Travel Tips - Cambodia - Thailand - March 2004

Wednesday March 31, 2004 -

Sokha Beach Hotel Opens - Thai & Cambodian Holidays In April - Serendipity Beach Founder Chuck Found - Bangkok's Bar Owner Woes - Holy Cow Feast - Dr Beat - Siem Reap's Laundry - Chiang Mai's Link To Laos - Travelers Friend - Pattaya Expat Clubs

SOKHA BEACH HOTEL OPENS IN SIHANOUKVILLE

Sihanoukville is going upscale with the opening of the 188 room Sokha Beach Hotel & Resort April 8th after four years of construction.

The resort is situated on 15 hectares of Sokha Beach front property overlooking the Gulf of Thailand with 1.5 km of white sandy beach. It is the first International Class four star hotel in the area.

Rooms range from $130 for a Superior Garden Room to the $1,000 a night Presidential Suite. Twelve Honeymoon Suites are also available. Four banquet and meeting rooms will be available after May 2004.

Hotel services and facilities include tennis courts, swimming pool, a business center, limousine service, and an in house clinic with a doctor on 24-hour call and a baby-sitting referral service.

The parent company Sokha Hotels & Resorts claim they are the first International Class Cambodian hotel chain.

The company has under construction the Sokha Angkor Hotel in Siem Reap the home of the famous Angkor Wat Temples. The 280-room development will be complimented with a Grand Ballroom that can accommodate 500 guests for banquets or meetings. The five-star hotel is scheduled to be completed January 2005.

This is a big step for Cambodia and its future. The Sokha Beach hotel will provide jobs for the community and a deluxe place to stay in Sihanoukville for those that enjoy upscale four-star accommodations.

PLAN AHEAD - THAI - CAMBODIAN HOLIDAYS

If you plan to travel in Thailand or Cambodia during April beware of the holidays. Cambodia will celebrate their New Year April 13-15.

The usual drill is that people will return to their homes that more than likely will be in the provinces. That translates into traffic. In Cambodia traffic is more of a nightmare than one might think due to the very poor roads and limited routes.

Thailand will celebrate their Songkran April 2-12th. The 10th is the big day. A parade is scheduled in Chiang Mai.

The downside of this celebration is being doused with water. Locals and tourists alike do it. The problem is much of the water thrown is taken from canals (waterways). Canals are the sewers of Bangkok. Powder is also thrown.

The mixture with the water sometimes results into a paste that is not fabric friendly. During this time some tourists stay in their hotels to avoid the pasting. . The alternative might be a trip to Cambodian beaches to relax.

SERENDIPITY BEACH FOUNDER CHUCK RETURNS

After a two-year search we finally caught up with Chuck, the man recognized as giving Serendipity Beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia its name. Chuck has returned to Sihanoukville.

After recalling how he came upon the spot that he named Serendipity Beach he said one of the things that impressed him about the location was the giant tree.

Since the time when Chuck set up his Chuck's Serendipity Beach restaurant & bar much has changed. Rocks, boulders and trees were removed but the tree that the American fondly remembers remains.

Where has Chuck been and what are his plans? Full story coming.

THE MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT SCENE

LAM MORRISON - Thai Rock Legend

The legendary Thai rock guitarist Lam Morrison appears nightly Tuesday through Sunday at the Blues Factory in Pattaya, Thailand. The Blues Factory is on the Walking Street.

GUITARIST CHIANG MAI TOOK

When searching for the best rock guitarist in Thailand Chiang Mai Took's name was mentioned most after Lam Morrison.

Took had a big hit from a song he wrote for a Pepsi Cola commercial several years ago. The song made money and Took bought the Brasserie restaurant/club in Chiang Mai where he often appears.

The club is on the river front on Charoenraj Road.

DR BEAT IN SIEM REAP

Dr Beat Richner is most notably known for two things... building children's hospitals in Cambodia and playing the cello. Dr Beat performs in Siem Reap at Jayvarman Hospital Saturday nights at 7:15pm.

EXPAT THAILAND & CAMBODIA BAR OWNERS PLAY RUSSIAN ROULETTE

The expat owned bars in Thailand and Cambodia continue their Russian roulette game for survival. Locals are benefiting from the heated interest from the foreigners that want to spend their cash to get involved in the bar business.

Tailors Mike and Bob Chawla owned three tailor shops in Bangkok on Sukhumvit Road between Soi 5 & 7. One shop wasn't doing well. The brothers felt it was due to the center of the block location. A foreigner wanted the spot for a bar and they sold. Stay tuned on the bars survival.

SHEPHERDS PIE @ HOLY COW

The Holy Cow restaurant is a new addition on the Sihanoukville scene. Owners Naomi & Steve have been living in Sihanoukville the past eight years teaching English. They opened their restaurant/bar/guesthouse August 2003.

The establishment has a colorful warm atmosphere with a rich Spanish décor. Shepherd's pie is on the menu.

Holy Cow is two short blocks from the Cal Tex gas station/Star Mart store in the Center of town.

INDEPENDENCE HOTEL - SIHANOUKVILLE

The Independence Hotel on Independence Beach in Sihanoukville, Cambodia is scheduled for completion in June say insiders.

MOO - TRAVELERS FRIEND

Moo (Treechada Jansawat) - The Travelers Friend reports that at this time her clients bookings for travel to Laos is the most popular tourist trip from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Moo is located on 139 Sridonchai Road opposite Suriwong Book Center. It's also near the Art Gallery. Tel: (053) 209-118 - Email: travelersfriend@thai.com:

PATTAYA CITY EXPATS CLUB

Pattaya City Expats club president Drew Noyes formerly worked with NPR (National Public Radio) in America. www.pattayacityexpats.com

PATTAYA EXPATS CLUB NOTES

The Pattaya Expat Club(s) continue to network and assist expats and locals. The following are notes from their newsletter.

This received from a member. I live in San Diego, and I'm planning to sail to Thailand in a 1959 Chinese junk. I have lived on it for the last two years. Once I'm there, I would like to live on land and use the junk for chartering. Does anyone have information on the charter business in Thailand?

Also, it would be nice to contact someone who has sailed from the west coast of the US to Thailand.

Roger Willis, e-mail; yinninanyangin@hotmail.com

NEWS? PATTAYA EXPATS CLUB DONATES COMPUTER TO CRIME INVESTIGATION OFFICE.

Club Board Member Colin ?lvis?de Jong this week donated a used computer, on behalf of our club, to Pattaya Police. It was upgraded and with new programmes installed by Pattaya Expats Club Vice President Niels Colov. The presentation, to the Crime Investigation Unit, was warmly received by the Pattaya Chief of Police, Col. Kamonchai Tienrungroj.

Pattaya Expats Club. www.pattayaexpatsclub.com

PATTAYA EXPATS CLUBS

The Pattaya City Expats Club meets every Sunday at HENRY J BEANS Bar & Grill, at the AMARI ORCHID RESORT, at the north end of Beach Road. A Buffet is available from 9:30 AM. Meetings start at 10:30 AM, and try to finish by 12:00 noon.

American Drew Noyes is the clubs president and MC. The club usually has a guest speaker. In many cases a Thai that has some expertise regarding Thai Laws and business practices.

The Pattaya Expats Club meets a the Green Tree Restaurant, Beach Road next to Soi 1 on Saturdays at 11:30 am. Pete Mills is the clubs founder and president. They feature guest speakers as well.

SIEM REAP - THE LAUNDRY

After the Beat concert the Laundry Club is a great spot to relax. The spacious facilities have comfortable seating in a relaxed atmosphere. A pool table is in the recreation room.

Owner Sylvan was formerly with the Sauce Group that put on parties in Phnom Penh. The Laundry is on a side street one half block from the Old Market downtown.

ARCHITECTURE TOURS IN PHNOM PENH

We have written in the past that after seeing the Royal Palace and the monuments to death the Toul Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields there is not much to do in Phnom Penh. Now there is a new alternative.

An architecture tour company Khmer Architecture Tours has been organized to show tourists modern buildings that are usually not accessible to the public.

Two tours are planned for the last two weekends of every month. For more information and reservations contact: www.ka-tours.org

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