How to sail, ride, or drive through Thailand in style.
by Coco Lavander.
With 510,890 square kilometers of land and 2,230 of water, Thailand offers plenty of expensive toys with wheels and fins to roam around in. And if you want to do it in style, the myriad of possibilities range from casual yacht trips at a nearby beach town, to luxury motorbike tours … and well, if you live here, the options go all the way to being the proud owner of one of the most sought-after international luxury cars, which are also available in the country.
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Renting a yacht is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Thailand’s beaches, but from the sea. And if you are in Bangkok, you don’t need to go too far to take advantage of this possibility. Just a two-hour drive from Bangkok, in Pattaya, companies like Lady Ann Yachting (081 984 5160, www.ladyannyachting.com) offer full-day (THB 55,000), half-day (THB 45,000), and sunset trips (THB 35,000) in fully equipped yachts for either two or up to 50 people, including a seafood barbeque for lunch, entertainment, and an experienced captain. Its manager, Parkin Rungsangtaratorn, explains, “You will be spending time enjoying the sea, sand, and sun like no other. For a day trip, begin your cruise out to Koh Lan, Koh Phai, or Koh Rin islands; make a stop to feed the monkeys, and then head further out where, after an hour, you will find yourself in the clear crisp sea, on a white sandy beach, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, sunbathing and, later in the afternoon, cruising back to shore, watching the sunset.”
Evel Knievel Style
Companies like Luxury Motorbike Tours (093 194 2119, www.luxurymotorbiketours.com) offers journeys from 10 to 14 days around Thailand (and Cambodia), covering distances from 900 to 2,200 kilometers, with prices ranging from THB 270,000 to THB 440,000. The trips can be done in a choice of different motorcycles, such as BMW F650GS, Honda VFR 750 & 1200 (automatic, no clash), Honda CB 500, Kawasaky Versys 650, Kawasaki Er-6N, and Honda Transalp 600V.
Beauty in the Drive
While the first Jaguar F-TYPE in Thailand—a two-seater convertible that with a V6 or V8 engine coupled with a twin-vortex supercharger, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.3 seconds, and priced in Thailand from THB 8.6 million to THB 10.5 million—was presented recently to its new owners, the 35th Bangkok International Motor Show 2014 was celebrated March 26–April 6. Also presented at the show were car models like the Q by Aston Martin, BMW i9, Porsche Macan, and Ducati’s 1199 Superleggera.
Rolls-Royce also presented for the first time in Asia the Ghost Majestic Horse Collection, a special model with just 35 units on production that will celebrate this year of the horse of the Zodiac calendar, used among Asian countries such as Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Japan. Another highlight of the show was the Ghost Phantom Extended Wheelbase (EWB) priced at THB 42.5 million.
