Soaking in Siam: Siam

Showing posts with label Siam. Show all posts

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Popping

Nim Araya at Ban Phu Kham, Thailand · น้ำพุร้อนบ้านครูเพชรบูรณ์ バンクルー温泉 Bankru Hot Spring.

A very very rare contribution to this blog.

Driven by a visit to Thailand by Thermalsprings.ru which shares with us an overview of the many hot springs visited. The list you'll find at the end of this entry. Otherwise some news. Some photo's. And back to oblivion. Question mark.

Thaiger reports (Sept. 5, 2023) on a hot spring mishap. A bridge was definitely not sturdy enough:

'A 16 year old Thai youth suffered severe burns after plunging into a scorching hot spring with temperatures exceeding 80 degrees Celsius at Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park in the Fang district of the northern province of Chiang Mai'.

Again Thaiger, this time with an overview (Dec. 9, 2022) of onsen history in Thailand:

'Since the 90s, venues started popping up across Thailand, mostly catering to the many hundreds of Japanese overseas workers living and working in Thailand, with Bangkok seeing the largest concentration'.

That's basically the history lesson!

Last year (Jun. 15) Thaiger shared a brief overview of Bangkok's onsens (n=5).

Hotspringjourneys also adds (Feb. 19) a list of Thai hot springs, just seven though.

Mindthegap

Theblondtravels heads to Chiang Mai's Pong Kwao:

'We entered the main area with a nice, little garden, fountains and a small swimming pool. Wooden bungalows lined the paved path. We peaked in one of them. There was a group of Thai men soaking in crystal blue water. We stood outside thinking if we should go in and what should we do with our clothes. A few meters further I saw a caucasian man standing outside of one of the bungalows and I decided to ask him. As it turned out, for 150 Baht you could have your own private hut, where you could spend as much time as you wished.
...
We picked one with a sign ’empty’ on its door and went it. We were tempted to just go into the water naked, but there was a big gap between the ground and the wall through which people from the nearby bungalows could see us, so we changed into the clothes we had been given.
The inside of the hut was simple, but clean. There were a couple of hangers and baskets for your items. There was also a small shower cabin with cold water'.

a.torfun 86w
เราลองเป็นแฟนกันเลยได้ไหม 🎵
ก็เพราะฉันเป็นคนไม่คุย 🎶 (คุยไม่เป็น) 💕
🛖 #บ่อน้ำร้อน 🎋 #อุ้มผาง 🌄 #ตาก

One of Thailands leading newspapers, the Nation, shares a visit (Sep. 12, 2023) to Onsen @ Moncham, near Chiang Mai:

'The mineral water from the natural hot springs, emanating from over 100 meters below ground, is so relaxing and revitalizing. I'm confident it's good for the skin and muscles, but I know for sure that it's good for my spirit. The indoor onsen is sex-segregated without clothing, while the onsen in the garden is mixed-gender with swimsuits required. Both are wonderful'.

dueyaoqing
𝐹𝑒𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔.. @onsenatmoncham
#chiangmai #travelchiangmai #chiangmaithailand #chiangmairesort #travelthailand #thailand🇹🇭 #travelphotography #goodvibes #travelwithyaoqing #luxurytravelandhotels #onsenmoncham #onsentime

Bangkokairways has a blog (Nov. 23, 2023) on the hot springs of Pai (n=3):

'A trip to any of the natural hot springs in Pai is a wonderful opportunity to relax and nurture your body while relishing the soothing sound of the waters, the song of birds in the trees, and the refreshing feel of the light wind on your skin. Beyond soaking, you can also explore your surroundings and make exciting discoveries. So don’t miss it!

evelyynmta
Nature🧖‍♀️🌿🍃
Pai🇹🇭
#hotsprings #pai #thailand #nature #paihotsprings #saingamhotspring #relax #happiness #disconnect

JonnyMelon has an updated (Jan. 11, =2023) blog entry on Sai Ngam (Pai). A bit expansive for just 1 hot spring.

As said, Thermalsprings.ru has been on a soaking sojourn to Thailand. Result has been their Thailand overview, more or less as follows:

North Thailand

Chiang Mai province

Chiang Rai

Mae Hong Son

magda_smolikova
Phu Klon Spa - jedno ze tři jediných míst na světe s přírodním léčivým bahýnkem. Přitom málo známé a pro nás převážně bez lidí. Perfektní místo po několikadenní náročné cestě a přesezených zadcích na motorce, nebo aspoň to jsme si mysleli. Obličejový bahenní zábal byl perfektním startem a věřila jsem, že relax v termální vodě si naprosto užiji, ALE nenapadlo by mne, že teplota vody ze mě bude po pár sekundách dělat lidský vývar. Thajci sice nebudou nejodolnější a nejotužilejší národ vůči studeným teplotám, ale naopak ty vysoké teploty zvládají bravůrně. Zatímco já tam na poprvé vydržela maximálně minutu a vylezla červená jak napařené kuře, starší dámy si ve vodě lebedily u zdroje horké vody desítky minut a ani se neměly potřebu ochladit ledovou sprchou. Ten klid a výhled na nádhernou přírodu ti vděk v duši přivodí tak i tak💧❤️
#phuklon #phuklonmudspa #maehongson #norththailand #lannathai #spa #naturespa #mudspa #thailand

Central Thailand

Phetchaburi

Na Yong Plong

Ratchaburi

thekengbc

มีแฟนเป็นช่างภาพแทนแหละ

Kanchanaburi

Southern thailand
Krabi

crossingoffcoordinates
Have you ever been to a natural hot spring?
Don’t miss this place in Thailand
📍Khlong Thom Nuea, Krabi
#krabi #krabithailand #hotsprings #coupletravel #thailandtravelguide #travelguides #thailand

Trang

Phatthalung

Khao Chaison

Nakhon Si Thammarat

Krung Ching

Suratthani

Chumpon

Than Khao Phlu

Ranong

PhangNga

Friday, August 12, 2016

Calm

#Thailand #travel #chiangdao #onsen #fujifilm taking a hot spring bath in the countryside around chiangdao!

Chiang Mai province, source.

Just a short intermezzo blog update.

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Full spectrum

わたし、身体ようかいみたいwww

Translated from Japanese: I, like a body specter. Source

Let's start with this photographic tour of Thailand with some contributions from Central Thailand for a change.

If one heads out due west from Bangkok there's a lot to see and experience soakingswise. Probably the closest hot spring is the hot spring resort by the name of Rock Valley (below) just outside of Khanchanaburi town.

To the south of this in the delightful valley of Suan Phueng (Ratchaburi province) is the hot spring of Bo Klueng (above).

Теперь это моя естественная среда обитания [palm_tree]

Now from Russian: Now it is my natural habitat. Source

ออ นเซ็นอย่างไทยก็มาา #hotspring #thaistyle #weekendroadtrip #wanderluststory

Hin Dat hot spring, Khanchanaburi, source.

Dizzy

พ่อ กับแม่พามาแช่น้ำร้อน #เวียนหัวจุง hot spring!! [laughing] #hotsprings #feelgood #nature

Chaiya hot spring, Surathani, source.

Heading south, before hitting the main tourist areas on the west coast one could laze away a couple of hours at Chaiya (above).

But it's mostly the hot springs near Krabi (below) which entertain the many tourists.

Awesome #bachelorette party! #hotsprings #thailand #krabi #destinationwedding #travels

Wareeraksa hot spring, Krabi, source.

#tb #crazytrio #enjoyinglife #hotsprings #krabi #thailand

source

Hot

Erum bara að njóta #nofilter #IMBAtravelers #thailand #hotspring #pai

Translated (from Icelandic): [We] Are just enjoying. Source

And to top it off the northern hot springs, Pai hot spring (above, Mae Hong Son province) and the hot springs near Samoeng, Chiang Mai (below).

***หนี ร้อน มาแช่น้ำร้อน @น้ำพุร้อนโป่งกราว #onsen #chiangmai #cnx #hotsprings #hotspring #สะเมิง #โป่งกราว #น้ำพุร้อน #journey #thailand

source

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Experience

Gains fading away but still enjoying life [raising_hand] [ocean] [sunny] #ChiangMai #Hotsprings #Hotpool #sankampaeng

Se Siam soaking winner of 2015: Sankampaeng. Source

Consider to differ
With the end of the year fast approaching, let's look at what are Thailand's most popular soaks, based on internet awareness.

Points were awarded to relative standings on Instagram, Google search (of the last 12 months), google search (based on % of the first 100 results), Twitter (number of hashtags), flickr / Tumblr / Youtube finds, Tripadvisor (number of comments) and Facebook (likes).

These scoring posssibilities differed from last years overview as bing and pininterest search results were excluded, while google percentage and Facebook likes were included.

Was the result much different?
No, there's little change to last year and the top 5 is exactly ranked the same as two years back! So much for changing the sources of calculation ...

Business as usual
Outside the top 5, there were some shifts, most notably the picturesque Wareerak hot spring (Krabi) coming in at number 7.

Amazing afternoon at #wareerak #hotspring #thailand #spaexperience

source

It is part of a pattern, whereby privately operated soaks are increasing their presence on the internet as that's what they need to do to continue to stay in business.

Those at the top of the lisst remain mostly non-business entities with a little enhancement of the original surroundings but mostly natural (though exclude the number 1 from this note). Whereas 4 of the numbers 6-10 have business interests at heart.

The Top 10:
1 Sankampaeng, Chiang Mai (2014: 3rd)
2 Pai, Mae Hong Son (1)
3 Hin Dad, Khanchanaburi (6)
4 Fang, Chiang Mai (2)
5 Klong Thom, Krabi (4)
6 Rock Valley, Khanchanaburi (8)
7 Wareerak (-)
8 Raksawarin, Ranong (11)
9 Chaeson, Lampang (-)
Natthawaree, Krabi (5)

I guess it's time to put on clothes and leave Thailand jungle paradise.. Off to Vietnam [rocket] [ramen] [fried_shrimp] [dancer]

Off the top(s)? Pai's so-called hot spring; there seems to be quite a few hot springs in and around Pai each helping Pai to stay at or at least near the top. Source

Bubbling just outside the Top 10 are Chiang Dao (Chaing Mai), Betong (Yala), Mae Khachan (Chiang Mai), Pong Duet (Chaing Mai) and upcoming Thaweesin (Chiang Rai).

Friday, February 20, 2015

Chronicled

Enjoying Thailands hot springs from south to north.

Starting off with little known Kuan Kang hot spring in Trang province:

บ่อน้ำร้อน แช่สบายเลออ แต่ลงแค่ขานะ ร้อนโฮกก #trang #hotspring

source

temperatura da água: 35° #hotwaterfall #thailand

North of Trang comes Krabi's Klong Thom, always popular, source

只要10銖的野溪溫泉 #kanchanaburi #sylvietraveling #hotspring #taiwaneseinthailand

Hin Dad hot spring, Khanchanaburi, source

18+ #onsen #thailand

Or elsewhere in Khanchanaburi, Rock Valley's hot spring, source

Not really a natural hot spring, though it does claim to use natural mineral water, Yunomori Onsen & Spa in Bangkok:

ยามว่าง ถ่ายนู๊ดเล่น 555555555 แอบหมั่นอิคนหลังอะ ที่สวยกว่า #FotoRus #yunomori #onsen #hotspring

source

Beauty

Taking a bath in natural hot springs #chaeson #nationalpark #hottub #hotspring #natural #lampang #thailand #travelling #wanderlust #beauty #life #friends

Chaeson (Jason) hot springs, Lampang province, well and truly northern Thailand, source

2. San Kamphaeng Hot Springs

Chiang Mai province, source

And then two from what is fastly becoming a favourite soak for all those luckily enough to end in Mae Hong Son's town of Pai:

Mineral bath 🚿 #hotsprings #36degrees #bath #pai #chroniclesofsiania

source

#InstaSize #tochkarazborki #travel #thai #thailand #picoftheday #instagood #instamood #vsco #pai #hotsprings

source

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

ilovewhatido

recharge your energy at the free local tub hot spring. birthday travel #chiangdao #travelbug #ilovewhatido #hotspringchiangdoa #hotspring #seabackpacking #birthday #scorpio #october #ilocetravelling #amazinghailand #norththailand #ilovetravelling #life #explore

source

Stinky
In all honesty there seems to be little to update to you: rains come, rains go, Governments come, governments go. Basically nothing changes.

Prices go up. And up. In this case the entry prices to Thailands national parks. Which by the way host to many a natural soak.

If you are an obvious non-Thai then the authorities believe that a 10 fold entrance premium is required to see some of Thailand's natural secrets.
But this does not mean that whatever national park / natural secret you are visiting is well-managed. Very often they are either overrun or visitor facilities are non-existent.

Now once more there is a new government in place, a military one which is very careful not to suggest tough measures for their peoples: the quick fix is to tax the foreign looking visitor.

Such that the government is now proposing a new fee structure with respective parks being able to charge fluctuating fees: non-transparent. TTR (Oct. 10) lists an overview but I'm pretty unsure what you pay where. What does seem pretty clear:

'It just stinks of greed and opportunism'.

What's this to do with hot springs? Many a hot spring in Thailand has remained public and become a national park, f.i. the popular hot spring of Pai. It means that visiting a hot spring has become more expensive and one must understand the underlying message: your welcome is only genuine if you are willing to continue to pay ...

More info on the price structure of Thailand's national parks can be found on Waterfalls of Southeast Asia, here and here.

Is the hot spring of Pai your moneys worth? Source:

Tha Pai Hot spring. #hotspring #thailand #pai #relax #picoftheday

Untrained

A short blog entry on trips to Thailand (Nov. 14) on a visit to Surat Thani's Chaiya district. Famed for it's religious temples and sorts it also has a few hot springs. His finds:

'I eventually ventured along a gravel road that lead to a temple on the top of a hill. Just at the foot of the hill, a couple of ponds had been constructed from concrete. But, again, the area and the facilities appeared deserted and unused. The mineral water overflow from the concrete ponds discolored the rocks as it made its way down hill for form a small lake. The rocks looked to my untrained eye somewhat like lava, but was in Thai named Lan Lonk Prachan'.

Trips to Thailand has also recently been (Aug 10) to Samo Thong hot spring, Uthai Thani province. No report on the soaking ...

A hot spring in Tak's, Umphang district (source):

#thailand #hotsprings ️

No cooling down
Bangkok Post (Jul. 25) has some soaking related news:

'Ranong municipality has prohibited people from taking a cool dip in a canal in front of Ranong's mineral hot springs, because a strong current could cost them their life'.

So only hot springs in the offering here.

A little made visit to Krung Ching hot springs in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Tambralinga (Sep.) stumbles onto these while making his / her way to the waterfall with the same name. The site is a good site for natural secrets of this overlooked southern province.