Thailand Stories

The famous Golden Mermaid can be found at Samila Beach not far from Songkhla. The Golden Mermaid is a character from Phra Aphai Mani, a popular book in Thai literature by Sunthon Phu. In this folk tale, a mermaid sat … Continue reading →

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…

Much of Southern Thailand has been hit hard by unseasonable storms which have resulted in floods and mudslides. Up to 25 people are believed to have been killed and some villages either engulfed by rising waters or covered by mudslides. Eight provinces in mid-southern Thailand, including Nakhon Si …

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 …

I have been to Ayutthaya a number of times. Sometimes by myself and sometimes taking friends. Every time, I go to the same old places; temples, ruins and a museum. It is an historical city and very different to other…

An aerial view shows the flooded Hat Yai district of Songkhla province, south of Bangkok, on Tuesday Nov 2, 2010. A tropical depression that dumped two days of constant rain on southern Thailand has caused flooding that forced rail service to shut down and thousands of residents to flee. (AP Photo) More

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) invites foreign visitors to join the Thai people in celebrating the Thai New Year festivities between 13-15 April 2010, in Bangkok and major provinces nationwide. In true Thai style, the “Songkran Splendours 2010” will be marked with great fun in the Thai capital as well as in the popular tourist provinces of Chiang…

A policeman stands guard near a damaged train after it derailed in Songkhla province February 25, 2010. The Thai passenger train bound for the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat derailed in Songkhla province on Thursday, injuring 20 people, a railway official said. …

The network of tunnels that can be found in Vietnam are quite well-known. What many people don’t realize is that Thailand has its own set of tunnels deep in the jungles of Khao Nam Khang National Park on the Malaysian border. These were built by Chinese Communist Fighters during a …

The most well-known symbol of Songkhla Province is this image of the Golden Mermaid at Laem Samila. It is similar to The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, however, this Thai one is not a character from the book of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The Golden Mermaid is in fact a character from Phra Aphai Mani, a popular book in Thai literature by Sunthon Phu. In this folk…

It seems to be the latest fashion for local districts in Thailand to open a “floating market”. The other week we had news that the Bangkok administration will open a floating market in Min Buri. Then, last month, I went to see the Pattaya Floating Market. Now, another floating market has just opened in Songkhla Province in…

One of the most colourful festivals taking place at the moment in Thailand is the Lantern Festival in Hat Yai. The Thai slogan translates as “colours of the south”. It is running between 14th and 28th February 2009. This is the third time that they have organized the festival at the Hat…