Thailand Stories

One of the better preserved traditional markets in Thailand can be found in Suphanburi Province. It is called Sam Chuk 100 Year Market and it still has its original wooden shophouses that date back to the reign of King Rama V. In those days it was a bustling market alongside the Tha Chin River. This was …

TOUR 1: The Erawan Museum, Ancient Siam, Crocodile Farm and finishing with a seaside meal at Bangsaen 2. Samut Prakan Province is home to the new international airport at Suvarnabhumi and is literally on the doorstep to Bangkok. It also has some amazing and impressive attractions. However, …

In the old days, most people lived along canals and rivers. This was their lifeline as it was a means of communication and commerce with other districts. Although times have changed, it is still worthwhile taking boat trips along Thailand’s waterways to get a glimpse of life in times gone by. In Bangkok you can rent…

On Monday we attended the press conference for the launch of the “Transfer Passenger Tours” at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Yesterday I gave you a rundown of the first eight day tours for transit passengers . Here are the final seven tours. (9) Erawan Museum and Ancient City (four hours duration) - Erawan is the three-headed elephant and vehicle of the…

The following are some of the tours that you can join at Suvarnabhumi International Airport if you are a transit passenger and you have at least six hours to spend. (1) City and Temple Tour (4 hours duration) - A visit is made to Wat Traimit where you will be amazed to see the staggering 5 ton “Golden Buddha”…

For people who are in Bangkok and feel like trying out some water sports, then it is recommended that you check out Beung Tako, otherwise known as Lake Taco in Samut Prakan. It is very close to the Bang Na-Trad Highway and so it is…

In the modern age, the hypermarkets and corner convenience stores are quickly taking over from the older traditional markets in Thailand. Many of these markets have closed down. What is interesting to see now in Thailand is a re-emergence of old floating markets and canal side markets. Amphawa Floating Market is a good …

I was on my way to the floating market at Amphawa the other week when I came across this interesting temple. On the outside it was deserted and very undistinguishable from any other temple that I had been to in Thailand. I almost passed it by but then a coach load of Thai tourists pulled into the small parking lot. They left their coach in single file and were led …

Today marks the 115th anniversary of the State Railway of Thailand. Every year, on March 26th, they mark this anniversary by arranging a trip on a steam train to Ayutthaya. There are not many opportunities these days to experience a journey aboard carriages pulled by a steam locomotive. Many of these engines are fast disappearing on the scrap heap. Luckily in Thailand a…

One way to experience the traditional lifestyle of Thai farmers is at the Buffalo Village in Suphanburi. In Thai it is called “baan kwai”. Thai farmers, and their trusty companions, the buffalo, are considered the backbone of the country. Although buffaloes have been the butt of many jokes in classrooms across the country (to be called “buffalo” is the same as …

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 …

This is a plain soup that contains mung bean noodles (wun-sen) and pork. In Thai it is called “dtom jeut wun-sen moo sap”. In the ingredients below, you can see mung bean noodles, pork balls, chopped spring onion and chicken stock cube in the middle. The transparent noodles are usually sold in dried …

If you are sick and tired of the traffic and pollution of Bangkok, then you might want to consider heading down to Bang Pu Seaside Resort in Samut Prakan for a bit of bird watching and a sunset dinner. As you enjoy the fresh sea breeze at the end of a lazy afternoon you won’t…

This is a simple dish that can be cooked for vegetarians as well without the chicken. It is called “fuk toon ma-nao dong” or Wax Goud Soup with Pickled Lime. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see chicken, mushroom, wax gourd and pickled lime in the middle. You need to prepare the wax gourd by peeling and then cutting in half. Remove the …

There are quite a few floating markets around Bangkok these days. It is becoming more popular among the Thai general public. Most of the new ones I have been to recently are aimed at the domestic market. Wat Lampaya Floating Market in Nakhon Pathom Province is another classic example of this. When I…

After waiting nearly five years, the Royal Thai Mint have finally solved a problem that people were having with the two baht coin. This coin was first introduced back in 2005. It has an image of King Rama IX on one side and the Golden Mount on the other. The problem most people had was that it was only slightly bigger than the one baht coin. When you were …

Today we went back to Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi Province. I was there last year with Nong Grace (click here for pictures ) and as she liked it so much she kept asking me to go again. It is the school summer holidays in Thailand now so we thought we would drive down there today. The zoo is not well-known …

The annual Wai Khru ceremony at Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Chaisi district took place yesterday. For many foreigners this has become known as the Tattoo Festival. Thais from all over the country come to pay respect to their “teacher”, Luang Poh Pern, and also to have their magical tattoos recharged. I first went to this festival, held in March…

The dish today is called Dried Beef in coconut Milk, or “pat neua kati”. You are supposed to prepare the beef first by drying it with salt. Then roasting it until done. Next you are supposed to pound it to separate the fibres. As you can see from the picture of the ingredients below, we just used salted dried beef. Other ingredients…

When you are travelling around Thailand and you use guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, you should never make the mistake of using it as a bible. Just because the guidebook lists five temples for a city, it doesn’t mean that other temples are not worth visiting. Sometimes you can find hidden gems that turn out to be the highlight…