With new venues popping up on a weekly basis, Koh Samui is steadily gaining a reputation as one of the top nightlife destinations in southern Thailand. The possibilities for a memorable (or unmemorable, depending on your alcohol consumption) night are plentiful, with pumping nightclubs, trendy lounges, beachside bars and friendly pubs flooding the island’s most popular party areas.

Chaweng is undoubtedly the most renowned party spot on Koh Samui, attracting internationally acclaimed DJs to its crowded nightclubs. A night out on the town can easily last until dawn, despite the law mandating a 02:00 closing time. With countless venues to choose from, there are plenty of clubs known to bend the rules. Conveniently, abundant taxis roam the streets, making the ride back to your accommodation easy at any hour.

Kick off the evening with some casual drinks and dinner at one of the various bars lining the main beach road. The music starts fairly early, setting the scene for a night of revelry.

Chaweng’s most famous disco, The Green Mango, appeals to party-goers of all types with its massive dance floor, billiards and lounge area with tables and chairs. This nightclub attracts globally known DJs and is consistently filled to capacity with a lively crowd determined to have a good time. For those seeking out a more modest joint, the street in front of The Green Mango is crammed with a series of small bars blasting out music to suit all tastes. More on Samui bars.

Koh Samui’s oldest nightclub, Reggae Pub, still holds one of the most popular parties on the island. At the start of the night, reggae music creates a chilled out atmosphere that is slowly phased out as the house music and crowds take over after midnight.

Travellers not looking to break in their dancing shoes can head to Sweet �n Soul Bar, where the smooth music is complemented by a dark and seductive setting. The Jazz Junction is another lounge-type venue, known for its fantastic cocktails and jazz music. There’s also a Brazilian bar which is proving popular with its imported dancers.

Lamai is the little sister of party animal Chaweng – smaller, a bit cheaper, and with a friendlier vibe. Besides the standard nightclubs and bar beers, Lamai has also become known for its raunchy mud wrestling contests and racy lady-boy shows, which now attract a wide range of people looking for offbeat fun. Nightlife guide to Samui

The Night Plaza and Round Bars areas are the centres of nightlife in Lamai, filled with bars and clubs that have a beach party feel. For live music, Bikers and Rockers Pub is the place to be, well known for its high quality rock shows.

Big Buddha Beach holds the consistently popular Sunday festival at The Secret Garden, boasting excellent live music acts (both local and visiting), open jam sessions, food stalls and stands selling souvenirs and crafts. Held weekly from 16:00 to 20:00, this party guarantees a good time.

Travellers looking for a more low-key night should head to Maenam, which has a relaxed but solid nightlife. The Bophut area is also less raucous, drawing more of a local crowd to its pubs and bars, which offer high quality drinks.

Go Go bars on Samui

A thriving, imaginative playground for those travelling with children, a paragon of ultimate clubbing experiences for night owls, and a city of sin for others, Pattaya is many things to many people. Pattaya can also be a relaxing home-away-from-home for expats and those in their retirement. Because everything is so cheap and the smoky-eyed Pattaya girls are so friendly, it is a paradise for those who decide to settle down here.

Only a 1-hour, 30-minute drive from Bangkok, or about 150kms, this exciting oasis provides a cheap and comfortable home for all ‘farangs.’ Pattaya has everything, from lip-smacking, inexpensive food, to vibrant nightlife, top-notch golf courses and a wide range of other spine-tingling indoor and outdoor activities, not to mention a lot of hanky panky business.

If living in Bangkok is paradise, living in Pattaya is seventh heaven. The cost of living isn’t as expensive as in Bangkok or Phuket, with the price of food commonly very low. The most authentic food can be found at local street vendors, which are everywhere in Pattaya.

A plate of famous phad thai noodles with big, yummy shrimps and egg costs less than £1 (about 70 baht), while less than £2 (about 140 baht) can get you a sumptuous plate of chicken fried rice and a big bowl of tom yum kung spicy soup. If you are lucky, you might be able to throw in a watermelon shake with this budget. For more information about sumptuous Thai food, visit our Thai food section.

If your stomach cannot adjust to spicy Thai cuisine, McDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut serve the same food as your hometown, but at much lower prices. Pattaya is also home to a dizzying array of authentic Western restaurants. From tangy American prime rib, and creamy and cheesy French onion soup, to English fish and chips delights, you can find everything in this city of food-a-plenty.

Finding a place to stay in Pattaya isn’t exactly a Herculean task. Guesthouses and cheap condominiums have been mushrooming in Pattaya in recent years. There are many studios that start from 5,000 baht per month, but if you are picky and would like something overlooking the water, several apartments in Jomtien are up for grabs for about 10,000 baht per month.

If you are very new to Pattaya, real estate agents can be helpful. However, just like any other places in the world, Pattaya has its fair share of scammers. Ask around for a reliable agency or check out the Pattaya Mail, a local newspaper, for useful tips, news and classifieds. More on Property.

Shopping in Pattaya proves to be a fun experience. A great number of fresh markets are scattered around the city while there is also a wide range of chain supermarkets and Westernised department stores. Tesco Lotus and Big C are very popular among locals and expats, where you can buy goods at wholesale prices.

Foodland and Tops supermarkets have good quality food and many imported products while Pattaya Outlet is where you can buy both local and brand name clothes at a discount. For an all-in-one department store, nothing beats the newest addition to the shopping scene, Central Pattaya, a big shot store that monopolises the shopping scene in major cities in Thailand.

Pattaya boasts tip-top infrastructure, with good and inexpensive transportation operating throughout the city. If you have the privilege of staying downtown, several places are located within walking distance. However, if you feel the need for a ride (no pun intended), Pattaya has a wide range of transport options such as songthaew taxis or pick up truck taxis which have padded rail seats and go all over Pattaya for less than 20 baht.

Motorbike taxis are also a popular mean of travelling when you are in a hurry. With a skilled biker, you will be able to zip through the traffic and reach your destination within a wink of an eye. Just remember to hold on tight and wear a helmet.

Once you have settled in comfortably, it’s time to explore to the heart of Pattaya. Known as the naughtiest city in Thailand, Pattaya offers memorable nightlife experiences for all who come to visit. The main clubbing scene is along Walking street, in the South Pattaya, while Central Pattaya is also fringed with a number of bars and cafés. More about Pattaya bars here. Pattaya is also very gay-friendly. If you would like to join the club, head to Boyz Town, the most famous gay area, located around soi Pattayaland 1 and 3.

Staying in Pattaya can be bliss if you know where to go, what to do and who to hang out with. With so many things and venues to accommodate retirees and expats, Pattaya is an ideal place to live and settle down. If you need more information about living in Pattaya as an expat, Pattaya has the Pattaya Expats Club (www.pattayaexpatsclub.com) which holds meetings regularly. No man is an island in Pattaya.

Many people think that owning a bar in Thailand is a highly enjoyable way to make a living and have a permanent vacation too! Well, a few of the financially strong might succeed but the majority of the newly opened bars are not protected by the law quickly disappear again, often within less than a year.

For about three years, I owned a music pub in Chiang Mai and I still remember all those holidaying customers saying: “Cool man, you live our dream”. Many people believe that running a bar in Thailand is the most comfortable life you can live, and as a bonus, that you make some easy money too! I’ve heard so much ‘bar talk’ from young people coming from the US, Australia, Canada, Israel, the UK and almost every Western European country. The more beers they washed away, the wilder became their plans about saving money at home and then returning to Thailand to open a bar.

Well, let me tell you, it isn’t that easy! Leaving your family and friends and trying to start a business in a far away, culturally different country is a big and risky step that most folks only talk about. Five years have gone by since I decided to close my pub and until this day, not one person has returned to realise one of their ‘brilliant’ business plans they so loudly bragged about.

However, the enthralling three years that The Doors Music Pub existed was probably the best time of my life. It is really enriching to meet so many different types of customers, coming from so many different countries. It was also most pleasant working with my team of three young, pretty and helpful girls. It really was a great feeling to see these former Akha hill tribe bar girls, who I did not allow to go with men during working hours, change into motivated staff with huge self-esteem. They really did their best in establishing a good reputation for my alternative-style music pub and after a while, they even started to like my music! Guide to Chiang Mai bars

It was the only pub in the area attracting (alternative) music fans, instead of all the other bars who’s customers were mostly single, horny men pulled inside by one of the many bar girls hanging around ‘their’ bar. It was a great and unforgettable experience sharing my passion for music with other true fans. Sure! It was also great fun to get loaded almost every night in the company of newly made friends, and to play the customer’s song requests all night.

However, there were also many issues that were not so pleasant. Once in a while I had to deal with drunken customers who started to behave annoyingly and thought that it was okay to touch staff anywhere they wanted. Somehow, I fortunately always managed to verbally convince these troublemakers that they were making a complete fool out of themselves and that they would never find a girl who wanted to hang out with such a brainless moron.

Then there was the monthly visit by a scary, after-dark, sunglasses-wearing civilian dressed cop, who came to collect a certain amount of money. When I asked him politely what the money was for, he answered that is was for the improvement of the their ‘sporting facilities’ and for the beer bar area’s crime-preventing surveillance (I never saw any surveillance).

For a few months one of the neighbouring bars was experiencing financial problems and for the last three police visits was not able to pay. One day, three Thais pretending to be customers started playing cards in that bar. Only a short time later, three policemen suddenly popped into that bar and ‘arrested’ the card players while the two female owners were told to immediately close their bar and get into the police car. After that I knew what to expect if I didn’t pay for their ‘protection’.

Another member of the tourist police came two or three times a month to chat with one of my staff while drinking a few Thai whiskies. When he left, he never paid for his drinks because apparently he always ‘kept an eye’ on my place. Than there was another kind. Twice per year a five-man strong team popped in unannounced. They were always very rude and checked every drawer, the liquor and cigarettes licence, the bar’s ownership documents and the IDs of the girls, and had a long telephone conversation with my Thai wife, who officially owned the bar. They always told me that if I ever served one customer, I would be persecuted by law as I did not have a work permit. I always answered that I was just a visitor of my pub and the only purpose of my daily visits was to drink some beers and talk with the customers. I also know they never believed me.

Then there were the increasing problems with my Thai wife. Officially, she was the owner of the bar, as a ‘farang’ can not own a bar and always needs a reliable and trustworthy Thai partner who is willing to have the ownership papers arranged in their name. My Thai Isaarn wife, who sold refrigerators in Thailand and formerly worked at a laundry in Holland, suddenly transformed into an expert with regards to successfully running The Doors Music Pub.

Heavily pressured by her almighty family’s instructions, she first of all demanded that I should fire all of the staff. Her reason; they were uncivilised Akha people who I could never trust. She insisted our son had to go to Ubon Ratchthani (more than 430 miles from Chiang Mai) where he could live and grow up with her infertile oldest sister, who finally and eagerly could raise the child she would never have. This way my wife could fully dedicate herself to running the bar. Of course, I refused to agree with these idiotic, family ordered plans, and after an exhausting and long-lasting conflict, she finally gave up. Her only reason for backing off was that she knew that our son was in fact Dutch and that he only could stay in the country as long as it was together with his father. Her choice to back up her family, instead of me, was the beginning of the end of our marriage.

Another issue future bar owners should bare in mind is the incredible competition you will have to face from the other bars in your area. No matter how nice, unique and attractive your promotional actions are, they will be copied by the often jealous nearby owners. I realised some ideas like movie nights on Thursdays, three small Chang beers for only 100 baht, pop quizzes where you could win a CD, a music book library and darts tournaments. Each of these successful actions was soon copied by others. All of the four bars located in my direct area expanded their poor disco CD collection with a: ‘Best of the Doors’ CD!

With mixed emotions, I decided to close The Doors Music Pub. The owner of the Chiang Inn Hotel, who owned the land and had three months earlier offered a new contract for another year, suddenly did not own the hotel and land anymore. The new and powerful owners had big plans. The Chiang Inn Hotel was drastically renovated and the new owners did not want noisy beer bars nearby their superior establishment. Each beer bar was compensated with three months ‘free’ rent and assistance in finding a new (and much more expensive) location. The contract I signed three months earlier with the previous owner became totally useless.

Despite all the negative events, I had the best time of my life running the bar and when I look back, I have no regrets at all. Living in Chiang Mai advice. If you dare, try yourself to open that unique Chiang Mai bar.

Krabi is one of the cheaper seaside destinations in Thailand, and your budget requirements here will depend on your tastes and the time of year you visit. Backpackers could get by on as little as 300 baht a day, while the average European or US holidaymaker tends to spend around 2,000 baht per day (about US$65).

Most visitors to Krabi spend their money on accommodation, eating and entertainment, as with anywhere, yet you will find the hotels and attractions a lot cheaper here than those in Europe. The following is a breakdown of general costs in Krabi.

The beaches are free to use, yet to really enjoy your holiday a sun lounger is a must. A slew of restaurants and all manner of water sports are at your disposal, so you’ll want to budget for dining and activities. Figure on 200 baht a day for the sun lounger, about 800 baht for 30 minutes on a jet-ski, 60 baht for a beer, 20 baht for a can of coke, and 20 baht for some fruit and ice-cream. Anything up to 1,000 baht will easily cover a day on the beach.

Krabi is a world-class rock climbing destination with hundreds of mapped climbs on the limestone cliffs of Rai Leh Beach. Numerous schools offer courses for beginners up to advanced level. Courses and equipment rental are a lot cheaper here than climbing destinations of this caliber elsewhere else.

Diving is also extremely popular in this region, with the reefs of Koh Phi Phi well within reach of Krabi. Dive centres in Ao Nang offer PADI courses and dive trips to reefs and wrecks throughout the season. Standards are good, guides speak English and prices are cheap. The OW1 PADI course is around 6,000 baht (US$200) and a daytrip with a couple of dives works out at about half that. Activities in Krabi.

Thailand is renowned for its spas and massage, and you could enjoy a relaxing massage on the beach for 200 baht, or try one of the many parlours along the beach front or in town. In addition, many of the larger hotels have spas, but these generally charge a lot more for their services.

Krabi Town has the cheapest shopping and is loaded with small shops of every description. Handicrafts, silk scarves, sarongs, silver jewellery, and leather items are all popular sellers. If you’re after some fake designer gear, Ao Nang is the place, but bargain hard. Aim for around 30 to 50-per cent off the asking price, and barter with a smile.

You could spend anywhere from 20 baht for a typical rice dish at a hawker stall to around 1,000 baht a head for a full blown seafood extravaganza at a beachside restaurant. However, spending 1,000 baht per person in most restaurants in Krabi is considered extravagant. Figure on about 500 baht a head for a decent meal with drinks at a good restaurant. Drinks run at about 60 or 70 baht for a bottle of beer and around 100 baht or more for a gin and tonic in the bars.

Most hotels in Krabi are concentrated in Ao Nang, with the cheapest off-season prices at around 200 baht, up to around 5,000 for a deluxe/suite in one of the best resorts. A four-star place near the beach in the high season would be around 2,000 baht per night. Booking hotels online is your best bet for picking up a bargain. See prices and booking of hotels.

For transport, the most useful option for tourists is the songthaew, an open-air bus or pick-up with two benches in the back. Fares are typically 30 baht from Krabi Town to Ao Nang. Taxis and tuk-tuks are also ubiquitous, but you’ll need to bargain hard to get a good price.

Many tourists hire scooters for getting about and these are about 150 to 200 baht a day, while cars are 1,000 baht upwards. Fuel is about half the price of Western countries.

Long-tail ferries run between Ao Nang and Rai Leh costing about 60 baht per head (more after 19:00) and can carry around 10 people. You can charter one for about 1,200 baht a day to take you around the various beaches, or go the whole hog and charter a speedboat for 15,000 baht.

From the bustle of Bangkok to the beaches of Phi Phi, Thailand is seeped in the very essence of backpacking. Stunning natural landscapes combine with the locals’ laid back approach to life and create a country that emits a siren call to any self-respecting backpacker.

Thailand, after all, is probably the home of budget travel – this is where fresh-faced students come to cut their teeth, and where hardened backpackers return over and over again. As long as you take in a few rules of thumb on how to save money in Thailand, traveling here can be the life-affirming experience so many talk about…

Transport

While transport in Thailand is generally cheap, choosing your methods of getting around can be absolutely crucial to making your budget stretch that little bit further.

For example, taking overland transport when traveling between cities proves drastically cheaper – and more enjoyable – than jumping on short-haul flights. The country’s interior is a fascinating spectacle, and taking it easy on a bus or train as you rattle through the countryside can come to define the experience of budget travel in Thailand.

Carefully selecting the time of these journeys can also help save a baht or three. Many journeys within Thailand last a good six hours or more, which means that an overnight sleeper will not only save you money in comparison with a flight, but it will also save you a night’s accommodation too.

Once installed in one of the major cities, the allure of jumping on tuk-tuks (small bike-and-carriage type taxis) can destroy the budget of even the most experienced of backpackers. While they may look fun, tuk-tuks really aren’t the way to navigate Bangkok on the cheap – that accolade belongs to the MRT and bus system. It may get a little hectic at times, but using public transport is considerably cheaper.

Accommodation

Accommodation is cheap. Really cheap! In fact, along with the Thai’s abiding commitment to hospitality, its probably one of the main reasons Thailand has established itself so successfully on the backpacking trail.

Wherever you are in the country, hostels in Thailand can normally be found for around $10 (or even less in some circumstances). Often called guesthouses or inns, these places tend to be small joints run by a family, who take care of their guests in true Thai style.

Food & Drink

Aside from the vibrant color that covers every building, the various smells of Thai food are perhaps what linger most in the memory having spent time here. The food is simply excellent, and it’s wonderfully cheap too…

The one and only rule for budget travelers looking to grab a bite is simple: Don’t eat Western food! Thai cuisine is not only immensely tasty, it’s also much cheaper than the soulless burger joints that peddle bad Western food at high prices to unsuspecting novices.

Simply head to one of the many roadside stalls, and for $3 or so you’re likely to find enough great tasting food to last you the whole day. Wash the food down with a bottle of Beer Chang (the strong local brew) whilst sitting on plastic tables, and you basically reach the nirvana of budget travel!

Fun Time

Thailand is, of course, famous for its nightlife – from gaudily lit sex joints to chilled beach hangouts, it just about has it all. Whatever the flavor of evening you’re looking for, however, a couple of simple rules can guard against blowing too much of the budget in one chunk.

For a start, pace yourself! It’s easy to get caught up in Thailand’s swirling hedonism, but a night on the tiles is always best followed by a night taking it easy. Cinema is an important part of Thai culture, and enjoyable evenings can be had simply sitting in a bar and watching whatever blockbuster is being pumped onto the television overhead.

If you are looking for a big night out, try starting at a supermarket. Beer is relatively expensive in Thailand, so it can be a good idea to grab a couple of bottles from the shop and enjoy them at your own leisure before drinking in the bars and clubs.

And Finally…

Barter! Negotiation is part of life here – it’s not embarrassing or malicious, as some Westerners may think. Try to bear in mind the first price quoted probably isn’t the final one, and never be afraid to walk away if you’re not happy with the numbers on offer.

For the budget traveler looking to do Thailand on the cheap, there can be no better way of feeling good about your budget than hammering a price down to what you think acceptable!

Thailand’s capital can seem daunting at first and it’s certainly not difficult to find yourself spending a day going round in circles and sat in endless traffic if you don’t know the city. If you know where to go and what to do however, a whirlwind day in Southeast Asia’s most extrovert capital is hard to beat.

Kicking off the day, the first thing to think about is beating the rush hour traffic. Either eat close to your guesthouse or hotel, or eat nearby to where you plan to spend the morning. Avoid travelling between 07:30 and 08:30, if possible.

Heading to Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace makes for a great way to spend a morning and there is a very good authentic Thai restaurant overlooking this splendid, vast complex of Buddhist temples. Na Phra Lan on the road of the same name opens at 10:00, which is perfect if you want to enjoy a lie-in (after all, it will be a late night) and it offers the usual Thai favourites such as fried rice, curries and fried noodles.

After breakfast, head over to the Grand Palace and explore the many gold-gilded stupas and Buddhist images that adorn this 225-year old national treasure. Make sure you’re covering your shoulders and are dressed respectively and get ready to pay the 200 baht entry fee, which includes admission to the whole site.

If you’re still keen on more temples before lunch, it’s just a short walk south to Thaiwang road to see the elegant reclining Buddha at Wat Po or an equally brief stroll north of Wat Phra Kaew onto Na Phra That road for the National Museum.

Culture addicts can supplement their intake of Bangkok’s landmarks further by continuing north to Phra Pin Klao road and heading west across the bridge that spans the Chao Phraya River before taking the first major left onto Arun Amarin road to see the Royal Barge Museum.

By this time, it’ll be time to eat again and like most areas of Bangkok there are plenty of choices. If you’re looking for a treat, have lunch right on the river by heading to Supatra River House just off the same road as the Royal Barge Museum on soi Wat Rakhang. The views of the river here are excellent and extend across to the Grand Palace, so you’ll see a different side again of Bangkok’s most popular attraction. Bangkok sightseeing guide.

Recommended dishes on the menu here include the excellent salmon satay with peanut sauce and cucumber or indeed any of the coconut curries � all the dishes here are very tasty. Lunch for two with drinks will cost around 1,000 baht, so if you fancy something cheaper or indeed non-Thai then get your next taxi journey out the way first. Next stop, lots of shops with plenty of alternative eating options.

Tell the taxi driver to take you to either Siam square or Siam Paragon, the latest edition to Bangkok’s mega-mall circuit. In the words of one American expatriate resident in the Thai capital: “Paragon is beautiful, sleek and ultra-modern� make sure to bring your savings though as things aren’t cheap.”

Whether you’re window-shopping or splashing the cash, Paragon is a museum of everything Armani, Prada and Gucci that has fast become a must inclusion on a Bangkok shopping tour. The Rama I road mall strip also includes Siam Discovery Center and the Siam Center on the eastern side of the road, while there are smaller ground-level boutiques on the opposite side to explore. Shoppers looking for something a little cheaper also have the option of making the short walk north to the Mah Boon Krong (MBK) mall right next to the National Stadium BTS Skytrain station. Complete guide to shopping in Bangkok.

After all that shopping, it’s surely time to take a breather and grab a quick coffee break in any one of the malls before heading back to base to shower up ready for a Bangkok night out.

Start with a good meal, which throws up any number of options. After a day of Thai food, it makes sense to try something different. Why not head to Sukhumvit soi 3 for some excellent Middle Eastern food. In a number of places here, you’ll instantly feel like you’ve been transported to Egypt or Lebanon, so atmospheric are some of the dining venues here.

Most of the venues here are almost exclusively frequented by the local Middle Eastern population and serve excellent kebabs, salads with yoghurt dressing, falafel and biryani. Alcohol is usually off the menu so order a refreshing lassi drink and finish the meal with shisha, a traditional Middle Eastern pipe in which different flavoured and very smooth tobacco is smoked.

After dinner its time for a short walk along Sukhumvit road a couple of blocks to soi 11 to the ever-present watering hole Cheap Charlie’s, a Bangkok institution. This tiny, peculiar-looking hole-in-the-wall type bar requires you to pull up a stool in the road while ordering is done at the bar, with just about any drink on offer.

Keep heading along the same street for the latest edition to Bangkok’s ever-expanding night scene, Bed Supper Club. This space-age dance venue has a strict dress code of no sandals and expects smartly dressed clientele. If you pass this test, it’s a steep 300 baht entry fee which includes one or two free drinks depending on the night. With two rooms available, each featuring DJs and a bar, Bed often recruits internationally-renowned DJs for special nights a couple of times a month and specialises in various forms of house music until about 01:30. Bangkok nightlife guide.

If you still want to carry on after that, the options are limited given Thailand’s strict crackdown on late night venues in the past 5 years but there always something going on so ask a taxi driver for his thoughts. From there on, it’s just pot luck.

On the night of each full moon, thousands of music and dance-loving backpackers from all over the world congregate at Haad Rin beach on the southern tip of Kho Phangan for the iconic ‘Full Moon Parties’.

Origins

When a group of friends traveling in Thailand noticed the beauty of the full moon from Kho Phangan, they hosted a small, impromptu celebration that was to quickly become one of the most legendary music festivals on the planet. Soon Sunrise Bunglalows on the beach began making it a monthly event back in the early Nineties and the rest, they say, is history.

The event is now a popular date on the backpacking calendar and between 5,000 and 25,000 people gather each month at Haad Rin for a night of famously chaotic partying. The festival is still free for all to enjoy, which proves another major attraction for budget travelers in Thailand!

The Lowdown

The dates of the party follow the lunar calendar, with one event hosted every month on the night of the full moon. Each event begins at dusk when thousands of lamps and fires are lit all along the sand and then, as evening falls, the sound-systems and beach bars begin to crank up their music to really get the revelry underway.

Originally the tunes was dominated by psytrance and the 90s Goa scene, but recently the DJs have begun to play a wider range of electronica. Although trance is still prominent, you can also expect to hear techno, drum & bass, reggae and much more over the course of the evening.

In addition to the hectic music, there are usually fire-eaters, jugglers and fireworks entertaining the crowds. There’s also a variety of stalls on the beach selling an eclectic mix of food and drink, from cream cakes to falafel.

With so many young, international backpackers gathered together in one place, the party always has a high-energy, hectic vibrancy that’s impossible to find anywhere else in the world.

Part of its uniqueness, however, is also down to the different atmospheres and genres which blend together along the beach, allowing festival-goers to pick and choose the vibe and sound which they fancy at any one time. There’s even plenty of scope to chill out, with a handful of ambient bars and the soothing sound of the ocean providing respite from the hedonistic dancing.

One word of warning, though: the Full Moon Party may be renowned for its friendly, bohemian atmosphere but it’s important to exercise the same caution as you would at any festival. Watch your valuables, be careful when accepting drinks from a stranger and remember that drugs, as in most countries, are illegal. The police are particularly strict about drugs, and though you might smell a joint or two while on the island, don’t be caught up in any of the roadblocks leading to the beach.

Where to Stay

There has long been an abundance of budget accommodation in Thailand catering to the crowds of backpackers drawn to the beautiful beaches and great water sports every year, and Koh Phangan hostels are no exception, boasting thousands of cheap beds between them.

However, backpackers head down to the island from hostels all over Thailand exclusively for this event, so it’s advisable to book a place to stay in advance, particularly during the high season.

Scattered across the island, ar other beaches mainly providing cheap private bungalows, many of which are right on the edge of the idyllic beach. You needn’t stay right at Haad Rin, which isn’t that paradisical anyhow it’s much better to enjoy the peace elsewhere and put up with a 30 minute taxi ride to the party beach.

Although there are plenty of places to stay in Haad Rin itself, any travelers hoping for a spot of relaxation after their all-night raving will find that the northern side of the island is more peaceful. The hostels are aware of the draw of the Full Moon Party and usually offer convenient free shuttles to and from Haad Rin beach for the event.

Next parties at Haad Rin

Wednesday 12 November 2008
Friday 12 December 2008
Thursday 25 December 2008
Wednesday 31 December 2008

Does the idea of eating some of northern Thailand’s tastiest specialties while enjoying the graceful movements of beautiful women dancing with candles sound like a good night out? Then don’t miss the chance to catch the unique dinner-dance combination known as Khantoke while you’re visiting the Rose of the North.

Chiang Mai is famous throughout the kingdom for its incredible cuisine and rich Lanna culture. But did you know you can experience the best of both these worlds in one evening at a Khantok dinner? Many visitors dismiss Khantoke venues as overpriced tourist traps, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Unless you’ve got a local friend guiding you around Chiang Mai, you won’t find a better representation of true Lanna cuisine than at a Khantoke dinner.

Guests will be treated to northern-style dishes in traditional Thai fashion by sitting on the floor and eating off large low round tables known as toke. While you sample the many dishes offered, skilled dancers will perform traditional Lanna dances such as fon lep (finger dancing), ram dab (sword dancing), and fon thean (candle dancing). Truly skilled cultural performers like those employed by Chiang Mai’s leading Khantoke venues are a dying breed, so whether you come for the food or the dancing, don’t pass up this unique experience.

Khantoke is a Lanna Thai tradition, not something cooked up to lure in tourists. The name Khantoke refers to the low round teak wood table used to hold the food, and its origins can be traced back to 1953 when Ajarn Kraisee Nimmanahaeminda held a dinner party for some important guests. She brought in traditionally dressed singers and dancers to add some flair to the evening, which was so well-received that she turned it into a regular event. Even among average Lanna people, a Khantoke meal is always served at important occasions such as weddings and graduations.

Five different Lanna dishes, accompanied by a big basket of sticky rice, are traditionally served in a Khantoke dinner. They include gaeng hung-lay (Burmese pork curry), gai tod (fried chicken), paad pugg (fried cabbage), nam prik ong (tomato, chili and minced pork dip) and keb moo (fried pork rinds). Sliced cucumber and other fresh garnishes round off the scene. You should use your fingers to pull clumps of sticky rice from the basket and scoop out a bit of each dish. However, forks and spoons are always available if this proves too challenging.

Halfway into your meal, the traditional dancing will begin. A classical Thai orchestra using time-proven musical instruments set the scene as small groups of dancers dressed in beautiful clothing move across the stage. The dances performed at a Khantoke dinner are authentic creations unique to northern Thailand. You will see them nowhere else in the kingdom. They are rooted in the history, stories and culture of this region of Thailand and are very old.

The dances range from sublime visual creations like the candle dance, where women hold tiny candle bowls in their palms as they twist and swirl around the floor, to more virulent acts such as the sword dance, performed by a single, dexterous and brave young man. Dances such as the magic fowls dance and silk reeling dance represent the folklore and daily life of traditional Lanna culture.

Even if you’ve seen a tourist dinner dance in Bangkok or elsewhere, it won’t compare to an authentic Chiang Mai Khantoke dinner performance. Even Thais from other regions make a point to enjoy these entertaining and mouthwatering evenings when they visit Chiang Mai.

There are a handful of reputable and professional Khantoke venues in Chiang Mai. The Old Chiangmai Cultural Center has been hosting these dinners for the longest, and offers an impressive selection of shows and dinner options. Khum Khantoke, housed in a magnificent and massive Lanna building, is the newest addition to the scene and has developed an excellent reputation. Other noteworthy venues include the show at the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, and Nakorn Lanna 1296.

More on Thai culture in Chiang Mai

Information details for the venues are listed below:

Old Chiangmai Cultural Center
185/3 Wualai road, Chiang Mai, Tel: +66 53 275 097

Khum Khantoke Chiangmai Business Park
130 Moo 4, Nong Pakrung, Chiang Mai, Tel: +66 53 304 121 2

Nakorn Lanna 1296
84 Changklan road, Chiang Mai, Tel: +66 53 818 428 9

Mae Ping Khantoke (Imperial Mae Ping Hotel)
Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, Seedonchai road, Chiang Mai, Tel: +66 53 283 900

One popular activity while in Chiang Mai is to learn how to cook Thai food. There are many cooking courses on offer, ranging from one-day to week-long instruction in cooking. Most cooking classes begin with a trip to the local market, where aspiring Thai cooks can see the fresh herbs and spices first-hand. Thai cuisine is huge in range, with big regional differences, and it is a good idea to know in advance what dishes you are interested in learning how to make.

Due to their popularity, cooking courses have sprung up all over Chiang Mai. However, as with any service, the buyer needs to beware. It pays to do a little bit of research to make sure you get what you want and most importantly, learn what you are interested in. One simple rule is to ensure that the course you choose gives you a book or binder with the recipes you will be making. Some ruthless courses make you buy the recipe book as an extra, which shouldn’t be the case. Chiang Mai courses

If you don’t have several days to spend on a cooking course, make sure you check that the shorter cooking courses teach what you want to learn. Most people have some idea of what they want to learn to cook, with favourite dishes such as pad thai (fried noodles) or gaeng kiew wan (green curry) being popular choices.

Since most cooking courses have set weekly schedules, if you are sure about learning a specific dish, make sure it is on the schedule. Some courses also offer to teach skills such as fruit and vegetable carving or making Thai desserts, but this may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Visiting a local market to see the vegetables, herbs and spices you will be using during your class can be a fun and unique experience. Some courses simply show and provide the ingredients, but if you are interested in having a market experience, make sure your cooking school offers this option. For some courses, going to the market will be part of the day, while other courses ask students to assemble prior to the class to go to the market.

For many Thai dishes, the paste you use for cooking is key, such as used to make Thai curries. This means that learning to make the paste from scratch is an important aspect of Thai cooking. Some unscrupulous schools simply hand you the paste and presto, you can make your own curry. A real cooking course should teach you how to make the paste from scratch, because that is where the secrets to flavouring and spice lie. Guide to Thai table manners

If you are serious about cooking, then ask about the set-up of the cooking course. Will every student have their own work station or will you be sharing with someone? Will you be allowed to take home what you make? How experienced is the instructor? These are all good questions that should be asked if you want to choose the best course for you.

Last but not least, your cooking school should offer transportation. Many provide transportation from guesthouses and hotels, or will ask you to come to a specific meeting point. Transportation is not expensive in Chiang Mai and it should be provided at no extra charge.

When Starbucks arrives on your street, you either lament the shameless globalisation that’s ruining your neighbourhood, or you gleefully double the percieved value of your nearby property. Residents and property owners on Nimmanhemin Street are equally ambivalent about the latest addition to Chiang Mai’s trendiest street.

The Nimminhemin area has seen rapid changes in the past two years, but the most recent six months have rendered parts of it unrecognisable with the completion of several mini-plazas and retail developments. Instead of dilapitated rows of family-owned shop houses, the public are now treated to trendy looking shop-fronts full of designer bakes, coffee-sipping students and convenience items. Noodle shops have disappeared under the onslaught of colourful brand names like 7-eleven, Quality Pharmacy, Starbucks and Siam Commercial Bank. And the arrival of these large franchises signals an undeflatable confidence in the area’s value and poses exciting prospects for leasing to other retail outlets keen to be clustered here. Furthermore, the development of the main road is pushing up demand in the adjacent sois as businesses encroach on the residential area.

Popularly frequented by the city’s burgeoning ex-pat community and within walking distance of Chiang Mai University, Nimmanhemin Street has long been considered the city’s most liveable area. It remains out of the reach of the bustling tourist area downtown, yet sophisticated enough to satisfy the needs of Chiang Mai’s wealthy. Lined with dÈcor shops, trendy boutiques, rustic coffee shops and suitable restaurants, Nimmanhemin (as the street and area are collectively known) is a focal point for the more desirable Western suburbs of the city that enjoy closer proximity to the mountain. The adjacent ‘Nimmanhemin’ section of Rin Kham suburb is as close as the city suburbs get to an ‘avenues’ neighbourhood and is perhaps the only area in Chiang Mai that resembles any kind of upper market zoning. Houses here change hands for no less than eight figures and a Nimmanhemin address is as good as a Volvo or Mecerdes in the status stakes. It’s also conveniently close to the city yet fairly peaceful and quiet, with the Suan Dawk and Ram I hospitals and Kad Suan Kaew mall within walking distance. Guide to living in Chiang Mai.

The street itself takes its name from one of Chiang Mai’s most prestigious families – the Nimmanhaemindas, who once owned much of the land that the area now encompasses. At only two kilometres long, Nimmanhemin Street runs between two main city arteries; Suithep road and Huay Kaew road, and is punctuated by the Amari Rincome Hotel at the Northern end and the University Convention Centre and Arts Museum at the other. The area was developed in the early seventies, shortly after the establishment of the University of Chiang Mai, and many of the houses reflect the architectural vogue of the time with single-plane angled roofs, loft style ceilings and red-faced brick finishing. And almost all the properties boast mature, manicured gardens, giving the suburb a leafy and spacious appeal. Although property on the main street is especially hot at present, the residential properties down the sois are also highly sort after and considered by most property agents to be a safe investment. The two blocks sandwiched between Nimmanhemin Street and Sri Mankalajarn road to the east form the most desirable area, which is almost entirely upmarket, while the sois further east – closer to the Kad Suan Kaew mall come a close second. Even west of Nimmanhemin Street, where the sois revert to a more traditional village style and contain some cumbersome condos, some valuable properties can be found tucked away down quiet lanes.

But it is the main Nimmanhemin street that is really in demand at present, with at least one new commercial project under construction at present and several smaller ones taking shape. Earlier in the year the Nimman Promenade opened, cashing in on the street’s reputation for designer dÈcor shops. The latest retail project to open is the Tall Teak Plaza on the corner of soi 9, in which the new Starbucks in situated. Comprising two levels, it is tastefully decorated with a public balcony access to the upper level shops. While directly opposite is the year-old, futuristic glass-and-steel Scoopy Ice shop. The potential hasn’t escaped the attention of residential developers and the twin towered, eight-storey Baan Thai condo block was completed in the same area earlier in the year, leasing middle market apartments – most of which are now occupied. Below it is a new, US-franchised Powerhouse gym that certainly isn’t priced for the riff raff.

The older Hillside 3 condo, further along the same side of the street, is popular with foreigners and contains some reasonable units for sale, along with some empty shells, but is not considered very high end. Doi View Condo, on soi 9, is another recent development which has lease-only units (short and long term) and has been successful since its completion in mid 2004. The Loft restaurant on its roof boasts the Shinawatras as infrequent guests. The house and townhouse market in this area is particularly worth looking at for investment purposes. The area is highly sort after by middle class Thais with old money or ex-pats looking for convenience. An increasing amount of properties have been snapped up by restaurants and small businesses, such as doctors, dentists, languages schools and accountants. Then there is also the ever-growing number of new spas that value the area for its serene atmosphere and garden environment. Restaurants of Chiang Mai.

Nimmanhemin Soi 1 is particuarly highly valued as a magnet for exclusive dÈcor and interiors shops, and this cul-de-sac host the annual Nimminhemin Arts and Design festival in early December. From humble beginnings 10 years ago when Khun Wichit, a well known character in the local arts scene, opened Gong Dee Gallery, the area has developed into a charming lane of quaint décor shops. The soi now sets the tone for this end of Nimmanhemin Street, attracting Japanese shoppers who couldn’t be bothered to haggle over prices in Baan Tawai, and discerning NGO workers with an eye for Asian tastes. Gong Dee regularly hosts gala theatre evenings, and with its distinctive contemporary Chiang Mai style of balinese gardens and petite ‘coffee and cake venues’, Soi 1 hints at what the entire Nimmanhemin area could become. All the land on the north side of the soi is owned by the adjacent Amari Hotel but the shops here are beginning to spill over into adjacent sois.

“It’s not just the main street which is attracting attention. Restaurants and coffee shops, like Wawee for instance, are settling for locations down the sois.” Says one local developer. “ Parking and traffic is a problem now on Nimmanhemin and the sois are quieter and better for garden restaurants and businesses” he adds. “I definitely see a long term movement off the street, maybe in five years time we’ll have several sois similar to soi 1”.

Nimmanhemin street itself is equally busy at night, thanks to an increasing number of restaurants and entertainment magnets. One of these is the trendy Room #1 arcade which has tucked its restaurants and bars away from the street. The ultra-chic and sophisticated Glass Onion is one of them, developed by its Asian-American owner as a retirement project after he spent thirty years in the hospitality industry in New York City. He’s a relative newcomer to Chiang Mai but the buzz and character of Nimmanhemin immediately caught his eye. Another businessman with confidence in the area is the owner of the popular new restaurant, Khun Nai Dern Sai which is 100m off the main street on soi 11. Although a resident of Bangkok, he is particularly fond of the area and likens it to parts of the Sukhumwit area. “It’s a nice mixture between business and residential”, he says. “I hope [the town planners] consider the character of the area and keep it beautiful”. His restaurant is popular with Thai and foreigners alike and was custom designed on the empty land he wisely snatched up three years ago. Shopping in Chiang Mai.

But not everyone is keen on the over-commercial development of their neighbourhood. Long term resident, Dr Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, has lived here for more than two decades and his family were one of the first to buy land in the area way back in the fifties. In fact, as he explains, his father originally envisaged the property as an escape from the increasing bedlam they were experiencing living near Wororat market in the city centre. Now Khun Chayan is considering moving further out for some peace and quiet.

“I think there are several issues here” he explains above the noise of an angle grinder in the background. “We welcome the development on the main road, but we are not pleased with the ‘selling shops’ in the sois. This area should be residential, it’s becoming a problem in terms of parking and noise.” There is however no resident’s association and building or renovating in the suburb is continuing at a frenetic pace. Land owners might be content with the increasing value of the area but some residents are clearly growing weary.

“With the restaurants comes noise, lots of loud karaoke and bands that goes on late”, says a local tenant in one of the few condos that have managed to enter this low-rise oasis. “It’s convenient for eating and drinking but these trendy bars like Monkey Club and Old School pull the young crowd with their noisy bikes, I’ve complained to the police but nothing ever gets done about it”.

None-the-less, the area remains peacefully quiet by the usual standards of typical Thailand suburbs, where ongoing construction is now a way of life. Few people seem to be offloading their properties and demand among renters remains high. A morning of enquiring with local agents about available properties revealed that supply is rather thin and prices fairly inflated by Chiang Mai standards. One 280m² house on 223 square wa was going for 16m baht, while another four storey shop house on 44 square wa was on the market for 4.3m baht. Rentals of a three storey town house are in the region of 15,000 baht for approx 250m² on the sois and as much as 35,000 baht for 100 m² on the main street, although the range varies wildly depending on position and age of the building. The price for land starts at about 30,000 baht per wa here compared to about 15,000 baht in the new housing projects or 10,000-15,000 baht in suburbs beyond the university.

Another issue that is hanging over the fate of the street’s future is the city planners’ threat to widen the street and turn it into a multi-lane extension of the Super Highway. This plan has been rumoured for more than a year but would be difficult to carry out due to the value of property lining this busy thoroughfare. It would certainly ruin the character of the street but some sort of expansion is eventually necessary. Some days of the week there is a steady stream of congestion from 3pm through until late evening as the two ‘parking’ lanes compete with the remaining two lanes of traffic. The west side of the street has sufficient pavement clearance to accommodate an additional lane but the increasing traffic is steadily choking the shopping and eating atmosphere. This is another reason for encroachment down the sois. Nimmanhemin Street also acts as a major conduit through the western side of Chiang Mai, forming a link between the Super Highway and the (limited access) Wing 41 road, which provides convenient access to the airport. Once this road is turned over to the city administration the area will certainly become busier although not necessarily for business.

For the time being there is no exodus of residents to new suburbs, and the ever increasing flow of small businesses seeking premises in the area is keeping demand high. The rise of property values here might be outpacing rental rates but even casual observers won’t deny that the area has been rapidly transforming into a leisure-commercial hub.