Rafting is fast gaining popularity among the young and young-at-heart. The mountainous regions of the North are the natural venue for whitewater rafting, especially after the rains from June to October when the rivers swell with floodwater. But first-class rafting is also to be found in the northern reaches of the central region.

1. MAE HONG SON
   There are five levels of expertise, and all require experienced guides to lead them. Mae Hong Song’s Pai River is perhaps the most famous venue, as it smashes its angry path towards Myanmar. A raft trip starts at Ban Nam Kong, 65 km from Pai and continues through virgin forests, waterfalls and 15 sets of rapids, a journey time of about five hours.
   
   
2. CHIANG RAI
   One of the oldest rafting destinations in the country, Chiang Rai continues to draw adventure seekers from all over the globe. In Chiang Rai, bamboo rafts and inflatable boats are available for the journey down the Mae Kok, the province’s major artery.
   
   
3. CHIANG MAI
   Rafting down the Mae Chaem through Ob Luang George in inflatable boats is available through Mae Sot Travel. Another challenging route is the Mae Tuen in Omkoi District, where the river rushes through virgin forests to end at the Pha Dam Waterfall. No rubber raft is available at the site, so it’s best to book a trip with a tour agent in Chiang Mai.
   
   
4. NAN
   Nam Wa stream in Nan is recognised as an ultimate rafting adventure. During rainy season the stream is swollen and rates 3-5 on the difficulty scale. Local rafting operators are offering soft adventure tour for rafting buffs wanting to test out their skills. The three-day tour features rafting through a series of rapids, such as Sop Huai Duea and Phi Pa, on specially-designed rubber rafts. Visitors can also use the opportunity to explore the cool jungle setting of Doi Phu Kha and Mae Charim mountains.
   
   
5. PRACHIN BURI
   At Khao Yai National Park, the Kaeng Hin Phoeng in Nadi District of Prachin Buri is a stretch of river noted for its wild beauty. The water is very vigorous during the rainy months (June- October), and some stretches are designated Level 5, the uppermost limit to whitewater rafting.
   
   
6. TAK
   This mountainous province south of Chiang Mai is an increasingly popular adventure destination. The hub of activities is Umphang District on the border with Myanmar which is now accessible via a winding mountain route from Mae Sot, the centre of border trade. The forests of Umphang are the source of many rivers, the most important being the Huai Mae Klong, a popular rafting route with its many rapids and scenic backdrops of jungle. There’s also a rafting route from the breathtaking Thi Lo Su Waterfall which takes three to four hours.
   
   
7. KANCHANABURI
   On the western border, Kanchanaburi is a popular adventure destination thanks to its mountainous terrain, covered with forests and crisscrossed with a network of rivers. Jungle rafting can be arranged from a mountain pass to the stunning Lawa Cave, a two-hour journey. Bamboo and inflatable rafts are also available for a trip down the Songkalia in Sangkhlaburi.
   
   
8. PHETCHABURI
   The headwater of Phetchaburi River, the province’s major artery, lies within Kaeng Krachan National Park. The river offers good rafting; a trip through its rapids and small tributaries takes about six hours.
   
   
9. NAKHON NAYOK
   As a rule, canoeing and kayaking is available at the destinations that provide rafting. Nakhon Nayok, a small province to the north of Bangkok, is a new destination for adventure tourism. Its rivers originate in the Khao Yai range and flow down to meet the arterial Bang Pakong River, which empties into the Gulf of Thailand. Nakhon Nayok has several waterfalls, the most popular being Wang Takhrai. Canoeing here is relatively new. The best time to visit is June-October. Starting point for a canoe journey is the stretch of Wang Takhrai canal where it flows through a coffee plantation. The waterway is quite narrow and therefore unsuitable for larger vessels. The route has no difficult rapids, but its many twists and turns more than make up for it.

Safety is paramount in whitewater rafting. Life jackets and helmets must be worn at all times. Your guide should explain to you all relevant safety procedures before you go, and check weather reports and the condition of the river. You should be able to swim if you wish to go whitewater rafting.

• Level 1: Simple, easy rapids.
  
  
• Level 2: Simple rapids, but requiring some skill in manoeuvring the raft around obstacles and rocks.
  
  
• Level 3: Moderate rapids where rafting becomes exciting. It is necessary to hold on at times to stay in control of the raft.
  
  
• Level 4: Difficult rapids with continuous need to manoeuvre and control raft al all times. Very exciting rafting.
  
  
• Level 5: This level of whitewater is the uppermost limit to rafting. The river is wild, with a rapid current and difficult rapids, usually very steep.
  
  
• Level 6: Extremely difficult rapids, dangerous for rafting.

It is important to ensure that you are in good health, and fit enough to enjoy this activity. Children over 12 but under 16 must be accompanied by responsible adults. For children under 12 years or for elderly people, only the Thi Lo Su Waterfall programme in May and June is recommended.

Rafting on Kaeng Hin Phoeng
This is another stretch of river in Khao Yai National Park noted for its wild beauty. The water is especially challenging in the rainy season months of June to October, and it is a favourite place for whitewater rafting. The passage along this stretch of the river will take three hours or more.

• Day 1: Depart Bangkok for a three-hour drive to Prachin Buri via Chachoengsao. After lunch, proceed to Kaeng Hin Phoeng River in Khao Yai National Park, swimming and relaxing at leisure. Then, on to an informal training session with an expert on local conditions to familiarise you with the contours of river, the safety equipment and procedures.
  
• Day 2: After breakfast, a scenic drive into the National Park followed by walking tour through the jungle. Arrive at the starting point of the rafting expedition: A wilder stretch of the river with spectacular rapids designated Level 5 throughout. Conditions for rafting here are not only scenically impressive, but also exciting. The passage along this stretch of the river will take three hours or more. Lunch beside the river, then two more hours of rafting on fast-moving water before returning to base at the National Park. Drive back to Bangkok along the beautiful Khao Yai-Pak Chong-Muak Lek-Saraburi route.

Accommodation

• Close to Hin Phoeng rapids, check Kang Hin Poeng Camping Resort, tel: 0 1842 0161; Eco Network, tel: 0 2261 9670; Wang Ta Phap Resort, tel: 0 1663 2656; Sak Supha Resort tel: 0 1454 0076, 0 2249 8093; and Hin Phoeng Riverside, tel: 0 1909-6896.
  
• At Pong Nam Ron in Chanthaburi, check Soi Dao Highland, tel: 0 3938 7123-4; and Ing Dao Resort, tel: 0 3936 0179, 0 3936 0258-60.

Sea canoeing is the eco-tourist activity par excellence, and proves the benefit of the natural approach. The quiet of this mode of tourism heightens your sense of awareness, and wildlife is not scared by your silent approach. It is also an exciting physical challenge providing an aerobic workout and tones and develops your arms, shoulders and chest.

Some of the most spectacular sites for sea canoeing are around Krabi and the island of Phuket and Phang-nga Bay. Sea Canoe Thailand, based in Phuket, was the pioneering eco-tour company that launched thousands of travellers on their sea adventures.  It was originally run by Hawai'ian John Gray, who has now started a second company called John Gray's Sea Canoe, offering more exotic itineraries.  The "Hong By Starlight" tour is highly recommended.

Sea canoeing adventures from Phuket take small groups of two passengers on inflatable kayaks, accompanied by a support boat carrying food and equipment. Three day excursions include instruction in kayak management, camping and barbecue dinners and the exploration of eight islands, including Ko Chong Lat and its Blue Room, a three chamber stalactite grotto. On the south-eastern seaboard near the Cambodian border, Ko Chang National Park in Trat Province has more than 50 pristine islands ready to be ex-plored by sea canoe. Ko Kra has some of the best coral in Thailand, but no less spectacular are the golden sands of Ko Mak and the bays of Ko Ngarm.

Although sea canoes are easy to handle and all safety equipment is provided, it is best to get instruction first. Don’t venture out on a long adventure without a guide. Sea canoe expeditions are running all year round, although the rains from June to October can inhibit operations. There is no age limit for participation, but travellers should be able to swim.

Thailand has some of the most exciting gamefishing sites in Asia especially along the Andaman seacoast of Phuket and Krabi provinces. Marlin, sailfish, tuna, huge garoupa and every kind of shark imaginable are a boat ride from shore. Phang-nga Bay plays host to some of the most rare species of aquatic life in the world, including the rare swimming iguana.

Over the past 15 years, deepsea fishing competitions have grown in size and popularity with Phuket and Krabi as centres for a growing fleet of contenders. Tournaments are especially popular during the calm season between September and May when contenders reel in record catches of sailfish, marlin, wahoo and barracuda. Major gamefishing contests are run according to the rules of the International Gamefishing Association which mandate a “catch and release” requirement for sharks, underweight fish, and billfish such as marlin and sailfish. For gamefishing, the twin islands of Racha Yai and Racha Noi, some 50 minutes out of Phuket, offer some of the best local fishing to be had. Sailfish, black marlin, wahoo and tunas make this, along with excellent snorkelling, a good choice for the novice and experienced angler alike.

Power boats are also available for charter for deep-sea fishing expedition out of the Andaman Sea resorts of Phuket and Krabi. Power cruises come fully equipped with fighting chairs and heavy tackle. For those who just want to go along for the ride, the scenery is as breathtaking as the activities.

In Pattaya, the Bang Saray Fishing Lodge arranges boat, tackle, and guides for reasonable fees. In the rocks south of Pattaya lurk species native to the Gulf of Thailand: red snapper, yellow jack, bonito, black-tipped sharks, cobia and giant garoupers.

Windsurfing has become one of Thailand’s most popular water sports in the last two decades, and it is practised all over Thailand’s beaches. Wind- surfing is not only exhilarating and an excellent way to get fit, it is also quiet, non-polluting and environmentally friendly. It is a sport that requires dexterity and coordination and also strength.

You can learn to windsurf on all major beaches in Phuket, Samui, Pattaya and Krabi, as well as on islands of Ko Tao and Ko Chang. Once you have mastered the basics, you’ll find boards and sails available everywhere. While you need wind to windsurf, you can get too much of a good thing.

Don’t go out to sea if the weather is threatening to turn stormy. You should wear a life jacket at all times. Beware of boats and swimmers on crowded stretches of water, especially when you are still learning how to handle your board and sail. It is easy to forget about the sun with the wind on your face, but it is especially strong when reflecting off the water all around you. So, wear protective sunblock.

Jet-skiing has been taken up with enthusiasm all over Thailand with jet-skis available for hire at all major beaches in Thailand — Samui, Phuket, Pattaya, Samet and Krabi. Despite the speed, jet-skiing in Thailand is a safe sport, if you keep your head and watch out for other sea traffic, especially swimmers and snorkellers. Rocks are usually marked, but take care, especially at low tide. When you are roaring around the bays, it’s easy to forget that you’re in the full force of the sun, so protect yourself beforehand.

• Jet-ski Association of Thailand
  1107 Soi Prachachuen 35,
  Prachachuen Road, Bang Sue,
  Bangkok 10800
• Club Taco
  Km 13 Bang Na-Trat Road,
  Samut Prakan 10540
  Tel: 0 2316 7810

In wakeboarding, you are strapped at 90 degrees into a shortened, double-ended surfboard, and towed at high speed behind a special speedboat. The boat is designed and weighted to make a large wake behind it, and the wakeboarder speeds along the sea at 30 kilometres an hour, cutting in and out of the wake, using it to jump into the air, turn, swivel and somersault. Wakeboarding is fast, furious, exhilarating and a fantastic spectator sport. Although new, its popularity is soaring in Thailand.

The extreme sport of wakeboarding, a cross between water-skiing and snowboarding, is about speed, colour and adrenaline. It is the latest extreme sport to take the beach scene by storm.

Boats and boards are available for hire at the main beaches of Phuket in the Andaman Sea, and at Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. Wakeboarding is also practised at the resort city of Pattaya on the Eastern Seaboard. Near to Bangkok, there is a Wakeboarding Club at Taco Lake, 13 kilometres from the city along the Bang Na-Trat Road. Rather than using boats, this uses a system of pulleys set up in the lake and is thus cheaper and suitable for people wishing to learn this exciting sport.

Boards and foot-bindings are available at these locations. Serious wakeboarders may wish to bring their own boards and bindings, or purchase them at many leading department stores in Bangkok.

• Club Taco
  Km 13 Bang Na-Trat Road,
  Samut Prakan 10540
  Tel: 0 2316 7810

Phuket is Thailand’s premier sailing destination, attracting the big spenders from Bangkok as well as the international sailing crowd. From September to May when the weather is at its best, there is a migratory fleet of yachts anchored at Nai Harn Bay at the southern end of the island and Chalong Bay to the southeast.

Phuket’s marinas offer berths for private yachts as well as maintaining a huge variety of vessels for charter, from old wooden schooners to sleek fibreglass cruisers and state-of-the-art powerboats. The three main harbours for yachts areLaem Phrao Yacht Marina, Phuket Boat Lagoon, Royal Phuket Marina and the Yacht Haven, all with accommodation, restaurants and leisure activities, as well as facilities for yacht repair in and out of water.

A number of established yacht agencies organise charters, with or without crews, joining leisure cruises and even basic training for would-be yachtsmen. Informal arrangements can also be made at Jimmy’s Lighthouse, a restaurant at

Chalong Bay that serves as headquarters for the yachting fleet. The Phuket-Krabi-Phang-nga region offers plenty of interesting cruise opportunities for all levels of sailors, with numerous offshore islands, world-class dive sites, stunning coral beds and marine national parks.

Phuket is also home to one of the most popular sporting events on the yachting calendar, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, which takes place at the beginning of December to honour HM the King’s birthday. Yachts arrive from Australia, Europe, Hong Kong and Japan to spend a few weeks cruising through the Gulf, down to Malaysia and enjoying practise runs around the Similans before heading to Phuket for the races.

Providing support for the growth of yachting around Phuket was the holding of Thailand’s first international boat show, Phuket International Marine Expo (PIMEX) in December 2003 in conjunction with the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, featuring everything from new boats and marinas to support facilities and equipment. Further shows have been held since this one.

To further attract yachts to Phuket, the organisers of PIMEX inaugurated Phuket Race Week from July 10-17, 2004, a full week of international standard races for a wide range of yachts, held in cooperation with Ao Chalong Yacht Club.

In Pattaya, the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, founded in 1957, holds almost weekly regattas for the smaller beach- launched sailboats, plus annual championship races around the nearby islands. The Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Jomtien Beach, just south of Pattaya, offers jetty, pontoon berths, and onshore facilities for skippers and crew members with hotel, condominium, cocktail lounge, twin restaurants, tennis courts, and roof-top swimming pool.

Sailing a yacht competently requires skill and experience, so would-be sailors are advised not to overestimate their capabilities when chartering a bareboat yacht. If you are heading out on a longer expedition, make sure you check out the weather and tides, especially in the stormy season from June to October. Be well-prepared with communications equipment, first aid, water and food. If in doubt, try out one of the competent crew courses at any marina.

• Aloha Tours
  44/1 Viset Road, Ao Chalong, Phuket 83130
  Tel: 0 7638 1215, 0 7638 1220.
  Fax: 0 7638 1592

• Bang Saray Fishing Lodge
  42 Moo 5, bang Saray, Chon Buri 20251
  Tel: 0 3843 6757, 0 3843 6680-2

• Blue Water Anglers
  35/7 Sakdidet Road, Muang, Phuket 83000
  Tel: 0 7639 1287. Fax: 0 7639 1342
  info@bluewater-anglers.com

• Dorado Big Game Fishing Charters
  Phuket Highland Ville, 73/37 Moo 1, Kathu,
  Phuket 83120
  Tel: 0 7620 2679, 0 7632 3077. Fax: 0 7620 2679
  dorado@phket.loxinfo.co.th
  Day trips and liveaboard fishing safaris

• Pattaya Gamefishing Club
  Cafe Kronberg, Soi Diana Inn, Pattya,
  Chon Buri 20260
  Tel: 0 3842 3303, 0 3842 3809

• Phuket Big Game
  27/117 Choke Thip Villa, Chalong, Phuket
  83130 Tel: 0 7628 3270. Fax: 0 7628 3271
  info@reelhooker-phuket.com

• Phuket Sportfishing Centre
  PO Box 214, Phuket 83000
  Tel: 0 7621 4713. Fax: 0 7623 6182
  wahoo@phuket.loxinfo.co.th

• Thai Marine Leisure
  c/o Phuket Boat Lagoon, 20/2 Thep Kasattri
  Road, Phuket 83200 Tel: 0 7623 9111,
  0 7627 3320-1. Fax: 0 7623 8974
  tml@thaimarine.com