Thailand Stories

After all the stress of red shirt protests over the last month, I was happy to get an invitation from the Tourism Authority of Thailand to join them on a 3 day trip to Trang and Satun in the South of …

At about 2 p.m. this afternoon, I left the main red shirt stage at Ratchaprasong Intersection and headed East towards Chitlom. I had heard that riot police were gathering there. By this time, the red shirts had already started to use trucks to block the six lane road. This is the scene that…

These are a couple of pictures that I took in the area behind the red shirt stage where the leaders hang out.  Here is a picture of their good luck shrine with a few Buddha images. Take note of the…

The red shirt protests have been going on in Bangkok for 4-5 days now. Countless thousands of protesters have been camped out along the Royal Avenue. The news hasn’t received that much attention yet in the international press, mainly because there hasn’t been any violence. …

One of the most important events in the Thai Buddhist calendar is Makha Bucha Day (sometimes spelled Magha Puja). It takes place on the full moon day of the third lunar month which is usually late February or early March. This year it was today, 28th February 2010. Like many Thai people, I was up early this morning before …

Title: Gong Pan Kreuk-Kreun Tor Ta-Haan Keuk-Kak Director: Note Chernyim Starring: Buddha Bless, Warapat Petchsatit, Note Chernyim Website: http://www.phranakornfilm.com Release Date in Thailand: 25 February 2010 Jiwon, a young man is enlisted into the army where he meets his new and strange friends, especially Yuri, the girl that he has a crush on. Jiwon …

Thai newly wed scuba divers, groom Narongchon Chomsa (L) and his new bride, Somying Chomsa show their marriage license during an underwater wedding ceremony, in Trang province, south of Bangkok. (Reuters) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com .

(Would be extremely difficult to get these two mixed up – but Mrs Clampton did) Due to the positive feedback from the last blog “The Legendary Edith Clampton (Mrs)” , I think it’s only fair to write up a part 2 and include some of the readers’ responses – some of which are in concern to Edith’s complaints in the …

Whenever we have new foreign teachers at the school, I always take them out to a restaurant as part of their orientation. This is partly to introduce them to my favourite Thai food on a menu. But, I also want to point out to them some of the finer points …

The rainy season has already come to an end. There has been no rain the last two weeks in Samut Prakan. However, this was the view this morning in Paknam. This is not rain water. This is sea water that swamps the city during the daily high tides during November every year. The Chao Phraya River is at…

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…

(The following is a brief Thai> English translation from various local news sources) At 10 in the morning of 24 September, Mr Sanan, administrative chief of Phatthalung province was in charge of perhaps the first ever televised wedding between endangered Sakai people. The Sakai…

One of the best books about Buddhism in Thailand is undoubtedly “Phra Farang: An English Monk in Thailand” by Phra Peter Pannapadipo. Even if you are not interested in becoming a monk yourself, his vivid description of his ten years as a…

In an old guidebook to Bangkok, dating back about 150 years, the writer mentioned a “Red House” on the East bank of the Chao Phraya River exactly 2.3 miles south of Paknam. I have read quite a few contemporary accounts by travellers from the 19th Century that described their…

Transfer passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport will now be able to choose between a range of tours if they have at least six hours to spare before they need to catch their next plane. Paknam Web was invited over to the airport this morning…

For about a year or so now, they have been constructing a bridge over Sukhumwit Road in Bang Pu District of Samut Prakan. When they first started I thought it was a bit strange. As it is a bit like a bridge …

When I first travelled through Asia I remember thinking that it was lucky that I spoke English as my first language. I noticed that English was being used as the way to communicate between backpackers of different nations. For example, a German would speak to a Frenchman in …

Title: Mor 3 Bpee 4 Rao Rak Naai Director: Haeman Chatemee Starring: Sarocha Tanjararak, Kanin Bhatia, Suppasit Chinwinijkul Official website: www.mor3pee4themovie.com Release Date in Thailand: 30 April 2009 It all started with MSN. Four teenagers making friends online, they yet haven’t met, but are bound to come across each other …

People often envy me when they find out I live in Thailand. However, once you wake up, it is not only azure waters and blooming orchids. Work is work – hard work. Nevertheless, I have settled into a comfortable routine, and day-to-day life is nice and predictable. But I need to be careful, too. The smiling faces fade…

Title: Rahtree Reborn (Buppha Rahtree 3.1) Director: Yuthlert Sippapak Starring: Chermarn Boonyasak, Mario Maurer, Somlek Sakdikul Official website: http://www.buppha3.com/ Release Date in Thailand: 9 April 2009 Surrounded by tranquility of the apartment, a horrible spirit in the room 609 is lurking, and going to be awaken. This time the terrors are triplex. It is time for Oscar apartment to…