On Thursday 3rd February 2011 we will see the start of the Chinese New Year. This time it is the Year of the Rabbit. Already I have started to hear the crash of cymbals and the occasional firecracker. I was in Chinatown yesterday where I took these pictures. There were many people there buying...
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One of the most beautiful of the daily Thai traditions is the early morning alms round. If you have been reading my blogs for a while now then you would know that I have written about and also taken part in quite a few different alms rounds over the years. I have even acted...
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Darkest Isan (where decent thais fear to tread), Part Nine For the Americans reading is this blog, Ho Chi Minh is that damn pinko “grrr!” who as TV and Hollywood have proven on celluloid really didn’t kick the arse of the US army after all. For people in the rest of the world he...
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One of the latest tourist attractions to open in Thailand is Madame Tussauds Bangkok. This is a world-class attraction in the heart of Bangkok’s shopping district on the 6th floor of Siam Discovery. I went to visit this place back in December 2010 shortly after its grand opening. I have already written my review...
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After the success of Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Songkhram, other communities in the area decided to try their hand at a weekend market. One such example is Bang Nok Kwaek Market which is alongside the Mae Klong River north of Amphawa . The buildings and market here are actually over one hundred years...
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One of the least visited areas of Thailand is the North-East, or Isaan as it is referred to by the Thai people. This is a shame as it has a lot to offer such as its art and culture, ancient traditions, local cuisine, indigenous crafts, folk music, song and dance, and traditional festivals. In...
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As everyone knows by now, I am very excited about Thai Street Food. I have several websites of my own on this subject. I usually buy any book that I can find about Thai food. However, even though there are many books about Thai Cooking, there are relatively few about Thai Street Food. That...
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If you are in Bangkok at the moment then you shouldn’t pass up on the opportunity to go and see a light and sound show at the Grand Palace called “The Golden Heritage of the Rattanakosin Era”. It is running from now until 28th February 2011. It pays homage to the kings of the...
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Thai Buddhists have believed for a long time that they will make good merit if they release fish and birds at a temple. The idea is that you are doing good by giving a creature its freedom. However, its often a short-found freedom as these creatures are often re-captured to only be sold again...
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Thai Restaurant in sunlight
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The nearest stretch of seaside to Bangkok is probably Bang Pu Seaside Resort (สถานตากอากาศบางปู) in Samut Prakan. Don’t go there expecting beaches as it is only mudflats and mangroves. However, in Bang Pu they have a pier where hundreds of local people go to enjoy the cool evening breeze. During the relatively cooler winter...
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For those of you who are finding that Amphawa Floating Market is becoming too crowded and touristy, then I recommend that you step back in time by staying overnight in one of the many homestays that can be found along Amphawa Canal. In the olden days, before roads and cars, these canals were the...
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One of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Thailand is The Nativity of Our Lady Cathedral next to Bang Nok Kwaeng Riverside Market in Samut Songkhram. The cathedral has been a dominant feature of the river banks of the Maeklong River for over one hundred years. The walls are made of highly-heated clay brick...
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These days Thailand is seeing many more repeat visitors. People who originally fell in love with Thailand in their younger days when they were backpackers are returning as married couples. There are also more retired couples exploring Thailand. For these people they want a bit more than beaches, temples and elephant rides. What they...
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The most popular floating market in Thailand for tourists is undoubtedly at Damnoen Saduak. However, if you want to avoid the bus loads of tourists on a very well worn trail then I suggest that you head out to Tha Kha Floating Market (ตลาดน้ำท่าคา). This market is a short distance away in Samut Songkhram...
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Most people go to Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Songkhram as an easy day trip from Bangkok. It is only about 90 minutes away. I have done it several times myself. However, the popularity of homestays in recent years has seen a boom in business in this once sleepy town. Now it seems that...
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Darkest Isan (where decent thais fear to tread), Part Eight This sleepy little provincial town was once part of the Lan Xang Kingdom of Lao and later a picturesque retreat for French colonists. A mix of the old and new, or perhaps I should say old and new money as the affluent architecture of...
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I first went to Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Songkhram exactly five years ago. I went there for the annual Rama II Fair. This year it takes place on the weekend of 5th-6th February 2011. I have been back to Amphawa a few times since. I really like the floating market as it seems...
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Thai dictionaries have come a long way since the time when I first started learning Thai about seventeen years ago. Back then, most Thai/English dictionaries in the shops were for Thai students. Not much good if you couldn’t read Thai. Luckily for us, there were a few dictionaries that also had romanization of the...
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Sometimes I think that the Thai Censor board have their priorities all wrong. Every night, in the Thai soap operas, we get scenes of men hitting and even raping women and then finally marrying them as if that made it alright. But, according to the Bangkok Post this morning, a brief shot of two...
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