4/20/09
Scuba Diving, Phuket, Thailand.
Impression of diving Phuket Thailand. Short video of Shark Point, lovely divesites with nice soft and hard corals, and home to our resident leopard sharks.(from youtube.com)
Short video of diving Phuket Thailand - Bida Nai and Bida Nok, including a whaleshark. 2 nice divesites, with hard and soft corals, hunting fish, leopard sharks, reefsharks, etc.(from youtube.com)
Money matters
Thailand currency (baht)
THAILAND's unit of currency is baht (Bt), equivalent to 100 satang. Currency notes are denominations of Bt1000, Bt500, Bt100, Bt50, and Bt20. Coins circulating are Bt10, Bt5, Bt1,and 50 and 25 satng. At the current exchange rate, bath is around 40 to 1 US dollar.
Changing your money to baht
Major currencies can be exchanged to baht at most banks and currency exchange booths stationed in main tourist areas. You'll also find mobile currency exchange vans in same areas.
Automathed Teller Machines (ATM)
When withdrawing money from your credit card, look for the VISA and MASTERCARD signs, otherwise, the machine doesn't accept credit cards. A minimal handling fee is charged on your account for each successful withdrawal. Don't overly depend on ATM machines as they sometimes run out of cash or go out of order.
THAILAND's unit of currency is baht (Bt), equivalent to 100 satang. Currency notes are denominations of Bt1000, Bt500, Bt100, Bt50, and Bt20. Coins circulating are Bt10, Bt5, Bt1,and 50 and 25 satng. At the current exchange rate, bath is around 40 to 1 US dollar.
Changing your money to baht
Major currencies can be exchanged to baht at most banks and currency exchange booths stationed in main tourist areas. You'll also find mobile currency exchange vans in same areas.
Automathed Teller Machines (ATM)
When withdrawing money from your credit card, look for the VISA and MASTERCARD signs, otherwise, the machine doesn't accept credit cards. A minimal handling fee is charged on your account for each successful withdrawal. Don't overly depend on ATM machines as they sometimes run out of cash or go out of order.
4/19/09
Phuket Town, Thailand.
Phuket Town
While most international visitors to Phuket head straight to the beach for their holiday, there is a world of treasure waiting to be discovered in charming Phuket Town.
Phuket is the provincial capital of Phuket and is home to all legal and government offices including Immigration, the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT), the main bus terminal for inter-provincial travel. The main Post Office, Thai Airways, DHL, Government House (just to name a few) all reside in Phuket Town.
Phuket Town was settled by Chinese merchants who migrated from nearby Penang to set up businesses over a hundred years ago. The island was prosperous even then from revenues from tin mining and rubber plantations.
These Chinese merchants built extravagant home and offeces in the Sino-Portuguese style which developed centuries ago in the active trading port of Malacca. Three hundred years ago, even Phuket had a community of Portuguese traders living on the island. They not only brought the chili pepper with them, but they brought their architecture, much of which can be seen only in Phuket Town.
The wealthy residents of yesterday did not build homes hear the Western beaches for two reasons. They were afraid of the Burmese pirates and the wildanimals such as tigers and boars that still roamed the jungles so they sought safety clustered together in the center of the island.
To capture the exitement of Phuket Town from Yesteryear, head to town either in your hotel/resort limousine or taxi, and get out on Thalang Road, Here you will find merchants selling household goods, fabrics and and everyday necessities in the same buildings and often the same families as eell over a hundred years ago.
Of special interest is the Guan Hhoom Tong Herbal Store at 16 Thaland Road where Mrs. Sodsri Bumrungwong has worked and lived with her family for 70 years. Her father was a Chinese herbalist from Penang who moved the family to Phuket to bring traditinal medicines for the local people. Each day Mrs Bumungwong mixes leaves, animal parts,herbs and roots into special formulas to ease pain, indigestion and to strengthen the body.
Crossing Thalang Road is another street rich with history. On Yaowaraj Road, numerous shops line a single block which offer distinctive arts and crafts of the region.
China House has texiles from Laos and silks from Thiland which have been designed into both casual and elegant evening wear.
Nearby is Ban Boran Texiles which has a wide range of cottons from South China as well as Northern Thailand that can be used to cecorate the home or turn into comfortable clothing.
Phuket Town is well known for delicious Chinese food. Many vistitors to the island come from Singapore and Taiwan in search of local delicacies including invigoratinbg bird.s nest soup and the wide range of desserts and dried foods only available on Phuket.
This main town on the island offers great shopping bargains with prices for souvenir items much lower than in similar boutiques near the beach. Phuket Town however has a lot more to offer the shopper than the beach resorts.
From the Central Market located near the main roundabout where the local buses stop, streets fan out with each one foofeing shops selling clothinbg, handicrafts, silks, cottons, furniture and home accessories. Close by are cafes', restaurants, bakeries and deli's catering to both Western and Thai tastes.
In the mornig and evening an open air market happens across from the local bus stop selling fresh fruits, vegetables and Thai Take Out including a wide variety of curries, omelettes, sweets and drinks.
If you're looking for some good ol'western fast food then head on out to Robinson's department store where there are lots of choices.
When the heat of the midday sun. starts to get to you then consider a drive to the top of khao Rang hill. From here the view is outstanding and the cool shady trees in this quaint little park vpovide shelter from the sun.
And at night, "those in the know" head to Ka Jok See for dinner where they might spot a visting celebrity. Alternative nightlife entertainment to the wild beer bars of Pantong Beach are the Thai WEStern Pub venues of Timber and Rock, formally known as the Timber Hut where many local Expats mix with the Thai music lovers.
Phuket Town is full of surprises and well worth a visit during a holiday to Phuket.
(From Phuket traveller)
While most international visitors to Phuket head straight to the beach for their holiday, there is a world of treasure waiting to be discovered in charming Phuket Town.
Phuket is the provincial capital of Phuket and is home to all legal and government offices including Immigration, the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT), the main bus terminal for inter-provincial travel. The main Post Office, Thai Airways, DHL, Government House (just to name a few) all reside in Phuket Town.
Phuket Town was settled by Chinese merchants who migrated from nearby Penang to set up businesses over a hundred years ago. The island was prosperous even then from revenues from tin mining and rubber plantations.
These Chinese merchants built extravagant home and offeces in the Sino-Portuguese style which developed centuries ago in the active trading port of Malacca. Three hundred years ago, even Phuket had a community of Portuguese traders living on the island. They not only brought the chili pepper with them, but they brought their architecture, much of which can be seen only in Phuket Town.
The wealthy residents of yesterday did not build homes hear the Western beaches for two reasons. They were afraid of the Burmese pirates and the wildanimals such as tigers and boars that still roamed the jungles so they sought safety clustered together in the center of the island.
To capture the exitement of Phuket Town from Yesteryear, head to town either in your hotel/resort limousine or taxi, and get out on Thalang Road, Here you will find merchants selling household goods, fabrics and and everyday necessities in the same buildings and often the same families as eell over a hundred years ago.
Of special interest is the Guan Hhoom Tong Herbal Store at 16 Thaland Road where Mrs. Sodsri Bumrungwong has worked and lived with her family for 70 years. Her father was a Chinese herbalist from Penang who moved the family to Phuket to bring traditinal medicines for the local people. Each day Mrs Bumungwong mixes leaves, animal parts,herbs and roots into special formulas to ease pain, indigestion and to strengthen the body.
Crossing Thalang Road is another street rich with history. On Yaowaraj Road, numerous shops line a single block which offer distinctive arts and crafts of the region.
China House has texiles from Laos and silks from Thiland which have been designed into both casual and elegant evening wear.
Nearby is Ban Boran Texiles which has a wide range of cottons from South China as well as Northern Thailand that can be used to cecorate the home or turn into comfortable clothing.
Phuket Town is well known for delicious Chinese food. Many vistitors to the island come from Singapore and Taiwan in search of local delicacies including invigoratinbg bird.s nest soup and the wide range of desserts and dried foods only available on Phuket.
This main town on the island offers great shopping bargains with prices for souvenir items much lower than in similar boutiques near the beach. Phuket Town however has a lot more to offer the shopper than the beach resorts.
From the Central Market located near the main roundabout where the local buses stop, streets fan out with each one foofeing shops selling clothinbg, handicrafts, silks, cottons, furniture and home accessories. Close by are cafes', restaurants, bakeries and deli's catering to both Western and Thai tastes.
In the mornig and evening an open air market happens across from the local bus stop selling fresh fruits, vegetables and Thai Take Out including a wide variety of curries, omelettes, sweets and drinks.
If you're looking for some good ol'western fast food then head on out to Robinson's department store where there are lots of choices.
When the heat of the midday sun. starts to get to you then consider a drive to the top of khao Rang hill. From here the view is outstanding and the cool shady trees in this quaint little park vpovide shelter from the sun.
And at night, "those in the know" head to Ka Jok See for dinner where they might spot a visting celebrity. Alternative nightlife entertainment to the wild beer bars of Pantong Beach are the Thai WEStern Pub venues of Timber and Rock, formally known as the Timber Hut where many local Expats mix with the Thai music lovers.
Phuket Town is full of surprises and well worth a visit during a holiday to Phuket.
(From Phuket traveller)
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