After a fairly mediocre breakfast at our hotel, we headed off to Nan, in Eastern Thailand near the border to Laos. It was progressively hillier as we made our way toward mountains. Gone were the rice paddies and now we were surrounded by, I kid you not, corn fields. Sometimes there would be a few […]
Author: Steve
Ayudhaya
A fresh reminder. This email notifies you that there is a new post. If you’d like to view the actual post on the blog, click on the “Read on blog” link as highlighted in red below. This will be the last post from Bangkok and Environs. Monday we fly to Chang Rai. The whole family, […]
Loy Krathong
After Thai massages, (in my case quite painful, but they just laughed at my groans), we took a Grab to Kannika’s house in Nonthaburi, a region north of Bangkok, though part of overall Bangkok metropolitan area. Kannika’s mother-in-law met us at the gate and showed us in. We had time for a quick rest, and […]
Bangkok Miscellaneous
Here are some random shots of Bangkok. It is a huge city, 270 square miles. With a population of over 17 million, it is also the most visited city in the world. Feung Nakorn Balcony Rooms and Cafe Nestled in an alley in the old part of Bangkok, this hotel was once an elementary school. […]
Jim Thompson House
From the handout we received when we bought our tickets: You are now in the Thai home of Jim Thompson, an American who was born in Greenville, Delaware, in 1906. A practicing architect prior to World War II, he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army, campaigned in Europe and was later sent to Asia. […]
Ko Kret & Chatuchak Market
Saturday My volunteered to take the girls to their various dance and piano lessons, thus freeing up Kook to play with us. She wanted to take us to Ko Kret and the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Ko Kret Ko Kret is a small island in the Chao Phraya River, just north of Bangkok. It was a […]
Long-tail Boat Ride
We ended the tour with a iconic “long-tail” boat ride through some of Bangkok’s canals. For those who aren’t familiar, these boats have huge motors in the back with propellor shafts that extend about 8 feet past the stern of the boat. The area we toured is considered a poor neighborhood. A room starts at […]
Wat Arun – Temple of the Dawn
Wat Arun is considered one of the most iconic temples in the world. It is on the other side of the Chao Phraya River from the Royal Palace complex. We were all pretty tired by the time we arrived, but were delighted by the “play acting” happening. Apparently, many Thai movie stars and models have […]
Royal Palace, Emerald Buddha, Reclining Buddha
The Royal Palace is a huge jumble of buildings, wats (temples), stupas, and tourist infrastructure. 8 million people visit each year, and it seemed like they all came the day we did. It hasn’t been the residence of the royal family since the 1900’s, but is still used for some ceremonial events, like welcoming foreign […]
Finally…We’re On Our Way!
We woke to the shocking and frightening news that DJT had regained the presidency. If you will permit me a short digression: I was raised in a time that character was the primary requirement for our nations leaders. That at the end of the day, citizenship is more important than partisanship. I’m not so naive […]