Thailand Stories

Atletico Madrid football team captain Antonio Lopez (R) and team mate Alvaro Dominguez (L) smile during a press conference at hotel in Bangkok on July 31, 2010. Atletico Madrid will play against the Thai premier League All Stars in a pre-season friendly match on August 1. (Getty Images) Atletico Madrid football team captain Antonio Lopez (C) listens a question…

A new app for the iPhone called SF Showtimes in Hand will help you choose what to watch at the cinema. Before I proceed, I should point out that this app for the iPhone is only for the SF Cinema chain in Thailand. However, it does prove to be useful to let you know what …

Veera Musikapong (2L), a senior leader of the anti-government ‘Red Shirt’ movement, arrives at court in Bangkok on July 30, 2010. The top leader of Thailand’s ‘Red Shirts’ was released on bail, more than two months after being detained on terrorism charges in connection with violent street protests. …

Spoken by almost 100 percent of the Thai population, Thai is the only national and official language of the country. A survey shows that the people of Thailand take pride in their language, which reflects distinctive culture and traditions passed on from generation to generation…

An injured man is taken on a stretcher by a rescue team after a grenade exploded on Rangnam road near a duty-free shopping centre in Bangkok on July 30, 2010. A grenade exploded on a street in central Bangkok, leaving one person seriously hurt in the latest violence…

This is a review of what happened in Thailand during the last week based on topics that I tweeted. You can follow me live for latest news about Thailand @RichardBarrow . I have also started a new version of my Bangkok Dangerous Map as…

Martin Apfel, president of General Motors’ Thailand/Southeast Asia operations, gestures during a new conference at a hotel in Bangkok July 29, 2010. General Motors Co expects Thailand’s vehicle sales to rise more than 700,000 units fuelled by the country’s growing economy, and its executive was optimistic about the growth opportunity in Southeast Asia. (Reuters) More Thailand pictures can be found …

One of the most revered Buddha images in Samut Prakan Province is Luang Poh To which can be found at Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai. During the annual Rub Bua Festival, usually in October, a replica of this image is taken out on a boat on the Samrong Canal for local people to worship. …

Bank of Thailand Governor Tarisa Watanagase gestures during an interview with Reuters at the Bank of Thailand in Bangkok July 28, 2010. Thai interest rates are still low and a modest increase earlier this month is not impeding economic recovery, but it would be dangerous to keep rates low for too long…

Following the launch of CNN’s acclaimed app for the iPhone and iPod touch in the United States last year, CNN today announced the availability of the international version of the CNN App on the App Store. I was very pleased to read that CNN have just released an international version of their …

Over the recent long holiday weekend in Thailand, we celebrated two important Buddhist holidays: Asarnha Bucha and Khao Phansa. The first takes place on the full moon day of the eighth lunar month. It commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon to his first five disciples. On this day people celebrate the Triple Gem. This represents…

A quick way to compare prices for flights inside Thailand using your iPhone. If you want to be able to quickly compare domestic flights in Thailand then the ThaiFlight app for the iPhone is probably a good choice for you. You …

Sunlight Tracker is a must have tool for any outdoor photographer interested in knowing the best times to shoot their subjects outdoors. This is a handy little app for your iPhone called Sunlight Tracker which is currently free in the iTunes store. Using GPS, it…

Protesters wave Thai national flags during a demonstration outside the UNESCO office in Bangkok July 27, 2010. Hundreds of Thai nationalists led by a leader of the “yellow shirt” movement, Chamlong Srimuang, gathered outside UNESCO’s Bangkok office to voice opposition to Cambodia’s plan to administer Preah Vihear Temple, an ancient border …

Local people from Samut Prakan take part in a boat procession at Ancient Siam to mark the start of Khao Phansa. Dancers in traditional Thai costume led the parade followed by people carrying large candles to be presented to monks for…

This evening I went to The Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan as they were advertising a “wien tien” candle procession around the giant three headed elephant. Unfortunately it started to rain heavily just before I arrived and went on for about an hour. I stayed to take a few pictures but did not hang around…

This afternoon I was at Ancient Siam in Samut Prakan for their celebrations for the start of the Buddhist Rains Retreat. I was taking pictures for our www.paknam.com website. I arrived just in time for the candle parade which started on water and then moved to land. They were led by dancers…

Various religious groups, government agencies, private organizations, and the general public have joined hands in merit-making as a tribute to His Majesty the King during the Buddhism week from July 22 to 26. The period is in observance of Asalha Puja Day, which coincides with July 26 this year. …

Members of a Thai bomb squad inspect the scene of an explosion at bus stop in Bangkok on July 26, 2010. An explosion at a Bangkok bus stop evening wounded at least nine people in the central shopping district, the scene of recent mass anti-government protests, Thai police…

Members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) or Red Shirt put makeup on their faces at Lumpini park Sunday, July 25, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. About 200 UDD members took part in the gathering to show their unity and to defy …