Thailand Stories

Over the years I have seen some really great Thai festivals. This is a list of my Top 10 favourites in no particular order. Loy Krathong Festival (1) As the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (usually in mid-November) lights up the night…

One of the biggest and most beautiful festivals in Thailand is the Candle Procession which marks the start of the Buddhist Lent. In Thai this is called Khao Phansa which is the day after the full moon in July.  Traditionally during this…

Bloggers in Thailand, be careful what you write and link to from your website. For some years now I have been very careful about what I write and discuss on the subject of Thailand. The name of the country is supposed to …

When I set out to explore Isan I looked for a guide book, but found none. The few mainstream ones had a remarkably short section on the place, missing out half the provinces and barely covering the others. It was as if they were acknowledging that it wasn’t a place for tourists. After a month here…

If you have ever driven along the Friendship Highway on your way to Nakhon Ratchasima then you have probably noticed this giant cow. It belongs to Farm Chokchai which is in the heart of cowboy country in Northeastern Thailand. I now that sounds strange as we are …

In January this year, the Thai government launched their campaign to promote 100% use of crash helmets. It is a year long campaign that started mainly with government offices. It became compulsory for anyone entering or riding in their premises to be wearing a helmet. If they didn’t have a helmet, they were stopped …

Nakhon Ratchasima-based military ngineers clean up a road in Surat Thani’s Phumhin district after flood waters receded. (Bangkok Post/Pattanapong Hirunard) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com .

Sriracha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi Province 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…

On Wednesday 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 …

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 …

Bright flowers dazzle in the sunlight on a 69-rai former cornfield transformed into a floral exhibition. ‘Wang Nam Khieo Flora Fantasia” , organized by the Horticultural Science Society of Thailand and local state and private agencies, is running in Nakhon Ratchasima’s …

I’m at Khundan Prakanchon Dam in Nakhon Nayok Province for the International Hot Air Balloon and Adventure Sports Festival. It is happening over the long holiday weekend for the King’s birthday; 2nd – 6th December 2010. This is now the fourth time that the Balloon Festival has taken place but…

Medical staff transfer a patient to another hospital by boat during a flood in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast of Bangkok, October 19, 2010. Days of continuous downpours across central and northeastern Thailand have led to the worst flood in recent years, according to local media. (Reuters) More

Denmark’s Anders Moller Christensen (R) fights for the ball with Poland’s Dawid Nowak during their Thailand King’s Cup football tournament at His Majesty The 80th Birthday Anniversary stadium in Nakhon Ratchasima province northeast of Bangkok, January 17, 2010. (Reuters) Poland’s goalkeeper Mariusz Pawelek saves a …

Thai spy Sivarak Chutipong enters the monkhook for 9 days at a temple in Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday. (Naewna) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com .

About 30 wives of foreign diplomats in Thailand went on a trip to Petrified Wood Museum, silk factory, pottery community, and Prasat Hin Phimai in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. (manager.co.th) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com

I love Thailand for its variety but I never knew before that it already has an established wine industry. When we talk about wine growing we don’t usually think about Thailand mainly due to the hot and humid climate. But, Thailand has in fact three distinct regions of wine making. In the north there is Chateau de Loei, in the Phu Rua Valley of …

One of the best agro-tourism projects in Thailand is undoubtedly Farm Chokchai in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. In fact it has won many awards. Farm Chokchai is situated on the Friendship Highway in cowboy country and is only 159 km from Bangkok. You can either come here as a day trip from Bangkok or as a stopover on your…