Even ten more visits to these two beautiful islands will not be enough to do them justice.

BHPian Himalayan_Ice recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I started travelling abroad pretty late in life.

However, I was sure that I whenever I did, the first stamp on my passport wouldn’t be Thailand.

It wasn’t.

But when I did travel to the country, I realised what a complete idiot I had been. I went to Thailand (Koh Tao) to get my scuba certification, and honestly it was such a fantastic experience that I was back within six months, with my SO in tow.

However this time, I wouldn’t be scuba diving. We’d gone for the sights and for this amazing festival called Songkran. Walking to my boarding gate at IGIA I was wondering if it’d be a good idea to have a prop for posts on Insta stories.

That is where I found “Rugged”. And these are snapshots of where all it went.

Heading to board at the IGIA

Heading to immigration & baggage at Suvarnabhumi.

Just outside the arrivals gate at Koh Samui airport. Samui airport is gorgeously quaint. Chock green & encompassing nature, the place is an architectural delight. It ensures you KNOW that this destination is a tropical paradise.

At the Hyatt Samui. Really luxurious hotel. Wish it had more personality though. But that’s the cost you pay for being a chain property.

Cue “Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys)”

Exhausted. Taking in balcony views.

I don’t get the idea behind vacation-feet-pics. Did I do it right? Hope Quentin isn't out here.

This is Tarnim Magic Garden in Koh Samui. It’s a bit of a drive (considering the blazing sun and you being on a scooter), but a pretty interesting vibe. A lot of statues on a mountainside with a brook running through, and nature allowed to thrive minus any manicures. Definitely worth a visit.

No ifs. Only Bhats.

Views for days.

Amazon Café was an amazing alternative to Starbucks. Not sure if it’s a Thai chain, but it was there both in Samui (multiple locations) and Tao. LOVED the frappes here, which tasted so much better than the ones at Starbucks. Would recommend 11/10.

But in the evenings, it was time for some fermented barley juice.

This open air bar outside Central Samui is a great place to be in case your SO wants to shop for a bit. Get the fresh coconut ice cream from the vendor nearby, get a stubbie, listen to some live music and then head for dinner.

Love doing portraits. A drag queen in Chaweng.

Henry Africa’s Bar is quite well known in Samui. Just off the main road in Chaweng. Visit if you’re with your mates.

Continue reading BHPian Himalayan_Ice's travelogue for more insights and information.

This segment of cars are called Eco cars in Thailand, and are mandated to have engine capacity less than 1200cc.

BHPian Sinner666 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I live in Thailand, and given the absence of quality automotive forums (in English) here, Team BHP as always, came to my rescue while deciding to buy the fifth gen Honda City.

This is the pre-facelift version as dealers do not have any clue as to when the facelift will be launched here (rumors being second half of the year!).

Some differences from the Indian version of the fifth gen Honda City:

• There is only 1 engine + gearbox option available: 1.0L Turbo Vtec + CVT This is a fun to drive engine, with loads of torque at lower RPMs. Reminds me of the old Swift VDI back in India.
• This segment of cars are called Eco cars in Thailand, and are mandated to have engine capacity less than 1200cc.
• Honda City is more of an entry level sedan. So, misses many features compared to the Indian variant - Sunroofs, Left side park assist etc.

Other cars that were considered included : New Yaris Ativ, New Nissan Almera (Sunny), Mazda 2. Given the Eco car classification in Thailand, all the above came with ~1.2L NA engines, except the Nissan Almera (which also comes with a 1.0L Turbo engine).

Selected the most fun to drive car out of the lot. The suspension also seems to be tuned differently here as it mostly rides flat on highways and feels a bit stiff in the city. Not European flat, but does not seem to be as floating around like I read in Indian reviews (have not driven the Indian version yet). My variant (SV) is one below the top variant (RS), and comes with 185/60 R15 tires as standard. I asked around a lot of tire dealerships to upgrade as soon as driving out, but nobody was willing to give me any cashback for current tires, and were willing to only give me price for discarded tires. Seems like this practice doesn't exist here, and I will have to wait to run these out before upgrading.

Some more interesting facts about the car purchase process here:

• Most dealers advertise On-road price in sales brochures. There is some margin for discounts/negotiations
• Instead of discounts, they offer accessories, and lots of it. I got Honda certified front dashcams, emergency kit, floor mats, car cover, underbody rust coating, fuel card for THB 5000, 3M Ceramic sun film all around.
• Towards the end of the negotiations, the salesman just asked me what other accessories I needed - I literally did not remember what else I could ask for and closed the deal. Regretted later not asking for the RS kit
• Most dealers get commissions from banks, and would throw more offers at you, if you go the finance route. Deals are much less if you buy on cash
• Interest rates on finance are extremely low. My interest rate is 0.99% p.a. for a 4yr tenure. This combined with more freebies on finance swung my decision from an all cash purchase to finance

Attaching some pictures (Switched to the RS front kit at THB 6500 a week after delivery):

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

In Thailand, the Toyota Fortuner GR Sport costs around Rs 45.9 lakh (ex-showroom).

Toyota has taken the wraps off the 2023 Fortuner GR Sport at the Bangkok Motor Show.

The new Fortuner GR Sport comes with several upgrades. But before we get to the features, let’s take a look at the SUV’s bold exterior. The show car has a dual-tone exterior with a bright red paint job and black roof.

Being the sportier variant of the Fortuner, the GR Sport gets a more aggressive-looking body kit and large diamond-cut alloy wheels with red brake calipers.

Inside, the 2023 Fortuner GR Sport is equipped with a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system and gets features such as wireless charging, electric tailgate, hill start assist, trailer assist and even an optional overhead screen for the rear passengers.

In Thailand, the Fortuner GR Sport is offered with a 2.8-litre diesel engine and costs Rs 45.9 lakh (ex-showroom) approximately.

Source: Rushlane

The Thailand unit will serve as a distribution hub for other South-East Asian countries.

Having set up CKD units in Argentina and Colombia, Royal Enfield has now commenced CKD operations in Thailand.

Royal Enfield's Thailand unit will not only cater to the local market but will also serve as a distribution hub for other countries in the region, including Indonesia and Vietnam. Initially, the Himalayan, Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 will be assembled at this facility.

In 2020, Royal Enfield expanded its operations to Argentina. A year later, the bike maker forayed into the Colombian market. The brand has been operating in the Thai market since 2015. It claims to be among the top 5 in the premium, mid-size motorcycle segment in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.

Isuzu has unveiled the next-generation D-Max pick-up in Thailand. It is available in Regular Cab, Space Cab and Crew Cab variants.

At the front, the D-Max comes with a large grille with two chrome or black bars with LED headlights with U-shaped integrated DRLs on either side. The tail lamps also get LED lights. The Crew Cab Hi-Ride variant measures 5,265 mm in length, 1,870 mm in width and 1,790 mm in height with a wheelbase of 3,125 mm. The D-Max rides on 18-inch multispoke alloy wheels.

On the inside, the D-Max comes with a dual-tone brown and black interior with silver accents, a 3-spoke multifunction steering wheel, a twin-pod instrument cluster with a 4.2-inch MID and a 9-inch touchscreen head-unit. The vehicle is equipped with keyless entry, Android Auto and CarPlay, voice recognition, automatic headlights, automatic wipers, dual-zone AC, 8-way power seats and park distance control.

The D-Max is powered by 1.9-litre and 3.0-litre diesel engines. The 3.0L engine produces 188 BHP @ 3,600 rpm and 450 Nm @ 1,600-2,600 rpm. It is paired to a 6-speed manual transmission and a four-wheel drive system.

Honda has unveiled the 10th-generation Accord for the Thai local market. The price and delivery dates will be announced later in May 2019.

While the overall length and height of the car have reduced, the new car is wider than the old model. The front gets a black grille with chrome bar at the top. From the sides, the car has a coupe-like roof design and at the back, it gets C-shaped tail lights.

On the inside, it gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, a 7-inch TFT multi-information display and with a head-up display. The car is also equipped with wireless charging.

In Thailand, the Accord is offered with a choice of two powertrains – a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine good for 187 BHP and 243 Nm of peak torque and a 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle petrol engine combined with dual electric motors and a 1.3 kWh battery pack with a peak power of 212 BHP. While a CVT transmission is offered on the smaller engine, the Hybrid will come with an e-CVT.

The Accord also comes equipped with Honda SENSING, which uses a millimetre-wave radar and a camera to offer collision mitigation braking system, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistant and auto high beam amongst others. The car also gets a cross traffic monitor and multi view camera system and a parking assistant system that controls the steering while parking the car.

The 10th-generation Accord was globally unveiled in July 2017. That said, it is not certain when the car would make its way to India.

Royal Enfield will set up its first assembly plant outside of India in Thailand under its first wholly-owned subsidiary in the Asia-Pacific region. The new plant will be operational by June 2019. 

The first Royal Enfield dealership of Thailand opened in Bangkok in 2016. The company now plans to expand its dealer network to 15 and set up 25 service centres in the country by March 2020. The new showrooms are expected to come up in the Greater Bangkok area, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai. 

Thailand was among the first markets in Southeast Asia where the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650 were launched. The company has said that it has already received over 700 bookings and has delivered 100 motorcycles in the country.

In 2017, the eighth-generation Toyota Camry made its debut in the international market. Toyota has now launched the model in Thailand.

The new Camry is based on the TNGA platform. It is longer and wider than its predecessor. Its wheelbase has also grown by 50 mm. The Thai-spec Camry looks similar to the car sold in the US market. It has a large trapezoidal grille at the front and sweptback headlamps. The car features chrome window trim and chrome door handles. At the rear, the new Camry gets wraparound tail lamps and a dual-tone bumper with integrated reflectors.

The new Camry comes with black interiors and a redesigned dashboard. It has a 3-spoke multi-function steering wheel and a twin-dial instrument cluster. The car comes with features like 8-way adjustable front seats, 8-inch infotainment system, wireless charging, Wi-Fi hotspot, head-up display, rear reclining seats and 3-zone automatic climate control. 

In Thailand, the Camry is offered with 3 engine options. A 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine makes 165 BHP and 199 Nm of torque and comes mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. A 2.5-litre, petrol with 206 BHP and 250 Nm of torque paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission and a hybrid featuring a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine mated to a CVT gearbox. It has a combined output of 208 BHP and 202 Nm.

The Thai-spec Camry comes equipped with safety features like ABS with EBD, airbags, traction control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, hill start control among others.

Following a reassessment of its Thailand business, Tata Motors has decided to cease manufacturing operations in the country this financial year. The review indicated that the business was sub-scale and not sustainable in its current state.

As part of Tata's Turnaround 2.0 strategy, the company plans to launch new products that better suit the local market. However, these will be imported as completely built units (CBU). 

Tata Motors currently offers a wide range of commercial vehicles in Thailand. These include the Xenon single cab, Super Ace Mint, Alta medium duty truck and Novus range of heavy commercial vehicles.

An undisguised test mule of the Ford Endeavour facelift has been spied in Thailand. The spy image suggests that the Endeavour - sold as the Everest in Thailand - is likely to get minor exterior tweaks as part of a mid-cycle refresh.

According to the spy image, the Endeavour facelift is expected to get a redesigned 3-slat grille finished in chrome and a slightly tweaked lower bumper. The chrome ORVM housings have been redesigned while the chrome door handles and chrome fender vents have been retained. The test mule can be seen sporting new design 6-spoke alloy wheels finished in black. Also, note that the test mule has 4 parking sensors in the front unlike the Endeavour currently sold in India that has a total of 6 front parking sensors. 

Meanwhile, the new Endeavour is likely to get the same interiors as the current model. Also, the same powertrains will be carried over on to the facelift. At present, Ford offers a 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that produces 158 BHP @ 3,200 rpm and 385 Nm of torque @ 1,600-2,500 rpm as well as a 3.2-litre, diesel with 197 BHP @ 3,000 rpm and 470 Nm @ 1,750-2,500 rpm. A 6-speed automatic transmission is standard on all variants while 4-wheel drive is available on the top-spec Titanium trim with the 3.2-litre engine.

Ford India hasn't announced the Endeavour facelift yet but it is rumoured to be launched later this year.

Source: Headlightmag