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The Sahachat Memorial was built in 1913 by three members of the Siamese royal family to honour Queen Sri Phatcharinthra’s 50th birthday. It might seem like an unusual idea for a sculpture, but the queen was born in the Year of the Pig as were the three people who sponsored the memorial including the man [...]
If you’ve ever travelled via Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, you’ve probably seen at least one of these imposing figures with their fangs, painted faces and bulging eyes. Known in Buddhist mythology as yaksha, they are guardian warriors who keep away evil spirits and can be seen at a number of temples in Thailand. The figures on [...]
If you’ve visited Thailand during the Songkran Water Festival, you don’t need me to tell you what a unique experience it is. And if you haven’t had the opportunity to see it in person yet, I hope you like these photos that were all taken in Chiang Mai during the 2013 Songkran celebrations. Be prepared [...]
Graduation day at Chiang Mai University (CMU). Purple is the colour associated with CMU and these little graduation teddy bears were proving to be a popular purchase at 150 Baht. Songkran New Year festival is associated with water as Thais welcome in the traditional New Year, but it’s also a time for merit-making and street [...]
You might be familiar with the saying, “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”, but at this Thai temple they’ve replaced the monkeys with miniature novice monks to get the message across. It’s just one more example of the Thai fondness for the narak or the cute which often crops up in venues [...]
I’ve written before about how flowers are integral to everyday Thai life, particularly with the daily offerings made at Buddhist temples and to spirit houses. Even in the most urban of environments like Bangkok, garlands of flowers can be found dangling from mirrors in taxi cabs and tuk-tuks as well as being used as part [...]
Dating back to the 13th century, the impressive ruins of Wat Mahathat are one of the highlights of the Sukhothai Historical Park. During its heyday, Wat Mahathat and the royal palace served as the administrative centre for the Sukhothai kingdom. From whichever direction you approach the remains of the temple, the ancient columns, lotus bud-shaped [...]
Picture the scene. You run a beach bar on a lovely little, laid-back Thai island. Every night your customers get through copious amounts of Chang and Singha beer. Life is good. The only problem you have is what to do with all those empty bottles. Well, one enterprising bar owner on Klong Nin Beach, Ko [...]
For some important Buddhist holidays in Thailand such as Makha Bucha and Visakha Bucha Day, there are restrictions in place on the sale of alcohol. Shops and venues found flaunting the law on these days are liable to prosecution, although that doesn’t mean that all entertainment venues adhere strictly to the regulations. Some bars and [...]
Thailand may be many things, but it certainly isn’t boring. It’s a country full of life and energy with an intoxicating mix of the fascinating, the fun and the frivolous. It can also be frustrating at times as visitors get to grips with the different way of doing things in Thailand and the attitude to [...]