Thailand getting around travel

TRAVEL BY AIR

Thai Airways is the main domestic airline and airfares for flights within Thailand are fairly reasonably priced, the schedules are good with lots of flights to the most popular destinations. Further, the planes are generally in good condition. Thai Airways flies to most parts of the country, but not quite all. The notable exception of where Thai does not fly is the tropical paradise of Ko Samui.  There is only one airline which flies between Ko Samui and Bangkok and that are Bangkok Airways who I believe own the airport at Samui.  The fare to fly from Bangkok to Ko Samui on Bangkok Airways is more expensive than the fare on Thai to fly from Bangkok to Phuket, something which many people question, with some feeling that Bangkok Airways really stings you when you fly between Bangkok and Ko Samui.  Bangkok Airways also flies to some neighboring countries as well as operating domestic flights within Thailand, but it is the route to Ko Samui for which they are most famous.  Bangkok Airways has tried to reposition themselves and now markets themselves as Asia's boutique carrier.  This paragraph is sponsored by airline Hajj tour from UK.

TRAVEL BY CAR

Hiring cars or even a big bike is one way to get around Thailand.  The quality of the roads in Thailand is generally pretty good. Car rental is fairly cheap in Thailand which is a little surprising given that the cost of buying a car in Thailand is much dearer than in the West. Generally, driving in provincial Thailand is easy, the drivers are less aggressive, there is much less traffic - and the further you get from Bangkok, the less traffic and congestion you find.  However, wherever you go, signs are generally in Thai only.  In a few places, and Pattaya is one exception, some road signs are in Thai. Fortunately street signs are in both Thai and English nationwide, something which I have been extremely impressed with. Petrol in Thailand is reasonably priced and as at March 2007, the price is around 26 baht a liter for the highest grade, 95 octane petrol.

HIGH-LOW SEASONS, THERE’S NONE SO SERIOUS DIVISIONS:

The tourist high season runs from around late November through to mid April.  At certain times, particularly Christmas, New Year, the Chinese New Year and Songkran the most popular beaches and islands can be extremely busy to the point that getting accommodation can become a bit of a problem.  Hotels and even some guesthouses hike their prices - and people are willing to pay it.  So if you are travelling over any of these periods it pays to book well in advance. The Songkran period really marks the end of the tourism high season for the year. There are a number of other holidays throughout the year and on some of these holidays nightlife areas and bars and discos can be closed - and the sale of alcohol is outlawed.  Some bars slip the boys in brown a bit of cash so they can remain open.  Generally speaking it is the Buddhist holidays and December 5th, the birthday of HM The King. This paragraph is sponsored by ticket to Hajj from London.