There are several idyllic islands that are just a short distance from Bangkok and are ideal for a weekend escape. In this episode we take a short speedboat ride to Koh Larn's Nabaan Pier, just off Pattaya's beach, less than 2 hours from Thailand's capital metropolis. This little island in the Gulf of Thailand packs a lot of punch. Koh Larn is best known for is its stunning six main beaches and a few smaller escapes of white sand and crystal clear waters. The Island is only 4km long and 2km wide and is about 180 meters high at the highest point. The terrain is mostly mountainous and its best to explore here on a scooter, though you can walk or take a local taxi. The local village here is well worth exploring. Wander through the narrow streets and the colourful houses. You’ll find a vivid array of vendors, local restaurants and coffee shops. This place used to be filled to the brim with day trippers but these days its quiet and pristine and if you do happen to be in Thailand it’s a wonderful place to escape Covid Blues and just reconnect with paradise.

We miss its beautiful beaches & gorgeous resorts. We think about its friendly people and pristine nature. We dream about its spicy cuisine and fascinating markets. We imagine cruising Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river, exploring the vibrancy of Chinatown and discovering the majesty of its temples. We miss its misty mountains and its sparking nightlife. Until you can visit again, let Destination Thailand remind you of what awaits in the Land of Smiles. If you are a travel blogger, maintain engagement & grow your own audience even more with our awesome hashtags partner: https://www.hashtagsforlikes.co/grow-your-instagram?id=547

While there are Covid related restrictions in Thailand, and social distancing and mask wearing is still required, domestic tourists and expats are starting to explore again. The island of Samet off the coast of Rayong in Thailand’s gulf only allows 1500 visitors at a time. For those of us lucky enough to escape lockdown, an escape here is paradise in every sense of the word.

Many seasoned sailors who visit this idyllic club hidden away in the middle of the city of Pattaya, agree that it is one of the best sailing clubs in the world. Whole generations of Thais and Expats have learned the ropes and trimmed their sails on this shoreline. The Varuna Yacht Club was established in 1957 and was bestowed with Royal patronage in 1965. In the past, Thailand’s former King Bhumpol and many other royals often sailed here. We were here for the highly competitive Varuna Cup Regatta weekend. Sailors included a team of youngsters sailing their Optimists, Keelboats, Mono hulls predominantly Lasers and Catamarans including NACRA's All that was needed was the wind and Mother Nature delivered

Motor Bikes and bike culture are very popular in Thailand. The Burupha Bike week is a multi-day festival held during Thailand’s dry season in February every year. A yearly pilgrimage to Thailand’s most famous party city – Pattaya, a beachside city 150 kilometers south of Bangkok. Traditionally, the festival begins with a “Ride for Peace” parade through the city along the beach. It all started as a small club party …. well over 20 years ago …. now it’s the biggest bike event in South East Asia. This family friendly festival is about vendors, parades, cool music performed by both top Thai and international performers on multiple stages and heaps of food and entertainment Its loud, exciting and electric ….. and raises huge amounts of money for charity, drawing more than 100,000 visitors including many international riders visiting from the region.

No one in the world will forget the scenes when 12 boys and their soccer coach were found alive in Thailand’s Tham Luang cave system near Chiang Rai in late June 2018. Chiang Rai based British cave diver Vern Unsworth was the first foreign rescuer at the scene and played a crucial role in the rescue efforts. Movies, mini-series, documentaries and books have been and are still being produced to capture the 18-day drama. There are also songs- "Where the Eagles Fly" was co-written and produced by Will Robinson of The Isan Project, to pay tribute to Vern Unsworth. The music video was shown first in Bangkok recently at a special event attended by the media, tourism authority representatives and the hero himself. One of the key moments at the event was when former tourism minister, Senator Weerasak Kowsurat, who was involved on site in the rescue mission’s decision-making, produced a water stained note hand written by Vern during the first days of the drama. These days Vern Unsworth is also keeping busy consulting on TV & movie projects such as “Thirteen Lives”, directed by Apollo 13 director, Ron Howard. You can watch the full music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFS35z_3RE4

It has changed so much! In October 2019 the streets of Pattaya were overflowing with tourists. Up to 15 million people visited this beachside city each year. The attractions were bustling with local and foreign visitors, beach road and the main South Pattaya beach strip overflowed with sun seekers while the famous Walking street was heaving with bars, clubs and scores of sightseers. October 2020 and the beaches are deserted, go-go bars stand empty and cabarets have shut their doors. Business has ground to a standstill thanks to the worldwide travel restrictions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. For one of the world's most infamous tourism hotspots, the economic devastation is crippling.

The fishing village of Bang Saray and its fabulous long sandy beach are among the most pleasant destinations in the Pattaya area, as well as being a very small, quaint town with a very local atmosphere. In this episode we visit the Bang Saray Club, a hideaway nestled on a beach at the end of Bang Saray village. An idyllic setting in which to enjoy a glass or two or a leisurely meal. David Goulden Khun Suwana Viroonchan.

Motto Auction was established in Thailand in 2002 and took over the office of world renowned international vehicle auction company Manheim which began in this business in 1945. Across Motto's 13 Thailand locations, every year, the company handles over 100,000 vehicle transports, processes over 4 million documents, supports over 3,000 dealers and generates around 6 billion baht in transactions. And that's both in facilities like this and online. With all the data gathered through Motto's sales, and the new normal brought about thanks to the Covid 19 pandemic, creating an online marketplace made perfect sense. The result is MottoRaka.com. Supporting the governments 'Thailand 4.0' directive, it's the first AI-driven data website to facilitate fair pricing deals for those wishing to sell their cars or buy a second-hand car in Thailand. Compiled from over 20 years of data, the Thai-language website not only assists, buyers & sellers but also dealers along with financial and insurance entities. It incorporates Classified Car Listings, editorial content and a Dealers' platform – in essence a digital manual to refer to for fair and trustworthy depreciation value of any vehicle brand and model.

Lamai Beach is Samui's second-largest resort area after Chaweng. It is quieter and less bustling than its big sister, but still with plenty of accommodation, dining and shopping options, and some great spas and tourist sites to explore. Located in the central area of Samui’s east coast, the beach at Lamai is considered by many visitors to be the most beautiful one on the island. Downtown Lamai is pretty small and features an agreeable dining, shopping and bar scene; a great place to wander round after sunset. Lamai is also close to one of Samurai's tourist attractions - Hin Ta and Hin Yai

Patpong Museum is a well kept secret in the heart of Bangkok's red-light district. Despite its location, its an attraction that's safe enough for the whole family. We take a look, through the eyes of the owners own children, at a collection of unique and rare memorabilia. In this episode Olivia focus's on popular pieces of art hanging in the Patpong Museum including items by Thailand's high profile Tawan Wattuya.

A charming quick tour through the empty streets of Patpong, one of Bangkok's well known inner city red light roads. Not many years ago, Patpong was the heart of the city. The tour is being taken through the eyes of children whose parents own the local Patpong Museum. Currently the family are assisting local people struggling through the Covid-19 shutdowns throughout Thailand.. Patpong Museum is a well kept secret in the heart of Bangkok's red-light district. Despite its location, its an attraction that's safe enough for the whole family. Touring a deserted Patpong - Bangkok's historic Red-light Playground

EasyKart has several adrenaline fused go-kart racing complexes around Thailand. The first EasyKart branch was opened in Bangkok in 2004, an indoor complex on the 2nd Floor of a Royal City Avenue shopping center and their second opening was their extremely popular Pattaya out door-complex next to the famous Walking Street. Their most recent branch is in Chewang Koh Samui. We highly recommend that give it a go. Highly professional and a great day out!

Sangkhlaburi's forests are wilder and less visited than most trekking destinations in northern Thailand. A true jungle adventure where we end up bamboo rafting through a dense forest. Traveling to Sangkhlaburi is a great way to get really off the beaten track in Thailand. For many visitors, Sangkhlaburi is just too far out of the way. That is great news if you are looking for a true adventure destination. The most difficult part about traveling to Sangkhlaburi is simply getting there. The town is at a dead end of a 200 km road north-west of Kanchanaburi. It is the one road in and out, no loops to be made from here. Once you make it to Sangkhlaburi though, there are few great destinations to visit.

Sangkhlaburi is a serene small town on the Burmese border located about 5 hours northwest of Bangkok in the province of Kanchanaburi Thailand. It is a unique rustic untouched destination to unwind, relax, eat and to meet the diverse local people. Sangkhlaburi is split into two parts, a Thai one and a Mon part called Wangka. The two parts are connected by an amazing wooden bridge. This Mon bridge is one of the most famous attractions in Sangkhlaburi as well as its sunken old temple, the only part left after its ancient city was drowned by its dam.

The province of Kanchanaburi in Thailand is located just 130km away from the city of Bangkok and is a popular tourist destination for both foreigners and Thais looking to escape Bangkok. It is an area of lush magnificent landscapes and natural charming natural beauty and is also rich in history, especially from the World War II era, when the Japanese built the Death Railway ans took away thousands of innocent lives, today you can see the memories of this by going to the many memorials and museums that you will see dotted around the area In this episode we explore Kanchanaburi's attractions along the River Kwai

Koh Lanta is an exotic island with pristine beaches and balmy weather. Its comprised of 52 islands in the southernmost region of Thailand's Krabi Province, of which the largest and best-known is Koh Lanta Yai. The island is approximately seventy kilometres from Krabi, and offers an appealing escape from highly popular tourist destinations like Phuket and Phi Phi. Located 30 kilometers south of Koh Lanta, Koh Rok island is actually 2 uninhabited islands: Koh Rok Nok and Koh Rok Nai separated by a hundred meters which allows you to go easily from one to the other. No locals live on the island. There are only rangers from the national parks. Ko Rok offer beautiful beaches with turquoise and crystal clear water, a real postcard landscape !

Trisara Phuket is one of the most luxurious and private five-pearl properties in Thailand. Its a luxury resort on the North Western tip of Phuket with an exceptional selection of Private Pool Villas & an exquisite Private Beach. Truly a tropical Thai Paradise! Luxury Escapes - Trisara Resort Phuket

Chef couple Duangporn Songvisava (Bo) and Dylan Jones (lan) have been serving Royal Thai dishes to much fanfare for nearly a decade at their Bo Lan Restaurant in Bangkok. The heritage of the cuisine is respected, but there is a touch of modernity in the presentation In this episode Ian and Bo cook a popular Thai dish - Deep fried Fish Cakes

Chef couple Duangporn Songvisava (Bo) and Dylan Jones (lan) have been serving royal Thai dishes to much fanfare for nearly a decade. The heritage of the cuisine is respected, but there is a touch of modernity in the presentation. In this episode Ian prepares Thai rice noodle with pineapple, chili and prawns