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Associated Press

Thailand’s southern beaches lure travellers with their turquoise water and dramatic limestone cliffs, but there is more to explore in the Southeast Asian country that is one of the world’s most popular destinations.
For a Thai road less travelled, try one of these getaways outside Bangkok, far from the Instagram backpacker hotspots or the party scenes of Phuket or Pattaya.
1. Ban Krut for the beach bum
In laid-back Ban Krut, travellers will find one of the cleanest and quietest stretches of white sand within driving distance of the capital, Bangkok.
This sleepy seaside community, known mostly by locals, is a five-hour drive or six-hour train trip down the Gulf of Thailand.
Do not miss the magnificent Wat Tang Sai, a massive Buddhist temple that looks like a fairy tale castle perched atop Thong Chai Mountain.


2. River Kwai for the nature lover
Most visitors come for the beaches, but the rivers and parks in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province have much to offer the off-the-beaten-track road tripper.
Scenic trails and waterfalls abound in Sai Yok and Erawan national parks, while just two hours from Bangkok is the famed bridge over River Kwai featured in the French novel that was turned into the 1957 Academy Award-winning film.
Stay on the river at one of Kanchanaburi’s many floating hotels, or “floatels”, where you can kayak to your front door.


3. Phraya Nakhon Cave for the holiday hiker
Lush hiking trails, wetlands and mangrove forests make Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park a weekend adventure worthy of topping your Thailand to-do list.
The park’s crown jewel is the extraordinary Phraya Nakhon Cave. Come early to catch the picturesque chamber flooded with morning sunshine spotlighting the royal pavilion that sits inside.
Outdoorsy travellers can camp in a park bungalow or opt for more luxe accommodation in the nearby touristy town of Hua Hin, three hours by car or four by train from Bangkok.

4. Lopburi for the history buff
Bypass the tour groups at the ancient city of Ayutthaya and head two hours north of Bangkok for a more serene stroll through Thai history.
Lopburi, one of Thailand’s oldest cities, boasts Khmer-era temples and the uncrowded ruins of King Narai’s Palace, built in the 1600s.
It’s also known for the mischievous monkeys that gather at Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in the centre of town. Pro tip: keep a safe distance from the monkeys and hide anything you do not want them to steal.

Getting around: A car rental costs about US$20 per day, and an international driver’s permit is required. You can also hire a driver at most major car rental companies, book a taxi or explore by train.
Be sure to have Google’s maps and translate apps at the ready.


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Asia travel

Thailand trips off the beaten track, far from the Instagram crowd and party animals

Wat Tang Sai, a huge Buddhist temple perched on top of Thong Chai Mountain in Thailand, is not to be missed. Photo: Alamy

F6HAFM 1957, Film Title: BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, Director: DAVID LEAN, Pictured: 1957, AWARDS - ACADEMY, BEST ACTOR, ALEC GUINNESS, SESSUE HAYAKAWA, INSOLENT, HATE, COMMANDING, ORDER, ATTENTION, ANGRY, MILITARY, UNIFORM, SAND, OUTDOORS, OUTSIDE, SUNNY, BEACH, OSCAR RETRO, OSCAR (MOVIE), INSOLENCE, DEFIANCE, HATRED. (Credit Image: SNAP)

C31TTC COCONUT TREES UNDER A STORMY SKY, BAN KRUT BEACH, BANG SAPHAN, THAILAND, ASIA

D7TXA9 Monkey at Phra Prang Sam Yod Pagoda in Lopburi,Thailand

B7G96H rafthouse hotel resort on the Kwai River in Sai Yok National Park in Kanchanaburi Thailand. Image shot 2009. Exact date unknown.

F6R5E2 Phraya Nakhon Cave is the most popular pavilion at Prachuap, Thailand.

E4NYD1 LOPBURI, THAILAND: The historic Khmer-style Wat Phra Phang San Yot, the Monkey Temple

Japanese Bangkok: discover a secret world of yakitori, micro bars, and sushi restaurants – it’s like being in Japan without going there

A Japanese restaurant in Bangkok. Photo: James Wendlinger

Interior of Hailiang bar on Sukhumvit Soi 39, in Bangkok, Thailand. [FOR CHARLEY LANYON STORY] SCMP / James Wendlinger [FEATURES 2019]

Exterior of a Japanese Nagoya Restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 39, in Bangkok, Thailand. [FOR CHARLEY LANYON STORY] SCMP / James Wendlinger [FEATURES 2019]

Japanese tourists on Sukhumvit Soi 26 in Bangkok, Thailand. [FOR CHARLEY LANYON STORY] SCMP / James Wendlinger [FEATURES 2019]

Japanese tourists on Sukhumvit road in Bangkok, Thailand. [FOR CHARLEY LANYON STORY] SCMP / James Wendlinger [FEATURES 2019]

A moto taxi carrying a Japanese lady passes in front of a Japanese Ramen restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 39 in Bangkok, Thailand. [FOR CHARLEY LANYON STORY] SCMP / James Wendlinger [FEATURES 2019]

Japanese bars, karaokes and massage places on Sukhumvit Soi 26, in Bangkok, Thailand. [FOR CHARLEY LANYON STORY] SCMP / James Wendlinger [FEATURES 2019]

Owner and pianist of WAON piano & scotch on Sukhumvit Soi 26 in Bangkok, Thailand. [FOR CHARLEY LANYON STORY] SCMP / James Wendlinger [FEATURES 2019]

Client enters a Japanese Restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 26 in Bangkok, Thailand. [FOR CHARLEY LANYON STORY] SCMP / James Wendlinger [FEATURES 2019]

A Japanese Restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 24 in Bangkok, Thailand. [FOR CHARLEY LANYON STORY] SCMP / James Wendlinger [FEATURES 2019]

A Japanese restaurant in Bangkok. The Thai capital is home to a large Japanese community. Photo: James Wendlinger

Two weeks in a tuk-tuk: drive across India is an old-school adventure – potholes, hard seats, breathtaking sights and all

The author makes a beachside pit stop. Photo: David Burden

Roadside gearbox service, India, August 11, 2019. [15OCTOBER2019 TRAVEL FEATURES]CREDIT: David Burden

Being blessed by a temple guardian on the way into Rajasthan, India, August 18, 2019. [15OCTOBER2019 TRAVEL FEATURES]CREDIT: David Burden

Aerial view of Jodhpur, India, August 22, 2019. [15OCTOBER2019 TRAVEL FEATURES]CREDIT: David Burden

Daulatabad Fort is a sprawling complex just outside of Aurangabad, India, August 18, 2019. [15OCTOBER2019 TRAVEL FEATURES]CREDIT: David Burden

Local Sikhs waiting for a bus in Goa, India, August 17, 2019. [15OCTOBER2019 TRAVEL FEATURES]CREDIT: David Burden

The lakeside bathing ghats are a great place to see views of Udaipur city, India, August 20, 2019. [15OCTOBER2019 TRAVEL FEATURES]CREDIT: David Burden

Camel trekking is a popular tourist activity in Jaisalmer. India, August 24, 2019. [15OCTOBER2019 TRAVEL FEATURES]CREDIT: David Burden

Street seller in Aurangabad, India, August 19, 2019. [15OCTOBER2019 TRAVEL FEATURES]CREDIT: David Burden

A lineup of colourful rickshaws at the finish line in Jaisalmer, India, August 25, 2019. [15OCTOBER2019 TRAVEL FEATURES]CREDIT: David Burden

The Rickshaw Run is a twice-yearly event in India open to anyone brave enough to take on a 3,000km journey in an auto rickshaw – vehicle that’s ubiquitous in Indian cities. Photo: David Burden

Dark tourism draw: Indonesian earthquake city where mud buried homes exerts a ghoulish fascination for some, one year on

Fishing boats were stranded after an earthquake and tsunami hit Wani Village in West Coast of Donggala, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia on October 4, 2018. Photo: Eko Siswono Toyudho/Anadolu Agency

Talise Beach, where the tsunami cleared away hundreds of stores and hundreds of residents, has started to rebuild, even though it may be banned.Photo: Ian Morse[FEATURES 2019]

This picture taken on April 3, 2019 shows the floating mosque which was hit by the earthquake and tsunami on September 28, 2018 in Palu. - The magnitude 7.5 quake and a subsequent tsunami razed swathes of the city on Sulawesi island on September 28, killing some 4,340 people, according to the disaster agency. (Photo by OLAGONDRONK / AFP)

Mercure Hotel, where 7 people were killed, 6 of them staff, collapsed down onto its first floor. A soldier stands guard to prevent people from taking materials from the hotel.Photo: Ian Morse[FEATURES 2019]

The remains of a building structure stand on a neighbourhood area affected by liquefaction -- a process where the ground starts behaving like a liquid due to the September 28, 2018 earthquake, in Palu on September 23, 2019. - Nearly 60,000 people are still living in makeshift accommodation nearly a year after a devastating earthquake and tsunami pounded the Indonesian city of Palu, the Red Cross said on September 23. The magnitude 7.5 quake and subsequent deluge razed swathes of the coastal city on Sulawesi island last September, killing more than 4,300 people and displacing some 170,000 residents. (Photo by Ola Gondronk / AFP)

Iksam shows some belongings found in Petobo. These, he thinks, are the essays of a university student who could still be alive.Photo: Ian Morse[FEATURES 2019]

Iksam shows some belongings found in Petobo.Photo: Ian Morse[FEATURES 2019]

An aerial view of liquefaction, or shifting ground, following an earthquake in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 1, 2018 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Picture taken October 1, 2018. Antara Foto/Irwansyah Putra/ via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. INDONESIA OUT.

Fishermen by a pond filed with fish left after liquefaction in Balaroa.Photo: Ian Morse[FEATURES 2019]

Lamahase and Tamsir stand at their hut, waiting for tourists to come by and learn about the night when their homes were consumed by mud, mixed like a blender with other homes, and flowed to rest on top of others.Photo: Ian Morse[FEATURES 2019]

Balaroa, one of the liquefaction areas. A bed remains on the second floor of a home and a scavengers searches for materials to sell in the background Photo: Ian Morse[FEATURES 2019]

Lamahase stands at his hut, waiting for tourists to come by and learn about the night when his home was consumed by mud, mixed like a blender with other homes, and flowed torest on top of others.Photo: Ian Morse[FEATURES 2019]

Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure


There are some gems to be found on Thailand’s less travelled roads, a safe distance away from Instagram hotspots and the country’s party scenes
Here are some of the best-kept secrets, from sleepy seaside villages to lush hiking trails



There are some gems to be found on Thailand’s less travelled roads, a safe distance away from Instagram hotspots and the country’s party scenes. Here are some of the best-kept secrets.


Thailand

Thailand trips off the beaten track, far from the Instagram crowd and party animals

There are some gems to be found on Thailand’s less travelled roads, a safe distance away from Instagram hotspots and the country’s party scenes Here are some of the best-kept secrets, from sleepy seaside villages to lush hiking trails

There are some gems to be found on Thailand’s less travelled roads, a safe distance away from Instagram hotspots and the country’s party scenes

Here are some of the best-kept secrets, from sleepy seaside villages to lush hiking trails