A "must read" overview on Thailand and other Asian countries is the Retire to Asia! E-Book. 67 pages of text and stunning photographs. Visit me at http://www.retiretoasia.net Brian Bees has lived and worked in Asia for 28 years.
13Mar/101
What are the best tourism destinations to visit in september-october? How about Thailand?
I wanna go with my girlfriend on a trip/vacation between september 9th and october 12th this year (I'm from Israel). I was thinking about Thailand but I know that is not the ideal time to visit there (monsoons and stuff). For this trip Europe and USA are out of the question (been there already).
Which destinations are good for this time of the year? And what do you think about the current idea of thailand?
9Mar/100
Medical Tourism In Thailand
Humans are just like machines, often vulnerable to wear and tear. In the quest to achieve more and more we use and, at times, abuse our systems. This eventually leads to breakdown sooner than later. But that fact remains that health and general well being are of utmost importance to proper functioning of machines called human body. Helping the same cause, today, is medical tourism. Seeking health services in a foreign country is no longer a painstaking process. One of the prominent destinations for medical tourism happens to be Thailand. Providing assistance to every kind of patient and catering to all needs, Thailand boasts of some of the best hospitals.
Cheap airline tickets, easy accessibility to experts, and professional post care services, all these factors make the country a big hit among the medical tourists. Be it cosmetic, dental, elective or essential surgery, you name it and the hospitals in Thailand have it. True, the thought of undergoing surgery abroad could make you think twice. But when you go through the sites, read testimonials and hear successful stories, your doubts are bound to fade away. Efficient and competent in every aspect, Thailand’s health care centers help the patient in each and every way. Right from giving out proper information about prices, procedure and doctor selection, booking flight tickets, providing transport services, arranging hotel stay, to recovering at your chosen place of stay and follow up back in your home country.
Bangkok, in particular, is the most sought after destination for all medical tourists. The city’s hospitals provide a multitude of low cost personal health care services. These include breast enlargement, dental implants, drug rehabilitation, infertility treatment, In-vitro fertilization, egg donation and plastic surgery. State-of-the art medical equipment and latest scientific technology are some of the basics present at top hospitals in the city. Apart from actual medical services, some health centers in Bangkok also offer medical escorts and concierge services. Planning a medical trip to Bangkok is also like a vacation in disguise. If time and health permits, you actually get to enjoy one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet. Affordability is not the only factor drawing hundreds of people to the city for medical tourism. These hospitals have on-board some of the well qualified doctors certified by American and Australian Boards.
Inadequate insurance covers can leave you in the lurch. Not having deep pockets can bar you from getting top quality and comprehensive health care in your country. Do you really want all of this? Or would you rather choose to fly to Thailand and get the best care and services possible. But before you pick a hospital make sure it has achieved the International Standards Organization's ISO 9001:2000 accreditation. Many leading health care providers in Thailand have their own quality assurance department.
Medical tourism search engine offering users the ability to compare
29Nov/090
Let’s take a break – THAILAND Tourism Invitations Video
Nichkhun (2 pm) invited you come to Thailand to take a break and enjoy with Thailand Vacations. www.thailandbeing.com We've prepared our Thai food, Thai cultures and our beach and fun. You can taking your happy break in Thailand. Welcome to Thailand. ... Thailand "Thailand Vacations" "Let's take a break" "Thai food" "Amazing Thailand"
16Nov/090
Let’s take a break – THAILAND Tourism Invitations Video
Nichkhun (2 pm) invited you come to Thailand to take a break and enjoy with Thailand Vacations. www.thailandbeing.com We've prepared our Thai food, Thai cultures and our beach and fun. You can taking your happy break in Thailand. Welcome to Thailand. ... Thailand "Thailand Vacations" "Let's take a break" "Thai food" "Amazing Thailand"
8Nov/090
Let’s take a break – THAILAND Tourism Invitations Video
Nichkhun (2 pm) invited you come to Thailand to take a break and enjoy with Thailand Vacations. www.thailandbeing.com We've prepared our Thai food, Thai cultures and our beach and fun. You can taking your happy break in Thailand. Welcome to Thailand. ... Thailand "Thailand Vacations" "Let's take a break" "Thai food" "Amazing Thailand"
30Oct/090
Health Tourism in Thailand
Private healthcare in the West is notoriously expensive, for some, prohibitively so. Commonplace medical items like dentistry or health check ups are high-priced, while surgery and major operations can completely bankrupt many individuals. Thus, the rapidly-growing practice of traveling across international borders to obtain healthcare.
Many have found their solutions in Thailand, spurring a trend in “health tourism” within the country. Why Thailand? Because the Thai medical profession is one of the most advanced in the region. Thailand’s hospitals and clinics are world class. Investments in equipment and management standards are so high that major hospitals are “internationally accredited”.
The following are some “ball park” cost comparisons. The cost of surgery can be one-tenth of what it is in the United States or Western Europe, and sometimes even less. A heart-valve replacement that would cost $200,000 or more in the US, for example, goes for $10,000 and that includes round-trip airfare and a brief vacation package. Similarly, a metal-free dental bridge worth $5,500 in the US costs around $500. A knee replacement in Thailand with six days of physical therapy costs about one-fifth of what it would in the US. Lasik eye surgery worth $3,700 in the US is available for around $730. In the US cataract surgery for one eye runs around $8,000, but at a prestigious International hospital in Thailand cataract surgery can be performed on both eyes for around $2,500. Cosmetic surgery savings are even greater: A full facelift that would cost $20,000 in the US runs about $1,200. A thorough dental cleaning and checkup runs around $10.00.
Tourists are drawn to Thailand for many reasons - tropical beauty, splendid beaches, and a fascinating culture. Now however, health is yet another reason that lures visitors to the kingdom. Thailand has become the spa capital of Asia. The country abounds in health clubs and spas, and offers an incredible amount of sporting activities, everything from golfing to scuba diving, and from biking to cave exploring.
Thai Airlines features what is known as Royal Orchid Holidays. Medical checkups, has become so important, Royal Orchid Holidays has added medical checkups to its package tours. It’s an unusual theme for a package tour, perhaps, but a very practical one, giving travelers the opportunity to have a comprehensive medical checkup while they are in Thailand for business or pleasure. Quality healthcare combined with a tourism holiday at a low price attracts patients from all over the world.
On the medical side, an Internet search of the International hospitals in Bangkok will provide all the information necessary regarding medical procedures available and the related costs. While the list is long, to start, your search should include the popular Bumrungrad Hospital, Bangkok Hospital, Samitivej Hospital, and Bangkok Nursing Home Hospital. They are all internationally accredited hospitals.
On the tourism side, Thailand is known as The Land of Smiles. It is often referred to as the most exotic country in Southeast Asia. In Bangkok a visit to the Grand Palace is a must see. Trips to a floating market or to the Bridge on the River Kwai, or other popular destinations, are easily arranged and inexpensive, even with a personal driver. A short flight or overnight train trip and you can be enjoying the pristine beaches in the Southern Islands or the Northern mountains with its waterfalls, elephants bathing in mountain streams, and Hill Tribe villages.
Consider Health Tourism in Thailand. You will readily see that you can have a medical procedure, and a wonderful holiday, all at less cost that you would have paid for the medical procedure alone in the West.
28Oct/090
Dental Tourism: Vacation, New Smile, and Savings
Bargain deals are not limited to groceries, household products or fashion goods any more. Today, even dental care is on sale. But the catch is that you have to cross the international border to buy it.
Dental tourism, as this phenomenon is known, is a close cousin of medical tourism, and can be defined as the act of going to another country for low cost yet top class dental services.
Why go abroad for dental care?
If you have dental insurance benefits from your employer you are among the lucky few. For a lot of people who do not have dental insurance, going to see a dentist can be a big blow on their pockets.
People go abroad for dental care for one of two reasons: because it’s so much cheaper there for the same quality of care that you get at home and because it’s available with no-wait.
The low cost dental care seekers are usually Americans going mainly to Mexico, Costa Rica, or Panama. The no-wait seekers are Canadians and Britons with the former seeking help in Mexico or Central America and the latter traveling to East European countries like Belgium, Hungary, Poland or Turkey. For some dental procedures which tend to be expensive or complicated, Asian countries like India, Thailand and Singapore are becoming hot dental tourism destinations.
Can travel costs outweigh the potential savings?
Possibly, yes. So, you have to plan your trip smartly if you are to save money.
Suppose you are going on business to Costa Rica. While you are there, consider taking advantage of the low cost of dental care in the country and get some imminent dental work done, like professional dental cleaning or teeth whitening or the likes.
But what if you were in need of a full mouth restoration and didn’t exactly have any vacation planned in Thailand in the near future? Well, if you flew from the US to Thailand, had your full mouth restoration there, and spent some time holidaying in the country, you would still end up saving money than if you had had the treatment done in the US at your local dental clinic.
If you have a couple of small and big dental issues to take care of, then it might actually pay to go abroad and solve them in one go. For example: If you had to get dental bonding, root canal treatment, tooth contouring and dental fillings, it may be best if you addressed them all in the same visit.
How do you find a good dental care provider?
Of late many dental clinics have emerged hosting sleek websites and boasting high quality care by top-class dentists but often dental tourists complain of poor jobs at those clinics. So make sure that the dental clinic or dentist you choose doesn’t fall into that category. You do that by inquiring about the dental care provider in question. Word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family help here. Ask about the credentials and experience of the dentist you are considering. Call up the provider and ask them about the equipments and technology they employ. Talking to them will also give you an idea of whether they are capable to handling foreign patients, for example by judging from their conversational skills and willingness to answer your questions.
You can save yourself the hard work of researching, planning, arranging and scheduling your dental care overseas by working with a dental tourism service providing company. Dental tourism firms like Healthbase are specialized firms that connect dental tourists to affordable and top quality dental care providers overseas. They also take care of several other related services like arranging pre-consultation conference calls with the foreign provider, digitizing and transferring your dental and medical records, ensuring that the provider is top-notch, scheduling your appointment at the foreign dental clinic, negotiating the best price for you, acquiring your passport and visa, booking your travel and accommodation, and much more.
You may learn more about the growing trend of dental tourism by visiting http://www.healthbase.com. Healthbase is a dental tourism facilitator committed to providing low cost high quality dental travel services to the global dental care consumer.
About the Author: The author works for Healthbase which is a medical tourism facilitator connecting patients to leading hospitals around the world for low cost high quality surgical care in various categories including bariatric, orthopedic, cardiac, spinal, dental, cosmetic, laparoscopic, etc. To learn more, call 1-888-691-4584, email info.hb@healthbase.com, or visit http://www.healthbase.com
27Oct/090
Pattaya Thailand Tourism Showing No Sign of Slowing Down
The cast may be evolving, but the scenery and soundtrack remain the same. The gorgeous half-moon of Pattaya Bay swoops around the headland to (slightly) more refined Hat Jomtien, and delicate sea-breezes whip up a heady cocktail of suntan lotion, fast food, and motorcycle and jet-ski fumes. Wide-eyed package tourists jostle with Indian tailors, ruddy-faced middle-aged Western men, and beachfront fruit and seafood vendors. Thumping beats, cruising ‘baht buses’ and the commercial hubbub provide an irresistible symphony. And after dark the tourists’ eyes open even wider with a stroll past Pattaya’s infamous go-go bars amid the sex tourism hub of Walking St.
Pattaya’s a stay up late kind of town, but wake up earlier than most and there are activities galore to redress your daytime/nighttime balance. Hit the dive shops to explore the city’s offshore reefs and wrecks, or get some fresh air on world-class golf courses. And if you’re here with the family, the kids (and mum and dad), will find plenty to do to make it a real holiday. The town’s wicked essence remains defiantly intact, but around the fringes it’s softening and becoming more inclusive. If you welcome it with a dash of confidence and a pinch of adventure, Pattaya’s sun-kissed pursuit of happiness might prove irresistible.
History
US GIs kick-started Pattaya’s dramatic transformation from quiet fishing village into throbbing tourist Mecca when they ventured down the coast in search of fun and frolics from their base in Nakhon Ratchasima. That was 1959. During the Vietnam War, the flow becomes a flood as troops on leave arrived to soak up Pattaya’s cocktail of sun, sand and sex. Package – and sex – tourists followed, and Southeastern Thailand’s golden goose grew fat on the seemingly bottomless pot of dollars pouring into the local economy.
More recently Pattaya is striving to re-position itself as a ‘family-friendly’ destination, and while the grit, glitz and seedy glamour remain, the ‘town that sex built’ is now offering more attractions that won’t have the kids asking awkward questions.
Orientation
Curving around Ao Pattaya (Pattaya Bay), Hat Pattaya (Pattaya Beach) is the city’s showcase stretch of sand. Th Hat Pattaya (known colloquially as Beach Rd) runs along the waterfront and is lined with hotels, shopping centres and, towards the north, go-go bars. At the southern end of Th Hat Pattaya, ‘Walking St’ is a semi-pedestrianised jumble of restaurants and nightclubs. The alleyways running between Th Hat Pattaya and Th Pattaya 2 each have their own character: Soi 13 is filled with pleasant, midrange hotels while Soi 3 is the heart of the gay area, dubbed ‘Boyztown’. Development is ongoing, and at the time of writing the third street back from the beach, Th Pattaya 3, was awash with the construction of new hotels, bars and restaurants. If you’re after a tad more tranquility then head to Hat Jomtien, a 6km stretch of attractive beach and cleaner water, 5km south of Hat Pattaya. Hat Naklua, a smaller beach 1km north of Pattaya, is also quiet.
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27Oct/090
Political Downturn as Thailand Tourism Accelerates
This honor is considered to be the tourism equivalent of the Oscars, and Thailand has won it for eight consecutive years in the ‘world’s best country’ category. This is certainly a high accolade and not to be downplayed in any way, and proves there is more to the Land of Smiles than meets the eye.
Thailand and Scandinavia have long established a firm and fruitful relationship, with 378,387 Swedish tourists visiting the Kingdom during 2007, generating somewhere in the region of 25 Billion baht in revenue.
14.4 million Foreign nationals visited Thailand in 2007 alone from over 45 different countries. The official 2008 TAT figures have yet to be released, but the mood suggests a slight decrease in tourist numbers due to the worldwide economic problems.
The downturn is clearly a widespread issue, which doesn’t represent any failings on the part of Thailand as a major tourist destination in any way. And though businesses in Pattaya, Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai have noticed a minor drop in profits, thing are still carrying on as usual and tourists continue to flock to Thailand’s four favorite tourist regions.
Mike Parry, a U.K. expatriate bar owner in Phuket stated, “The Island is still the place to be, and visitors from all over the world are visiting Phuket in droves, spending big money, and the vibrant atmosphere is still the same as ever. To be honest, we are starting to notice an influx of visitors from more diverse countries than ever before.”
The majority of tourists come from Western European nations and Australia, but over the past two years there has been a dramatic rise of visitors from the Middle-East, China, Korea and Japan. This is an ever-growing market which Emirates Airline is quickly trying to accommodate by initiating a new Airbus A380 Megajet service from Dubai to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Chumpol Silpa-archa, Minister of Sports and Tourism explained, “This launch reflects how much the airline expects visitors to increase to Thailand.” TAT have projected that visitors from the Middle East will rise 6.5% in 2009, and Emirates must be commended for their vigilance and vision.
All the major Airlines are also doing their utmost in combating the worldwide economic decline by providing value-for-money flights to encourage greater numbers to visit Thailand. For instance, Qantas/British Airways are beginning to offer special rates on economy tickets from Australia and the United Kingdom to Bangkok. From any major Australian city, British Airways are charging as little as 15,590bht, and 23,650bht from London for roundtrip economy tickets.
The American travel market is also receiving welcome discount prices for economy roundtrip tickets to Bangkok. Northwest and Delta Air Lines are providing tickets from American Cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, Las Vegas and San Diego for as little as 20,000bht. Salt Lake City to Bangkok economy-class tickets are being offered from 26,500bht for the roundtrip.
David Phelps, an American national who has been visiting Thailand two times every year for the past decade said, “I wasn’t going to come to Thailand on vacation this year, what with the value of the Dollar and the economic hardships. But the airlines and Thailand themselves are making so much of an effort to drop the prices and encourage tourism, I have decided to make my usual pilgrimage to this beautiful country that I love very much.”
Repeat visitors make up more than one third of the Thailand tourism trade and this is not a coincidence. The magnetic allure of the country and its wonderful inhabitants is underestimated and is the foundation of the tourist industry. Long term visitors always joke, “Nobody visits Thailand only once.” This type of repeat visitor already understands how the country works and is not so dependent on package holidays or hotel bookings.
There is a reported 30% decrease in hotel occupancy, but when you take into consideration that so many repeat visitors are favoring self-catering short-term villa rentals instead of hotel accommodation, the industry is still very healthy.
The Pattaya based holiday home rental company Thailand Holiday Homes has seen their figures rise a massive 32% in a two year period, providing a fascinating insight to the changing demographics of the tourist industry. Khun Nom, the Thai owner of Thailand Holiday Homes said, “We have many repeat clients and referrals due to the fact of giving excellent value for money, a free car for their personal use and 24 hour service. It seems that modern tourists prefer the privacy and freedom which a luxury self-catering rental villa provides.”
Whether you are a repeat visitor or a first timer, Thailand is the quintessential tropical paradise, with a colourful culture and an electric atmosphere, where people fall in love at first sight. Many tourists visit the Kingdom for a number of reasons that include beachside getaways, cultural excursions and the amazing diving conditions with beautiful coral reefs.
Many western men fall in love with the country and the petite smiling females in particular. The feeling from the Thai women is mutual as a recent survey proved. The women of the Northeastern rural province of Isaan have long been famous for marrying western men. A recent survey which covered 484 women from the Northern provinces showed that a whopping 61% suggested they would like to marry a western man, not only because his wealth, but also for the respect and faithfulness they offer women.
It doesn’t really matter what your reason for visiting Thailand is, the country has showed massive resolve in combating the current economic problems of the world and is battling against adversity. Thailand will continue to win awards and accolades for being one of the world’s favorite holiday destinations for a simple reason. People love this amazing country and the exotic allure of its culture, breathtaking scenery and the gracious attitude of its inhabitants.
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