Tina-Perth's VirtualTourist Home Page

One of the most wonderful destinations on the planet. So much natural beauty, amazing things to see and so many great things to do. You can really get back to nature here - get back to your own nature, get grounded, get healed, get happy.

Fall in love with the Thai people, fall in love with simple, real things. You'll fall in love with this country, the culture and the people.

This picture shows one of my favourite spots in Thailand to rejuvenate and feel like you're walking on air. These hot mineral springs in Krabi are totally naturally formed. We have been visiting this place for 2.5 years, as often as we can. The hottest water is 42 degrees and the coolest is 15, down in the stream/canal at the bottom. Stand or sit in the water whilst having the overflow pummel your shoulders and neck....then again, maybe I shouldn't be telling everyone about it, I want it all to myself.

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This is a glimpse of the beautiful Lake Thale Noi, another of our favourite places, it's in the Phattalung province. I just put it up as an appetiser. There is much more on my Ban Thale Noi and Southern Thailand pages. (There was no Phattalung page, but now there is, so I may change it over soon).

We spend half our time in the beautiful Phuket, so it is our second home. We love the country and the people, the food and the lifestyle.

These are the children from the Asia Center Foundation, a Christian organisation that picks up indigent children from Patong daily who are not able to be cared for during the day, due to the parents being out for many hours trying to earn a little money. Some of them are also the children of mothers who work in the bars of Patong. They work all night, then sleep during the day, leaving the children to fend for themselves. The Centre was started when the children were noticed scrounging for the food through the rubbish dump that is now the Jungceylon Shopping Centre.

The children are taught basic hygiene practices, given toothpaste, soap etc. They are also taught basic education, fed good food and are generally cared for by the people at the Centre.

These are the most gorgeous, well-mannered, sweetest kids on the planet. I've never seen such lovely children.

The Foundation depends on donations and volunteers for its survival, so if you should ever feel so inclined, please think about helping out in whatever way you can. It is an immensely rewarding experience. It's also a great opportunity for children to learn to give to others and to see how happy these kids with very little are.

You can write to Coralie at; admin@asiacenter.ac to organise a visit to the Centre or to ask about what items they are needing at the moment. There is a website; Asia Center Foundation They will either give you a contact phone number, or you can contact me directly and I will pass the mobile phone numbers on. You must make an appointment to go to the Centre, you will be accompanied by Coralie.

There is an ever-present need for clothing, art supplies and childrens vitamins. The Centre is keen to develop some drama classes for the children, so dress-up costumes would also be very well received. There are up to 60 children at the Centre. Most of them are between about sizes 4-8, but there are a few that fall outside of those size ranges.

This is a picture of the baby Sunbear we have just adopted. She was rescued from poachers along with two others. So, not only has she been spared a life of pain, but she is helping to save her species from extinction. I read that there are estimated to be only about 1,000 Sunbears left in their natural habitat.

She is about 6 weeks old in these pictures and was born around the time of my birthday, so I have decided that her birthday is also on 25th February.

She will live in Cambodia at the Free the Bears sanctuary there. We will be visiting her within the next couple of months. I can't wait to give her a cuddle! Those blue eyes, teddy bear ears and her cute little nose just make me melt.

Here is another picture I have been sent by Free the Bears. She is just so damned CUTE! I love her!

A little information about Ursus Malayanus - Sunbears. They are the smallest of the bears, which is one of the reasons the young are stolen and sold as pets until they reach about 12 - 18 months, when they become too big. Adults are about 1.2 - 1.5m tall and weigh 27 - 65kg. Males are larger than females. When they get to this size they are sold to restaurants and/or bile farms.

Not a great deal is known about Sunbears, but they live in lowland tropical rainforests. They are excellent climbers and are thought to sleep in trees.

Sunbears are known to inhabit Southeast Asia from northern Burma and Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, Malaysia and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Because of widespread habitat destruction and poaching, their range is likely reduced in northern and western regions. Unfortunately, the loss of their habitat means that they are often quite destructive when they come to farmed areas to feed.