I finally got out into the bust streets of Bangkok this morning before finding an air-conditioned building stop in. The first thing in the building that hit me was the smell. It smelled nice. The lobby was stylish with vibrant colors and tasteful decor. I might say it was a bit on the trendier side of hip. Common rooms had complimentary Internet and water. The

I have written a series of blogs recently about getting the authentic experience while traveling. Here is a little practicing what I preach when I was fortunate enough to have a Thai local help me pay alms to the monks of Khuraburi, Thailand. Mai knocked on my door at 6:15AM to meet the monks and pay alms (sai-baat in Thai). We walked out into the coolest

He told me to just step on her neck. It did not sound like a good idea, wouldn’t it hurt her? Then the man reached out for my foot and placed upon her neck motioning me forward. There I was 12 feet in the air and locked in by a makeshift seatbelt when she began to move. Elephants really don’t move gracefully or swiftly as they did in the cartoon

2 hours at LAX 13 to Taipei 3 hours at Taipei Airport 4 hours to Bangkok 2 hours in Bangkok 1 hour to Phuket 1.5 hours to Sarojin Resort. 28.5 hours later I can hardly think, but have arrived safe and sound in Khoa Lak and hour and a half outside of Phuket. It sounds far worse than it is and the food on EVA is pretty good. While I have little distance to what I

Songkran was the most unique New Year celebration I’ve encountered yet. My first experience of the countrywide water fight took place in Hua Hin, a small coastal town just an easy drive from Bangkok (a 2 ½ to 3 ½ hour drive, depending on traffic). The typically reserved Thai people let loose for a few days and let the cold water moderate one of the hottest

Phra Saneh Dhammavaro, one of the Buddhist masters at the Wat Suan Dok temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is one of the most patient, kind, and wise people I’ve ever met. His face is timeless, so it’s hard to tell exactly how old he is. However, he’s been a practicing Buddhist monk for more than two decades. His eyes are filled with wisdom and tolerance and

Devin visits with Alden of Thai Airways at the Los Angeles Times Adventurers Travel Expo help on February 10-11. Alden shares his personal experience with the tribes in the north of Chang Mai and the Beaches of Phucket. He also gives us the lowdown on some of the services of Thai Airways. Produced by Wayfarer Digital for In The Know Traveler. For more on

Maryl visits with Marie Ann of GAP Adventures at the Los Angeles Times Adventurers Travel Expo help on February 10-11. Marie Ann gives travelers options to over 1000 trip options worldwide. The refitted 18th Century boat trips visiting exotic locales does sound great, I guess that’s why it won an award. Produced by Wayfarer Digital for In The Know

BANGKOK, September 20, 2006 – Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) members in Thailand are keen to reassure the global travel trade that the coup d’etat currently underway in the country has so far been non-violent, and that travel and tourism facilities and services are currently operating normally. PATA President and CEO Mr Peter de Jong wrote

During my first trip to Thailand, I had no idea what I was going to eat for the next three weeks. Oh sure I’d been to many Thai restaurants in the U.S., but I hadn’t ventured much beyond Pad Thai and maybe fried fish. I wasn’t excited about the prospect of stuffing fried noodles down my throat for the better part of a month. Luckily for me the first hotel