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Thailand 2026
  • Chris Dickson
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  • Chris Dickson

Thailand 2026

A 15-day adventure by Chris. Read more
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    Karon
    Chris DicksonThailand 2026Traveler
    Nothing to worry about, really...
    Nothing to worry about, really...Karon BeachKaron Circle - statues of farmers and fishermenKaron town centreKaron LakeKaron LakeFan PalmHappy Hour output

    Phuket

    Oct 29 – Nov 2 in Thailand ☁️ 28 °C

    Our last stop in Thailand was purely for R&R, so there’s not much to say, really.

    There had been flooding in the days prior to our arrival, and it was raining heavily as we travelled from the airport down to Karon Beach.

    Which was fine, but when all the mobiles went crazy with “Evacuation Alert!” we certainly paid attention. Turned out it was an evacuation of some limited areas that didn’t affect us, but it’s not a ringtone you want to hear too often.

    Miraculously, the weather was clear for the rest of our stay, as we swam, ate, drank and snoozed a few days away.

    The beach at Karon is very nice indeed, long and clean and with, when we were there, calm and invitingly warm water.

    Behind the beach is Karon Lake, which provides a nice backdrop for a walk into town or to the Mini Mart for essential (i.e. alcoholic) supplies.

    Speaking of which, our resort has happy hour, but not as you know it. Rather than charge less per drink, it is a true buy-one-get-one-free arrangement. A couple that order a cocktail and a beer get two cocktails and two beers, half of which goes warm in the sun while the first two are consumed. Very strange.

    And that’s about it for fantastic Thailand. Time to restore some self-discipline, get back to the family and start planning another holiday!    Read more

  • Chris DicksonThailand 2026Traveler
    Songthaews at the summit
    Songthaews at the summitThe summit. Not sure why it's on the side of a hill...Shrine at the summitFirst use of a jacket in ThailandLuxury shuttle up to the Twin PagodasThe King's Pagoda - King Rama IX (reigned 1946-2016)View from the pagodasInside the king's PagodaThe Queen's Pagoda - Queen Sirikit (queen from 1950-2016)Inside the Queen's PagodaSydney Opera House, in the Queen's PagodaShoppingChrysanthemumsLuncheonRice field accommodationAdvanced drainage systemCrowd-free WachirathanBack at home

    Doi Inthanon

    October 26 in Thailand ☁️ 16 °C

    From Chiang Mai we took a great day trip to Doi Inthanon National Park.

    Doi Inthanon is Thailand’s highest point, at 2,565 metres, and was about fifteen degrees cooler than Chiang Mai. The very steep drive into the hills even found us a little breathless at times as we wandered around.

    It was a very pleasant walk around some of the trails near the summit, before we moved on to the Twin Royal Pagodas.

    These stunningly beautiful structures, overlooking the valley, were built in 1987 and 1992 to celebrate the 60th birthday of the then King and Queen. The interiors, also, are beautifully decorated.

    A third pagoda is under construction; apparently it will house some Buddha relics.

    On our way back down the mountain we stopped at a couple of villages, or at least markets built alongside the road, pulling up conveniently adjacent to places to buy things.

    We also took a walk alongside some rice fields, which come complete with farm stay cabins should you wish to commune closely with a lot of insects.

    After a final village demonstration, a lady weaving cloth while seated on the ground most un-ergonomically, we drove to Wachirathan Waterfall.

    Or, actually, the waterfall came to us. It bucketed down for our entire visit to what was a quite spectacular viewpoint. At least, though, there were no crowds.

    The driver, who had barely used the wipers during earlier showers, had them cranked all the way up to “intermittent” as we headed for home.

    All that was left after this was to try and stay awake for the easy drive back to Chiang Mai, where some sundowners and dinner awaited.    Read more

  • Chris DicksonThailand 2026Traveler
    Special express no. 7 on arrival in Chiang Mai
    Special express no. 7 on arrival in Chiang MaiChiang Mai Railway StationWat Phra SinghJudiciary Committee meeting1Thai line dancing. Achy Breaky Heart, maybe?Doing the wat shoe shuffleWat PhantaoWat Chedi LuangWat Chedi Luang ("Temple of the Grand Stupa")Night marketBuak Head Public ParkSuan Doc Gate, the 14th-century western entrance to the cityWat InthakinThe Three Kings Monument (1984) depicting the three amigos who founded Chiang Mai in 1296

    Chiang Mai

    Oct 24–29 in Thailand ☀️ 34 °C

    Our trip continued with the air-con day train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai; not quite ten-and-a-half hours of fascinating scenery, especially as we travelled further north-west. It also arrived within 5 minutes of schedule, something the German Railways from our previous holiday might want to look at.

    It also wasn’t quite the Orient Express; it was cold where we sat but hot elsewhere, a bit rattly and bumpy (the train is thirty years old) and the air conditioning dripped on us for a good part of the trip.

    First up, after a good sleep, we checked out a few of the 117 Buddhist Temples in Chiang Mai Ancient City.

    Wat Phra Singh was first, important enough to charge foreigners fifty baht each, and apparently, in 1935, designated a “Royal Temple, First Grade”.

    Also of note was Wat Chedi Luang, with a weathered 82-metre stupa that in 1468 had the famed Emerald Buddha installed within one of its niches. After an earthquake removed the top thirty metres in 1551, though, they wisely transferred it to safer lodgings in Bangkok.

    We poked our heads into numerous other temples as we wandered around the old town, generally in the morning and then late in the day when it was a little cooler. The middle of the day was occupied with snoozing and using some of the multitude of vouchers we were given on check in. We had a high tea (actually, more of a medium/low tea), a peculiar dessert and a couple of free Thai lunches.

    The Sunday Night Market, near our lodgings, was a fascinating mix of stalls, people and, especially, foods. At four pm the street was open, by six, three blocks of it were given over to a crowded, buzzing market, and the following morning there was no evidence it had ever happened.

    We very much enjoyed the atmosphere of Chiang Mai; the chaotic, laissez faire traffic with tuk tuks, songthaews, and motor bikes (no helmets), the uneven or non-existent footpaths and the odd whiff of Asian drain smell, along with lots of happy visitors, made it special beyond its multitude of wats.    Read more

  • Chris DicksonThailand 2026Traveler
    The Chao Phraya River, looking upstreamBangkok skylineRiver transport; barges towed by five tugs were commonWat ArunLots of photoshoots in progressLooks a bit crumbly...Not all the riverfront is fancy...The Grand Palace, from the riverThe Temple of the Emerald BuddhaMurals at the Temple of the Emerald BuddhaLong tail boatsICONSIAM, with a party boatICONSIAM, on the level where you could afford to buy things1The rest of ICONSIAM

    Bangkok

    Oct 20–24 in Thailand 🌧 31 °C

    We had a fun four days in Bangkok, 26 years since the last time we were there.

    Some of it has changed; for example there are very few tuk tuks now that there is an extensive metro system, but of course the Chao Phraya River still weaves its brown path through the city, providing transport for freight, commuters and we tourists.

    We used the efficient but packed public transport to make our way in from the airport, an experience in zero personal space if ever there was one, and the river for most of our sightseeing. The Blue Flag tourist boat, hop on hop off all day for a whopping eight Australian dollars, was a great way to get around.

    Wat Arun - the Temple of Dawn or Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan to give it its full name - was one of the highlights our stay, and we were looking forward to the Grand Palace as well, only to find it was closed due to a public holiday.

    Adjoining the Grand Palace, fortunately, was the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, so our walk in the heat wasn’t in vain. Thailand’s most venerated temple, it was indeed beautiful and worth taking your shoes off several times for.

    Some stuff ups with boat timings and opening hours, and a bit of sickness on our part meant we didn’t see as much as we might have, and the heat and humidity took a bit of adjustment, but it was a great start to the trip.

    We stayed on the river, across from the ICONSIAM shopping centre - another change from 26 years ago, with a market-style ground floor selling interesting food and handcrafts and another half dozen above housing Cartier, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton and all those other shops that normal people never enter. It looked good lit up at night, though, especially as a background for the constant stream of gaudy party boats that doof doofed their way up and down the river.    Read more

    Trip start
    October 20, 2026