Chiang Rai - Flower Festival

Not to be out done by its bigger neighbor to the south, Chiang Mai, who has a flower festival every February, Chiang Rai has its own flower festival around New Year.

The park area in the city center is not large, but the flowers on display are truly impressive. There are plenty of photo ops.

Chonburi - Long Boat Racing

While the provincial capital has a large buffalo race festival,

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2010/10/chonburi-buffalo-racing.html

there is also a long boat race on Mabprachan Reservoir (covering both Nongprue and Pong municipalities) in November.

 The boats compete in two categories: 55 oarsmen or 30 oarsmen.

Run Betsy Run

The festival on the reservoir's shore is small, but there are activities for kids and also a buffalo race.

Chiang Rai - Wat Rong Khun

Wat Rong Khun is actually not a temple. Rather, it is an unconventional and privately owned art-exhibition built in the style of a temple. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat who designed the building details and who has funded most of the construction costs (by now well over USD 1 million).

The bridge of the cycle of rebirth leads to the gate of heaven. On the other side of the gate, you enter the ubosot

The "temple" opened to visitors in 1997, but has only become a major tourist attraction over the past 10 years. It is located around 5 kilometers south of Chiang Rai, so it is within easy reach for any visitor to the city.

Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the ubosot, but the entire back wall is taken up by a painting of a red demon with George Bush in one eye, and Osama Bin Laden in the other. Inside the mouth of the demon is a scene depicting the fall of the Twin Towers.
 
Pop culture references are found dotted throughout the demon’s mouth. They include the Kung Fu Panda, Michael Jackson, Neo from The Matrix, Freddie Krueger, Darth Vader, one of the Transformers, Hello Kitty, the Hulk, Batman, the Joker, Jigsaw from The Saw movies, Ultraman, Spiderman, Superman, a couple of Angry Birds, Harry Potter, and Jack Sparrow.

Confused? 
The pamphlet from the gift shop says the painting depicts “the killing of the innocence” by terrorism and fanaticism and that no heroes can save the world.

Rayong - Sunthorn Phu

On the road from Klaeng town to Laem Mae Phim (highway # 3145), there is a small park in honor of Sunthorn Phu.

Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855) is probably Thailand's most famous classical poet - Thai school children are told that he is the father of Thai literature and all Thais know at least the main story line in his canonical 30,000 lines Phra Aphai Mani poem that describe a fantastical world, where people of many races and religions live and interact together in harmony.

Poet on a hill

Although many think Sunthorn Phu was born in Rayong, he was actually born near present-day Bangkok Noi a mere four years after Bangkok (Rattanakosin Island) had become capital. Thonburi had had the honor for a brief period after the Burmese sacked Ayutthaya.

Sunthorn Phu became a famous poets in the early Rattanakosin era. His father was from Klaeng and Sunthorn Phu wrote a poem about his first trip (1807) to his father's home.

Mesmerizing Mermaid

Rayong promotes Sunthon Phu as a native of the province and has dotted the province with statues of Sunthon Phu and characters from his literature.

Chonburi - Wat Yannasangwararam

Wat Yannasangwararam Woramahaviharn is located in Huay Yai municipality, roughly 15 km south of Pattaya. Its location is more easy to pinpoint if you continue on Sukhumvit Road (Highway 3) to the Na Jomtien area where you then soon will find signs guiding you in the right direction.

Construction of the temple started in 1976 and the Royal Family have supported this temple since then. The Supreme Patriarch intended this temple be a place for practicing Dhamma and wanted a location relatively near Bangkok.

Inside the temple compound area, there are plenty of trees to provide shade and full facilities for visitors such as food, drinks and clean restrooms. There is also a museum explaining the basic Buddhist terms to laymen.  My favorite quote is: "You alone can change yourself". You cannot blame other people for your deeds - it is up to you to avoid committing sin by choosing the right path.

Prachuab Khiri Khan - Ban Krut

South of Bang Saphan - Chumphon in the distance

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2013/12/prachuab-khiri-khan-bang-saphan.html

Ban Krut is 65 km south of Prachuab's provincial capital. It is a great oasis for people loving deserted beaches albeit it gets busy on long weekends. The small town has a train station, but most visitors reach it by car. The town's main attraction - apart from beaches - is a big Buddha overlooking the town, but activities, such as building figures (rather than castles) in the sand are also arranged to keep visitors coming.

Angry Sand Birds

The Huay Yang National Park is nearby. It is named after a seven-tier waterfall, which also gets many visitors on long weekends. These are mostly locals going to cool off and play around. In the dry season, there is not much water to play around in.

Huay Yang Waterfall

The national park also have trekking trails and - reportedly - you can cross into Myanmar after 5-6 hours on foot depending on your stamina and agility.

To me, what is so attractive and interesting about Prachuab and Chumphon provinces is that there are long stretches of deserted and undeveloped beach. There are so many places where one can pull over, set up a hammock, lay down a mat, and have a picnic. Some of the beaches may appear untidy to people that are used to beaches being "combed" by resort owners. However, flotsam and other stuff left behind by high tides or storms are part of nature.

Beach Au Natural

Thai Flora

I am by no means an expert in flora, so I will not provide any guesses at what these flowers are called.

I simply snapped some photos on occasions where I saw pretty flowers.

This blog is merely intended to share this photos.

Sa Kaeo - Pang Sida

Pang Sida National Park is not famous and doesn't get that many visitors. It is a part of the quintet of national parks that laymen simply refer to a "Khao Yai" and borders to the north and west to Tublan National Park.

Where has all the water gone?

Pang Sida Waterfall is about 10 meters tall, but it is without water flow during the dry season. Nearby is one of a handful of locations where butterflies gather by the hundreds if not thousands. Another such location is the viewpoint reached after 25 km on gravel road.

The view to be had is over the Samong River Valley, which is between 5-8 km wide, up to 500 meters "deep" and its many creeks feeds over 250 million cubic meters of water annually into the Prachinburi River.

To me, the trip to get to the viewpoint was much more interesting than the view. At the entrance to the park, the park ranger joked that I should watch out for the wild elephants. There was, however, some truth to that warning. Wild elephants had left many signs behind that they had rummaged around, but fortunately, they apparently mostly do that in the night or morning, so I didn't actually see any wild elephants. Nor did I see any gaurs. But I did see many wild boars, some pheasants, and a deer of some sort.

The road was not a challenge by any stretch of the imagination - no need for 4WD - but I did encounter some road signs that made me smile.

Somebody should bring this insubordinate road to order

Everybody needs a rest from time to time

However funny the wording in English is, the meaning did come across to me: Slow down. And the picture below shows what the signs were meant to convey.

Well, the road does look worn out

Please also note that freshwater crocodiles were "discovered" in 1991 at Huay Nam Yen Stream near the south-west corner of the park. As it apparently is the last place in Thailand freshwater crocodiles live in the wild, it is an interesting side tour to visit that site.

Nakhon Phanom - Temples

Wat Okat at Night

There are several beautiful and important temples located in Nakhon Phanom city. At night, they are lit to show their best side and it makes a stroll along the Mekong River interesting. I have chosen Wat Okat as an example of the night time splendor.

The building to the right houses two images carved in wood. According to legend, these two imaged, called Phra Tiu and Phra Thiam, floated across the river roughly 1,000 years ago. These images are very sacred and seen here with very colorful murals on the walls.

I mentioned Wat Phra That Phanom in an earlier blog

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2011/06/nakhon-phanom-once-upon-time-2.html

Chedi at Wat Phra That Phanon

It is located south of the provincial capital and is probably the most important Buddhist temple in eastern Isan. The 57 meter tall chedi is iconic and presumably contains a piece of the Lord Buddha's chest bone. A large festival to celebrate the temple starts the 10th day of the third lunar month and lasts for a week. This is normally in February, so in about two weeks' time, an estimated 10,000 people will make pilgrimage to the temple.

Rayong Beach Life

Rayong's beaches are an easy drive away from Bangkok. They are less crowded than Cha Am, Hua Hin, Bang Saen, and Jomtien and some beaches are of superb quality. I prefer those in Klaeng, especially the one just before one reaches the Laem Mae Phim beach, but you should do your own exploring.

Take a Stroll

Chonburi - Sri Racha

Sri Racha is an old fishing village and center for seaborne transport that has grown big. Off the coast is Koh Si Chang. That island provides natural shelter for ships and has for centuries been a stopping point for vessels going to or coming from Bangkok. Even before that, the shelter provided by the island also allowed transshipments to take place - cargoes were moved from large oceangoing vessels to barges that went up to Ayutthaya. Sri Racha therefore became the home to customs house and immigration authorities to handle the interaction with foreign merchant vessels.

Chinese Buddha?

Wat Ko Loi is located on a small island connected with the mainland by a 1.5 km long causeway. The temple mixes Thai style Buddha statues with Chinese religious icons. It is the center for many festivals during the year, including Loy Krathong. On the island, there are also concrete ponds with large turtles and it may bring you good luck to feed them.

Ang Sila is located north of Sri Racha, just south of Chonburi city. It is another old fishing village that has become a popular tourist destination. It is not amazing beaches that attract people, but a reputation for amazing seafood.

Bay at Ang Sila

Rayong - Ko Kloi Market

There are many fake "floating markets" in Thailand. The one in Rayong is the one with the least hassles. It is a relaxed place without annoying crowds. This may be because it is located out of sight behind a PTT gas station on Route 36 (roughly opposite Big C on Rayong ring road) near the Ko Kloi intersection.

Ko Kloi Market as the sun sets

The market opened in 2010 and its theme seems to be "Thailand as it once was". The wooden houses encircling a pond are in old traditional style and so are many of the decorations. Shops and restaurants offer traditional Thai food (and modern coffee) served with "ancient flavor", e.g. in bowls made from coconut shells.

Scattered around are resting spots made up by rows of chairs from movie theaters 40-50 years ago. The atmosphere is very relaxed and family-friendly. Ko Kloi Market can definitely be recommended for Bangkokians stopping over on their way to / from Trat or Chantaburi. It is also a very nice destination for a dinner outside the rainy season.

More information can be found here:

http://taladkokloi.com/home.php

Chonburi - New Year at Wat Song Metta

When entering a new year, this is most often something people celebrate. However, many people take the opportunity to ponder the year that has passed and look ahead at what the new year may bring. Apart from the widespread tradition of making somewhat superficial resolutions for the new year, some people take a more serious approach. They choose to enter a new year while praying at a temple.

People are gathering

Wat Song Metta Wanaram is on a hill overlooking Ban Bang Saray (or Sa-Re) near Sattahip. New Year's Eve it will fill up with people chanting and praying for hours led by the monks of the temple.

Find yourself a place and a white cotton thread

If you are a believer, or maybe just want to try anything to secure some good fortune, then join us tomorrow evening. Or listen in on the internet radio broadcast.

http://www.watsongmetta.com/

Happy New Year

Chonburi - Pattaya Sheep Farm

In Thailand, the trend of making cute animals available for town folks to pet probably started near Suan Pheung in Ratchaburi with the upscale Swiss Valley Hip Resort roughly 10 years ago. Since then, the concept was copied but simplified into petting zoos that catered to people's desire to snap cute photos.

Air craft and wind mill - where are the sheep?

Such venues are in Thailand often called "sheep farms" and at first they spread across Ratchaburi, then started to pop up in Khao Kho, and they are now found all across Thailand.

Sheep galore

There are two sheep farms near Pattaya - actually, in Bang Lamung and in Na Jomtien.

Car rental that I can afford, but I need somebody to push me.

The one in Bang Lamung is the biggest one and if you are young at heart, it can be quite fun to spend an hour there.You can pad and feed sheep, donkeys, ponies, pigs, ducks, geese, and chickens as well as take a boat load of cute photos. Much more fun than the cluster of fake European houses south of Pattaya:

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2013/08/chonburi-mimosa-city-of-fakes.html

Chonburi - Pattaya: City of Culture

Every year in December, Pattaya City sponsors a merit making ceremony early a Saturday morning. Last year, 2,600 monks were bused in. 

At his speech, and I am paraphrasing, the mayor of Pattaya said the ceremony was partly intended to show that Pattaya is not only a city of sin. However, I am pretty sure that this ceremony – starting at sunrise – escapes the attention of nearly all tourists and of the Thais engaged in the many shades of sinful activity that goes on all around Pattaya.

After the speeches, the monks circulated to allow worshipers to pay their respects and get their prayers answered. Considering that the Lord Buddha taught that the way to salvation is to free oneself from temptations and unholy matters such as money, it was an interesting aspect of the ceremony that 60% of the MC’s calls for prayer were for riches.

Surat Thani - Koh Phangan

I had vowed not to return to Koh Phangan as the island surely would be different than when I first visited. That was back in the days before Full Moon Party was invented, when no road connect Had Rin to the rest of the island, when there was no electricity and no swimming pools. But I had a business appointment on the island, so I decided to combine it with some R&R.

Had Rin Nai

Had Rin Nai is still a very nice beach, but Had Rin Nok is not that great. And the area behind it is now packed with structures put up with no prior planning making roads and alleys a maze. Many structures are shoddy constructions intended to house party revelers in bunk beds. Delicious food is not to be had as bars and sellers of buckets (with alcohol of questionable origins) outnumber restaurants on Had Rin Nok. The service staff are mostly from Myanmar and have little training, which can result in interesting combinations being served. For example, I was given chopsticks as utensils for a plate of Italian pasta.

That being said, Koh Phangan has many beaches apart from Had Rin. A drive along the coast from Thong Sala to Ban Chalok Lam will take you past several nice bays, which I would prefer over Had Rin, but none of them can be said to be deserted. I went to see Ban Chalok Lam because when I first visited, that bay was used as a graveyard for fishing vessels. When fishing vessels were retired from service, they were pulled up on the beach and cannibalized for parts.

Thong Nai Pan Beach

Ban Thong Nai Pan used to be hard to reach, but the road has now been upgraded - when I first visited, it could only be reached on horseback.

They worked when we bought them - why check if they still work?

On the ferry back to the mainland, I noticed that safety concerns are not high on the list of the ferry company's priorities.

Surat Thani - Chaiya (2)

I already mentioned Wat Praborommathatchaiyaratchaworawiham in an earlier blog and this is definitely a destination worth going to again.

http://tinamue.blogspot.com/2011/10/surat-thani-chaiya.html

This time, however, I took the time to explore some hot springs in Chaiya. Only a few kilometers away from Wat Praborommathatchaiyaratchaworawiham -- down the small road that also passes the ruins of an ancient stupa --  is a small but steep hill with a couple of small caves. The hill is also the source of a hot spring. Since times as ancient as Wat Praborommathatchaiyaratchaworawiham, the hot spring was used to feed two pools. According to signs at the site, it was people of Indian origin who brought with the a tradition for hot baths as part of religious rites. The two caves also became "holy".

Hot but not enticing

Since these hot ponds turned out to be useless, I sought the advice from my GPS. It informed me that there were another hot spring relatively nearby. This hot spring -- about 4 km outside of town -- was much more difficult to find, partly because of a lack of signage, but primarily because my GPS indicated I should take a road that did not exist.

Hot mineral water

I eventually ventured along a gravel road that lead to a temple on the top of a hill. Just at the foot of the hill, a couple of ponds had been constructed from concrete. But, again, the area and the facilities appeared deserted and unused. The mineral water overflow from the concrete ponds discolored the rocks as it made its way down hill for form a small lake. The rocks looked to my untrained eye somewhat like lava, but was in Thai named Lan Lonk Prachan.