Category: Asia
Asian countries
China 1996 page 1
China 1996 page 2
Visiting Koh Samui, Thailand
Koh Samui is located south of Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand about 31km east of the Ang Thong National Marine Park. Koh Samui is Thailand’s third largest island and is surrounded by 80 smaller islands. About a dozen flights a day arrive from Bangkok and feed this island with a steady flow of tourist. I wanted to save money so I took the evening train to Surat Thani so I could sleep during the 11 hour trip from Bangkok. Once at the train station you will need to catch a bus for the short ride to the boat pier where you will be able to catch a boat to the Na Thon dock on Koh Samui. There are usually → Continue Reading
Guangzhou, China for a few days
After entering main land China by way of Shenzen, we took the train into Guangzhou, which is the capital of the Guangdong Province. As the train brought us into the city, we could see how large and populated this city is. Guangzhou is a very congested city, and has many of the problems that come along with the urban sprawl. Pollution is prevalent throughout the city. Smog is heavy and thick, creating a layer of haze, and perhaps it was my imagination, but I would swear you could feel the “thick” air entering your lungs. A large part of the smog is generated by the still popular use of coal. Putting trash in a receptacle seems to be an inconvenience → Continue Reading
Good deals in Thailand
With the political turmoil settling down in Bangkok, there are sure to be some good deals available. The week long shut down of the two main airports is estimated to have cost over 3 billion dollars, and it is estimated about 2 million tourists may cancel their flights to the country. The anti-government demonstrations are said to have had a worse economic impact than the Tsunami that hit the resort areas back in 2004. Fortunately, there were no reported tourist injuries, and violence and vandalism was virtually nonexistent.
Now that the dust has cleared the tourism industry is trying to get their business back on track. The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced a plan for a promotional campaigns to get the ball rolling. Additionally, many hotels are offering free rooms and special fares → Continue Reading