Thailand Stories

Twenty classic Citroen cars have just come to the end of their 100,000 km rally which took them from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Chiang Mai in Thailand. Their final stop, before returning home, was at Ancient Siam in Samut Prakan Province. (Richard Barrow/ Paknam.com ) More Thailand pictures can be

It is sometimes hit and miss when I go to local events to take pictures. Often I don’t know what to expect. I don’t go to everything as I am very busy. I usually skip the hand-shaking photo ops (well in Thailand it …

Prasat Preah Vihear is a Khmer temple at the top of a 525 meter high cliff on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. It is not easy to visit at the moment. In fact it is very dangerous as some of the land is in dispute even though, in 1962, the International Court of Justice gave…

For expats living in Thailand, 12th August every year is just another holiday. Even better when it comes close to a weekend like this year and they can go away on a holiday. However, for Thai people it is both the Queen’s Birthday and Mother’s Day. Holidays like this one are the …

Thai Muslim men offer prayers during a special evening ceremony called ‘Taraweeh’ at a mosque on the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat late on August 12, 2010. Muslims all over the world are supposed to go without food, drink, smoking and sex…

This is a review of what happened in Thailand during the last week based on topics that I tweeted. You can follow me live for latest news about Thailand @RichardBarrow . I have also started a new version of my Bangkok Dangerous Map as…

Some of the best guidebooks apps out there for the iPhone are produced by Travelfish . We have most of them on our iPhone and are looking forward to testing them in the field soon. The kind folks at Travelfish have given us some free apps to give away in a competition on our iPhone blog. We have one app…

In this photo taken Tuesday, June 29, 2010, Australian Karl Kraus, center, is escorted by Thai policemen after being arrested, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Kraus was arrested Tuesday and charged with raping and sexually abusing four underaged sisters, when one of them was as young as 5. (AP) More Thailand pictures

Some great news was announced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently regarding four locations inside Thailand being awarded Top Asian Beach Destinations by the website Tripadvisor. This is obviously great news and something to be proud of in reaching this achievement. However, I think the spin doctors over …

After walking around Silom and Saladaeng, taking pictures of Bangkok volunteers cleaning up their city, I then decided to walk up Ratchadamri Road towards Ratchaprasong. The BMA city workers were out in force today to help clear up the rubbish left behind after the Reds occupation of this road. It is a dangerous job as…

It was a year ago now that I first visited the tranquil little village of Baan Nam Khong and enjoyed gliding from tree to tree with the amazing Jungle Flight adventure. I got a chance to fly again last weekend and try …

Buddhist Monks receive offerings at the takbat ceremony on November 28, 2009 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. During the ceremony, held in Nimanhaemin Rd, approximately 10,000 Buddhist monks received offerings, including food, drink and money. (Getty Images) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com .

Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace laureate Jimmy Carter, left, and chairman of the board of Habitat for Humanity Thailand, Chainarong Monthienvichienchai, raise up a banner during the opening ceremony of the 26th annual Habitat for Humanity Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project at a hotel…

An injured “yellow shirt” protester is rushed to hospital after a grenade attack during a rally in Bangkok November 15, 2009. Thousands of Thais gathered in central Bangkok on Sunday to protest at remarks made about the monarchy by fugitive ex-Prime

As the fireworks and firecrackers are going on non-stop for the third day running, and the city is celebrating with the biggest and most colourful parade of the loy krathong festivities, I am at home listening from a safe distance. …

I moved to Chiang Mai the day before loy krathong four years ago – I always think of this holiday as my anniversary. Chiang Mai is famous for going way over the top with parades and holidays, loy krathong probably being second only to the week-…

There are dozens of hot springs around Chiang Mai, some are well-known and extensively developed like Sankamphaeng, others are only just more than small pools of water in the forest. Pong Dueat is on route 1095, one of the attractions we visited when we …

I had not been to Pai since my second Thailand holiday in 2002. It doesn’t really make a convenient weekend getaway if you rely on public transport or your two wheels. However, it was the perfect thing to do in my friend’s car. Riding up and down hills smoothly, speaking my mother tongue for the first time…

Hardly a week goes without someone sending me an email out of the blue via www.thai-blogs.com . Very often it’s just an old friend/acquaintance of mine whose found me blogs by chance, then occasionally an email concerning an old blog of mine. Rarely, however, do I get an email as touching as one received a few…

It is September again, and the neighbourhood kids are buzzing with excitement: they like to roam around in the fields and near the river collecting rhino beetles. These magnificent insects are claimed to be one of the strongest species in the world. Surprisingly, they use …