We just returned from a fun but very wet trip to Petchabun in the north of Thailand. It was a short trip — too short I think — but we managed to capture some cool photographs and to meet a couple of interesting artists.
I don’t know about you but I like to get out of Bangkok whenever I can. I have nothing against Bangkok — after all, it is my choice to live here — but it’s refreshing to leave the big metropolis occasionally and get out into the countryside.
For the full set of pictures go to Petchabun Photo Gallery
I went with my colleague, Khun Ris, to meet a couple of artists we are hoping to work with, in a small town called Lom Sak, right in the middle of the Petchabun province.Phetchabun is rich with waterfalls, rivers and lakes. Dams have been built to prevent flooding and control irrigation, creating popular scenic picnic and recreation areas around the reservoirs.
However, it is the mountains that draw tourists. The rolling peaks of Khao Thor, known as Little Switzerland, were once a battlefield against communist insurgents.
Today, its beautiful scenery and cool weather attracts many visitors, to see the mountain-top army base turned into a museum, and enjoy trekking in the open zoo and non-hunting areas.
The national parks of Phu Hin Rong Kla, with its stunning rock formations, and Nam Nao, whose forests are home to many large animals and birds, are now starting to attract more and more trekkers and eco-tourists.In truth, it is stunningly beautiful. The analogy with Switzerland is apt. My home is Switzerland, in Geneva. I wake, looking up to the sight of the alps with the headline of a snow-capped Mont Blanc, and looking down to the warmth and beauty of Lac Leman, or Lake Geneva as it is known to many.
Although I like living in Thailand, I confess to some homesickness for Switzerland. Over many years I have grown comfortable with the sight of mountains and lakes and greenery all around. Petchabun truly does remind me of home, as does almost all of the north of Thailand.
Limited time, foul weather, and a car being driven much too fast by my Michael Schumacher wannabe driver, gave us few opportunities for scenic photography.
