• Honeymoon
• reunion
• making-up
• Asking the big question
• birthday
• anniversary
• Personal reward
• Reward to a loved one
• Just to pamper yourself
• Just because you deserve a bit of luxury

When you have one of those life’s special occassions come up and you are looking for a romantic or private place to spend some time you might consider Sedhapura Pool Villas in Khong Jiam. It is one of the most luxurious accommodations in Ubon Ratchathani and is much more than a hotel.

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Sedhapura Villas Khong Jiam Ubon Ratchathani

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If you are coming through the town of Khong Jiam you turn left just across the Mun River. If you are coming from Sirinthon heading north to Khong Jiam you turn right just before the bridge. You would not expect to find much down this road, by the scenery. On the right is a National Park and on the left are scattering small buildings. Just after cross a small bridge a bit more than 2 kilometers into the road you will see a grouping of signs prompting you to turn left for Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort.

You still will not feel like you are close to anything, but soon you see the entrance to the accommodation. It looks like not much more than a facade, but in fact it is the resort lobby. It is a small lobby containing only the reception area and a small gift shop. You will be greeted by the staff and offered a nice welcome drink.

After checking in you are ushered through an opening opposite the entrance. You are greeted by a designer wall that provides a bit of privacy for the swimming pool on the other side. A walkway that is there as well and if you turn right will lead you to the villa rooms and turn left leads to the deluxe and superior rooms.

The rooms are housed in two 3-story buildings between the front wall the Mekhong River. The doors are all facing a garden area and windows facing the scenic river. Superior rooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floors on both ends of the two buildings. What makes them different and more valuable are the sun decks. Here you can sit on the lounge chairs and sunbathe, take in the view, read or just relax.

Inside the room you will find a large comfortable bed seemingly covered in pillows, a wall mounted plasma TV, riverside view completely windows, mini bar and room safe. The bathroom features a separate stand up shower, a bath quite comfortable for me but might not be the same for a professional basketball player. The room experience is enhanced by a peaceful room decor. The only thing that breaks the river view is the trees which provide shade to your room against the afternoon setting sun.

Outside again exploring the facilities, first was the swimming pool. It is small and 1.5 meters deep. There are lounge chairs surrounding the deck. Directly, behind the pool is the restaurant, Cafe De Terrace. It offers opening air dining on a deck overlooking the river. There is also an enclosed section for those days when it is raining or cold. Moreover, some might not enjoy eating in the great outdoors.

The menu is varied, containing both Thai and Western dishes. The food is good quality, tastes great, presented well and reasonable priced. My experience with the staff was they were friendly and helpful. Two waiters who served us several times, Mom and Chang, always wore a smile and were anxious to use and improve their English skills.

My one disappointed with the restaurant was the evening entertainment. For me it was poor quality, something akin to a karaoke. I would have preferred taped music, a DJ or silence. It seemed very much out of place at a quality resort.

Walking through the restaurant you will pass a gift shop that offers clothing and other items. They are Thai silk mostly and made there locally. Beyond the gift shop is the spa, you can get relaxing Thai, foot or aroma therapy massages for relatively cheap compared with other spas where I have stayed.

The Garden Terrace is where the breakfast buffet is served. Each morning you get a choice of continental, American, Thai and Kai Grata. Of course also available are the usual suspects of drinks, coffee, tea, water, orange juice, grape juice and Bolan (Black coffee or coffee Lao).

At the end past the Garden Terrace, the villas are situated. They are few in number but all have an unobstructed view of the river. Besides the view they offer more space, more privacy and a deck to enjoy your meals at your room or just to relax.

Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort is not large, but it is in a great location and offers a peaceful atmosphere. It is great for a weekend away from Bangkok or whatever city you are living in. There are cheaper accommodations in Khong Jiam but if a hotel adds resort to the end of its name you can have greater expectations. You can expect to pay more, have a more relaxing environment and great service. Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort in Khong Jiam district Ubon Ratchathani province can meet such expectations.

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Ubon New Year Tohsang Khong Jiam Part 2

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The rental car from Chow Wattana (Wattana Rental) arrived at 09:55 A.M.. After a quick check to make sure the residence was safe and secure, I locked the gate, hopped in the car, shut the door and our New Year 2009 Khong Jiam Mekhong adventure officially began.

I love driving but for the past eight years I have, by choice, not owned a car. I have managed quite well without one. When I need it I use buses, trains, planes, bicycles, motorcycles, public transportation and rental cars, with and without driver.

This was a time for a rental car, with driver. I wanted to be free to take in the scenery during the journey. We headed north on Chayangkul Road to the intersection of Highway 212 and Highway 231 (Ring Road) and turned East by South East.

We were looking for the road to Tan Sum which eventually becomes Highway 2364. There were two reasons for taking this route, one I have never been down this road before and I wanted to determine the location of a certain temple.

During the Christmas celebration at Suan Loong Daeng I met someone who is doing research on the interesting story of Wat Pak Nam. I wanted to get eyes on it so I could pursue a story about it in the near future.

It never ceases to amaze me how, a few kilometers out of town you seem to pass through an invisible time warp. It could be 30 to 40 years ago and I imagine it looked much the same as it does today. The only thing to really keep it in the present are the red TrueVision/UBC satellite dish antennas attached to wobbly looking wooden structures with corrugated tin roofs.

Numerous Thai Buddhist Temples dotted the landscape. Though they are less bright and ornamental then the temples in town the appear to be the center of the rural communities. Many things seemed incongruous with the side of a highway but I suspect they were there long before the paved road we were driving on was built.

A wonderful thing about taking a road never traveled before is the opportunity to discover places for future exploration and adventure. Besides Wat Pak Nam this route also passes by the way to Had Sripirom which is a location for sunny warm afternoon picnic on Mun River.

After what seemed like too short a time I recognized Wat Tam Khuha Sawan, that might be called the gateway to Khong Jiam. It sits on a plateau overlooking and maybe offering protection to the mighty Mekong on it’s journey southward far below. Little did I know this temple would be the focus of an accidental adventure the next day.

Ninety minutes after take off we touched down at Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort. Our room was not ready yet so after our bags were secured behind the front desk a bit of exploring was in order. Our recon began passing the swimming pool in which a flotilla of fallen leaves were sailing upon. Out on the deck beside the pool providing outdoor scenic dining tables we were able to enjoy a great view of the Mekong.

From the vantage point it was easy to see where the staff was already setting up the site for tomorrow’s festivities. Directly below the deck a sign had been erected with a lighted message wishing us a Happy New Year 2009 in both Thai and English.

A vegetation lined path beckoned leading passed the restaurant, passed the gift shop, passed the spa, passed the individual bungalow rooms to a stair leading down to the river. At the base of the stairs was the place we would bring in the New Year tomorrow. It was an area that is covered by the depths of the river during the height of monsoon season but now had been abandoned by the receding waters to create a new identity and character.

Sand and rocks, at other times covered by water that might have began it’s journey to the delta and South China Sea, gave access far out into the former riverbed. On the opposite bank lay a small Laotian village, it looked as though one could wade across to Laos but I was not feeling brave enough to test that thought. I confined myself to enjoying the Thai side.

The Happy New Year sign we had seen from the deck above was built above several large boulders. Since I didn’t conquer crossing the river I climbed upon nature’s platform and was feeling as though I had reached the summit of Everest. I had worked up an appetite so the decision was made, it’s time for lunch.

Sitting on the deck at a nice table with a panoramic view I ordered a Chang beer and looked through the menu. Since I am a connoisseur of fine cheeseburgers there was no question what my order would be when I spotted one on the menu. When the order came I noticed my burger didn’t come with an traditional bun. It was a portioned of what looked like a loaf a French bread. The cheeseburger itself was a bit average but the bread the housed it was fresh, soft, sweet and seemed to melt in my mouth. The bun made a potentially average cheeseburger a bit remarkable.

Our room was ready. It is located on the second floor on the end of the first section. The great thing about end rooms is they offer a veranda with deck chairs. You can sit out in the environment taking in the masterpiece nature has painted for us to enjoy.

A new way to begin the ending of 2008 and prepare to welcome 2009 on the banks of Mekong River at Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort in the far eastern portion of Thailand and the province of Ubon Ratchathani.

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Ubon New Year Tohsang Khong Jiam Part 1

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One nearly completed project is Sunee Grand Hotel. It has been a work in progress for nearly two years. Many people who have visited my blog and website have asked me, “When will this new hotel open?” I had to admit I had no idea. People who live here have gone passed the site many times. Visitors arriving by air have seen a poster at the baggage claim area and curiosities have been piqued.

Being that I had no answer I invested in a phone call and an email to request a meeting with management for a short interview. The request was granted and on January 3, 2009 I visited Sunee Grand Hotel.

I expected to be guided into an office and be offered a chair, facing a desk with a senior member of management behind it. I was pleasantly surprised that it was going to be an informal interview in the lobby area. We took seats on easy chairs on the banks of the symbolic “Mun River” which runs through the lobby separating the restaurant and the reception area.

The informal interview lasted little more than an hour and then transitioned to a guided tour of the facilities. I must say I was quite impressed. Present for the inter view were Mr Sutud Triyangkulsri, Managing Director and Miss Runglawan Poomjun, Front Office Manager. Below is a transcript of that interview, which I hope answers many questions.

Q. When will Sunee Grand Hotel be fully open?

A: We tentatively plan for our grand opening around the middle of March this year. We have a soft opening in place with limited rooms and facilities available until the grand opening. At the present we have 79 rooms ready which guests can book, our lobby lounge and restaurant is open, the convention center is available and City Mall has two floors of shopping. We are fully staffed so good service is here now.

Q: What is your vision for Sunee Grand Hotel?

A: In the past Ubon Ratchathani was a center for government events, meetings, workshops and seminars. In recent years due to many factors this trend has faded. With the opening of Sunee Grand Hotel we hope reverse that trend and make Ubon once again an attractive location for not only government events but also business, family and of course tourists, both Thai and foreign.

With our convention center and business center we can support a variety of functions in both size and diversity. Our largest room can seat up to 5,000 guests or participants. Our rooms are also equipped with state of the art IT support.

Q:These buildings before were a hospital, Index, restaurants and a mansion, why transform into hotel?

A: Originally we constructed a hospital on this site, but due to the economic crises of ’97-’98 it never became fully functional. Only one floor was used and then eventually it was downsized to a clinic. We had some restaurants open on site and also City Mansion for a time. Index leased our building but decided to build one of their own so they left at the end of the lease.

Q: What makes Sunee Grand Hotel different from other hotels?

A: We believe our service will make us stand out and also our convention center, business center and other facilities available for our guests.

Q: What are you doing to attract foreign visitors to Sunee Grand Hotel?A: We believe we have created an affordable luxury accommodation with a family friendly environment.

Q: What services do you offer specifically for foreign guests?

A: For our foreigner guests we offer foreigner currency exchange, convenient shopping, great location with easy access to local transportation, tours, and English speaking management.

Q: Do you have a plan to help foreigners who have an emergency while guest at your hotel?
A: We can provide needed assistance or information if our guests need help with medical attention, visa or passport problems, local or long range transportation needs, embassy contact, emergency travel and connection to police or tourist police.

Q: Why should foreign tourists come to Ubon Ratchathani?

A: Ubon attraction includes natural sites, people, food, culture and experience.

Q: What is the best quality of Sunee Grand Hotel?

A: The service offered and the environment created.

Q:What personal message would you like to give to people who are thinking to visit Ubon Ratchathani?

A: We say “Welcome to Ubon Ratchathani. Please come and experience Ubon and our hotel for yourself”.

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Ubon Sunee Grand Hotel Interview

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Turn left just past this mile marker and there you are. You might could call this part of Unseen Ubon.

I recently stayed there and was pleasantly surprised. The grounds are kept in a natural garden or jungle like state. There are buildings but they compliment the environment. All the luxuries and amenities might not be there but it is more than made up for through the peace and quiet.

There are not an excess of facilities but what is there is clean and friendly. A few bungalows, a guesthouse, a swimming pool, a bar/restaurant. The food is good, the beer is cold, the staff are friendly and the environment is peaceful.

There are no flashing lights, no loud pulsating disco beat, no TV or telephone in the rooms, no Internet connections, there are no scantily clad beer girls so why would you want to go stay at Suan Loong Daeng? For me personally it is good to spend some time in the atmosphere that is provided there for mental well being. You don’t really need a reason to go there but I am giving 10 good reasons to spend some time in the countryside in the south of Ubon Ratchathani.

1. Read a book – You look around your house or apartment and there are several books lying around you have planned to read. It seems something always comes up. You take the book in the living room and out of habit pick up the TV remote, the book gets set down and forgotten. You take the book to bed but after only a few pages the eyes are closing. During a visit to Suan Loong Daeng you will have time, peace and quiet to finish that book.
2. Do some writing – You have had a thought to do some writing for a long time now. You even have a pile of notes from ideas you have jotted down. Every time you sit down to begin you check your email or do some research and the moment is gone. Collect up all your notes, a writing tablet, some pencils or pens and head on out to Suan Loong Daeng.
3. Get to know someone – Have you ever met someone you liked and wanted to get to know them? When you meet there are always other people around and you never get to have a personal one-on-one conversation. Invite that special someone out to a weekend farm stay. You might find the only distraction is a rooster crowing in the distance.
4. Forget someone – You recently had a break up. The places you go remind you of the relationship. You don’t want to forget but you do want to let it go so you can move on. Why not try a few days and nights out in the peaceful Thai Isaan countryside? The new experience can help you do some clear thinking and begin some new memories.
5. Escape the city – No matter how much you love the city there are times when it gets to be too much. Too much noise, too many people, too much pollution so what can you do? Take a break. Get out in the countryside, away from it all, get rid of some stress. Suan Loong Daeng is a good place in Ubon to do just that.
6. Hone your pool playing skills – In the back of the restaurant, behind the bar sits a pool table. It is free so as long as you are winning you can stay on it. Often times there is no big crowd so you can take the time, practise shots, make mistakes, improve your skills and have fun.
7. Just relax – Today’s world is very fast paced. Sometimes we need to put on the brakes, slow down, and smell the roses. Take a few days and give yourself a treat, just relax. No plans, no appointments enjoy your life.
8. Practise your Thai – Does it ever seem like nobody has time to help you learn Thai? So you make due with English or your native tongue. Bring your learn Thai book to the farm stay and commit to only speaking Thai to the staff. You will be amazed at how much your Thai will improve if you do this.
9. Visit with Trond – Trond spends most of his time on the farm with his family. He does make trips to town to visit, shop, and catch up. I am sure he would appreciate the company. You will get some good conversation and if you play, a good pool opponent.
10. Unplug from the matrix – Many of us are connected 24/7. The digital age gives us satellite TV, mobile phones and internet. Everywhere we go we can be contacted. It is good to occassionally take a break from that and get in touch with nature. It is a great way to recharge and refresh.

I am sure you could find many more reasons to pack a bag for a few days and spend the time at Suan Loong Daeng. The best way to do it is to experience for yourself. It is a unique Ubon Ratchathani accommodation and higly affordable. If you are interested in visiting or want more information you can take care of both at Suan Loong Daeng.

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Ubon Suan Loong Daeng 10 Reasons To Visit

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I noticed my tires were in need of air so I stopped off at the PT&T to inflate. There at the rear of the gas station sat an Amazon coffee shop.
It was surrounded by palms and somewhat camoflauged, I guess to give it the ambiance of the Amazon jungle.It is a small shop with about 4 tables in the air-conditioned room and 2 more talbes outside on the deck. I ordered a cup of Americano, it came with a cup of tea as well. I took in the surroundings and drank my coffee in peace. Finished, I was back on the road in search of Kittrongvill Hotel.

About 100 meters from the gas station and Amazon Coffee was the entrance. It is market by an arch over the small entryway and a sign. After you turn left into the driveway you must travel another 100 meters or so and you will see the hotel to the left. It sits there inconspicuously waiting for it’s guests to arrive. The buildings are sitting in the middle of empty fields and a man man reservoir in the rear. Even though it had two floors it’s profile was low. You immediately get the impression that it’s normally peaceful and quiet there.

It might be easy to miss this place as there is no evidence from the highway that there is a hotel there. The PT&T station is a good landmark. If you start looking for the entry arch and the sign as soon as you pass you should be ok. There is a songtaew route that passes by on the highway but you will have to trek the hundred meters or so to the hotel. The songtaew to use is the blue Line #8. From what I saw the stay would be worth a short walk. Of course if you have your own transportation while you are staying in Ubon it will be no problem at all.

You go past the first row of buidings and at the break you will see the “lobby”. I found it easily enough and parked my motorcyle.
I was getting many looks of interest from the staff as I dismounted. They talked quietly but hurriedly amongst themselves. I think since it is such a new place and a bit out of town they haven’t have many “farang” guests yet. I think they were also trying to decide who could speak English well enough to talk to me. But as I walked up the steps to the lobby a manager came out to greet me and with a smile and a wai said, “Sawatdee Kha, Can I help you?”.

I explained to her (in Thai) what I was doing and she offered to show me the rooms. She was very pleasant and helpful and did her best to answer all my questions. They have two types of roooms, standard and deluxe. The rates are 450 Baht and 600 Baht respectively. The rooms were small but clean and nicely furnished. They come with TV, local cable (Thai), refrigerator, air, big comfortable bed, bathroom with hot water and the deluxe rooms have a balcony with sliding glass doors.

Deluxe Room View Kittrongvill Hotel
Deluxe Room Kittrongvill Hotel
Deluxe Room Kittrongvill Hotel

After viewing the rooms our next stop was in their restaurant. It was 2 o’clock in the afternoon so it was deserted. My guide informed me that the restaurant serves both Thai and western style breakfasts and their lunch and dinner menu included both Thai and western dishes too. It is mostly open-air which is a great way to enjoy a morning meal but there is also an air-conditioned room for the hot and humid Thai afternoon and evenings. The restaurant is usually open til 9pm each evening.

A few final facts, I asked my guide about transportation. She told me the hotel has a van and can use to shuttle guests to town or pick them up in town and bring them back to the hotel. That’s a good service. There is a small.
“mini-mart” but it is only a commercial style refrigerator with a glass door. They sell only drinks so you must stock things for yourself. Also it is still new and there is building going on. In front by the lobby they are building an ice cream and coffee veranda. A nice touch I thought. All in all I thought a nice place to stay. The rates are reasonable and the rooms are nice.

If you are interested in staying at Kittrongvill Hotel when you visit Ubon Ratchathani it’s address is: 399 Moo 3, Tambon Kham Yai, Muang District, Ubon Ratchathani. You can call them at (045)311655 (hotel phone) or mobile (085)965-8282. They don’t have a website but you can email them at kittrongvill_resort@hotmail.com. To get there you can take songtaew Line 8 or travel up Chayangkun Rd. past Lotus, past Big C, to the junction with Highway 231 and look for the entrance on the left hand side after you pass the PT&T Petol station.

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Kittrongvill Hotel Ubon Ratchathani

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The normal way people find a place to live is to drive around for hours in the area they want to locate in and get lucky or the other way is to ask everybody you know or meet if they know some place for rent.

When driving around Ubon I always have my eyes open for signs about houses or apartments for rent. Recently I have been seeing signs advertising a new apartment complex, Sapphasit Apartments. They are all in Thai but I can read enough to know what they said. Even so I had difficulty finding the place.

Finally, I saw the sign showing the entrance to the apartments, it is a very narrow drive. I went in to check it out. It is still very new and there is work being done to complete the parking area. At the entrance there is an office with staff on the left. On the right you will find an Internet room. The girl asked me if she could help me and I asked if I could see a room.

The room I was shown is nice but a bit small. It is furnished with a double bed, big screen TV, a desk with chair and a small sofa. The rooms come with air-conditioning, hot water for showers, satellite TV and Internet connection. This room goes for 4000 Baht per month. She told me the rooms upstairs are 7500 Baht per month. I don’t know what the difference is as she didn’t offer to take me upstairs. Electric, water and telephone are extra to be paid when you pay the rent. If you want housekeeping service I was told it is available for 1000 Baht per month extra.

Sapphasit Apartments also offers daily rooms. If you want the daily rate the cost is 550 Baht per night and includes breakfast. It seems to be a pretty good deal.

To get to Sapphasit Apartments head down Sapphasit Road, when you pass Sapphasit Hospital turn right on Phon Paen Road, the entrance is on the right hand side maybe one hundred meters from the intersection.

The location is great, very convenient. It is surrounded by restaurants, mini marts and public transportation. If you walk out the entrance and turn right, go to the next intersection you will find Risotto Italian Restaurant, a nice place with good food.

The contact information is as follows:

135 Phon Paen Rd
tel: 045-240127
fax: 045-241097
mobile: 081-967-8896

Hope this helps if you are looking for an apartment to rent in Ubon Ratchathani.

Thai Phrase of the Post:

Do you have any rooms vacant?

Mee hawng waang mai?

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Sapphasit Apartments Ubon Ratchathani

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