Vineyards in Thailand with wheelchair accessible restaurant

July 17, 2011
Hua Hin Hills Vineyards.

Two weeks ago we have visited this vineyard. It has a nice bistro with European food on the menu. And it wouldn't be a vineyard if you couldn't taste wine.

Staff is well trained in handling wine and the wines are fairly good although you might think Thailand is not the country to grow wines. But we like the white Monsoon valley wine very much. It goes well with pasta, fish and Thai food. Perfectly served in a wine cooler on a stand. Staff pouring wine with the label in sight and avoiding to touch the glass. This is how it should be.
This is really a nice place for a lazy Sunday afternoon. No river in sight but the view over the vineyards will make this up. It is gourgeous. On Thai Holidays make reservertions up front. And after your meal or wine taste experience take a walk accross the place. Make some nice pictures or shoot a movie. Have a look at mine and see what you can expect when you visit. You can also take a elephant ride but this is not done in the eyes of Edwin Wiek.
Now the wheelchair access. The restaurant is accessible by wheelchair ramp in 4 parts. In between small platforms to rest. A powered wheelchair can take this. A manual wheelchair needs probably some help. Enough space between tables to sit with your wheelchair. And friendly staff to take out chairs.
The only major thing they have forgotten is to make the restrooms wheelchair accessible. To the toilet you get one step down, one step up, doors are wide enough but you have to stay in the space in front en the door cannot close behind you.
So the only solution you have is to visit Wat Huay Mongkol before you visit Hua Hin Hills Vineyard. Or go before you leave your accessible accommodation.

Gehandicapten.com offers daytrips and this is one of the many possibilities. For more information please email to info@gehandicapten.com

Thai animals, alive, able bodied, around our accommodations

July 7, 2011
Pool villa Coconut Grove, Hua Hin, Thailand

Sitting on my veranda and just looking around I discover all kind of young, beautiful, adorable and sometimes a little bit creepy animals. And every time when I see a different specie I try to photograph it.

Just like this little fellow / girl? It is a young Zebra dove, Geopelia striata, which flew out of the nest just before. The couple doves were breeding in our Coconut tree and had one offspring. Isn't it cute? It sat on the wire the whole day in the sun during daytime. I didn't see Mam or Dad this day. At evening we saw it again in the Coconut trees of our neighbor with Mam/Dad closeby.
The next day we didn't see it again. So probably left the area together with the parents.

Do you want to see more animals which I have discovered around our house and which I have managed to photograph? Then take a look here. Some animals live somewhere else but can be seen on daytrips with our wheelchair accessible minivan with q-straint wheelchair and occupant restraint system.

Review Canet en Roussillon, France

July 25, 2011
Canet en Roussillon, France

Another review from one of our customers. He has visited our Apartment in France.In German but you can translate with www.translate.google.com

Erfahrungen von eine Deutsche Kunde mit Behinderung in Süd-Frankreich.
Sehr geehrte Frau von der Linde, sehr geehrter Herr von der Linde,

wir haben die Tage in Canet-en-Roussillion sehr genossen; das Appartement ist in der Tat für unsere Bedürfnisse sehr gut angepasst.
Wir werden uns mit Sicherheit in Zukunft einmal wieder bei Ihnen wegen Ihres Appartements in Südfrankreich melden.  Vielleicht auch wegen eines der anderen Appartements. Für die reibungslose Vermietung möchten Frau Wienstroer und ich mich herzlich bei Ihnen bedanken.

Mit besten Grüßen aus Marburg

Do you want more Information then email to Wheelchair Thailand .
Mehr Information über Email: info@gehandicapten.com

Bangkok Pratunam wheelchair accessible shopping

16 July 2011,
Bangkok, Pratunam district

A week ago I went to Bangkok to have my wheelchair fixed. Of this I made a movie and wrote two Blog messages. For a overnight stay I booked a hotel room for disabled at Baiyoke Sky Hotel and had a look at the Pratunam whole sale market.

For this I had to drive my wheelchair into the small streets of Bangkok, Pratunam district. The small alleys are alive at the afternoon and evening. And when you are looking for cheap clothes by the dozen this is the place to go. But in the area are many shops, shopping malls and big stores where almost everything is for sale. MBK, Siam Paragon, Siam Square, Big C, Pratunam, Panthip and even more coming. And all these are wheelchair accessible. Every shopaholic will find what he or she dies for.

And when you are looking for a accessible accommodation in this area search this Blog for a hotel with wheelchair access or write an email to me.

Accessible hotel, restaurant and look out.

July 15, 2011
Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Bangkok

Ever wanted to see Bangkok from the Sky? Then visit the Baiyoke Sky Hotel in the center of Bangkok, close to all shopping malls like Siam Paragon (fashion) and Panthip Plaza (computer, electronics, etc.), in the middle of the wholesale market Pratunam, close to the Airlink Station Ratchaprarop with disabled access and at walking distance of Skytrain station Siam Square.

You can visit this Skycraper of 83 floors for lunch, dinner or overnight stay. But what about the accessibility?

You can enter this building at the right side. Here is a ramp, little bit steep but with some support no problem. The rest is a peace of cake. Big elevators to all floors. No thresholds.

We made reservations by Latestays for a room on the 22nd floor. This is a Superior Suite with one bedroom, a bathroom, a walk in closet and a livingroom. Beautiful views two ways. The doors are wide, the bed is of good height and ample space to move around in my wheelchair. The bathroom is okay. No dropdown shower seat, no roll in shower, but grips at every place you will need. The shower has a threshold of 8cm. So when you are in a wheelchair this might be a problem. The toilet and the wash basin are okay. Their is a bath. With a bath seat some will be able to shower here. Or when you are able to stand up and step over a shower chair will do.

Breakfast, dinner, drinks and look out floor can all be reached by disabled people. At the time we stayed here the view was very clear and we could even see Suvarnabhumi airport and the sea. Remember Bangkok is a city were around 11 million people live.

Do you like to know more. Don't hesitate to write and email. In case you are staying in one of our wheelchair accessible accommodations for holidays in Hua Hin you can take a bath seat or a shower chair with you.

In previous posts more wheelchair accessible hotels are described. We all have tried them personally, so we have a lot of pictures and room numbers of these different hotels.

Siam Nissin, wheelchair repair in Bangkok

July 15, 2011
Siam Nissin, Bangkok

My wheelchair got broken and in my last Blogpost I wrote about my trouble to get it fixed. Parts had to come from Germany.

During the repair of my wheelchair my wife took a few shots with her camcorder. Here is the movie which shows how professional these people can fix your wheelchair. This is the first time they have fixed a Meyra electric powered wheelchair. Imaging how well they do after a few times.

So a big "Thank You" to these guys for their speed, their professionality and corporation to get my wheelchair fixed. A big "Thank You" to Meyra Germany who send the parts over in no time. And a big "Thank You" to DHL who delivered these parts in 4 days.

Wheelchair kadokkadek repair Bangkok

July 15, 2011
Wheelchair Kadokkadek.

Sometimes "big shit" happens.

Already in Holland I felt my wheelchair had some trouble. I also told Welzorg and the technician who takes care of my wheelchair. He just put some grease in my wheel.

A few days after my arrival my wheelchair broke down and I wasn't able to drive anymore. And still some time left here in Hua Hin before I could go home. Sitting in a manual wheelchair not able to move around is not an option for me. I would go crazy. Everytime asking my wife to move me from the porch to the computer, from the computer to the TV, from the TV to the swimmingpool, to the restaurant, etc. I feel so disabled. I like my independency in my electric wheelchair.

So I phoned my travel insurance Unive, the company Welzorg, Meyra Nederland and SOS service, etc. And it seemed they just didn't want to help me out. They even had the guts to tell me these things happen on a holiday and I had to help myself. How harsh can they be.

Luckily I shipped a very old wheelchair over from Holland 5 years ago. My wife turned two wheelchars into one. So I was able to move around very slow and with square tires. In Thailand they would say Wheelchair kadokkadek.

I contacted the company Siam Nissin in Bangkok and they were able to help me out. They ordered new parts with Meyra Germany and they send these parts over by DHL. Within a week the parts were in Bangkok. Siam Nissin wrote an email and we made an appointment two days later. Still a little bit uncertain if their first repair attempt of an electric wheelchair would be succesfull. But at the moment they started to fix the wheelchair I saw how professional their technician was. Within the hour they were able to change the parts. And just a few minutes later I was in my iron horse again. Feeling free to go wherever I want.

Congratulations Siam Nissin with your first Meyra wheelchair repair. And a very big "Thank you" to Siam Nissin and their staff.

And now to all my disabled followers I you never need but in case you do you know now where to go.

Pool villas Coconut Grove - Thailand

July 9, 2011
Hua Hin, Thailand
Pool villa Coconut Grove renovation.

Four years on a row we have been letting our wheelchair accessible pool villa to all kinds of disabled people coming from different parts of the world. So it was time to do some renovation and get the house painted.

We have started four weeks ago and last week everything was finished. It has become very beautiful and bright. Somewhat different from the rest of the houses but very recognizable.

We were terrified when we saw the painters climbing on this scaffold. But the Thai people are so slim and limber that for them it is a piece of cake. I'm just glad nothing happened while they were working at our place.

But now as always this wheelchair accessible house is ready again to welcome our guests. We keep continue to let our pool villa to handicapped people in wheelchairs. And together with our English and Thai speaking staff we do our utmost to make your accessible holiday memorable in a good way. And don't forget everyone who books this pool villa for at least 14 nights will get a free transfer in our wheelchair accessible minivan with wheelchair and occupant restraint system from Bangkok airport to Hua Hin.

Do you want more information have a look at our website http://www.wheelchairaccessibleholidayhomesfordisabledpeople.com/Thailand/disabled.htm or just email to info@gehandicapten.com