Thailand
Thailand has been referred to as a golden land, not because there is precious metal buried underground but because the country gives off a certain lustre, be it the fertile rice fields of the central plains , the golden beaches in the south, the golden Buddha’s seen everywhere you turn, or the warm hospitality of its citizens. This is an exotic land and is very convenient and accessible by all forms of transport. The Thais are devout Buddhists, which runs their daily lives and through the Buddhist teachings introduces a very gentle and harmonious theme to all who live there. Every Thai has a spirit house outside their dwelling on which fruits and flowers are placed daily. Photographs of the King of Thailand are in evidence in all homes, public buildings and on banners along the roadside. He is loved and highly revered by all Thais.
The climate is more even all year round in the south of Thailand (because it is closer to the equator) with temperatures around 35 degrees. There can be rain in June and July to cool temperatures slightly. It can be quite inexpensive to live in Thailand, depending on your budget. There is a choice of noodle restaurants where you can eat for under £1 GBP (approx $2 USD) and which serve up very fresh dishes cooked right in front of you. Transport around Hua Hin as in other cities in Thailand, is by one of three options 1) motorbike taxi where you can jump on the back of officially dressed motorbike riders for a very low price 2) Tuc Tucs – a three wheeled open-air taxi 3) proper car taxis. All transport is cheap and easily available.
The Prachuap Khiri Khan Province: Hua Hin means “Stone Head” because of its pointed mountains that surround the city on its west side. It is a popular seaside resort 195 kms to the south of Bangkok. Hua Hin is the oldest beach resort of Siam with a sense of history and a peaceful but scenic atmosphere. The famous Railway Hotel, after the southern line was completed allowing travel overland all the way to the Malaysian border, was selected as the venue for the film “The Devils Paradise” and “The Killing Fields.”
The King of Thailand has built Phra Rathawang Klai Kangwon (Far from Worries Palace) in Hua Hin and the royal family commutes regularly to this palace to unwind from the pressures of Bangkok. Nowadays, Hua Hin is a vibrant city with cosmopolitan restaurants, rustic seafood restaurants on the pier to visit and has one of Thailand’s best night markets.
There are two main hospitals in Hua Hin, one is a private clinic and one is a municipal hospital. Both are situated on the main artery route into the City. The municipal hospital has just been built and is still being equipped. It will have 340 beds and have A & E, medical, cardiology, dentistry, ICU, renal and surgical wards. The private hospital is expensive to Thais but nonetheless has a good reputation to the locals. It is a much smaller hospital and holds GP clinics and has medical and general surgical wards. A few doctors there speak English.
Bed and breakfast accommodation for two students sharing a twin bedded room in a small hotel in Hua Hin. This is a 35 bedroomed hotel, with pool ,bar and restaurant. Accommodation has a private bathroom, balcony, TV and sofa in each bedroom. Single occupancy is available on request. Transport into the city centre takes five minutes by taxi for about £1.50 cost.
Kanchanaburi was originally established by Rama I as a first line of defence against the Burmese along an old invasion route through the Three Pagodas Pass on the Thailand Myanmar border. Of interest, the River Kwai runs very near Kanchanaburi and is a must for visitors. The “Railway of Death” was built as a strategic railway between Thailand and Burma. It was started in June 1942 and is 263 kms in Thailand and 152 kms in Burma. 61,000 British, Australian, American, New Zealand Danish and Dutch POW’s as well as 200,000 labourers from India, China and Indonesia were put to work by the Japanese Imperial Army to construct a railway line linking Kanchanaburi to the Japanesed Base Camp in Thanbyuzayat in Burma ensuring a direct link from Singapore to Burma. This railway was to supply their bases in Burma and also planned to launch an attack on India. Construction on the railway beganon 16th September 1942. Suggestions by the Japanese engineers said it would take five years to complete. With tremendous pressure on the POW’s the railway was completed on 25th December 1943. 16,000 allied prisoners of war lost their lives when this railway was built. In 1945 the wooden bridge was bombed several times by Allied planes and was only rebuilt after the war. The bridge, several museums and cemeteries have respectfully preserved the history and memorialised the dead.
Elephant trekking and bamboo rafting and seeing the Erawan Waterfall is available. The town sits in a fertile valley where sugar cane fields and limestone hills surround the town. The hills are famous for their temple caves, an underground communion of animistic spirit worship and traditional Buddhism. Winding arteries burrow into the depths of the caves past bulbous calcium deposits and altars for Buddha images. From Kanchanaburi visit the famous tiger temple, where monks look after many orphaned tigers. Some obvious question is why the king of the jungle can be approached like a house cat. It is believed that it is pure monk magic.
Ko Samui is an island and an archipelago that includes 80 smaller islands and is one of Thailand’s most sought after resorts. It is known for its white sand beaches, palms blowing in the wind, and clear green seas. It has a background of lush green hills and dirt roads but by today’s standards, is changing to beachfront properties and is as trendy as Phuket. Currents are usually minimal and the water temperature ranges between 26 and 30C, perfect for tropical diving.
Ko Tao, turtle island, is the largest dive training centre in Southeast Asia. A number of sheltered sandy bays provide the perfect depths for novice divers while the more adventurous can visit deeper sites and spot a whale shark or two.
All of our electives are tailored for the individual, with different students spending different amounts of time in Thailand and having different requirements. A typical elective of 8 weeks includes hospital rotations, accommodation, a medical kit, visa and vaccine advice, travel and indemnity insurance advice and a Discovery Trip. Medics Away electives can be arranged for any duration. Students need to tell us how long they want to go to Thailand for and how much of that time they wish to spend in the hospital, or on independent travel. All students should have travel insurance and for British students we only recommend the BMA Elective travel insurance which covers students for needle-stick injuries, HIV and in cases where a student fails their exams and cannot go on their elective (the equivalent cover is provided by alternative companies for other foriegn nationals). British, U.S., Canadian and Australian students will not require a visa prior to travelling to Thailand, and will be issued a 90 day travel visa on entrance into the country. Students should always carry an extra $50 USD with them when they depart from Thailand to pay for any taxes the airport will charge you. All students should have the relevant vaccines such as Hep B, Hep A, yellow fever, typhoid, tetanus and polio; more information can be found on the Travel Doctor website. Anti-malarial prohylaxis will also need to be taken if you wish to travel into the jungle. Further details of all prophylaxis is provided upon reservation. For more information about Thailand, our Thai elective or anything elective related then please go to our Electives page, email us at or phone on +44 (0) 1305 815231. We are sure that you’re going to have a great elective and an amazing experience.