Thailand Short Getaways

Living in Thailand or one of its neighboring countries brings with it the considerable privilege of being close to a vast array of weekend destinations. Luxurious seaside resorts, island bungalows, high-rises – even remote mountain villas – dot Thailand's terrain and many of them are just a short flight from Southeast Asia's major cities.

With Valentine's Day looming, here's a quick guide to five of Thailand's most relaxing and romantic destinations for a last-minute getaway.

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Thailand: Pai Valley Village

Natural aircon: that is one of the main attractions of the northwestern Thailand valley resort known as Pai. If you find Asia swelteringly hot, Pai is the place to go to breathe, a real chill-out zone.

Just try not to get travel sick on the way. The reason: from the nearest attractive town, Chiang Mai, Pai famously lies at the end of 762 bends, near the border with Burma. So, take some motion sickness pills and a plastic bag just in case.

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songkhla: hat yai insider guide

While not the most obvious Thai destination on the international traveler's itinerary, Hat Yai does have its fair share of attractions for those passing through. This southern border city is the third largest metropolis in Thailand after Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and is visited mainly by Malaysian holiday-makers and people there on business (this is also a major transport and import/export city).

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food blog: package fatigue

It was recently ‘jeh’ week in Thailand. Jeh food – ahaan jeh – means ‘vegetarian food’ and jeh week was due to some kind of Chinese event.  The reason I know this is because all the vegetable-based foods I usually eat were moved to a special display at the other end of the supermarket, up-priced and rebranded with a giant red and yellow Chinese-style sticker saying “JEH”.

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ask an asian: what's the deal with weddings?

Lots of people ask me what’s the appropriate thing to wear to a wedding, so here’s a breakdown for you….

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life's a beach: chaweng beach

It can be seen as a package holiday or a stop on the backpackers’ trail, but regardless of what sort of traveler you happen to be, Chaweng Beach in Koh Samui, Thailand, is a remarkable place. 

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