In the old days, before movies and T.V. soap operas, people were entertained with Nang Talung. This is the art of shadow puppets that first became popular in Southern Thailand two or three generations ago. It has since spread to other parts of Thailand, like the north-east, but many people still see it as...
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Probably one of the best ways to see dolphins close up in Thailand is by kayak. During my recent trip to Nakhon Si Thamarat Province, I joined Khanom Fishing & Tour for their one day tour called “Conserving Dolphins, Conserving Khanom Environment”. They operate out of Khanom which is a district at the northern...
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In July 2010 I went with my friends Aod and Chai to visit Aod’s family in Roi Et province. On the 10 and 11 July they celebrated the Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival in the village of Ban Kang Pla (Nong Phai) which is on the road no 2043 a few km outside of...
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One of the most important places to celebrate Makha Bucha Day, a Buddhist holiday, is at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan. This royal temple, in Nakhon Si Thammarat in Southern Thailand, houses a relic of the Lord Buddha. On the full moon day during February every year, local people take part in a parade called...
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This is the continuation of my Bangkok Day Trips for Kids. Probably the most popular open zoo and theme park close to Bangkok is Safari World and Marine Park on the northern outskirts of Bangkok. I have taken Nong Grace here twice and she has also gone with her school. She keeps asking about...
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(9) Wun Kati (วุ้นกะทิ), which is a Jelly with Coconut Cream Topping. It costs 30 baht. (10) Khao Niew Na Sangkaya (ข้าวเหนียวหน้าสังขยา), which is Thai custard on sticky rice. It cost 12 baht. (11) Thong Yod (ทองหยอด) which translates as Golden Egg Yolk Drops. (12) Met Khanoon (เม็ดขนุน) which literally translates as Jackfruit Seed...
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A short distance north of Amphawa there is another riverside market that has been trying to revive its old community. This is Bang Noi Floating Market that straddles a canal of the same name near the Mae Klong River. There has been a market here for more than one hundred years and at one...
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It seems that a number of provinces in Thailand are starting to build their own aquariums that rival if not surpass the one in the basement of Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok. One of the latest ones to be built is at Bueng Boraphet in Nakhon Sawan. It was officially opened in 2008 and...
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These are some ideas for day trips around Bangkok that are good for young children or teenagers. I think the most popular one for Nong Grace was the Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi. She keeps asking to go back here every year. She likes feeding milk to the tiger cubs and also posing for...
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This week we have the tragic news of a young New Zealand tourist, Sarah Carter, who died while on holiday in Thailand. Reports are not clear yet, but it seems that 23 year old Sarah died from food poisoning after eating at a market stall in the Northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai. Two...
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(1) Khao niaow ma muang (ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง) which is sticky rice with ripe mango. It cost 40 baht. (2) Taptim Grob (ทับทิมกรอบ) which is Water Chestnut with Syrup and Coconut Milk. It cost 25 baht. (3) Khanom Pui Fai (ขนมปุยฝ้าย) is the Thai version of a Thai cupcake. It cost 15 baht. (4) Khanom Tan...
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The most important date on the festival calendar for Nakhon Sawan is the annual Paknam Pho Chinese New Year Festival which lasts for 12 days and 12 nights. The highlights are definitely the two “Chao Por-Chao Mae” Processions which take place in the evening and then the following morning. I recently attended both of...
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Chinatown is one of the most fascinating areas of Bangkok to explore on foot. I was there last weekend for a brief look as I intend to write more about this area in the future. I walked a loop up and down two of the main roads through Chinatown which are Yaowarat Road and...
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Nakhon Sawan Province is in the Lower North of Thailand and is about 240 kilometers from Bangkok. It lies on the main route between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. I have passed through it many times though I have only spent the night there twice. It is not really a tourist town but it is...
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The Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit, on the edge of Bangkok’s Chinatown, has been the highlight of many guidebooks for quite a few years now. It is certainly regarded as one of the main sights in Bangkok as it is included on the “City Temple Tour” that many people take if they are short...
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Tomorrow marks the start of a new year for Chinese people. It is the year of the Rabbit. Today, it is still New Year’s Eve. Firecrackers have been going off all day and local shopkeepers have been setting up shrines in front of their premises. Several that I passed today were burning paper money...
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I have already started to receive letters asking about the political situation in Bangkok. The questions often go like this: “I’m coming to Thailand on holiday in a few weeks. Will there be any problems with the rallies?” As always, questions like these are very difficult to answer. I cannot predict the future. However,...
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