Ko Phi Phi: Thailand’s Most Dangerous Island

Posted: 9/22/2010

9/22/2010

This is a guest post by Sean Ogle, who blogs about location independence at locationrebel.com

When you think of dangerous islands, you might think of earthquake-prone and poverty-stricken Haiti. Or maybe it’s Australia, with its deadly spiders and snakes. Or perhaps it’s someplace even more remote, like the jungle wilderness of Borneo.

Yet there is an island out there that is far more dangerous and far less obvious. That island is Ko Phi Phi off the coast of Thailand.

Ko Phi Phi is one of Thailand’s most famous islands. It’s one of the biggest tourist destinations in the country and is where the movie The Beach was filmed.

Every year, thousands of people flock to this island to relax in the sun, swim in the ocean, and dive the surrounding reefs. But despite its international reputation as being a world-class travel destination, for many young travelers it can often be the most dangerous place they visit on their trip through Southeast Asia. What makes Ko Phi Phi so dangerous?

Two words: buckets and fire.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Thai bucket, it’s a combination of Red Bull, Thai whiskey, and either Coke or Sprite. It gets its name from the small sand pails in which they are served and is a staple on the Thai tourist trail.

My personal bucket-and-fire story started seemingly harmlessly enough, with a burning rope landing on my foot.

Originally, I thought nothing of it. I cleaned it up and took care of it. Yet three weeks later when I had an infection half an inch deep and was forced to make my first visit to a Thai hospital, I realized it was more than nothing.

Others get it much worse, getting mangled on flaming jump ropes or falling on top of fiery limbo sticks. I saw one British guy forcefully removed from the activities because he was too drunk to feel the constant burns he was inflicting upon himself with the rope.

The combination of buckets and the fire antics that take place at beach bars such as Ibiza and Apache put inebriated travelers in a position to have the best nights they’ll never remember, yet leave them with scars that will never let them forget the nights they spent on Ko Phi Phi.

On any particular night, you can head down to any of these beach bars around 10pm and find an exciting display of poi fire dancers, fire jump-ropers, and even a fire limbo.

You watch in awe as you sip on your first drink, wondering how anyone could possibly have the nerve to participate in such an acrobatic display of fire mastery. The Thais doing these moves seem to be masters at it, catching balls of fire thrown at them from across the beach. They have real talent.

However, over time, something begins to change. The locals begin to invite tourists to participate in a little jump-roping, promising to go slow, and always ensuring you that you won’t get hurt.

Yet as the night wears on, the audience gets more excited, more drunk, and more daring. They want to go faster and sometimes two at a time. As they get drunker, their reflexes slow down — and that’s when people get hurt.

As the alcohol continues to flow, the fire seems to disappear, as you show off your flexibility and ability to dive head first into the flames. The next day, it seems like everywhere you look on Ko Phi Phi, travelers have bandaged arms or heads. They’re on crutches or perhaps have a couple casts on various appendages.

After your first night on the island, you’ll understand where those came from.

The time I spent on Phi Phi was among the best I’ve had in Thailand. I loved the beaches and the people I met. Yet it’s important to be aware of what goes on there and not to be influenced by your friends or your nightly “liquid courage.”

[Matt’s note: I did not like Ko Phi Phi.]

Sean Ogle is a location-independent entrepreneur who teaches people how to overcome fear in order to live the lives they really want.

Get the In-Depth Budget Guide to Thailand!

My detailed, 170+-page guidebook is made for budget travelers like you! It cuts out the fluff found in other guidebooks and gets straight to the practical information you need to travel and save money while in Thailand, a country I used to call home (so I know it really well!). You’ll find suggested itineraries, budgets, ways to save money, on and off-the-beaten-path things to see and do, nontouristy restaurants, markets, and bars, and much more! Click here to learn more and get started!

Book Your Trip to Thailand: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. I use them all the time. My favorite places to stay are:

• Rock Backpacker – This walk-in only hostel has huge dorms, but it’s cheap, clean, and has its own restaurant and bar.
• Hanover Hostel – This is a classic backpacker party hostel. It’s cheap and the amenities are basic, but the staff is helpful and it’s easy to meet other travelers.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
• Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel – and I think will help you too!

Looking for more information on visiting Thailand?
Check out my in-depth destination guide to Thailand with more tips on what to see, do, costs, ways to save, and much, much more!

Photo credit: 2, 3

Visiting Isaan: Adventures Through Rural Thailand

Thailand’s Isaan region is one of the most under-visited parts of the country. The area is its most rural, and travelers simply pass through it on their way to Laos or skip it altogether in favor of places like Pai, Chiang Mai, or the islands of the south. While Thailand is thought of as this overrun, tourist-filled place, most of the country is actually devoid of them.

In my two weeks in the region, I saw six other travelers. SIX! Travelers are so rare in this part of Thailand that I was often met with quizzical looks by locals — faces that seemed to ask: “Are you lost? Chiang Mai is the other way.” (For all the talk of “getting off the beaten path,” few backpackers leave the banana pancake trail.)

After spending close to ten years traveling and living in Thailand, I had decided it was time to get off the beaten track and visit this region (it was the main reason I took the cheap flight to Thailand in November). There are only so many times one can go to Chiang Mai! I wanted to see the rural interior — Thai life away from Western influences and tourist infrastructure — and get to know Thai culture a little better.

Isaan — a land of mostly farms and villages, architecturally uninspiring cities, and spicy and delicious food (some of the best in Thailand) — exceeded all of my expectations. Isaan is one of those places where you can get off the trail and see what life, unspoiled by tourists, is really like in Thailand.

While I’ll get into the logistics of traveling Isaan in another post, today I want to share my favorite sights and activities:

Korat

Isaan’s gateway city, Korat is the nickname given to Nakhon Ratchasima. It’s the region’s largest, most well-to-do town and features a big university. Like most Thai cities, it lacks any real inspiring architecture, but it does have a lot of beautiful temples, including Wat Ban Rai and Wat Phayap. The city is definitely worth a day or two as you make your way deeper into Isaan. When you’re there, head to the Yellow Pumpkin for a cool coffee shop, stay at Tokyo Mansion, and eat at the soup stall on the corner of Buarong and Suranaree Rds. It’s open at night and incredibly popular. I stumbled on it, and it was the best noodle soup I had in Isaan.

Phimai

This historic ruin is an easy day trip from Korat. It was mostly built around the 11th and 12th centuries by the Khmers when they controlled the area. Beautiful and under-visited, this site features a center temple surrounded by a few mini-strictures and a square gigantic wall. To get to the temple, you walk across a naga bridge (naga serpents were guardians of heaven), through a crumbling wall, and across a field. The complex inspires awe as you approach it, and it reminded me a lot of Angkor Wat (they were built in the same style) but without the crowds. I saw only two other foreigners there, as this ruin is mostly frequented by Thais and school groups.

Nong Khai

Mostly a stopover city for tourists coming in and out of Laos, Nong Khai was awesome. There are amazing food and coffee shops (try Macky’s Riverside Kitchen or Cake at Toey’s), river cruises up and down the Mekong, and a cool market. Also, lots of temples: I’m a big fan of Wat Pho Chi and Wat Phra That Khlang Nam. While I really liked the slow pace of life, what really blew me away was Sala Kaew Ku. This sculpture park, built by Bunleua Sulilat in 1978, has hundreds of statues (mostly of Buddha) in all shapes and sizes. It was the coolest thing I saw in all of the city, and I especially loved the giant Buddha with the naga snakes over it (that’s a lot of concrete!).

Ubon Ratchathani

Another stopover city for tourists on their way to Laos. I liked the relaxed feel here. The only foreigners who stay in this city either married a Thai or teach English. There isn’t much to do here, so it’s a good place to unwind. You can overload on one of the Buddhist temples in the city (my favorites are Wat Tai Prachao Yai Ong Tue and Wat Thung Si Muang), visit the famous night market or the surprisingly detailed national museum, and eat dinner on the river, but there’s not much more to the city than that! I would also suggest a cab to the Wat Nong Pah Pong outside the city (300 baht round-trip). A tiny temple, the tree-covered grounds, and numerous paths make it an incredibly tranquil and Japan-esque place to walk around.

Prasat Ta Muan

In between Korat and Surin is Prasat Ta Muan, a historic site consisting of two large temples built by the Khmers in the 11th century. The first site is located on top of a hill and, well, quite underwhelming. It’s a beautiful temple, with a large prasat (temple) in the middle and Indiana Jones–style ruins surrounding it. This main structure is where they would pray. There’s a large Buddha shrine and some cool pits and drains where they would purify themselves during rituals. The highlight, though, is really the view of the surrounding area. You get this sweeping view of the hills and farms in the area. I liked the smaller Ta Muan Toch complex better (it’s about a 20 minute ride from the big temple). There are far fewer people (I counted eight on my visit), and four beautiful ponds and a well-preserved wall surround the temple. The inner area itself is mostly a pile of ruins, however. You can visit both as a day tour from Korat or Surin, but with more time, stay in Nang Rang for a night and rent a bike to get around. If you do, stay at Honey Inn. It’s cheap and the owners are amazing (and they will drive you to the bus station in the morning).

Phu Phra Bat Historical Park

An hour outside of Nong Khai is Phu Phra Bat, a national archeological park that features ancient stone houses and rock formations. After a beautiful scenic drive, you’ll arrive at the park (it’s going to be just you and school kids) where you can wander a forest and see some rock art. The purpose of the area is still a mystery to historians and archeologists alike, but the 3,000-year-old rock formations are thought to have been formed initially by river erosion and then later modified by religious groups.

Biking around the countryside

The best part of Isaan is wandering the rural countryside, and that’s very hard to do if you don’t have your own transport. Isaan lacks an extensive transportation network outside the major towns. My favorite memories were the scenic bike rides through the rice fields, farms, and small towns, and down dirt roads. But I wouldn’t have had those if I had hired drivers to take me around the whole time, which was an expensive thing to do. And, I never got really far because I could only hire some for the day. When I wandered Isaan with a driver, I wished I had my own method to get around. Rent a bike or car, go at your own pace, get far off the road, and enjoy lush and vibrant green farmland, friendly and curious locals, cheap meals, and cows blocking your way!

It’s a shame not many people visit this part of Isaan and I kick myself for not visiting sooner. This area may be rural and lack the activities of other regions, but Isaan is a diamond in the rough and a visit here will give you a fascinating look at small-town Thailand. It’s an area to get away from it all and enjoy the country.

Get the In-Depth Budget Guide to Thailand!

My detailed, 170+ page guidebook is made for budget travelers like you! It cuts out the fluff found in other guidebooks and gets straight to the practical information you need to travel and save money while in Thailand, a country I used to call home (so I know it really well!). You’ll find suggested itineraries, budgets, ways to save money, on and off the beaten path things to see and do, non-touristy restaurants, markets, and bars, and much more!! Click here to learn more and get started.

Berlin's Thai Food Market is the Best Thai Food Outside of Thailand

Updated: 06/02/18 | June 2nd, 2018

I’ve left pieces of my heart in many places around the world: New York, Paris, Stockholm, and Hong Kong to name a few. But no place has a bigger piece than Thailand. It was my home for a long time (and in many ways still is). No amount of time there is long enough, and any amount of time away is too long. Whenever I miss it, I head to a Thai restaurant, shock the staff by speaking Thai, enjoy a quick conversation with them, and eat my weight in food.

But I always leave disappointed.

Even the best dishes at the most authentic restaurants are never as good as in Thailand. The food only temporarily fills a hole in my heart. I walk away satiated but never satisfied. It only makes me miss Thailand more.

But then I came to Berlin, and my world changed.

A few months ago, my friend Jodi found delicious soup at a Thai weekend market in Berlin and proclaimed it the best she’d had outside of Thailand. I stared at the photo of her red pork noodle soup. I was in shock. Despite my years of searching, I’ve never found it outside Thailand.

So while in Berlin two weeks ago, I found myself at that market for lunch. I was like a moth to the flame, except my fire came in the form of soup. As I approached the park and saw colorful umbrellas shooting from ground with the scent of cooking food emanating from beneath them, my walk turned into a sprint. My expectations were high — the online reviews of this market vouched for its authenticity, and the pictures made it seem like the real deal. But could I really have found Thai street food in a park in Berlin?

I roamed the market, spotting vendors crouched down on mats, cooking on camping stoves, mashing chilies, and shouting in Thai back and forth to each other. It sure felt like the real thing, but what about the taste? Would it be real? I spotted a soup lady and, walking over, I saw it in all its glory:

There it was: kuay tiew moo dang. Red pork noodle soup.

My heart welled up with joy. Because of how the broth sits out collecting flavor for hours, you can’t find this soup outside of Thailand — food safety laws in Western countries don’t allow it. But there it was. Here in this park, German officials looked the other way as women crushed up chilies to make som tam without wearing any gloves, vendors poured authentic Thai iced tea, pad kra pao gai (spicy chicken and basil) was prepared as in Thailand (minced up and quickly fried), and soup was cooked the way it should be. There was no refrigeration, no sink to clean the utensils.

I ordered the soup, sat down to eat on the grass, and was transported home. The sweet and spicy flavor of the broth, the red pork, the texture of the noodles, and the crunch of the rind were all as perfect as they could be.

When I was done, all that popped into my mind was “more.”

I roamed the market, weaving in between rows and around vendors, and ate like a king. I dived into spicy (yet so sweet) som tam that made my mouth burn, ate sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves (licked my fingers clean), and made multiple trips to the woman who sold Thai iced tea. “Back again?” she’d ask.

“Yes!” I said with a smile as I drank half the cup in one gulp. Closing my eyes, I remembered all the hot Bangkok days this drink cooled me down on.

Everything about the market brought back home — from the way the food was cooked to the little bags takeout orders were put in, to the style of spoon, and even the little step stools, so popular throughout Southeast Asia, that you sit on while you eat.

This place is as close to Thailand as you can get without actually going there.

The next day I went back with a group of friends, ordered a bunch of dishes, and ate family-style. It was too good not to go back again. If the market was open every day, I’d be there, my face buried in some Thai dish, but, sadly, it’s only open on the weekend.

Berlin has a lot going for it: cool hipsters, food, music, and art. And now it has something nowhere else outside Thailand has — authentic Thai food. This is the best Thai food I’ve found outside of Thailand. Don’t miss this if you’re in Berlin and love Thai food. Berlin will now be the hub of my future travels through Europe so I can gorge on the Thai food I only dream about.

The Thai food market has been in Berlin for twenty years and shows no signs of going away, which is good because, with all the travel I’m doing to Berlin these days, I want my fix.

How to get there
Take the U-Bahn to Fehrbelliner Platz and it’s in the park outside the train station. The market is open on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer if there’s no rain. It starts around 12 p.m. and ends around 8 p.m., with the peak time being 1-5 p.m. There are more people and vendors on Sunday, though Saturday has become increasingly popular with sellers.

Book Your Trip to Berlin: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight to Berlin by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines. Start with Momondo.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel in Berlin with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates. (Here’s the proof.)

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I never ever go on a trip without it. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. You should too.

Need Some Gear?
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use!

Want More Information on Berlin?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Berlin for even more planning tips!

Do You Give to Beggars Overseas?

“Now, if I buy all your flowers, you’ll go home, right?” said the Aussie girl next to me.

“Yup,” said the little girl selling roses as she handled the bundle to my friend.

We were in Bangkok and I was watching my Aussie friend take pity on a little Thai girl selling flowers to drunk backpackers on Khao San Road in Thailand. She bought all the flowers, feeling good about herself and confident that she had kept a little girl from staying up all night, sending her home to get rest for school tomorrow.

“Oh, what the hell!” I heard her say about 30 minutes later. I looked up and there, across the street, was the little flower girl, selling a new batch of flowers. She avoided us this time.

My Aussie friend was clearly disheartened. She felt as though she had done some good, only to realize a cruel reality of Thailand: kids don’t go home until their parents say so. After spending many years in Thailand, I knew this was going to happen. My other friends and I had warned her not to buy all the flowers, that the little girl’s parents would just send her out again. But she didn’t listen.

And now that I’m back in Thailand and I see beggars and little kids again, wandering the streets asking for money, I wonder if giving is doing any good or just supporting a flawed system. In much of the developing world, you see kids selling trinkets and flowers to Westerners. You see parents begging with a kid “asleep” in their lap in order to gain sympathy. After all, the parents know what we know: it’s hard to say no to a kid. You automatically feel bad for them. You think about the poverty they live in, the life they lead, and think, “Well, I’ll give a little bit and help out.”

If people weren’t giving, those kids wouldn’t be there. And as much as people protest and shoo the kids away, many other people open their wallets in hopes of doing some good. We look at the woman with the baby in her arms, reach into our pockets, and go, “OK, just a little bit.”

When I see these beggars on the street, I’m often torn on what to do. On the one hand, I don’t want to perpetuate the system. I don’t want the children to be out selling trinkets instead of learning in school. I don’t want parents using their children as a shortcut to quick cash. I don’t want kids to be used as emotional blackmail. I want them asleep at 10pm, not dealing with angry, drunk tourists who are annoyed at them.

Yet I know that many poor families often do this out of necessity. They simply need the money. I often think about Bangladesh. Back in the 1990s when child sweatshop labor became the cause du jour, the focus was on Bangladeshi sweatshops. There were boycotts. A crying Kathy Griffin. An uproar. Legislation. Clothing manufacturers cracked down on suppliers who hired children. Child labor decreased, and Westerners could sleep easy.

Yet years later I remember reading a newspaper article on a study that followed up on what happened to the children in Bangladesh. Turns out, they didn’t go to school. They ended up on the streets as beggars. The families needed the income for food. And if they couldn’t work making clothes, they could work on the streets.

The need for food trumps all other needs.

I remember once walking past this guy and his kid in a part of Bangkok I went to often with my friends. The man sold some junky stuff I didn’t want. But one day I walked past him, and the desperation, the pleading in his voice just made me stop.

“Just look. Please. Please,” he said.

I’d never seen such a sincere look of desperation on someone’s face as I did that night. I don’t know if it was all part of the “get money” game, but I just couldn’t look at that guy with his kid and stuff no one wanted and not be moved. I pulled out my wallet and handed the guy 1,000 baht (a little over $30 USD). He was dumbfounded by the money, but I just couldn’t walk past him anymore without helping. The sadness in his eyes was just too real…just too palpable.

Giving money to beggars often represents more than a black-and-white choice between supporting and not supporting a flawed system. Many of these people lack any real social support structure that can help them out of poverty. Thailand has no social assistance program. (Neither does most of the developing world where you see such abject poverty and so many beggars.) They’re on their own.

And so despite hating the system, I usually give. If there’s change in my wallet, I give it to the homeless and beggars of the world. It’s simply too hard to say no. My heart breaks for them.

And I know that’s sort of the point. They feed on your sympathy. It’s hard, especially with the kids.

What do you do? Do you give? Do you not give? What’s the answer here? Is there one? I’m interested to know how you deal with this situation as you see it unfold around the world.

The Ultimate Packing List for Thailand

A trip to Thailand is practically a rite of passage for any seasoned traveler. Its enormous popularity is well-earned: postcard-perfect slices of white sand backed by mossy emerald karst mountains; ancient ruins and ornate temples; mind-bogglingly delicious food at unbelievably cheap prices; all-night parties that fade into lazy mornings filled with spa treatments; and enough scuba diving, rock climbing, kayaking, and trekking opportunities to satiate even the biggest thrill-seeker. Did I mention you can bathe with baby elephants? If it sounds like paradise, that’s because it is.

There are plenty of ways to do Thailand, from backpacking and roughing it on a budget to luxuriating on a romantic getaway. Any way you plan to travel, the packing lists are surprisingly similar, as you’ll have to prepare for sweltering sun, sand, humidity, and bugs — lots and lots of bugs.

Related: These Are the Best Times to Visit Thailand

So that you can focus on planning the itinerary of a lifetime rather than worry about what to bring, we’ve assembled the ultimate packing list for any type of trip to Thailand, no matter if you’re bunking up in a 10-person dorm or planning to lounge in a private infinity pool in the honeymoon suite. Use this list as a packing guide and you’ll have everything you need for hopping between the incredible cities, islands, and mountains of the Land of Smiles.