Thailand – a Kitesurfing Destination With a Lot to Offer

PR Log (Press Release) – Oct 15, 2009 – Before all, Thailand is a great place for a vacation, with an amazing Buddhist culture. The landscapes and the climate are a dream. Whether you want to party or you look for beautiful places, you can easily find the right things to do and it’s for sure not far away from your bungalow. As you might have seen on the news, Thailand was going through some trouble a few months ago. Things have been very exaggerated in the media. Rest assured, to be in Thailand is quite safe.

The kiteboarding beaches in Thailand have become some of the most popular destinations in Asia. You can choose from a handful of excellent spots. The wind in Thailand is seasonal, therefore you need to select the destination accordingly. Various websites provide detailed information about the wind conditions. A website with lots of information about kitesurfing in Thailand and all other Asian destinations is Asia Kitesurfing Spots by http://www.kitoons.biz . The winds in Thailand are thermal so websites like Windfinder and Windguru won’t display them correctly or not at all. The wind range is typically between 12kn and 20kn. So select the bigger kites for your trip. The pattern is a thermal wind, that starts to blow around midday with increasing wind speeds until sunset. So there is lots of time to have several kitesurf sessions a day.

Hua Hin – The Largest Kiteboarding Spot

Close to Bangkok you will find Hua Hin. Hua Hin is the most well-known kitesurfing destination in Thailand. The wind season starts end of October and lasts typically until April. Hua Hin is a developed little city with a good range of hotels for different budgets. Kitesurfers will enjoy the 5km long wide and sandy beach. This is the spot with the biggest kitesurfing crowd in the country. The best wind blows normally from mid February until April just before the monsoon begins.

Pranburi – A Cosy New Spot

Next to Hua Hin is Pranburi. This is the latest location and it just started to attract the scene. It is situated just 30km south of Hua Hin. It’s a quiet little town with a Thai atmosphere and just a few hotels. The kitesurfing beach is beautiful and offers scenic mountain views. A few resident kitesurfers believe the wind blows a bit sooner and offers 2 knots extra compared to Hua Hin. Pranburi will be the setting of an international kitesurfing competition part of the KTA (Kiteboard Tour Asia) from March 25 until March 28, 2010. If you are keen to see the latest tricks of the professionals during your stay, this is the place.

Chumphon – The Windiest Destination in Thailand

Arguably the windiest place in Thailand is Chumphon, 265km south of Hua Hin. In comparison with all other spots in the country, the place definitely offers a few extra knots. Chumphon has gorgeous beaches and you can get bungalows right there and stay where all the action is. The town is quite big, but has yet a limited infrastructure for tourists. There is no nightlife for westerners, so you need to join the Thai scene at their places. If pure kitesurfing is what you interested in, go there.

Phuket – A Destination with a Different Wind Season

Phuket has a different wind season than the destinations already discussed: in Phuket the wind blows from April until September. Phuket is one of Thailand’s major tourist hubs and offers everything from cheap stays to 5 star hotels. The nightlife is as diverse: you can find the whole range from expensive clubs to seedy bars in one walking street. The kitesurf action takes place at Chalong Bay and Nai Yang beach. Both kitesurfing spots are half an hour away from the main beaches and you need a car or taxi to go there. The main areas with lots of hotels and restaurants are Patong, Kamala and Karon beach.

Samui and Phangan – Kitesurfing on the Islands

There are two more destinations worth mentioning: Koh Panghan and Koh Samui. The islands are situated next to each other and the kitesurf season is here from beginning of November until end of February. You will need a little bit of luck, because the winds are usually not too stable. For those of you, who also look for other activities it must be mentioned, that these islands are very beautiful and great destinations for a wonderful holiday. If you want to party: on Koh Panghan are each month the world famous full moon parties.

Kiteboarding Courses and Lessons

You want to learn kiteboarding, then Thailand is the perfect destination. There are a number of Kitesurfing Schools at every kitesurfing spot. You can choose between course packages and individual lessons with an IKO teacher. It’s recommended to make your reservation before your trip, to be sure to have a teacher available where and when you want it. The schools include all rental gear in the course price. To get you on the board will take about 3 or 4 days and after that you can practice alone. As we know the winds don’t blow always. Plan to come at least a week to have a bit of margin.

Kitesurfing Shops in Thailand

You can find good bargains on Kiteboarding Equipment in Thailand. If you compare the prices to European countries, the deals are especially good, because of the favorable exchange rate. The schools normally also have a shop, offering two or three kitesurfing brands. A word of caution: be aware of grey market products. Especially one outfit is very aggressive and well known for claiming falsely to be a distributor of certain brands. The products that you will buy are grey imports with no warranty at all. Up to 15% lower prices is what you can reckon with, everything lower than that is quite likely not regular. To find out if a dealer is legitimate you can always check the website of a brand. The importers are usually published in the dealer section.

See you in Thailand this season.