Golden Street Gallery

Thailand is nestled between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, bordering Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. It is exotic yet accessible, with something for every visitor. Relax on white sand beaches, hike through vast areas of tropical forest, or live it up in the humming capital of Bangkok.

There is much for you to discover in Thailand. The country offers a huge range of new experiences in sights, sounds, tastes, and outlook. But different as it may be from your home, Thailand is probably the easiest exotic country for visitors. The people are friendly, leisure activities are well organized, the food is great and you receive excellent value for money.

Thailand is nestled between the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, bordering Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. It is exotic yet accessible, with something for every visitor. Relax on white sand beaches, hike through vast areas of tropical forest, or live it up in the humming capital of Bangkok.

There is much for you to discover in Thailand. The country offers a huge range of new experiences in sights, sounds, tastes, and outlook. But different as it may be from your home, Thailand is probably the easiest exotic country for visitors. The people are friendly, leisure activities are well organized, the food is great and you receive excellent value for money.

One of the great things about Thailand for the traveller is the variety of places to visit. From the urban chaos of Bangkok, to the beautiful mountains of the north, to the amazing beaches and islands of the coast Thailand offers the visitor a wide range of alternatives when choosing a vacation.

Most visitors arrive first in Bangkok. Despite the heat, traffic, pollution and crowds Bangkok has a lot to offer in the way of tourist attractions. The old town around the Royal Palace is the cultural heart of Thailand and is full of temples markets and traditional shop house architecture. The centre of Bangkok with its towering skyscrapers, gleaming department stores and luxury hotels is not only the business district but also the main entertainment area. Bangkok is a truly cosmopolitan city fueled by an unparalleled energy.

The north of Thailand is very different. Ancient and beautiful towns dotted with the golden roofs of ancient temples lie in the valleys and plains flanked by tree lined mountains populated, not only by northern Thais, but also by ethnic minorities with their own languages, dress and traditions. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are the two most visited towns and both serve as a good base to explore this beautiful and remote part of Asia.

At the other end of the country along the miles and miles of coastline you can find some of the best beaches in the world. There are choices for all tastes and budgets. Phuket is sophisticated and developed with not only great beaches but also a plethora of opportunities for sailing, diving, golf and fishing. Whether you want peace and quiet or music and action, in Phuket it’s always only a short distance away. Nearby Krabi is perfect for a family holiday with beautiful white sand and dramatic limestone scenery.

In the Gulf of Thailand Koh Samui provides a world class alternative with a wider range of cheaper accommodation. Nearby Koh Phangan is still comparatively basic and budget travelers enjoy the peace and quiet of what, at times, resembles paradise. Further away, near Cambodia, Koh Chang is also very quiet. If you want a beach resort with attitude, then head to Pattaya. Some love it, some hate it but it is never short of energy.

Throughout Thailand one is never far away from history and its legacy. The ancient capitals of Sukothai and Ayuthaya are both remnants of a glorious past. Through Isaan there are hundreds of examples of the power of the Khmer empire of Angkor. Both Phanam Rung in Buriram and Phimai in Korat are as good examples of Angkorian architecture as one can find.

West of Bangkok is Kanchanaburi and the famous, if tragic, Bridge over the River Kwai. Built by slave labour and allied prisoners during the Japanese occupation of World War II, it is a somber reminder of recent history and the suffering of war. Around Kanchanaburi there is also beautiful mountain countryside and waterfalls.

Whether you are a history enthusiast, a water baby, a party animal or just in need of peace and quiet the odds are in your favour that somewhere in Thailand you can find what you want.

A major media company recently released an update to its 2003 national in-car study. Whether you’re selling billboards, street furniture, transit or placed-based media, this report contains useful information covering all segments of alternative advertising. If anything, the report can provide some insight as to how the tides in the world of alternative advertising are shifting for media sellers.

Many of the results in this survey reinforce the research findings from the 2003 report. For instance, “mega-milers” (those individuals who drive 150+ miles per week) are still in the higher income bracket. This can dramatically influence the market for buying billboards and other out-of-home assets.

Despite more of the U.S. population working from home and using public transportation, travelers are still spending 2 hours and 52 minutes in their cars every week. This is an astounding thirty-one percent increase in the amount of time people are spending in-car. That’s thirty-one percent more time for potential exposure to alternative media.  

The study also reports where consumers stop to shop on their way home from work. It found that Americans stop at a variety of venues, giving advertisers a chance to reach them in grocery stores, restaurants and other retail outlets.

Some of the notable findings in this update are as follows:

- Seventy-one percent (71%) of travelers report that they notice billboards.

- Thirty-seven percent (37%) of travelers report looking at a billboard each or most of the time they pass one.

- More than half of travelers (55%) have noticed a digital billboard in the past month, and almost one-third (32%) have noticed a digital billboard in the past week.

- Thirty-nine percent (39%) of travelers aged 18+ have noticed an advertising message on a bus.

- Almost half (47%) of travelers have noticed an advertising message at a bus stop (including street furniture such as bench ads).

- Thirty-eight percent of travelers aged 18+ have noted seeing taxicab advertisements.

- Nearly three-quarters of billboard viewers shop on their way home from work, and more than two-thirds make a shopping decision while in the car.

- Nearly one-quarter of billboard viewers report they were motivated to visit a particular store that day because of an outdoor advertising message.

- Half of the billboard viewers reported getting directional information from a billboard, and one-quarter said they immediately visited a business because of an outdoor media message.

- New digital video platforms are definitely changing at-home television consumption. Thirty-five percent (35%) of billboard viewers own a digital recorder.

- Americans are still spending a lot of time in their cars. Adults 18+ spend about 18 hours and 31 minutes in their car, driving 224 miles per week.

- Mega-milers are those who travel more than 150 miles per week. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of these drivers have a household income of $75,000+, compared to only 27% of the average American population.

Many of the findings in this survey reinforce what was found in the 2003 survey. However, some of the new information in the survey shows that digital billboards are making progress on a national level and time spent on the road is increasing.

MySpace is a great source to connect people across the globe. Once you have set up your own page, anyone can find you by simply going to the MySpace search page. This is a great way to meet others with similar interests to your own, and to develop relationships – whether you restrict those relationships to the virtual realm or otherwise. You can also use MySpace to keep in touch with current friends through email, blogs and bulletins.

The fact that this information is available for the world to see makes it easy for people to find out things about you that you might prefer they didn’t. For example, you might belong to particular MySpace groups that you would not want your boss or family members to know about. There is also a security risk in opening up so much up your personal life to the Internet community at large. This is where knowing how to hide groups on MySpace might be a useful function. In addition to hiding your groups, you can also hide your contact table and your comments to ensure that some things in cyberspace remain private.

Hiding Groups

Learning how to hide groups on MySpace groups is not hard. The first step is to log into your account and click on the “Settings” link. When you get to that page, there will be a “Miscellaneous” selection located on the far right side of the menu. Click on that link, and then find the “Display Groups in Profile” option. Unselect the option, and then click “Save all Changes”. Once you have completed this very simple process, people that go to your MySpace profile will no longer be able to view the groups that you are a part of.

Hiding the Contact Table

There is also good reason to hide the contact table on your MySpace page. When this contact table is out of sight, you can still contact others but they cannot contact you. This can prevent you from getting overridden with spam messages on your MySpace account. To find the code, simply Google for “how to hide a MySpace contact table”. You will find numerous sites that provide a code to copy and paste anywhere onto your MySpace page.

Hiding Comments

Sometimes someone might send a very private comment to your MySpace page. You want to be able to view the comment yourself, but you certainly don’t want the rest of cyberspace viewing these personal words along with you! The answer lies in hiding your comments so that you are the only one who can see them. You can also find the codes to hide your comments by googling for this information. Copy and paste the code in your “Who I’d like to meet” at the bottom of your screen and your comments are hidden.

MySpace is a great way to stay in touch with old friends and meet new ones. However, privacy can be an issue in this medium. The good news is that you learn to hide groups on MySpace, as well as other information, to preserve your confidentiality and still keep in contact with the rest of the world.