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Travel Tips
1) Use of a "fanny pack", small backpack or purse that has a shoulder strap on it is recommended.
Many times you will be walking and not want to be burdened by heavy or cumbersome articles in your hands. You never know when you might want to make a small purchase and have some easy way of carrying it. 2) Immunizations
It is always wise to check with your doctor before traveling to any foreign country. Thailand is a developing nation and conditions do change. What was once true may change at any time and it is always best to have the newest information. For many years I have avoided the malaria pills but now in some regions of Thailand a resistance type of malaria is being found. It is wise to check with your doctor to help you be prepared. 3) Sun screen and/or hats? Why not both? Make yourself comfortable. Sun screen is definitely advised for those that need it and a good hat keeps away that hot sun when walking and/or riding local types of transportation. (boats, samlars, trains, tuk tuks, etc.) Remember Thailand has a tropical climate.  |
Comments, questions, additional information , and suggestions on articles in this newsletter may be posted on the Facebook page for Hand Held Trips to Thailand.
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Tours The prices for all tours are pretty much all inclusive. This means that from the time you are picked up at the airport until the time you are returned to the airport for transfer home, everything is included in the price you have paid for the tour. Things included are: 1) Accommodations in air conditioned rooms unless specifically mentioned in the daily itinerary, such as the Flotel. 2) Meals included are stipulated in the daily itinerary, but as a minimum include all breakfasts. Some tours include all meals. 3) All in country transportation is included. This means all flights, boats, buses, trains, elephant, horse carriage, samlows, ox carts, etc. that are mentioned in the itinerary are included. 4) Entrance fees to all sites and venues are included. 5) Tips to Thai guides and drivers are paid. What are you responsible for? 1) International flight to and from Bangkok. 2) Drinks other than coffee or tea at meals. 3) Tips to bell hops. 4) Your own travel/medical insurance. 5) Laundry and personal expenses. 6) Meals other than those stipulated in the daily itinerary. |
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Prices
2012 Tour 3 (Late June-early July) Dates and complete itinerary have been posted.
Price is $3526.00 per person in double room.
2012 Tour 4 ( November)
Christmas shopping tour Dates and complete itinerary have been posted.
Price is $3390.00 per person in double room.
2012 Tour 5 (December)
Relaxing tour itinerary and price now published on the web site.
Price is $3460.00 per person in double room.
Prices are in United States dollars per person in half twin rooms. Single supplements vary and are printed on the web site. Please contact Lee@H2t3tours.com for additional information.
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Once again I want to thank you the readers of this newsletter. Constant Contact has awarded this newsletter the Small Business Gold Star Award for the second year in a row. Needless to say, I am very proud and honored but realize that it is a shared award with you my readers, my guest writers and my oh so important proof readers.
The first tours of 2012 are now behind us. I am looking forward to the rest of this year, and already planning and changing plans for 2013. I had originally planned a ten day tour to Laos, in January of 2013, but have changed my mind. I must do more traveling there on my own before I can take others to this beautiful and little known land. H2T3 Tour 2 of 2012 spent one day in the capital city of Vientiane. This certainly reinforced both my desire to go back and my need to find the right local partners for this type of tour.
Tour 3 for 2012 will highlight the Lenten Candle Festival and Parades of Ubonratchathani. This once a year event is seldom seen by people who do not watch the Travel or Discovery channels on their TV. The 2012 Tour 4 will place emphasis on the Loy Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai plus attendance at a three day cooking school. Don't forget, the last tour of this year will be the first time one of my tours will go to the beautiful area of Krabi and will return you home in plenty of time for the end-of-the-world (if you are still doing your planning with the Mayan calendar).
You can always check the web site for the projected dates of any of the tours. Also, for complete information and the itinerary for any tour, go to the Tours page of the web site. If you click on the highlighted words of each tour it will take you to a brief itinerary. At the end of each brief itinerary is a second link that leads to the daily itinerary of each tour. This will give you a breakdown of what will be happening each day of the tour. Tours through the end of 2012 have been finalized with prices and a complete daily itinerary. Only the drafts of tours through March of 2013 are posted for your consideration. Please remember that the 10 day trip to Laos will probably not happen and will be replaced with another tour.
Remember, I will only accompany tours with six or more persons. However, when less than six persons sign up for a tour, I will make arrangements to have a very good English speaking Thai guide who will act on my behalf. |
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Pak Khlong Talat (Bangkok flower market)
 | Bangkok flower market in late afternoon.
Photo by Lee Porter 2012 |
Like many of the off beaten path things to do in Bangkok, a visit to the flower market great idea. It is noisy, exciting and beautiful all at the same time. One added consideration to plan on is that it is best to visit this market between 2 AM and 4 AM. Although it is open and full of people 24 hours a day, the early morning hours (when the new flowers and produce is brought in) is when it is at its best. Anytime after 1 AM, river boats and trucks start bringing fresh flowers and vegetables to the market. By the time most of us are awake and having breakfast, these flowers are already decorating the hotels, temples and buildings of Bangkok.
 | | Flower market photo by Lee Porter 2012 |
The market is located between the old city and Chinatown. The market is not just one riverside warehouse but also includes the streets surrounding the docks. The history of this market is somewhat sketchy, but it has been in its present location for over 60 years. It is very probable that this area has been a market of one kind or another since the founding of Bangkok.
 | | Flowers at the market Photo by Lee Porter 2012. |
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National Museum, Bangkok
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Museum Buildings Photo by Lee Porter 2012. |
The National Museum in Bangkok is one of many National Museums to be found throughout the Kingdom. It is by far the largest and oldest of the museums and is a real treasure. In this one location you are able to see the history of Thailand from approximately 4000 BC to the present. Many of the antiquities from the north and northeast of Thailand have been brought to this location. This is in no way meant to denigrate the other museums, but if you only have time to visit one museum, make sure it is this one.
English language tours are available twice a week at the museum and usually last about an hour and a half. Honestly, however, you need to plan on the better portion of a day to see the many exhibits and get an understanding of the complex history of Thai culture, art, and history. Much of the museum is not air-conditioned and the high humidity in Bangkok can make many areas very hot by midday.
 | | Diorama of battle scene photo by Lee Porter 2012. |
The museum was opened to the public in 1874 by King Rama V. Several of the buildings of the museum date back to 1782 and are really architectural gems in their own right. Newer buildings have been added so that now there are at least nine buildings in the complex. In the first picture in this article the building on the right is the King Vijiravudh Pavilion. Wat Buddhaisawan is in the center of the photo and the roof line of the Wang Na Palace directly behind it.
Wang Na Palace and the Temple (Wat Buddhaisawan) both date back to the founding of Bangkok as the modern capital of Thailand. Wang Na means front palace. The palace was the residence of the Prince Successor, or second-in-line, of the King. This position was abandoned in 1780. In 1967 two additions were made to the palace.
The Red House was originally the house of King Rama I's elder sister and was located in Thonburi on the opposite side of the river. King Rama II had it transported to the Grand Palace and King Rama IV had it moved to its current location.
In 1982 a new gallery for Thai history was opened for the bicentennial celebration of Bangkok. It was opened in what was once an open sided audience hall. Many of the displays and buildings need updating and restoring but this should not deter you from some very productive hours spent at this fantastic museum.
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Diorama of a battle scene.
Photo by Lee Porter 2012 |
It is impossible to make a list of the many eclectic collections in the museum. Suffice it to say no one should ever come away disappointed if they take time to enjoy the entire museum. |
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Wat Phra That Nong Bua, Revisited
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Main Chedi at Wat Phra That Nong Bua, Ubolratchathani.
Photo by Lee Porter 2012. |
What a difference a few years can make! For once I am not speaking of a great Thai temple that is being overcome by the jungle or falling down in disrepair while a new temple is being built a short distance away.
In my August 2011 newsletter I wrote that this wonderful chedi was very old in appearance. This is no longer true. Major renovation and construction has been done since my last visit in 2009. In many ways it seems like a new temple with many new buildings, new walls surrounding the entire grounds and tile pavement throughout the temple. At the time of the previous visit there was no pavement of any type. This included the main Chedi itself which had a dirt floor.
 | | Corner Chedi on the temple. Photo by Lee Porter 2012. |
Also in my article of 2011, I stated that the temple was located about 3 km from the city of Ubolratchathani. When I first visited this temple it was more than 10 km from the city. Now, however, it seems to be surrounded by the city of Ubolratchathani. When it was originally built in 1957 it was built for travelers but has since become a very active temple. When I visited the temple this year it was evident that this temple is once again a very active and visited place. Not only were there groups of Thai visitors to the temple but I was able to talk to several people who were regular visitors. There is new housing for the monks and for the first time in all my visits, I was able to speak to one of them.
The changes I saw when visiting this year were very encouraging. A wonderful temple that seemed to be neglected for many years is once again being used and supported by the people of this area. Many modernization projects such as the new buildings, pavement, electricity, and grounds work were so nice to see.
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Entrance to temple with a workman working on wall. Photo by Lee Porter 2012. |
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The tour of Isaan was really great. Not only were my traveling companions wonderful, but the driver and guide were the absolute best. It was so good in fact that I am thinking of offering it again with a few changes. It was so wonderful to share the area I once lived with others (including the driver and guide) who had never been to some of the places we visited. Over the next few newsletters I hope to share with you some of the places we visited and share with you some of the stories. After this tour, I really feel the time for English speaking people to visit the Isaan region has arrived. There is so much to see and the people are so wonderful.
Once again my sincere appreciation to all of you who forward this letter to others. It is one of the ways new readers are added. Each month a few more people sign up with your help. When you forward the newsletter, the recipient is not automatically added, but they must sign up for future issues.
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Sincerely,
Lee Porter
H2T3 Tours, LLC
P.O. Box 2114
Springfield, VA 22152
571-244-4363
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