‘Flashpacking’ Redefines Budget Conscious Backpacker Adventure Travel

Thai tourism spans the spectrum from budget travel to luxury hotels and resorts. For a long time there have been scores of backpackers coming to Thailand during their gap year to take advantage of the value and culture in Thailand. Now that these backpackers are growing older there is a new type of tourist that combine the independence of the backpacking lifestyle with discerning taste and a desire for more comfort and ease.

These new tourists are being called ‘flashpackers’ and they are typically professionals in the 25-45 year old age bracket with large discretionary incomes. They may come alone or in groups, may be gay or hetero or may even be extending a business trip. The one thing they all have in common is that they soften the Lonely Planet type quest for authentic adventure with a preference for comfort, convenience and occasional indulgence.

The flashpacker is also often a veteran backpacker and very experience with independent travel. This experience combined with their increased spending power has created a market in Thailand for places with reasonable rates for a 5 star experience as well as a higher standard in the cheaper places such as Khao San Road and Thailand’s outstanding streetfood. One final requirement is that there is an emphasis on energy, style and cultural sensitivity.

The following article has been taken from the Thailand Tourism Authority website and can be found here

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
This new segment dovetails with Thailand’s new emphasis on visitor quality over quantity in arrivals. As defined by Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Dr Suvit Yodmani, quality tourists are environmentally aware, responsible individuals who take a keen interest in learning about the places and communities they visit. As a result, they tend to stay longer.

That reflects a mainstream adoption of values pioneered by backpackers, who sometimes get misread as being ‘low quality’ in a culture that judges dress as a social indicator. In fact, backpackers are generally well-raised, well-off graduates, who happen to relish dressing-down during their gap year travel or sabbatical from a smart-dressed job. By contrast, flashpackers typically pack both casual wear for active pursuits as well as fashion wear for high-living and nightlife.

Backpackers who feel well treated in places often go back there as professionals, with families, for business, or on further flashpacking escapades.

DESIGNED FOR SPEED
Backpackers spend a high budget gradually over a long period, treating intervening travel as key to the experience. Flashpackers, they say, have less time but more dime. So they skip to an increasing number of regional airports like Krabi, Trat, Samui and Hua Hin, via the burgeoning no-frills airlines — Nok Air, One-2-Go or Air Asia, or the boutique carrier Bangkok Airways. They may however splurge on premium jaunts like the Eastern & Oriental Express train, Oriental Balloon expeditions, or live-aboard diving yachts like Panunee.

Since flashpackers are wired and gadget-laden, even cheaper locations often provide wi-fi internet access or even iPod docks. Invariably their tightly scheduled trips were pre-assembled and booked online.

Trendy urbanite travelers also minimize commutes to sights. In Bangkok’s downtown that means access to mass transit from the posh hotels or boutique beds like Luxx, Rose or Siam at Siam. Staying in the Old Town once meant slumming in dowdy digs until Buddy Lodge started upgrading Khao San Road guesthouses. Now at Aurum, Arun Residence or Old Bangkok Inn, flashpackers sleep chicly amid the ancient communities they explore by day. And connoisseurs of Chinatown’s alleys can finally stay stylishly in situ, thanks to Shanghai Inn.

TREKS APPEAL
A similar surge in designer accommodation now enhances Chiang Mai’s second-city status. Hikers returning to the northern capital from treks among hill-tribe villages or white-water rafting previously put up with rather bland rooms. Now boutique hotels exemplify the neo-Lanna design wave.

Chiang Mai has evolved a restaurant scene to match. Foodies may lunch the local way at ‘khao soi’ noodle stalls then dine with panache at The House, Baan Suan or Le Grand Lanna. Wised-up trekkers head further north to Chiang Dao, where hill tribe and elephant experiences contrast with the surprisingly refined cuisine at Chiang Dao Nest guesthouse. Hundreds of bends to the northwest, mountain-ringed Pai provides more flashpacker fusion. Joining its renowned quirky hostelries and galleries, swish new resorts will soon to be served by an airstrip.

REFINED RUSTIC
Trekking itself has become more accessible to those with less time but an undiluted thirst for the real thing. Jungle Rafts, floating on a Kanchanaburi river in the West, pioneered the concept of comfy yet conscientious accommodation in remote forests, as did Treetops with treehouses in the Khao Sok National Park to the south, and the northern tribal village residences of Lisu Lodge and Khum Lanna. And in Bangkok’s fringes, the Thai House not only teaches Siamese cooking, but offers a chance to sample canal life in a teak stilt home.

COASTAL CONTRASTS
The ultimate backpacker grail was the ‘undiscovered’ island idyll, as immortalized in the book and film The Beach. An exclusive beach now tends to mean a gated jet-set resort. Many bamboo bungalow operations remain, though no longer on Phuket or increasingly Samui and Krabi. Islands where these extremes co-exist include Lanta and Phi-Phi in the south, Chang and Samet in the east. Flashpackers relish the contrast, chilling with beach dudes at Crusoe-esque huts before treating themselves to a private pool villa.

PARTY PRIORITY
Koh Pha-ngan not only serves both markets, but adds a factor crucial to lifestyle-oriented tourists: nightlife. The island’s celebrated Full Moon Parties virtually invented the idea of people traveling specifically to party. Nightlife tourism’s gone beyond hippies spaced-out on the beach. Globalized young professionals often select cities by the quality of their bars and clubs. Despite a social order crackdown, Bangkok retained its after-dark frisson. Venues like Bed Supperclub, Q Bar and Club Culture program globally famous DJs as well as homespun talent. Where ramshackle bar beers once set the tone, now hip bars with mixologist waiters feature in backpacker handbooks like the Rough Guide.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Another inheritance from the backpacker ethos is a sense of responsibility, especially ‘fair trade’. Flashpackers tend to favor community operators and independent hotels over corporate chains. That spurs an incentive for diversity rather than generic brands. Jungle Rafts supports a marginalized Mon settlement. Phra Nakorn Norn Len interprets the shop house lifestyle and encourages guests to buy rather than bypass neighborhood services like meals and laundry. The individually-created interiors at Reflections’ Rooms provide international exposure for emerging Thai artists. Increasingly, affluent young tourists devote part of their up market holiday to labor on voluntourism projects. Today’s packers might be flash, but they are still fair.

LIFESTYLE IN YOUR LUGGAGE
To recover from an arduous trek, dive or shopping marathon, these active explorers may reward themselves at a sumptuous hotel spa. Alternatively, those splashing out on an opulent hotel room can stretch their baht with a cheaper treatment at one of the independent spas thronging every tourist locale. That’s the beauty of flashpacking — choosing to skimp or splurge according to taste. It is tailoring Thailand to your lifestyle.

I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did, it gave me some great ideas for my next trip to Thailand. I definitely want to check out Phra Nakorn Norn Len and will also be making an effort to have dinner at La Grande Lanna in Chiang Mai. Jungle Rafts also looks mad cool and if I can convince Golf to go I think we’ll be making our way there as well. And finally I will be picking up a copy of The Beach to help me through the cold winter here in the States.

Does all of this make me a Flashpacker? Probably, I do fit the demographic and much of what I read here and in the accompanying links resonated with me. What about you? Are you a flashpacker? Do you think this kind of tourism is good for Thailand and the rest of the world? Let’s hear your thoughts about flashpacking.

Popularity: 4% [?]

5 Thai Recipes Hotter Than Global Warming

Thai food is known around the world as spicy beyond compare. My wife Golf has been kind enough to add to Thailand Musings by sharing her wonderful authentic Thai recipes with us and as a small thanks I am doing a Thai recipe roundup for her tonight. But not just any Thai recipe roundup, no these are the top 5 recipes rated in terms of hotness. I guarantee they will have you running for the water pitcher (unless of course you’re Thai).

The five recipes below are arranged from spiciest to most mild, but even the mild recipe will be spicy for most people. Recipes can be altered to some extent to make them more or less spicy by changing the amount of chili’s you add, but you run the risk of compromising the authentic Thai flavor.

Give them all a try and then come back to let us know what you thought. I know for me I was hardly able to eat Laab Gai 18 months ago and now I beg her to make it. Spicy food may be an acquired taste, but I think once you acquire that taste it becomes almost an addiction.

So, here they are without further ado…the top 5 Thai recipes hotter than global warming from Thailand Musings. I am not responsible for any pain you may experience through trying these recipes.

Laab Gai (Thai Spicy Chopped Chicken) - Thai’s have many variations of Laab, this one is made with chicken and is not for the faint of heart. Make sure you serve with plenty of rice and water.

Neua Naam Tok (Thai Spicy Grilled Beef) - One of my first and still favorite spicy Thai dishes this will knock you’re socks off. I love the combination of shallots and lemongrass with the chili and smoky flavor of the barbequed beef.

Naam Prik Ong (Thai Tomato Chili Sauce) - This is not meant to be eaten by itself, but should be served with white rice (preferably jasmine) and fresh vegetables such as cucumber or long beans.

Lon Dtao Jieow (Coconut Soup with Fermented Soybeans) - For those that like coconut (like me) this soup is great. Just be careful - if you breathe in while sipping this soup the chili aroma hits your lungs like a whiff of fire. Coughing is guaranteed to follow.

Khao Man Gai (Thai Steamed Rice with Chicken) - This recipes comes last as the most mild of the spicy dishes and if you make it as written it is pretty mild with just a slight kick. Of course you can always add more chili’s to kick it up a notch!

Thai Chili’s - This is not a recipe, but rather a short guide to Thai chili’s. Knowing a bit about what you’re eating sometimes enhances the eating experience.

Popularity: 62% [?]

Best Paradises in Thailand

Recently the Tourism Authority of Thailand released a new book titled “Best Paradises in Thailand” which is being used to provide a showcase for 70 of the best hotels and resorts that Thailand has to offer. These are the most unique and notable Thai properties and locations.

The guide has been broken down into 10 different themes with 7 properties in each theme. Certainly this will make it much easier for you to narrow down your choices based on what type of vacation you are planning. The themes are: Best Luxury Hotels and Resorts, Best Small Luxury Hotels and Resorts, Best Romantic Hotels and Resorts, Best Spa and Wellness Hotels and Resorts, Best Boutique Hotels and Resorts (my personal favorite), Best Hip Hotels and Resorts, Best Golf Hotels and Resorts, Best Beach Hotels and Resorts, Best Nature Hotels and Resorts and Best Culture Hotels and Resorts.

I want to take the time to introduce you to some of the best properties Thailand has to offer and I will be doing so over the next month or two. So, if you’re interested in traveling to Thailand anytime in the next year you may want to subscribe to Thailand Musings so you don’t miss any of the updates concerning these top notch properties.

If you simply can’t wait for me to post more you can get copies of “Best Paradises in Thailand” at Thai embassy’s worldwide as well as through select travel agents that promote travel to Thailand. It is also available in Thailand for 300 baht at Suvarnabhumi airport and leading bookstores.

All I can say for now is that there are some truly amazing hotels and resorts profiled and you won’t want to miss hearing about them.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Where to Find Apartments in Bangkok Thailand

Cody asked how to find an apartment in Thailand recently.  Sorry Cody that it has taken so long to get back to you on this, but I know you’re traveling in Spain right now so I figured there was no rush.  Hope you’re having a great time!

The answer to this question has always been just go and start looking once your there and that is still the best answer to finding an apartment in Thailand.  Actually the very best answer is to get to know some people, preferably Thai’s, who are already resident in Thailand and enlist their aid in finding an apartment.  They typically have at least some leads on available places.

Apartment hunting can be a bit different in Thailand for sure.  Many cheap and good places are not even advertised.  The only way to find out about them is by word of mouth or by stopping in the lobby of a building and asking.  Of course the local Thai’s are going to have the very best information about available apartments, but even resident expats can sometimes steer you towards a very good deal in a nice place.

If you want to do some preliminary research these are three decent sites that have condo’s listed for rent and for sale in bangkok:

Thai Apartment.com
Sunbelt Asia Properties - Tends to be more upscale
Bangkok Condos

This should give you some idea of what you can expect in terms of price, size and amenities when you go apartment hunting in Bangkok.  Of course if you can use your networking skills to get to know some people you can find much better deals than you’ll ever find using a broker like this.  Plus, if you are looking for really cheap places (less than 10,000 baht a month) you’ll never find them listed here.  In that case your only real option is to go looking once you’re already in Thailand.

Another very useful resource on the web is at the Thai Visa forum Thailand Accommodation Finding Forum.  You can sometimes find good deals and you can also post an ad looking for a place.

My advice would be to take some time and look around at the resources I’ve given you, but don’t commit to anything until you get to Thailand.  You’ve given the impression that you don’t really want to stay in Bangkok for the entire year and may even continue to travel in which case you would be looking for short term leases in a variety of places.

Cheap rooms are not hard to find in Thailand whether long term or short term.  With a small bit of looking and talking with people you should easily be able to come up with something that serves no matter where in Thailand you are.

I for one am looking forward to your trip to Thailand and I hope you keep reading Thailand Musings and even come back to let us know how it’s going once you get there and get your feet on the ground.  Good luck and keep in touch.

Popularity: 3% [?]

What Work Can We Do Other Than Teach English in Thailand?

Question from Garry in Australia:
Hello, Just Started to investigate the possibility of going to Thailand and experiencing the culture. I spent a month in Laos in December 2007 and loved it but it is a different experience. I wish to Holiday in Thailand and have started to try to find a friend on the dating sites. I have a background in Engineering, as a tradesman and also I was an instructor of Hand skills for Apprentices and Adult Trainees. My question is besides teaching English do they instruct students in other skills and if so how could I find a network to advise me?
Thanks

Answer: It’s a very good question. Many of us have skills other than the fact that we are native English speakers and let’s face it, not everyone has the desire to teach English as a second language anyway. So, what do you do if you’re not the type who wants to teach English as a second language to a group of bored kids? Do you really have any other options to teaching English or is that it?

You are actually asking this question at a very good time because Thai schools are requiring instruction in English for more and more subject areas. Computers, math and sciences are becoming more common areas for native English speakers to find jobs in Thailand as teachers. Still, that doesn’t mean they are common.

One good place to find jobs teaching subjects other than English is the jobs board at Ajarn.com. The job is primarily English teaching jobs, but jobs in math, computers, science, editing, writing and even acting are sometimes found there.

You can also find some jobs other than English teaching jobs at the ThaiVisa.com teaching forum.

Of course these jobs aren’t plentiful and the competition is pretty heavy. Also, don’t expect to get paid much. The going rate for starting jobs in these areas is no better than English teaching jobs averaging around 35,000 baht a month.

If you’re really set on going to live in Thailand you can easily teach English at least until you are able to find another job. English teachers are currently in huge demand, especially in Bangkok and finding a job teaching English is pretty easy. If you’re not sure how to go about finding the right job take a look at my guide to getting a job teaching English in Bangkok in 10 days.

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but the truly best way to get a job in Thailand is to simply show up there and start looking. There are many more jobs available that you’ll never see on a website. The only way to find them is to get to Bangkok and start pounding the pavement and networking. You never know what you might find. I’ve heard of people being offered all kinds of jobs from bar and restaurant management to acting to sales jobs. The catch is you have to be there to hear about most jobs outside of the typical English teaching jobs.

Don’t get discouraged because finding a job in Bangkok really can be easy. All you need is the courage to get there and a little bit of persistence and you should be fine. Hopefully this post will give you some ideas and a starting place in your quest to live in Thailand. I have no doubt that you have both if you’ve already spent a month in Laos so all you need now is the airline ticket. Good luck to you with everything and let us know how things turn out. Maybe you can even do a guest post here at Thailand Musings once you get to Thailand, that would be cool for all of us.

Popularity: 12% [?]

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