Tim in Thailand

Farang deaths in Phuket

Well imagine my surprise when I found out that there was a website documenting the deaths of foreigners in Thailand. Faring is the Thai word for someone who is not Thai.

Then this could be sorted to farang deaths in Phuket.

Then this could be sorted to nationality...

Then there is a twitter to follow - social media can be a little strange.

Happy Songkran 2016

We visited Wat Thepnimint at 7:30 in the morning.

It was a busy morning with the Monks in the temple praying and the local people waiting patiently to give their gifts, inside the temple with the monks, making small offerings outside and buying breakfast from the numerous motorbike stalls.

Then the monks emerged from the Wat. I do feel blessed simply visiting a Wat and visiting a Wat is a must for all people visiting Phuket.

Gifts are given to the monks as they walk round.

Then the gifts are loaded into a truck behind, hung on the bolts, flowers place on the front seat and it works seamlessly well - beautiful.

Then it was time to complete;

1: the joss sticks placed at the door to the Wat.

2: the placing of the flags in the sand (for people who could not come?)

3: the lighting of the candles (for people who have passed way?)

4: the specific placing of the gold leaf on the Buddha (for specific reasons which I can' understand yet)

5: the pouring of the blessed water over the small Buddha statue placed at the front

6: the clipping of money to a tree (a donation)

7: the putting of small coins under the different small monk statues

Then and Iced Coffee - Thai style...

Then a drive back to work...

Happy Songkran

Bangkok trip 4 work

Bangkok is a wonderfully interesting place to visit - even if it is just for work.

I do wonder whether selfie sticks are actually a good idea to use on the Apron of an airport when getting on the aeroplane? What do you think?

Lovely to have a metered taxi and I like the respect to Buddha. I stayed at Cape House near to the centre of Bangkok.

I loved the view out of the window - especially the Buddhist shrine that you can see if you look down and to the left. Found a Starbucks before bedtime and then a chocolate hit for lunch at Coffee Bean + Tea Leaf.

I visited the Erawan Shrine which was very close and it was lovely and as I read this I remember that I visited here only a fortnight before the terrible suicide bombings which occurred. Interesting to read that it is not a Buddhist Shrine but is actually Brahman

A great selection of flower offerings can be purchased outside

but they are not allowed to sell inside the shrine.

This was a rather unapproachable person selling birds to release... Popped into Central World - they have a great couple of shops selling cheap DVDs, a Teddy Bear shop, coffee shops and a number of places to find a gift.

Okay the motorbike should not be on the crossing but he did cross with everyone else?

Very soon it was time to get on the aeroplane to Phuket and the charging posts seemed a popular place to be...

See you again Bangkok.

Best Bubble Tea in Phuket - Mellow Yellow

Mellow Yellow - A wonderful drink which has gained popularity in Phuket.

Elephant Parade

Looking for a gift whilst working in Bangkok I came across these beautiful elephants.

"The Asian elephant is threatened with extinction. The available habitat has shrunk by 95% and its population has declined by at least 90% over the last 100 years.

In Thailand, where the Asian elephant is seen as a national symbol, there are just 4,000 elephants left, of which only 1,500 live in the wild.

As a ‘keystone species,’ if the Asian elephant becomes extinct, many other species will not be able to survive either."

Only when I returned home was I made aware of how much good they can share with you and others.

Next time you are looking for a gift please look at these wonderful gifts.

This was purchased in a Central on Soi Chidlom in Bangkok.

If you cannot get to Asia then try their website.

Travelling (@Phuket)

There are a number of

different ways of travelling in Phuket.

Shuttle Buses, Local Buses, Metered Taxi's, Motorbike Taxi, Tuk Tuks, Driving your car, Local Buses and Pink Buses.

But many difficulties exist purely because of the way that other people drive and this is what we don't always expect. I bet it was fun though...

So for one day I took a selection of drivers whilst we were driving - I would not liked to have been near this if anything happened.

This was on a one way road.

Choose your transport wisely...

What to wear in Thailand - Dos and Don'ts

Thank you to Chris and Angela for this
http://tielandtothailand.com

What to Wear: Everyday Outfits

Do bring hot weather clothing

Don’t wear revealing clothing

Footwear

Do wear comfortable, preferably water-resistant shoes

DON’T walk around barefoot, and pass on the high heels and boots

Beaches

Do wear bathing suits on the beach and cover-ups in town

Don’t walk around town in bathing suits or go topless

Temples

Do cover up your shoulders and knees

Don’t dress immodestly

Fabric Choices

Do bring lightweight clothing made of quick-wicking material

Don’t bring jeans or clothes made of 100% cotton

General Cleanliness

Do wear clean clothes and shower often

Don’t wear dirty clothing or ignore strong body odour

Star Wars IV and VII comparisons (lightsaber)

The DVD has come out - did you buy it?

This is quite clever...

So is this...

Motorbike taxi in Phuket

Motorbike Men is the topic of the day - whilst waiting for the local bus adjacent to the local market I am always tempted to take a motorbike to where I want to go. Would I suggest doing it?

Well I have done it more than once and it is certainly nor for everybody.

There is certainly a lot of camaraderie within them.

But today is about the 'motorbike men' who seem to be sitting there for a long time waiting for someone who wants a ride...

There are motorbike 'pick up points' scattered all over Phuket and they usually charge a reasonable price (but not for everyone). So if you do not want to hire a car this is an alternative, but there are more.