With hotels in every price range, for every taste, and situated throughout the city, picking the right establishment comes down to one of several factors.

• Price range
• Location
• Accessibility

MBK Mall in Siam, Bangkok, Thailand.

Accommodation In Bangkok, Thailand.

Location

Location should be the most important factor when choosing your Bangkok hotel. As a city notoriously difficult to navigate, with traffic that can stand still for hours on end, being located near the places you’re likely to visit in Bangkok will not only cut down on time spent traveling, it will also decrease your chances of getting lost, or being caught off guard by overcharging taxis and touts.

If you’re visiting Thailand on a Medial Tourism vacation, then staying within easy reach of your hospital or clinic is highly advisable.

Patients booking with ThaiMed will not have to worry about this as we will act as your travel agent; making sure you get the best deals. We are your travel insurance against booking disasters!

For those more interested in the active city life of Bangkok, anywhere within walking distance of the the the BTS Sky Train and MRT Underground networks, the city’s public mass transit system, should suffice. Popular areas along the BTS and MRT that cater to tourist include Silom, Siam, Pleonchit, Chitlom, Nana, Asoke, Phrom Phong, Thong Lor, and Saphan Taksin; other stations such Ekamai, Prakanong, On Nut, Ari, Chatuchak, and Param 9, are also in areas that cater to western needs, but visitors unfamiliar with the city may not find the services often required by backpackers or sightseeing travelers.

BTS SKy Train Near Sala Daeng Intersection

While the BTS and MRT cover a large portion of the central business district and inner suburbs, neither have been extended to Khao San road – the city’s backpacker area – or its surrounding areas. Which means those on a backpackers budget staying at near Khao San will have to work that little bit harder to visit other places around the the city.

Bangkok is so large, dense and difficult to navigate that those staying in an area without a BTS or MRT station, who are also on limited budgets and time, usually find themselves staying in that area.

Getting Around Bangkok

When it comes to getting round Bangkok, if you don’t talk Thai, then be prepared for lots of walking, or bartering with taxi drivers. Even though the BTS and MRT cover most of the city, many of Bangkok best restaurants, spas and other attractions are hidden away down the smaller roads known as Soi’s in Thai. That said, it is possible to spend your days visiting areas within a short walk from these stations.

Bangkok Taxis

Buses are great way to travel on the cheap, but again, without any knowledge of Thai language and Bangkok, it can be difficult to find out which bus to catch and where to get off. Nevertheless, if you’re prepared to deal with the crazy traffic and persevere enough to find out which bus you need, traveling doesn’t get any cheap than this.

Many of the city’s taxis and motorbike taxis see tourists as an advantage to overcharge for their services, and while their asking price might not seem like much, being overcharged certainly adds up. Taxi’s should run on meters, but many times when a foreigners’ ask to go somewhere, the excuses start coming; “the meter is broken,” or “ there’s too much traffic, I give you better price than meter,” or simply, “there’s too much traffic, I want this price.” Unfortunately when this happens, it’s usually easier to ask another taxi who has no problem going on the meter.

For this reason, having access to a bilingual speaking driver, who knows where they are going, can be priceless. Large hotels will always be able to get you a meter taxi to your destination, but bear in mind that once you’ve left the hotel, you’re on own.

Fortunately there are hardly any dangerous areas in the city – with the exception of several slums, the major one being in the areas surrounding the KlongToey market. But as you’re not likely to accidentally walk into a slum, Bangkok is perfect city to wander the streets.

So whilst you needn’t be afraid to go exploring, always remember that the city’s confusing network of roads and soi’s are an easy place to get lost. A handy tip for the adventurous is to keep a business card from your hotel, so you’ve always got a written reference to show the locals when asking for directions home.

Hotel Accessibility

While price and location speak for themselves, accessibility is another factor you’ll want to consider when choosing your hotel. Thailand’s capital city is jammed packed with malls, stores, buildings, shacks, and all types of traffic, both human and mechanical, therefore accessibility to and from your hotel room and location in the city can make or break your holiday.

Small Soi's Around Pratunam Market

Many budget hotels and guesthouse are compact and hidden away, making it nightmare for the elderly or disabled. Buildings with no lifts, thin staircases and no ramps can make certain hotels completely inaccessible for the less able.

But accessibility isn’t just a problem for the elderly or disabled, it can affect anyone from the business traveler to the medical tourist or backpacker.

Shoppers and people traveling with lots of luggage may want to avoid these cramped budget guest house (some of which are very pleasant and much better value than larger hotels) as floor space, hall ways and general access to your room and facilities can make it difficult to carry more than the average amount of luggage. And business people may find the lack of desk space or an Internet connection in many places.

These small establishments are also less likely to offer services such as free left luggage, a god send to many travelers who plan to base their travels in Bangkok.

If you have special requirements when it comes to accessing your hotel and room, you may need to contact the smaller hotels directly to discuss your needs. (Note: Not all establishments employ staff with sufficient English skills to warrant an informative phone call, so don’t be disheartened if you find yourself being ignored, if the person on the other end of the phone is unable to communicate with you, it’s generally a good indicator of what you can expect during your stay.)

Price Range

Finding a hotel to suit your budget is only made difficult because of the plethora or options. A with most cities the central business district is typically reserved for large hotels. However Bangkok is a little different, and there are cheaper hotels guest houses hidden away in amongst the city center.

That said, for most options less than 25 dollars a night, there is only much one place for the traveler – Khao San Road. Featured in blockbuster movies such as The Beach, Khao Sarn road is Bangkok’s backpacker district. Situated in the Bang Lampoo area of Bangkok, Khao Sarn and the roads adjacent are home to everything backpacker from cheap to mid range guest houses and hotels, to market stalls, travel agents, all types of food stalls and restaurants, as well as pubs and clubs.

Khao San Road, Bangkok

But don’t be mistaken, it’s not all budget establishments around here, there are several mid range accommodations as well as up-market restaurants. Rooms around Bang Lampoo can cost anywhere between 10-20 dollars without air conditioning, or 30-60 dollars with.

Within walking distance of many tourist attractions including the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, staying around Khao San road certainly has it benefits. But the lack of BTS or MRT – the city’s public mass transit system – and the busy Bangkok traffic can make it difficult to leave the area, especially for those on a budget. (River taxis 10-15 mins walk from the area can take you along the Chao Phraya to several stops, or city bound to Ratchetewi, Pratunam, Asoke, And Klong Tom, however most of the boats close after dark and the piers are sometimes far away from other tourist attractions.)

For those on slightly higher budget, there are a number of Boutique hotels throughout the city center, along Sukhumvit, in Siam and around Silom. Prices start at around 30-100 dollars a night, which is often well worth the money. Most boutique hotels sport modern looks, well furnished rooms and most hotel amenities; however the cheaper establishments often sacrifice location, accessibility and service, for the appearance of quality décor.

People looking for the most lavish hotel experience, will find paradise here in Bangkok. Boasting some of the world’s best hotels with excellent service, luxury hotels can be found all over the city, with prices starting at as little as 100 dollars.
Most big chains such as the JW Marriot, the Sheraton, Westin, and Hilton have establishments either in the city or along the Chao Praya river. The famous Mandarin Oriental and the Shangri La hotels are also situated along the river.

Chao Phraya River, Bangkok

Luxury hotels in Bangkok are much more just a place to stay, they offer some of the capital’s best restaurants and spas which are often visited by city residents. Expect top class service that almost meets western standards, but comes with décor, hospitality and an atmosphere that goes unrivaled anywhere in the world.

So, once you’ve considered what’s important during your stay in Bangkok, you’ll have a better idea of which area you’d like to stay. When it comes to booking your hotel or guest house, take reviews with a pinch of salt and remember that Thailand’s standard of quality, service and safety are sometimes not what we expect in the west, and it’s often here where corners are cut to offer such cheap prices.

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All Aboard America is a family owned business and been providing motor coach service since 1936. Since the beginning they have maintained an exceptional safety record thanks to their dedicated team of professionals that not only includes tour operators but also their full-service safety department and in-house maintenance facility.

Motor Coach Charters

All Aboard America Coach Charters

As soon as you come aboard you will notice that their coaches are clean and well maintained. Motorcoach charters will allow you to budget for vacations more frequently and will not be determined by conditions such as the rising gas prices. Traveling for recreation purposes will but necessary miles and wear-and-tear on your personal vehicle unnecessarily. Additionally, traveling by bus charters allows for a way to off-set your carbon footprint and help decrease harmful emissions into the environment.

Cliff Castle Casino

Cliff Castle Casino

Many families are crunched on time and feel as if they cannot take a vacation. However, All Aboard America helps remedy that with one of their most popular day trip tours to Cliff Castle Casino.
Casino!? Now you might think that by the sounds of it, it might not be a family vacation. However, Cliff Castle Casino is all about fun – and not just for adults – but for the whole family. They offer karaoke, gaming, bowling, and much more.

For adults indulging in gambling and some adult beverages, you fun can be severely limited if you plan on trying to drive to the casino for a day trip. With a professional driver behind the wheel, you can rest assured you and your family will return home safely.

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Most kathoeys integrate into society and easily fund work outside of the country’s red light district. Many kathoeys can be found working in salons, restaurants, clothing shops, and travel agencies.

But a dream oft-held by the most beautiful ladyboys, is to win the crown in the countries most prestigious ladyboy beauty pageant, Miss Tiffany Universe held ever year in May, just outside of tourist beach-town, Pattaya.

In a nation obsessed with beauty pageants and famous for its sexual tolerance, this elaborate contest is taken every bit as seriously as the more traditional competitions.

This year Sorrawee Natte took the Miss Tiffany crown. For her looks and intelligent answers, Sorrawee received a small Honda car, and 100,000 baht ($AU3800).

“I’m very excited,” the willowy 20-year-old from Thailand’s southern Songkhla province said, touching the glimmering winner’s crown with disbelieving fingers.

But for those who don’t make it to the Miss Tiffany contest there are many other chances to flaunt their beauty. Below is a gallery of photos from other ladyboy beauty pageants held this year:

Miss Ladyboy of Songkran 2009

Miss G – Star Beauty Contest 2009

Miss 108

Miss Mandalay Chiangmai International 2009

Miss Lady Lady 2009

Miss Angel Queen 2009

Miss Queen Of Tawan 2009

Miss Mandalay 2009

Lip Zing Singing Contest

Miss Samila International Princess 2009

If you would like to find out more about Sexual-Reassignment-Surgery in Thailand, please click here>>>

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During the festival, locals lay out a lavish spread that the town’s 2,000 macaque residents are freely allowed to feast for the weekend.

The monkeys have become one of the towns major tourist attractions and the locals repay the monkeys by hold the annual banquet in their honor. Some also believe that providing food for the monkeys brings good fortune and prosperity to the people.

Generally localized to temple of Pra Prang Sam Yot, the monkeys are free to roam wherever they please. The temple does however have bars around certain areas to allow for a monkey-free experience.

During the festival, around twenty of the best Thai cooks in the country gather and prepare a banquet, consisting of two tons of sausages, fresh fruit, fruit, vegetables, ice cream, jam and milk. The banquet is then left out over the weekend for the monkeys to feast upon.

The annual festival takes place on the last weekend in November. The festival is centered around the Pra Prang Sam Yot temple. Entrance is 30 baht and you will be given a stick to fend of inquisitive monkeys.

Festivities include a monkey ‘tea party’ where macaques tuck into a spread of fruit, eggs, cucumbers and bananas all prepared in their honor.

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Ian Welch, a freshwater biologist who was tagging stingrays in the Mekong region of Northern Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Laos, fought for 90 minutes to land the 770 pound (349 kg) stingray.

Measuring 7 x 7 feet with a tail said to be 10 foot long, it took the help of twelve other men to lift the giant fish out of the water.

“It dragged me across the boat,” Welch, 45, said “I knew it was going to a big one. As soon as we saw it there was just silence. Everyone was in awe of this thing.”

Once out of the water, the team soon realized the giant stingray was actually a pregnant female who’d just given birth – the ‘plate-sized’ baby clung to the rough skin on the mothers back.

Everyone admired the ray as Welch and the team from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, tagged and released her back into the Mekong River.

The catch broke the world record for the largest freshwater fish caught by a rod, a record that was previously held by a team of fishermen who caught a 646 pound (293kg ) giant catfish, also from the Mekong River.

There are many unverified accounts of stingrays growing well over 20 feet (6 meters) in length, however their ability to elude capture from man and other natural predators has made it difficult to fully study the creatures. When caught, the stingray burrows deep into the bed of the river, covering itself with up to 200 pounds of mud, and making it near impossible to lift out of the water.

Wuttichai “Boy” Khuensuwan, co-owner of the fishing outfitter Fishsiam, said it’s like “hooking into a submarine.”
There are stories of hooked stingrays dragging boats for miles up and down the river, and even pulling boats underwater. For Welch, the struggle brought untold amounts of joy:

“As a lifelong angler and biologist it is great my passions have come together.”

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The cord and blood inside is typically thrown aside as biological waste, but in Thailand, a country far from the political views and opinions of the western world, many parents are choosing to store the blood of their babies, perhaps for future stem cell treatments.

Thailand, already a top destination for those seeking first class medical care a at reduced cost, is now home to several start-up companies – Thai StemLife, Cyroviva Thailand, Cordlife and others – already responsible for storing the stem cells of approx 800,000 each year. And due to high birth rates and a large class of affluent parents, the country is certainly well positioned to cash in.

“You have to do this business in places where fertility rates are high,” said Kostas Papadopoulos, CEO of Thai StemLife, which is Thailand’s largest private stem cell bank. “In Singapore, people just don’t have sex enough. And even though purchasing power in Thailand isn’t as good as Europe, America or even North Asia, the fertility rate is quite good.”

Thai StemLife’s is just one the companies doing well. Founded in 2005, the company became profitable in two years. Currently storing over 3,300 stem cell samples, the company boosted clientele by 25 percent last year and at charge of almost $3,700 for lifetime storage, Papadopoulos says: “This year, we’re looking at doubling (clients).”

The science behind stem cell treatment therapy a mystery, however, thousands of people all over the world have benefited from their treatments.

There are two kinds of stem cells: embryonic and adult. Embryonic stem cells, which spring from fertilized eggs, divide in the womb until a fetus is formed. These stem cells can be collected but halt the growth of the embryo. For this reason there are many ethical concerns surrounding research involving embryonic stem cells.

Adult stem cells are the type collected from the umbilical cord, and although they’re less versatile, they are still useful for certain medical treatments. However, unless they are harvested from the umbilical cord at birth, adult stem cells are extremely difficult to extract. Liposuction or dialysis are among the methods used to extract adult stem cells later on in life, but neither of these methods can provide the voluminous amounts of the stem cells the umbilical offers.

“After the baby is born, you just insert the needle in the umbilical cord and suck all out all that’s available,” said Somjate Manipalviratn, an obstetrician with Superior A.R.T., a Bangkok infertility clinic.

The umbilical cord blood, a purplish goo, can be easily stored, thawed out, and injected into a patients bloodstream.

Stem cell treatments are thought to benefit people suffering from more than 80 diseases, including leukemia, hepatitis and thalassemia, a blood disease prevalent in Thailand.

Somjate explains to his patients that storing stem cells from the umbilical cord blood of their newborns is like insurance.

“If you can afford it, go for it.” he says. About 80 percent of his patients choose to store their baby’s cord blood:

“Almost all of them have babies at the private hospitals in Thailand….
“The government hospitals aren’t talking about stem cells yet.”

For many parents, the hope that medical breakthroughs will one day provide scientists with effective methods for stem cell treatments, certainly outweighs the cost of lifetime storage. Especially when considering the rate at which technology develops.

In once case, Ian Fox, whose wife is Thai, opted to store his son’s cells.

“We saw some PR literature in the hospital and thought, hey, let’s just do it…

“It seemed wise and it wasn’t terribly expensive.”

His son was then born in with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that left an immobilizing stiffness in his left leg.

The doctors advice for conventional treatment was a lifetime of orthopedic shoes and Botox injections. But the Fox’s thought, ‘There’s got to be a better answer.’

After six weeks of intense research, the Foxes decided to try a stem cell injection. Several weeks later, they said, their son was noticeably more mobile.

The boy, now 3, has also benefited from extensive physical therapy and hyper-baric oxygen treatments. Therefore it’s difficult, to pin-point which treatment spurred his son’s progress.

“We observed fairly rapid improvement after the stem cell treatment…
“But I’m not going to tell you that the stem cell treatment totally cured him. We can’t ever say for sure.”

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The findings revealed that bankruptcies due to medical bills increased by nearly 50% in a six-year period, from 46% in 2001 to 62% in 2007, and most of those who filed for bankruptcy were middle-class, well-educated homeowners.

The report will be published in the August issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

Lead author Steffie Woolhandler, MD, of the Harvard Medical School, in Cambridge, Mass.

“Unless you’re a Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, you’re one illness away from financial ruin in this country…

“If an illness is long enough and expensive enough, private insurance offers very little protection against medical bankruptcy, and that’s the major finding in our study.”

Dr. Woolhandler and her colleagues surveyed a random sample of 2,314 people who filed for bankruptcy in early 2007, looked at their court records, and then interviewed more than 1,000 of them.

They concluded that 62.1% of the bankruptcies were medically related because the individuals either had more than $5,000 (or 10% of their pretax income) in medical bills, mortgaged their home to pay for medical bills, or lost significant income due to an illness.

On average, medically bankrupt families had $17,943 in out-of-pocket expenses, including $26,971 for those who lacked insurance and $17,749 who had insurance at some point.

To add injury to insult, three-quarters of the people who suffered medically related bankruptcy had health insurance.

Dr. Woolhandler says:

“That was actually the predominant problem in patients in our study 78% of them had health insurance, but many of them were bankrupted anyway because there were gaps in their coverage like co-payments and deductibles and uncovered services…

“Other people had private insurance but got so sick that they lost their job and lost their insurance.”

However, Peter Cunningham, PhD, a senior fellow at the Center for Studying Health System Change, a nonpartisan policy research organization in Washington, D.C., isn’t completely convinced. He says it’s often hard to tell in which cases medical bills add to the bleak financial picture without being directly responsible for the bankruptcies:

“I’m not sure that it is correct to say that medical problems were the direct cause of all of these bankruptcies…

“In most of these cases, it’s going to be medical expenses and other things, other debt that is accumulating.”

Nevertheless, he agrees that medical bills are an increasing problem for many people:

“I think medical bills are something that a lot of families are having a lot of difficulty with and whether it’s the direct cause of bankruptcy or whether it helps to push them over the edge because they already were in a precarious financial situation, it’s a big concern and hopefully that’s what medical reform will try to address,”

The study may overestimate the number of bankruptcies caused by medical bills yet underestimate the financial burden of health care on American families, because most people struggle along but don’t end up declaring bankruptcy, according to Cunningham:

“Bankruptcy is the most extreme or final step for people who are having problems paying medical bills…

“Medical bills and medical costs are an issue that can very easily and in pretty short order overwhelm a lot families who are on otherwise solid financial ground, including those with private insurance.”

His group’s research found that medical bills unduly stress 1 in 5 families.

Either way, the high cost of health care is a problem that’s probably getting worse for people in the United States, particularly since the economic picture became grimmer after the study was conducted.

“The recession didn’t happen until a year after our study,” says Dr. Woolhandler. “We’re quite sure that the problem of bankruptcy overall is worse, the numbers have been soaring, and the number this year is expected to be higher than it was before Congress tightened bankruptcy eligibility in 2005.”

With the economic crisis in full swing, those in desperate need of medical care are starting to find cheaper alternatives to the high-cost of medical bills in the US. Countries such as Thailand and India, offer first class medical care at a much more affordable price. Medical tourism is Thailand is a growing industry that has firmly established itself over the last decade. Boasting some of the best doctors, hospitals and clinics in the world, many people are choosing Thailand as their medical tourism destination.

Click here to find out more about medical tourism>>>

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King Bhumiphol, affectionately called Nai Luang or Chao Yu Hua by the Thais, or reffered to as RAMA 9 by foreigners, is an avid photographer and is often pictured carrying a Nikkon SLR.

In 1996, to mark the 50th year anniversary of the reign of is Majesty King Bhumiphol Adulyadej, Leica released a Limited Edition Thai Jubilee M6.

Based upon the Leica M6, a rangefinder camera manufactured from 1984 to 1998, the M6 ‘King of Thailand’ model features a 24-gold carat plated finish with printed Royal Seal and comes with a matching 50/2 Summicron lens.

There was only 700 unit of this beautiful camera made. They were originally sold by the the Chulalongkorn University Development Foundation for $10,000 each, the funds were used to environmental projects in Thailand.

These unit can still be found on the Internet, but you can expect prices to vary considerably depending on the condition.

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Once inside the coffin the lid is shut, the Monks chant death rites (as though the participants are already dead), followed by the chant of new life, and after a minute-and-a-half, the coffin lid is lifted and the participants rise into a cleansed new life.

Referred to in Thailand as “non loeng sadorcro”, which literally means “lie in a coffin, get rid of bad luck”, this controversial ritual has been around for decades but with the release of ‘The Coffin’, a Thai horror movie based around the haunting ritual has brought the ceremony into the mainstream.

This recent trend has even attracted the attention of movie directors.

Although most of the commentary is in Thai, you can notice the directors insight on the tradition and how he has taken this rural ritual into the mainstream.

The acting out of the ritual even made the actors and actresses feel uncomfortable, but appreciate the meaning behind it.

With the recent economic crisis, more and more people are flocking to what has become an assembly line of resurrection.

“When the economy is down, we latch our hopes onto some supernatural power,” said Ekachai Uekrongtham, the writer-director of The Coffin, staring Ananda Everingham and Florence Faivre.

Nual Chaichamni, 52, a masseuse who has been ‘reborn’ over six times said:

“When I went in I felt warm, and when I came out I felt released…
“As I lay there and listened to the chanting of the monks, I felt relaxed…
“When I got up, I was thinking of good things, thinking of the Buddha image in the hall. I felt good.”

Buddhism and traditional customs in Thailand can take strange forms, from mutilating the body, to embracing animist superstition and magical practices.

These funerals for the living are just another one of the countries takes on practices of Buddhism.

Over the last decade, the growing interest in such rituals has drawn increasing numbers to Thailand’s temples, many of which are now set up for tourists, selling good-luck amulets, holding boisterous fairs and telling fortunes.

Wat Prommanee has offered its resurrection service daily for over three years, during which time, the number of clientel keep growing. On weekends as many as 700 people a day pay 180 baht each, a little more than $5, for the ceremony and much more for amulets that are auctioned off by temple acolytes.

For this reason many of the Thais feel that the true spirit of Buddhism is being forgotten.

The rebirth ceremony is unusual, but not surprising, said Suwannan Sathta-Anand, an associate professor of philosophy at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

“These days, a lot of people in Thai society are creating new kinds of rituals and practices to suit whatever purposes they have,” she said.

With the hierarchy of organized Buddhism slow to adapt to changing times, she said, “people are looking for their own expression of Buddhism that could be relevant to their lives.”
The Thais believe that Fifty percent of a person’s destiny is determined by his name and the other 50% by their date of birth.

Some Thais may be given a new name in hope of becoming more prosperous or to help fight illness. In the same way the new title may chance the course of ones life, the Coffin ritual offers a chance to be born again.

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Not only can you find a spa to suit any occasion, the chances are it will be affordable, with first class service and surroundings.

Last year, one of Thailand’s newest upper-class spas, the Barai, won the AsiaSpa award for ‘Spa Design of the Year’.

THE BARAI, was inspired and designed by renowned Thai architect Mr. Lek Bunnag who designed the architecture as a visual guide for the guest.

“When guests arrive at THE BARAI, they leave one world behind and enter another, where the goal of the design is to shelter them from the outside world, offering a true sanctuary of peace and pure serenity.”

THE BARAI provides eight exclusive residential spa suites and 18 exotic treatment rooms located on the beautiful beach-front land adjacent to Hyatt Regency, Hua Hin.

Since its opening on March 1st, 2007, the Barai has picked up several other awards including the SpaAsia Crystal Award in the category of “Best Resort Spa 2007″, and the “Best New Spa” Award at the 18th TTG Travel Awards 2007.

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