About 500 metres from the shore and within convenient distance of the pier at Phae in Rayong Province that connects tourists to Samet Island by shuttle boats, there are a row of floating houses along a rocky dyke that belong to fish farmers. Among them are two private properties - Piyapan Tok Muk and Phaae Phayom - which offer homestay service and a chance to take in fresh sea breeze, scenic view at sunset and a peaceful night under the stars out at sea.
TRAVEL TITBITS
While locals may be decrying the soaring cost of petrol, food and other necessities, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are still relatively cheap places in which to hang out, at least according to the expatriates polled for the latest Cost of Living Ranking conducted by ECA International.
STAY
Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre
FACES & PLACES
For a foreigner travelling through Asia, every corner one turns offers the potential of a new experience or an encounter that could leave a lasting memory. But crossing overland into Cambodia made an impression on me altogether very different from that created by any other country I'd ever been to. The buildings and streets of Poipet have a war-torn feel to them and everything seems to be covered in a thin layer of red dust from the unsealed, laterite roads. Thailand was less than 300 metres from where I stood, yet the transformation was shocking.
DREAM CHASER
We passed the town of Loei and started riding up the mountains of Phu Rua. About 5km after passing the winery Chateau de Loei we took a left turn off Highway 203 on to a small lane, which leads to Hui's house.
AT LEISURE
Viphavee Khoman comes across as the very epitome of the modern working woman. "To be successful in life one has to strike the right balance between work and play," commented the 33-year-old who, after five years as a civil servant, became general manager of B Boulevard Lifestyle Mall in Bang Na a year ago.
Cha-am and other seaside destinations in Phetchaburi have received ample coverage, so recently we decided to venture inland to the district of Ban Lat and check out a large farming community called Thamrong.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
There is some rather upscale tourist accommodation to be found on the southeastern tip of Phuket, and the Cape Panwa Hotel is one of the original establishments.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
Open only two months, this boutique resort of 44 villas is located against the backdrop of mountains next to a peaceful beach with views of Ko Chang and Ko Krud. Each of the 62m2 villas has a bedroom, bathroom, living room and private sundeck complete with personal jacuzzi spa. There are also split-level suites with a big terrace or balcony. Amenities include flat-screen satellite TV (with a selection of in-house films), a fridge, in-room safe, mini bar, coffee/tea-making facilities and a hair-dryer. There's also a children's pool, an infinity swimming pool, a spa in a mangrove setting and a library lounge. Bicycles and kayaks are available.
Temples in this Buddhist country ain't just centres of faith for performing religious rites connected with people's daily lives, some of them also radiate with fine and precious works of art that beg attention.
VOTE
Send us photographs from your travels in Thailand and each week, out of the selected group, we'll pick one winner. The prize for this week's winning entry is a Dorling Kindersley book entitled Universe: The Definitive Visual Guide (it comes courtesy of Asia Books).
AWAY
The annual Phi Ta Khon Festival is scheduled July 4-6. During the festival Loei residents don ghost masks and parade downtown before converging at Wat Phon Chai in Dan Sai district of the province in a celebration that is a re-enactment of Vessandra's, reincarnation of Lord Buddha in his previous life, return to his palace after a long exile in forest, and to pray for abundant rainfall.
