Despite the increase in the Bangkok hotel supply, Bangkok occupancy rates and REVPAR increased but the Average daily rate decreased in quarter 1. International Tourist Arrivals increased by 27.1% on Q1 2010. Obviously Q2 numbers will be very poor and it remains to be seen how long it will take for business and tourist arrivals to recover. The majority of new condominium launches in the first quarter were mainly small one bedroom units. The office market remained weak. There was no increase in supply. Take up grew by 17,481 square metres. Grade A CBD rents fell by 3.8% year on year. Retail Occupancy increased to 93.4%. Rents remained at similar levels. A number of shopping centres were closed in Central Bangkok for much of April and May. 882 Rai (349 acres) of SILPs were sold on industrial parks and estates in Q1 2010. This was an increase 891% y-o-y. There was 175% increase in townhouse completions on quarter on quarter but developer built single detatched house completions fell by 74% quarter on quarter.

The existing supply in downtown Bangkok reached 67,176 units, up from 65,067 units in Q1 2010. This was an increase of 3.2% Q-o-Q and 15.8% Y-o-Y. There were 2,109 units completed in this quarter. Another 5,220 units are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010 which will raise the total downtown condominium stock significantly to 72,396 units, or by 11.3 % Y-o-Y. In Q1 2010, the average asking price for an off-plan freehold condominium unit (high-end and above) in downtown Bangkok was 156,460 THB/m2 an increase of 19.2% Q-o-Q or 3.0 Y-o-Y. The total number of units occupied by owners or tenants decreased from 74.2 in Q4 2009 to 74.0% in this quarter.

Some people prefer to consult a travel agent who takes all these steps on behalf of the passenger. Payments can be made online or through the travel agent. When visiting Bangkok, it’s advisable to visit nearby areas of tourist interest inside Thailand and, if possible, neighboring countries. A round trip tour from New York to Bangkok and back can begin as low as USD 200. The affordability depends on the number of passengers, length of stay, whether economy or business class, whether normal fare or excursion fare, and so on. Most airlines also charge for the interim hotel accommodation, onward reservations, etc. Imagine that someone leaves New York on March 1st for Bangkok and returns on March 8th. An airline may charge $740 per person for this flight ticket. Some of the major world airlines that offer excellent discount tickets to Bangkok are Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, United Airlines, and China Airlines of Taiwan.

But just because the economics of eating this food is good, doesn’t mean you should do it all the time. This can have some very adverse effects on your health. Many of these restaurants have tried to introduce healthy fast food options. Now these kinds of foods may or may not be better for you. Healthy fast food items are sometimes difficult to distinguish if they are actually healthy, or just better than eating a greasy burger. In any case you should do your research and figure out what exactly you are eating. Try to minimize calories and fat intakes. So even if you’re going out to eat several times a week, it would certainly help to research some better options. Maybe you can’t be cooking at home all the time because you are on the run, but you can still make choices that will help you feel a lot better. Picking salads, and other low-calorie options can greatly reduce your chance of growing fat. Take some time and read the nutritional information on these so-called healthy fast foods. It is important to understand exactly what you are putting into your body.

All of these children come from poor families, either broken homes or homes where sick parents are unable to work. With Thai society offering little in the way of state welfare, families and children forced into such poverty have little choice but to send the kids out on the streets of Bangkok to work. One the face of it though, some of these children seem anything but miserable. They look happy, smiling and laughing with foreigners as they try to peddle whatever it is they are selling. They often speak very good English and are happy to challenge you to a bet in order to get you to buy something from them. Many foreign visitors are taken in by these kids, and end up giving them whatever they ask for whatever it is they are selling, but what most of them don’t realize is that often enough, the child won’t get to keep a single cent.

While some of the street kids are locals of Bangkok, many of these children are usually refugees from Burma, Cambodia or Laos, sold to local mafia, and forced out to work to pay back their debt. They struggle to sell their quota each day, and often have to work 12 hour days or longer with little food or rest, until their ‘owners’ are satisfied with their earnings for that day. Then, they will go back ‘home’ to a tiny hovel that is shared with several other kids, eat a small meal before setting out to work the next day.

Coconut milk is usually available in concentrated form in cans. The milk is processed and can be stored for long in refrigerators. Both dried and fresh lemon grass must be soaked in water for a minimum of thirty minutes before using it in your recipe. Another special Thai ingredient is the Kaffir leaf that is available at every supermarket that stocks multi-cuisine spices and herbs. Small-sized Birdseye chilies and fish sauce prepared from fermented prawn are other basic things that add authentic Thai flavor to the food. These ingredients can be availed easily from your local supermarket or grocery store. Once all the aforesaid essentials are gathered, cooking Thai food becomes extremely easy. The best thing about Thai cooking methods and recipes is that you can experiment with your favorite ingredients to invent your own personalized recipes.

Of the imported cuisines popular in the UK, Thai food offers one of the most consistently healthy and well-balanced diets available. Its various techniques and components are a fusion of contributions made by the Asian, European and African cultures that, at various periods, took advantage of the trade routes upon which Thailand was so well placed. It is almost as if it has embraced all the best elements from the many influences that played parts in its evolution, while leaving out most of the things which we now know are not healthy to eat.

An article in the health section of the BBC’s website stated that the popular Indian dish chicken tikka masala with pilau rice typically contains around 47g of fat, while a similar Thai food choice, stir fried chicken with plain steamed rice (phad khing hai) has just 13g of fat of which only 3g is saturated fat. The difference is striking, and the more dishes one compares, the greater the contrast one sees between the two cuisines so far as healthy eating considerations are concerned.

As well as a healthy, balanced overall diet, the individual ingredients used in Thai cooking are well known for their benefits and, in many cases, they are actually used in Southeast Asian medicine.

Turmeric, for example, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, both of these qualities are known to play a part in preventing the development of cancer.

Lemongrass, a lovely, fragrant, lemony herb is used in Chinese medicine in the treatment of colds and flu-like bugs. It is also known to help maintain good digestion.

Galangal is a variant of ginger and, as such, shares many of its properties. Galangal is particularly renowned for its effectiveness in relieving digestive problems and gastric disorders. It is also reputed to assist in the reduction of pain and stiffness caused by arthritis.

Chillies, cayenne in particular, have recently come to the attention of western researchers. Indications are that chillies and their extracts may be beneficial in maintaining a healthy cardio-vascular system, and in supporting the body’s ability to produce insulin. Some researchers have also found positive impact on certain skin conditions, and on digestion. Another, quite unusual, benefit of chillies is that they are known to combat insomnia, so your delicious Thai meal will also help you to sleep soundly at night!

Coriander is well known throughout Asia and is one of the most vital ingredients common to most cuisines from that region. Like many of the other herbs used in Thai cooking, it is known to aid good digestion, and is reputed to encourage a strong immune system, thus helping to defend against common minor illnesses.

Coconut milk is believed to assist in the lowering of LDL, a form of cholesterol which is harmful at high levels. It also helps to raise levels of more desirable fatty substances that the body needs in order to function optimally. Like coriander, coconut milk is known for its immunity boosting properties. Some of its components are also known to inhibit some of the effects of aging.

Kaffir Lime Leaves have antioxidant properties like several of the ingredients we have mentioned already. Kaffir is said to purify the blood and assist digestion, while promoting dental and oral health. Kaffir is one of the main flavours used in Thai cuisine.

But there is more to the healthy eating aspect of the Thai diet than the individual properties of its ingredients: one should not underestimate the importance of the freshness of Thai herbs. Where many Asian cooking styles use a lot of dried spices and extracts, Thai cooking tends to make use of fresh herbs in their natural, whole state rather than extracts. Whole foods of any kind are now widely recognised, even in the west, as being the healthier option, and should be preferred over processed or powdered derivatives.

The popularity of salads, fish and seafood mean that there are plenty of alternatives to red meat. That said, body builders and macho traditionalists who don’t consider a meal to be a real meal unless it contains a decent helping of red meat would find that a Thai menu caters for them too.

As with all cuisines, there are some things best enjoyed in moderation. If one ate only dishes rich in coconut milk, for example, then one might reasonably expect to add a few inches to one’s waistline. Similarly, someone on a diet may decide to opt for plain or fragrant, rather than fried, rice dishes in order to keep the calories down, but the great thing about Thai cuisine is that meals are generally composed with all elements very well balanced, so it is most likely that a full meal would contain all these marvellous ingredients in just the right proportions.

Insomnia Pattaya is relatively new in relation to the other clubs but it has rapidly grown to become the number hot spot. Whilst all of the night clubs are usually available to all visitors coming from all over the world a few of the night clubs have a unique kind of customers. Star Dice in Naklua accommodates mainly Asian visitors coming from Korea, Japan as well as Taiwan. Mixx,, Tony disco and Yen Sabai night clubs focus on mainly the Arab-speaking tourists to Pattaya. Walking Street Club, Lucifer as well as Mixx are well-liked by the African American tourists.

Most of the night clubs in Pattaya will not demand an entry payment; however they do need you to purchase a minimum of one beverage, occasionally two, over the course of your evening. Lucifer Pattaya is the second most popular nightspot with live bands playing hip hop every night except for Mondays when Lucifer hosts a female and couples dance contest with the winner receiving a bottle of whiskey.

The first place to find gay go go bars and venues is in Duangthawee Plaza located on Surawongse road just off Patpong 2. It’s often called Soi Twilight because many of the establishments here are able to close later than the official 1am -2am closing time imposed by the government. Here you’ll find the most gay go go bars and a few noteworthy restaurants to lounge around and have a meal and drink in such as Dick’s Cafe.

The second strip for gay nightlife is found on Silom Soi 4. There are no go go bars here so Silom 4 has a much more laid back and relaxed atmosphere. There are many popular restaurants and bars lining the street with open terraces for people watching and the seats are filled especially on weekends. And ever so often a group of gay restaurant and bar owners will get together and put on fashion and entertainment shows with live music and dancers. One of the most popular bars on Silom Soi 4 is the pub style Telephone, where there are telephones on tables which you can use to call for a chat with fellow customers.

The last area is the smallest and it is on Silom Soi 2, just a few minutes walk from Silom Soi 4. This area has the least bars and clubs, however it has 2 of the best clubs popular with the young gay crowd called DJ Station and Freeman with its famous drag show starting every night at midnight. Make sure to get a seat near the balcony for the best view of the show below which takes place on a large central dance floor. Finally there are many hotels in Bangkok but it’s best to stay around Patpong since that’s where you can find the most gay friendly hotels. There are only a few within walking distance to Patpong’s gay nightlife venues such as the Montien Hotel and Bally’s Suites Silom.

With all of this beauty and lush landscape scenic environment it is only a matter of time or common sense that if you are wanting to get away fromBangkok every now and again who could resist to not invest or retire in such a great town. Hua Hin is known for it’s vibrant culture and is already known as an upmarket destination along with it’s international community that is easily adjustable to all types of open minded people. Buying property in Hua Hin particularly houses is a great opportunity for anyone who can afford to buy as the land itself holds great value and is fairly sustainable. Renting out your property for investment or pleasure is never an issue, as there is always someone that wants to get away.

Condominiums along the seaside is also a very nice idea and there is always plenty of blocks being developed continuously. If you can buy off the plan this is also a good way to get a place a bit cheaper. Overall Hua Hin Real Estate you could easily say is a winner and will continue to rise up in popularity the more congested the bigger cities get as people are looking at being somewhere further out and with more peace and serenity.