The biggest tourist attraction in Samut Prakan now is undoubtedly the Erawan Museum (Chang Erawan). This giant three-headed elephant is an incredible 29 metres high and 39 metres long. If you count the building it stands on, then the height is 43.6 metres. A small window in the belly of the elephant gives you some fine views of the surrounding area.

via thaitravelblogs.com

Here are some pictures for you of the temple fair in Samut Prakan. It was raining for most of the evening so I wasn’t able to go out until after 10 p.m. I took these pictures about an hour ago and despite the late hour there were still quite a few people around.

via thaitravelblogs.com

Long before Pattaya became a famous destination – Jomtien Beach had already carved a niche of its own, at least among the local beachgoers who adored it for its pearly white sands and long straight beach. Albeit a little late, there’s a renewed tourist interest in Jomtien from around the World. On an ordinary day, the resort looks like a busy carnival ground with colorful umbrellas dotting the whole stretch of the beach and sun worshippers in all kinds of swimwear-spicing up the scene.

via blogs.bootsnall.com

So it has been about 3 months since I last updated this blog. I will try to keep it short because the internet connection I’m on keeps failing me. At the end of April was mid-semester break (aka a random week off) so Eve and I rented a car and drove up to the north part of the south island. We spent a few days hiking the Able Tasman great walk and afterwards slowly made our way back down the east coast.

via travelblog.org

After seven weeks in China, my VISA had all but expired, so I head for a small city called Kaifeng, a four hour bus-ride from Luoyang, in hopes of getting an extension.
Unfortunately, because of the Olympics, 2008 is China's 'Special Year' and VISAs are hard to come by. In Kaifeng they could only give me a 10 day extension from that day - not much point when I still had 13 days left on the current one.

via travelblog.org

Keith Lotman went to New Delhi on a two-week business trip. But a quick day of sightseeing in India's capital city left him enthralled and ready to see more of the country. "I have about a hundred different places that I'd like to visit," said Lotman, 31, a business executive from Philadelphia, as he checked out the world's largest Bahai temple in New Delhi. "A hundred different kinds of experiences."

via usatoday.com

The new right-wing mayor Gianni Alemanno has issued a "public decorum" ordinance forbidding eating, drinking, singing or "lounging around" on the streets of the capital's centre. The measures will be introduced for an experimental period until the end of October and take effect immediately, an official at Alemanno's office said.

via news.com.au

When we first set up Thai-Blogs.com, it was our intention on not only giving you an insight into Thai life and culture, but also showing you a bit of “Unseen Thailand”. After all, it has been the long-running mandate of Paknam Web to “Promote Thailand to the World”. If you already know Thailand, then we want you to love it more. If you have never been here before, then we would very much like it if you spend your next holiday here in Thailand.

via thaitravelblogs.com

If you are looking for extreme adventure, make Interlaken, Switzerland your destination! Literally meaning “between lakes,” Interlaken is surrounded by stunning scenery – you will never want to leave! With canyoning, river-rafting, paragliding, skydiving and bungee jumping, this is the perfect place for thrill seekers!

via blog.realtravel.com

We’re nearly halfway through summer. So, if you’ve been putting off booking getaways, the “Last-minute Summer Sale” on CheapTickets.com might just persuade you to start planning. The site is advertising significant hotel deals internationally, with rates as low as $29 per night (pre-tax). That deal is for the Sunstyle Suites in Orlando, Florida, by the way, for the night of July 31, 2008.

via travel.latimes.com

Now here is one court ruling that pretty much any traveler could get behind. According to the German news weekly Die Zeit, Germany's Supreme Court, the Bundesgerichtshof, recently ruled that airline passengers traveling home from a holiday are entitled to a full refund of the cost of their trip if their plane crashes or comes close enough to crashing to have caused passengers fear and stress -- thus ruining the relaxation won on said vacation.

via gadling.com

While we’re happily enjoying the fruits of summer, it’s not too soon to think ahead to the legendary autumnal foliage of eastern Canada and New England. We pinned down a set of cruises that coincide with the traditional peaks of fall color in the region — from the end of September through mid-October — with prices sure to make you ooh and ahh. Trips along the scenic route start at a spectacular $649!

via msnbc.msn.com

We screeched to a halt along the side of the road in Grand Teton National Park. Reggie, 8, was equally mesmerized but 3-year-old Melanie couldn't quite grasp that we were in the moose's house -- and it wasn't a zoo. I still smile years later when I think about the kids' excitement. Forget the Kodak moments. The chance to share something new together -- something you'd never see or do at home -- is what makes those indelible family vacation memories that last forever.

via cnn.com

I was in Bangkok last week in order to take some pictures for our web sites. I love doing boat trips and I thought I would explore the river north of the city. I have explored the canals before on the Thonburi side of the river in a long-tailed boat (see picture to the right). You can hire these boats for about an hour or so for about 400 baht from the pier near the Grand Palace. But, this time I wanted to explore on public transport.

via thaitravelblogs.com

Though we are still deep in summer, autumn is soon to follow. With fall foliage comes cruises along the New England coast, among them four sailings aboard the Crystal Symphony. The first Crystal Symphony fall foray is the Sept. 16-27 "Colonial Classics" from New York to Montreal, with Newport, Boston and Quebec City among the ports of call.

via freep.com