See & Do

Bangkok

Cruising
In Bangkok, a cruise is a great way for tourists to explore the city. The Chao Phraya River is a major transportation artery and features numerous options for travelers to sightsee via boat. Travel by boat is incredibly convenient as most boat services connect to the BTS Skytrain Silom line at Saphan Taksin Station and stop at sightseeing attractions up and down the river, including the Chao Phraya’s most celebrated sight, Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn).

In addition to daytime sightseeing cruises, there are a number of dinner cruises during which visitors can enjoy the illuminated attractions along Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River while dining on outstanding Thai food. Smaller, more romantic dinner cruises are also major attractions in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya, the latter of which is just upriver from Bangkok, a day trip journey that is a fascinating cruise of its own.

Dinner Cruises
A Bangkok dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River is a romantic way for tourists to experience the city. Numerous dinner boats, from large and lively to small and intimate, service the Chao Phraya River each evening, cruising up and down the river past the illuminated spires of Wat Arun (the Temple of Dawn) and some of the finest hotels in the world.

Several hours upstream at the former Thai capital of Ayutthaya, these dinner cruises are also major attractions, floating past spectacularly lit ruins while serving outstanding Thai cuisine. Similar river-boat dinner cruises in Chiang Mai lack the ruins, but certainly not the romance.

Cycling In The City
If you are looking for a little adventure and something that delves deeper into Bangkok, Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok is delighted to introduce our “Cycling in the City Package” at Wachirabenjathat Park (Rotfai Park) and Queen Sirikit Park for you to discover places of hidden interest and unsung beauty, we offer a variety of activities such as cycling in the park, visit to butterfly garden, delicious high tea in the park, shopping for souvenirs at JJ Mall, Relaxation with lunch at the hotel. We also provide optional services for your choice such as team building, DVD recorder or photographer service, bus rental, organize teams for leading your activities. In the evening we can also arrange “Cocktail Dinner” at the park for you to see sun set at the end of the day.

Thai Boxing
Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is the national sport of Thailand. Once a skill that was essential for survival in battle, Muay Thai is now one of the most popular fighting sports in the world. Fighters from all corners of the globe travel to Thailand to train in Muay Thai, and it is no longer uncommon for Muay Thai fights in Bangkok or the countryside to feature foreign fighters on the fight bill.

Cultural Show

Thai culture features a number of performing arts including Thai dance, drama, and sport, all of which have a number of intriguing variations. Variety shows that feature a number of different theatrical arts are common in Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya. There are also venues that feature Thai culture shows that specialize in particular arts.

Perhaps the most popular among visitors is classical Thai dance, which is typically accompanied by live classical Thai music. Thai dance performances in Chiang Mai, which are typically arranged in conjunction with a dinner of traditional Thai food, also feature dances from various hill tribes living in Thailand. Thai theatre includes performances by masked dancers as well as puppet shows, either performed by similarly masked dancers, or from behind a curtain using the shadows of the puppets to recount tales from Hindu and Buddhist lore.

Other Thai culture performances include wedding ceremonies, theatrical performances of ancient Muay Thai boxing matches, and of course exhibitions of Elephants, either showing off their working skills or even playing musical instruments.

Chiang Mai

Khantoke Dinners
A very popular activity in Chiang Mai is attending Khantoke Dinners and Cultural Shows. There are a number to choose from and they feature a selection of traditional dances and performances unique to the area. Shows include Fon Lep (or ‘Finger Dancing’), Fon Thean (or ‘Candle Dancing’) and Ram Dab (or ‘Sword Dancing’). While you are watching the performances you eat northern-style Thai food served in a traditional fashion – you sit on the floor and food is served on low tables! The cost of Khantoke Dinners varies but is usually within the 500 Baht to 1,000 Baht a person range. The following is a list of a few places in Chiang Mai where you can experience Khantoke Dinners.

Hilltribe
One fascinating aspect of Thai culture is its ethnic diversity, including a number of hill tribe communities that live in the mountains of the Northern provinces. Roughly 8% of Thailand’s population is made of hill tribes including, Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Meo, Yao, and Karen hill tribe populations.
Most popular in Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, and Tak, an overnight trek to a Thailand hill tribe village is often the highlight of many visitors’ trips. While some villages have now had more than a decade of contact with visitors, most remote hill tribes still maintain most of their traditional practices and values.
Whether you wish to do a village homestay with a remote hill tribe village or arrange accommodation from a boutique company that provides semi-authentic lodging with more agreeable facilities, time spent with one of Thailand’s unique hill tribe communities provides a fascinating insight into these ancient and mystical cultures.

Shopping
Shopping is one of the premier activities in Chiang Mai, where nearly every souvenir product found elsewhere in Thailand is available for sale. The advantage of shopping in Chiang Mai is that visitors may learn about handicrafts production by watching artisans making the products firsthand. Both in the city itself and in several outlying villages, particularly along the Bo Sang-San Kamphaeng road, there are establishments where visitors can purchase handicrafts and works of art directly from the people who produced them. In addition to other goods, Chiang Mai produces parasols, silk and cotton textiles, jewelry, woodcarvings, silverware, celadon, and lacquerware.
For the more casual shopper, the Chiang Mai night market features numerous street stalls and shops, the Sunday Market offers more unique, independently created souvenirs and products, and the indoor, air conditioned Central department store shopping complex on Huay Kaeo Road sells international brand name products.

Krabi

Emerald Pool : Hot Spring
This hot spring originates from a warm stream in the lowland forest of Khao Nor Juji which is supposedly Thailand’s last piece of virgin and fertile forest. The intensity of the pools turquoise.

Ao Nang (Krabi)
Beaches & Bay
Ao Nang is located approximately 6 kilometers from Hat Noppharat Thara and 20 kilometers from the town of Krabi. A large bay with scenic beaches and 83 small islands, Ao Nang has several famous.

Beaches & Bay
This beach is generally divided into two sections, east and west. West Rai Le provides visitors with peace and quiet as it is a broad sandy beach with fewer facilities than Ao Nang. East Rai Le.

Rayong

Khao Laem Ya - Mu Ko Samet National Park.
From this sunset viewpoint, comprising scrub forest and cape, it is possible to see Mae Ramphueng Beach and Ko Samet. The 670 rai area is headquarters of the Khao Laem Ya - Mu Ko Samet National Park. Administration is 200 baht for adults and 100 baht for children. Accomodation is available. Camping is allowed. Tents are available for rent at 300-400 baht per person/night. Pitching a private tent requires paying a fee of 20 baht per person/night. Admission is Adult 200 baht Child 100 baht.

Ban Phe
A seaside town located approximately 19 kilometers southeast of the city, Ban Phe is the best place to enjoy relaxing on a long white sandy beach while sampling sumptuous seafood. Ban Phe is a major fishing community in the province, hence, the wide range of fresh and preserved seafood products or other local products. In addition, Ban Phe is also the departure point for Ko Samet.

Laem Mae Phim
This cape can be reach either from Sukhumvit Road by taking a right turn at km.

Sunthon Phu Monument
The monument was built to commemorate Sunthon Phu, a leading poet in the early Rattanakosin era, two centuries ago. There are statues of Sunthon Phu and characters from his famous literature.

Trat

Koh Chang
As one of the premier tourist destinations in Thailand, Koh Chang has innumerable attractions, ensuring that visitors with any interest will find something to keep them entertained on their Koh Chang holiday.

Most of the scenic beaches and bays are on the west side spreading from the north to the south they include Ao Khlong Son , Hat Sai Khao , Hat Khlong Phrao and Hat Kai Bae. A road cuts through the western shore almost reaching Hat Kai Bae where there is a nature trail passing through Ao Bai Lan and Ao Kruat and meandering through wet forestland to Ban Bang Bao, a fishing community on the foot of the hill in the south.
To the east are Ao Sapparot, where a ferry landing is situated and Ao Salak Khok. In addition, along the eastern shoreline is a road cutting through to Ao Salak Phet, a community with a boat pier to the south of the island. Coral ranges worth visiting are at Ao Khlong Son near Ko Chang Noi and around islands south of Ko Chang.

Ko Ngam
This island is situated southeast of Ko Chang and is comprised of twin mountains linked by huge rocks with a huge sand knoll at the middle.The little bay formed by the lines of the mountain stretching into the sea makes the island a splendid and serene site worth visiting. Accommodations are available.
 
Koh Ngam is an enchanting island with a very narrow sand dune that forms a gorgeous contour holding the northeast and southwest section of the island together. The almost kidney-shaped island would look like 2 separate islands from afar. Besides holding the island in one piece, the sand dune creates 2 crescent-shaped lagoons which are only 50 metres apart. For the more adventurous, a rope-guided hike up the rocks to a 100 meter-high hill on the southwest side of the island is both challenging and rewarding.

Ko Kut or Koh Kood
This island is the farthest island from the coast of Trat. Its size ranks it as the fourth largest island in Thailand or the second largest island next to Ko Chang in Trat. The island, which is 25 kilometers long and 12 kilometers wide covers an area of approximately 105 square kilometers or 65,625 rai. Its natural features include mountains and plains where many streams originate and become waterfalls. One famous waterfall is Nam Tok Khlong Chao, which flows throughout the year and is an ideal place for swimming as it is comprised of 3 tiers; of which the upper two tiers are running streams and the lower one is a large pond. In 1911, King Rama VI paid a royal visit to this waterfall and named it ’Nam Tok Anam Kok’ to commemorate Ong Chiang Su. In addition; there are beaches with crystal-clear seas which are popular among visitors such as Taphao Beach, Khlong Chao Beach, Khlong Hin Beach, Phrao Beach, etc. Accommodations with a private atmosphere is available for visitors at the inner sea of Ko Kut, and the other two islands, Ko Rat and Ko Mai Si, opposite to Ko Kut.

Diving
The best place for diving is in Ko Kra-Ko Rang, which located in the south of the national park. You can also go diving at Ko Wai, Ko Lao Khlang-Lao Nok and Ko Khlum

 Koh Chang