Phra That Doi Tung, Mae Fa Luang, Chiang Rai Year of the Pig: Earlier this year, I visited the beautiful Mae Fa Luang Botanical Gardens on Doi Tung. The late Princess Mother had a palace in the hills here which is now open to the public. About 30 minutes from the gardens we arrived...
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This month we celebrate the second anniversary of our Thai-blog community. What better occasion to recall the past and pay a brief visit the story of how it all started. We have to go back quite a while ago… please follow me. Where it all began Once upon a time there was a forum...
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For some time now, I had wondered where this painting of mine got to but I was too lazy to go find it until the other day my mother dug it out from its safe place. So, I just wanted to share it on here for observation. Can you tell what it is? It’s...
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Elephant Show at Rose Garden, West of Bangkok This week we are celebrating our two year anniversary! Time has gone very quickly. I am very happy with the quality of Thai Blogs from our regulars and our guest writers over the last two years. There is really a wealth of information here now about...
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Wat Ketkaram, Chiang Mai Year of the Dog: For people born in this year, they should pay respect to the chedi at Ket Kaeo Chulamanee. Unfortunately this temple is in Heaven and so is a little difficult to drive there. Fortunately for us, in 1428 A.D., a replica of this temple was built in Chiang...
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Hello ! Just after I came to the L.O.S., my wife, being Thai, often surprised me with the pronunciation of certain place names. This prompted me to enquire as to which one was the longest. She rattled off, what seemed like five minutes of Thai prattle, and then said; “…that’s Khrung Thep (กรุงเทพ )!”...
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Perhaps it’s because I flied solo a lot more during my latest trip home now that my mom (sick) and my friends (work) are no longer available as my sidekick, and that I am older and can drink more than one beer before passing out drunk, I just suddenly realize a few simple things...
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Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, Lamphun Province Year of the Rooster: Lamphun is a small town about 28 kms southeast of Chiang Mai. One of the highlights of the town is this stunning chedi at Wat Phra That Haripunchai. Does it look familiar to you? You may recognize some of the features in the above...
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Sriwittayapaknam School in Samut Prakan has always taken the lead in Internet technology among the schools in Thailand. The Nation newspaper called the Internet project a “powerhouse” when it comes to website creation. The Bangkok Post went a step further and commented that the school has “the largest and most comprehensive web site of...
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Phra That Phanom, Ban That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom Province Year of the Monkey: The north east of Thailand is the only region I have never really explored in great detail. Hopefully I will get a chance to go next year. One of the places which is definitely on my list is this temple in That...
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Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai Province Year of the Goat: If you ever go to Chiang Mai, then you must make sure you visit this temple at the top of the mountain at Doi Suthep. The golden chedi is really beautiful and if you go there on a clear day, you will also...
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It’s raining, it’s pouring, imagination fecund, we’ve booked and we’ve paid, no chance of refund! We awaited the Mini-Van, along Khao San road, - to board the damn thing, I needed a goad! “The markets are beautiful, you’ll be glad that you went. You’ll be very pleased, with the money you’ve spent!” So, I...
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Wat Phra Borommathat, Ban Tak, Tak Province Year of the Horse: If you were born during this year, then your pilgrimage site should be the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Burma. However, for Thai people, there is a replica, though a somewhat smaller version, at Wat Phra Borommathat in Tak. According to legend, the Lord Buddha once...
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The temples associated with each animal in the 12 year cycle I am now half way through listing each of the temples that represent a different animal in the 12 year cycle. In Thai this system is called “naksat pi”. Thai people believe it is important that they should visit the temple associated with their...
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Wat Jet Yot, Chiang Mai Year of the Snake: This turned out to be one of the hardest temples for me to find. All I had was the name Wat Maha Potaram (also written Wat Botharam Maha Vihara). It wasn’t in any of my guidebooks. The people at the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT)...
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The following are some of the highlights from www.thai-blogs.com this time last year. Why can’t we go see the elephants? Making Pad Baigapoa ..a love affair! A Trip to Chachoengsao Of dogs and men The doctor prince of Thailand Visiting Bala-hala Forest Field Camp Satellite Photos of Bangkok Thai Body Talk Helicopter Tour of...
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At school the other day, I had the pleasure of meeting Sally Campbell and her adopted daughter Buakhao. Sally is a principal from a small school in Tasmania, Australia. As with every visitor we have to the school, I took them up to my classroom in order to allow the students to interact with...
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This afternoon I finally decided I should drive over to the new airport at Suvarnabhumi before it became too late. For the past month, they had been running daily tours of the new airport in preparation for its grand opening at the end of next month. I think the idea was to familiarize people...
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On Sunday I went into Bangkok for the Wat Arun Temple Festival. It is held at this time every year in order to promote Thai culture and Thai arts. Wat Arun, commonly called “Temple of Dawn” in English, is on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. It is easy to go there from...
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