Chaiyaphum - Stonehenge of Thailand

Mor Hin Khao is a number of large rocks in strange and rare shapes similar to mushrooms, boats, elephants, turtles and chedis scattered on a plateau. Moreover, there are five large stone columns standing in a line thus earning the place the nickname "Stonehenge of Thailand". The five stone columns, Grun Sao Hin, rise to heights of as much as 15 meters.

Mor Hin Khow is the most popular part of Phu Laenkha National Park, but the signs giving directions to visitors are few and infrequent. Just as you think you've missed a turn-off, a new sign appears.

Khamphaengphet - a hidden jewel

I must admit that I was positively surprised by Khamphangphet.

All these years, I have been rushing through - or rather, around – the city. But after spending a joyful and relaxed weekend there, I can say it is a place to visit again. The roads along the river are small but not crowded and one can take leisurely walks along the shop houses, stop in small public parks, visit the local market, and take a rest on a small island in the river.

The Scenic Riverside Resort - which I chose from my GPS simply based on its name – turned out to be very neat, fairly priced, and family-run as I like my accommodations to be. The owner’s personal touch was clearly seen in the theme of the bungalows as well as in the interior design accessories. I felt like entering into a teenage girl’s room as the bungalow was cram-packed with stuffed animals and other cute stuff.

In any case, it was a good base for exploring the town and furthermore located in close proximity to the ruins from the town’s grand past. Khamphangphet was a religious center and had an important strategic location (both in terms of military and trade) during the Sukhothai and Aytthaya periods. The ruins are well preserved and the museum exhibition informative. If one is interested in history or simply likes to stroll around and enjoy fresh air under the shade of trees, then a visit to Khamphangphet’s Historical Park (ancient city area) is highly recommended.

Nakhon Nayok - Waterfalls

Nakhon Nayok is a major weekend destination for Bangkokian nature lovers. The province has several waterfalls to visit and plenty of resorts scattered around lush hill sides. Some of the national parks that commonly but incorrectly are referred to by Bangkokians as “Khao Yai” protrude into the northern parts of Nakhon Nayok.

One of the famous waterfalls is Nangrong. It is not a tall or otherwise impressive waterfall, but it is a  very popular destination. It is so, probably because it offers plenty of opportunity for people to settle down for picnic and splash around in the river.

 Another famous waterfall is Sarika, which is located inside a national park. It is a tall waterfall with water flowing in a narrow rapid stream. There are a few places for visitors to splash around, but yet it is a relatively popular destination. The reason why it is famous / popular is probably that the waterfall has an impressive nine levels that combined make a drop of 200 meters from top to bottom.

Near Nangrong, a small detour can take you to the Khlong Tha Dan Dam, which is also referred to as Khun Dan Prakan Chon Dam It is not an especially high or imposing dam, but it is reportedly the largest dam in Thailand based on the number of cubic meters of cement (actually, compacted concrete) used to build the dam.

From the top of the dam, you can take in the view of the valley below and all the way into town. The reservoir behind the dam is woefully underutilized – no boat trips are on offer and no kayaks can be rented. One reason may be that the dam is relatively new (2005) and the tourism industry has not yet put boat trips on the agenda for tours to Nakhon Nayok. 

Yasothon Rocket Festival Bun Bang Fai

Bang Fai is not a military exercise but rather a local version of rain dance. The origin of the festival predates Buddha and it is held annually in Laos and in some parts of northeastern Thailand. The general idea was to shoot rockets up in the sky to wake up the rain god (Phaya Thaen) and kick-start the rainy season to bring much-needed water to the rice fields just as the rice planting starts. Later. Buddhist merit-making was added (Bun) thus making the festival "relevant" even as the religious base of the agrarian society changed away from its animist origin.

In Thailand, the biggest rocket firing takes place in Yasothon every second weekend in May. The festival starts Friday evening with concerts of "mor lam sing", the local folk singing. The city's main road is blocked for traffic and about a dozen stages are built to host the shows – music, raunchy skits, comedy, and traditional dance all at maximum decibel and plenty of alcohol.

Saturday, the main street is taken over by parades with floats and dancers that start / end in temples. 

Then Sunday, it is time for the rockets to be fired. Apart from the serious business of rain-making, there is a competition to be the local rocket champ. The team whose rocket goes the highest is declared the winner. Points are also given for beauty of the vapor trail.

For any team whose rocket doesn’t get off the launch pad, it’s tradition that other teams or spectators dump them in the mud.

At Yasothon, the competition rockets come in three sizes, Meun (10,000), Saen (100,000), and Lan (1,000,000), but this year, there were no lan rockets.

Bang Fai Lan are nine metres long and charged with 120 kg of black powder. These may reach altitudes reckoned in kilometers, and travel dozens of kilometers down range (they can go in any direction) while Saen merely disappear into the clouds. Many rockets have parachutes, but most fall where they may.

For more details on the history behind Bun Bang Fai, check out

http://bun-bangfai.blogspot.com/2009/05/rocket-festival-in-transition.html

Ayutthaya - Bang Pa In Palace

This royal palace is located a bit more than an hour’s drive north of Bangkok. Although the history of the palace stretches back to the 1600s, the buildings that can be seen today were mostly constructed during the period 1872-1889 under the reign of King Chulalongkorn.

Most famous (and most photogenic) is probably the Aisawan-Dhipaya-Asana Pavilion, which is located in a large pond in the so-called outer palace area. It is a copy of a pavilion in the Grand Palace in Bangkok and a great representation of traditional Thai architectural style.

In the inner palace, the Uthayan Phumisathian Residential Hall clearly resembles a Swiss chalet and the (smaller) buildings for the ladies of court are also in Western architectural style. However, Wehart Chamrun Royal Residence (a grand mansion) and Ho Withun Thasana (an observatory tower from where the picture is taken) are in Chinese architectural style.

However, apart from seeing the multitude of architectural styles, I mostly enjoy strolling around the lush gardens.

Rachaburi - Khao Krajom

Khao Krajom as most road-signs say (or is it Khao Khrachom as some signs say?) is a mountain top near the border to Myanmar. It is located in Suan Pheung district in Ratchaburi. One the summit, there are camping sites, basic facilities, good views, and a quiet calm as one truly feels far away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

To reach the peak at over 1,000 meters above sea level is a challenge many Thai 4WD enthusiasts take on with gusto. During the dry season, it is not much of a challenge. However, the use of 4WD is a must as one needs to secure grip on a “loose” surface.

The road from “civilization” to the peak is roughly 8 kilometers, which during the dry season can covered in around 30 minutes. During the rainy season, it takes 40-50 minutes. The first half of the 8 km is paved. During the dry season, the second half gets bumpy and dusty, but is not particularly challenging except for 2-3 spots that require a bit “extra”.

One spot is a river crossing where people have to overcome mental blocks they may have that prevent them from driving through water. Water depth is unknown and potholes or obstacles can be hidden in the muddy water. I took the optimistic perspective that plenty of other vehicles had crossed before me. So, although alone in the wilderness at the time, I assumed that if those vehicles could cross, so could my vehicle.

To prove it could be done, I crossed back and forth six times. Despite water reaching ten inches up my doors, thus submerging my exhaust pipe in water for over a minute, the engine didn’t stall and no water entered the cabin. However, each time on the way back across the river, the tires would lose grip on the slippery pebbles on the river bed. Each time this happened, it sent some “what-if” thoughts racing through my mind.

The other trouble spots were some steep ascents – most notably the last 300 meters to the peak – where lose rocks and/or soft sand on top of a hard lateritic road surface made wheel spin inevitable. The only way to overcome this was to use the 4WD low range and climb slowly but methodically.

Except for these steep ascents, the rest of the road can be handled in 4WD high range by powering through in second gear and controlling wheel spins on sandy surfaces as / when they happen. Or one can make the journey at a more leisurely pace to potentially sight some wildlife – all I saw was some pheasant hens and a long dark grey snake crossing the road.

I look forward to trying to reach Khao Krajom during the rainy season where to road surface will be slippery due to mud.

Ratchaburi - Huai Khok Mu Viewpoint

Huai Khok Mu is one of thousands of peaks along the Tenasserim Mountain Ridge. With a height of 867 meters, it offers good views of the valleys below.

Due to its close proximity to the Thai-Myanmar border (Mergui is not far away), the Border Patrol Police has a small base at Huai Khok Mu. However, it is not an area of military tension, so there are camping sites (but no bungalows or electricity supply) for people who want to spend the night.

The road to reach the top is a rough dirt road, but 4WD is not mandatory in the dry season. However, at a few locations, there is loose sand on top hard laterite, which can result in slides if one does not know what to do or what to expect.