Thailand Stories

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to watch a moving documentary called “Living With The Tiger”. It is about about Thai kids growing up with the stigma of  being infected with HIV through no fault of their own. Often these kids are…

The Vegetarian Festival has now reached its seventh day in Samut Prakan. Last night, many devotees went to the City Hall Plaza to float krathongs on the Chao Phraya River. This was done as a kind of invitiation to the dead souls to come to a feast on the…

Literally in the middle of no-where, in Nakhon Chaisi District of Nakhon Pathom Province, there is a sprawling private transport museum for lovers of any vehicles, both on land and in the air.  This large collection of vehicles can …

On Sunday I took part in the 2nd Bangkok Car Free Sunday event. The purpose, as before, was to promote the use of the bicycle as an alternative mode of transport in Bangkok. I must say I was very nervous about cycling in Bangkok the first time. However, I am now used to it and I would recommend it…

The longer that you stay in Thailand, the higher the chance is that you will one day be invited to a funeral. This might be for the parent of a colleague at work or a relation of your Thai wife or husband. I am not exactly an expert on Thai funerals, …

Today, the first “Bangkok Car Free Sunday” was organized. The idea was to encourage people to leave their cars at home and take their bike instead. For many people, that is easier said than done. Even though I took the BTS Skytrain into Bangkok today, I still had a 45 minute drive to my nearest station…

During the full moon of this month we celebrate the religious holiday of Asarnha Bucha Day. It commemorates the Buddha’s first sermon to his first five disciples. The following day marks the start of the Rains Retreat which is sometimes referred to as the Buddhist Lent. It lasts for about three months. This year, these two holidays are on…

On Saturday, Thai people all over the country were invited to take part in Buddhist chanting called “Phra Paritr”. This was done as a tribute to His Majesty the King on the auspicious occasion of his 84th birthday anniversary this year. The Phra Paritr religious ceremony took place simultaneously in both Bangkok and the provinces…

When I first came to Thailand it was very difficult to get much news about the country in the English language.  That all changed with the launch of Thailand Outlook Channel a few years back. For the first time we were getting English language …

Over the weekend I went to take pictures at a Honey Offering Ceremony at Wat Khan Lad in Phra Pradaeng. I have never heard about this event before though apparently it takes place every year. Officially it should take place on the full moon day of the 10th lunar month which …

Klong Suan 100 Year Market (1) The old Klong Suan 100 Year Market in Samut Prakan Province sits alongside a canal that in the old days was the only way to travel between Bangkok and Chachoengsao. With the coming of highways the importance of markets like this one died out. However, the old shops have now been renovated and …

The number one party list candidate for the Pheu Thai Party is Yingluck Shinawatra. She is busy campaigning now for the upcoming Thai elections in early July. Some people are speculating that she might very well be Thailand’s first female prime …

There are over 40,000 temples spread across Thailand. Many have a similar style though some are very unique. For many foreign tourists the colourful Thai temples are often a highlight of their holiday in Thailand. The Phra Dhammakaya Temple in Pathum Thani Province might not be your typical Thai temple. The main building resembles a UFO more …

A good excursion to do at the weekend is to visit one of the many floating markets that are within easy reach of Bangkok. The one that I visited last weekend is called Wat Takien Floating Market which is in Nonthaburi Province, to the Northwest of Central Bangkok. From Samut Prakan it only took us about 40 minutes to …

Suvarnabhumi Airport, outside of Bangkok, has received a lot of criticism over the years. Of late, the complaint has been about the long queues at Immigration. Most of the complaints have been from outbound passengers, but inbound have also complained about grumpy and slow staff. They say that immigration officials seem to take forever. …

I spent most of my Songkran holidays enjoying the more traditional side of this new year festival. Yesterday I visited my local temple to take some pictures of two Songkran activities. The first one was Song Nam Phra where people poured water on the hands of monks. I told you about this one yesterday. The second…

One of the more traditional events that takes place during Songkran is “song nam phra”. This is the practice of bathing Buddha images with rose scented water. Most tourists, and even some Thai teenagers, seem to think that Songkran is only about throwing water at each other. However, it was…

Songkran in Thailand has become famous around the world as one big water fight. However, in reality, there is a lot more to this festival which marks the start of the traditional Thai new year. These are some of the pictures that I took on the first day, 13th April. The day started early with prayers, chanting …

Many foreign tourists, and even some Thais, seem to think that Songkran is only about the water fights. But, there is another side to this festival which is more traditional. It is possible to experience what I call the real Songkran at various places around Thailand. In Bangkok, one of the best places to go is at …

There are many floating markets and riverside markets around Bangkok. Some of these are new and others have been revitalized. This is part one of my comprehensive list of Thai floating markets that you can easily do as a day trip from Bangkok. Damnoen Saduak Floating Market The most famous floating market for…