Look Like Thailand.

Mu Ko Similan

2006-03-17T23:48:00.000-08:00

Similan Archipelago National Park (Mu Ko Similan)
The park offers extraordinary underwater sightseeing at depths ranging from two to 30 m and it also embraces powdery sand beaches, huge, smooth granite rock formations which plunge into the sea and form seamounts, rock reefs and dive-troughs.

Similan Archipelago National Park consists of a group of 9 petite islands and covers an area of about 130 square kilometers or 80,000 rai. Situated 50 km off the west coast of Phangnga amidst the Andaman Sea, it was designated as a national park on September 1, 1982.

Sometimes, Ko Similan is referred as Ko Kao, or Nine Islands as the nine of them also has the number as a nickname. Actually, similan is corrupted from the Malay word "sembilan" for nine. From the north to the south, the archipelago comprises Ko Bon, Ko Ba Ngu, Ko Similan, Ko Payu, Ko Miang (actually two islands), Ko Payan, Ko Payang, Ko Ku Yong. They are just petite islands and most of them are uninhabited except for park officials and occasional tourist groups.

Mu Ko Similan has been appraised by Skin-Diving Magazine of the USA as among ten loveliest places in the world. The Similans are also regarded as mainly deep water diving. Their reputation is deserved because of the great beauty of nature discovered on the islands and extensive surrounding coral gardens underwater. The islands are undeveloped and unspoiled. A considerable variety of species of fish, crustaceans, and other marine life flourish. The water in the area is as clear as a glass and excellent for diving.

Aside from the beautiful natural setting, thirty-two species of birds including resident birds: the Brahminy kite as well as white-breasted waterhen and migratory species of the pintail snipe, gray wagtail, cattle egret, watercock and the roseate tern are to be found on the nine islands. Some of the beautiful islands include:

Similan Island: The largest island among Similan archipelago has the largest granite outcrop shaped like a horseshoe in the north. One can reach the top to see an extensive panorama of the sea. Ko Similan is excellent location for hiking and snorkeling. It encompasses a long curving bay with powdery sandy beaches and wonderful underwater scenery. The water is shallow and beneath the waters coral reefs and colorful fishes abound. Spiny lobsters in rock crevices and sea fans and plume worms can be found in a small bay on the west.

Miang Island: Miang Island is the second largest island of the archipelago; actually, it is two islands connected. The park office and guesthouses of the Similan Marine National Park are located on the island. Ko Miang is eminent for its beautiful beaches and colorful coral gardens. Scuba gear is not necessary as Ko Miang is perfect for snorkeling and the best location is at the channel between Ko Miang and Ko Payu.

Ba Ngu or Hua Ka Lok Island: The seventh island in the Mu Ko Similan chain is a rocky island with a strange feature of a skull shape. It is famous for its incredible underwater scenery with colorful fishes, grass and coral reefs. In association with the youngest princess of the present monarch and the Thai navy, an extra effort at environmental protection is made here, and a sea turtle preserve is operated on the island. Ko Ba Ngu is a place where you can see turtles laying their eggs on the white sandy beach.

Hu Yong Island: Ko Hu Yong is notable for having the longest white sandy beach in Similan Archipelago. Sea turtles come up to lay their eggs on the beach from November to February.Exactly the same as elsewhere in the Andaman Sea, it is recommended to visit during December to May as the weather is good and the sea is clearest. To get to the park, one can take a boat trip from the pier in Tambon Thap Lamu, Amphoe Takua Pa or from the pier in Amphoe Khura Buri. The trip takes about three hours. Or one can take a boat trip from a pier in Amphoe Kuraburi which also takes about three hours to get to the archipelago.

Basic accommodations are available at the National Park Office on Miang Island and can be reserved at the National Park Division, Forestry Department, Tel +66 2 579 0529, 579 4842 or Mu Ko Similan National Park office Tel +66 76 411913 to 4.

Koh Samui

2006-03-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

The history of Koh Samui is much shorter. There are old Wats in the island, but not much of a written history. On the south part of the island is a house over 150 years old. Certainly the lush tropical jungle and protected bays have attracted fishermen throughout history. The fresh water and beautiful beaches were a refuge from the sea and small villages were established.

Today there are a number of fisherman villages on Koh Samui, the largest and most notable is in Hua Thanon. In the 1960s back-packers looking for new and isolated places to explore discovered Koh Samui. Those early visitors told their friends. They returned again and again to this island paradise.

The history of Koh Samui is being made today. The Ring Road has recently been widened. Many of the smaller roads have been improved. The road construction continues. The complexions of the beaches are changing. There are new and modern lodging facilities on Chaweng Beach, where bungalows once stood. The ever popular secluded resorts are still very much a part of Koh Samui.

Place on Koh Samui

The Big Buddha
Samui's most popular attraction, The Big Buddha sitting 15 meters tall was built in 1972 by the local society to give visitors a place to pay respect to The Lord Buddha. This monumental landmark is placed on the island's Northern shore.

Namuang Waterfall
Na Muang Waterfall is located 10 km south from Nathon at Ban Thurian. There are 2 waterfalls. Na Muang one is 18 meter high and can be reached by vehicle.Na Muang two is about 80 meters high and can only be reached by a 30 minute walk. The waterfalls are the most scenic on the island.

Hin Ta - Hin Ya
Strangely shaped rocks at south Lamai. A local story tells of an old couple whose ship was wrecked in the bay. Their body's were washed ashore to create the rocks.

Sawadee Shrine
The Brahma of Sawadee is an important being..a central image for reverence and faith.The number of visitors is rising every day because people have faith in His greatness extending out kindness and mercifulness and thus creating happiness and peacefulness to to those coming to pay Him respect. (located at the IT Complex, Lamai)

Hin Lad Waterfall
Hin Lad Waterfall is located 2 km south of Nathon Town.He can be reached by a 3-4 kilometer walk down a country foot walk. In evergreen, rain forest setting with palms and creepers, the waterfall have several levels with a cool pool for a fresh water swim.

Magic Buddha Garden
The magic Buddha garden is hidden in the hills of Samui. You can see several statues, temples and waterfalls which are build by one man in the last 20 years.

Ancient House
A house made of teakwood without any nails at Ban Thale is the oldest house on the island. It was built approximately 150 years ago, is constructed of teak planks and shows off many beautiful woodcarvings.

Butterfly Garden
Na Tian Butterfly Garden is situated at the bottom of the hill south of the island. Apart from the numerous species of butterflies on display, there are also other interesting features in the garden: The bee house, a Thai style house which allows the visitor to observe the activities of bees. The insect museum, rare insects from Thailand and other countries are displayed here.

Snake Farm
A definite must see for all those visiting the island. Shows featuring snakes indigenous to Samui as well as Centipede, Scorpion and Cock Fighting shows. Informative and entertaining. Great for the entire family and worth looking for. Follow the signs seen throughout the island. Show times are 11.00 and 14.00 everyday.

Scuba Diving
Diving, snorkeling, fishing. There are many scuba diving schools located around Samui, offering a wide range of dive facilities. There are also tours available for snorkeling, fishing and excursions. The area of Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Koh Phangan and Angthong Marine National Park are very famous dive places.

Samui nightlife
Bars, cabarets shows and discos are mainly in Chaweng and Lamai located. Green Mango, Raggae Pub, Full Circle and Bauhaus are the main discotheques, some open until sunrise.

Dining and restaurants.
The Seafood is well known in Samui. Restaurant around the island offer Thai-, European-food and other specialties. You should also try the large range of tropical fruits and a fresh coconut.

Map Koh Samui

kho Samui Weather

Rainy Season
Koh Samui is a tropical island. Inland parts of the island are a dense tropical forest, expect some rain at anytime in any month on Koh Samui. The time of heavier and more consistent rain is October through to mid December.

Dry Season
When the rains stop and the plants grow wild and beautiful is the Dry Season, or as the Thais call it, winter. Winter on Koh Samui is usually 30C / 85F and sunny. This season is typically mid December through March.

Hot Season
When the ground has dried from a lack of rain and sand dusts the road, the Hot Season has started. The over-head tropical sun is brighter and hotter than usual. Many tropical fruits ripen during this season. This season starts in April and lasts until the cooling rain, which begins in September / October.

Phuket Island

2006-03-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

Phuket Island

Phuket Island has a long recorded history, and remains dating back to A.D. 1025 indicate that the island's present day name derives in meaning from the Tamil manikram, or crystal mountain. For most of history, however, it was known as Junk Ceylon, which, with variations, is the name found on old maps.

The name is thought to have its roots in Ptolemy's Geographia, written by the Alexandrian geographer in the Third Century A.D. He mentioned that in making a trip from Suwannapum to the Malay Peninsula it was necessary to pass the cape of Jang Si Lang.

Phuket was a way station on the route between India and China where seafarers stopped to shelter. The island appears to have been part of the Shivite empire (called in Thai the Tam Porn Ling) that established itself on the Malay Peninsula during the first Millenium A.D. Later, as Muang Takua - Talang, it was part of the Srivichai and Siri Tahm empires. Governed as the eleventh in a constellation of twelve cities, Phuket's emblem, by which it was known to others in those largely pre-literate times, was the dog.

During the Sukothai Period Phuket was associated with Takua Pah in what is now Phang-nga Province, another area with vast tin reserves. The Dutch established a trading post during the Ayuthaya Period in the 16th Cent. The island's northern and central regions then were governed by the Thais, and the southern and western parts were given over to the tin trade, a concession in the hands of foreigners. After Ayuthaya was sacked by the Burmese in 1767 there was a short interregnum in Thailand, ended by King Taksin, who drove out the Burmese and re-unified the country.

The Burmese, however, were anxious to return to the offensive. They outfitted a fleet to raid the southern provinces, and carry off the populations to slavery in Burma. This led to Phuket's most memorable historic event. A passing sea captain, Francis Light, sent word that the Burmese were en route to attack. Forces in Phuket were assembled led by the two heroines, Kunying Jan, wife of Phuket's recently deceased governor, and her sister Mook. After a month's siege the Burmese were forced to depart on 13 March, 1785. Kunying Jan and her sister were credited with the successful defense. In recognition King Rama I bestowed upon Kunying Jan the honorific Thao Thep Kasatri, a little of nobility usually reserved for royalty, by which she is known today. Her sister became Thao Sri Suntorn.

During the Nineteenth Century Chinese immigrants arrived in such numbers to work the tin mines that the ethnic character of the island's interior became predominantly Chinese, while the coastal settlements remained populated chiefly by Muslim fishermen. In Rama V's reign, Phuket became the administration center of a group of tin mining provinces called Monton Phuket, and in 1933, with the change in government from absolute monarchy to a parliamentary system, the island was established as a province by itself.

Location and Boundaries Phuket is an island connected by bridges to southern Thailand's Andaman Sea coast, in the Indian Ocean, lying between 7'45" and 8'15" north latitude, and from 98'15" to 98'40" west longitude on the map. Phuket, Thailand's largest islands, is surrounded by 32 smaller islands that form part of the same administration, with a total area of 570 square kilometers. Measured at its widest point, Phuket is 21.3 kilometers; at its longest, 48.7 kilometers.

Geography About 70 percent of Phuket is mountainous; a western range runs from north to south from which smaller branches derive. The highest peak is Mai Tha Sip Song, or Twelve Canes, at 529 meters, which lies within the boundaries of Tambon Patong, Kathu District. The remaining 30 percent of the island, mainly in the center and south, is formed by low plains. Streams include the Khlong Bang Yai, Tha Jin, Khlong Tha Rua, and Khlong Bang Rong, none of which is large.

Climate Phuket's weather conditions are dominated by monsoon winds that blow year round. It is therefore always warm and humid. There are two distinct seasons, rainy and dry. The rainy season begins in May and lasts till October, during which the monsoon blows from the southwest. The dry season is from November through April, when the monsoon comes from the northeast. Highest average temperatures, at 33.4 degree Celsius, prevail during March. Lowest averages occur in January, when nightly lows dip to 22 degree Celsius.

Travel By car : Take Routh 4 from Bangkok south. Along the way pass the provinces of Nakorn Pathom, Ratchburi, Petchburi, Prajuab- Kirikan, and at Chumporn go right to Ranong, From Ranong, go south through Kraburi and Kah-Perr districts to Phang-nga Province. In Phang-nga the road passes through Kuraburi, Takua Pa, and Takua Tung districts before reaching the town of Kok Kloy, just beyond which is the Tao Thep Krasatri Bridge and Phuket. Distance is 867 kilometers.

By Coach : Both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses leave the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok daily. For details call the individual bus companies : Borisat Kohn Sohng Jumkat Phuket Transport Co, Ltd., in Bangkok tel. (02) 4351200, or in Phuket (076) 211 480; Borisat Phuket Central Tour, in Bangkok tel. (02) 434 3233, or in Phuket (076) 213 615, 214 335; Phuket Travel Service, in Bangkok tel. (02) 435 5018, 435 5034, or in Phuket (076) 222 107-9

By Air : Details about flights to and from Phuket International Airport can be obtained from Thai Airways, in Bangkok Tel. (02) 280 0070, 280 0080, or in Phuket (076) 211 195, 212 499, 212 946, or from travel agents around the world. There are also many regular and chartered flights from other airlines

By Sea :The Deep Sea Port (Port of Phuket) at Phuket is visited by both cargo and cruise ships from Thailand and from abroad. Contact your travel agent for information about the many different ships that stop at Phuket.

Sawatdee Pattaya.

2006-03-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

Pattaya

Pattaya is a popular resort city on the Gulf of Thailand. Pattaya is Thailand's sleaziest resort but trying to improve its image, with limited success.

Once a sleepy fishing town, it boomed as an R&R spot during the Vietnam War and has been a sex tourism destination ever since. The beach is dirty and lackluster (by Thailand's high standards) and rampant overdevelopment has long since destroyed any natural charms it once had.

Today, Pattaya beach – the legacy these soldiers left behind – is a palm-fringed, party-town catering to every taste, interest and preference. It lies 147 km southeast of Bangkok – about two hours by road – and spans a 15 km stretch along the eastern coast of The Gulf of Thailand.

Well renowned for its girly-bars, go-go joints, and nightclubs, Pattaya attracts over a million pleasure-seeking tourists every year. Shopping in Pattaya is as cheap (if not cheaper) than shopping in Bangkok. And the accommodation – price range & quality – is comparable with anywhere in the country.In light of such beginnings though, it's hardly surprising that Pattaya suffers from an image problem. Reports in the international media have long overemphasised the sex-related negative sides of the city and these reports, fueled by the local media, have blown things out of proportion.

Prostitution is practiced and perverts coming to Pattaya has made sensational international coverage. But in recent years the local authorities have made considerable efforts to clean up Pattaya, even though that has generally meant adding more family-oriented attractions rather than doing away with the sex. Not that Pattaya is all about sex. As well as being Thailand’s busiest beach resort, Pattaya is one of Thailand’s main dive centres. The waters around Pattaya tend to be on the murky side, to say the least, but the islands offshore are cleaner and offer a rich variety of marine life and coral. There are also two wrecks which experienced divers can explore: The Bremen, a 300-foot boat, lies upright in 25 metres of water off the Thai navy town of Sattahip, while the freighter Hardeep rests in 30 metres of water between two islands off Samae San.

Nightlife

Pattaya's nightlife is most definitely "NOT" for the faint of heart. After dark, Pattaya caters almost exclusively to men. Walking Street is generally recognised as the heart of Pattaya but isn't the only area of the town which has a vibrant nightlife. Jomtien, Naklua, Beach Road and the two roads that run parellel to Beach Road – 2nd Road and 3rd Road, also host a variety of clubs, restaurants, and bars. The most popular discos in the town are the Marine Disco on Walking Street, Xzyte on Pattaya 3rd Road, Star Dice in Naklua, and Hollywood in South Pattaya. Pattaya also has attractions that are unique to this part of the world – Tiffany's Show & ALCAZAR are two Katoey (Lady Boy) Cabarets .

Bangkok to Pattaya

The easiest and most popular way to reach Pattaya from Bangkok is by bus. A comfortable air-conditioned coach departs Ekamai Bus Station on Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road every 30 minutes, running from 5 am until 10 pm. The one-way fare is 90 Baht. From Morchit Bus Station there are departures every 30 minutes from 5 am until 7 pm with a one-way fare of 97 Baht. Taxi's charge between 800 Baht and 1000 Baht.

Map Pattaya

Khon And Lakhon dance drama.

2006-03-02T06:44:00.000-08:00

Khon performances are considered the most elegant form of classical, traditional Thai dance. The royalized, all-male, masked dance is based on the Ramakien epic, as depicted by the murals in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Since the complete performance lasts many days, selected scenes can be viewed at the National Theater and the Royal Chalermkrung Theater in Bangkok and at the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center up north.

The costumes and routines of traditional Thai dances come in many forms, depending upon the region the dance originated from. Most major cities offer khantoke dinner and the traditional Thai dance shows for tourists. The Lanna style khantoke dinners originated in Chiang Mai, where a single setting of small sampling of various Thai dishes are placed on a round tray.

The kohn masks are distinctive in that all are impressive examples of traditional Thai decorative art. Many of the costumes, although breathtaking, are heavy and uncomfortable, especially the masks of the male characters. Many roles of the khon demand extremely boisterous performances and are often fitted and sewn on the dancer prior to the performance. The actors keep their faces expressionless, communicating solely through a complex vocabulary of hand gestures and body movements.

Whereas khon portrays the exclusive Ramakien story, lakon nai takes its narrative content from a variety of legends. A further difference is that the lakon nai is less formal. Ladon nai dancers do not wear masks, but instead jeweled crown headdresses, called 'khon chada' are worn. Lakon nai dance requires extremely flamboyant and bright costumes. The costumes are made of intricately embroidered cloth, broad sashes, and bejeweled belts. Ornaments, such as bracelets, armlets, and rings add further detail to the dance.

Traditionally, lakon nai was danced solely by women, taking on both male and female roles, and the khon only by men. While both forms rely on gesture and posture as modes of expressing emotion as well as action, there is a fundamental difference in emphasis. The khon dancer seeks virtuosity in strength, agility, and muscular exertion. The lakon nai dancer is persuasive through grace and remarkably controlled and graceful movement.

Lakhon dance drama is less formal than Khon and the actors do not wear masks.

Lakhon plots are drawn mainly from the Ramakien, the Jatakas, and folk stories. Lakhon dance movements are graceful, sensual, and fluid, the upper torso and hands being particularly expressive with conventionalized movements portraying specific emotions.

The Lakhon can be divided into three types, namely Lakhon Chatri, Lakhon Nok, and Lakhon Nai.

Simplest of all in form and presentation, Lakhon Chatri is often seen at popular shrines, such as Bangkok's City Pillar where dancers are hired to perform for the shrine deity by supplicants whose wishes have been granted. Lakhon Nai drama was originally presented only by court ladies in the palace. It is graceful, romantic, and highly stylized. Lakhon Nok plays, on the other hand, are performed outside the palace and acted only by men. Filled with lively music, off color humor, and rapid, animated movements. Lakhon Nok is the ancestor of the enormously popular Li-ke folk theater, which is still a feature of many provincial festivals.

Activities Marking Thai Elephants.

2006-03-01T07:01:00.000-08:00

Activities Marking Thai Elephants.

“Chang Thai,” or the Thai elephant, has an immense role in Thai society. It is recognized not only as the national animal but also a national symbol for use in public relations to promote Thailand’s image. Thailand was once referred to as the land of elephants, because it was home to a great number of elephants for hundreds of years.

Thai people have lived in harmony with elephants as both working partners and friends for a long time. Aware of the importance of elephant conservation, the Asian Elephant Foundation of Thailand and related non-governmental organizations in 1998 proposed that there should be a special day for elephants in Thailand. The proposal was submitted to the National Identity Board, which decided to pick March 13 each year as Thai Elephants Day.

The decision was based on the fact that the Royal Forest Department designated the white elephant as the national animal of Thailand on 13 March 1963. In May 1998, the Cabinet approved the designation of March 13 as Thai Elephants Day to raise and sustain public awareness of the importance of elephants.

The celebration of Thai Elephants Day began in 1999. Later, in 2001, the Cabinet approved the designation of Chang Thai as a national symbol for the country’s public relations. On 19 February 2005, a production team of the Guinness Book of World Records paid a visit to Chiang Mai Province in the North to record the most expensive painting created by a group of Thai elephants at an elephant kraal in Mae Sa. The acrylic painting, titled “Cold Breeze, Clouds of Fog, and Charms of Lanna No. 1,” is 2.4 meters high and six meters long.

The buyer has presented the painting to the Thai government for display to underline the value of Thai elephants on Thai Elephants Day each year.

The money earned from the sale of this painting has been spent on food for elephants. As part of the celebration of Thai Elephants Day this year, the Elephant Foundation of Thailand, which has been involved with elephant conservation for more than 10 years, will organize a “Kayak International Rally for Thai Elephants.” The rally for Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s Cup will take place on Ko Chang, or Elephant Island, in Trat Province from March 11 to 13. This charity event is intended to raise funds for Thai elephant conservation and to promote eco-tourism on Ko Chang, with elephants as a magnet for tourists.

A popular tourist destination in the Gulf of Thailand, near the border with Cambodia, Ko Chang is Thailand’s second largest island after Phuket. The Government is promoting Ko Chang as a world-class tourist site, while preserving natural surroundings there. The annual international kayak rally, the second of its kind, will provide an opportunity for both Thai and international tourists to join activities for Thai elephant conservation.

Elephants are an important part of Thai culture and the Thai way of life.
They are a traditional symbol of royal power, an essential feature of Buddhist art and architecture, an a spiritual mentor for people of all walks of life. In the early part of this century, elephants roamed freely and in multitude throughout Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Prior to the 18th century they were the main machine of Southeast Asian war, a Thai king of the late 17th century having had 20,000 war elephants trained for battle. Elephants in Thailand have always been a symbol of both power and peace. They have always performed the most exacting physical tasks. And they have always been well loved.

The number of elephants in Thailand today is limited to about 2,000. Most of these are at various elephant camps around the country where they learn to work in the forests and mountains and to entertain the hundreds of thousands of people who go to see them each year, and where they live, play and reproduce in a setting that is as close to the wild as possible.Elephants have plied in Thailand's Jungles since the days of old Siam.

The elephant is acknowledged as having many wide attributes, and perhaps the most obvious is showmanship. Talent for a stately presence, for delicate foot movement and agility, for intelligence on the field of sport, and at the same time a particular gentleness that makes the elephant not only a highly respected creature of the land but also one that is appreciated and loved.Trained elephants can entertain people in many ways elephant racing, tug-of-war, football match, walking over the persons with their bellies on the ground, carrying the lady, surfboard, sitting on the stool, etc.

Thai elephants can be found in the tourism sector, logging industry, wandering in national parks or local circus. Of these only about 20 elephants can paint. Elephants producing artwork could be a solution to raising funds to preserve Thai elephants.

Mrs. Anchalee Kalmapijit a director of the Mae Sae Elephant Camp came to realize the admiration the Japanese have for elephant art when she saw the popularity of the travelling elephant art exhibition while she was visiting Japan. She asked herself how could she educate and create awareness among Thai people to increase their appreciation of this rare talent found in a selected few of the country's beloved elephants.

The Mae Sa Elephant Camp and the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel have joined together to organize "The World's Best Elephant Art Exhibition" at the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel. The exhibition continues until March 2004.

Each day around 5 pm two elephants demonstrate their skills in painting Chinese water color technique. You may be meet Wanpen and Kongkam painting motifs such as flowers, trees, golden bamboo, grape and plum blossoms. Other artists are named Kamsan, Lankam, Duanpen, Panpetch and Songpan.

Everyday there are articles describing the problems mahouts face in keeping their elephants well and healthy in Thailand. More and more often a common question commonly asked among Thai people who are concerned about preserving Thai Elephants is about ways in which the public can take an active role. After you have visited the exhibition, urge your neighbors, friends, and school mates to visit the exhibition to generate greater interest in how to save Thai Elephants

The Bridge over the River Kwai

2006-02-28T02:49:00.000-08:00

The Bridge over the River Kwai

This famous bridge is spans the Kwai Yai River. It was brought from Java by the Japanese Army and assembled at the River Kwai by the war prisoners. Bombed several times in 1945, it was rebuilt after the war. The curved spans of the bridge are the original sections. An estimated 16,000 war prisoners and 49,000 impressed labourers died during the constrution of the bridge and the Death-Railway line that leads to Burma.

River Kwai

A riverside resort on the fabled River Kwai in Kanchanaburi located in the middle of the jungle surrounded by mountains with a view of the well know original death railway at Tham Krasair. Easy to visit by both train and car. Then rest for a while and enjoy a leisurely view of the wooden bridge. Delight in the delicious food at Tham Krasai Restaurant, the finest jungle restaurant in nearby Kanchanaburi.

Chong-Kai War Cemetery

The Chong-Kai Cemetery is smaller but more peaceful than the one in town. It is also neatly arranged with all kinds of beautiful flowers, plants, and hedges. It contains the remains of 1,750 prisoners of war.
This place can reached by boats which are available at the pier in front of the town gate and from the agent at the Bridge.

This cemetery contains the remains of 6,982 war prisoners who lost their lives during the captivity by the Japanese Army that forced them to build the Bridge over the River Kwai and the Death Railway.
The Japanese, following their invasion of Thailand during World War II, brought British, Dutch, Australian and American prisoners to Thailand by the Southern route. Impressed laborers were also used to complete the rushed construction of the railroad, which is an alternative to the sea route to Rangoon via Singapore and the Strait of Malacca, the sea route then being closed by allied submarines and aircraft.

War Museum Jeath

It is an open air bamboo hut museum on the bank of the Mae Klong River and has been built as a copy of an original and established to collect various items connected with the construction of the Death Railway by prisoners of war during the Second World War, 1942-1943.
It is divided into two sections: Section I and Section II. Section I displays a lot of pictures of the prisoners of war during their real life in the camp and Section II displays the instruments that the prisoners of war used while they were in the camp. Taking pictures is frobidden in Section I only.

JEATH stands for 6 countries involved in the second world war : Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand and Holland.

MAP OF KANCHANABURI

1. PRASAT MUANG SINGH RUIN
2. NAMTOK RAILWAY STATION
3. LAVA CAVE
4. SAI YOK WATERFALL
5. HINDARD HOT SPRING
6. KHAO LAEM DAM
7. THREE PAGODAS PASS
8. ERAWAN WATERFALL
9. SRI NAKHARIN DAM

(by Jeed freelance tour guide)
http://www.riverkwaibridge.com/

Orchids In Thailand

2006-02-27T12:45:00.000-08:00

Orchids In Thailand

Most admirers of the Orchidaceae will already be familiar with Thai orchids courtesy of the much loved Dendrobium, the World's most popular genus of orchid. Dendrobium was Thailand’s introduction to the World Orchid industry, easy to grow, fast flowering and with up to 30 long lasting orchid sprays a year, the Dendrobium genus elevated Thailand to the top of the Asian orchid exporting market. In it’s present state, so huge is the Thai Orchid industry that the national airline, Thai Airways, routinely ships over 3,500 kg of orchids on each of its four weekly flights to Scandinavia alone! The Japanese market meanwhile is worth an annual turnover of US$100 million to the Thai nation.

On this trip it is wild orchids that will be our focus. With around 1150 currently known species of Orchidaceae in Thailand, there is a lot to learn and see. We will explore many different habitats in northern and central Thailand, meeting face to face with wild ‘gluay mhai’, the Thai for ‘orchid’, specimens both rare and common. At least seven genera will be seen in the wild including Dendrobium, Vanda, Ascocentrum, Rhynchostylis, Bulbothyllum, Coelogyne and Pathiopedilum. By visits to Botanical Gardens, academic projects and a great deal of time spent in the field we will all leave Thailand with our knowledge and appreciation of this Queen of flora much endowed.

Our itinerary has been drawn up in consultation with local orchid experts and is designed to render a thorough exploration of known, though little visited, habitats of Thai orchids. The best time to see flowering wild orchids in Thailand is March through April and we have timed our 2003 trip to coincide with this prime period. At this time of year whole hillsides can be seen decked with orchid flowers through all levels of the forest.

Orchids are not the only facet of Thailand we will explore. Having never been colonised by a Western power the culture in Thailand is robust and as pure as you can expect from any modern nation. It would be an absolute crime therefore to go all that way and ignore the livelihoods and lifestyles of our hosts. In this way the itinerary makes use of accommodation and resources run by local people benefiting and sustaining their lifestyles, we explore classic temples and palaces, village life of both Thai and hilltribe people, the importance of weaving and food, ancient ruined capitals of past Kingdoms, the history and religious beliefs of today’s Thai people.

Thailand Life

2006-02-26T11:12:00.000-08:00

Thailand Life
Explore a side of Thailand that most tourists don't get to see

Thai Village Life & Traditional Medicine
Thailand's cultural and social roots are firmly set in the countryside, in fact, when Mahatma Gandhi said of his home country “... the real India is in the villages” he could just as easily have been referring to Thailand, a country whose political and cultural birth was in the ‘million rice fields’ of the ancient Lanna Thai Kingdom. As such no trip to discover the Thai people and their way of life can really afford to ignore the villages.

On this journey we cross the bridge from a modern and increasingly consumer driven World to a more traditional land, experiencing how the Thai’s manage to still hold onto their strong cultural identity and superimpose it onto an economic and technologically led lifestyle. By visits to hilltribes in the northern mountains, homestays with traditional Thai families, and by joining in and experiencing the rural life of typical Thai communities, we will learn something of the application today of Thai culture and tradition.

With the gradual homogenisation of the Thai’s World into that of the silicon and Coca Cola age, many cultural bridges to the past have been disrupted. One bridge though, as strong today as it ever has been, is traditional medicine, and through this medium we will conclude our exploration of modern/ancient Thai life.

The skills of the village herbalist have an ancient provenance. Beginning in Thailand as much as 2000 years ago with the introduction of Buddhism, this ancient knowledge is still passed on from generation to generation. To visit the village herbalist then, is also a visit to an accumulated past of two eons of study, practice, goodwill, interlect and the adherence to a cultural system that was as workable then as it is now.

Our last few days will be spent with a unique village group, who realised that slash and burn cultivation in the forest (mainly for illegal Cannabis cultivation) was killing their future. Of their own volition they opted for a more sustainable lifestyle, collecting herbs, seeds and other plant medicine products from the forest, as well as cultivating plants for use in traditional medicine on their own land. The villagers formed the ‘In Paeng’ cooperative as a result, for the promotion of indigenous herbal medicine. There are now three centres of the In Paeng group in three provinces, Kalasin, Sakol Nakorn and Udorn Thani, with that at Kalasin being the best established with it’s own Centre For Indigenous Herbal Massage, herbal grinding machine, fruit juice and herbal preservation home factory.

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Learning Thai

2006-02-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

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Phi Ta Khon Festival in Thailand

2006-02-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

Phi Ta Khon festival reflects the local Isan belief in ghosts and spirits. Held once a year in Dan Sai district in Loei Province, it is part of a grand merit-making festival known as the "Boon Luang" festival. Part of the activities includes young men dressd up as "spirits" wearing long trailing costumes made from colourful strips of cloth sewn together. The origins of the Phi Ta Khon Festival can be found in the tale of Lord Buddha's last incarnation before attaining Enlightenment. In Buddhist accounts, it is said that when Prince Vessandara, the Buddha's penultimate incarnation, returned to his city, it was such a joyous occasion that the village spirits came forth to join the welcoming parade. This very colourful and vibrant Phi Ta Khon procession is the central focus of the celebrations.

The first day of the festival involves religious ceremonies performed at the temple while the second day is a parade of young men in hideous-looking Phi Ta Khon mask - the masks are made of dried sticky rice painted in bright colours.

The clanging sound of the square cowbells worn around the waist announces the presence of the spirits who wield phallic-shaped long-handled swords decorated with red paint. The good-natured, fun-loving spirits mingle among the crowd, teasing and amusing all who take part in the procession. Spectators and visitors are welcome to join in the fun.

Phi Ta Khon is celebrated largely by young men who dress as spirits to parade a sacred Buddha image and tease villagers, and monks reciting the stop of the Buddha's last great incarnation before attaining Enlightenment The festival is held during May or June every year.

There is a remote village in Northeastern Thailand that is famous for being haunted. Abundant evidence for this claim exists -- phantoms float from walls in Thai restaurants, leer out of luridly colored travel posters, and leap from shadowy margins of tourist guidebooks -- yet few outsiders have witnessed the dazzling demon denizens of Dansai. In this village, during the Siamese "day of the dead," naughty ghouls roam the streets freely and actually enjoy posing for photographs. They materialize for the annual Phi Ta Khon (ghosts with human eyes) festival, which is usually observed in June or July. The exact date is divined not far in advance by the most revered and feared member of the village, Jao Paw Guan, a male maw duu (seer) and leader of the sacred portions of an otherwise profane party.

The easiest way to get to Dansai is to fly to Udon Thani and set off by car down country roads to the nearby province of Loei. The scenery along the way is clean and green; an enchanting landscape of farms, limestone karsts in misty distance, and rolling hills bordering Laos. The cool mountain air there is home to Thailand's famous (only) winery, Chateau de Loei. You can drive through the rolling vineyards for free, but you may be spooked to learn that there isn't any wine tasting, or even a Chateau (a phantom of marketing). There is a small resort next to the winery offering basic accommodation and Dansai is only about 30 minutes farther up to road. Book a room early, because it fills with busloads of Thai tourists who journey here for Halloween, Siam-style.

Before dawn, in the dead of upcountry morning (about 3:30am), village elders march with Jao Paw Guan to the Muan River. There, they perform a sacrificial rite to awaken Pra Ub-pa-kud. This supernaturally adept monk spends the entire year meditating peacefully beneath the flowing waters in the form of a white marble orb. With his advanced magical abilities, he is the only homeboy who is strong enough to protect the 'hood from the evil army set to descend upon them. While most of the village is still asleep, fearsome entities are clawing their way across the divide between life and eternal twilight. The river bubbles and Pra Ub-pa-kud is awakened. Flashes of an albino sphere shimmer under the liquid surface of dreams.

By 7am the procession has moved from the river to Phon-Chai temple in the center of town. Food is offered to monks as worshippers circle a whitewashed stupa rising from a red dirt courtyard. Overly amplified announcements echo from speakers hung from a tilting, teakwood seminary.

The littlest ghosts are the first to show themselves, pursued by a throng of Thai press photographers. These ghastly tikes, modeling their hand-mademasks and riotously colored costumes, are destined to appear on covers of in-flight magazinesand tourist promotional brochures around the world.What follows, during the next two days of drunken excess, is hardly sort of wholesome family event that gets promoted. The children are charmingenough for the press corps, even as their eldersiblings are behind closed doors, stripping down and covering each other with mud and soot, and arming themselves with penis-shaped weapons of monstrous proportions.

At 9am, the center of activity shifts to Jao Paw Guan'shouse along the main road. Here, he sits for the next few hours, the center of a swirling whirlpool of village elders and devotees who move slowly forward tocrouch down and tie string amulets around his raised wrists. By the end of this ceremony both of his armswill be wound tightly with thick bracelets of magicalwhite threads to protect him with the communal powerof the village. Men and women, dressed in their finestoutfits of white linen and silk, dance around in a circle, gesturing to the beat of drums, cymbals and bambooharmonicas.

At noon, Jao Paw Guan exits his home and strides tothe center of town trailing a euphoric entourage ofnewly deputized spirit mediums. His countenance is serious, aware that while the rest of the villagebecomes possessed with demonic frolic, he and hischarmed circle of assistants must remain ever vigilantlest forces of nature tip in favor of the assemblingconfabulation of spirits.

The streets of Dansai village are suddenly filled withlewd demons. Roving bands of adolescent ghosts chase teenage girls, and the odd foreigner, with ingeniously designed balad kik (phallic charms).There is an endless variety of styles, shapes and sizes of these tormenting toys. Most possess a crimson crown swollen out of proportion to the humanvariety. Some are hinged and jiggle on springs,bringing shrieks from the girls (and that odd foreigner)who try to hide in the gathering crowd of spectators.Many of the demonic dicks are inscribed with Chinesecharacters referring to "the Big Man".

A great din echoes down the street as ghosts stream into town from all over the province. Even though they don't speak a word, there is plenty of clatter from the mark-ka-lang (cowbells) tied to their waists and the playful screams that their antics inspire. Each costume is unique, crafted by the men and women who wear them. Bodies are fully covered in ragged suits of shredded fabric, usually in a rainbow of bright colors. Masks are made from sticky-rice steamer baskets that serve as crowns, with coconut husk faces fitted with carved wooden noses and horns. Individualized patterns and painting techniques are on display. Some crafty ghosts have varnished their creations plain to highlight the natural materials and the artistry of their masterpieces. Product logos are worked into the designs (Harley Davidson is a favorite). There are color-coordinated teams of boogiemen. There are monochrome phantoms-of-the-rice-fields. There are glitter-gangster-monstrosities, and florescent-butterfly-Venus Flytrap-raptors. And, there are...mudmen.

Slowly the ghosts and goblins make their way to theschool yard at the center of town where judging ofcostumed contingents takes place. The nearby market has taken on the carnival atmosphere of an upcountry fair whose spook house has been turnedinside out. There is every chance you will be hauledup onto a passing float and offered a plastic cup fullof rice wine, several cans of beer and countless swigsfrom bottles of local rum proffered by over-friendly,penis-wielding partiers at this Mardi Gras from hell.

At about 2pm another parade commences, this time an unholy mix of the forces of good and evil; stately pageantry versus perverse pixies. Handsome youngmen and beautiful girls in traditional costume, bearingsacred offerings, cleanse the pathway. A throng ofbare-chested slave boys pulls a golden chariot bearing a prince and princess garbed in jewels andfinery. Lines of young women dancing in unison follow.Red Cross nurses and village farmers mingle withmud-slung hoards. The combined effects of witheringheat and free-flowing liquor begin to take their toll onthe ghostly minions who retreat into the shadows tosleep it off until the cool of evening revives theirghoulish foolishness.

Day two of the festival continues with dance contests, sporting events, and an afternoon procession of giant bang fai bamboo rockets which are launched into the hot season skies hopes of appeasing the spirits and attracting rain.

Day three of the festival finds Jao Paw Guan summoningall of his powers, with the divine assistance of the mysticalmonk Ub-pa-kud, to drive the demons back to their underworld for yet another year. Festival participantsthrow their ghost masks into the river to rid themselvesof misfortune (entrepreneurial penitents gain a smallfortune by selling their masks and phallic weapons tovisitors as souvenirs). The Big Man's private parts arestowed modestly away again and this final festival day isspent reflecting on Buddhist sermon, to make merit andtake a step closer to Nirvana.

Despite the overlay of more recent Buddhist beliefs, Phi Ta Khon retains the earthy flavor of its origins in agrarian fertility rites. Dansai's Ghost Festival is certainly one of Thailand's most creative and lively traditional folk festivals. Don't be shy to try your hand at bargaining a rather lewd saber or magical mask off one of the apparitions -- it will make quite a conversation piece in years to come and a fitting souvenir of your supernatural encounters in Thailand's twilight zone.

Gallery by http://www.pbase.com/mindeye/festival_takhon