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This summer we went on a 5000km roadtrip around Thailand to help us get to know our adopted country that much better. The first stop along the way was Wat Samphran, a Buddhist temple (wat) in Amphoe Sam Phran, Nakhon Pathom province, around 40 kilometers to the west of Bangkok. The temple was officially registered in 1985.
The temple is notable for its 17-story tall pink cylindrical building with a gigantic red-and-green dragon sculpture curling around the entire height. The interior of the dragon sculpture contains a spiraling flight of stairs, which has however deteriorated to a poor condition in places. It also contains a huge Buddha statue as well as many additional Buddhist statues.
I was rather drawn to the gold and white design of this temple close to the large lake in the centre of Khon Kaen
There were lots of roadside stalls selling these colourful windmills right across this part of Thailand near the border with Laos
Wat Mahathat or Mahathat Temple is the most important and impressive temple in Sukhothai Historical Park. The temple's name translates to 'temple of the great relic'. The temple was founded by Sri Indraditya, between 1292 and 1347 as the main temple of the city as well as the Sukhothai Kingdom. The design is based on a mandala, representing the universe, with a principal stupa, built in 1345 to enshrine relics of the Buddha, surrounded by smaller stupas in eight directions. The main stupa has the shape of a lotus bud, which characterizes Sukhothai architectural arts. Its base is adorned with 168 stuccoed sculptings of Buddhist disciples walking with their hands clasped together in salutation. The eight smaller stupas, of which the four at the corners are in Mon Haripunchai - Lanna style and the four in between show Khmer influence. At both sides of the main stupa has two nine-metre-tall (30 ft) standing Buddha images called Phra Attharo. The temple also includes an assembly hall (vihara), mandapa, ordination hall, and 200 subordinate stupas.
Phetchaburi or Phet Buri is a town in southern Thailand, capital of Phetchaburi Province. In Thai, Phetchaburi means "city of diamonds" (buri meaning "city" in sanskrit). It is approximately 160 km south of Bangkok, at the northern end of the Thai peninsula. As of 2005, the town had a population of 26,181 and covers the two tambon Tha Rap and Khlong Krachaeng.
Got to be careful where you put your fingers in the glasshouses at Queen Sirikit Botanic Gardens near Chiang Mai
We made it to the top of the seventh tier of waterfalls at Erawan. In truth though the most impressive thing about this tier was the sign!
Lopburi is best known for the thousands of crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) that live in the middle of the city, especially around the Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot and a Khmer shrine, Sarn Phra Karn. It is suspected that urban expansion caused the monkeys to adapt to city life. They are fed by the local people, especially during the Monkey Festival. This festival usually occurs on the last Sunday of November. The monkeys can be aggressive, are not afraid of humans, and often steal whatever items or food they can find from unwary visitors. Most of the hotels and guesthouses in Lopburi are "monkey-proofed", using screen wire, or by screwing the windows shut.
There are only a handful of trains across the River Kwai each day and it is free to walk over. Most visitors seem to like having cheesy pictures of themselves so I thought I would join in the tradition!
The Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden is located 30 minutes north of Chiang Mai, along the windy road to Samoeng. The Botanical Garden Chiang Mai was opened in 1992 and is a centre to promote research, biodiversity and allow visitors to see the most diverse natural plants that Thailand has to offer. The Garden is set in a valley surrounded by rainforest and there is a whole range of different areas to visit. Visitors can walk around the flower gardens, banana path or enter one of the many different greenhouses – Savanna House, Orchid House or the Carnivorous Plant House. Another highlight of the gardens is a 400 metre canopy walkway which is suspended over the jungle canopy and gives an enlightening perspective of nature from high up in the air.
How there aren't more fatalities on this line is anyone's guess. So many people play brinkmanship with the trains as they rumble over the bridge...
Today's pictures are all from the long journey back to Bangkok from Buriram at the end of our month long road trip and show some of the sights we saw along the way. Thank you to everyone who has followed our odyssey - I hope you have enjoyed your virtual trip around Thailand!
All of today's pictures come from Chiang Rai market where we visited for the first part of a cooking class. I always love going to the market - there are so many colours and lots of human interest when we go
All of today's pictures come from Chiang Rai market where we visited for the first part of a cooking class. I always love going to the market - there are so many colours and lots of human interest when we go
With the discovery of three vaccines (and maybe more to come) it is brilliant news for the future; hopefully not too long into the New Year we can all relax as things try to get back to normal; a new normal; I hope we can all see that there is light at the end of the tunnel finally. My only concern is that here in the UK we are lifting restrictions for Christmas over a period of five days; is this going to cause spike number three, I certainly hope not? Our NHS and Front Line workers are working flat out at the moment, they are dedicated, exhausted and many afraid to go into work each day for fear of contracting Covid, but they still do; to look after us, the public. I only hope that when it’s time to receive your injection all of the non-believers out there take their rightful place at the back of the queue, or better still, don’t turn up at all……! Thank you NHS and Front Line workers…..
PS, Or as a dear friend of mine, Juli Sonne suggests, have the non-believers spend a week working on a Covid ward in the IC Unit before they can have the vaccine, earn the right, lets see how many of them take up that challenge.
Thank you Juli xx
Vaccine Bottle by :daniel-schludi-ZeMRI9vO71o-unsplash
After our few days in Maesot we moved on to the former capital city of Sukhothai where we stayed in some chalets by a small lake. Watching the wildlife was very relaxing
The rivers in Thailand are always teeming with fish. In this case spreading a net at the bottom of a weir will probably yield great results
Our first stop on our road trip as we headed northwards from a few days at the beach. Blue skies and soaring temperatures greeted us on this part of the journey - no sign of rain even though it was meant to be the rainy season
Each of the sides of the Golden Temple in Chiang Mai has one of these elephants emerging from the chedi
Normally the pools at the waterfalls would be full of people swimming but during these Covid times bathing is prohibited at the falls
A scene reminiscent of children in the UK trying to get conkers from a tree. These young monks and their female friends are trying to get some fruit down from the tree above
Lopburi is best known for the thousands of crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis) that live in the middle of the city, especially around the Khmer temple, Prang Sam Yot and a Khmer shrine, Sarn Phra Karn. It is suspected that urban expansion caused the monkeys to adapt to city life. They are fed by the local people, especially during the Monkey Festival. This festival usually occurs on the last Sunday of November. The monkeys can be aggressive, are not afraid of humans, and often steal whatever items or food they can find from unwary visitors. Most of the hotels and guesthouses in Lopburi are "monkey-proofed", using screen wire, or by screwing the windows shut.
After eating all the luscious green bamboo shoots the panda started eating the woodier parts. None of it looked very appetising!
This Bornean Orang Utan looks like how I feel this Monday morning - decidedly sleepy! He lives at Chiang Mai zoo - perhaps the best zoo in all of Thailand and nothing like the horror shows that we have heard about elsewhere in the country
This is the most popular of the levels at Erawan Falls as it requires almost no climbing to get here.
Other photos from this session of walking&shooting are here
tongkm.wordpress.com/2021/10/09/life-slowly-getting-back-...
The Wat Phra Phutthabat, the “temple of the Buddha’s footprint” is an important Buddhist pilgrimage site located in a rural area between the towns of Lopburi and Saraburi. A mondop on top of a small hill houses a footprint of the Buddha, that was discovered in the 17th century.
The Wat Phra Phutthabat is a highly revered temple; it is one of the six temples of the highest grade of the first class Royal temples. The temple’s full name is Wat Phra Phutthabat Ratchaworamahaviharn, which means “Great Royal Temple of the Buddha’s Footprint”.
The trees at Sukhothai are equally magnificent and give the impression that they are as old as the ruins themselves
Today's pictures are all from the long journey back to Bangkok from Buriram at the end of our month long road trip and show some of the sights we saw along the way. Thank you to everyone who has followed our odyssey - I hope you have enjoyed your virtual trip around Thailand!
Prasat Muang Tam is a Hindu Temple in Prakhon Chai District, Buriram Province, Thailand. It is primarily in the Khleang and Baphuon styles, which dates its primary phases of construction to the late-10th and early-11th centuries. The primary deity was Shiva, although Vishnu was also worshipped there.
Like most Hindu temples, Muang Tam is oriented towards the east. It has a flat concentric plan, with a central sanctuary and two surrounded successively by an inner enclosure, ponds, and an outer enclosure. The ponds between the enclosures are an unusual feature of the temple, as is the central sanctuary, which is not elevated and has its towers arranged in rows of three and two. All the towers except the central one have been restored.
Kala are particularly prominent in the lintels of the temple. They are the best available aid in dating the structure, but the mix of styles (Khleang and Baphuon) makes accurate dating impossible. Several of the lintels on the outer gopuras are unfinished.