It’s been a long time since I’ve visited Hua Hin in the south of Thailand and to be honest after my last visit there I didn’t think I would be going back. I won’t go into details why I disliked it but from what I’ve heard recently it has changed a great deal and has become a tourist destination again.

Since 2001 Hua Hin has hosted a Jazz festival on its beaches and this year, 2008, the dates have been set for 13-14 June. This festival has grown in popularity each year and is now a major event in June in Thailand. This can only be good for those who like to visit the country in what is described as the ‘Green Season‘. Between May and October tourism in drops off and most towns outside the major places like Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya etc can become a little like a ghost town. Maybe this is why I didn’t like my first visit to Hua Hin!

This festival however makes visiting Thailand in the cheap season worth doing again, even if you don’t like Jazz. With two beach stages at the Hilton Hotel and Sofitel Hotel and a host of events along the beach between these two it has been nicknamed the “Jazz Alley” for this weekend.

As normal with most events in Thailand Heineken beer is the main sponsor and will be setting up a “Charity Zone”, I think this is called a beer tent in most other places. Heineken however are charging 500baht to get into this zone but some of your ticket price will go to the charity ‘Thai Red Cross’ so I guess there not all bad. You will also get some free beer and a prize draw entry for your baht, but when ever I’ve took part in these Ive never found out if I won or not, that reminds me I must get on with my Thai language course.

After your 1st visit to Bangkok you will either fall in love with it or you will hate it enough to ensure you never go there again. One thing you will not be is indifferent about the place. With its gleaming skyscrapers sitting next to historic temples this city is a mix of western development and eastern history. Vibrant, colourful, busy and totally mind blowing Bangkok will get under your skin, in a good or bad way!

Suvarnabhumi International Airport opened in 2006 taking over from Don Muang Airport that has now re-opened to handle some domestic flights only. The new airport, pronounced Su-Wan-Na-Poom, has not been a successful episode in Thailand with many problems coming to light less than 1 year after its opening. However airport officials have reported these as merely teething troubles that are being dealt with as they are discovered. Regardless of teeth troubles or not this will most likely be your first point of contact in Thailand.

Unless on a package tour you will find getting transport from the Airport to your hotel very easy. A Bangkok Taxi is the most convenient and cheapest (300-500Bht). Limo Services (900Bht) are also available, but this only works best if there are 3 or more of you with very little luggage, as the boat, or trunk, of these are usually take up with LPG tanks. Bus services are available but unless you are travelling alone a taxi would be a better choice. If you are travelling alone it may be best to seek out other travellers and ask to share a cab with them.

Hotels are in abundance in Bangkok with a price range like no other major city. The cheap end of town used to be Khaosan Road but this area has become a tourist trap now with many of the budget places increasing their prices but not their standards. Sukhumvit is now the area were you will find the majority of hotels within the middle range price bracket. The biggest advantage of these places in my opinion is that they can be booked in advance, so when you arrive in Bangkok you will have a destination to aim for instead of the tourist desks in the airport. These hotels will be a little more expensive but still in no way near the prices you would pay in the UK for a similar standard hotel.

MY HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS

Now I haven’t been in every hotel in Bangkok but I have stayed in a few, and booked others for previous customers so the following list is not a complete overview of all the good hotels in Bangkok, just the ones I have liked. Over time I will create more posts reviewing hotels, if you have any you want to let me know about good or bad, then post it in the comments.

Belaire Princess – Soi 5 Sukhumvit – From 3200Bht (Approx. £55) per room
Majestic Grande – Soi 2 Suvhumvit – From 3200Bht (Approx. £55) per room
Baiyoke Sky – 222 Rajprarop Road – From 2600Bht (Aprrox.£44) per room
Suk 11 – Soi 11 Sukhumvit – From 480Bht (Aproxx. £8) per room