Thailand Stories

A popular recreation for Thai people at the seaside is playing on a Banana Boat like this one. The whole family jump on the back wearing life vests. They are then towed up and down the beach front by a speedboat as …

Bangkok used to be known as the Venice of the East due to its large network of canals. However, most of these have now been built over to make way for roads. One of the main canals still remaining in Bangkok is Khlong Saen Saeb which dates back to the 1830’s. It was built …

The Three Pagoda Pass in the north of Kanchanaburi Province is historically important for several reasons. It was this route that Buddhism is believed to have taken when it first came to Thailand. The pass was also used by the Burmese when they invaded Thailand. I had heard about these three pagodas for a long time and…

Bangkok has many museums, many of them state run, but many of the better ones are privately owned like this one called House of Museums on the Western outskirts of Bangkok. The museum details the life in Thailand over 50 years ago through the private collection of Anake Nawigamune. There are toy…

Just outside of Nakhon Pathom, to the West of Bangkok, there is a popular wax museum called Thai Human Imagery Museum. Though, to be precise, they are fibre glass models as I guess wax ones would melt in this heat. There are various rooms with different themes. This one shows the Kings of the Chakri Dynasty. Many of the…

In Tak, in northern Thailand, there is a shrine and statue for King Taksin the Great (1734-1782). He is not only the most famous native of this province, but he is heroically known for expelling the Burmese from Thailand after the defeat and subsequent destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767. He later moved the…

Nakhon Sawan Province, also known as Pak Nam Pho is where the rivers of Ping, Wang, Yom, and Nan converge and form the Chao Phraya River, the most important waterway of Thailand. It then flows from north to south for 372 kilometres from the central plains to Bangkok and the…

In the grounds of a Thai temple, just north of Bangkok, I took this pictures of open billed storks nesting at the top of a tall tree. There must have been literally thousands of them. They come here during the winter season every year. You can get quite close to them as there is a bird watch tower at…

When we talk of cowboys, we don’t really think of Thailand and the Thai people. However, in the north-east region of the country, there are a number of farms where there are indeed cowboys. Though, admittedly, they are mainly there for the tourists. I took this picture at Farm Chockchai a …

Between Cha-am and Hua Hin there is a beautiful summer seaside palace called Marukhathaiyawan Palace. It was built in the 1920’s for King Rama VI. The main building is built from teak wood. Original post blogged on www.mythaiphotos.com .

Young Thai girls pose for the camera at the seaside at the pier in Bang Pu, Samut Prakan, about an hour away from Bangkok. Every year, between October and March, thousands of migratory birds come here to escape the harsh winter in Siberia. The pier is a popular location…

The Phimai historical park protects one of the most important Khmer temples of Thailand. It is located in the town of Phimai, Nakhon Ratchasima province. There are quite a few Khmer temples in this region but this is one of the best preserved. I was impressed when I first came to see these ruins. But, of course, it was…

If you visit Ancient Siam in Samut Prakan you will see the Sanphet Prasat Palace. This was the principal palace during the Ayutthaya era. It was unfortunately burned to the ground by the Burmese in 1767 when they invaded the city. Today, only the brick foundations can be seen. This…

One of the amazing sights in Pattaya is this gigantic wooden palace which dominates the landscape alongside the sea. The highest point reaches 105 meters high. Practically every inch, both inside and outside is covered with exquisite wooden carvings. It has taken them years to build and it is…

This is the Arts and Craft Village at Bang Sai in Ayutthaya Province. It is quite unique as it showcases the different architectural styles of the four regions of Thailand. In addition, you will be able to see first hand their ways of living with practical demonstrations of

One of the oldest railway stations in Thailand can be found at Hua Hin. What is of particular interest at this station is the Royal Waiting Room which was built in traditional Thai style during the reign of King Rama VI. Original post blogged on www.mythaiphotos.com .

This is a picture that I took in a Karen village in Mae Hong Son. This is where the famous “long-necked hilltribe” lived. I went there back in 2002. I was quite excited to see them for the first time. However, the experience left a bad taste in my mouth…

I was driving through the countryside in Lopburi Province last year when I came across this amazing sight. An elephant walking through a sunflower field. These sites are a popular attraction for Thai tourists who drive hundreds of kilometres to have their pictures taken with sunflowers. For them, the elephant is just an added bonus. …

In Samut Songkram, there is a farmer’s market that has taken over the railway tracks. The market vendors sit on both sides of the track while customers have to walk down the middle. When the train whistle blows, they have less than a minute to pull back their produce and also the…

Probably the biggest, and certainly most stunning Buddhist ordination hall is at Wat Sothon in Chachoengsao. It was built using Carara Italian marble and is reported to be the largest white marble temple in the world. The peak is 84 metres high. …