New Flights from Pattaya to Siem Reap and Chumphon

A relatively new airline in Thailand is trying to shake up the industry by taking their passengers to places where other airlines don’t want to go. Using a small Dornia 228, Solar Air only has to find 18 passengers to fill their aircraft. Captain Jiratid Ong-Aree announced at a press conference this weekend that they will be launching two new routes on 9th November 2012. These will take off from U-Tapao International Airport which is only half an hour away from Pattaya. They were joined by Maxx Royal Tour who will provide package holidays on these new routes and others coming soon.

The first route is to the popular tourist attraction of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Normally you would have to fly by Bangkok Airways to get to Siem Reap. But Solar Air manages to do this by flying via Pattaya. This is obviously good news for expats living in Pattaya as well as holidaymakers who don’t want to travel all the way to Bangkok just to fly to Cambodia. Solar Air will fly four days a week, on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The flight will leave Pattaya at 10 a.m. and arrive in Siem Reap one hour later. They have also started a 25-minute flight between Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Pattaya’s U-Tapao. The Siem Reap trip is 11,800 Baht return (not including airport taxes) and the Pattaya-Bangkok trip is 1,200 Baht one way (not incl. airport taxes).

The other new route to open soon is from Pattaya to Chumphon with boat transfers to the islands of Koh Tao and Samui. It is already possible to do this from Bangkok, but this is something new for Pattaya. In the past, people would have to transfer to Don Mueang Airport to fly to Chumphon or take a bus to Bangkok and then change to another to Samui. By flying straight from Pattaya to Chumphon tourists can save a lot of time. Repeat tourists to Pattaya who want to try something different will be able to do a three day side trip to a small island like Koh Tao. Another new route due to start in 2012 will be from Pattaya to Kanchanaburi. Again this will save tourists a lot of time making it easier to do as a day trip. The main market for these new routes are of course the Russians as well as the Chinese.

Rock Climbing Walls in Bangkok

For rock climbing enthusiasts, there are least two places that come highly recommended. The first is at the Racquet Club which is on Soi Sukhumwit 49. They have a 13 meter rock climbing wall which is suitable for climbers of all ages and abilities. Guest pricing for the club, which gives you access to all facilities including swimming pool, is 425 Baht on weekdays and 525 Baht at the weekend. For more information, visit www.rqclub.com

Another popular place to climb in Bangkok is at PT Climbing Adventure which is as Big C Lat Phrao (commonly called Imperial Lat Phrao). They are open every day from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Cost is 250 Baht for guests and 150 Baht per day for members. For more information and pictures, please visit their Facebook page.

Dates for when “Museum Siam” is free during August

Museums in Thailand have been traditionally boring and dull places to spend an afternoon. That all changed with the opening of the Museum of Siam on Sanamchai Road in Bangkok. Located in the former premises of the Ministry of Commerce, the museum is just a short walking distance south of the Grand Palace and Wat Pho. If you have a few hours spare after visiting the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, then I highly recommend that you visit this museum which tries to answer the question, “Who are the people of Siam?” Through a series of exhibitions in different rooms you are taken through Thai history from past to present.

The normal price is 100 Baht for Thai people and 300 Baht for foreigners. But, during the following dates you can explore the museum for free:

• Thursday 2nd August– Asanha Bucha Day
• Friday 3rd August 2012 – Khao Phansa (Start of Buddhist Lent)
• Sunday 12th August 2012 – Mother’s Day