Thailand Stories

Safari World and Marine Park This is the continuation of my Bangkok Day Trips for Kids . Probably the most popular open zoo and theme park close to Bangkok is Safari World and Marine Park on the northern outskirts of Bangkok. I have taken Nong Grace here twice and she…

I have already started to receive letters asking about the political situation in Bangkok. The questions often go like this: “I’m coming to Thailand on holiday in a few weeks. Will there be any problems with the rallies?” As always, questions like these are very difficult to answer. I …

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 …

The nearest stretch of seaside to Bangkok is probably Bang Pu Seaside Resort (สถานตากอากาศบางปู) in Samut Prakan. Don’t go there expecting beaches as it is only mudflats and mangroves. However, in Bang Pu they have a pier where hundreds of local people go to enjoy the cool evening breeze…

To be honest, before last year I had never heard of QBar. It is apparently Bangkok’s leading bar and nightclub for the rich and famous. In my defence, I live out in the sticks in Samut Prakan so this bar never stood out from the rest for me. That is, until …

When I first started teaching at Sriwittayapaknam School nearly 17years ago, I used to do penpal projects between my Thai students and students in other countries such as America, England and Australia. It was great fun for all the students involved as they got to communicate with people on the other …

The Chinese people of Samrong in Samut Prakan Province believe that their God Jao Por Tap will help them get rich. Behind Imperial World, on the old Paknam Railway Road, they have built a large Chinese shrine dedicated to this God. Every year during January, they hold a parade through town which is attended by literally thousands of…

Happy New Year 2011! I hope everyone had fun celebrating last night and managed to get safely back home. This time of year is really dangerous on the roads and I prefer to stay at home rather than travel to other provinces. Too many drunk drivers out there. However, the big exodus from …

Thais hand dried food to line of Buddhist monks during the morning alms offering while making New Year merit Sunday, Jan. 1, 2011 in Samut Prakan, Thailand. (Richard Barrow/ThaiPhotoBlogs.com) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com .

Today, people from all around the country are coming together to celebrate the 83rd birthday of H.M. The King. Many of them are wearing pink which is an auspicious colour believed to help make the King better. The Thai monarch has been in Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok for over a year now. Several thousand well-wishers …

Early this morning, thousands of people all over Thailand made merit on the occasion of HM The King’s 83rd Birthday. In Samut Prakan we also had a merit making ceremony at the provincial hall starting at 6:45 am. About 100 monks were invited to receive alms from local government officials …

These pictures were taken at Sriwittayapaknam School in Samut Prakan. The students were taking part in a competition for Thai Manners. In this first set of pictures, the students are demonstrating the proper way to show repsect to a Buddha image. This is done in three stages. In…

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-serving monarch, takes a boat trip to preside over the official opening of the royally initiated projects Bhumibol 1 and Bhumibol 2 bridges and the sluice gate on a canal in Bangkok November 24, 2010. The 82-year-old king occasionally appears in public since his hospitalisation in September 2009 for fatigue…

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-serving monarch, takes a boat trip to preside over the official opening of the royally initiated projects Bhumibol 1 and Bhumibol 2 bridges and the sluice gate on a canal in Bangkok November 24, 2010. The 82-year-old king occasionally appears in public since his hospitalisation in September 2009 for fatigue and lung …

When I first moved to Samut Prakan about 16 years there wasn’t really much of a choice for shopping malls. If I wanted to watch an American movie or buy some English language books I had to go into Bangkok. My only local mall was Imperial World in Samrong which…

The official “Amazing Thailand” application is powered by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). It provides travel guide such as: Destination Guide, Event & Festival, Shopping, Thai Food, About Thailand, etc. I’m starting to lose track now of the number of …

Local people from Phra Samut Chedi District in Samut Prakan take part in a candlelight procession (wien tien) around the chedi. People from Samut Prakan are now celebrating their annual Phra Samut Chedi Temple Fair that has been going on for nearly two hundred years. The fair ends on Sunday 8th November 2010. (Richard Barrow/Paknam.com) More Thailand pictures …

On the fourth day of the big Temple Fair in Samut Prakan, they always hold boat races on the Chao Phraya River in front of Phra Samut Chedi. They also hold other activities and competitions for the local people. This is a competition for thatching using leaves from the nipa palm tree. This…

During October in Thailand, when the rivers and waterways are high at the end of the rainy season, many provinces put on boat racing events. I have already been to several this month. On Sunday morning I travelled to Wat Bang Phli Noi in Samut Prakan to watch their boat racing. Unlike the …

Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul (center) took part in a ceremony at Phra Samut Chedi in Samut Prakan today to worship the red cloth. This is wrapped around the stupa every year to mark the start of the twelve day long temple fair. In the picture, the Interior Minister is leading a procession …