A ferry service runs from the pier at Laem Kruat to Koh Jum, and you can get a boat from Laem Hin Pier to Koh Siboya. From the small Koh Jumisland in Thailand, also known as Koh Pu (Crab Island), you can hop to Koh Lanta, 25 kilometres to the south of Thailand.

Lush jungles and rubber plantations drape the shoulders of Koh Jum's northern mountains, where locals call the land Koh Pu, while the south of the island is flat and shaded by casuarina trees and palms.

Koh Siboya is a medium-size island closer to the mainland than Ko Jum.

Coach or bus remains the most popular means of transport in Thailand as they are fairly frequent, safe and reliable, taking on average nine hours to get to Chiang Mai.

There are several bus companies that run services between Bangkok's northern bus terminal Mor Chit 2 on Kamphaeng Phet Road and Chiang Mai's Arcade Bus Station.

If you prefer to travel during the day, there are both VIP coaches, with more legroom and more expensive and 1st Class deluxe coaches to choose from.

You can often reserve a seat in advance online or through a call centre, then pay at the counter some 30 minutes before departure.

Six trains run every day between 8.30am and 10pm from Bangkok's Hua Lumphong Railway Station to Chiang Mai train station on Charoen Muang Road.

Choose between seats or sleepers, fan or A/C. The train journey between Bangkok and Chiang Mai lasts 12.15 hours depending on the type of train.

Overnight sleepers are more popular but passengers on day trains travel through some great scenery, better by far than the roadside views you get from a coach.

Though the train trip is longer, the train also gives you the chance to stretch your legs with a walk to the restaurant car.

On the coach between Bangkok and Chiang Mai you can expect one 30 minute stop for lunch in Kampaheng Phet.