Tim in Thailand

A Bangkok Walk - Yaowarat

It was time to try the first of the 15 Walking Routes in Bangkok - thank you to the TAT and Richard Barrow...

Onto the MRT and I got off at the Hua Lamphong Railway Station - quite a 'blast from the past' - more photographs coming on http://timinphuket-thingstodo.blogspot.com. but I have to admit that I did not find the small museum. In the distance I saw a large spire so I wandered over - it was Wat Tramitr Withayaram.

And it was packed with tourists - you needed to buy a ticket before you entered. Then there were tourists following a flag - with coaches outside - so the peace was not there.

Stop 1: Yaowarat China Town Heritage Museum - well it is in the grounds at Wat Tramitr Withayaram but I did not stay long enough to find it.

Stop 2: China Town Gateway - a wonderful and unexpected part of a roundabout marking one entrance to China Town,built in 1999 to commemorate the King's birthday. There was what looked like a wedding celebration underneath it so I decided to stay away.

Then it was time to visit Yaowrat Road and China Town - it was busy - the last time I visited was in the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Stop 3: Eiah Sae 益生 - this is one of the last traditional coffee shops that can be found in Bangkok and in all the chaos I could not find it...

Stop 4: Tang Toh Kang Gold Shop - one of the original gold shops in Bangkok - still trading and there is a museum inside - there were a lot of gold shops and they were full of people and I could not find it- even with the GPS...

Stop 5: Thai Heng Restaurant - a traditional Chinese restaurant which is very popular with the local community, there are a lot of restaurants around here - could not find this one...

Stop 6: Wat Bampen Chine Prote (Wat Yong Hok Yi) วัดบำเพ็ญจีนพรต (วัดย่งฮกยี่) - a small Wat which was a place for solace and retreat - very nice.

Stop 7: Wat Kanmatuyaram (Wat Yo Khan Tue) วัดกันมาตุยาราม - a Sri-Lankan style bell can be found in the grounds but it was being renovated when I visited - nice gate

Stop 8: Wat Mangkon Kamalawat - still known as Wat Leng Noei Yi and is a very large structure and very busy with tourists.

Then it was time to go back to the street markets - now these were extremely busy

Stop 9: Leng Buai la Shrine - a small shrine with an ancient bell and a special incense burner inside, in a quiet corner next to the bustling markets

Stop 10: Thian Fah Foundation Hospital - started in 1902 and their goal was to treat the impoverished and is still helping people today, next to a Chinese Shrine.

Which was another place to visit.

After this I needed some food - so it was street food served around the China Town Gateway - very nice.

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.

Have you seen a shower like this one?

Not seen one here in Thailand for a while - have you?

In Honduras courtesy of @celbrash and twitter.

Chatuchak Weekend Market - Visit 2

Chatuchak Weekend Market is somewhere that you must visit if you visit Bangkok.

- 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.