The River Kwai Bridge Festival takes place at the end of November or early December each year. It is a sound and light spectacular that reenacts the World War II bombing of The River Kwai Bridge in Kanchanaburi Thailand. The festival runs for a little over one week. It starts on the Friday evening, continuing to the following Sunday evening one week later. The light and sound show is held twice each evening and tells the story of
Ladies can be seen weaving grass mats using hand looms in many villages in Thailand. The one featured here was woven in the village of Khok Prong in Wichian Buri, a district in the Phetchabun province in Northern Thailand. This was done on the patio of a family home and is typical of what can be seen every day in the smaller villages. Each village or region in Thailand normally has a village produce or
Although this may technically be a Thai Massage and it took place in a temple in Thailand, I would like to preface this blog post with the following statement: Although this event took place inside the grounds of a Buddhist Temple, it does not reflect Buddhist beliefs or give any indication of support to the methods used. Those that participated, reported good results but the consensus is that these benefits were derived from a number of positive
The Rocket Festival or Bun Bang Fai, is an annual rain and fertility extravaganza celebrated on the sixth month of the lunar calendar. This normally falls somewhere around the middle of May. It is widely celebrated in Laos and in the northern and eastern parts of Thailand. According to the Laos tourism website… The festival is a call for rain and a celebration of fertility. In the afternoon, people gather in the fields on the outskirts
The Amphawa Floating Market is located in central Thailand, approximately 50 from Bangkok. It takes place along the waterfront walkways of Amphawa Canal, which is a small tributary of the Mae Khlong River. It is arguably the most authentic floating market in Thailand with a long history dating back to the mid 17th century. Amphawa may not be as large as Damnoen Saduak but it is definitely more authentic. It has been commercially developed, but the old wooden houses and shop fronts have been retained.
The Maeklong Railway Market is, in many ways, just like any other large market in Thailand. There is one big exception. It has a railway line, complete with train, running right through it. Vendors display their good for sale, as close to the line as possible. Sometimes they may even place it in the middle of the track. However putting it in the middle of the track is now considered not polite as this is where
The Baiyoke Tower II comprising the Baiyoke Sky Hotel is currently the tallest building in Thailand, however this title may be a short-lived as the MahaNakhon is due for completion towards the end of 2016. There may be some dispute regarding which is the tallest. If the antenna is included in the total height, then the Baiyoke Sky Tower measuring 328.4 metres, with antenna, will still be higher than the MahaNakhon at 314 metres, without an antenna. However if both are compared without antenna, then
It is not uncommon to see a Buddhist Monk walking on the edge of a road in Thailand, but is is unusual to see 1,129 of them walking 458.55 km in 28 days. I was impressed with some of these facts: There were 1,129 monks. They were walking 458.55 km in 28 days. They were doing this barefoot. They were walking in the hot tropical sun with no hats. They rested every seventh day. While all the above
The Bun Bang Fai, or Rocket Festival is based on an ancient merit making ceremony, which is associated with the making of rain. It is held near the beginning of the wet season around the middle of May. Many Thais still hold a strong belief in the powers of the supernatural and the rockets sent skywards are meant to attract the attention of the supernatural powers so they can be blessed with abundant rain for the seasonal planting of their
The answer to the questions about Thai Buddhist Monks, and what they eat, will vary depending on who you ask, and what country you are in when you ask. In Thailand, there are may customs and guidelines but these vary for each individual temple or monastery. In this article I will not attempt to go into detail of all the various traditions but instead I will concentrate primarily on my own experiences. This is my experience after walking and eating
