Showing 11 - 20 of 31
Life's a beach in the navy
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 16/07/2015
» A short drive from bustling Pattaya, Sattahip district of Chon Buri province remains charming, with clean beaches and an easy atmosphere.
High-speed trains? Keep dreaming
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 24/06/2015
» I linger at a railway station, waiting for the train. Half an hour before, I was in a super-rush. According to the timetable, the train I was scheduled to catch should be about to arrive. From the hotel, I told a motorcycle taxi driver to go fast so I wouldn't miss this train.
The true economies of travel
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 20/01/2015
» The dramatic drop in oil prices. The democracy of flying. The VIP buses and their large networks. The odd idea about imposing minimum prices on low-cost airlines.
Harmony in the hills
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 02/10/2014
» Tucked into a hollow in a range of mountains northeast of Chiang Mai town, the people of Ban Mae Kampong have been living a simple but contented life in the embrace of nature for more than a hundred years.
Ratchaburi redux
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 11/09/2014
» The Sun is about to set behind a row of shophouses painted white or an attractive shade of pale yellow. A refreshing breeze blows along the Mae Klong River lifting the humidity and cooling down the town after what has been a long lazy day. People begin emerging from houses or wherever they sought shelter from the strong afternoon sun and head out to the market, stand on street corners chatting with neighbours or take a stroll to get some fresh air.
Taken for a ride
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 09/07/2014
» When the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) announced its plan to organise public transport, I welcomed the initiative. The headaches over taxi rides around Bangkok is something that needs to be addressed, considering that it’s one of our main public transport options. Of course there are professional and well-behaved cabbies, but it’s not wrong to say that there is still plenty of room for improvement, as complaints from passengers are heard on a daily basis.
Rush-hour revelations
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 27/03/2014
» Negotiating the busy streets of central Bangkok by bike can be a hair-raising experience at the best of times. In broad daylight, one at least has a better chance of seeing manic motorists, jaywalking pedestrians, dozing dogs and other obstacles in time to take evasive action. But traversing the downtown area on two wheels after dark is surely a recipe for disaster. Which is why I am so nervous about signing up for a bicycle tour of the city, organised by a firm called Co Van Kessel, which starts just before sunset.
Pink is the new green
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 23/01/2014
» Ice cold winds sweep over the mountains. White clouds fly past peaks like in a time-lapse video. On the hilltop grassland, tents flutter like they are being rattled by invisible hands. But the cold does not stop tourists from witnessing the colour of the wild Himalayan cherry tress, which paint the mountain pink.
Turning full circle
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 12/12/2013
» Khun Yuam is a sleepy amphur in Mae Hong Son province that hasn't seen a great deal of excitement since the end of World War II. Right on the border with Myanmar's Shan State is the hamlet of Ban Huay Ton Noon. From there it's only 30km inland to the district capital, also called Khun Yuam, and this was the same route taken for centuries by invading armies, loggers, seasonal farm labourers and merchants carrying goods back and forth on carts drawn by teams of oxen.
Pedal-powered panorama
Life, Peerawat Jariyasombat, Published on 03/10/2013
» Cycling through the historic centre of Chiang Mai is a good deal easier than trying to get around by car. Compared to nearby neighbourhoods like Tha Phae or Huay Kaew, the streets in the old quarter are usually very quiet and a journey on two wheels within the square-shaped area enclosed by the old city moat rarely takes more than 15 minutes. Riding a bicycle is also more convenient (no need to fight for parking spaces) and much cheaper than taking the local form of public transport, the red song taew with its flat rate of 20 baht per passenger.