Tim in Thailand

Restaurants in Phuket - รานสมตำเมองคอน สะพานหน

รานสมตำเมองคอน สะพานหน is a restaurant that we choose to go to in Sapan Hin. At the current time Sapan Hin is a place which is predominantly used by the local Thai people and I cannot list how many times we have visited for I don't know how many different
reasons.

The best reason for visiting รานสมตำเมองคอน สะพานหน is their Yam Pla Dook Fu (Thai catfish Salad) - the best in Phuket.

The restaurant itself serves you in the Traditional Thai way of sitting around a low table but there is also the opportunity to sit on a chair - we choose the traditional way.

As mentioned we always have the Catfish Salad so I could not tell you what else we have but it is all extremely cheap. It does taste good with a Singha...

Don't forget to visit the Chinese Shrine near by - Kiew Tian Keng

We have visited previously:

1) March 2013

2) March 2014

3) July 2014

Approximate Price: $$$$$

Address: Sapan Hin (see the map)

(Click for more visits to Restaurants in Phuket)

Wat Chalong Temple Fair Pt. 2 (2016)

A Temple Fair is a another reason to visit a Wat - but it is very different and we returned again - but were not to do the same thing again. So today we;

Purchased some Star Wars toys...

Wondered why there was a gun game in a Buddhist Temple...

So many wristwatches.

Got duped by these games - they offer you a dart to throw against the balloon - which you take and then they want the money for the dart you just threw...

Then it was time to knock down the tin cans.

Time to feed the goats - with a baby milk bottle.

We did wonder where the people were for this game...

Wondered whether they had permission to use all these characters on the Bouncy Castle?

Wonder whether the is company knew about their shoes?

Then something to eat? A crab?

Not sure about having a tattoo here even if it was not permanent?

See you again Wat Chalong

Previous Temple visits
1) Wat Chalong Temple Fair 2016 (1)

2) Wat Chalong Temple Fair 2015
3) Wat Chalong Temple Fair 2014
4) Wat Chalong Temple Fair 2013
5) Wat Chalong Temple Fair 2012
6) Wat Chalong 2012
7) Wat Chalong 2009

(Click here for things to do in Phuket)

Wat Chalong Temple Fair (2016)

The temple fair is always something that I like to visit - mostly for the ambience which is lovely.

We of course visited Wat Chalong to make an offering...

Then it was time to look for some clothes - there was too much choice!

Some Asian spatchcock chicken?

Or some strawberries?

The Cashew nuts in a toffee sauce were delicious (I went back for more).

This I was not so sure of...

But lots of these pancakes...

and of course some jewellery...

So red shoes are the 'in thing' at the moment?

Some sugar palm juices?

Not sure where some of this jewellery is from...

Do you fancy a bite?

Always worth a visit to a Temple Fair.

(We might go again tonight)

Previous Temple visits

1) Wat Chalong Temple Fair 2015
2) Wat Chalong Temple Fair 2014
3) Wat Chalong Temple Fair 2013
2) Wat Chalong Temple Fair 2012
3) Wat Chalong 2012
4) Wat Chalong 2009

(Click here for things to do in Phuket)

Where is? (App)

Where is?

Is a question that I would imagine that many tourists have when they visit a new country. Phuket might not be where I need this but recently I was in Bangkok and I needed something - it was a coffee.

In Phuket I generally know where the coffee is so it is not necessary - unless you have heard of a new coffee shop of course! Check out my review of Blah Blah here
(when I've been).

Then it was time for a Starbucks using Starbucks Near Me App.

The actual Starbucks App didn't help because it was early in the morning and I wanted to know whether it was open.

But them the next morning I wanted a Chemist - Foursquare / Swarm helped me!

Thank you.

Wat Abuse - what should I do?

I have posted here previously about this but on a trip to Ayutthaya I witnessed this.

Do you think that I should take off the scribbles?
Then they dressed up in Thai clothes and then they jumped up for a photograph.

All in the grounds of Wat Chai Watthanaram in Ayutthaya.

#rantoftheday - well nearly...

Chatuchak Weekend Market (@Bangkok)

Chatuchak Market is somewhere that if you are in Bangkok you must visit because it is so much fun. There is their website -

"Chatuchak Weekend Market (or Jatujak Market; Thai: ตลาดจตุจักร) is one of the world's largest weekend markets covers area of 70 rai (27 Acres) altogether divided into 27 Sections, contains more than 15,000 booths selling goods from every part of Thailand."

"Chatuchak Weekend Market, is very popular shopping centre to Thais and has become a popular place to tourists and foreigners who stay in Bangkok, has over 200,000 visitors each day (SAT-SUN) 30% is foreign.

Almost everything can be found here at a bargaining local price (not a tourist price), and most vendors actually come from local factories, like antique wood carving, clay handicrafts, local souvenirs from every parts of Thailand, Buddhist amulets, wooden funitures, hand made decorated flowers, plant, ceramic wares, dools, Thai Bejarong, Chinese wares, graden decorated plants, stones, trendy fashions, silk, hill-tribe outfits, fluffy dogs and more miscellaneous, etc."

Then they are also on Facebook. Wikipedia has some pretty good available information. There is a good meeting place in the middle of the market - the Clocktower.

"The clock tower is the famous meeting point in Chatuchak Market. Clock tower was built in 2530 on the occasion of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 60 th Birthday Anniversary on the 5 th of December 2530, in the cooperation of the Market Administration and Thai-Chinese Merchant Association"

Yes there is almost everything here - there is an App to guide you round the market (which is reviewed here) but it's not always easy - I think you should relax, wander and enjoy yourself. However if you are on a 'mission' shopping then you must remember to write a list.

I am not sure about the animals that there are here for sale though?

Something for everyone - there's simply too much to make a record of.

27 section of Chatuchak Market

Clothing & Accessories (sections 2-6, 10-26)
Handicrafts (sections 8-11)
Ceramics (sections 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 25)
Furniture and Home Decoration (sections 1,3,4,7,8)
Food and Beverage (sections 2, 3, 4, 23, 24, 26, 27)
Plants and Gardening tools (sections 3, 4)
Art and Gallery (section 7)
Pets and Pet Accessories (sections 8, 9, 11, 13)
Books (sections 1, 27)
Antiques and Collectibles (sections 1, 26)
Miscellaneous and Used Clothing (sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 22, 25, 26)

Like any market in Thailand - there is food everywhere.

If you need dog clothing it is here...

So how do you get there?

"Chatuchak Market is open on Saturdays and Sundays, 09:00 – 18:00, and Fridays 18:00 – 24:00. You can get to Chatuchak Market by the sky train (BTS) to Mo Chit Station and taking exit no.1 and follow the crowd until you see a small entrance to the market. Another way to get to the market is by taking the subway (MRT) to Chatuchak Park Station take exit no.1 and then following the crowd until you see a small entrance to the market. Moreover, you can take taxis, buses and vans to get to Chatuchak Market or if you are driving to the market, you can park your cars at Chatuchak Park Ride and they have convenient shuttle buses between the parking lots and Chatuchak Market."