108 Year Anniversary of Bang Neow Shrine

We stopped adjacent to a shopping mall called Robinsons in Phuket Town and Chuen told me that there was a shortcut to the other side of Phuket Town through the back of Bang Neow Shrine.

On emerging from the back I was pleasantly surprised by the plethora of flags (normally kept for the Vegetarian Festival) around the Shrine on walking in I was then shocked by the amount of people!

It was an Anniversary date for Bang Neow Shrine - there were two sets of classical dancers, one was dressed in standard dress and the other in a specific costume and a number of men organising other things.

I stayed to watch the two types beautiful dancing and the colours were simply beautiful.

During the dancing there were a number of men (dressed all in white) who then brought out freshly cooked food.

Wonderful and I was very lucky to see it.

Bomb Detector Scandal continues

In January 2010 I posted in a monthly review about the government purchasing Bomb Detector Units which were working as well as a guess.


I have now read on the front page of the Bangkok Post that the Department of Special Investigations will take legal action against the manufacturers and distributors of this device.


I first read about this in 2010 from a report by the BBC - has somebody still been buying them?


Thai Crisis Report
The Nation 
... there are more ...

An App bias against a Mac User?

I have enjoyed researching the plethora of Apps which are available and there are a lot.


I have written a blog concerning the relevant App for the Traveller.


What I did not expect to find was that one App - 'Orbitz' gave you a more expensive price if you were using a mac.


"Testing the data, The WSJ found a Mac search for a hotel in Miami Beach for two nights in July showed pricier hotels on the first page of results. “Overall, hotels on the first page of the Mac search were about 11% more expensive than they were on the PC,” the article states."


and the Mac User spends 30% more....

Buddha Jayanti, Vesak Day

image from Pembroke 43 - permission requested

Thai Buddhists in Phuket marked this special day by sparing the lives of 19 cows, some birds and some fish - this year also was in commemoration of the 2,600th anniversary of the enlightenment of the Lord Buddha, or Buddha Jayanti.

Vesak Day is celebrated to commemorate the three major events in Buddha’s life – his birth, enlightenment and passing away.

 I read about this celebration in the Phuket Gazette that it was celebrated in Phuket but nobody can tell me much more.

I understand that the celebration took place in Sapan Hin (more reasons to visit) at the auspicious time of 9:09 am.

Do you know more?

Race Week is coming to Cape Panwa

As I jogged to work this morning I saw these two new roadside signs.

"Hello sailors" - from Russell

View tim in Phuket in a larger map

Borae Festival

This was certainly a pleasure - after a day at work Daeng (our Nanny) came round to tell us that there was a Festival in the local Mosque.

Any reason to get out of the house and Jemma and I are there. 

What a wonderful and happy atmosphere.

I spent the evening blowing bubbles and the local children chased after them.


The festival was a celebration before Ramadan begins at the end of the month.

View timinphuket - places of religious worship in a larger map

Pétanque in Phuket?

Well this was certainly a surprise - I have always extolled the beauty of Sapan Hin in Phuket on my blog but this took it a little further.

When we visited the OTOP fair in Sapan Hin I was happy to find something else which was there - Pétanque.

Why this is a sport shared by the children in Phuket I could write about but I have returned from a cocktail party and feel that honesty id the best policy and instead of writing about the French Sino-Portuguese influence I am going to say - I have no idea why Pétanque is a sport taught in school in Phuket!

It is always a pleasure to visit Sapan Hin - BUT there was a 'muggles' in a geocache though...

View Sapan Hin - South Phuket in a larger map

Bodhi Trees

In case you drive throughout Thailand, you may see a number of trees that are wrapped in long pieces of coloured silk: WHY?

According to local belief, an old tree may contain powerful indigenous spirits which are usually benevolent or malevolent. The silk cloth is a reminder the tree contains a spirit thus warning other spirits, and others, of the need to find a different unwrapped tree.

Anyway, this is what I was told.

Then I was later told that in the early 1900s, a Buddhist Ritual (buad paa), became prevalent in Thailand. Environmentalists and NGOs organized and wrapped saffron-coloured monks’ robes around tree trunks as a way to ordain a tree. This meant that the tree was not to be logged! 

Navy's National Emergency Training at Cape Panwa

What was normally a quiet breakfast at Cape Panwa Hotel was 'different' with a plethora of big and small helicopters flying over.

The 'Naval National Emergency Training'.


Photos are courtesy of Melissa Carr and Sue Elliot.

Car on my back side?

Arriving at  Bangkok Airport I was greeted with a plethora of metered taxis - which is very different from my greeting at Phuket Airport - but that is another story.


I slipped into the back seat to enjoy my journey and 
I wondered whether the sign was meant;

       1) for the driver in the front OR 2) something I do not understand?

Understanding Buddhist Temples

I love to read and write about all the different things that I see when I visit a Buddhist Temple in Phuket but I am unable to explain what is going on above!


Do you have an idea?
This was at Wat Kathu.



View Buddhist Temples in Phuket in a larger map

Parking in the car parks

This seems like a simple system - it is if you know the rules


1) Keep the wheels aligned straight
2) Put gear in neutral position
3) Do not lock the hand-break


One may ask why?


The car parks are not only the designated parking spaces. You are able to park your car at right angles behind parked cars IF you follow the above rules. This will enable the car park attendants to push the cars backwards or forwards to be able to increase the possible amount of parking spaces.


BUT if you do not follow the rules I am not sure what happens - I have seen this car towed away but I am not sure how you can get your car back and how much it costs...


Do you?