Tim in Thailand : March 2018

British Embassy is closing

The British Embassy is closing in Bangkok as it has been sold for 420 million pounds. I wonder whether they will have some tours of it before it is changed?

Richard Barrow has some wonderful photographs from inside
http://www.mythailandphotos.com/british-embassy-in-bangkok/

Facebook Live and horizontal

Thank you to How to Solve for this simple fix to my

Facebook Live videos being shot in Horizontal but coming out sideways.

Only took 5 videos....

On the Table - restaurants and cafes in Bangkok

On the Table is a restaurant that we visit more often because they have a lovely selection of dishes with a mix of Thai and Western food.

We do tend to choose more of the Western food though than the Thai influenced food.

It is always a pleaure to visit here.

For more restaurants we have visited please visit - timinphuket - restaurants.

A trip to Chiang Mai

So where did we go in Chiang Mai this time?

We went to a Cafe when we arrived - Box Dog Cafe - https://goo.gl/maps/a9Qx6kESVFw - not for everyone and I am a little skeptical but my daughter loves them... Then time to get a bus and drove through Chiang Mai getting glimpses of what was there.

As soon as it was ready we visited the Wualai Saturday Market - https://goo.gl/maps/Bbbi2PpcBi52.

Then it was time to visit a Wat and Wat Sri Suphan was close to the market - a wonderful collection of buildings - the Silver Temple (with access only for men) - https://goo.gl/maps/YdkRWJKBSsn. Then our first night was at Hug Nimman Hotel - simple and clean - popping across the road to the Fairy Tales Branch - https://goo.gl/maps/ZGpbEYgH28N2 - a shop for lots of fairy thing jewelry.

An early start the next day took us to Ton Payom Market - to meet the monks in the morning and pay respects.

Then it was time to drive out a bit - stopping at Wat Intharawat (Wat Ton Kwen) - https://goo.gl/maps/8mbavJKkbbP2 - a wonderful old Wat. Then it was time to enter Doi Inthanon National Park where we visited the Phra Maha Dhatu Nabhapol Bhunisiri - https://goo.gl/maps/yn9yBNbW6sK2 - another wonderful and scenic place to visit.

After this we went to King Inthanon Memorial Shrine (กู่พระเจ้าอินทวิชยานนท์) and had a coffee at Doi Inthanon Summit Coffee.

Then the Wachirathan Waterfalls - https://goo.gl/maps/B2GU6So1eYm - and then some very nice lunch at ป้าแก้ววชิรธาร - very nice.

It was then time for the Grand Canyon - Phar Chor (Mae Weng National Park) https://goo.gl/maps/wZ87jhvqBsk - quite impressive but not very big!

On the way back to the Chiang Mai we stopped at Wat Pa Charoen Tham (วัดป่าเจริญธรรม) which was an enormous Wat and impressive - https://goo.gl/maps/4mP96oRi25s.

The evening took us to Chiang Mai Walking Street which was extremely busy, so busy in fact it was almost impossible to take photographs - https://goo.gl/maps/RVGGfjEfYYT2.

Stopping off at a favorite of ours - Guu Fusion Roti + Tea - delicious - https://goo.gl/maps/6SRPzVuvNRL2 - a great place to grab something to eat. Then it was time to lay our heads at Imm Hotel Thaphae - a clean place to lay our heads - https://goo.gl/maps/3FvW2XpfihT2.

Up early the next day and our first stop was river rafting on the Mae Taeng River - very low level this time of year.

Then it was time for some zipline...

Followed by lunch at the Jungle De Cafe - https://goo.gl/maps/oFF3vPkBTUw - a scenic place for lunch. Interestingly the cafe was bigger and over the waterfall but they were ordered to take it down...

We then visited Wat Ban Den - https://goo.gl/maps/iQhjmRmWd3y - a very impressive example of a Wat, certainly worth visiting! Sometimes known as Wat Den Salee Sri Muang Gan.

Then to the top of the mountain - Mon Cham - https://goo.gl/maps/KVAbTRsttCS2 - some fresh air and lots of flowers.

Then Wat Pa Dara Phirom (วัดป่าดาราภิรมย์ พระอารามหลวง) - https://goo.gl/maps/rEE1qD61HrG2 - a special Wat - ornate and complex temple featuring stone lions and a gilded chedi amid tropical greenery. Certainly worth stopping.

On the way back to the airport we stopped at the Elephant Parade for an elephant to paint...

Walking Bangkok - 15 routes

I got my Walking Bangkok: 15 Tourist Routes -
there seems to be a lot of places I must visit in Bangkok!

If you can't find one here's a download from Richard Barrow.

TAT - 58th Anniversary

It was the 58th Anniversary of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Quite spectacular - monks and a lot of people dressed in traditional Thai dress - but no information in English.

And of course a cake to eat!

Got my Walking Guide book as well (thanks Richard). This will be tried with absolute relish - it does look good.

I guess these people are special?

Songkran celebration begins

Lumpini Park was something different this morning!

There were the traditional early morning joggers and people exercising there were monks from the Kalasin Province of Thailand.

In one corner of the park there was a set of monks and there was a simple ceremony happening which welcomed the oncoming Songkran celebrations and (I think) reminded the listeners what this meant and not what is now seen as.

Visitors were encouraged to wear traditional Thai costume and the offering was the traditional sticky rice.

- the world's largest market
- 15,000 stalls
- more then 200,000 visitors a week
- been running for over 70 years

Here's a pdf map - http://www.chatuchakmarket.org/files/download-market-map-new.pdf

Here's more information on Facebook.
And on Twitter.
And Instagram.

How to get there. Previous Visit - 2016

March - You know you have lived in Thailand when...

A toilet roll is something normal to be placed on the table when you sit down for dinner.

After moving to Bangkok I have become aware of things which are now normal to me because I live here – and subsequently a facebook site about this “You Know You've Lived In Thailand when.....” – https://www.facebook.com/groups/YouKnowYouveLivedinThailandwhen/

so once a month I will contribute to this.

Tim in Thailand