Thailand

I have visited Thailand several times now, these days I feel quite at home and am quite comfortable there. Bangkok became a regular stopping point to get things sorted, pick up supplies for onward travel or just to chill out. Bangkok does have some lovely things to see though.The Royal Palace and Wat Phra Kaew are particularly interesting (photos 1 - 6). The palace is built in a range of styles all with a Thai influence. One of the palace buildings is in the style of a French palace, apart from the roof which is again distinctively Thai (photo 1). It is the rooves that are usually the most ornate part of the building and gives it such a sense of grandeur. They are often multi-tiered with colourful tiles and fancy gables and guttering. In some cases monkeys, devils and deities are incorporated in to the design (photos 2 - 4). At the apex of the roof is sometimes a Chedi (photos 4 & 5), but these can be free standing as well. The palace and temple complex has lots of interesting buildings and murals and the Palace Guard are constantly marching around the place (photo 6).

Wat Traimit is the temple where the Golden Buddha resides. Apparently an American had bought the large plaster Buddha that was in the temple, but as the crane was lifting it out it was dropped and the shell came off to reveal a solid gold Buddha beneath. Whether the man knew that the Buddha was gold underneath is open to speculation. Needless to say, the sale fell through and the Buddha stayed and became quite a tourist attraction. It is almost luminous it shines so brightly. Unfortunately the busloads of tourists who go to the temple, seem to forget that it is a religious place and are rowdy and rude, treading all over monks trying to pray which is upsetting and embarrassing.

The monkey temple in Lopburi is appropriately named as it is swarming with the little blighters. They seem quite apathetic to the presence of humans but enjoyed rummaging through any bits around.

The old city of Sukothai is a former capital of what is now Thailand. A surprising amount of temples and stupas are intact, although not necessarily in the best state of repair.

From Um Phang, in the far west of the country, I did a trek for a few days through what is Thailand's only remaining virgin rain forest. En route I saw intact hill tribe communities that are seldom visited by tourists like the Karen (photos 1 & 2) originally from Burma. I went for a ride on an elephant which was uncomfortable but interesting (photo 3). I also saw the waterfalls of Ti Law Su which are apparently the largest in South East Asia, although whilst I was there it was the dry season so the cataract was broken into several smaller cataracts (photos 4 - 6).

During Songkran (the Thai new year and water festival) I was in Mae Sot on the Burmese border. They have been having a Muay Thai competition between the Thai and Burmese for hundreds of years. When I was there I was the only Farang (white person) in the audience to start with so was given the best seat, ring side next to the referees. The boxing was ferocious as there were no real rules, unlike the normal Muay Thai. In three hundred years the Burmese had apparently not won a bout until their champion managed to win whilst I was watching. The Thai was stunned and the Burmese were excited beyond belief (so would you be if you had been waiting three hundred years for a victory).

The women in the Akha tribe wear distinctive headdresses that look like beads and a cheese grater.

In Chiang Rai I saw some Thai women dancing in the street, I don't know why they were there. Their elegant performance was appreciated by all and sundry.