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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?><rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:blogger="http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008" xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0" version="2.0"><channel><atom:id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881</atom:id><lastBuildDate>Sat, 05 Oct 2024 02:00:04 +0000</lastBuildDate><category>Thailand</category><category>Temple</category><category>Travel</category><category>World</category><title>WORLD TRAVEL THAILAND</title><description></description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/</link><managingEditor>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</managingEditor><generator>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>29</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><language>en-us</language><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle/><itunes:category text="Sports &amp; Recreation"><itunes:category text="Amateur"/></itunes:category><itunes:owner><itunes:email>noreply@blogger.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><xhtml:meta content="noindex" name="robots" xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"/><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-6722439658871612906</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:01:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-03T09:15:10.023+03:00</atom:updated><title>Surin Elephant Round-up Thai Festival</title><description>&lt;div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"&gt;
  2. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Surin Elephant Round-up&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  3. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  4. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3vnPYZpU-1u8bxAMV_rZeGLktsqo3hg_DGcN8d7Vc4DZwAVBhMKWeQIMcQU4yCr9RgRX0br1pgJUBCxKEO3qIwtSkKX6DkNBwCOlAzUs0dK_C72yHz-YCh_GCIuEMUS4xLJMCnX8hlo/s1600/IMG_3203-738140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3vnPYZpU-1u8bxAMV_rZeGLktsqo3hg_DGcN8d7Vc4DZwAVBhMKWeQIMcQU4yCr9RgRX0br1pgJUBCxKEO3qIwtSkKX6DkNBwCOlAzUs0dK_C72yHz-YCh_GCIuEMUS4xLJMCnX8hlo/s640/IMG_3203-738140.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  5. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  6. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  7. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The Surin Elephant Round-up usually takes place on the third weekend of November in Surin province, Isan, Thailand. It is of recent origin, first held in 1960. The people of Surin were traditionally excellent at capturing elephants in Cambodia, then training them as working animals. Civil war in Cambodia and the elephant's decreasing economic importance has forced the elephant handlers (mahouts) to turn to entertainment to make a living.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  8. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The event consists of a series of shows displaying the strength and skill of the animals, such as football games and tugs of war.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  9. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  10. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86OpzqIFFsgf6_lB5NDlxgBO1ZlJsQPBNO36eHzL92nudZAjOmgPiiEN_HsKMW-fYjEzzgYsLfqI_j2eFzQcweOi__AaCQCwIQmlgRbP0aIYnu0o3q7lJZx_xKuee84QOQ7PwKxUwKrA/s1600/ed6d0a9e338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86OpzqIFFsgf6_lB5NDlxgBO1ZlJsQPBNO36eHzL92nudZAjOmgPiiEN_HsKMW-fYjEzzgYsLfqI_j2eFzQcweOi__AaCQCwIQmlgRbP0aIYnu0o3q7lJZx_xKuee84QOQ7PwKxUwKrA/s640/ed6d0a9e338.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  11. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  12. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  13. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The Elephant Breakfast is a small part of the festival and is held on the Friday morning. A procession of up to over 300 elephants (2005) start marching through Surin city from the railway station area toward the Elephant roundabout at the south end of the city on the Prasat road.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  14. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The elephants carry dignitaries and also some tourists who dismount their steeds on arrival. Some elephants carry mahouts in authentic battle outfits from the Thai - Khmer - Laos battles. Intermingled with the elephant procession are local school children and teachers in traditional dress, dancing and playing music.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  15. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  16. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWKIF1-yBFl7jyn1odmp-vjtMurZW8OwZrSFob3r3opIwohRiK4Wc9brIzwzlu62zoarmPvAzMEA84170GMn0nYq5dIQuAo-fpckBkTqfxMdC0tJzqz_TlwVTzxCTms_edYRMCrC-O8s/s1600/PICT1373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWKIF1-yBFl7jyn1odmp-vjtMurZW8OwZrSFob3r3opIwohRiK4Wc9brIzwzlu62zoarmPvAzMEA84170GMn0nYq5dIQuAo-fpckBkTqfxMdC0tJzqz_TlwVTzxCTms_edYRMCrC-O8s/s400/PICT1373.JPG" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  17. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Once all the elephants have arrived then the banquet can begin, the tables of fruits are quickly cleared by the large team of elephants. Whatever leftovers there may be is not lost, as the local people take the leftovers to their own homes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  18. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;On the following morning (Saturday) the elephants and mahoots congregate at the Elephant Stadium to the south east of the city centre. Here the main show is performed culminating in a re-enactment of the battles of a past century. The show is repeated on Sunday morning.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  19. &lt;br /&gt;
  20. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  21. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IUAa9jmb-PsFAfhwu0dCJmNJRiZJb_gYOKpHMO814SemKb6AKOjS8VDLsOtobI82ZxOkH_iOEwcmO9sbnXoF-ALUrCyu1cQ7RJNEleyctqcCFU_ksNYjHLFDc883kbC4tweMOPsgKVo/s1600/548e900bb4cdfedf4a5b3d108736849c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-IUAa9jmb-PsFAfhwu0dCJmNJRiZJb_gYOKpHMO814SemKb6AKOjS8VDLsOtobI82ZxOkH_iOEwcmO9sbnXoF-ALUrCyu1cQ7RJNEleyctqcCFU_ksNYjHLFDc883kbC4tweMOPsgKVo/s640/548e900bb4cdfedf4a5b3d108736849c.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  31. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  32. &lt;/div&gt;
  33. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Visit Thailand&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  34. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"&gt;source:wikipedia,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.kahunablog.de/asien"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"&gt;http://www.kahunablog.de/asien&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  35. &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/11/surin-elephant-round-up-thai-festival.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3vnPYZpU-1u8bxAMV_rZeGLktsqo3hg_DGcN8d7Vc4DZwAVBhMKWeQIMcQU4yCr9RgRX0br1pgJUBCxKEO3qIwtSkKX6DkNBwCOlAzUs0dK_C72yHz-YCh_GCIuEMUS4xLJMCnX8hlo/s72-c/IMG_3203-738140.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>16</thr:total><enclosure length="454674" type="image/jpeg" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TOpoEbhyQyI/AAAAAAAAAjk/8-X0P-HLxKo/s1600/IMG_3203-738140.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Surin Elephant Round-up The Surin Elephant Round-up usually takes place on the third weekend of November in Surin province, Isan, Thailand. It is of recent origin, first held in 1960. The people of Surin were traditionally excellent at capturing elephants in Cambodia, then training them as working animals. Civil war in Cambodia and the elephant's decreasing economic importance has forced the elephant handlers (mahouts) to turn to entertainment to make a living. The event consists of a series of shows displaying the strength and skill of the animals, such as football games and tugs of war. The Elephant Breakfast is a small part of the festival and is held on the Friday morning. A procession of up to over 300 elephants (2005) start marching through Surin city from the railway station area toward the Elephant roundabout at the south end of the city on the Prasat road. The elephants carry dignitaries and also some tourists who dismount their steeds on arrival. Some elephants carry mahouts in authentic battle outfits from the Thai - Khmer - Laos battles. Intermingled with the elephant procession are local school children and teachers in traditional dress, dancing and playing music. Once all the elephants have arrived then the banquet can begin, the tables of fruits are quickly cleared by the large team of elephants. Whatever leftovers there may be is not lost, as the local people take the leftovers to their own homes. On the following morning (Saturday) the elephants and mahoots congregate at the Elephant Stadium to the south east of the city centre. Here the main show is performed culminating in a re-enactment of the battles of a past century. The show is repeated on Sunday morning. Visit Thailand source:wikipedia,http://www.kahunablog.de/asien http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Surin Elephant Round-up The Surin Elephant Round-up usually takes place on the third weekend of November in Surin province, Isan, Thailand. It is of recent origin, first held in 1960. The people of Surin were traditionally excellent at capturing elephants in Cambodia, then training them as working animals. Civil war in Cambodia and the elephant's decreasing economic importance has forced the elephant handlers (mahouts) to turn to entertainment to make a living. The event consists of a series of shows displaying the strength and skill of the animals, such as football games and tugs of war. The Elephant Breakfast is a small part of the festival and is held on the Friday morning. A procession of up to over 300 elephants (2005) start marching through Surin city from the railway station area toward the Elephant roundabout at the south end of the city on the Prasat road. The elephants carry dignitaries and also some tourists who dismount their steeds on arrival. Some elephants carry mahouts in authentic battle outfits from the Thai - Khmer - Laos battles. Intermingled with the elephant procession are local school children and teachers in traditional dress, dancing and playing music. Once all the elephants have arrived then the banquet can begin, the tables of fruits are quickly cleared by the large team of elephants. Whatever leftovers there may be is not lost, as the local people take the leftovers to their own homes. On the following morning (Saturday) the elephants and mahoots congregate at the Elephant Stadium to the south east of the city centre. Here the main show is performed culminating in a re-enactment of the battles of a past century. The show is repeated on Sunday morning. Visit Thailand source:wikipedia,http://www.kahunablog.de/asien http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-5916402409313906200</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:26:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-03T09:11:03.285+03:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Thailand</category><title>Loei - Thailand</title><description>&lt;div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"&gt;
  36. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"&gt;Loei Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  37. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  38. &lt;/div&gt;
  39. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  40. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVdb4X61JrUM54UOm9xXVdRAGKAuDS6ZF9QHAZFmtnXPoS78VYHbDJwuzPwRYVHGyu0WbPseZxMC_hFfE4QBw2WyY_5Z8UYC4dkMhyphenhyphenOFidL-DUfbSdU257PxWRBDG56u3Aiyvhrgy4HM/s1600/loei+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVdb4X61JrUM54UOm9xXVdRAGKAuDS6ZF9QHAZFmtnXPoS78VYHbDJwuzPwRYVHGyu0WbPseZxMC_hFfE4QBw2WyY_5Z8UYC4dkMhyphenhyphenOFidL-DUfbSdU257PxWRBDG56u3Aiyvhrgy4HM/s640/loei+copy.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  41. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  42. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  43. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Loei (Thai: เลย) is one of the most sparsely populated provinces (changwat) of Thailand, located in the North-East of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from east clockwise) Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Nongbua Lamphu, Khon Kaen, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok. In the north it borders Xaignabouli and Vientiane Province of Laos.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  44. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Loei is a city surrounded by undulating mountain ranges whose summits are covered by foggy lines, abundant with various kinds of flora. The well-known ones are Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang and Phu Ruea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  45. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  46. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK604Phmk5ORsgRvARgiawmY1NmfCl9KMft0s1gMwu44o8n2iOywF4CZT1rxj0KaXfvmde9Fu3YlTOcH1epvpa9yFM0d24rieAH15ftWaDNs8nIEg6_cu2AOYKzFgOuTgvQUAeZ-HhWGQ/s1600/Phra_That_Si_Song_Rak+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK604Phmk5ORsgRvARgiawmY1NmfCl9KMft0s1gMwu44o8n2iOywF4CZT1rxj0KaXfvmde9Fu3YlTOcH1epvpa9yFM0d24rieAH15ftWaDNs8nIEg6_cu2AOYKzFgOuTgvQUAeZ-HhWGQ/s400/Phra_That_Si_Song_Rak+copy.jpg" width="300" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  47. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  48. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  49. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Loei is an ecotourism city surrounded by undulating mountain ranges whose summits are covered by foggy lines, abundant with various kinds of flora. The well-known ones are Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang and Phu Ruea. Its temperature is comfortably cool, with beautiful geographical surroundings, as well as unique cultures and traditions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  50. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Loei is 520 kilometres from Bangkok, covering an area of 11,424 square kilometres. It is a boundary province located in the upper northeastern part of Thailand, on the bank of the Mekong River along the Phetchabun mountain range.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  51. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;In the past, it was a small community in a prosperous empire during the same period as the Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya. Later, the Lan Chang Empire became weaker, therefore, the community moved to be with Ayutthaya. During the reign of King Rama V of the Rattanakosin period, the community was upgraded to be Loei province.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  52. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  53. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  54. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Bun Luang Festival and Phi Ta Khon (งานประเพณีบุญหลวง และการละเล่นผีตาโขน) is held annually in Amphoe Dan Sai on Saturday to Sunday after the full moon day of the 6th lunar month, and after paying respect to Phrathat Si Song Rak. Phi Ta Khon is a local activity of Amphoe Dan Sai and Amphoe Na Haeo, relating to the belief and faith in Buddhism and the spirit of ancestors. Phi Ta Khon parades are organised in the Bun Luang Festival, an annual local merit making ceremony. Phi Ta Khon is usually participated especially by males both boys and men. The festival is organised in 2 days. On the first day, the Phra Upakhut procession proceeds from the Man River to Wat Phon Chai and on the next day, it will enter the town, while the Phi Ta Khon participants will throw their costumes and accessories away into the Man River. After that, a series of all 13 chapters of the Great Birth Sermon will be given during the event.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  55. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  56. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-EhcImggL5OD9AhXdx1GnxTRxxqR7w3xrQxDmRnbbSSFhcRJMfEV1zIRqJHa8IgL-CgXdRGXniAeHcvR9q0oc2LNLwwqGOOYr_oK4c-TI3JBHkQnJNygc2fHIVx7he2g1qfvsUX1A4I/s1600/155_3242+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-EhcImggL5OD9AhXdx1GnxTRxxqR7w3xrQxDmRnbbSSFhcRJMfEV1zIRqJHa8IgL-CgXdRGXniAeHcvR9q0oc2LNLwwqGOOYr_oK4c-TI3JBHkQnJNygc2fHIVx7he2g1qfvsUX1A4I/s640/155_3242+copy.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  57. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  58. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  59. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Phitakon (ผีตาโขน)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  60. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;The best worst-publicized festival in Thailand. Every year in Dan Sai (ด่านซ้าย) the Phi Ta Kon festival is held. Revelers make traditional masks, which they wear in a parade down the main street of Dan Sai. Traditionally, the masks were made to frighten evil spirits away, the wearer dons the mask and drags bells behind them with the intention of clearing the surrounding area of evil spirits (generally while drinking large amounts of home brewed spirits of a different kind). Afterward, the parade begins and thousands of people head through the streets for what becomes a chaotic fertility festival, many participants in the parade carry phallic water guns and comically over-sized wooden penises with them. Dan Sai is about 2 hours west of the main city of Loei. It can be reached by bus.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  61. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  62. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7bsOxhpBBQqnLgM5EI2iXwyV0nLuvY3-s6MGYwtkBKrsdML580rHt-ei_J1xNuHvYr759OrAEFIc8eUiqUgyvxWH9ZpzMwDiVIxnHFMu6IofluktRrzy04I2w24INWfvMT4Y3HYJwns/s1600/phiTakon14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7bsOxhpBBQqnLgM5EI2iXwyV0nLuvY3-s6MGYwtkBKrsdML580rHt-ei_J1xNuHvYr759OrAEFIc8eUiqUgyvxWH9ZpzMwDiVIxnHFMu6IofluktRrzy04I2w24INWfvMT4Y3HYJwns/s640/phiTakon14.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  108. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCP7h9UG73mwwgnLR6f67PUTsHsOYnMH6jmJZ3JH1vmbgTGm5Pr65Sc4YgK2d9NXHH1x48lVbkQIJ87SX7zVxbC_x2-KoolunKDR7trilHJL46z3I1bitW_-B030rPWVeUbjk0lBsxIWs/s1600/phalomsak-phukradueng-loei+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCP7h9UG73mwwgnLR6f67PUTsHsOYnMH6jmJZ3JH1vmbgTGm5Pr65Sc4YgK2d9NXHH1x48lVbkQIJ87SX7zVxbC_x2-KoolunKDR7trilHJL46z3I1bitW_-B030rPWVeUbjk0lBsxIWs/s640/phalomsak-phukradueng-loei+copy.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  116. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;VISIT THAILAND&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  117. &lt;div&gt;
  118. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"&gt;sources:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loei_Province"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loei_Province&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"&gt;,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Loei"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #999999;"&gt;http://wikitravel.org/en/Loei&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  119. &lt;/div&gt;
  120. &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/11/loei-thailand.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVdb4X61JrUM54UOm9xXVdRAGKAuDS6ZF9QHAZFmtnXPoS78VYHbDJwuzPwRYVHGyu0WbPseZxMC_hFfE4QBw2WyY_5Z8UYC4dkMhyphenhyphenOFidL-DUfbSdU257PxWRBDG56u3Aiyvhrgy4HM/s72-c/loei+copy.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>4</thr:total><enclosure length="99766" type="image/jpeg" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TOJLqVfT_GI/AAAAAAAAAjA/YMsWJfuqlQw/s1600/loei+copy.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Loei Thailand Loei (Thai: เลย) is one of the most sparsely populated provinces (changwat) of Thailand, located in the North-East of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from east clockwise) Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Nongbua Lamphu, Khon Kaen, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok. In the north it borders Xaignabouli and Vientiane Province of Laos. Loei is a city surrounded by undulating mountain ranges whose summits are covered by foggy lines, abundant with various kinds of flora. The well-known ones are Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang and Phu Ruea. Loei is an ecotourism city surrounded by undulating mountain ranges whose summits are covered by foggy lines, abundant with various kinds of flora. The well-known ones are Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang and Phu Ruea. Its temperature is comfortably cool, with beautiful geographical surroundings, as well as unique cultures and traditions. Loei is 520 kilometres from Bangkok, covering an area of 11,424 square kilometres. It is a boundary province located in the upper northeastern part of Thailand, on the bank of the Mekong River along the Phetchabun mountain range. In the past, it was a small community in a prosperous empire during the same period as the Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya. Later, the Lan Chang Empire became weaker, therefore, the community moved to be with Ayutthaya. During the reign of King Rama V of the Rattanakosin period, the community was upgraded to be Loei province. Bun Luang Festival and Phi Ta Khon (งานประเพณีบุญหลวง และการละเล่นผีตาโขน) is held annually in Amphoe Dan Sai on Saturday to Sunday after the full moon day of the 6th lunar month, and after paying respect to Phrathat Si Song Rak. Phi Ta Khon is a local activity of Amphoe Dan Sai and Amphoe Na Haeo, relating to the belief and faith in Buddhism and the spirit of ancestors. Phi Ta Khon parades are organised in the Bun Luang Festival, an annual local merit making ceremony. Phi Ta Khon is usually participated especially by males both boys and men. The festival is organised in 2 days. On the first day, the Phra Upakhut procession proceeds from the Man River to Wat Phon Chai and on the next day, it will enter the town, while the Phi Ta Khon participants will throw their costumes and accessories away into the Man River. After that, a series of all 13 chapters of the Great Birth Sermon will be given during the event. Phitakon (ผีตาโขน)&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The best worst-publicized festival in Thailand. Every year in Dan Sai (ด่านซ้าย) the Phi Ta Kon festival is held. Revelers make traditional masks, which they wear in a parade down the main street of Dan Sai. Traditionally, the masks were made to frighten evil spirits away, the wearer dons the mask and drags bells behind them with the intention of clearing the surrounding area of evil spirits (generally while drinking large amounts of home brewed spirits of a different kind). Afterward, the parade begins and thousands of people head through the streets for what becomes a chaotic fertility festival, many participants in the parade carry phallic water guns and comically over-sized wooden penises with them. Dan Sai is about 2 hours west of the main city of Loei. It can be reached by bus. VISIT THAILAND sources:&amp;nbsp;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loei_Province,&amp;nbsp;http://wikitravel.org/en/Loei http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Loei Thailand Loei (Thai: เลย) is one of the most sparsely populated provinces (changwat) of Thailand, located in the North-East of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from east clockwise) Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Nongbua Lamphu, Khon Kaen, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok. In the north it borders Xaignabouli and Vientiane Province of Laos. Loei is a city surrounded by undulating mountain ranges whose summits are covered by foggy lines, abundant with various kinds of flora. The well-known ones are Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang and Phu Ruea. Loei is an ecotourism city surrounded by undulating mountain ranges whose summits are covered by foggy lines, abundant with various kinds of flora. The well-known ones are Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang and Phu Ruea. Its temperature is comfortably cool, with beautiful geographical surroundings, as well as unique cultures and traditions. Loei is 520 kilometres from Bangkok, covering an area of 11,424 square kilometres. It is a boundary province located in the upper northeastern part of Thailand, on the bank of the Mekong River along the Phetchabun mountain range. In the past, it was a small community in a prosperous empire during the same period as the Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya. Later, the Lan Chang Empire became weaker, therefore, the community moved to be with Ayutthaya. During the reign of King Rama V of the Rattanakosin period, the community was upgraded to be Loei province. Bun Luang Festival and Phi Ta Khon (งานประเพณีบุญหลวง และการละเล่นผีตาโขน) is held annually in Amphoe Dan Sai on Saturday to Sunday after the full moon day of the 6th lunar month, and after paying respect to Phrathat Si Song Rak. Phi Ta Khon is a local activity of Amphoe Dan Sai and Amphoe Na Haeo, relating to the belief and faith in Buddhism and the spirit of ancestors. Phi Ta Khon parades are organised in the Bun Luang Festival, an annual local merit making ceremony. Phi Ta Khon is usually participated especially by males both boys and men. The festival is organised in 2 days. On the first day, the Phra Upakhut procession proceeds from the Man River to Wat Phon Chai and on the next day, it will enter the town, while the Phi Ta Khon participants will throw their costumes and accessories away into the Man River. After that, a series of all 13 chapters of the Great Birth Sermon will be given during the event. Phitakon (ผีตาโขน)&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The best worst-publicized festival in Thailand. Every year in Dan Sai (ด่านซ้าย) the Phi Ta Kon festival is held. Revelers make traditional masks, which they wear in a parade down the main street of Dan Sai. Traditionally, the masks were made to frighten evil spirits away, the wearer dons the mask and drags bells behind them with the intention of clearing the surrounding area of evil spirits (generally while drinking large amounts of home brewed spirits of a different kind). Afterward, the parade begins and thousands of people head through the streets for what becomes a chaotic fertility festival, many participants in the parade carry phallic water guns and comically over-sized wooden penises with them. Dan Sai is about 2 hours west of the main city of Loei. It can be reached by bus. VISIT THAILAND sources:&amp;nbsp;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loei_Province,&amp;nbsp;http://wikitravel.org/en/Loei http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary><itunes:keywords>Thailand</itunes:keywords></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-2954507927980886033</guid><pubDate>Mon, 08 Nov 2010 20:38:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-03T09:13:38.406+03:00</atom:updated><title>Prachuap Khiri Khan</title><description>&lt;div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"&gt;
  121. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  122. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD25F19GtXK8IAYecl4sK_ZKXGela_sqxXSUtTweCcIQZpGfss-ftiw5Ac1HeG4JgVODknb-6RTYJTz2Fz0-6yXYXbH_okaCGhAtPf7qmbHuGStmiZCgtdhGjKizqcZ0_S6_Y6jVoOYqs/s1600/prachuap-khiri-khan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD25F19GtXK8IAYecl4sK_ZKXGela_sqxXSUtTweCcIQZpGfss-ftiw5Ac1HeG4JgVODknb-6RTYJTz2Fz0-6yXYXbH_okaCGhAtPf7qmbHuGStmiZCgtdhGjKizqcZ0_S6_Y6jVoOYqs/s640/prachuap-khiri-khan.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  123. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  124. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  125. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Prachuap Khiri Khan&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;(ประจวบคีรีขันธ&lt;/b&gt;) is a coastal town in &lt;b&gt;Western Thailand&lt;/b&gt;. It could culturally be considered a part of the &lt;b&gt;Central Plains&lt;/b&gt;, but is geographically connected to Southern &lt;b&gt;Thailand&lt;/b&gt; as it is a part of the &lt;b&gt;Malay Peninsula&lt;/b&gt;. It possesses various interesting tourism attractions such as beaches, islands, forests and mountains.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  126. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Prachuap Khiri Khan&lt;/b&gt; Province covers an area of 6,367.620 square kilometres. It is a long and narrow coast stretching to the South. The narrowest part is from the border of Thailand and Burma on the West to the eastern sea coast at the Singkhon Pass, Khlong Wan sub-district, Mueang district, being a distance of approximately 12 kilometres. Its distance from the north to the south is approximately 212 kilometres.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  127. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  128. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  129. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The town itself is small enough to get around on foot. For access to the beaches you can easily catch a tuktuk.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  130. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Rickshaws (Sam Lor) are for relative short distances. Tourists can take short rides within the town costing between 20 and 30 baht. Longer rides may cost as much as 50 baht.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  131. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Tuk-Tuks&lt;/b&gt; (three-wheeled motorized rickshaws) are also popular for short and quick journeys. Fares must be bargained in advance.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  132. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Songthaews (public passenger pick-up vehicles) pick up as many passengers as they can and drop them off as the drivers reach their destinations. They are a very reasonable way of getting around.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  133. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Motorbikes can be hired but it is advised to be extremely careful when hiring a motorbike to only use a reputable agency.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  134. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Cars can be rented from trust-worthy companies such as AVIS, Budget and Hertz. For those traveling only short distances, they can rent bicycles downtown.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  135. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Motorbike Taxis are the most popular form of public transportation in town and the prices are low (some bargaining is advised before getting on). Trips cost about 10-40 baht depending on the distance. Due to safety however, make sure the driver has a spare helmet of good quality.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  136. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Boats can be hired at the pier for travel to nearby islands.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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  140. &lt;/div&gt;
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  142. &lt;/div&gt;
  143. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE68e610mkJynfiQUELKU_ifV2VMQjVGdCx-FB8pDJX0-lEOWPeRwgQZGzkShr_ZtWYnjXbp-yggA356bYW-f11ZFruqiGYIRDsXpSLXZs6UTRuJiccj-pgGSmxd3im7K5r3MXKQG1ty8/s1600/gallery3-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE68e610mkJynfiQUELKU_ifV2VMQjVGdCx-FB8pDJX0-lEOWPeRwgQZGzkShr_ZtWYnjXbp-yggA356bYW-f11ZFruqiGYIRDsXpSLXZs6UTRuJiccj-pgGSmxd3im7K5r3MXKQG1ty8/s320/gallery3-18.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Wat Thammikaram&lt;/b&gt; - excellent views of the bay and city, with wild monkeys crawling all over the place.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  144. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  145. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  146. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ao Manao&lt;/b&gt; beach&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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  148. &lt;/div&gt;
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  150. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Wd2DXHEGjRnE81zXLpDeuzYUhn7hZpAolhRhlJ5g3enVBs-XHHyUz7GgxQZAzWD_k1yDqMMzYBri29SSRpuyem2Q7uiLcw3ZQvNOt8LyPPxybkf3ago4JySg0MrOxziFHYaRPQulL1o/s1600/prachuap-khiri-khan+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Wd2DXHEGjRnE81zXLpDeuzYUhn7hZpAolhRhlJ5g3enVBs-XHHyUz7GgxQZAzWD_k1yDqMMzYBri29SSRpuyem2Q7uiLcw3ZQvNOt8LyPPxybkf3ago4JySg0MrOxziFHYaRPQulL1o/s640/prachuap-khiri-khan+(1).jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  151. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  152. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  153. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  154. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  155. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Budget&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  156. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Yuttichai Hotel&lt;/b&gt;, clean, friendly family-style hotel on &lt;b&gt;Kong Kiat Road&lt;/b&gt;, which is the street leading from the train station in the direction towards the ocean. Double rooms from 160B. Laundry and scooter rental services are also available from the hotel.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  157. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Suksant hotel, looks to have been remodeled recently but the plumbing is in a horrible state when it comes to the higher levels, to the point where the toilet would simply not flush.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  158. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Maggie's Guest House. Maggie's is a lovely traditional Thai house, set in a large shady garden. The house is on Soi Tamphamook. The Soi is situated between the Suksant and Had Tong Hotels and the house is about 100 metres from the sea. Rooms start from 150 baht. Laundry service, scooter and bicycle hire. Day trips arranged to the various national parks or where ever you want to go. Jungle treks and mountain bike tours can also be arranged through the guesthouse. Check the house out on facebook (maggies guest house Prachuap)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  159. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;.Tel +66-32-604216 OR +66-802251340&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  160. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;http://www.trekearth.com&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"&gt;9SGZ5FJ4UR7Q&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  161. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;http://maggiesprachuap.webs.com/&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  162. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  163. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  164. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  165. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyKNlXrJnDl_BkG61n0UvUU4gCT4QAZJbJ7VlBWEgNlR-SxBPUjgpEyWUo3qwEwpGzIVgDbq9kwZ9rEZ2naa-Rn9IvZckOiAcbw1_yXRCoUcK94eJHgBTH469jMua94i1wBqo8LZPL5M/s1600/DSC00659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyKNlXrJnDl_BkG61n0UvUU4gCT4QAZJbJ7VlBWEgNlR-SxBPUjgpEyWUo3qwEwpGzIVgDbq9kwZ9rEZ2naa-Rn9IvZckOiAcbw1_yXRCoUcK94eJHgBTH469jMua94i1wBqo8LZPL5M/s640/DSC00659.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  166. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  167. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  168. &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/11/prachuap-khiri-khan.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD25F19GtXK8IAYecl4sK_ZKXGela_sqxXSUtTweCcIQZpGfss-ftiw5Ac1HeG4JgVODknb-6RTYJTz2Fz0-6yXYXbH_okaCGhAtPf7qmbHuGStmiZCgtdhGjKizqcZ0_S6_Y6jVoOYqs/s72-c/prachuap-khiri-khan.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>17</thr:total><enclosure length="39740" type="image/jpeg" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TNhbXvB8uTI/AAAAAAAAAio/wtJqGbY_5wM/s1600/prachuap-khiri-khan.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Prachuap Khiri Khan (ประจวบคีรีขันธ) is a coastal town in Western Thailand. It could culturally be considered a part of the Central Plains, but is geographically connected to Southern Thailand as it is a part of the Malay Peninsula. It possesses various interesting tourism attractions such as beaches, islands, forests and mountains. Prachuap Khiri Khan Province covers an area of 6,367.620 square kilometres. It is a long and narrow coast stretching to the South. The narrowest part is from the border of Thailand and Burma on the West to the eastern sea coast at the Singkhon Pass, Khlong Wan sub-district, Mueang district, being a distance of approximately 12 kilometres. Its distance from the north to the south is approximately 212 kilometres. The town itself is small enough to get around on foot. For access to the beaches you can easily catch a tuktuk. Rickshaws (Sam Lor) are for relative short distances. Tourists can take short rides within the town costing between 20 and 30 baht. Longer rides may cost as much as 50 baht. Tuk-Tuks (three-wheeled motorized rickshaws) are also popular for short and quick journeys. Fares must be bargained in advance. Songthaews (public passenger pick-up vehicles) pick up as many passengers as they can and drop them off as the drivers reach their destinations. They are a very reasonable way of getting around. Motorbikes can be hired but it is advised to be extremely careful when hiring a motorbike to only use a reputable agency. Cars can be rented from trust-worthy companies such as AVIS, Budget and Hertz. For those traveling only short distances, they can rent bicycles downtown. Motorbike Taxis are the most popular form of public transportation in town and the prices are low (some bargaining is advised before getting on). Trips cost about 10-40 baht depending on the distance. Due to safety however, make sure the driver has a spare helmet of good quality. Boats can be hired at the pier for travel to nearby islands. Wat Thammikaram - excellent views of the bay and city, with wild monkeys crawling all over the place. Ao Manao beach Budget Yuttichai Hotel, clean, friendly family-style hotel on Kong Kiat Road, which is the street leading from the train station in the direction towards the ocean. Double rooms from 160B. Laundry and scooter rental services are also available from the hotel. Suksant hotel, looks to have been remodeled recently but the plumbing is in a horrible state when it comes to the higher levels, to the point where the toilet would simply not flush. Maggie's Guest House. Maggie's is a lovely traditional Thai house, set in a large shady garden. The house is on Soi Tamphamook. The Soi is situated between the Suksant and Had Tong Hotels and the house is about 100 metres from the sea. Rooms start from 150 baht. Laundry service, scooter and bicycle hire. Day trips arranged to the various national parks or where ever you want to go. Jungle treks and mountain bike tours can also be arranged through the guesthouse. Check the house out on facebook (maggies guest house Prachuap)&amp;nbsp; .Tel +66-32-604216 OR +66-802251340 http://www.trekearth.com9SGZ5FJ4UR7Q&amp;nbsp; http://maggiesprachuap.webs.com/ http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Prachuap Khiri Khan (ประจวบคีรีขันธ) is a coastal town in Western Thailand. It could culturally be considered a part of the Central Plains, but is geographically connected to Southern Thailand as it is a part of the Malay Peninsula. It possesses various interesting tourism attractions such as beaches, islands, forests and mountains. Prachuap Khiri Khan Province covers an area of 6,367.620 square kilometres. It is a long and narrow coast stretching to the South. The narrowest part is from the border of Thailand and Burma on the West to the eastern sea coast at the Singkhon Pass, Khlong Wan sub-district, Mueang district, being a distance of approximately 12 kilometres. Its distance from the north to the south is approximately 212 kilometres. The town itself is small enough to get around on foot. For access to the beaches you can easily catch a tuktuk. Rickshaws (Sam Lor) are for relative short distances. Tourists can take short rides within the town costing between 20 and 30 baht. Longer rides may cost as much as 50 baht. Tuk-Tuks (three-wheeled motorized rickshaws) are also popular for short and quick journeys. Fares must be bargained in advance. Songthaews (public passenger pick-up vehicles) pick up as many passengers as they can and drop them off as the drivers reach their destinations. They are a very reasonable way of getting around. Motorbikes can be hired but it is advised to be extremely careful when hiring a motorbike to only use a reputable agency. Cars can be rented from trust-worthy companies such as AVIS, Budget and Hertz. For those traveling only short distances, they can rent bicycles downtown. Motorbike Taxis are the most popular form of public transportation in town and the prices are low (some bargaining is advised before getting on). Trips cost about 10-40 baht depending on the distance. Due to safety however, make sure the driver has a spare helmet of good quality. Boats can be hired at the pier for travel to nearby islands. Wat Thammikaram - excellent views of the bay and city, with wild monkeys crawling all over the place. Ao Manao beach Budget Yuttichai Hotel, clean, friendly family-style hotel on Kong Kiat Road, which is the street leading from the train station in the direction towards the ocean. Double rooms from 160B. Laundry and scooter rental services are also available from the hotel. Suksant hotel, looks to have been remodeled recently but the plumbing is in a horrible state when it comes to the higher levels, to the point where the toilet would simply not flush. Maggie's Guest House. Maggie's is a lovely traditional Thai house, set in a large shady garden. The house is on Soi Tamphamook. The Soi is situated between the Suksant and Had Tong Hotels and the house is about 100 metres from the sea. Rooms start from 150 baht. Laundry service, scooter and bicycle hire. Day trips arranged to the various national parks or where ever you want to go. Jungle treks and mountain bike tours can also be arranged through the guesthouse. Check the house out on facebook (maggies guest house Prachuap)&amp;nbsp; .Tel +66-32-604216 OR +66-802251340 http://www.trekearth.com9SGZ5FJ4UR7Q&amp;nbsp; http://maggiesprachuap.webs.com/ http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-116418357935447913</guid><pubDate>Mon, 01 Nov 2010 20:27:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-11-01T22:27:57.749+02:00</atom:updated><title>Rayong  and Koh Samet</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUFTUowh9AtPWoWzxrX82QpP_aqFcVVT5_yS_OPX3xcjKWi6umeRQKO2aQmm0TLpnyVxmVaY_zg6ca9qFLDegiTmp4qQvhMChae94G5x5PMj0MnRRCAPDVms1YJ8EZcZjnDaJdCcsGD0/s1600/1266382501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUFTUowh9AtPWoWzxrX82QpP_aqFcVVT5_yS_OPX3xcjKWi6umeRQKO2aQmm0TLpnyVxmVaY_zg6ca9qFLDegiTmp4qQvhMChae94G5x5PMj0MnRRCAPDVms1YJ8EZcZjnDaJdCcsGD0/s640/1266382501.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  169. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  170. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Koh Samet&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  171. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rDlfIWh5W_ZHdt9ZZ3s8xVTp2qL00hTL3mAiW3OpNoxY0aBpFxnmG1Mg4bMOdkbmM0g4KuLQyS8_WgI7TinNLaTy2VsQAgFssfX1RP974gmO4pGQD5VG3yK4kvvab1Aa0TEKkyRIb20/s1600/samed_05+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rDlfIWh5W_ZHdt9ZZ3s8xVTp2qL00hTL3mAiW3OpNoxY0aBpFxnmG1Mg4bMOdkbmM0g4KuLQyS8_WgI7TinNLaTy2VsQAgFssfX1RP974gmO4pGQD5VG3yK4kvvab1Aa0TEKkyRIb20/s320/samed_05+(1).jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Just 200 kilometers from &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Bangkok &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;in the&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt; Gulf of Thailand&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;, the T-shaped island of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Samet&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt; is famed for its white sandy beaches, exotic coral and crystal clear waters. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Same&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;t has developed steadily over the past decade or so, but it hasn't been the victim of over zealous construction which has hit the likes of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Samui (or even Ko Chang)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;. The island is typified for its splendid beaches and white silky sand, surrounded by tropical coral reefs and crystal clear sea. Tourists can also enjoy a plethora of delicious cuisine and fine nightlife.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;It's a popular tourist destination for Thais and foreigners alike. As &lt;b&gt;Ko Samet&lt;/b&gt; is so near &lt;b&gt;Bangkok&lt;/b&gt;, the island is ideal for those in the capital wanting to chill-out with their families for a couple of days, without having to go through all that rigmarole of having to travel down south. It's only a 2.5 hour ride to &lt;b&gt;Ban Phe&lt;/b&gt;, where one can take a 20-minutes ferry to the island.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;It is believed that once upon a time, &lt;b&gt;Ko Samet&lt;/b&gt; was the home of pirates and that until this very day there is still lost treasures buried somewhere on the island. &lt;b&gt;Thailand's legendary poet Sunthorn Phu&lt;/b&gt; was the first one to put this island on the map when he set his classical epic there, &lt;b&gt;Phra Aphai Manee "The Story of Princes, Saga, Mermaids and Giants"&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Even though &lt;b&gt;Bangkokians&lt;/b&gt; had known about the beauty of&lt;b&gt; Ko Samet &lt;/b&gt;for decades before, the Thai government put this island off limits and restricted overnight stay there until 1981. In that year, on 1st October, the&lt;b&gt; Forestry Department of Thailand&lt;/b&gt; declared &lt;b&gt;Ko Samet&lt;/b&gt; and its surroundings to be a national park.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv_HvedfcvTQ1QudQ2QBy4N7JLGsuJZyaYSqSq83sPvYGmigHHBE5zpSRl80I7x0mkyN1nY4VFAn2UsopLCv6hNwXUKoPVhbqkZP1VXcHWE5hMoku9IoUhB8Ni6rCuBSaymheQX3N3Cs/s1600/original_DSC04545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv_HvedfcvTQ1QudQ2QBy4N7JLGsuJZyaYSqSq83sPvYGmigHHBE5zpSRl80I7x0mkyN1nY4VFAn2UsopLCv6hNwXUKoPVhbqkZP1VXcHWE5hMoku9IoUhB8Ni6rCuBSaymheQX3N3Cs/s640/original_DSC04545.JPG" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  172. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  173. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Catch the sunset from dramatic cliffside locations along the south-west coastline.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  174. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;A fireshow at the renowned &lt;b&gt;Ploy Thalee Restaurant/Bar on Saikaew Beach&lt;/b&gt;. They are held twice a night around 8.30PM and 10.30PM.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  175. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiup_OXfGSyYlJIjLID_fBdf6DnOEXERzsHKzG5WbSAmjQ6BhqnoZ9AWhEbto0I-D7pVergdY0JiPJj3YOb5t_ePIwRf0BYeVu7qQW84V-irPQP1YfoYVTZLyD5wEHz2x-aPYy5ywmZ5TM/s1600/samed_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiup_OXfGSyYlJIjLID_fBdf6DnOEXERzsHKzG5WbSAmjQ6BhqnoZ9AWhEbto0I-D7pVergdY0JiPJj3YOb5t_ePIwRf0BYeVu7qQW84V-irPQP1YfoYVTZLyD5wEHz2x-aPYy5ywmZ5TM/s640/samed_03.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Most beaches are on the eastern side of the island. The beaches hide in small bays and stretch some 200 metres. From the north, there are &lt;b&gt;Hat Sai Kaeo, Hat Hin Khrong, Hat Khlong Phai, Ao Phutsa, Ao Thapthim, Ao Naun, Ao Cho, Ao Thian, Ao Wai, Ao Kio Na Yok and Ao Karang. The only beach on the western side is Ao Phrao.&lt;/b&gt; One of the famous beaches is Ao Wong Duean in the middle of the eastern side. This beach stretches in the shape of an almost complete circle. &lt;b&gt;Both Ao Wong Duean and Hat Sai Kaeo&lt;/b&gt; have very fine white sand.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  176. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  177. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Rayong (ระยอง) is a city on the Eastern Gulf Coast of Thailand&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepvKnk2SYLM-PTk_FfbQInd-YyC8896KG7zABg-xnssMh-UPYW1EsAd4kS-pgiRwPOcQxH32QEgN3hoG4wamS5qnfMUbbjHQSyVl4XxJAq_IcZXeWKryDAS2LONSEe25cjaqRDA09llk/s1600/tonsaimassage-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiepvKnk2SYLM-PTk_FfbQInd-YyC8896KG7zABg-xnssMh-UPYW1EsAd4kS-pgiRwPOcQxH32QEgN3hoG4wamS5qnfMUbbjHQSyVl4XxJAq_IcZXeWKryDAS2LONSEe25cjaqRDA09llk/s320/tonsaimassage-06.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;On the east coast of &lt;b&gt;Thailand&lt;/b&gt;, 179 kilometres from &lt;b&gt;Bangkok&lt;/b&gt;, modest beaches dotted around Rayong province are tranquil paradises for sea lovers who wish for hideaway places near to the capital. Months of monsoon allow lush forest as well as fruit orchards to cool down from the heat of the day, and give produce during May of each year, so fruit lovers always travel here for various tasty fresh tropical fruits, particularly durian, rambutan and mangosteen. After the end of the monsoon season in late October, the crystal clear water of Rayong along its hundred kilometre-long coast embraces to welcome all visitors.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Traditional Thai massage at Wat Don&lt;/b&gt;. Good value authentic &lt;b&gt;Thai massage &lt;/b&gt;by fully trained and qualified masseurs. Body massage costs about 150 baht for around 1.5 hours.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Can eat seafood at Laem Charoen Restaurant at a coast in Rayong downtown.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIAyz2Ine0xgyp1er_cP8XlbB_Fe3v_ey_q_M3AfExTjZlxq9CCIZ7jcWyLkAZe9CQMPnum_AyZ017nVPqzmpjgo3BybsPd5Piq9VE-GYrC7a1sPALXVEu9KkmWu6TRbxqjM8qhyqSRM/s1600/kohsamet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitIAyz2Ine0xgyp1er_cP8XlbB_Fe3v_ey_q_M3AfExTjZlxq9CCIZ7jcWyLkAZe9CQMPnum_AyZ017nVPqzmpjgo3BybsPd5Piq9VE-GYrC7a1sPALXVEu9KkmWu6TRbxqjM8qhyqSRM/s640/kohsamet.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  178. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/11/rayong-and-koh-samet.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUFTUowh9AtPWoWzxrX82QpP_aqFcVVT5_yS_OPX3xcjKWi6umeRQKO2aQmm0TLpnyVxmVaY_zg6ca9qFLDegiTmp4qQvhMChae94G5x5PMj0MnRRCAPDVms1YJ8EZcZjnDaJdCcsGD0/s72-c/1266382501.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>19</thr:total><enclosure length="189838" type="image/jpeg" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TM8gQKnljaI/AAAAAAAAAho/wCnplCAm9oE/s1600/1266382501.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Koh Samet Just 200 kilometers from Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand, the T-shaped island of Ko Samet is famed for its white sandy beaches, exotic coral and crystal clear waters. Ko Samet has developed steadily over the past decade or so, but it hasn't been the victim of over zealous construction which has hit the likes of Ko Samui (or even Ko Chang). The island is typified for its splendid beaches and white silky sand, surrounded by tropical coral reefs and crystal clear sea. Tourists can also enjoy a plethora of delicious cuisine and fine nightlife.It's a popular tourist destination for Thais and foreigners alike. As Ko Samet is so near Bangkok, the island is ideal for those in the capital wanting to chill-out with their families for a couple of days, without having to go through all that rigmarole of having to travel down south. It's only a 2.5 hour ride to Ban Phe, where one can take a 20-minutes ferry to the island.It is believed that once upon a time, Ko Samet was the home of pirates and that until this very day there is still lost treasures buried somewhere on the island. Thailand's legendary poet Sunthorn Phu was the first one to put this island on the map when he set his classical epic there, Phra Aphai Manee "The Story of Princes, Saga, Mermaids and Giants".Even though Bangkokians had known about the beauty of Ko Samet for decades before, the Thai government put this island off limits and restricted overnight stay there until 1981. In that year, on 1st October, the Forestry Department of Thailand declared Ko Samet and its surroundings to be a national park. Catch the sunset from dramatic cliffside locations along the south-west coastline. A fireshow at the renowned Ploy Thalee Restaurant/Bar on Saikaew Beach. They are held twice a night around 8.30PM and 10.30PM. Most beaches are on the eastern side of the island. The beaches hide in small bays and stretch some 200 metres. From the north, there are Hat Sai Kaeo, Hat Hin Khrong, Hat Khlong Phai, Ao Phutsa, Ao Thapthim, Ao Naun, Ao Cho, Ao Thian, Ao Wai, Ao Kio Na Yok and Ao Karang. The only beach on the western side is Ao Phrao. One of the famous beaches is Ao Wong Duean in the middle of the eastern side. This beach stretches in the shape of an almost complete circle. Both Ao Wong Duean and Hat Sai Kaeo have very fine white sand. Rayong (ระยอง) is a city on the Eastern Gulf Coast of Thailand.On the east coast of Thailand, 179 kilometres from Bangkok, modest beaches dotted around Rayong province are tranquil paradises for sea lovers who wish for hideaway places near to the capital. Months of monsoon allow lush forest as well as fruit orchards to cool down from the heat of the day, and give produce during May of each year, so fruit lovers always travel here for various tasty fresh tropical fruits, particularly durian, rambutan and mangosteen. After the end of the monsoon season in late October, the crystal clear water of Rayong along its hundred kilometre-long coast embraces to welcome all visitors.Traditional Thai massage at Wat Don. Good value authentic Thai massage by fully trained and qualified masseurs. Body massage costs about 150 baht for around 1.5 hours.Can eat seafood at Laem Charoen Restaurant at a coast in Rayong downtown. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Koh Samet Just 200 kilometers from Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand, the T-shaped island of Ko Samet is famed for its white sandy beaches, exotic coral and crystal clear waters. Ko Samet has developed steadily over the past decade or so, but it hasn't been the victim of over zealous construction which has hit the likes of Ko Samui (or even Ko Chang). The island is typified for its splendid beaches and white silky sand, surrounded by tropical coral reefs and crystal clear sea. Tourists can also enjoy a plethora of delicious cuisine and fine nightlife.It's a popular tourist destination for Thais and foreigners alike. As Ko Samet is so near Bangkok, the island is ideal for those in the capital wanting to chill-out with their families for a couple of days, without having to go through all that rigmarole of having to travel down south. It's only a 2.5 hour ride to Ban Phe, where one can take a 20-minutes ferry to the island.It is believed that once upon a time, Ko Samet was the home of pirates and that until this very day there is still lost treasures buried somewhere on the island. Thailand's legendary poet Sunthorn Phu was the first one to put this island on the map when he set his classical epic there, Phra Aphai Manee "The Story of Princes, Saga, Mermaids and Giants".Even though Bangkokians had known about the beauty of Ko Samet for decades before, the Thai government put this island off limits and restricted overnight stay there until 1981. In that year, on 1st October, the Forestry Department of Thailand declared Ko Samet and its surroundings to be a national park. Catch the sunset from dramatic cliffside locations along the south-west coastline. A fireshow at the renowned Ploy Thalee Restaurant/Bar on Saikaew Beach. They are held twice a night around 8.30PM and 10.30PM. Most beaches are on the eastern side of the island. The beaches hide in small bays and stretch some 200 metres. From the north, there are Hat Sai Kaeo, Hat Hin Khrong, Hat Khlong Phai, Ao Phutsa, Ao Thapthim, Ao Naun, Ao Cho, Ao Thian, Ao Wai, Ao Kio Na Yok and Ao Karang. The only beach on the western side is Ao Phrao. One of the famous beaches is Ao Wong Duean in the middle of the eastern side. This beach stretches in the shape of an almost complete circle. Both Ao Wong Duean and Hat Sai Kaeo have very fine white sand. Rayong (ระยอง) is a city on the Eastern Gulf Coast of Thailand.On the east coast of Thailand, 179 kilometres from Bangkok, modest beaches dotted around Rayong province are tranquil paradises for sea lovers who wish for hideaway places near to the capital. Months of monsoon allow lush forest as well as fruit orchards to cool down from the heat of the day, and give produce during May of each year, so fruit lovers always travel here for various tasty fresh tropical fruits, particularly durian, rambutan and mangosteen. After the end of the monsoon season in late October, the crystal clear water of Rayong along its hundred kilometre-long coast embraces to welcome all visitors.Traditional Thai massage at Wat Don. Good value authentic Thai massage by fully trained and qualified masseurs. Body massage costs about 150 baht for around 1.5 hours.Can eat seafood at Laem Charoen Restaurant at a coast in Rayong downtown. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-2755702488935857265</guid><pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:09:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-03T09:11:25.840+03:00</atom:updated><title>Ko Kret or Koh Kred Paradice Island</title><description>&lt;div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"&gt;
  179. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  180. &lt;/div&gt;
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  182. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Noyn6I90UkiD-bU9p4ABLsKSXaM-3md7PZzBDbiXRibs8VJibNtqlnO-orY-4rJyYnw0SSsWdJCR2uSscKav97Vcoi0ZGwS8yf8F3zZWmPr4JQIc3G9MWHRt2qA3mKupHnaA_IDf_Bs/s1600/kohkret_03+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Noyn6I90UkiD-bU9p4ABLsKSXaM-3md7PZzBDbiXRibs8VJibNtqlnO-orY-4rJyYnw0SSsWdJCR2uSscKav97Vcoi0ZGwS8yf8F3zZWmPr4JQIc3G9MWHRt2qA3mKupHnaA_IDf_Bs/s640/kohkret_03+copy.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  184. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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  187. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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  189. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
  190. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Ko Kret (also Koh Kred) is an island in the Chao Phraya River, 20 km north of Bangkok, Thailand.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  191. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
  192. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;he island dates only to 1722, when a canal was constructed as a shortcut to bypass a bend in the Om Kret branch of the Chao Phraya river. As the canal was widened several times, the section cut off eventually became a separate island. The island continues to serve as a refuge to the Mon tribes who dominated central Thailand between the 6th and 10th centuries and have retained a distinct identity in their flavor of Buddhism and, particularly at Ko Kret, their pottery.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  194. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The easiest way to reach Ko Kret is to take the once-weekly Chao Phraya Express Ko Kret tour, which leaves the Central Pier (BTS Saphan Taksin) every Sunday at 09:00 and visits a number of attractions before returning at 15:30. The cost of the cruise and guided tour is 300 baht (no lunch). Many other companies also offer similar tours, often just as a stop on a longer upriver trip to Ayutthaya.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  195. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  196. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWxMuEJ28Vfl4TaPIUQLdUAZyIjYefUXFNKrnAZhzaQvlH9zi5UAZfazxwlXtRWP4ljrje61_5YbtZ6QWvvOv3grvLZ9h6sU4R8avLYOYr2gStSa4b9Cym7RPFWtqW-cCSORM_wrKXfk/s1600/ko_kret_-__20100624_1074638316+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCWxMuEJ28Vfl4TaPIUQLdUAZyIjYefUXFNKrnAZhzaQvlH9zi5UAZfazxwlXtRWP4ljrje61_5YbtZ6QWvvOv3grvLZ9h6sU4R8avLYOYr2gStSa4b9Cym7RPFWtqW-cCSORM_wrKXfk/s640/ko_kret_-__20100624_1074638316+copy.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  200. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Wat Poramaiyikawat&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;, at the north-east corner right next to the ferry landing. The main temple on the island, this old monastery is constructed in Mon (Burmese) style and is a focal point of Thailand's small Mon community: both the scriptures and the daily prayers here are in Mon. The ubosoth is decorated in Italian marble brought in by King Rama V, and a wooden pagoda near the pier houses the remains of one of the abbots. The white, Burmese-style stupa, modeled on Phra Tat Chedi Mutao in Hongsawadi, Myanmar, is said to contain the Buddha's relics.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  201. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  202. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBN6_VF7PxBqblTWYUTRXJSo3HTTXun5-qEoD63xAJ-T8rWRpwDvprglFdHGfpO8evGB9i7PL8HOC5RzTM-HqAjbFFitHuFC085OVwLWqx-0-KSKIRAbLnRmw-7xXKOYl1Zto5XFY6Yw4/s1600/iPhone4014+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBN6_VF7PxBqblTWYUTRXJSo3HTTXun5-qEoD63xAJ-T8rWRpwDvprglFdHGfpO8evGB9i7PL8HOC5RzTM-HqAjbFFitHuFC085OVwLWqx-0-KSKIRAbLnRmw-7xXKOYl1Zto5XFY6Yw4/s640/iPhone4014+copy.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  206. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Wat Poramaiyikawat &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Museum, tel. +66-25845120, open Mon-Fri 9 AM-4 PM. Next to the temple, this small museum displays various interesting items such as votive tablets, crystal ware, porcelains including ‘hem’, a master piece of art made by Colonel Chatwat Ngamniyom. Some say that Hem must be created by Mon who had an inspiration from the coffin of the Lord Buddha. Dried remains will be put in the normal hem coffin but the hem of monks is different with a tiny window where the body can be seen from outside.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  207. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  208. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsxMzGkSr6OFRW_R6Z4Mb3tOm6vP2wLjWImUlNDqq0vY_N6de4o_15Pk4Mn2kSw79Vj_nDC6fpEH4aMIoOAc0BrfP8Xeukd5xLsOxZqtSCFpxgXeGNxK-dED7POAMagJI9FtfCoREZeU/s1600/Pottery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBsxMzGkSr6OFRW_R6Z4Mb3tOm6vP2wLjWImUlNDqq0vY_N6de4o_15Pk4Mn2kSw79Vj_nDC6fpEH4aMIoOAc0BrfP8Xeukd5xLsOxZqtSCFpxgXeGNxK-dED7POAMagJI9FtfCoREZeU/s640/Pottery.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  212. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Wat Chimplu Suttahawat &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;is on the east coast, about 1 km south of the ferry landing and a good point to turn around if you're not planning to make the full circuit. The temple has a beautiful small chapel in a very good condition.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  214. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutxleVBEYiLzgTJC8u9USU9EVGdNr6aw33c2_c55xOlfTtoAqost-lKhTr_ytYGGnsUCrDP48VfMNai7Lmvg9qSW9QeD76RnyQR8u3ouXqz0FMpZxBhETxRjbZJfxLrAqLhJzN_yTAHs/s1600/wiharn-phra-mongkhon+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutxleVBEYiLzgTJC8u9USU9EVGdNr6aw33c2_c55xOlfTtoAqost-lKhTr_ytYGGnsUCrDP48VfMNai7Lmvg9qSW9QeD76RnyQR8u3ouXqz0FMpZxBhETxRjbZJfxLrAqLhJzN_yTAHs/s640/wiharn-phra-mongkhon+copy.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  219. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Phra Wiharn.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt; This is the venue where the 9.5 metres long reclining Buddha of the late Ayutthaya period is enshrined. The edifice’s outside is decorated with King Rama V’s emblem. Nonthaburi’s Buddha image named ‘Phra Nonthamunin’ enshrined here behind Phra Wiharn was formed in the late Ayutthaya period. Besides, a charming marble Buddha image offered to King Rama V by a Burmese named Sang Sew Sun is placed in front of the Viharn. Opened daily from 9AM to 4PM.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  220. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  221. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxD1UFQxkgY1txXP9Hqo-sLs8c6dNzciDXRAyb6a-y0IT7jHTOejp-Wel52bfXwuNPU8gRMv2YJV_hWQFMJ8dykvYuCve8MBF7pno1nwgZlX6Nkd4vLnRTpyCJtFpbtOPgsxydGeSdYs/s1600/Kanchanaphisek-Park+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxD1UFQxkgY1txXP9Hqo-sLs8c6dNzciDXRAyb6a-y0IT7jHTOejp-Wel52bfXwuNPU8gRMv2YJV_hWQFMJ8dykvYuCve8MBF7pno1nwgZlX6Nkd4vLnRTpyCJtFpbtOPgsxydGeSdYs/s400/Kanchanaphisek-Park+copy.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  222. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
  223. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Wat Sao Tong Thong&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;. This long-dated temple used to be called ‘Wat Suan Mak’ is the site of Amphoe Pak Kret’s first primary school. Behind the chapel, the tallest pagoda of Pak Kret was constructed in the Ayutthaya style. Inside the chapel, the gorgeous ceiling paintings finely decorate the edifice. Another name of the temple in Mon is ‘Pia Arlart’.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  224. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
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  228. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  230. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  231. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  233. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  234. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  235. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  236. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyt9XdTMD7jWA8DLhyncpkn1P8n-8t3_neYGaaxwbMcY3vsyB2htrcS9ja6WKpXdW8ewaN1n9PpsUjywuldBNFA979X1dmFp4T1f3SkcJg6rDMjwULio53W0qD5Ya5DbRRItK7GMacO0/s1600/Koh+Kred,Nonthaburi+Thai+Show2(s)+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyt9XdTMD7jWA8DLhyncpkn1P8n-8t3_neYGaaxwbMcY3vsyB2htrcS9ja6WKpXdW8ewaN1n9PpsUjywuldBNFA979X1dmFp4T1f3SkcJg6rDMjwULio53W0qD5Ya5DbRRItK7GMacO0/s400/Koh+Kred,Nonthaburi+Thai+Show2(s)+copy.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  237. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
  238. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  239. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  240. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
  241. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Wat Phai Lom&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;. This monastery built in the late Ayutthaya period and called by Mon people ‘Pia To’ has a charming chapel.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  242. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
  243. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Kwan Aman Pottery Museum. This pottery museum is notable for its large collection of the distinctive ancient Mon design ceramics (see Buy beloew). Mon people have always been skillful in pottery since their settlement in the delta of Irawadi River. Later, at the time of Mon’s installation to Thailand during the Thonburi era, pottery has become since then Nonthaburi’s oldest handicraft and symbol with the notably beautiful characteristic Mon design. Opened every day from 9AM. to 5PM. For more information, please call 0 2584 5086, 0 2583 4134.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  244. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
  245. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  246. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  247. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
  248. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;Visit Thailad&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  249. &lt;div class="MsoNormal"&gt;
  250. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;Info Source:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Kret"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Kret&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  251. &lt;/div&gt;
  252. &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/ko-kret-or-koh-kred-paradice-island.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Noyn6I90UkiD-bU9p4ABLsKSXaM-3md7PZzBDbiXRibs8VJibNtqlnO-orY-4rJyYnw0SSsWdJCR2uSscKav97Vcoi0ZGwS8yf8F3zZWmPr4JQIc3G9MWHRt2qA3mKupHnaA_IDf_Bs/s72-c/kohkret_03+copy.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>23</thr:total><enclosure length="49097" type="image/jpeg" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TMfo21qU8VI/AAAAAAAAAb8/UUZfpRrmFoM/s1600/kohkret_03+copy.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Ko Kret (also Koh Kred) is an island in the Chao Phraya River, 20 km north of Bangkok, Thailand. he island dates only to 1722, when a canal was constructed as a shortcut to bypass a bend in the Om Kret branch of the Chao Phraya river. As the canal was widened several times, the section cut off eventually became a separate island. The island continues to serve as a refuge to the Mon tribes who dominated central Thailand between the 6th and 10th centuries and have retained a distinct identity in their flavor of Buddhism and, particularly at Ko Kret, their pottery. The easiest way to reach Ko Kret is to take the once-weekly Chao Phraya Express Ko Kret tour, which leaves the Central Pier (BTS Saphan Taksin) every Sunday at 09:00 and visits a number of attractions before returning at 15:30. The cost of the cruise and guided tour is 300 baht (no lunch). Many other companies also offer similar tours, often just as a stop on a longer upriver trip to Ayutthaya. Wat Poramaiyikawat, at the north-east corner right next to the ferry landing. The main temple on the island, this old monastery is constructed in Mon (Burmese) style and is a focal point of Thailand's small Mon community: both the scriptures and the daily prayers here are in Mon. The ubosoth is decorated in Italian marble brought in by King Rama V, and a wooden pagoda near the pier houses the remains of one of the abbots. The white, Burmese-style stupa, modeled on Phra Tat Chedi Mutao in Hongsawadi, Myanmar, is said to contain the Buddha's relics. Wat Poramaiyikawat Museum, tel. +66-25845120, open Mon-Fri 9 AM-4 PM. Next to the temple, this small museum displays various interesting items such as votive tablets, crystal ware, porcelains including ‘hem’, a master piece of art made by Colonel Chatwat Ngamniyom. Some say that Hem must be created by Mon who had an inspiration from the coffin of the Lord Buddha. Dried remains will be put in the normal hem coffin but the hem of monks is different with a tiny window where the body can be seen from outside. Wat Chimplu Suttahawat is on the east coast, about 1 km south of the ferry landing and a good point to turn around if you're not planning to make the full circuit. The temple has a beautiful small chapel in a very good condition. Phra Wiharn. This is the venue where the 9.5 metres long reclining Buddha of the late Ayutthaya period is enshrined. The edifice’s outside is decorated with King Rama V’s emblem. Nonthaburi’s Buddha image named ‘Phra Nonthamunin’ enshrined here behind Phra Wiharn was formed in the late Ayutthaya period. Besides, a charming marble Buddha image offered to King Rama V by a Burmese named Sang Sew Sun is placed in front of the Viharn. Opened daily from 9AM to 4PM. Wat Sao Tong Thong. This long-dated temple used to be called ‘Wat Suan Mak’ is the site of Amphoe Pak Kret’s first primary school. Behind the chapel, the tallest pagoda of Pak Kret was constructed in the Ayutthaya style. Inside the chapel, the gorgeous ceiling paintings finely decorate the edifice. Another name of the temple in Mon is ‘Pia Arlart’. Wat Phai Lom. This monastery built in the late Ayutthaya period and called by Mon people ‘Pia To’ has a charming chapel. Kwan Aman Pottery Museum. This pottery museum is notable for its large collection of the distinctive ancient Mon design ceramics (see Buy beloew). Mon people have always been skillful in pottery since their settlement in the delta of Irawadi River. Later, at the time of Mon’s installation to Thailand during the Thonburi era, pottery has become since then Nonthaburi’s oldest handicraft and symbol with the notably beautiful characteristic Mon design. Opened every day from 9AM. to 5PM. For more information, please call 0 2584 5086, 0 2583 4134. Visit Thailad Info Source:http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Kret http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Ko Kret (also Koh Kred) is an island in the Chao Phraya River, 20 km north of Bangkok, Thailand. he island dates only to 1722, when a canal was constructed as a shortcut to bypass a bend in the Om Kret branch of the Chao Phraya river. As the canal was widened several times, the section cut off eventually became a separate island. The island continues to serve as a refuge to the Mon tribes who dominated central Thailand between the 6th and 10th centuries and have retained a distinct identity in their flavor of Buddhism and, particularly at Ko Kret, their pottery. The easiest way to reach Ko Kret is to take the once-weekly Chao Phraya Express Ko Kret tour, which leaves the Central Pier (BTS Saphan Taksin) every Sunday at 09:00 and visits a number of attractions before returning at 15:30. The cost of the cruise and guided tour is 300 baht (no lunch). Many other companies also offer similar tours, often just as a stop on a longer upriver trip to Ayutthaya. Wat Poramaiyikawat, at the north-east corner right next to the ferry landing. The main temple on the island, this old monastery is constructed in Mon (Burmese) style and is a focal point of Thailand's small Mon community: both the scriptures and the daily prayers here are in Mon. The ubosoth is decorated in Italian marble brought in by King Rama V, and a wooden pagoda near the pier houses the remains of one of the abbots. The white, Burmese-style stupa, modeled on Phra Tat Chedi Mutao in Hongsawadi, Myanmar, is said to contain the Buddha's relics. Wat Poramaiyikawat Museum, tel. +66-25845120, open Mon-Fri 9 AM-4 PM. Next to the temple, this small museum displays various interesting items such as votive tablets, crystal ware, porcelains including ‘hem’, a master piece of art made by Colonel Chatwat Ngamniyom. Some say that Hem must be created by Mon who had an inspiration from the coffin of the Lord Buddha. Dried remains will be put in the normal hem coffin but the hem of monks is different with a tiny window where the body can be seen from outside. Wat Chimplu Suttahawat is on the east coast, about 1 km south of the ferry landing and a good point to turn around if you're not planning to make the full circuit. The temple has a beautiful small chapel in a very good condition. Phra Wiharn. This is the venue where the 9.5 metres long reclining Buddha of the late Ayutthaya period is enshrined. The edifice’s outside is decorated with King Rama V’s emblem. Nonthaburi’s Buddha image named ‘Phra Nonthamunin’ enshrined here behind Phra Wiharn was formed in the late Ayutthaya period. Besides, a charming marble Buddha image offered to King Rama V by a Burmese named Sang Sew Sun is placed in front of the Viharn. Opened daily from 9AM to 4PM. Wat Sao Tong Thong. This long-dated temple used to be called ‘Wat Suan Mak’ is the site of Amphoe Pak Kret’s first primary school. Behind the chapel, the tallest pagoda of Pak Kret was constructed in the Ayutthaya style. Inside the chapel, the gorgeous ceiling paintings finely decorate the edifice. Another name of the temple in Mon is ‘Pia Arlart’. Wat Phai Lom. This monastery built in the late Ayutthaya period and called by Mon people ‘Pia To’ has a charming chapel. Kwan Aman Pottery Museum. This pottery museum is notable for its large collection of the distinctive ancient Mon design ceramics (see Buy beloew). Mon people have always been skillful in pottery since their settlement in the delta of Irawadi River. Later, at the time of Mon’s installation to Thailand during the Thonburi era, pottery has become since then Nonthaburi’s oldest handicraft and symbol with the notably beautiful characteristic Mon design. Opened every day from 9AM. to 5PM. For more information, please call 0 2584 5086, 0 2583 4134. Visit Thailad Info Source:http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Kret http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-2374393262484782760</guid><pubDate>Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:43:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-03T09:11:29.631+03:00</atom:updated><title>Hua Hin -The Butterfly Garden</title><description>&lt;div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"&gt;
  253. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  254. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #93c47d;"&gt;The Butterfly Garden&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  255. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  256. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  257. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  258. &lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b4HHsYSdROzkXmObuTOa3FnSYu0W_tVzXKmwcAhjSgI41JgmRgY5xLWp6XDqpzSa2KwVn0bnqW4oGTpf5tj64Yu3aQwBZ4MVTZhVkxQJybaEUtTHtf0fll3LmnB_JIHnjDm_CrIqBIs/s640/lotus-samroiyod.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  259. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  260. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  261. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
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  263. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hua Hin&lt;/b&gt; (หัวหิน) is a seaside resort city in &lt;b&gt;Thailand&lt;/b&gt;. It is popular with Thais, having become quite fashionable as a weekend getaway spot for &lt;b&gt;Bangkok &lt;/b&gt;residents, as well with foreigners and as an ex-pat retirement or vacation home location.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  264. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  265. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Although developing rapidly, there is a commitment by the local and provincial authorities to avoid the kind of overheated blight that has affected other beach resorts in Thailand.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  266. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  267. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;There is only one beach, &lt;b&gt;Hua Hin&lt;/b&gt; Beach (&lt;b&gt;ชายหาดหัวหิน&lt;/b&gt; Hat Hua Hin) which runs from one side of Hua Hin to the other. Basically it's one long beach. Hua Hin Beach extends some three kilometers southwards from a rocky headland until a southern headland where a Buddhist temple cling to the cliffs. Fine white sand, resort hotels and many water sports opportunities lend the resort its distinctive ambiance. At the south end of town, the hill of Khao Takiab interrupts the beach. On the other side (technically not Hua Hin anymore) is a lovely swimming beach with a view of Khao Takiab's South face. Just a little further on, Suan Son beach is owned by the thai army, but open to the public. Notable for the tropical sea pines lining the shore. A little south of the Marriott, watch for tiny sand crabs digging industriously, leaving odd patterns of tiny sand clods around their beachfront property.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  268. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  269. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglO9DV24Smw5qkCIU1TqA973i2YtEu9UhdL4VhAX9ZdBHRNKbqVrHPUR1CHKDt99-cbLbzHWxg9bIO_Fy-JUhyphenhyphen_7Qo8j0w1I8dwDGUMQREMXpqNblBTY6hUiM5p69UJj33ee-fOlLc61Y/s1600/32378020NgNfdo_fs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglO9DV24Smw5qkCIU1TqA973i2YtEu9UhdL4VhAX9ZdBHRNKbqVrHPUR1CHKDt99-cbLbzHWxg9bIO_Fy-JUhyphenhyphen_7Qo8j0w1I8dwDGUMQREMXpqNblBTY6hUiM5p69UJj33ee-fOlLc61Y/s320/32378020NgNfdo_fs.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  270. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  271. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  272. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  273. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  274. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Parts of the beach closer to the town may have greenish water, in this case continue walking down the beach where the water appears cleaner. There is ample supply of deck chairs along the beach, however many places will charge for their hire (100 baht is common). Deck chairs that are part of a beachside cafe may be free (in the assumption you will buy food or drink).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  275. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  276. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The &lt;b&gt;hill of Khao Takiab&lt;/b&gt;, 14 kilometers from &lt;b&gt;Hua Hin&lt;/b&gt; town, supports Buddhist temples and offers a commanding view of the resort, particularly early in the morning. A local bus service from Hua Hin to Khao Takiap is on the seashore. Khao Takiab is one of the highest area in Hua Hin, by going up this mountain by driving you will see the whole Hua Hin and also nice beaches. This is another good place to wait for the sunset as well. Also the food on Khao Takiab is very delicious too.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  277. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  278. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Butterfly Garden&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  279. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  280. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftbooWKmcKRhHGEoIyQRxub0gzdLVfvdrvNuxVnAsikR3y73zhBMtB6L7ZkV537KnmZ3kBS3Cr914pHyWg-eypy-O7veUnvTKMNtgO-d6jdthX1-VSn_QAMwb0wRfzXe5Z5XeA73vztw/s1600/_MG_2455b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiftbooWKmcKRhHGEoIyQRxub0gzdLVfvdrvNuxVnAsikR3y73zhBMtB6L7ZkV537KnmZ3kBS3Cr914pHyWg-eypy-O7veUnvTKMNtgO-d6jdthX1-VSn_QAMwb0wRfzXe5Z5XeA73vztw/s320/_MG_2455b.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  281. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  282. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Panee Butterfly Garden&lt;/b&gt; is the latest attraction in &lt;b&gt;Thailand in Hua Hin&lt;/b&gt;. Set in the midst of an emerald green surrounding, this garden makes an ideal backdrop for colorful butterflies.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  283. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  284. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;As the name suggests, this garden houses hundreds of varieties of butterflies. It is located at the Petchkasem Beach Road in Hua Hin.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  285. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  286. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The butterfly garden offers a unique experience for nature lovers. Beautiful butterflies with different colors, shapes and patterns can be found here. The garden is dotted with a large number of flowers as well.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  287. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  288. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Hence, together they make a perfect tranquil ambience. This spectacular garden faces the beachfront of Hua Hin.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  289. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  290. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaQFmRSwpfM-0n5WBMmdNOVB2JqR_Nk-9wD1BdHYTZ69F94tdVb2DIuiwiLf15PZQ_i-BA_Fn4Y1m1bclqOnauBBKsJkTJec_yn48y9frA_NTOzB97-ZRQr-Gsrt-5XNM90wVg81Q11k/s1600/butterfly-bush-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaQFmRSwpfM-0n5WBMmdNOVB2JqR_Nk-9wD1BdHYTZ69F94tdVb2DIuiwiLf15PZQ_i-BA_Fn4Y1m1bclqOnauBBKsJkTJec_yn48y9frA_NTOzB97-ZRQr-Gsrt-5XNM90wVg81Q11k/s640/butterfly-bush-l.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  291. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  292. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsE0WAuAZMC9jcWS8cMRxk-Ek32dIgWwynnZ7bNaaveDwtBYT3CLW3kQzctEw8ehbQjzwPmZ-LVz40WuAAMUKd3vzFIpM9ssvhDPQeGXdOj7iifFeYV-h0uXdqWJjlvT72D3UgmdMjUgg/s1600/Butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsE0WAuAZMC9jcWS8cMRxk-Ek32dIgWwynnZ7bNaaveDwtBYT3CLW3kQzctEw8ehbQjzwPmZ-LVz40WuAAMUKd3vzFIpM9ssvhDPQeGXdOj7iifFeYV-h0uXdqWJjlvT72D3UgmdMjUgg/s320/Butterfly.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  293. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  294. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  295. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  296. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  297. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The beach, the exotic varieties of butterflies and verdant green surroundings make this garden a heaven on earth. Visitors can relax and unwind themselves in this nature's paradise.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  298. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  299. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The garden remains open on all weekdays, from 10 in the morning till 6 in the evening.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  300. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  301. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Address: Petchkasem Beach Road, Hua Hin, Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  302. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  303. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Phone Number: +66-32-512642&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  304. &lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  305. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  306. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  307. &lt;/div&gt;
  308. &lt;br /&gt;
  309. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  310. &lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmM-9YwjpaPWfI8xiDxtaa9r9aHXJqbGVPzOY82inRFkadpYFA0tuvn8c62gg4cJNb6rVZXrfv2jKu0cqdBkpnEs6J3Lh_XXXCdfJfqcsEmMQMIyUHqRcDh9EZ87Jqyw4O5JhqXFHVEk/s640/SamuiButterflyFarm.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  311. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  312. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zbYIgN_2r1msxDUW57hlB7vTDaH-GqVKz2y7-BhukSKfELaOkJV3h6yOOzSw1t4gzPIMK96PP7vFTyGGjqOoagNkTI3phKvcmdQyHLhZ8CLSi22u46s5Q3aJKXT0cQgLoxtEutlIa-A/s1600/B3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zbYIgN_2r1msxDUW57hlB7vTDaH-GqVKz2y7-BhukSKfELaOkJV3h6yOOzSw1t4gzPIMK96PP7vFTyGGjqOoagNkTI3phKvcmdQyHLhZ8CLSi22u46s5Q3aJKXT0cQgLoxtEutlIa-A/s640/B3.jpg" width="426" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  313. &lt;br /&gt;
  314. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  315. &lt;/div&gt;
  316. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;Visit Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  317. &lt;div&gt;
  318. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Source&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://funz-funz.blogspot.com/#"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://funz-funz.blogspot.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Hua_Hin"&gt;http://wikitravel.org/en/Hua_Hin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  319. &lt;/div&gt;
  320. &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/hua-hin-butterfly-garden.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9b4HHsYSdROzkXmObuTOa3FnSYu0W_tVzXKmwcAhjSgI41JgmRgY5xLWp6XDqpzSa2KwVn0bnqW4oGTpf5tj64Yu3aQwBZ4MVTZhVkxQJybaEUtTHtf0fll3LmnB_JIHnjDm_CrIqBIs/s72-c/lotus-samroiyod.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>10</thr:total><enclosure length="78923" type="image/jpeg" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TMVso3XOOYI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/mI0-GL9sulk/s1600/32378020NgNfdo_fs.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>The Butterfly Garden Hua Hin (หัวหิน) is a seaside resort city in Thailand. It is popular with Thais, having become quite fashionable as a weekend getaway spot for Bangkok residents, as well with foreigners and as an ex-pat retirement or vacation home location. Although developing rapidly, there is a commitment by the local and provincial authorities to avoid the kind of overheated blight that has affected other beach resorts in Thailand. There is only one beach, Hua Hin Beach (ชายหาดหัวหิน Hat Hua Hin) which runs from one side of Hua Hin to the other. Basically it's one long beach. Hua Hin Beach extends some three kilometers southwards from a rocky headland until a southern headland where a Buddhist temple cling to the cliffs. Fine white sand, resort hotels and many water sports opportunities lend the resort its distinctive ambiance. At the south end of town, the hill of Khao Takiab interrupts the beach. On the other side (technically not Hua Hin anymore) is a lovely swimming beach with a view of Khao Takiab's South face. Just a little further on, Suan Son beach is owned by the thai army, but open to the public. Notable for the tropical sea pines lining the shore. A little south of the Marriott, watch for tiny sand crabs digging industriously, leaving odd patterns of tiny sand clods around their beachfront property. Parts of the beach closer to the town may have greenish water, in this case continue walking down the beach where the water appears cleaner. There is ample supply of deck chairs along the beach, however many places will charge for their hire (100 baht is common). Deck chairs that are part of a beachside cafe may be free (in the assumption you will buy food or drink). The hill of Khao Takiab, 14 kilometers from Hua Hin town, supports Buddhist temples and offers a commanding view of the resort, particularly early in the morning. A local bus service from Hua Hin to Khao Takiap is on the seashore. Khao Takiab is one of the highest area in Hua Hin, by going up this mountain by driving you will see the whole Hua Hin and also nice beaches. This is another good place to wait for the sunset as well. Also the food on Khao Takiab is very delicious too. Butterfly Garden Panee Butterfly Garden is the latest attraction in Thailand in Hua Hin. Set in the midst of an emerald green surrounding, this garden makes an ideal backdrop for colorful butterflies. As the name suggests, this garden houses hundreds of varieties of butterflies. It is located at the Petchkasem Beach Road in Hua Hin. The butterfly garden offers a unique experience for nature lovers. Beautiful butterflies with different colors, shapes and patterns can be found here. The garden is dotted with a large number of flowers as well. Hence, together they make a perfect tranquil ambience. This spectacular garden faces the beachfront of Hua Hin. The beach, the exotic varieties of butterflies and verdant green surroundings make this garden a heaven on earth. Visitors can relax and unwind themselves in this nature's paradise. The garden remains open on all weekdays, from 10 in the morning till 6 in the evening.&amp;nbsp; Address: Petchkasem Beach Road, Hua Hin, Thailand Phone Number: +66-32-512642 Visit Thailand Source:http://funz-funz.blogspot.com/,http://wikitravel.org/en/Hua_Hin http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>The Butterfly Garden Hua Hin (หัวหิน) is a seaside resort city in Thailand. It is popular with Thais, having become quite fashionable as a weekend getaway spot for Bangkok residents, as well with foreigners and as an ex-pat retirement or vacation home location. Although developing rapidly, there is a commitment by the local and provincial authorities to avoid the kind of overheated blight that has affected other beach resorts in Thailand. There is only one beach, Hua Hin Beach (ชายหาดหัวหิน Hat Hua Hin) which runs from one side of Hua Hin to the other. Basically it's one long beach. Hua Hin Beach extends some three kilometers southwards from a rocky headland until a southern headland where a Buddhist temple cling to the cliffs. Fine white sand, resort hotels and many water sports opportunities lend the resort its distinctive ambiance. At the south end of town, the hill of Khao Takiab interrupts the beach. On the other side (technically not Hua Hin anymore) is a lovely swimming beach with a view of Khao Takiab's South face. Just a little further on, Suan Son beach is owned by the thai army, but open to the public. Notable for the tropical sea pines lining the shore. A little south of the Marriott, watch for tiny sand crabs digging industriously, leaving odd patterns of tiny sand clods around their beachfront property. Parts of the beach closer to the town may have greenish water, in this case continue walking down the beach where the water appears cleaner. There is ample supply of deck chairs along the beach, however many places will charge for their hire (100 baht is common). Deck chairs that are part of a beachside cafe may be free (in the assumption you will buy food or drink). The hill of Khao Takiab, 14 kilometers from Hua Hin town, supports Buddhist temples and offers a commanding view of the resort, particularly early in the morning. A local bus service from Hua Hin to Khao Takiap is on the seashore. Khao Takiab is one of the highest area in Hua Hin, by going up this mountain by driving you will see the whole Hua Hin and also nice beaches. This is another good place to wait for the sunset as well. Also the food on Khao Takiab is very delicious too. Butterfly Garden Panee Butterfly Garden is the latest attraction in Thailand in Hua Hin. Set in the midst of an emerald green surrounding, this garden makes an ideal backdrop for colorful butterflies. As the name suggests, this garden houses hundreds of varieties of butterflies. It is located at the Petchkasem Beach Road in Hua Hin. The butterfly garden offers a unique experience for nature lovers. Beautiful butterflies with different colors, shapes and patterns can be found here. The garden is dotted with a large number of flowers as well. Hence, together they make a perfect tranquil ambience. This spectacular garden faces the beachfront of Hua Hin. The beach, the exotic varieties of butterflies and verdant green surroundings make this garden a heaven on earth. Visitors can relax and unwind themselves in this nature's paradise. The garden remains open on all weekdays, from 10 in the morning till 6 in the evening.&amp;nbsp; Address: Petchkasem Beach Road, Hua Hin, Thailand Phone Number: +66-32-512642 Visit Thailand Source:http://funz-funz.blogspot.com/,http://wikitravel.org/en/Hua_Hin http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-5699815136739170644</guid><pubDate>Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:54:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-03T09:14:04.958+03:00</atom:updated><title>Ko Tao or Turtle Island</title><description>&lt;div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"&gt;
  321. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  322. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"&gt;
  323. &lt;/div&gt;
  324. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  325. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  326. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  327. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  328. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhCwc7E6QdO2dQGDni_g8GMFH64dW-t2s2HpzGS0XkqGNV_vGZzRZRNE3Yt4vl0wtYl2TtCvc1NrVZuyOVJcdiy7kPitamxHDNxYtxsSGJva-Iey502kbKBLlMS3yl72PC_8FutH1YSA/s640/Koh-Nang-Yuan.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  329. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  330. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  331. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  332. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  333. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Tao&lt;/b&gt;, literally &lt;b&gt;Turtle Island&lt;/b&gt;, is an island at the &lt;b&gt;Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  334. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  335. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  336. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  337. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  338. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  339. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  340. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  341. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Historically, &lt;b&gt;Ko Tao&lt;/b&gt; was once a detention place for political prisoners similar to &lt;b&gt;Ko Tarutao&lt;/b&gt; of &lt;b&gt;Satun Province&lt;/b&gt;, but today it is a great place for divers or anybody who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of &lt;b&gt;Ko Samui&lt;/b&gt; and want more than the &lt;b&gt;Full Moon Party&lt;/b&gt; on &lt;b&gt;Ko Pha Ngan&lt;/b&gt;. &lt;b&gt;Ko Tao&lt;/b&gt; is a great place to learn how to dive. There are hardly any currents and a wide selection of dive sites and dive shops, schools and resorts. Activity options are growing outside of diving and the food and nightlife options are some of the best in the &lt;b&gt;Gulf of Thailand&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  342. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  343. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  344. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  345. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  346. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffUcRLALXN4AKBA3twXn-OOtLBh4UqTUzfKwGaPxYRpxovzzvnrsZcX-TGyJ7elGPDF8VBcCm4PzpMXorhsmEqzP18ICinIJMk8zcj25o5tW7ydFzpLl2Vw-fQJWPQXEQ84lEftwbztk/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  347. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  348. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  349. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  350. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  351. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Tao&lt;/b&gt; is a small island of approximately 21 sqm km and receives over a 100,000 visitors per year. To minimize your impact on the eco-system, notice that there are no garbage disposal facilities, so everything that can't be burned has to be taken away. Try to avoid plastic bags that are given out for every purchase you make. There is also no department to clean the roads or other public areas, so don't dump your waste on the open landscape. Water is scarce and electricity expensive, so don't waste them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  352. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  353. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Peak seasons in &lt;b&gt;Ko Tao &lt;/b&gt;are from &lt;b&gt;December &lt;/b&gt;to &lt;b&gt;March &lt;/b&gt;and &lt;b&gt;July &lt;/b&gt;to &lt;b&gt;August&lt;/b&gt;. It is a quite popular destination amongst Thais also, so it can be nearly fully booked on &lt;b&gt;Thai holidays.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  354. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  355. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  356. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  357. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  358. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The only option to get to &lt;b&gt;Ko Tao&lt;/b&gt; is by boat. The nearest airport is in &lt;b&gt;Ko Samui or Surat Thani&lt;/b&gt;, which is fairly well connected to major cities in the region (&lt;b&gt;Bangkok, Penang, Singapore,&lt;/b&gt; etc).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  359. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  360. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeLD6YqCHLb_latw4MZndw_oQC2-3PP4Ir6EXiBeHAm4VSrwXtPWV2wK5Bgy67MrolcjhKI8NszCpVYQjBBIcETq8ZU_UKngl5FAPKekTzHEmGkpVL9qfM-Ndr_9Jxm6cQTOIPKTrWKY/s400/Thailand_Boat_Girl_gallery__304x400.jpg" width="303" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  361. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  362. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  363. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  364. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  365. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;There is one main road running &lt;b&gt;North to South&lt;/b&gt; on the island with many smaller roads diverting off it. Some roads lead over the spine of small mountains that run along the middle of the island and are all dirt, can close out after rain, and can be challenging even to a skilled driver. There are usually plenty of taxi cars available on both Sairee village and &lt;b&gt;Mae Haad&lt;/b&gt;, however they tend to be expensive given the actual distance you travel.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  366. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  367. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;You can rent bicycles and motorcycles at a few places on &lt;b&gt;Sairee Beach&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;Mae Haad&lt;/b&gt;, and &lt;b&gt;Chalok&lt;/b&gt;. Be careful if you rent a motorbike as the dirt roads can get dangerous. ATV's (all terrain vehicles) are dangerous (ask any medical clinic) and expensive (500+ THB a day) and should be avoided in favor of &lt;b&gt;Honda Dream's&lt;/b&gt; (150-200 THB a day) or Sonic's (200-250 THB a day).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  368. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  369. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Be aware that an increasing number of rental shops are charging large amounts of money for non-existent scratches on bikes when returning them, notably the shop next to 7/11 in &lt;b&gt;Sairee Village (Save Way travel)&lt;/b&gt;. Make sure you note down all scratches and dents before you rent a bike from anyone. Your best bet is to hire a bike from your bungalow / resort.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  370. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  371. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Longtail boats offer rides to and from certain beaches on the island. They are a more comfortable way of getting to isolated beaches than attempting to ride over the mountains, however they are noisy. Round island longtail can be as much as 2000 baht, whereas some short trips will only be 100-200 baht.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  372. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  373. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaqgK1SNcBnvLWuJOEg-Ey9S_dlVplAt9vBm0LTgs3t9hsUi-hlCr3ShyjaSdsEli9YHsVckjh-fFwUzPcyPFIJIASSCqZP9y3WXEVoSr5tE-hFaKU_8cWab2hmucDDp8FRLLBsaT0D8/s400/newheaven.jpg" width="371" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  374. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  375. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  376. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  377. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  378. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Take a bike around the island. &lt;b&gt;Shark Bay&lt;/b&gt; is a good place to go snorkeling for the day (don't worry too much about sharks, they are only small black-tip reef sharks). &lt;b&gt;Koh Nang Yuan&lt;/b&gt;, Freedom beach, &lt;b&gt;Laem Thian, Mango Bay, Hin Wong Bay and Tanote Bay&lt;/b&gt; are good day excursions, accessible by road or boat. If you rent a scooter, be prepared to turn around or continue by foot since some roads (e.g. to &lt;b&gt;Mango Bay&lt;/b&gt;) may be in such condition that you need a dirt bike or a car to ride them. Some beaches are private, but a boat can take you snorkeling to those bays also.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  379. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  380. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;However, to see the best places, go by foot as some are inaccessible to motorists. There are a number of good viewpoints around the island such as John Suwan mountain viewpoint in the South of the island, Two View in the center and Fraggle Rock in the North.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  381. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  382. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  383. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  384. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  385. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Scuba diving&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  386. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  387. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Scuba diving &lt;/b&gt;is still the biggest attraction on &lt;b&gt;Ko Tao. Diving in Ko Tao&lt;/b&gt; is easy, fun, and you can see turtles, stingrays, barracudas, lots of small fish, reef sharks, and there is a very small chance of seeing a whale shark.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  388. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  389. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65-sNwZ7oca_laRm3ip6lebId9BJyXFUBwrcEW7CxB3lOjJWElJ6zCFZ6-gXhtAlfh3bheY-Hk5LncGc5kgnj5om3jyIDIeH2Xelnyq9kq2tzCSOoD8tRD4muinqt0wW-O0HaYIoNiiA/s1600/KOH_TAO_scuba_junction2.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  390. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  391. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  392. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  393. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  394. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;At &lt;b&gt;Chumphon Pinnacle&lt;/b&gt; you are likely to see juvenile bull sharks which have, until recently, been misidentified as grey reef sharks. Pay caution, the bulls are curious and very aggressive though for many years literally thousands of people have dived this site without a single shark related incident.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  395. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  396. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Nearly any time of the year except November is good diving weather in &lt;b&gt;Ko Tao&lt;/b&gt; and visibility can exceed 40 meters. Average visibility is around 15-20 meters. In November visibility is reduced and the seas are choppy, but diving is good by the standards of many other destinations.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  397. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  398. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;It is possible and perfectly comfortable to swim and dive without a wetsuit year round. However, as with most diving, a wetsuit is recommended to help reduce risk of cuts or injury. Avoid contact with coral reefs!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  399. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  400. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8lpJje_uyA63QoKyGsDqkp8wBggR7ZpaS0ZzNJ9yVdosAiXJ63_e0kglDfIT1pMHIQyIBMCTnHE3GJyf-dEoL6aPNDChL712pVn7Qlrid7ooNMt6TuAz5JXG1vHcMssWEElh-rQvnIY/s320/koh-tao-gap-year.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  401. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  402. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  403. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  404. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  405. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Over the last couple of years more and more non divers have discovered the beauty of this island with its secluded little bays and unspoiled mountain ridges. Due to this, and the increasing amount of small upmarket resorts and villas nestled in the hillsides there are nowadays a lot more activities available, including sailing, rock climbing ( Trad routes, Sport routes, Top rope routes and &lt;b&gt;Bouldering&lt;/b&gt;), abseiling, cliff jumping, wake boarding, paint-ball jungle games, mini golf or bowling in &lt;b&gt;Mae Haad,&lt;/b&gt; massage and yoga courses, and cooking courses.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  406. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  407. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;A huge selection of &lt;b&gt;Thai food &lt;/b&gt;is available, including lots of sea food. Barbecue fish is one of the local favourites. As a large portion of the population are expats, you will find plenty of other cuisines ,too.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  408. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  409. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuHkWi4RFfsyVJe3RFD6ftsjuGaUJDW-CAMWqSaWbOorLsMdh_6Kuqjh1zPzRfcUkZP579XmhEutXITCwJoE4_Owt9r3RS9oNuyaRHDS5kzS6etfrLtyay7E0_tw6ZLjG941CTTrDUZg/s640/Meg_Dive.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  410. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  411. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  412. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  413. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  414. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Thai food&lt;/b&gt; is cheapest, with July 2007 prices ranging from 45 baht for stuff-on-rice through to 250 baht for a nice hunk of fresh barbecue fish at a decent restaurant. 25 baht would get you a fresh banana pancake, and 60 baht a bowl of porridge with honey at a budget resort's restaurant. 200-300 baht would get you a bowl of freshly made Italian pasta, and 160-200 baht for pizza. Fresh fruit juices are available at many stalls for 20-30 baht.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  415. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  416. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Late night burgers, chicken pita kebabs, hot dogs, falafel, chips (&lt;b&gt;French fries to the non English&lt;/b&gt;) available with curry sauce, chili con carne or just good old salt and vinegar! One of only a few places on the island open after 10pm to get food other than 7-11 and we do offer delivery between 10pm - 2am&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  417. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  418. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;This is the largest beach on &lt;b&gt;Ko Tao&lt;/b&gt;, located on the &lt;b&gt;Western &lt;/b&gt;side of the island and stretching from the Ferry Terminal (which is on the South Western corner of the island) almost the length of the island. All along this beach you will find dive schools, resorts and restaurants/bars. The southern and central sections of the beach are well known for their nightlife, and the northern end has a large number of shops and restaurants which lends it to be a bit quieter at night (but with the bars only a short walk down the "&lt;b&gt;Yellow Brick Road&lt;/b&gt;".&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  419. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  420. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQHnLLO4lYYjDICbEKeiWMS-y5XafftbCB0qv3w9CCYPTrdwXc98mAVkxBQsh8UmU7nbs9W5Vyp570qNI8onXsHKFwWZporQ2XS4gZZoAIkEe_JCPlrwBDKaJ8AgG2dU0Iqp3MY-7Ps8/s640/ko-tao.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  421. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  422. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  423. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  424. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  425. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;Visit Thailand &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;info:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"&gt;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Tao"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Tao&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  426. &lt;/div&gt;
  427. &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/ko-tao-or-turtle-island.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhCwc7E6QdO2dQGDni_g8GMFH64dW-t2s2HpzGS0XkqGNV_vGZzRZRNE3Yt4vl0wtYl2TtCvc1NrVZuyOVJcdiy7kPitamxHDNxYtxsSGJva-Iey502kbKBLlMS3yl72PC_8FutH1YSA/s72-c/Koh-Nang-Yuan.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>20</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-1626189439850626538</guid><pubDate>Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:38:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-19T21:57:06.737+03:00</atom:updated><title>Khao Lak-  Koh Kho Khao</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTloIIm4Wpdp4IK6O9kxdF1HPkJVJW7tBIBNyDGMPMoYOjO8eJFPUVCfgTDl08_hWv7qQqYa5Pmv9oaIA-7f1U2i3j4tnxVQhKtUFfkZ5DMV0ESs96aWojsxmlQ8rKNm-B7hX9gAvY1A/s1600/Koh+Kho+Khao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTloIIm4Wpdp4IK6O9kxdF1HPkJVJW7tBIBNyDGMPMoYOjO8eJFPUVCfgTDl08_hWv7qQqYa5Pmv9oaIA-7f1U2i3j4tnxVQhKtUFfkZ5DMV0ESs96aWojsxmlQ8rKNm-B7hX9gAvY1A/s640/Koh+Kho+Khao.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  428. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  429. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Khao Lak- &amp;nbsp;Koh Kho Khao&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  430. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  431. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  432. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Khao Lak&lt;/b&gt; (&lt;b&gt;Thai: เขาหลัก&lt;/b&gt; (&lt;b&gt;Pronunciation)&lt;/b&gt;) is a seaside resort located in the &lt;b&gt;Takua Pa&lt;/b&gt; district in the Phang Nga province, Thailand and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips to the Similan Islands.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  433. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Located approximately 60 kilometers north of the island of &lt;b&gt;Phuket &lt;/b&gt;along &lt;b&gt;Phetkasem Road&lt;/b&gt;, (&lt;b&gt;Thai Route&lt;/b&gt; 4), one of four major highways in Thailand. Khao Lak is serviced regularly by bus and taxi services. &lt;b&gt;Phuket International Airport &lt;/b&gt;(HKT) is situated 74 kilometers south on the island of Phuket. Though Thailand's economy is mostly export-dependent, Khao Lak remains mostly tourist-dependent, with surrounding agriculture and commercial fishing making up a small contribution to Thailand's overall econom&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  434. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoq51mTVXiToqspUIIwc2MTGaDuf1_m2UEjU6VqGgxOy0kVuC6BNiH7kfWsWbAi5ybvg6v0D7iVRPLmspgilZ48IpaFtwani7-jC1DjPCuUkAtKFRtlht1cVzWioELfnoV6QjpKDkZ_iQ/s1600/12420497574292272228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoq51mTVXiToqspUIIwc2MTGaDuf1_m2UEjU6VqGgxOy0kVuC6BNiH7kfWsWbAi5ybvg6v0D7iVRPLmspgilZ48IpaFtwani7-jC1DjPCuUkAtKFRtlht1cVzWioELfnoV6QjpKDkZ_iQ/s400/12420497574292272228.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Khao Lak (เขาหลัก)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt; is a resort town in &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Phang Nga&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt; province on the western Andaman Sea coastline of southern &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Thailand&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;, about 100 km north of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Phuket Town&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;. When the disastrous tsunami of 2004 struck &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;South Asia, Khao Lak&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt; was the hardest-hit area in &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Thailand &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;with over 4000 fatalities. It has since made an impressive recovery despite many hardships along the way, and is once again a popular tourist destination. Khao Lak mainly caters to families and those looking for R&amp;amp;R - party people prefer &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Phuket&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  435. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  436. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  437. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Pakarang Surf Shop, 28/5 Moo 7, Khuk Khak, Takuapa, Phang Nga 82190 &lt;b&gt;THAILAND &lt;/b&gt;(in Khao Lak, 1 hour north of Phuket), &amp;nbsp;+66-76-485-350, . 9-5. Surf Shop in Khao Lak, Thailand. Board rental and good surf spot. 3 breaks on Cape Pakarang plus good beach breaks around Khao Lak. 300 Baht/hour.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  438. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  439. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  440. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The Yoga Studio, Petkasem Rd (Main Road) (Bang Niang, near Police Boat), &amp;nbsp;0897105770 (info@yogakhaolak.com), . Providing both group and private Yoga classes by a certified Yoga Instructor throughout the Khao Lak area.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  441. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUG-9zbAHnbf8yg0sYlB3xNuBP0lqmNHg07kcrJXLq9yq94rnWbuqdgZCFS6vi7XmJqTeznltYHrKFuiye2xGF_OZ0J3iymsnP2Vn68OqTrYl1BF54YcDkQe3AUqM-TOw7l8c1_qU2OrY/s1600/koh-kho-khao-resort-faci16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUG-9zbAHnbf8yg0sYlB3xNuBP0lqmNHg07kcrJXLq9yq94rnWbuqdgZCFS6vi7XmJqTeznltYHrKFuiye2xGF_OZ0J3iymsnP2Vn68OqTrYl1BF54YcDkQe3AUqM-TOw7l8c1_qU2OrY/s320/koh-kho-khao-resort-faci16.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  442. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  443. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Koh Kho Khao&lt;/b&gt; Island lies off the coast of &lt;b&gt;Takuapa &lt;/b&gt;to the North of &lt;b&gt;Khaolak. Koh Kor Kao &lt;/b&gt;Island's western coast has endless beaches lined by Casuarina trees while the interior is covered by grassland. Several wild animals dwell &lt;b&gt;Kho Koh Khao Island&lt;/b&gt;, and sea turtles use to lay their eggs in its sands, between November and February. Those, interested in this fascinating event will have the possibility to observe turtles in their natural environment during their stay on Koh Koh Khao Island.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  444. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  445. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  446. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Koh Kor Kao Island&lt;/b&gt; is already well developed, boasting surfaced roads and a car ferry to cross the few hundred metres wide canal, which separates Ko Koh Khao Island from the mainland. An extensive flat grassland area close to the northern tip was used as an airfield by the Japanese during World War II and influential people are already talking about an airport on &lt;b&gt;Kho Khor Khao Island&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  447. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnXaXSvIxB7EgHXCvihUUyJOo-t7C2MrWWIT0Q5iqMgFXUylWBQPiU0fr3u9QxV68_mYc8ltEi3n74_05pD1U0f4mjBTGX_D3EhG_ko4F4Lcetov6C__vI5bHs7VYM8kwcGSv8ryqnwM/s1600/pic1-koh-kho-khao-resort.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnXaXSvIxB7EgHXCvihUUyJOo-t7C2MrWWIT0Q5iqMgFXUylWBQPiU0fr3u9QxV68_mYc8ltEi3n74_05pD1U0f4mjBTGX_D3EhG_ko4F4Lcetov6C__vI5bHs7VYM8kwcGSv8ryqnwM/s1600/pic1-koh-kho-khao-resort.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  448. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  449. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Koh Koh Khao Island&lt;/b&gt; is spelled in many different ways like Koh Kho Khao, Koh Koh Khao, Koh Koh Kao, Koh Kho Khao Island, Koh Kor Kao, Kho Koh Khao, Kho Kho Kao Island, Koh Kho Khao, Koh Kao, Koh Kor Kao, Koh Kho Kao Island, Koh Khao Island, Ko Koh Khao, Kho Kho Khao, Ko Kho Khao, Koh Kho Kao Island and Kor-Khao Island&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  450. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  451. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  452. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Kho Khao Beach Resort&lt;/b&gt; lies on a small island of about 16 000 acres, which is called Koh Khokhao Island. Ko Kor Khao Island has beautiful white sandy beaches and many small hills with occasional lakes inbetween. While the coast is covered by Avicennia forest, the interieur of Koh Khor Kao Island is grassland savannah with many different flowers special to this island. This island is a perfect place to enjoy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  453. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  454. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  455. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Kho Khao&lt;/b&gt; Beach Resort is the perfect place for privacy seekers, small families or couples. You can enjoy our beach-side swimmingpool, complete with kids pool and jacuzzi and you can dine in splendor, choosing either of our 2 restaurants overlooking the Andaman Sea.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  456. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJ__vUU4xrLIhRv96mXx4hHkv6j_2wVIEfuVL8utL4YDPomWwHHDr2fke3QnK2E2oFYgx1lGuvLeENWJXnVTgpV4HAeiR3RLR04VA-FGO-LzeLBEz5AFa5VERj9hvLDwRhfugxSG8PPs/s1600/Hotel_Amandara_Island_Resort_Ko_Kho_Khao_Inseln_Thailand-+b0d52d45026fde1909a34161ce23f50f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJ__vUU4xrLIhRv96mXx4hHkv6j_2wVIEfuVL8utL4YDPomWwHHDr2fke3QnK2E2oFYgx1lGuvLeENWJXnVTgpV4HAeiR3RLR04VA-FGO-LzeLBEz5AFa5VERj9hvLDwRhfugxSG8PPs/s640/Hotel_Amandara_Island_Resort_Ko_Kho_Khao_Inseln_Thailand-+b0d52d45026fde1909a34161ce23f50f.jpg" width="632" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  457. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  458. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Info:http://www.khaolak-info.net, http://wikitravel.org/en/Khao_Lak.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  459. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e06666;"&gt;Visit Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  460. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  461. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  462. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  463. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/khao-lak-koh-kho-khao.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTloIIm4Wpdp4IK6O9kxdF1HPkJVJW7tBIBNyDGMPMoYOjO8eJFPUVCfgTDl08_hWv7qQqYa5Pmv9oaIA-7f1U2i3j4tnxVQhKtUFfkZ5DMV0ESs96aWojsxmlQ8rKNm-B7hX9gAvY1A/s72-c/Koh+Kho+Khao.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>23</thr:total><enclosure length="445007" type="image/jpeg" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TL1J0ilbbPI/AAAAAAAAARs/nug504Tp2xA/s1600/Koh+Kho+Khao.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Khao Lak- &amp;nbsp;Koh Kho Khao Khao Lak (Thai: เขาหลัก (Pronunciation)) is a seaside resort located in the Takua Pa district in the Phang Nga province, Thailand and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips to the Similan Islands. Located approximately 60 kilometers north of the island of Phuket along Phetkasem Road, (Thai Route 4), one of four major highways in Thailand. Khao Lak is serviced regularly by bus and taxi services. Phuket International Airport (HKT) is situated 74 kilometers south on the island of Phuket. Though Thailand's economy is mostly export-dependent, Khao Lak remains mostly tourist-dependent, with surrounding agriculture and commercial fishing making up a small contribution to Thailand's overall econom Khao Lak (เขาหลัก) is a resort town in Phang Nga province on the western Andaman Sea coastline of southern Thailand, about 100 km north of Phuket Town. When the disastrous tsunami of 2004 struck South Asia, Khao Lak was the hardest-hit area in Thailand with over 4000 fatalities. It has since made an impressive recovery despite many hardships along the way, and is once again a popular tourist destination. Khao Lak mainly caters to families and those looking for R&amp;amp;R - party people prefer Phuket. Pakarang Surf Shop, 28/5 Moo 7, Khuk Khak, Takuapa, Phang Nga 82190 THAILAND (in Khao Lak, 1 hour north of Phuket), &amp;nbsp;+66-76-485-350, . 9-5. Surf Shop in Khao Lak, Thailand. Board rental and good surf spot. 3 breaks on Cape Pakarang plus good beach breaks around Khao Lak. 300 Baht/hour. The Yoga Studio, Petkasem Rd (Main Road) (Bang Niang, near Police Boat), &amp;nbsp;0897105770 (info@yogakhaolak.com), . Providing both group and private Yoga classes by a certified Yoga Instructor throughout the Khao Lak area.&amp;nbsp; Koh Kho Khao Island lies off the coast of Takuapa to the North of Khaolak. Koh Kor Kao Island's western coast has endless beaches lined by Casuarina trees while the interior is covered by grassland. Several wild animals dwell Kho Koh Khao Island, and sea turtles use to lay their eggs in its sands, between November and February. Those, interested in this fascinating event will have the possibility to observe turtles in their natural environment during their stay on Koh Koh Khao Island. Koh Kor Kao Island is already well developed, boasting surfaced roads and a car ferry to cross the few hundred metres wide canal, which separates Ko Koh Khao Island from the mainland. An extensive flat grassland area close to the northern tip was used as an airfield by the Japanese during World War II and influential people are already talking about an airport on Kho Khor Khao Island. Koh Koh Khao Island is spelled in many different ways like Koh Kho Khao, Koh Koh Khao, Koh Koh Kao, Koh Kho Khao Island, Koh Kor Kao, Kho Koh Khao, Kho Kho Kao Island, Koh Kho Khao, Koh Kao, Koh Kor Kao, Koh Kho Kao Island, Koh Khao Island, Ko Koh Khao, Kho Kho Khao, Ko Kho Khao, Koh Kho Kao Island and Kor-Khao Island Ko Kho Khao Beach Resort lies on a small island of about 16 000 acres, which is called Koh Khokhao Island. Ko Kor Khao Island has beautiful white sandy beaches and many small hills with occasional lakes inbetween. While the coast is covered by Avicennia forest, the interieur of Koh Khor Kao Island is grassland savannah with many different flowers special to this island. This island is a perfect place to enjoy. Ko Kho Khao Beach Resort is the perfect place for privacy seekers, small families or couples. You can enjoy our beach-side swimmingpool, complete with kids pool and jacuzzi and you can dine in splendor, choosing either of our 2 restaurants overlooking the Andaman Sea. Info:http://www.khaolak-info.net, http://wikitravel.org/en/Khao_Lak. Visit Thailand http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Khao Lak- &amp;nbsp;Koh Kho Khao Khao Lak (Thai: เขาหลัก (Pronunciation)) is a seaside resort located in the Takua Pa district in the Phang Nga province, Thailand and popular as a departure point for liveaboard scuba diving trips to the Similan Islands. Located approximately 60 kilometers north of the island of Phuket along Phetkasem Road, (Thai Route 4), one of four major highways in Thailand. Khao Lak is serviced regularly by bus and taxi services. Phuket International Airport (HKT) is situated 74 kilometers south on the island of Phuket. Though Thailand's economy is mostly export-dependent, Khao Lak remains mostly tourist-dependent, with surrounding agriculture and commercial fishing making up a small contribution to Thailand's overall econom Khao Lak (เขาหลัก) is a resort town in Phang Nga province on the western Andaman Sea coastline of southern Thailand, about 100 km north of Phuket Town. When the disastrous tsunami of 2004 struck South Asia, Khao Lak was the hardest-hit area in Thailand with over 4000 fatalities. It has since made an impressive recovery despite many hardships along the way, and is once again a popular tourist destination. Khao Lak mainly caters to families and those looking for R&amp;amp;R - party people prefer Phuket. Pakarang Surf Shop, 28/5 Moo 7, Khuk Khak, Takuapa, Phang Nga 82190 THAILAND (in Khao Lak, 1 hour north of Phuket), &amp;nbsp;+66-76-485-350, . 9-5. Surf Shop in Khao Lak, Thailand. Board rental and good surf spot. 3 breaks on Cape Pakarang plus good beach breaks around Khao Lak. 300 Baht/hour. The Yoga Studio, Petkasem Rd (Main Road) (Bang Niang, near Police Boat), &amp;nbsp;0897105770 (info@yogakhaolak.com), . Providing both group and private Yoga classes by a certified Yoga Instructor throughout the Khao Lak area.&amp;nbsp; Koh Kho Khao Island lies off the coast of Takuapa to the North of Khaolak. Koh Kor Kao Island's western coast has endless beaches lined by Casuarina trees while the interior is covered by grassland. Several wild animals dwell Kho Koh Khao Island, and sea turtles use to lay their eggs in its sands, between November and February. Those, interested in this fascinating event will have the possibility to observe turtles in their natural environment during their stay on Koh Koh Khao Island. Koh Kor Kao Island is already well developed, boasting surfaced roads and a car ferry to cross the few hundred metres wide canal, which separates Ko Koh Khao Island from the mainland. An extensive flat grassland area close to the northern tip was used as an airfield by the Japanese during World War II and influential people are already talking about an airport on Kho Khor Khao Island. Koh Koh Khao Island is spelled in many different ways like Koh Kho Khao, Koh Koh Khao, Koh Koh Kao, Koh Kho Khao Island, Koh Kor Kao, Kho Koh Khao, Kho Kho Kao Island, Koh Kho Khao, Koh Kao, Koh Kor Kao, Koh Kho Kao Island, Koh Khao Island, Ko Koh Khao, Kho Kho Khao, Ko Kho Khao, Koh Kho Kao Island and Kor-Khao Island Ko Kho Khao Beach Resort lies on a small island of about 16 000 acres, which is called Koh Khokhao Island. Ko Kor Khao Island has beautiful white sandy beaches and many small hills with occasional lakes inbetween. While the coast is covered by Avicennia forest, the interieur of Koh Khor Kao Island is grassland savannah with many different flowers special to this island. This island is a perfect place to enjoy. Ko Kho Khao Beach Resort is the perfect place for privacy seekers, small families or couples. You can enjoy our beach-side swimmingpool, complete with kids pool and jacuzzi and you can dine in splendor, choosing either of our 2 restaurants overlooking the Andaman Sea. Info:http://www.khaolak-info.net, http://wikitravel.org/en/Khao_Lak. Visit Thailand http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-3436795788690016356</guid><pubDate>Sat, 16 Oct 2010 09:02:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-16T12:02:57.721+03:00</atom:updated><title>Loi Krathong&amp;Yi Peng  or Candle Festival</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3257ZUDIX9E3MLwUTnr6ujji-M5C7cJmM3p15_6VixODyCl9U22noA_q6RqISrBSLjKo6RZjatWyDYaSP3oJ0FItuoGMHIPnMn5f0_Mapq4-42v0zaiVQkvhItbBtWHgcaiIxqy-a78/s1600/Loi_Krathong_Chiang_Mai_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3257ZUDIX9E3MLwUTnr6ujji-M5C7cJmM3p15_6VixODyCl9U22noA_q6RqISrBSLjKo6RZjatWyDYaSP3oJ0FItuoGMHIPnMn5f0_Mapq4-42v0zaiVQkvhItbBtWHgcaiIxqy-a78/s1600/Loi_Krathong_Chiang_Mai_09.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  464. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  465. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Loi Krathong is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  466. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvwmJOdiqfnkQsgNhaHSNO6jCvqEU9eF6qg5siarKGHYHia1k7p-Qpkzf1TH5stTXvyEGytTJw8xQprv05Lq2ZzvXhbpVcWXbJ8esHixbryiZNvm0gz4KqcGbXR6r_1Cd8x9X3L56aNs/s1600/loykratong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEvwmJOdiqfnkQsgNhaHSNO6jCvqEU9eF6qg5siarKGHYHia1k7p-Qpkzf1TH5stTXvyEGytTJw8xQprv05Lq2ZzvXhbpVcWXbJ8esHixbryiZNvm0gz4KqcGbXR6r_1Cd8x9X3L56aNs/s320/loykratong.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;"Loi" means "to float" and a "Krathong" is a raft, about a hand span in diameter, traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk. A raft has been developed to be made of bread or sometimes made of styrofoam. The reason for using bread is to protect the environment,since having many rafts in the river can create a huge water pollution problem. Bread will eventually become food for fish and other animals in the river. Even though banana leaves are biodegradable, it takes longer to be degraded than a bread. Therefore, bread is the most environmental friendly choice to make a raft whereas foam is not recommended at all. A raft is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  467. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj_wIaX-6z-W5LClCY-aBNFcqVedN4BkAD4VHIUQqcaUdUNnag_0cPTf8pUclvEh-Z1Cr_q_BYZlRLi825PomHgCf7WLxi785fCPRAh_ZUmuhtMRymY0pWo6exHcE2oIsQ-60vfh2D2Y/s1600/IMG_2100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKj_wIaX-6z-W5LClCY-aBNFcqVedN4BkAD4VHIUQqcaUdUNnag_0cPTf8pUclvEh-Z1Cr_q_BYZlRLi825PomHgCf7WLxi785fCPRAh_ZUmuhtMRymY0pWo6exHcE2oIsQ-60vfh2D2Y/s320/IMG_2100.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;During the night of the full moon, many people will float a small rafts (Krathong) on a river or other body of water, such as canals, lakes and seas. Some people even float a raft in a basin in their own yard. Thai people believe that floating a raft on the river is to honor and pay respect to the goddess of water. Also, floating a raft in the river is to apologize to the Goddess of the Water for the bad things we have done to the river during the past year. That is why Loi Krathong festival is held at the end of the year. Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations usually create big decorated rafts. There are also local and officially organised raft competitions, regarding its beauty and craftsmanship. In addition, there are also fireworks and beauty contests during the celebration of the festival.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  468. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk3rA7EZfEKyzNxvF8vV4t5TVpcIcN5EHNkwwWxGUinpaXK-0u5MYb65gyk0u5W2THhLI5q6BnJYHyR1pu5-FUDuGKQhQPPfBhtAyM7J1BXU4vUGSomCTT5O8qKPl5uGoHOSmOi79IhE/s1600/Loi_Krathong_Ayutthaya_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk3rA7EZfEKyzNxvF8vV4t5TVpcIcN5EHNkwwWxGUinpaXK-0u5MYb65gyk0u5W2THhLI5q6BnJYHyR1pu5-FUDuGKQhQPPfBhtAyM7J1BXU4vUGSomCTT5O8qKPl5uGoHOSmOi79IhE/s320/Loi_Krathong_Ayutthaya_02.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The origins of Loi Krathong are stated to be in Sukhothai, but recently scholars have argued that it is in fact an invention from the Bangkok period . According to the writings of H.M. King Rama IV in 1863, the originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honour the original Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. People will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself. Many Thai believe that floating a raft will bring good luck, and they do it to honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha (Thai: พระแม่คงคา).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  469. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Yi Peng&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  470. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iKdW3YZ_9Cx7uO4PP68aL6hK-9AWqpfzmJtf-s05bOqhTu2ULtxZouhTc9-uZUtEJN5_ftEBpheI5UPXd__0L6CuEx0oydxFDbBt9S1XA6r7OyfnDSprwYk7W45ZZ4a6LL4QF7DiqmQ/s1600/Loi_Krathong_Tak_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iKdW3YZ_9Cx7uO4PP68aL6hK-9AWqpfzmJtf-s05bOqhTu2ULtxZouhTc9-uZUtEJN5_ftEBpheI5UPXd__0L6CuEx0oydxFDbBt9S1XA6r7OyfnDSprwYk7W45ZZ4a6LL4QF7DiqmQ/s320/Loi_Krathong_Tak_11.jpg" width="213" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Thousands of Khom Fai in Mae Cho, Chiang Mai&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  471. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Loi Krathong coincides with the Lanna (northern Thai) festival known as "Yi Peng" (Thai: ยี่เป็ง). Due to a difference between the old Lanna calendar and the Thai calendar, Yi Peng is held on a full moon of the 2nd month of the Lanna calendar ("Yi" meaning "2nd" and "Peng" meaning "month" in the Lanna language). A multitude of Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom loi (Thai: โคมลอย), literally: "floating lanterns") are launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the sky. The festival is meant as a time for tham bun (Thai: ทำบุญ), to make merit. People usually make khom loi from a thin fabric, such as rice paper, to which a candle or fuel cell is attached. When the fuel cell is lit, the resulting hot air which is trapped inside the lantern creates enough lift for the khom loi to float up in to the sky. In addition, people will also decorate their houses, gardens and temples with khom fai (Thai: โคมไฟ): intricately shaped paper lanterns which take on different forms. Khom thue (Thai: โคมถือ) are lanterns which are carried around hanging from a stick, khom khwaen (Thai: โคมแขวน) are the hanging lanterns, and khom pariwat (Thai: โคมปริวรรต) which are placed at temples and which revolve due to the heat of the candle inside. The most elaborate Yi Peng celebrations can be seen in Chiang Mai,[2] the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom, where now both Loi Krathong and Yi Peng are celebrated at the same time resulting in and lights floating on the waters, and lights hanging from trees and buildings or standing on walls, and lights floating by in the sky. The tradition of Yi Peng was also adopted by certain parts of Laos during the 16th century.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  472. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXjONfLDD3b88Amz9JaMvuB41jw8UAI-6GOQzulmKXsEWChEAbPplpsz12RIQOpBPdMgM7YRLncHcWeswqG4E_axLMKOke7bfMvbWn83Ch7hJGVdOSkj76s0zMCA4mDO5ePDGEw-eRdg/s1600/loi-krathong-festival-bangkok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXjONfLDD3b88Amz9JaMvuB41jw8UAI-6GOQzulmKXsEWChEAbPplpsz12RIQOpBPdMgM7YRLncHcWeswqG4E_axLMKOke7bfMvbWn83Ch7hJGVdOSkj76s0zMCA4mDO5ePDGEw-eRdg/s640/loi-krathong-festival-bangkok.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Pictures Source:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.loikrathong.net/"&gt;http://www.loikrathong.net&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  473. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;Visit Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/loi-krathong-peng-or-candle-festival.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3257ZUDIX9E3MLwUTnr6ujji-M5C7cJmM3p15_6VixODyCl9U22noA_q6RqISrBSLjKo6RZjatWyDYaSP3oJ0FItuoGMHIPnMn5f0_Mapq4-42v0zaiVQkvhItbBtWHgcaiIxqy-a78/s72-c/Loi_Krathong_Chiang_Mai_09.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>29</thr:total><enclosure length="31397" type="image/jpeg" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TLlpEaEax0I/AAAAAAAAARc/mgeka2FYI3Q/s1600/Loi_Krathong_Chiang_Mai_09.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Loi Krathong is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November. "Loi" means "to float" and a "Krathong" is a raft, about a hand span in diameter, traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk. A raft has been developed to be made of bread or sometimes made of styrofoam. The reason for using bread is to protect the environment,since having many rafts in the river can create a huge water pollution problem. Bread will eventually become food for fish and other animals in the river. Even though banana leaves are biodegradable, it takes longer to be degraded than a bread. Therefore, bread is the most environmental friendly choice to make a raft whereas foam is not recommended at all. A raft is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc.. During the night of the full moon, many people will float a small rafts (Krathong) on a river or other body of water, such as canals, lakes and seas. Some people even float a raft in a basin in their own yard. Thai people believe that floating a raft on the river is to honor and pay respect to the goddess of water. Also, floating a raft in the river is to apologize to the Goddess of the Water for the bad things we have done to the river during the past year. That is why Loi Krathong festival is held at the end of the year. Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations usually create big decorated rafts. There are also local and officially organised raft competitions, regarding its beauty and craftsmanship. In addition, there are also fireworks and beauty contests during the celebration of the festival. The origins of Loi Krathong are stated to be in Sukhothai, but recently scholars have argued that it is in fact an invention from the Bangkok period . According to the writings of H.M. King Rama IV in 1863, the originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honour the original Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. People will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself. Many Thai believe that floating a raft will bring good luck, and they do it to honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha (Thai: พระแม่คงคา). Yi Peng Thousands of Khom Fai in Mae Cho, Chiang Mai Loi Krathong coincides with the Lanna (northern Thai) festival known as "Yi Peng" (Thai: ยี่เป็ง). Due to a difference between the old Lanna calendar and the Thai calendar, Yi Peng is held on a full moon of the 2nd month of the Lanna calendar ("Yi" meaning "2nd" and "Peng" meaning "month" in the Lanna language). A multitude of Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom loi (Thai: โคมลอย), literally: "floating lanterns") are launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the sky. The festival is meant as a time for tham bun (Thai: ทำบุญ), to make merit. People usually make khom loi from a thin fabric, such as rice paper, to which a candle or fuel cell is attached. When the fuel cell is lit, the resulting hot air which is trapped inside the lantern creates enough lift for the khom loi to float up in to the sky. In addition, people will also decorate their houses, gardens and temples with khom fai (Thai: โคมไฟ): intricately shaped paper lanterns which take on different forms. Khom thue (Thai: โคมถือ) are lanterns which are carried around hanging from a stick, khom khwaen (Thai: โคมแขวน) are the hanging lanterns, and khom pariwat (Thai: โคมปริวรรต) which are placed at temples and which revolve due to the heat of the candle inside. The most elaborate Yi Peng celebrations can be seen in Chiang Mai,[2] the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom, where now both Loi Krathong and Yi Peng are celebrated at the same time resulting in and lights floating on the waters, and lights hanging from trees and buildings or standing on walls, and lights floating by in the sky. The tradition of Yi Peng was also adopted by certain parts of Laos during the 16th century. Pictures Source:http://www.loikrathong.net Visit Thailandhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Loi Krathong is held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November. "Loi" means "to float" and a "Krathong" is a raft, about a hand span in diameter, traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk. A raft has been developed to be made of bread or sometimes made of styrofoam. The reason for using bread is to protect the environment,since having many rafts in the river can create a huge water pollution problem. Bread will eventually become food for fish and other animals in the river. Even though banana leaves are biodegradable, it takes longer to be degraded than a bread. Therefore, bread is the most environmental friendly choice to make a raft whereas foam is not recommended at all. A raft is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc.. During the night of the full moon, many people will float a small rafts (Krathong) on a river or other body of water, such as canals, lakes and seas. Some people even float a raft in a basin in their own yard. Thai people believe that floating a raft on the river is to honor and pay respect to the goddess of water. Also, floating a raft in the river is to apologize to the Goddess of the Water for the bad things we have done to the river during the past year. That is why Loi Krathong festival is held at the end of the year. Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations usually create big decorated rafts. There are also local and officially organised raft competitions, regarding its beauty and craftsmanship. In addition, there are also fireworks and beauty contests during the celebration of the festival. The origins of Loi Krathong are stated to be in Sukhothai, but recently scholars have argued that it is in fact an invention from the Bangkok period . According to the writings of H.M. King Rama IV in 1863, the originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honour the original Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one's grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. People will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself. Many Thai believe that floating a raft will bring good luck, and they do it to honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha (Thai: พระแม่คงคา). Yi Peng Thousands of Khom Fai in Mae Cho, Chiang Mai Loi Krathong coincides with the Lanna (northern Thai) festival known as "Yi Peng" (Thai: ยี่เป็ง). Due to a difference between the old Lanna calendar and the Thai calendar, Yi Peng is held on a full moon of the 2nd month of the Lanna calendar ("Yi" meaning "2nd" and "Peng" meaning "month" in the Lanna language). A multitude of Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom loi (Thai: โคมลอย), literally: "floating lanterns") are launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the sky. The festival is meant as a time for tham bun (Thai: ทำบุญ), to make merit. People usually make khom loi from a thin fabric, such as rice paper, to which a candle or fuel cell is attached. When the fuel cell is lit, the resulting hot air which is trapped inside the lantern creates enough lift for the khom loi to float up in to the sky. In addition, people will also decorate their houses, gardens and temples with khom fai (Thai: โคมไฟ): intricately shaped paper lanterns which take on different forms. Khom thue (Thai: โคมถือ) are lanterns which are carried around hanging from a stick, khom khwaen (Thai: โคมแขวน) are the hanging lanterns, and khom pariwat (Thai: โคมปริวรรต) which are placed at temples and which revolve due to the heat of the candle inside. The most elaborate Yi Peng celebrations can be seen in Chiang Mai,[2] the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom, where now both Loi Krathong and Yi Peng are celebrated at the same time resulting in and lights floating on the waters, and lights hanging from trees and buildings or standing on walls, and lights floating by in the sky. The tradition of Yi Peng was also adopted by certain parts of Laos during the 16th century. Pictures Source:http://www.loikrathong.net Visit Thailandhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-7097555541022112979</guid><pubDate>Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:26:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-12T11:26:10.518+03:00</atom:updated><title>BAAN SAO NAK -HOUSE OF MANNY PILLARS</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdQAwkCG82HuAicB5DYXy8WxQqD7wZfZExzwyElWcWa_rYoIPqnPkpIJIclCXxsycjYPrrdG1eQ-HE2oWXrhXJypYPQeJ3VRSBx68W9zqvG1fJj-SmQxKI8f4dMpUukrykpwbUlJjurU/s640/pillarhouse.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  474. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Lampang &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;(&lt;b&gt;Thai ลำปาง&lt;/b&gt;) is one of the northern provinces (&lt;b&gt;changwat&lt;/b&gt;) of &lt;b&gt;Thailand&lt;/b&gt;. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) &lt;b&gt;Chiang Rai&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;Phayao&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;Phrae&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;Sukhothai&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;Tak&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;Lamphun &lt;/b&gt;and &lt;b&gt;Chiang Mai&lt;/b&gt;. The old name of &lt;b&gt;Lampang &lt;/b&gt;is &lt;b&gt;Khelang Nakhon&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Lampang &lt;/b&gt;is located in the broad river valley of the &lt;b&gt;Wang River&lt;/b&gt;, surrounded by mountain chains. In the &lt;b&gt;Mae Mo&lt;/b&gt; district lignite is found and mined in open pits. To the north of the province is the 1697 m high &lt;b&gt;Doi Luang.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Within the province are the national parks Tham Pha Thai, Chae Son, Doi Khun Than, as well as the Huay Tak Teak Biosphere Reserve.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBhBrDbpCIH7Uj1yWE0Dp9fkdYFSryMbzVcYGMifMD8ef4TLSwBRxk8aC3_AowV7rxTYwAuzBOT_03-5OShs2ZjtbPshJ0c2mti1IezVEfLLtSBdpA7aOzHKZLDwOgs64r3p6qnahaEg/s400/88094077qLTyVF_fs.jpg" width="300" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  475. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Baan Sao Nak&lt;/b&gt; (&lt;b&gt;บ้านเสานัก&lt;/b&gt;) is old teak house,lanna style with 116 pillars,more than 105 years.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Present on Ratwattana Road is a sprawling and beautifully conserved remarkable structure called the &lt;b&gt;Ban Sao Nak&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Believed to have been constructed in 1895 by &lt;b&gt;Mong Chan Ong Chandraviroj&lt;/b&gt; during the reign of &lt;b&gt;King Rama V&lt;/b&gt;, this wooden teak house is a remarkable exhibition of Burmese and Lanna style of architectures, also known as the Northern Thai style of architecture. &lt;b&gt;Ban Sao Nak &lt;/b&gt;has become one of the main tourist attractions in Lampang.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  476. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; According to the Thai language, &lt;b&gt;Ban Sao Nak means “house of many pillars”&lt;/b&gt;. B&lt;b&gt;aan Sao Nakis &lt;/b&gt;an extravagant and unique blend of &lt;b&gt;Burmese &lt;/b&gt;and &lt;b&gt;Lanna &lt;/b&gt;architectures. As many as 116 square shaped teak pillars are present in this house, thus giving the house its present name. While the verandah around the house is designed in Burmese style, the roof, general structures and the showcase are constructed in &lt;b&gt;Lanna style&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  477. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Giving a distinct ambience around the house is the 133 years old huge &lt;b&gt;Sarapee tree&lt;/b&gt; that is present in front of the house. Another interesting place to visit inside the house is the huge rice storage area present on the northern side.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRCxZFD2wh0zkOpTFTPhYf6rOFr-mzRBmil7oxORC3zbcea-4LiBlBBGzPVh0NhkDsZJcGviPTDeWIn8WXLKFUYmvyeniNv0UCGyVr5lHHSdEX-CqKbSmHL2Q-Xe9hyphenhyphenNNgi30FQEHwFg/s1600/01108_baansaonak-lampang.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRCxZFD2wh0zkOpTFTPhYf6rOFr-mzRBmil7oxORC3zbcea-4LiBlBBGzPVh0NhkDsZJcGviPTDeWIn8WXLKFUYmvyeniNv0UCGyVr5lHHSdEX-CqKbSmHL2Q-Xe9hyphenhyphenNNgi30FQEHwFg/s400/01108_baansaonak-lampang.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  478. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The house was once considered as a symbol of forest wealth present all around the province of &lt;b&gt;Lampang&lt;/b&gt;. &lt;b&gt;Ban Sao Nak &lt;/b&gt;was once the residence of late &lt;b&gt;Khunying Valai Leelanuj&lt;/b&gt;, a wealthy individual who belonged to the Burmese race. &amp;nbsp;Now, this house has been converted to a private museum housing a huge collection of owner’s personal possessions, intricately carved antiques and delicately woven handicrafts. Some of these items include &lt;b&gt;laquerware&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;silverware &lt;/b&gt;and &lt;b&gt;ceramics&lt;/b&gt;. Present inside the house is a &lt;b&gt;souvenir stall.&lt;/b&gt; &lt;b&gt;Ban Sao Nak&lt;/b&gt; is also used as a venue for gala traditional &lt;b&gt;Kantoke dinners &lt;/b&gt;and &lt;b&gt;wedding ceremonies.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFmh_67rv1XI1pNMcu4beD-pExWRYfVowZc2vfx_Az6GDzEDp5_EqcWuVG-XichxBCgVXTTUjKSxYG-OSXofxATKku0CfNBv7X5ZcwVTwC7NWM2eoSLPYzPlhRPlwQqbPdl1EH-eFiUa4/s640/6.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  479. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Ban Sao Nak is open to visitors everyday from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm and admission fee is 30 baht per person. "http://www.thailandbuddy.com"&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="color: #212121; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiG_-xA4UTqVCeQrztivJy4IrHLRzSeVGQJeW0nUY1SuZ8r-fWeZ67iZr1lYjVF7zTEWdjK1_zJnyK3gEc0EIqkUkNGGtqilKhCBANTSW3iPMx7KRAxvs8M3JMQUd73L8qEAkrX_0HWDo/s1600/teakrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiG_-xA4UTqVCeQrztivJy4IrHLRzSeVGQJeW0nUY1SuZ8r-fWeZ67iZr1lYjVF7zTEWdjK1_zJnyK3gEc0EIqkUkNGGtqilKhCBANTSW3iPMx7KRAxvs8M3JMQUd73L8qEAkrX_0HWDo/s400/teakrooms.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;Baan Sao Nak&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Lampang, Thailand- Baan Sao Nak&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;6 Ratwattana Road, Ta-ma-O&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Lampang 52000 Thailand&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;Tel/Fax (o54) 227653, (086) 9107408, (083) 2060160&amp;nbsp;Open everyday : 10.00 A.M &amp;nbsp;5.00 P.M&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;VISIT THAILAND&lt;span id="goog_1395823196"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span id="goog_1395823197"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/baan-sao-nak-house-of-manny-pillars.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdQAwkCG82HuAicB5DYXy8WxQqD7wZfZExzwyElWcWa_rYoIPqnPkpIJIclCXxsycjYPrrdG1eQ-HE2oWXrhXJypYPQeJ3VRSBx68W9zqvG1fJj-SmQxKI8f4dMpUukrykpwbUlJjurU/s72-c/pillarhouse.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>38</thr:total><enclosure length="33859" type="image/jpeg" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TLQacvH6dtI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/1fL07Qjlt78/s1600/01108_baansaonak-lampang.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Lampang (Thai ลำปาง) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Lamphun and Chiang Mai. The old name of Lampang is Khelang Nakhon.Lampang is located in the broad river valley of the Wang River, surrounded by mountain chains. In the Mae Mo district lignite is found and mined in open pits. To the north of the province is the 1697 m high Doi Luang.Within the province are the national parks Tham Pha Thai, Chae Son, Doi Khun Than, as well as the Huay Tak Teak Biosphere Reserve. Baan Sao Nak (บ้านเสานัก) is old teak house,lanna style with 116 pillars,more than 105 years.Present on Ratwattana Road is a sprawling and beautifully conserved remarkable structure called the Ban Sao Nak.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Believed to have been constructed in 1895 by Mong Chan Ong Chandraviroj during the reign of King Rama V, this wooden teak house is a remarkable exhibition of Burmese and Lanna style of architectures, also known as the Northern Thai style of architecture. Ban Sao Nak has become one of the main tourist attractions in Lampang. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; According to the Thai language, Ban Sao Nak means “house of many pillars”. Baan Sao Nakis an extravagant and unique blend of Burmese and Lanna architectures. As many as 116 square shaped teak pillars are present in this house, thus giving the house its present name. While the verandah around the house is designed in Burmese style, the roof, general structures and the showcase are constructed in Lanna style. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Giving a distinct ambience around the house is the 133 years old huge Sarapee tree that is present in front of the house. Another interesting place to visit inside the house is the huge rice storage area present on the northern side. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The house was once considered as a symbol of forest wealth present all around the province of Lampang. Ban Sao Nak was once the residence of late Khunying Valai Leelanuj, a wealthy individual who belonged to the Burmese race. &amp;nbsp;Now, this house has been converted to a private museum housing a huge collection of owner’s personal possessions, intricately carved antiques and delicately woven handicrafts. Some of these items include laquerware, silverware and ceramics. Present inside the house is a souvenir stall. Ban Sao Nak is also used as a venue for gala traditional Kantoke dinners and wedding ceremonies. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Ban Sao Nak is open to visitors everyday from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm and admission fee is 30 baht per person. "http://www.thailandbuddy.com"Baan Sao NakLampang, Thailand- Baan Sao Nak6 Ratwattana Road, Ta-ma-OLampang 52000 ThailandTel/Fax (o54) 227653, (086) 9107408, (083) 2060160&amp;nbsp;Open everyday : 10.00 A.M &amp;nbsp;5.00 P.MVISIT THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Lampang (Thai ลำปาง) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Chiang Rai, Phayao, Phrae, Sukhothai, Tak, Lamphun and Chiang Mai. The old name of Lampang is Khelang Nakhon.Lampang is located in the broad river valley of the Wang River, surrounded by mountain chains. In the Mae Mo district lignite is found and mined in open pits. To the north of the province is the 1697 m high Doi Luang.Within the province are the national parks Tham Pha Thai, Chae Son, Doi Khun Than, as well as the Huay Tak Teak Biosphere Reserve. Baan Sao Nak (บ้านเสานัก) is old teak house,lanna style with 116 pillars,more than 105 years.Present on Ratwattana Road is a sprawling and beautifully conserved remarkable structure called the Ban Sao Nak.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Believed to have been constructed in 1895 by Mong Chan Ong Chandraviroj during the reign of King Rama V, this wooden teak house is a remarkable exhibition of Burmese and Lanna style of architectures, also known as the Northern Thai style of architecture. Ban Sao Nak has become one of the main tourist attractions in Lampang. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; According to the Thai language, Ban Sao Nak means “house of many pillars”. Baan Sao Nakis an extravagant and unique blend of Burmese and Lanna architectures. As many as 116 square shaped teak pillars are present in this house, thus giving the house its present name. While the verandah around the house is designed in Burmese style, the roof, general structures and the showcase are constructed in Lanna style. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Giving a distinct ambience around the house is the 133 years old huge Sarapee tree that is present in front of the house. Another interesting place to visit inside the house is the huge rice storage area present on the northern side. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The house was once considered as a symbol of forest wealth present all around the province of Lampang. Ban Sao Nak was once the residence of late Khunying Valai Leelanuj, a wealthy individual who belonged to the Burmese race. &amp;nbsp;Now, this house has been converted to a private museum housing a huge collection of owner’s personal possessions, intricately carved antiques and delicately woven handicrafts. Some of these items include laquerware, silverware and ceramics. Present inside the house is a souvenir stall. Ban Sao Nak is also used as a venue for gala traditional Kantoke dinners and wedding ceremonies. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Ban Sao Nak is open to visitors everyday from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm and admission fee is 30 baht per person. "http://www.thailandbuddy.com"Baan Sao NakLampang, Thailand- Baan Sao Nak6 Ratwattana Road, Ta-ma-OLampang 52000 ThailandTel/Fax (o54) 227653, (086) 9107408, (083) 2060160&amp;nbsp;Open everyday : 10.00 A.M &amp;nbsp;5.00 P.MVISIT THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-6094206447181835894</guid><pubDate>Sun, 10 Oct 2010 09:02:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-10T13:59:02.717+03:00</atom:updated><title>Ko Samet - Paradice Island Thailand</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsH58xcd-Ke5Nz5U9k_nZNYH0A1IAeHRlbNrYatdyOb9RK1Wg2khNypbY6gUc7Id2VTd6FlW-cW7wsry3eYwbAUGW-Pmjd9rxWd5cu3BiMYlOhUeGuARkXnLSQ9iD6lVfJNdFPULOM8ko/s640/ao-wong-duan---ko-samet.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  480. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Just 200 kilometers from &lt;b&gt;Bangkok &lt;/b&gt;in the &lt;b&gt;Gulf of Thailand&lt;/b&gt;, the T-shaped island of &lt;b&gt;Ko Samet&lt;/b&gt; is famed for its white sandy beaches, &lt;b&gt;exotic coral and crystal clear waters&lt;/b&gt;. &lt;b&gt;Ko Samet&lt;/b&gt; has developed steadily over the past decade or so, but it hasn't been the victim of over zealous construction which has hit the likes of &lt;b&gt;Ko Samui&lt;/b&gt; (or even&lt;b&gt; Ko Chang&lt;/b&gt;). The &lt;b&gt;island &lt;/b&gt;is typified for its splendid &lt;b&gt;beaches&lt;/b&gt; and white silky sand, surrounded by &lt;b&gt;tropical &lt;/b&gt;coral reefs and crystal clear sea. &lt;b&gt;Tourists &lt;/b&gt;can also enjoy a plethora of delicious cuisine and fine nightlife.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;It's a popular &lt;b&gt;tourist &lt;/b&gt;destination for Thais and foreigners alike. As &lt;b&gt;Ko Samet&lt;/b&gt; is so near Bangkok, the island is ideal for those in the capital wanting to chill-out with their families for a couple of days, without having to go through all that rigmarole of having to travel down south. It's only a 2.5 hour ride to &lt;b&gt;Ban Phe&lt;/b&gt;, where one can take a 20-minutes ferry to the island.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecXfgCMOoPBJeW2A_VhOUhYPscCH80tmE-nQvvR92tECoWTqqLC7u2uHjWUTPdKuv4JyDTq2vra1qfyP1pk9XeHvq5DC4ueQvBR30KKCgOvzNHVEkf06fj7yO942KceR2oUxLzWmqn0o/s1600/ko-samet-beach-sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecXfgCMOoPBJeW2A_VhOUhYPscCH80tmE-nQvvR92tECoWTqqLC7u2uHjWUTPdKuv4JyDTq2vra1qfyP1pk9XeHvq5DC4ueQvBR30KKCgOvzNHVEkf06fj7yO942KceR2oUxLzWmqn0o/s640/ko-samet-beach-sunrise.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  481. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Climate&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Even though&lt;b&gt; Ko Samet &lt;/b&gt;is only a few kilometers from the mainland, the island with its micro-climate (the driest archipelago in Thailand) gets much less rainfall than the rest of Eastern Thailand. The rainy season is May to September but even then it still has significantly less rain than the other islands in Thailand. Tourists should, however, be careful of occasional storms.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjFhziyy1ex9XJukZmTInfZf2wZn5lI7_DZUpL-jiIKWir8GQOymTeh9HdZER1lDBleWDWMXIjLM29_lMlPCg_GJ4dR7R3tyedcffyywCGBBVYzpOyazl1Xr1aciEfG12ax4cnXAc5c8/s1600/koh-samet-island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjFhziyy1ex9XJukZmTInfZf2wZn5lI7_DZUpL-jiIKWir8GQOymTeh9HdZER1lDBleWDWMXIjLM29_lMlPCg_GJ4dR7R3tyedcffyywCGBBVYzpOyazl1Xr1aciEfG12ax4cnXAc5c8/s320/koh-samet-island.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  482. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;History&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;It is believed that once upon a time, &lt;b&gt;Ko Samet&lt;/b&gt; was the home of pirates and that until this very day there is still lost treasures buried somewhere on the island. Thailand's legendary poet Sunthorn Phu was the first one to put this island on the map when he set his classical epic there, Phra Aphai Manee "&lt;b&gt;The Story of Princes, Saga, Mermaids and Giants&lt;/b&gt;".&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Even though Bangkokians had known about the beauty of Ko Samet for decades before, the Thai government put this island off limits and restricted overnight stay there until 1981. In that year, on 1st October, the Forestry Department of Thailand declared Ko Samet and its surroundings to be a national park.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmPAVgzesnrg5UO8J5LVA-ND2udb6kSPqzVPcqyaWY7FwFrwiDXu_65d9Pv5WoRetJ8ezQyZF5xxDtQUMwXd3Yo5vD3ojCToouAAXxUuJHBeNG15zR9D2HH8Yr6oBXEuyAh6uIG3QFPI/s1600/Sunrise_on_Hat_Saikaew,_Koh_Samet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmPAVgzesnrg5UO8J5LVA-ND2udb6kSPqzVPcqyaWY7FwFrwiDXu_65d9Pv5WoRetJ8ezQyZF5xxDtQUMwXd3Yo5vD3ojCToouAAXxUuJHBeNG15zR9D2HH8Yr6oBXEuyAh6uIG3QFPI/s400/Sunrise_on_Hat_Saikaew,_Koh_Samet.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  483. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  484. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Getting around on &lt;b&gt;Ko Samet:&lt;/b&gt; The island has only a single main road. Some parts are concrete and some parts are only a dirt trail. There are two methods to get around the island. The first is by songthaew (usually a rather well-worn pickup truck with two benches in the back and no roof), which costs 200 baht for a private trip, or between 20 and 60 baht per person for a full car, depending on which beach you are going to. This is a rather expensive method to get around the island, and the dusty roads can make it an uncomfortable trip. The second way is by renting a motorcycle. Signs advertise 300 baht per day or 100 baht per hour, but when you go to enquire about renting they will often say 400 or 500 baht per day. Insist on paying 300 baht. That is for mechanic moto. If you want to get automatic one, you will pay 400 Baht per day. You will usually be able to rent it from the hotel you are staying at. Leaving your passport or a deposit is not necessary or advisable.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Warning: It is advisable to hire motorbikes only from reputable hotels and lodgings. Stores renting out motorbikes or ATVs may attempt to overcharge you for repairs and labor should you damage the bike, even superficially. Initial quotes for repairs is often exorbitant and is way beyond the price of labor, parts, and repair.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;You can also rent/hire an ATV/Quad/4x4 for 1000-1600 baht/day.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmVIYUzk6WobTbaJEyjxkKIo7qMMIHg_e68OguReh_ABBtTtRrYzFaRDJZ5tsS5yPgf6ZSAnqHb8ZCtKzMrxeeTx6H75TQU72IOeBrddgtivzngT2dpedmGh-3bawQcVr8FtTmF3zWXbQ/s640/Beach_004.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  485. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  486. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Bangkok — most return to the buzzling capital of Thailand&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Chang — more sandy beaches and jungle await&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Kut — undiscovered island, again with sandy beaches&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Ko Si Chang — virtually no beach life, but a very relaxed atmosphere&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pattaya — den of sleaze trying to clean up its act&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  487. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;Visit THAILAND&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/ko-samet-paradice-island-thailand.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsH58xcd-Ke5Nz5U9k_nZNYH0A1IAeHRlbNrYatdyOb9RK1Wg2khNypbY6gUc7Id2VTd6FlW-cW7wsry3eYwbAUGW-Pmjd9rxWd5cu3BiMYlOhUeGuARkXnLSQ9iD6lVfJNdFPULOM8ko/s72-c/ao-wong-duan---ko-samet.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>37</thr:total><enclosure length="30726" type="image/jpeg" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TLF-WPQsFSI/AAAAAAAAAQY/N7AKatZjr_g/s1600/ko-samet-beach-sunrise.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Just 200 kilometers from Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand, the T-shaped island of Ko Samet is famed for its white sandy beaches, exotic coral and crystal clear waters. Ko Samet has developed steadily over the past decade or so, but it hasn't been the victim of over zealous construction which has hit the likes of Ko Samui (or even Ko Chang). The island is typified for its splendid beaches and white silky sand, surrounded by tropical coral reefs and crystal clear sea. Tourists can also enjoy a plethora of delicious cuisine and fine nightlife.It's a popular tourist destination for Thais and foreigners alike. As Ko Samet is so near Bangkok, the island is ideal for those in the capital wanting to chill-out with their families for a couple of days, without having to go through all that rigmarole of having to travel down south. It's only a 2.5 hour ride to Ban Phe, where one can take a 20-minutes ferry to the island. ClimateEven though Ko Samet is only a few kilometers from the mainland, the island with its micro-climate (the driest archipelago in Thailand) gets much less rainfall than the rest of Eastern Thailand. The rainy season is May to September but even then it still has significantly less rain than the other islands in Thailand. Tourists should, however, be careful of occasional storms. HistoryIt is believed that once upon a time, Ko Samet was the home of pirates and that until this very day there is still lost treasures buried somewhere on the island. Thailand's legendary poet Sunthorn Phu was the first one to put this island on the map when he set his classical epic there, Phra Aphai Manee "The Story of Princes, Saga, Mermaids and Giants".Even though Bangkokians had known about the beauty of Ko Samet for decades before, the Thai government put this island off limits and restricted overnight stay there until 1981. In that year, on 1st October, the Forestry Department of Thailand declared Ko Samet and its surroundings to be a national park. Getting around on Ko Samet: The island has only a single main road. Some parts are concrete and some parts are only a dirt trail. There are two methods to get around the island. The first is by songthaew (usually a rather well-worn pickup truck with two benches in the back and no roof), which costs 200 baht for a private trip, or between 20 and 60 baht per person for a full car, depending on which beach you are going to. This is a rather expensive method to get around the island, and the dusty roads can make it an uncomfortable trip. The second way is by renting a motorcycle. Signs advertise 300 baht per day or 100 baht per hour, but when you go to enquire about renting they will often say 400 or 500 baht per day. Insist on paying 300 baht. That is for mechanic moto. If you want to get automatic one, you will pay 400 Baht per day. You will usually be able to rent it from the hotel you are staying at. Leaving your passport or a deposit is not necessary or advisable.Warning: It is advisable to hire motorbikes only from reputable hotels and lodgings. Stores renting out motorbikes or ATVs may attempt to overcharge you for repairs and labor should you damage the bike, even superficially. Initial quotes for repairs is often exorbitant and is way beyond the price of labor, parts, and repair.You can also rent/hire an ATV/Quad/4x4 for 1000-1600 baht/day. Bangkok — most return to the buzzling capital of ThailandKo Chang — more sandy beaches and jungle awaitKo Kut — undiscovered island, again with sandy beachesKo Si Chang — virtually no beach life, but a very relaxed atmospherePattaya — den of sleaze trying to clean up its act Visit THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Just 200 kilometers from Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand, the T-shaped island of Ko Samet is famed for its white sandy beaches, exotic coral and crystal clear waters. Ko Samet has developed steadily over the past decade or so, but it hasn't been the victim of over zealous construction which has hit the likes of Ko Samui (or even Ko Chang). The island is typified for its splendid beaches and white silky sand, surrounded by tropical coral reefs and crystal clear sea. Tourists can also enjoy a plethora of delicious cuisine and fine nightlife.It's a popular tourist destination for Thais and foreigners alike. As Ko Samet is so near Bangkok, the island is ideal for those in the capital wanting to chill-out with their families for a couple of days, without having to go through all that rigmarole of having to travel down south. It's only a 2.5 hour ride to Ban Phe, where one can take a 20-minutes ferry to the island. ClimateEven though Ko Samet is only a few kilometers from the mainland, the island with its micro-climate (the driest archipelago in Thailand) gets much less rainfall than the rest of Eastern Thailand. The rainy season is May to September but even then it still has significantly less rain than the other islands in Thailand. Tourists should, however, be careful of occasional storms. HistoryIt is believed that once upon a time, Ko Samet was the home of pirates and that until this very day there is still lost treasures buried somewhere on the island. Thailand's legendary poet Sunthorn Phu was the first one to put this island on the map when he set his classical epic there, Phra Aphai Manee "The Story of Princes, Saga, Mermaids and Giants".Even though Bangkokians had known about the beauty of Ko Samet for decades before, the Thai government put this island off limits and restricted overnight stay there until 1981. In that year, on 1st October, the Forestry Department of Thailand declared Ko Samet and its surroundings to be a national park. Getting around on Ko Samet: The island has only a single main road. Some parts are concrete and some parts are only a dirt trail. There are two methods to get around the island. The first is by songthaew (usually a rather well-worn pickup truck with two benches in the back and no roof), which costs 200 baht for a private trip, or between 20 and 60 baht per person for a full car, depending on which beach you are going to. This is a rather expensive method to get around the island, and the dusty roads can make it an uncomfortable trip. The second way is by renting a motorcycle. Signs advertise 300 baht per day or 100 baht per hour, but when you go to enquire about renting they will often say 400 or 500 baht per day. Insist on paying 300 baht. That is for mechanic moto. If you want to get automatic one, you will pay 400 Baht per day. You will usually be able to rent it from the hotel you are staying at. Leaving your passport or a deposit is not necessary or advisable.Warning: It is advisable to hire motorbikes only from reputable hotels and lodgings. Stores renting out motorbikes or ATVs may attempt to overcharge you for repairs and labor should you damage the bike, even superficially. Initial quotes for repairs is often exorbitant and is way beyond the price of labor, parts, and repair.You can also rent/hire an ATV/Quad/4x4 for 1000-1600 baht/day. Bangkok — most return to the buzzling capital of ThailandKo Chang — more sandy beaches and jungle awaitKo Kut — undiscovered island, again with sandy beachesKo Si Chang — virtually no beach life, but a very relaxed atmospherePattaya — den of sleaze trying to clean up its act Visit THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-3362492945244252538</guid><pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-07T22:00:22.485+03:00</atom:updated><title>Thailand Full Moon Party</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_rdb3H0sN-xaGd-i_KurTauhzgoUbl-6P6Th6IGuziqK5RnVLQiLNoYjHDMBgp9a7I8HOrLHs5EuPLNiwHt5MAQ2e4q8XUHK_oh9nFJv6LQU3Cm5w5ARUj_Itfx4ccyzzaKROYMF5a0/s1600/Full-Moon-Party-at-Trellis-bay-beef-Island-Tortola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_rdb3H0sN-xaGd-i_KurTauhzgoUbl-6P6Th6IGuziqK5RnVLQiLNoYjHDMBgp9a7I8HOrLHs5EuPLNiwHt5MAQ2e4q8XUHK_oh9nFJv6LQU3Cm5w5ARUj_Itfx4ccyzzaKROYMF5a0/s640/Full-Moon-Party-at-Trellis-bay-beef-Island-Tortola.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  488. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp; The first Full Moon Party was improvised at a wooden disco not far from the beach in 1985 for giving thanks to about 20-30 travelers. The Full Moon Party gained fame quickly through word of mouth, and the event now draws a crowd about 20,000-30,000 every full moon evening.[1] The party carries on until the sun rises the next day. All the bars on the sunrise beach of Haad Rin town stay open and play music such as R&amp;amp;B, drum and bass, house, dance and reggae.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The modern event has become a part of the itinerary of many travelers to Asia. It is characterized by unruly and potentially dangerous attractions such as fire skipping ropes, wildly variable alcohol strength 'buckets', and a drug culture. It is indeed seen by many as the "ultimate party experience", although drug laws are still strict, and police enforcement is stepped up during the parties.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ouC_a9p6EvWkPlgvMPl4Afz8acJ3BBlXJVAGYlUuEZ39qP-GppNxTxc5tvFVtxkj5m6haRbqfi7lPm5XX4mFgDaluat2UP70-btIFVtcOpqEThbci6FNKM85C-5fwr4hbzf_X24q4yQ/s1600/fullmoon2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ouC_a9p6EvWkPlgvMPl4Afz8acJ3BBlXJVAGYlUuEZ39qP-GppNxTxc5tvFVtxkj5m6haRbqfi7lPm5XX4mFgDaluat2UP70-btIFVtcOpqEThbci6FNKM85C-5fwr4hbzf_X24q4yQ/s320/fullmoon2.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  489. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The Full Moon Party is featured in films such as Last Stop for Paul and the Thai film Hormones. It was also featured in the first episode of the Comedy Central tv show Gerhard Reinke's Wanderlust.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  490. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The idyllic paradise of Koh Phangan is host to Thailand's Full Moon Parties (a series of parties following the lunar cycle). The origin of the parties is not entirely clear. Depending on who you ask they started anywhere between 1987 and 1992. What remains fairly constant in the story is that travelers and backpackers staying on Koh Phangan came to the conclusion that Haad Rin was very probably the best place in the world to experience a full-moon and organized small parties to celebrate the fact. These parties continued on a low-key basis for a while; just a group of friends getting together on a regular basis to celebrate. However, as it does, word spread. Friends of friends began to turn up, then friends of friends of friends…&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The parties spread to bungalows near Haad Rin… and then of course the rest is history.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJHD6p4O_D6KGtgk-QPfFJdZ-ztJDsN6wtGRkOSVIGfcr3acds5i8mjYT_d0Oy5WEOBeAGX151KOkfWVBe8KWyioh605V9d2H1DS7-CfeH7H2thcf8OBCYFBa8IWSut57FVti8BGkUTI/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJHD6p4O_D6KGtgk-QPfFJdZ-ztJDsN6wtGRkOSVIGfcr3acds5i8mjYT_d0Oy5WEOBeAGX151KOkfWVBe8KWyioh605V9d2H1DS7-CfeH7H2thcf8OBCYFBa8IWSut57FVti8BGkUTI/s320/31.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  491. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Although the parties became a bit notorious (the drugs scene in the early days being a major obstacle to people in Thailand genuinely accepting them) they got bigger and became more sophisticated. Rather than a crowd of people huddled around a tape deck operated by a car battery, in came sound systems, and then DJs. Some of the world's best DJs now descend on Koh Phangan to spin house, hip-hop, trance and techno to the willing masses. With parties now bringing in regular crowds of 5,000 and parties held on key celebrations like New Year's Eve, etc. bringing in upwards of 12,000 people at a time, the Full Moon Party is now a globally recognized event.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6hI7HEUs9h2TJOI7MX6HgRSyY8N0HPgCN7Kt5yhmTRor12O9YBRw72ZvukC_BTMJnHE2UjPlrJ-B0Yi6XHvM7zQm1Npx9IDCprXGNytCoS5l89JwTjCoTh226gzPURbQe4-1x2x9-Ks/s1600/bear_hug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6hI7HEUs9h2TJOI7MX6HgRSyY8N0HPgCN7Kt5yhmTRor12O9YBRw72ZvukC_BTMJnHE2UjPlrJ-B0Yi6XHvM7zQm1Npx9IDCprXGNytCoS5l89JwTjCoTh226gzPURbQe4-1x2x9-Ks/s320/bear_hug.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  492. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The Full Moon Parties' evolution has made them better organized, better publicized and much safer. They are now multi-venue events, with upwards of six world-class sound systems operating at any one time. This year the parties are reaching a new levels which proposed mega events organized by some of Thailand's key players on the music scene.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  493. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The Full Moon Party is an all-night beach party that takes place in Haad Rin on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand on the night before or after every full moon.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  494. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  495. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4V0hOVahK-SfC02sQ4Lpvt0SkfJ3vTxhjlN49Yqm2KvAjXi9b7YNIwU3x_31VZbjk3ZoXGEKi5aYu1kGq4w3CX3Fip3LNUU4JM5B7DtgEpigPQB_anyQp5rlrLZWEI-_ppGxTcuPH7w/s1600/Full+moon_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4V0hOVahK-SfC02sQ4Lpvt0SkfJ3vTxhjlN49Yqm2KvAjXi9b7YNIwU3x_31VZbjk3ZoXGEKi5aYu1kGq4w3CX3Fip3LNUU4JM5B7DtgEpigPQB_anyQp5rlrLZWEI-_ppGxTcuPH7w/s640/Full+moon_w.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  496. &lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Visit Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/thailand-full-moon-party.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_rdb3H0sN-xaGd-i_KurTauhzgoUbl-6P6Th6IGuziqK5RnVLQiLNoYjHDMBgp9a7I8HOrLHs5EuPLNiwHt5MAQ2e4q8XUHK_oh9nFJv6LQU3Cm5w5ARUj_Itfx4ccyzzaKROYMF5a0/s72-c/Full-Moon-Party-at-Trellis-bay-beef-Island-Tortola.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>26</thr:total><enclosure length="75630" type="image/jpeg" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TK4X31Ek7oI/AAAAAAAAAPw/LBRbbnZBBaI/s1600/Full-Moon-Party-at-Trellis-bay-beef-Island-Tortola.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The first Full Moon Party was improvised at a wooden disco not far from the beach in 1985 for giving thanks to about 20-30 travelers. The Full Moon Party gained fame quickly through word of mouth, and the event now draws a crowd about 20,000-30,000 every full moon evening.[1] The party carries on until the sun rises the next day. All the bars on the sunrise beach of Haad Rin town stay open and play music such as R&amp;amp;B, drum and bass, house, dance and reggae.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The modern event has become a part of the itinerary of many travelers to Asia. It is characterized by unruly and potentially dangerous attractions such as fire skipping ropes, wildly variable alcohol strength 'buckets', and a drug culture. It is indeed seen by many as the "ultimate party experience", although drug laws are still strict, and police enforcement is stepped up during the parties. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The Full Moon Party is featured in films such as Last Stop for Paul and the Thai film Hormones. It was also featured in the first episode of the Comedy Central tv show Gerhard Reinke's Wanderlust. The idyllic paradise of Koh Phangan is host to Thailand's Full Moon Parties (a series of parties following the lunar cycle). The origin of the parties is not entirely clear. Depending on who you ask they started anywhere between 1987 and 1992. What remains fairly constant in the story is that travelers and backpackers staying on Koh Phangan came to the conclusion that Haad Rin was very probably the best place in the world to experience a full-moon and organized small parties to celebrate the fact. These parties continued on a low-key basis for a while; just a group of friends getting together on a regular basis to celebrate. However, as it does, word spread. Friends of friends began to turn up, then friends of friends of friends…The parties spread to bungalows near Haad Rin… and then of course the rest is history. Although the parties became a bit notorious (the drugs scene in the early days being a major obstacle to people in Thailand genuinely accepting them) they got bigger and became more sophisticated. Rather than a crowd of people huddled around a tape deck operated by a car battery, in came sound systems, and then DJs. Some of the world's best DJs now descend on Koh Phangan to spin house, hip-hop, trance and techno to the willing masses. With parties now bringing in regular crowds of 5,000 and parties held on key celebrations like New Year's Eve, etc. bringing in upwards of 12,000 people at a time, the Full Moon Party is now a globally recognized event. The Full Moon Parties' evolution has made them better organized, better publicized and much safer. They are now multi-venue events, with upwards of six world-class sound systems operating at any one time. This year the parties are reaching a new levels which proposed mega events organized by some of Thailand's key players on the music scene. The Full Moon Party is an all-night beach party that takes place in Haad Rin on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand on the night before or after every full moon. Visit Thailandhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The first Full Moon Party was improvised at a wooden disco not far from the beach in 1985 for giving thanks to about 20-30 travelers. The Full Moon Party gained fame quickly through word of mouth, and the event now draws a crowd about 20,000-30,000 every full moon evening.[1] The party carries on until the sun rises the next day. All the bars on the sunrise beach of Haad Rin town stay open and play music such as R&amp;amp;B, drum and bass, house, dance and reggae.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The modern event has become a part of the itinerary of many travelers to Asia. It is characterized by unruly and potentially dangerous attractions such as fire skipping ropes, wildly variable alcohol strength 'buckets', and a drug culture. It is indeed seen by many as the "ultimate party experience", although drug laws are still strict, and police enforcement is stepped up during the parties. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The Full Moon Party is featured in films such as Last Stop for Paul and the Thai film Hormones. It was also featured in the first episode of the Comedy Central tv show Gerhard Reinke's Wanderlust. The idyllic paradise of Koh Phangan is host to Thailand's Full Moon Parties (a series of parties following the lunar cycle). The origin of the parties is not entirely clear. Depending on who you ask they started anywhere between 1987 and 1992. What remains fairly constant in the story is that travelers and backpackers staying on Koh Phangan came to the conclusion that Haad Rin was very probably the best place in the world to experience a full-moon and organized small parties to celebrate the fact. These parties continued on a low-key basis for a while; just a group of friends getting together on a regular basis to celebrate. However, as it does, word spread. Friends of friends began to turn up, then friends of friends of friends…The parties spread to bungalows near Haad Rin… and then of course the rest is history. Although the parties became a bit notorious (the drugs scene in the early days being a major obstacle to people in Thailand genuinely accepting them) they got bigger and became more sophisticated. Rather than a crowd of people huddled around a tape deck operated by a car battery, in came sound systems, and then DJs. Some of the world's best DJs now descend on Koh Phangan to spin house, hip-hop, trance and techno to the willing masses. With parties now bringing in regular crowds of 5,000 and parties held on key celebrations like New Year's Eve, etc. bringing in upwards of 12,000 people at a time, the Full Moon Party is now a globally recognized event. The Full Moon Parties' evolution has made them better organized, better publicized and much safer. They are now multi-venue events, with upwards of six world-class sound systems operating at any one time. This year the parties are reaching a new levels which proposed mega events organized by some of Thailand's key players on the music scene. The Full Moon Party is an all-night beach party that takes place in Haad Rin on the island of Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand on the night before or after every full moon. Visit Thailandhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-3524607607680563608</guid><pubDate>Wed, 06 Oct 2010 07:36:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-06T10:37:40.543+03:00</atom:updated><title>PHANG NGA BAY &amp; Khao Phing Kanor JAMES BOND ISLANDS</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2qwa8Z1iHLFwLztpTfYTOSxhw6nU_GlFIKDa_8pssOzBP3CcPuen7tIoSeT4K07PKefqSe7zKha09soKU0wP6NWNQxGU8KSqsmDx6FOBzOUlvWabRabkZ_0LSjtc9EMoBUerPeWFNkg/s640/jAMES+BOND+ISLAND.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  497. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Phang Nga Bay (Thai: อ่าวพังงา&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;, RTGS: Ao Phang-nga, Thai pronunciation &amp;nbsp;is a 400 km² bay in the Andaman Sea between the island of Phuket and the mainland of the Malay peninsula of southern Thailand. Since 1981 a big part of the bay is protected as the Ao Phang Nga National Park. It is situated in Phang Nga Province, at 08°17'N 098°36'E.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWlKFFroiFwMDHA3eH0x8nL8rg5Hpj-HS9J53sUhQ-b3Qx5Ks1xuVum_ROI8IJ3R5wktgj4XRMoyqzruRwkWCAWymZmvrkvFUUm1hKCcKDCBmU6l9FM4eymQrwViFJ-xVtGSaNFB4Cxw/s1600/1842794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWlKFFroiFwMDHA3eH0x8nL8rg5Hpj-HS9J53sUhQ-b3Qx5Ks1xuVum_ROI8IJ3R5wktgj4XRMoyqzruRwkWCAWymZmvrkvFUUm1hKCcKDCBmU6l9FM4eymQrwViFJ-xVtGSaNFB4Cxw/s640/1842794.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  498. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Limestone cliffs with caves, collapsed cave systems and archaeological sites are found about Phang Nga Bay. Some 10,000 years ago, when sea levels were lower, one could walk from Phuket and Krabi.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Phang Nga Bay Marine National Park was declared a protected Ramsar Site (no. 1185) of international ecological significance on 14 August, 2002. Phang Nga is a shallow bay with 42 islands, comprising shallow marine waters and intertidal forested wetlands, with at least 28 species of mangrove; seagrass beds and coral reefs are also present.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0q15BkAIrxaaycUM-j1EZXu_8OmSXg_zCGUi0GzYzZYzqd5eZUUp0IlNMJ4XkuAAnC8BC2wAdQ_Rs4my69YL-aocXn0aU0QSiUWHIeTZAavPKqEof0BO_8eC1pIhipN7bLWHwcvne2k/s1600/127_JamesBondIsland-700527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0q15BkAIrxaaycUM-j1EZXu_8OmSXg_zCGUi0GzYzZYzqd5eZUUp0IlNMJ4XkuAAnC8BC2wAdQ_Rs4my69YL-aocXn0aU0QSiUWHIeTZAavPKqEof0BO_8eC1pIhipN7bLWHwcvne2k/s320/127_JamesBondIsland-700527.JPG" width="240" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  499. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;At least 88 bird species, including the globally threatened Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii) and Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), can be found within the site, as well as 82 fish species, 18 reptiles, three amphibians, and 17 mammal species. These include the Dugong (a vulnerable species), White-hand Gibbon (Hylobates lar), the endangered Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis), and the Black Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;A number of diverse cultures co-exist in local communities, which practice fishing, harvesting Nypa palm fronds for thatch, and catering to an international tourist presence drawn both by the natural beauties and by the archaeological sites, which have paintings more than a thousand years old.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The most famous of the many islands in the bay is the so-called James Bond Island, a needle formed limestone rock in the sea, which featured in the movie The Man with the Golden Gun. Nearby villages include Ao Luk.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  500. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;Khao Phing Kan means "Hills leaning against each other" in Thai, reflecting the connected nature of the islands, and Ko Tapu can be literally translated as "nail" or "spike" island, reflecting its shape. With "Ko" (Thai: เกาะ) meaning "island" and "Khao" (Thai: เขา) meaning "hill", the terms Ko, Khao, and Ko Khao are frequently interchanged in the naming of the islands. After appearing in the 1974 James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun, Khao Phing Kan and sometimes Ko Tapu became widely referred to as James Bond Island, especially in tourist guides, and their original names are rarely used by locals.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lug7FiMTLvCrILEjDg6J9p-2fGg_SPSM_XkNVbEj-p_Us_1QjgWZXJJNBwjfgU75fQFdZnCyV88pd0USPPl8EwDl0mupivGZ2c3gAWTU9qtg6AtHVneP4OEoVpjUzonWe4Tl_EqYkPM/s400/Fish+Thailand.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  501. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;Most of the island is covered with deciduous limestone shrubland and evergreen trees. Some plants, such as pandanus, cycads, euphorbs and prickly pear cactus grow on nearly soil-free cliffs, such as those of Ko Tapu, penetrating their roots into the numerous cracks and surviving on rainwater.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;Shallow water depth, warm and stable temperature and rich nutrient supply from mangrove forests and several rivers running into the Phang Nga Bay result in abundant plankton and other marine life. The bay around the island host &amp;nbsp;species of reptiles, species of fish, species of shrimp, &amp;nbsp;species of crabs and &amp;nbsp;species of manta rays, sharks and game fish. Most fishes are typical of coral reefs, such as butterflyfish. Other common inhabitants are blue crab, swimming crab, mudskipper, humpback shrimp, mud lobster, pomfret, sole, anchovy, scad, rock cod, rainbow cuttlefish, soft cuttlefish, musk crab, mackerel, moray eel, puffer fish, rabbitfish, groupers, black sea cucumber, brain coral, staghorn coral and flowerlike soft coral. Amphibians include Fejervarya raja, cricket frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) and Rhaco phorusleucomystax. Aquatic plants are represented by red algae, halimida, seagrass and plant plankton. There are more than 100 species of birds in the area such as Striated Heron, Pacific Reef Heron, Little Egret and others.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  502. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcXqfyNrMkzqFGsnY3kGBQWpqRuNUpzF1yKiRQ7i6xdBrOL-Uo4P3hWoTwx5c2Q43JggXq-QLYM3Ol5zpFqf4kcIi_s3yh5zBMqMF-McbbuJAsbobNLMYyjLewt6xcLaDc_DGEC8ByNA/s640/Phuket.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  503. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  504. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;VISIT THAILAND&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/phang-nga-bay-khao-phing-kanor-james.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2qwa8Z1iHLFwLztpTfYTOSxhw6nU_GlFIKDa_8pssOzBP3CcPuen7tIoSeT4K07PKefqSe7zKha09soKU0wP6NWNQxGU8KSqsmDx6FOBzOUlvWabRabkZ_0LSjtc9EMoBUerPeWFNkg/s72-c/jAMES+BOND+ISLAND.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>35</thr:total><enclosure length="561181" type="image/jpeg" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TKwkhjddSdI/AAAAAAAAAPg/ndQyVEwXfrI/s1600/1842794.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Phang Nga Bay (Thai: อ่าวพังงา, RTGS: Ao Phang-nga, Thai pronunciation &amp;nbsp;is a 400 km² bay in the Andaman Sea between the island of Phuket and the mainland of the Malay peninsula of southern Thailand. Since 1981 a big part of the bay is protected as the Ao Phang Nga National Park. It is situated in Phang Nga Province, at 08°17'N 098°36'E. Limestone cliffs with caves, collapsed cave systems and archaeological sites are found about Phang Nga Bay. Some 10,000 years ago, when sea levels were lower, one could walk from Phuket and Krabi.Phang Nga Bay Marine National Park was declared a protected Ramsar Site (no. 1185) of international ecological significance on 14 August, 2002. Phang Nga is a shallow bay with 42 islands, comprising shallow marine waters and intertidal forested wetlands, with at least 28 species of mangrove; seagrass beds and coral reefs are also present. At least 88 bird species, including the globally threatened Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii) and Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), can be found within the site, as well as 82 fish species, 18 reptiles, three amphibians, and 17 mammal species. These include the Dugong (a vulnerable species), White-hand Gibbon (Hylobates lar), the endangered Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis), and the Black Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides).A number of diverse cultures co-exist in local communities, which practice fishing, harvesting Nypa palm fronds for thatch, and catering to an international tourist presence drawn both by the natural beauties and by the archaeological sites, which have paintings more than a thousand years old.The most famous of the many islands in the bay is the so-called James Bond Island, a needle formed limestone rock in the sea, which featured in the movie The Man with the Golden Gun. Nearby villages include Ao Luk. Khao Phing Kan means "Hills leaning against each other" in Thai, reflecting the connected nature of the islands, and Ko Tapu can be literally translated as "nail" or "spike" island, reflecting its shape. With "Ko" (Thai: เกาะ) meaning "island" and "Khao" (Thai: เขา) meaning "hill", the terms Ko, Khao, and Ko Khao are frequently interchanged in the naming of the islands. After appearing in the 1974 James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun, Khao Phing Kan and sometimes Ko Tapu became widely referred to as James Bond Island, especially in tourist guides, and their original names are rarely used by locals. Most of the island is covered with deciduous limestone shrubland and evergreen trees. Some plants, such as pandanus, cycads, euphorbs and prickly pear cactus grow on nearly soil-free cliffs, such as those of Ko Tapu, penetrating their roots into the numerous cracks and surviving on rainwater.Shallow water depth, warm and stable temperature and rich nutrient supply from mangrove forests and several rivers running into the Phang Nga Bay result in abundant plankton and other marine life. The bay around the island host &amp;nbsp;species of reptiles, species of fish, species of shrimp, &amp;nbsp;species of crabs and &amp;nbsp;species of manta rays, sharks and game fish. Most fishes are typical of coral reefs, such as butterflyfish. Other common inhabitants are blue crab, swimming crab, mudskipper, humpback shrimp, mud lobster, pomfret, sole, anchovy, scad, rock cod, rainbow cuttlefish, soft cuttlefish, musk crab, mackerel, moray eel, puffer fish, rabbitfish, groupers, black sea cucumber, brain coral, staghorn coral and flowerlike soft coral. Amphibians include Fejervarya raja, cricket frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) and Rhaco phorusleucomystax. Aquatic plants are represented by red algae, halimida, seagrass and plant plankton. There are more than 100 species of birds in the area such as Striated Heron, Pacific Reef Heron, Little Egret and others. VISIT THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Phang Nga Bay (Thai: อ่าวพังงา, RTGS: Ao Phang-nga, Thai pronunciation &amp;nbsp;is a 400 km² bay in the Andaman Sea between the island of Phuket and the mainland of the Malay peninsula of southern Thailand. Since 1981 a big part of the bay is protected as the Ao Phang Nga National Park. It is situated in Phang Nga Province, at 08°17'N 098°36'E. Limestone cliffs with caves, collapsed cave systems and archaeological sites are found about Phang Nga Bay. Some 10,000 years ago, when sea levels were lower, one could walk from Phuket and Krabi.Phang Nga Bay Marine National Park was declared a protected Ramsar Site (no. 1185) of international ecological significance on 14 August, 2002. Phang Nga is a shallow bay with 42 islands, comprising shallow marine waters and intertidal forested wetlands, with at least 28 species of mangrove; seagrass beds and coral reefs are also present. At least 88 bird species, including the globally threatened Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii) and Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), can be found within the site, as well as 82 fish species, 18 reptiles, three amphibians, and 17 mammal species. These include the Dugong (a vulnerable species), White-hand Gibbon (Hylobates lar), the endangered Serow (Capricornis sumatraensis), and the Black Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides).A number of diverse cultures co-exist in local communities, which practice fishing, harvesting Nypa palm fronds for thatch, and catering to an international tourist presence drawn both by the natural beauties and by the archaeological sites, which have paintings more than a thousand years old.The most famous of the many islands in the bay is the so-called James Bond Island, a needle formed limestone rock in the sea, which featured in the movie The Man with the Golden Gun. Nearby villages include Ao Luk. Khao Phing Kan means "Hills leaning against each other" in Thai, reflecting the connected nature of the islands, and Ko Tapu can be literally translated as "nail" or "spike" island, reflecting its shape. With "Ko" (Thai: เกาะ) meaning "island" and "Khao" (Thai: เขา) meaning "hill", the terms Ko, Khao, and Ko Khao are frequently interchanged in the naming of the islands. After appearing in the 1974 James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun, Khao Phing Kan and sometimes Ko Tapu became widely referred to as James Bond Island, especially in tourist guides, and their original names are rarely used by locals. Most of the island is covered with deciduous limestone shrubland and evergreen trees. Some plants, such as pandanus, cycads, euphorbs and prickly pear cactus grow on nearly soil-free cliffs, such as those of Ko Tapu, penetrating their roots into the numerous cracks and surviving on rainwater.Shallow water depth, warm and stable temperature and rich nutrient supply from mangrove forests and several rivers running into the Phang Nga Bay result in abundant plankton and other marine life. The bay around the island host &amp;nbsp;species of reptiles, species of fish, species of shrimp, &amp;nbsp;species of crabs and &amp;nbsp;species of manta rays, sharks and game fish. Most fishes are typical of coral reefs, such as butterflyfish. Other common inhabitants are blue crab, swimming crab, mudskipper, humpback shrimp, mud lobster, pomfret, sole, anchovy, scad, rock cod, rainbow cuttlefish, soft cuttlefish, musk crab, mackerel, moray eel, puffer fish, rabbitfish, groupers, black sea cucumber, brain coral, staghorn coral and flowerlike soft coral. Amphibians include Fejervarya raja, cricket frog (Fejervarya limnocharis) and Rhaco phorusleucomystax. Aquatic plants are represented by red algae, halimida, seagrass and plant plankton. There are more than 100 species of birds in the area such as Striated Heron, Pacific Reef Heron, Little Egret and others. VISIT THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-4721887686306388269</guid><pubDate>Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:14:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-04T22:12:35.301+03:00</atom:updated><title>Kluai Khai Fair or Banana Festival</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPi8E_vLWj0XrCgemU7-knsO2UO1oFhKLwD1m5qOq9UZk6jfoFNKrD_sLC2r16_r7auCIRBvbQrEKbl0FjeX-u7S5b2G0AywvaYlt2nNzQN23RHWhfheIcPwvPAbCFnJovEvmxs8pA6Q/s640/original_2551100207.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  505. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  506. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Kluai Khai Fair&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The Kluai Khai Fair is held in September each year to promote the local banana for which the province is famous. There are banana contests and competitions on the making of Krayasat (a local sweet), as well as many entertainment performances.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7L8bWFIohEhso5OiBrRbU_C2dYJC29igaoUsdwW57T446n-7r2A0edONGRBvbwgwnCuZER_PMsHlxOxPih9dXOplYtHYVGHY0mzjHMrXyJyqsGfBEZsyEYa4joTFJVYOKtu9I4fVN338/s1600/43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7L8bWFIohEhso5OiBrRbU_C2dYJC29igaoUsdwW57T446n-7r2A0edONGRBvbwgwnCuZER_PMsHlxOxPih9dXOplYtHYVGHY0mzjHMrXyJyqsGfBEZsyEYa4joTFJVYOKtu9I4fVN338/s320/43.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  507. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Eat your hearts out FarmVille fans, this is the real deal, full bunches of bananas with real rosettes at a real farmers’ market, and a real one-crop festival.Thailand’s Kamphaeng Phet Province holds their Sart Thai Buddhist Tradition and Banana Festival in September each year.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;In 2009 it was during the second week of the month, and in 2010, it all revolves around the 23rd of the month and the full moon (Sart Thai is a Buddhist celebration that follows the full moon).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Over 200 million Baht value of bananas per year are exported from just this one province – roughly 4 million Pounds Sterling – which doesn’t sound a lot until you realise the local produce-market price for one of those full-length bunches is only 200 Baht … meaning roughly one million bunches are in the annual export figures. &amp;nbsp;Each tree crops once a year, so you can imagine how intensively they’re planted and farmed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNiM2l-3nlTPrfumQi6lH96raRMbEgFY-NJjElWQ7c3LssXyXbHxEtogjUhWvHACaTKRodAR86VjE7GR6STWgqoa80wGdezNenfSdRSN1lgOLhx2CwvpM_ggubEDlmeFJGAIe7APB0r4/s1600/bscap00045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNiM2l-3nlTPrfumQi6lH96raRMbEgFY-NJjElWQ7c3LssXyXbHxEtogjUhWvHACaTKRodAR86VjE7GR6STWgqoa80wGdezNenfSdRSN1lgOLhx2CwvpM_ggubEDlmeFJGAIe7APB0r4/s1600/bscap00045.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  508. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Bananas are one of the world’s most important food crops. Aside from the common export banana (the Cavendish), there are about 1000 other varieties of bananas. Some bananas are blue, others are orange or red, some are round, and a few are as big as your arm. In the tropics, bananas aren’t only eaten fresh, they’re barbecued, they’re deep-fried, they’re sun-dried, their flowers are used in salads – instead of lettuce, they’re even made into beer and wine.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFQCDsqbud-w4lQwQdZSXt5RxvcfCeqiW0zEZP-iEdmn3Zoox_wlTEzd1GysEeBQzNYk2DSAR5Sk6PH3y_dYEEYdpgGQvkKWE-FGdGijvH2A2vvzydMGi7NP_sELyj_y9dyEYMQHMcJA/s1600/adia-2007-11-23-DSC-1145-thai-girl-making-a-decoration-from-banana-leaves-thailand-koh-samui-cringel.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFQCDsqbud-w4lQwQdZSXt5RxvcfCeqiW0zEZP-iEdmn3Zoox_wlTEzd1GysEeBQzNYk2DSAR5Sk6PH3y_dYEEYdpgGQvkKWE-FGdGijvH2A2vvzydMGi7NP_sELyj_y9dyEYMQHMcJA/s200/adia-2007-11-23-DSC-1145-thai-girl-making-a-decoration-from-banana-leaves-thailand-koh-samui-cringel.com.jpg" width="150" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The local banana dessert, krayasart is a wonderful, sweet, sticky, granola-like concoction made with peanuts, sesame seeds, rice, etc. &amp;nbsp;For some reason this is mostly made during the banana festival, which has competitions for the best krayasart there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Thai bananas are far more tasty than those of most other countries, and you wouldn’t believe how many varieties there are, which is just as well, because the festival includes a banana-eating competition (race?). &amp;nbsp;I can’t envision it as being a particularly captivating spectator sport … unless they have a women’s competition too :)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fTKQgzx5wNMj32o6XanFl4eKjU-wvO4sWnDzd5EtriEb9lghKKFBdA6DRvWRYg7Q8d01f-wzaHWIjFmbeLfwBlK1yBUyu2nEqyzdV56GXOI9b0T7bOMSTozlStmNl12yESueGKMdqXs/s1600/520915sat60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fTKQgzx5wNMj32o6XanFl4eKjU-wvO4sWnDzd5EtriEb9lghKKFBdA6DRvWRYg7Q8d01f-wzaHWIjFmbeLfwBlK1yBUyu2nEqyzdV56GXOI9b0T7bOMSTozlStmNl12yESueGKMdqXs/s320/520915sat60.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  509. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Aside from the eating and producer competitions, there are the cookery competitions for &amp;nbsp;making of krayasat, as well as many entertainment performances provided by both traditional and modern performing arts. &amp;nbsp;Of course, being Thailand, no festival is complete without a beauty competition and pageant. &amp;nbsp;Kampaeng Phet is no exception and hosts the Miss Banana Queen pageant during the festival.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  510. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  511. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  512. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_NXLLINwk3KeruVNCmQ5mUt4JJJN-3pHnXfylQycU9i3cpXdKxuRmgckHqmNUZaK4orTrn6HEzbA-ysqBQwqUrGvrsWdMPRrVSY6u6RlgGdNn9AATcXkuqZSDhX5Otir9AQ8IVuPhNEY/s640/banana-boy-text.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  513. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/kluai-khai-fair-or-banana-festival.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyPi8E_vLWj0XrCgemU7-knsO2UO1oFhKLwD1m5qOq9UZk6jfoFNKrD_sLC2r16_r7auCIRBvbQrEKbl0FjeX-u7S5b2G0AywvaYlt2nNzQN23RHWhfheIcPwvPAbCFnJovEvmxs8pA6Q/s72-c/original_2551100207.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>43</thr:total><enclosure length="83949" type="image/jpeg" url="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TKoC-CaOfnI/AAAAAAAAAPM/6vBlNzslrjg/s1600/43.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Kluai Khai FairThe Kluai Khai Fair is held in September each year to promote the local banana for which the province is famous. There are banana contests and competitions on the making of Krayasat (a local sweet), as well as many entertainment performances. Eat your hearts out FarmVille fans, this is the real deal, full bunches of bananas with real rosettes at a real farmers’ market, and a real one-crop festival.Thailand’s Kamphaeng Phet Province holds their Sart Thai Buddhist Tradition and Banana Festival in September each year.In 2009 it was during the second week of the month, and in 2010, it all revolves around the 23rd of the month and the full moon (Sart Thai is a Buddhist celebration that follows the full moon).Over 200 million Baht value of bananas per year are exported from just this one province – roughly 4 million Pounds Sterling – which doesn’t sound a lot until you realise the local produce-market price for one of those full-length bunches is only 200 Baht … meaning roughly one million bunches are in the annual export figures. &amp;nbsp;Each tree crops once a year, so you can imagine how intensively they’re planted and farmed. Bananas are one of the world’s most important food crops. Aside from the common export banana (the Cavendish), there are about 1000 other varieties of bananas. Some bananas are blue, others are orange or red, some are round, and a few are as big as your arm. In the tropics, bananas aren’t only eaten fresh, they’re barbecued, they’re deep-fried, they’re sun-dried, their flowers are used in salads – instead of lettuce, they’re even made into beer and wine.The local banana dessert, krayasart is a wonderful, sweet, sticky, granola-like concoction made with peanuts, sesame seeds, rice, etc. &amp;nbsp;For some reason this is mostly made during the banana festival, which has competitions for the best krayasart there.Thai bananas are far more tasty than those of most other countries, and you wouldn’t believe how many varieties there are, which is just as well, because the festival includes a banana-eating competition (race?). &amp;nbsp;I can’t envision it as being a particularly captivating spectator sport … unless they have a women’s competition too :) Aside from the eating and producer competitions, there are the cookery competitions for &amp;nbsp;making of krayasat, as well as many entertainment performances provided by both traditional and modern performing arts. &amp;nbsp;Of course, being Thailand, no festival is complete without a beauty competition and pageant. &amp;nbsp;Kampaeng Phet is no exception and hosts the Miss Banana Queen pageant during the festival. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Kluai Khai FairThe Kluai Khai Fair is held in September each year to promote the local banana for which the province is famous. There are banana contests and competitions on the making of Krayasat (a local sweet), as well as many entertainment performances. Eat your hearts out FarmVille fans, this is the real deal, full bunches of bananas with real rosettes at a real farmers’ market, and a real one-crop festival.Thailand’s Kamphaeng Phet Province holds their Sart Thai Buddhist Tradition and Banana Festival in September each year.In 2009 it was during the second week of the month, and in 2010, it all revolves around the 23rd of the month and the full moon (Sart Thai is a Buddhist celebration that follows the full moon).Over 200 million Baht value of bananas per year are exported from just this one province – roughly 4 million Pounds Sterling – which doesn’t sound a lot until you realise the local produce-market price for one of those full-length bunches is only 200 Baht … meaning roughly one million bunches are in the annual export figures. &amp;nbsp;Each tree crops once a year, so you can imagine how intensively they’re planted and farmed. Bananas are one of the world’s most important food crops. Aside from the common export banana (the Cavendish), there are about 1000 other varieties of bananas. Some bananas are blue, others are orange or red, some are round, and a few are as big as your arm. In the tropics, bananas aren’t only eaten fresh, they’re barbecued, they’re deep-fried, they’re sun-dried, their flowers are used in salads – instead of lettuce, they’re even made into beer and wine.The local banana dessert, krayasart is a wonderful, sweet, sticky, granola-like concoction made with peanuts, sesame seeds, rice, etc. &amp;nbsp;For some reason this is mostly made during the banana festival, which has competitions for the best krayasart there.Thai bananas are far more tasty than those of most other countries, and you wouldn’t believe how many varieties there are, which is just as well, because the festival includes a banana-eating competition (race?). &amp;nbsp;I can’t envision it as being a particularly captivating spectator sport … unless they have a women’s competition too :) Aside from the eating and producer competitions, there are the cookery competitions for &amp;nbsp;making of krayasat, as well as many entertainment performances provided by both traditional and modern performing arts. &amp;nbsp;Of course, being Thailand, no festival is complete without a beauty competition and pageant. &amp;nbsp;Kampaeng Phet is no exception and hosts the Miss Banana Queen pageant during the festival. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-4433736411433064836</guid><pubDate>Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:52:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-04T15:26:40.694+03:00</atom:updated><title>Phuket Vegetarian Festival</title><description>&lt;h1 style="color: #336699; display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nbIZFWg3yi-1r8cLL_aiyNZph7ZUQKz0vOoIEX-yXcyjE4LY4UALHpSkjzsf5g8BRz2h9FiR2tgNv0WnhPA5iu_1S9K9qBKo3SauSCHfKrV5Jem3bpi5MLRj4p9XVU0Yg39L62aWdpc/s1600/phuket-vegetarian-festival-12+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nbIZFWg3yi-1r8cLL_aiyNZph7ZUQKz0vOoIEX-yXcyjE4LY4UALHpSkjzsf5g8BRz2h9FiR2tgNv0WnhPA5iu_1S9K9qBKo3SauSCHfKrV5Jem3bpi5MLRj4p9XVU0Yg39L62aWdpc/s640/phuket-vegetarian-festival-12+(1).jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h1&gt;&lt;h2 style="color: #336699; display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #336699;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"&gt;Phuket Vegetarian Festival&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as "Ma Song".&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  514. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww85TKa2yAQ2Cqni3leaGBgQvhRzUV4VZM7v5eduApAQTjX4AOnvMi7Zhy_8SiOHBxx1Qwkr-Dfn6xoaRvMt-rtjoGcttPftP6YXjN70I-sJilN3sg_YBkkl0es0j7xqeN_itiTaOk7c/s1600/vegetarian-festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhww85TKa2yAQ2Cqni3leaGBgQvhRzUV4VZM7v5eduApAQTjX4AOnvMi7Zhy_8SiOHBxx1Qwkr-Dfn6xoaRvMt-rtjoGcttPftP6YXjN70I-sJilN3sg_YBkkl0es0j7xqeN_itiTaOk7c/s640/vegetarian-festival.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 16px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  515. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  516. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"&gt;The Vegetarian Festival is observed nationwide on a grand scale. The most famous place holding this festival is absolutely Phuket province where the most spectacular event takes place yearly. In other provinces such as Trang, Songkhla (Hat Yai) and Chon Buri (Pattaya), people of the Chinese descendants keep this festivals commonly.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  517. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;However, the most known part of the festival as is shown through the media is the blood-curdling presentations, such as, piercing the cheeks with a pointed steel rod, walking barefoot on burning charcoal, sprinkling oneself with boiling oil, cutting one's tongue and climbing a ladder with rungs made of sharp blades.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  518. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSkXZ8U6EhyphenhyphenFQcJ-OAsqCYYbbRuq4_ZOW1v0YxqbZ6FkRktTkZ6PlQ_iWyN5qYLvxIsSkzPesK0a7uzy2Df_KaZs7Izf7JdE0h55QVQrVg2cwihLfYrefArq3rDs_I9gkRwXKf2OW33Q/s1600/young+girl+at+Phuket+vegetarian+festival.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMSkXZ8U6EhyphenhyphenFQcJ-OAsqCYYbbRuq4_ZOW1v0YxqbZ6FkRktTkZ6PlQ_iWyN5qYLvxIsSkzPesK0a7uzy2Df_KaZs7Izf7JdE0h55QVQrVg2cwihLfYrefArq3rDs_I9gkRwXKf2OW33Q/s200/young+girl+at+Phuket+vegetarian+festival.JPG" width="169" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  519. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;The festival occurs yearly during the period from the 1st to the 9th of the 9th Chinese lunar month, which corresponds to 11-19 October. During this time almost all food shops and restaurants will fly yellow flags signifying that vegetarian food is available there. It is so convenient to have vegetarian meals during this time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  520. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;In recent years, the Vegetarian Festival has become more popular and has been increasingly observed by young people. This is so because of the belief that the observers will have better health and the purer mind and gain merits from taking vegetarian foods. This aspect, though being the main purpose of this festival, is less mentioned than the spectacular processions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  521. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;There are several interesting perspectives of the festival.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  522. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Magical Performances&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  523. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  524. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;For the majority of people, these form the most absorbing part of the festival. During the performances of religious rites at the temples or in the processions, the priests or the mediums conduct various kinds of dangerous acts to show the power of their gods, to strengthen the faith of their followers and to rid them of their bad luck.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrJXODwYgQUWbtL1YNcWAS_JoEt6EjvFvaE1BN5sKbkOJYmss3zPXvn1vinlDGJen7VmnXbWdvM9qe2dhtHzrYygn6k4-ls9LEFrp3DtACzV9-IGJXq2rN9ejr1cdJ8yeMlxGido7ioI/s1600/girls-pierced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrJXODwYgQUWbtL1YNcWAS_JoEt6EjvFvaE1BN5sKbkOJYmss3zPXvn1vinlDGJen7VmnXbWdvM9qe2dhtHzrYygn6k4-ls9LEFrp3DtACzV9-IGJXq2rN9ejr1cdJ8yeMlxGido7ioI/s320/girls-pierced.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  525. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  526. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;These acts include walking barefoot across a stretch of ground paved with burning charcoal, climbing up and down, also barefoot, a stepladder with a total of 72 crosspieces made of sharp iron blades, and cutting, striking or piercing parts of the body with sharp or pointed objects.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  527. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sZACas6ibCh7Qtu1Of-ul5p89ktJYi8KjYCZUc6gY9T1dNkPaGpkEG2ZzjvsM2ZOWjrA0Z2agGVE8rZy4ocJ-KNGKZdX2puD0dIn5scUeGo6t5Hiwx7uo9F3PjwPEc3wWVnHN1oMrkg/s1600/Pink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sZACas6ibCh7Qtu1Of-ul5p89ktJYi8KjYCZUc6gY9T1dNkPaGpkEG2ZzjvsM2ZOWjrA0Z2agGVE8rZy4ocJ-KNGKZdX2puD0dIn5scUeGo6t5Hiwx7uo9F3PjwPEc3wWVnHN1oMrkg/s320/Pink.jpg" width="233" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  528. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;All these perilous acts are performed by or to mediums who are in hypnosis. Still, it seems inexplicable that they always escape serious injury. When the rites are over and the mediums regain consciousness, only traces of cuts are left on the skin and these are healed soon afterwards.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  529. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;You may wonder whether the mediums have been hired to do the job and whether they have been trained beforehand. The reply is, they have not. All the mediums act involuntarily. But they must have faith in the gods before they can be possessed by the gods.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  530. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  531. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  532. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;10 RULES FOR THE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  533. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;1. Cleanliness of bodies during the festival&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;2. Clean kitchen utensils and to use them seperately from other who do not join the festival&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;3. Wear white during the festival&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;4. Behave physically and mentally&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;5. No meat eating&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;6. No sex&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;7. No alcoholic drinks&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;8. People at mourning period should not attend the festival&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;9. Pragnant ladies should not watch any ritual&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;10. Ladies with period should not attend the ritual&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  534. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; line-height: 17px;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  535. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  536. &lt;table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="line-height: 17px; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  537. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td bgcolor="#FFFFFF" class="covertext" colspan="2" style="font-family: Arial, 'Microsoft Sans Serif'; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;" valign="top"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  538. This is unsee Thailand , dont warry next is Banna Festival:)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  539. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;Visit Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  540. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/phuket-vegetarian-festival.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nbIZFWg3yi-1r8cLL_aiyNZph7ZUQKz0vOoIEX-yXcyjE4LY4UALHpSkjzsf5g8BRz2h9FiR2tgNv0WnhPA5iu_1S9K9qBKo3SauSCHfKrV5Jem3bpi5MLRj4p9XVU0Yg39L62aWdpc/s72-c/phuket-vegetarian-festival-12+(1).jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>20</thr:total><enclosure length="243375" type="image/jpeg" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TKmuIC6Ug7I/AAAAAAAAAOU/19XX9DsjqzY/s1600/phuket-vegetarian-festival-12+(1).jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Phuket Vegetarian FestivalThe Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as "Ma Song". The Vegetarian Festival is observed nationwide on a grand scale. The most famous place holding this festival is absolutely Phuket province where the most spectacular event takes place yearly. In other provinces such as Trang, Songkhla (Hat Yai) and Chon Buri (Pattaya), people of the Chinese descendants keep this festivals commonly. However, the most known part of the festival as is shown through the media is the blood-curdling presentations, such as, piercing the cheeks with a pointed steel rod, walking barefoot on burning charcoal, sprinkling oneself with boiling oil, cutting one's tongue and climbing a ladder with rungs made of sharp blades. The festival occurs yearly during the period from the 1st to the 9th of the 9th Chinese lunar month, which corresponds to 11-19 October. During this time almost all food shops and restaurants will fly yellow flags signifying that vegetarian food is available there. It is so convenient to have vegetarian meals during this time. In recent years, the Vegetarian Festival has become more popular and has been increasingly observed by young people. This is so because of the belief that the observers will have better health and the purer mind and gain merits from taking vegetarian foods. This aspect, though being the main purpose of this festival, is less mentioned than the spectacular processions. There are several interesting perspectives of the festival. Magical Performances For the majority of people, these form the most absorbing part of the festival. During the performances of religious rites at the temples or in the processions, the priests or the mediums conduct various kinds of dangerous acts to show the power of their gods, to strengthen the faith of their followers and to rid them of their bad luck.&amp;nbsp; These acts include walking barefoot across a stretch of ground paved with burning charcoal, climbing up and down, also barefoot, a stepladder with a total of 72 crosspieces made of sharp iron blades, and cutting, striking or piercing parts of the body with sharp or pointed objects. All these perilous acts are performed by or to mediums who are in hypnosis. Still, it seems inexplicable that they always escape serious injury. When the rites are over and the mediums regain consciousness, only traces of cuts are left on the skin and these are healed soon afterwards. You may wonder whether the mediums have been hired to do the job and whether they have been trained beforehand. The reply is, they have not. All the mediums act involuntarily. But they must have faith in the gods before they can be possessed by the gods. 10 RULES FOR THE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL 1. Cleanliness of bodies during the festival2. Clean kitchen utensils and to use them seperately from other who do not join the festival3. Wear white during the festival4. Behave physically and mentally5. No meat eating6. No sex7. No alcoholic drinks8. People at mourning period should not attend the festival9. Pragnant ladies should not watch any ritual10. Ladies with period should not attend the ritual This is unsee Thailand , dont warry next is Banna Festival:) Visit Thailand http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Phuket Vegetarian FestivalThe Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and aesthetic displays such as walking barefooted over hot coals and ascending ladders with bladed rungs are performed by entranced devotees known as "Ma Song". The Vegetarian Festival is observed nationwide on a grand scale. The most famous place holding this festival is absolutely Phuket province where the most spectacular event takes place yearly. In other provinces such as Trang, Songkhla (Hat Yai) and Chon Buri (Pattaya), people of the Chinese descendants keep this festivals commonly. However, the most known part of the festival as is shown through the media is the blood-curdling presentations, such as, piercing the cheeks with a pointed steel rod, walking barefoot on burning charcoal, sprinkling oneself with boiling oil, cutting one's tongue and climbing a ladder with rungs made of sharp blades. The festival occurs yearly during the period from the 1st to the 9th of the 9th Chinese lunar month, which corresponds to 11-19 October. During this time almost all food shops and restaurants will fly yellow flags signifying that vegetarian food is available there. It is so convenient to have vegetarian meals during this time. In recent years, the Vegetarian Festival has become more popular and has been increasingly observed by young people. This is so because of the belief that the observers will have better health and the purer mind and gain merits from taking vegetarian foods. This aspect, though being the main purpose of this festival, is less mentioned than the spectacular processions. There are several interesting perspectives of the festival. Magical Performances For the majority of people, these form the most absorbing part of the festival. During the performances of religious rites at the temples or in the processions, the priests or the mediums conduct various kinds of dangerous acts to show the power of their gods, to strengthen the faith of their followers and to rid them of their bad luck.&amp;nbsp; These acts include walking barefoot across a stretch of ground paved with burning charcoal, climbing up and down, also barefoot, a stepladder with a total of 72 crosspieces made of sharp iron blades, and cutting, striking or piercing parts of the body with sharp or pointed objects. All these perilous acts are performed by or to mediums who are in hypnosis. Still, it seems inexplicable that they always escape serious injury. When the rites are over and the mediums regain consciousness, only traces of cuts are left on the skin and these are healed soon afterwards. You may wonder whether the mediums have been hired to do the job and whether they have been trained beforehand. The reply is, they have not. All the mediums act involuntarily. But they must have faith in the gods before they can be possessed by the gods. 10 RULES FOR THE VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL 1. Cleanliness of bodies during the festival2. Clean kitchen utensils and to use them seperately from other who do not join the festival3. Wear white during the festival4. Behave physically and mentally5. No meat eating6. No sex7. No alcoholic drinks8. People at mourning period should not attend the festival9. Pragnant ladies should not watch any ritual10. Ladies with period should not attend the ritual This is unsee Thailand , dont warry next is Banna Festival:) Visit Thailand http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-1820035866400301625</guid><pubDate>Sat, 02 Oct 2010 20:44:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-02T23:44:36.353+03:00</atom:updated><title>Sukhothai Kingdom &amp; Wat Si Chum Sukhothai</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w5YAsGw5FuhVEi0_b3hFFye0arILHl-MChW8jK3cQ_tJCn-tX6NUvNPnB-W7ghe5b2Wn6xz0YB7geGbNRyCqR1xSc6qbB8RtWils-kngsQrFC6F71RS9weJvbiqM7IIHgX0KlNW-GDE/s1600/getattachment7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w5YAsGw5FuhVEi0_b3hFFye0arILHl-MChW8jK3cQ_tJCn-tX6NUvNPnB-W7ghe5b2Wn6xz0YB7geGbNRyCqR1xSc6qbB8RtWils-kngsQrFC6F71RS9weJvbiqM7IIHgX0KlNW-GDE/s640/getattachment7.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  541. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; The Sukhothai kingdom (Thai: ราชอาณาจักรสุโขทัย (Pronunciation)) was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438. The old capital, now 12 km outside of New Sukhothai in Tambon Mueang Kao, is in ruins and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage historical park.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  542. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The Sukhothai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์สุโขทัย (Pronunciation)) covers the ruins of Sukhothai, capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in what is now the north of Thailand. It is located near the modern city of Sukhothai, capital of the province with the same name.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 square kilometers of land. There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand with help from UNESCO, which has declared it a World Heritage Site. The park sees thousands of visitors each year, who marvel at the ancient Buddha figures, palace buildings and ruined temples. The park is easily toured by bicycle or even on foot.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;The protection of the area was first announced in the Royal Gazette on June 6, 1962. In 1976 the restoration project was approved, and in July 1988 the park was officially opened. On December 12, 1991, it was declared a World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns together with the associated historic parks in Kamphaeng Phet and Si Satchanalai.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAnCFPtZVNkfxlUZxMdiKgvdiy6N0fOA4_TsrUz00JSJ3M59ys745zaWCzwRXTz2MUYZGoyaEvc6mwPyuwvbv02_zA5w473M6DdG6sfM6VXK7BeH-9mf15rEhIMQ0iEE8yfnxcC3awiU/s1600/Sukhothai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAnCFPtZVNkfxlUZxMdiKgvdiy6N0fOA4_TsrUz00JSJ3M59ys745zaWCzwRXTz2MUYZGoyaEvc6mwPyuwvbv02_zA5w473M6DdG6sfM6VXK7BeH-9mf15rEhIMQ0iEE8yfnxcC3awiU/s640/Sukhothai.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  543. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  544. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="color: #990033;"&gt;Tourist Attractions:&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Inside the City Walls - Outside the City Walls&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  545. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Wat Si Chum Sukhothai&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  546. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6wwkrKBFc2uACX_SCYTHJ07uWZrgMHBumkCWUDrRLm3xbwQYPremqiVcb-6FXQIvizW8jmOo7aon8yp1Dt2HgHhdscz303GjHoTo9haESY8veWo_HN1jHXlRadyc38L-oge8Ck2augk/s1600/sukhothai-hotel-6b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6wwkrKBFc2uACX_SCYTHJ07uWZrgMHBumkCWUDrRLm3xbwQYPremqiVcb-6FXQIvizW8jmOo7aon8yp1Dt2HgHhdscz303GjHoTo9haESY8veWo_HN1jHXlRadyc38L-oge8Ck2augk/s320/sukhothai-hotel-6b.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Wat Si Chum is unique amongSukhothai temples. Inside, lining theceiling of a dark and narrow staircaseleading to the open roof, are 86 in-scribed stone reliefs depicting jatakas,the former lives of Gotama Buddha.Their unique character and arrange-ment have puzzled generations ofscholars. In this original volume, a teamof experts presents the latest evidenceand new solutions. The book offers thefirst-ever English translation of the in-scriptions, photographs of the reliefssupplemented by 19th century jatakapaintings from Wat Khrua Wan,Bangkok, essays on all aspects of thetemple, as well as a discussion of thesignificance of jatakas in internationalBuddhist literature, art and ideology&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  547. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  548. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The Royal Palace and Wat Mahathat The royal palace lies in the centre of the town. This area is surrounded by a moat and contains two main compounds; the royal building and the sanctuary in the palace. In the royal compound exists the ruins of the royal building called Noen Phrasat&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Here, the famous stone inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng was found by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in the 19th century together with a piece of the stone throne called "Manangkhasila Asana" King Ramhamhaeng set up the throne in the midst of a sugarpalm grove where , at his request, a monk preached on Buddhist Sabbath days and the King conducted the affairs of state on other days This throne was later installed in Bangkok is temple of the Emerald Buddha.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4h4T2GzSjElSObNaFWeEIm3I0y3qr2Yag0S-OQrcR9lZSccMB3n2aBaik9Ksry7s0_lv2JLvIj9UMNtKkWdyyca4Nb-RqI4d8sWNOTw3qeW03cdQUSOFA8INBkA_pS8SMFsfai_mUhs/s1600/1364560521_e476a7951f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4h4T2GzSjElSObNaFWeEIm3I0y3qr2Yag0S-OQrcR9lZSccMB3n2aBaik9Ksry7s0_lv2JLvIj9UMNtKkWdyyca4Nb-RqI4d8sWNOTw3qeW03cdQUSOFA8INBkA_pS8SMFsfai_mUhs/s200/1364560521_e476a7951f.jpg" width="200" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  549. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Wat Traphang-Ngoen Situated to the west of Wat Mahathat is Wat Traphang-Ngoen with its square pedestal, main sanctuary, and stucco standing Buddha image in four inches. There is a viharn in front, and in the east of the pond, there is an island with an ubosot. This edifice has already crumbled and only its pedestal and laterite columns still remain. Many monuments and magnificent scenery are visible from this location.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  550. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;Wat Chana-Songkhram Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is Wat Chana-Songkhram. It main sanctuary is around Singhalese-style chedi. In front of the chedi exists the best of a viharn and behind the farmer stands an ubosot. Bases of twelve small chedis are also visible. Near Charot Withi Thong Road is a strange chedi having three bases, one on top of the other.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  551. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Wat Sa-Si Situated near Wat Chanasongkhram is Wat Sa-Si. Around a Singgalese-style chedi is the main sanctuary on and island in the middle of Traphang Trakuan Pond. A large viharn contains a stucco Buddha image. To the south stands nine chedis of differente sizes.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  552. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; San-Ta-Pha-Saeng OR Deity Shrine Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is San-Ta-Pha-Dang. This monument consists of only one laterite prang with a staircase in the front. Sandstone Hindu divine object ( Lop Buri-style ) were discovered here.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; King Ramkhamhaeng Monument Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is the King Ramkhamhaeng Monument. The bronze statue of King Ramkhamhaeng sits on a throne named Phra-Thaen-Manangkhasila-Asana with a base relief recording his life.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxpvd2f31ze5H720YmAMwzib5aEwgQA-2DRzjxkEIyT5uqxZxZKJpmLonpwe_J1IO57iLpNK4eAZK4lYDeML_5_tN1FVPQq92Wcmy6i4kTkFCTEkj1vOxsR0uQsqqbUHyG0GWgzqv5bo/s1600/2837682-Colourful_little_ensemble-Sukhothai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxpvd2f31ze5H720YmAMwzib5aEwgQA-2DRzjxkEIyT5uqxZxZKJpmLonpwe_J1IO57iLpNK4eAZK4lYDeML_5_tN1FVPQq92Wcmy6i4kTkFCTEkj1vOxsR0uQsqqbUHyG0GWgzqv5bo/s320/2837682-Colourful_little_ensemble-Sukhothai.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  553. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Wat Mai Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is Wat Mai. Wat Mai, having a brick viharn as the main sanctuary, is in Ayutthaya style. The columns of the viharn are made of laterite. A bronze image of the Buddha under a naga, ( Lop Buri-style ) was found here and is now preserved in the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  554. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The Ramkhamhaeng National Museum The Ramkhamhaeng National Museum was built in 1960 and opened on 25 January, 1964. The museum collection includes gifts from the ex-abbot of Wat Ratchathani and art objects unearthed in Sukhothai and near by provinces. It is open daily from 09.00-16.00 hrs. Admission fee 30 baht. Tel. (005) 612167&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  555. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Wat Traphang-Tong Situated to the east of Wat Mahathat is Wat Traphang-Tong. The monastery is located on an island in the middle of a large pond. A ruined laterite Singhalese-style chedi is on the island. In front of it, a new mondop contains the Lord Buddha's Footprint slab that was created by King Lithai in 1390 on Samanakut or Phra Bat Yai Hill. This footprint was remove to the new mondop some year ago. An annual fair to worship this sacred Lord Buddha's Footprint takes place at the same time as the Loi Krathong Festival.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  556. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWwnIXmAHjpw4xGrJLhkVF-YDM-MiQ1zk-q6eB192MBiVTbug3kTiu4xc2YE1ukUny-337opugkitUUpEgwO_gzB18yZMYfbTESGl71HcStE0oo7B4DQgTW_kKvBaRplf1juEgTwqeQg/s1600/viharm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgWwnIXmAHjpw4xGrJLhkVF-YDM-MiQ1zk-q6eB192MBiVTbug3kTiu4xc2YE1ukUny-337opugkitUUpEgwO_gzB18yZMYfbTESGl71HcStE0oo7B4DQgTW_kKvBaRplf1juEgTwqeQg/s640/viharm.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  557. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;Visit Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/sukhothai-kingdom-wat-si-chum-sukhothai.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1w5YAsGw5FuhVEi0_b3hFFye0arILHl-MChW8jK3cQ_tJCn-tX6NUvNPnB-W7ghe5b2Wn6xz0YB7geGbNRyCqR1xSc6qbB8RtWils-kngsQrFC6F71RS9weJvbiqM7IIHgX0KlNW-GDE/s72-c/getattachment7.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>61</thr:total><enclosure length="56432" type="image/jpeg" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TKeV9Yd3geI/AAAAAAAAAN8/1sJkwSHd5sE/s1600/getattachment7.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; The Sukhothai kingdom (Thai: ราชอาณาจักรสุโขทัย (Pronunciation)) was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438. The old capital, now 12 km outside of New Sukhothai in Tambon Mueang Kao, is in ruins and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage historical park. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The Sukhothai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์สุโขทัย (Pronunciation)) covers the ruins of Sukhothai, capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in what is now the north of Thailand. It is located near the modern city of Sukhothai, capital of the province with the same name.The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 square kilometers of land. There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand with help from UNESCO, which has declared it a World Heritage Site. The park sees thousands of visitors each year, who marvel at the ancient Buddha figures, palace buildings and ruined temples. The park is easily toured by bicycle or even on foot.The protection of the area was first announced in the Royal Gazette on June 6, 1962. In 1976 the restoration project was approved, and in July 1988 the park was officially opened. On December 12, 1991, it was declared a World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns together with the associated historic parks in Kamphaeng Phet and Si Satchanalai. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Tourist Attractions:&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Inside the City Walls - Outside the City Walls &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Wat Si Chum Sukhothai &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Wat Si Chum is unique amongSukhothai temples. Inside, lining theceiling of a dark and narrow staircaseleading to the open roof, are 86 in-scribed stone reliefs depicting jatakas,the former lives of Gotama Buddha.Their unique character and arrange-ment have puzzled generations ofscholars. In this original volume, a teamof experts presents the latest evidenceand new solutions. The book offers thefirst-ever English translation of the in-scriptions, photographs of the reliefssupplemented by 19th century jatakapaintings from Wat Khrua Wan,Bangkok, essays on all aspects of thetemple, as well as a discussion of thesignificance of jatakas in internationalBuddhist literature, art and ideology &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The Royal Palace and Wat Mahathat The royal palace lies in the centre of the town. This area is surrounded by a moat and contains two main compounds; the royal building and the sanctuary in the palace. In the royal compound exists the ruins of the royal building called Noen Phrasat&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Here, the famous stone inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng was found by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in the 19th century together with a piece of the stone throne called "Manangkhasila Asana" King Ramhamhaeng set up the throne in the midst of a sugarpalm grove where , at his request, a monk preached on Buddhist Sabbath days and the King conducted the affairs of state on other days This throne was later installed in Bangkok is temple of the Emerald Buddha. Wat Traphang-Ngoen Situated to the west of Wat Mahathat is Wat Traphang-Ngoen with its square pedestal, main sanctuary, and stucco standing Buddha image in four inches. There is a viharn in front, and in the east of the pond, there is an island with an ubosot. This edifice has already crumbled and only its pedestal and laterite columns still remain. Many monuments and magnificent scenery are visible from this location.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Wat Chana-Songkhram Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is Wat Chana-Songkhram. It main sanctuary is around Singhalese-style chedi. In front of the chedi exists the best of a viharn and behind the farmer stands an ubosot. Bases of twelve small chedis are also visible. Near Charot Withi Thong Road is a strange chedi having three bases, one on top of the other.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Wat Sa-Si Situated near Wat Chanasongkhram is Wat Sa-Si. Around a Singgalese-style chedi is the main sanctuary on and island in the middle of Traphang Trakuan Pond. A large viharn contains a stucco Buddha image. To the south stands nine chedis of differente sizes.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; San-Ta-Pha-Saeng OR Deity Shrine Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is San-Ta-Pha-Dang. This monument consists of only one laterite prang with a staircase in the front. Sandstone Hindu divine object ( Lop Buri-style ) were discovered here.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; King Ramkhamhaeng Monument Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is the King Ramkhamhaeng Monument. The bronze statue of King Ramkhamhaeng sits on a throne named Phra-Thaen-Manangkhasila-Asana with a base relief recording his life. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Wat Mai Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is Wat Mai. Wat Mai, having a brick viharn as the main sanctuary, is in Ayutthaya style. The columns of the viharn are made of laterite. A bronze image of the Buddha under a naga, ( Lop Buri-style ) was found here and is now preserved in the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The Ramkhamhaeng National Museum The Ramkhamhaeng National Museum was built in 1960 and opened on 25 January, 1964. The museum collection includes gifts from the ex-abbot of Wat Ratchathani and art objects unearthed in Sukhothai and near by provinces. It is open daily from 09.00-16.00 hrs. Admission fee 30 baht. Tel. (005) 612167 &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Wat Traphang-Tong Situated to the east of Wat Mahathat is Wat Traphang-Tong. The monastery is located on an island in the middle of a large pond. A ruined laterite Singhalese-style chedi is on the island. In front of it, a new mondop contains the Lord Buddha's Footprint slab that was created by King Lithai in 1390 on Samanakut or Phra Bat Yai Hill. This footprint was remove to the new mondop some year ago. An annual fair to worship this sacred Lord Buddha's Footprint takes place at the same time as the Loi Krathong Festival. Visit Thailandhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; The Sukhothai kingdom (Thai: ราชอาณาจักรสุโขทัย (Pronunciation)) was an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. The Kingdom existed from 1238 till 1438. The old capital, now 12 km outside of New Sukhothai in Tambon Mueang Kao, is in ruins and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage historical park. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; The Sukhothai Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์สุโขทัย (Pronunciation)) covers the ruins of Sukhothai, capital of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries, in what is now the north of Thailand. It is located near the modern city of Sukhothai, capital of the province with the same name.The city walls form a rectangle about 2 km east-west by 1.6 km north-south. There are 193 ruins on 70 square kilometers of land. There is a gate in the centre of each wall. Inside are the remains of the royal palace and twenty-six temples, the largest being Wat Mahathat. The park is maintained by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand with help from UNESCO, which has declared it a World Heritage Site. The park sees thousands of visitors each year, who marvel at the ancient Buddha figures, palace buildings and ruined temples. The park is easily toured by bicycle or even on foot.The protection of the area was first announced in the Royal Gazette on June 6, 1962. In 1976 the restoration project was approved, and in July 1988 the park was officially opened. On December 12, 1991, it was declared a World Heritage Site as part of the Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns together with the associated historic parks in Kamphaeng Phet and Si Satchanalai. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Tourist Attractions:&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Inside the City Walls - Outside the City Walls &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Wat Si Chum Sukhothai &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Wat Si Chum is unique amongSukhothai temples. Inside, lining theceiling of a dark and narrow staircaseleading to the open roof, are 86 in-scribed stone reliefs depicting jatakas,the former lives of Gotama Buddha.Their unique character and arrange-ment have puzzled generations ofscholars. In this original volume, a teamof experts presents the latest evidenceand new solutions. The book offers thefirst-ever English translation of the in-scriptions, photographs of the reliefssupplemented by 19th century jatakapaintings from Wat Khrua Wan,Bangkok, essays on all aspects of thetemple, as well as a discussion of thesignificance of jatakas in internationalBuddhist literature, art and ideology &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The Royal Palace and Wat Mahathat The royal palace lies in the centre of the town. This area is surrounded by a moat and contains two main compounds; the royal building and the sanctuary in the palace. In the royal compound exists the ruins of the royal building called Noen Phrasat&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Here, the famous stone inscription of King Ramkhamhaeng was found by King Mongkut (Rama IV) in the 19th century together with a piece of the stone throne called "Manangkhasila Asana" King Ramhamhaeng set up the throne in the midst of a sugarpalm grove where , at his request, a monk preached on Buddhist Sabbath days and the King conducted the affairs of state on other days This throne was later installed in Bangkok is temple of the Emerald Buddha. Wat Traphang-Ngoen Situated to the west of Wat Mahathat is Wat Traphang-Ngoen with its square pedestal, main sanctuary, and stucco standing Buddha image in four inches. There is a viharn in front, and in the east of the pond, there is an island with an ubosot. This edifice has already crumbled and only its pedestal and laterite columns still remain. Many monuments and magnificent scenery are visible from this location.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Wat Chana-Songkhram Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is Wat Chana-Songkhram. It main sanctuary is around Singhalese-style chedi. In front of the chedi exists the best of a viharn and behind the farmer stands an ubosot. Bases of twelve small chedis are also visible. Near Charot Withi Thong Road is a strange chedi having three bases, one on top of the other.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Wat Sa-Si Situated near Wat Chanasongkhram is Wat Sa-Si. Around a Singgalese-style chedi is the main sanctuary on and island in the middle of Traphang Trakuan Pond. A large viharn contains a stucco Buddha image. To the south stands nine chedis of differente sizes.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; San-Ta-Pha-Saeng OR Deity Shrine Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is San-Ta-Pha-Dang. This monument consists of only one laterite prang with a staircase in the front. Sandstone Hindu divine object ( Lop Buri-style ) were discovered here.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; King Ramkhamhaeng Monument Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is the King Ramkhamhaeng Monument. The bronze statue of King Ramkhamhaeng sits on a throne named Phra-Thaen-Manangkhasila-Asana with a base relief recording his life. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Wat Mai Situated to the north of Wat Mahathat is Wat Mai. Wat Mai, having a brick viharn as the main sanctuary, is in Ayutthaya style. The columns of the viharn are made of laterite. A bronze image of the Buddha under a naga, ( Lop Buri-style ) was found here and is now preserved in the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;The Ramkhamhaeng National Museum The Ramkhamhaeng National Museum was built in 1960 and opened on 25 January, 1964. The museum collection includes gifts from the ex-abbot of Wat Ratchathani and art objects unearthed in Sukhothai and near by provinces. It is open daily from 09.00-16.00 hrs. Admission fee 30 baht. Tel. (005) 612167 &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Wat Traphang-Tong Situated to the east of Wat Mahathat is Wat Traphang-Tong. The monastery is located on an island in the middle of a large pond. A ruined laterite Singhalese-style chedi is on the island. In front of it, a new mondop contains the Lord Buddha's Footprint slab that was created by King Lithai in 1390 on Samanakut or Phra Bat Yai Hill. This footprint was remove to the new mondop some year ago. An annual fair to worship this sacred Lord Buddha's Footprint takes place at the same time as the Loi Krathong Festival. Visit Thailandhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-8273629077662142554</guid><pubDate>Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:56:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-10-01T13:56:53.985+03:00</atom:updated><title>Unseen Places from THAILAND</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  558. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  559. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  560. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  561. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Today my "insipiration" was gone,&amp;nbsp;and my mood is bad...., my "insipiration" no offer me so manny&amp;nbsp;alternative...&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;b&gt;For this is shearch somthing pictures and i name Unseen Places..., i hope, and i have hope , and i still hope to my "insipiration" to come back...,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #888888;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  562. &lt;div class="almost_half_cell" id="gt-res-content" style="padding-right: 16px; padding-top: 9px;"&gt;&lt;div dir="ltr" style="zoom: 1;"&gt;&lt;span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en" style="color: black; display: block; text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: black;" title=""&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;b&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Thank you very much for all people what wach my ideas for travel&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="g-section" id="gt-res-tools" style="display: inline-block; margin-top: 8px; vertical-align: top; width: 611px; zoom: 1;"&gt;&lt;div class="gt-icon-c" id="gt-res-listen" style="color: #1111cc; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin-right: 1em; outline-style: none; text-decoration: none;" tabindex="0"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  563. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qga7yl71uR0aaESmplQ56wEF9i7cQ8sweAhUQOH3m6PLpk-F29aEhY7QjGtvzvx_1UQerbEQVWPfERmt8crwJIE1iZhffNsZLuCwctwEMFUp5QqEH33o5qD0nUQNP_NT5TU19zeHliQ/s1600/2456494164_3ef6b7cc03_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qga7yl71uR0aaESmplQ56wEF9i7cQ8sweAhUQOH3m6PLpk-F29aEhY7QjGtvzvx_1UQerbEQVWPfERmt8crwJIE1iZhffNsZLuCwctwEMFUp5QqEH33o5qD0nUQNP_NT5TU19zeHliQ/s640/2456494164_3ef6b7cc03_o.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE9EoAAfnPVI7mhja5k4zbKb2Q4DTEUU68nX2eoSyfiv7mAwl-tRGHeNftm4XnV0W6ZU_anZQPpIeWgqza65pI5IbLVR71Mhwglqk8SjJlL8Lnd_LOe2mrKpJdGgzJ4ChaOCOITIn_Tg/s1600/Unseen_in_Thailand_Koaw_Yai_20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE9EoAAfnPVI7mhja5k4zbKb2Q4DTEUU68nX2eoSyfiv7mAwl-tRGHeNftm4XnV0W6ZU_anZQPpIeWgqza65pI5IbLVR71Mhwglqk8SjJlL8Lnd_LOe2mrKpJdGgzJ4ChaOCOITIn_Tg/s640/Unseen_in_Thailand_Koaw_Yai_20.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcKq2Rby_gmU1TuJaJE5fgjvymVlwAU5O8iW6nilaOl64SMeHnNGIlXWfDrqLHDpQD1YP1NkjmnmvyDmP1ibhCqcX9l76CTUMbwSIhDw0Ngvw4q7TAMOVtQRMQrZhgQmqflKfJHijhOA/s1600/20090807-112444-2274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNcKq2Rby_gmU1TuJaJE5fgjvymVlwAU5O8iW6nilaOl64SMeHnNGIlXWfDrqLHDpQD1YP1NkjmnmvyDmP1ibhCqcX9l76CTUMbwSIhDw0Ngvw4q7TAMOVtQRMQrZhgQmqflKfJHijhOA/s640/20090807-112444-2274.JPG" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqFdJeSFEr66PZYPK0Ge7oLPSYhiufnkOXPApgTZDoWvVADuYjvrZf914vp3o9jiEg-XNq9jF_6Vaz2l58Px2UiYIgdCIob7IFaAipnZaRqyQrqJELeZzkoXacvR3bUZCSAe3OPxoaKY/s1600/20071106042853pic19489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqFdJeSFEr66PZYPK0Ge7oLPSYhiufnkOXPApgTZDoWvVADuYjvrZf914vp3o9jiEg-XNq9jF_6Vaz2l58Px2UiYIgdCIob7IFaAipnZaRqyQrqJELeZzkoXacvR3bUZCSAe3OPxoaKY/s640/20071106042853pic19489.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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  565. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi0mE3_bI99wdjO8LDgs3KnPOYMTlmO1_Xgr1X4zGGvPjzvMlnXD6Y1mRa3TAKswMfXwJwEZchAfukz47k-JBNnZGFvupJ-uxCA1yKDJjmBHsKj0ypAGoK_dWah9c6nixdZz4V9DxplI/s1600/DSC_0082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwi0mE3_bI99wdjO8LDgs3KnPOYMTlmO1_Xgr1X4zGGvPjzvMlnXD6Y1mRa3TAKswMfXwJwEZchAfukz47k-JBNnZGFvupJ-uxCA1yKDJjmBHsKj0ypAGoK_dWah9c6nixdZz4V9DxplI/s640/DSC_0082.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  566. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVnP-KggcifP_qgvACEl9HABOFiK-V1HQwoE6hhPDThpzmgUaaae0jrXd2G36mqdAaPe9beTSw1tMY-3i_Es48kCJzg48NYD8KwuJZiVRoQaPc_q4SAvy1s4l6K3rR51OvhfGjeaVHJE/s1600/gr01_c03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVnP-KggcifP_qgvACEl9HABOFiK-V1HQwoE6hhPDThpzmgUaaae0jrXd2G36mqdAaPe9beTSw1tMY-3i_Es48kCJzg48NYD8KwuJZiVRoQaPc_q4SAvy1s4l6K3rR51OvhfGjeaVHJE/s640/gr01_c03.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  567. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZRiaqD3Xh9udEBl5hMiCK7i9TlO0UrIf0ixZwcjlGfGLMEzSyjE3r0mefg-5VtSv00uJRxTaopdUou8wBPq5oTrHvQFbyDpyP1PDP761ja7y-k5V-vNyotiSj9igjgtPcxxWzkVFuqI/s1600/Meditation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZRiaqD3Xh9udEBl5hMiCK7i9TlO0UrIf0ixZwcjlGfGLMEzSyjE3r0mefg-5VtSv00uJRxTaopdUou8wBPq5oTrHvQFbyDpyP1PDP761ja7y-k5V-vNyotiSj9igjgtPcxxWzkVFuqI/s640/Meditation.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  568. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4dZNX2ls6R7Y6dyT9AkegAxwWG73PaTyWv1cAu2mn_XLEYxMLpwQ-6gw5TikyFWiPXuJihvDb3N56EFLOF3HxBdRyjjXfpuns1zRmqQEXxw4w-jFz3yOkhgE6-Eelz1F8Vt_CQUym3k/s1600/gr04_n01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4dZNX2ls6R7Y6dyT9AkegAxwWG73PaTyWv1cAu2mn_XLEYxMLpwQ-6gw5TikyFWiPXuJihvDb3N56EFLOF3HxBdRyjjXfpuns1zRmqQEXxw4w-jFz3yOkhgE6-Eelz1F8Vt_CQUym3k/s640/gr04_n01.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  569. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOMbGEbnTLq1b39ZZ_uNIOezs5r3cp19vA8nGed49z53zIlzkGe67sipo7kUo2pYMpI6mQhqiNtKeOE5jV_8HpBi2tHk6C_Ba_QyXzhNcjg-ITNYav1MV1H4zHphAqVsMAsI_ycm77DA/s1600/Pak-Khlong-Talat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOMbGEbnTLq1b39ZZ_uNIOezs5r3cp19vA8nGed49z53zIlzkGe67sipo7kUo2pYMpI6mQhqiNtKeOE5jV_8HpBi2tHk6C_Ba_QyXzhNcjg-ITNYav1MV1H4zHphAqVsMAsI_ycm77DA/s640/Pak-Khlong-Talat.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  570. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMQ2Cnut1GgZYKr7yPUBlaio8xoRpXxCT21s4gCqBFQ9r13myc70-IZDVDcbSvIHPuCntdFDtYnQBzt2NAzdf9xdPL4Ga5H9V8zKiCzV4eviFNvGKiCO38CMKWpFWQYDp8SYkZBJZERM/s1600/P1000909_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMQ2Cnut1GgZYKr7yPUBlaio8xoRpXxCT21s4gCqBFQ9r13myc70-IZDVDcbSvIHPuCntdFDtYnQBzt2NAzdf9xdPL4Ga5H9V8zKiCzV4eviFNvGKiCO38CMKWpFWQYDp8SYkZBJZERM/s640/P1000909_2.JPG" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  571. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMWx_pO3slw4L5gZzOi1qGvX12cadtsajqE_KSR9ZTKkK1zo9h5zlhJ-e54gjivXQRMt3zOh-iN4-oAwDFZQ9vnqQwh3r4dwv9A9YZ9SYZIlzoDQUOu6gT-iZxfA1ajMfVfVwmhw0ZH8/s1600/Thailand-Prostitution-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMWx_pO3slw4L5gZzOi1qGvX12cadtsajqE_KSR9ZTKkK1zo9h5zlhJ-e54gjivXQRMt3zOh-iN4-oAwDFZQ9vnqQwh3r4dwv9A9YZ9SYZIlzoDQUOu6gT-iZxfA1ajMfVfVwmhw0ZH8/s640/Thailand-Prostitution-08.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 24px;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  572. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  573. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;I hope to make you To &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;Visit Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  574. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  575. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  576. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  577. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #888888; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  578. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #888888; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"&gt;&lt;div class="g-section" id="gt-res-tools" style="display: inline-block; margin-top: 8px; vertical-align: top; width: 611px; zoom: 1;"&gt;&lt;div class="gt-icon-c" id="gt-res-listen" style="color: #1111cc; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin-right: 1em; outline-style: none; text-decoration: none;" tabindex="0"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/10/unseen-places-from-thailand.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qga7yl71uR0aaESmplQ56wEF9i7cQ8sweAhUQOH3m6PLpk-F29aEhY7QjGtvzvx_1UQerbEQVWPfERmt8crwJIE1iZhffNsZLuCwctwEMFUp5QqEH33o5qD0nUQNP_NT5TU19zeHliQ/s72-c/2456494164_3ef6b7cc03_o.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>46</thr:total><enclosure length="311560" type="image/jpeg" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TKW3G1FgzEI/AAAAAAAAAMI/OcA-Fdp0brI/s1600/2456494164_3ef6b7cc03_o.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Today my "insipiration" was gone,&amp;nbsp;and my mood is bad...., my "insipiration" no offer me so manny&amp;nbsp;alternative...For this is shearch somthing pictures and i name Unseen Places..., i hope, and i have hope , and i still hope to my "insipiration" to come back...,&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Thank you very much for all people what wach my ideas for travel&amp;nbsp; I hope to make you To Visit Thailand http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Today my "insipiration" was gone,&amp;nbsp;and my mood is bad...., my "insipiration" no offer me so manny&amp;nbsp;alternative...For this is shearch somthing pictures and i name Unseen Places..., i hope, and i have hope , and i still hope to my "insipiration" to come back...,&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Thank you very much for all people what wach my ideas for travel&amp;nbsp; I hope to make you To Visit Thailand http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-4639910711776370073</guid><pubDate>Wed, 29 Sep 2010 20:08:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-09-29T23:08:02.944+03:00</atom:updated><title>Blooming Sunflower Festival and Chiang Rai Flower Festival</title><description>&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;Blooming Sunflower Festival and Chiang Rai Flower Festival  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhG5K5wn2GvrSaWhhnQ1YHrWrEdEZgWiyBzf5acc8_SmV_UMEnHkms_YHYvZLvcoO33JsJ2Cs7gl6ypgY_0dSPURqJzE-MORo6N9uf8q79xc1kDG8mnsbCxWuV0jhmiuuwf9DicBc0kI/s640/Sunflowers.png" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  579. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  580. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  581. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;Buatong Ban or Blooming Mexican Sunflower Festival is held in November, affording people the opportunity to see the sunflower fields, waterfalls and mist at Ban Hua Mae Kham, Amphoe Mae Fa Luang. There are also hilltribe performances.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOBpcMhVcoUmRAb6_WaLNBFT0XDMsOYAXtfLYi7LCMFeQLf1-2T72dOwRino7-zfwvUJ-FvgeQZ8rCnrArVSGU3mCEkJ_CVnZXxptZqb00UTaBDO6dLFzEw_8Hlsq7H2BLLbvsVYCE6M/s1600/22222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOBpcMhVcoUmRAb6_WaLNBFT0XDMsOYAXtfLYi7LCMFeQLf1-2T72dOwRino7-zfwvUJ-FvgeQZ8rCnrArVSGU3mCEkJ_CVnZXxptZqb00UTaBDO6dLFzEw_8Hlsq7H2BLLbvsVYCE6M/s400/22222.JPG" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Sunflowers have become a popular seasonal attraction in Lop Buri Province, lying 154 kilometers north of Bangkok. Each year, a large number of tourists, especially flower lovers, travel to this province to view vast fields of sunflowers in full bloom&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  582. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;Originally, Thai people grew sunflowers as decorative plants. Later, they extracted oil from sunflower seeds, which have also become a favorite snack for many. Today, the sunflower is regarded as a cash crop in Lop Buri. This crop is also grown in abundance in the nearby province of Saraburi. It can be grown in all climatic conditions. According to the Lop Buri Agriculture Office, sunflowers now cover 300,000 rai, or 12,000 acres, of farmland in Lop Buri&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi5BIYuTqmIj0IIQSqyBGimmiA4wDmelYhuXXe4QLfPj2gyBH91TiYv95-0-RSNECdrHsGuxLXDU84R9hT_LqQ4BEQl-Qpcd2cxIHHD13yTMtTUPo_XqTHgW0-uXcvmcBI2SNpNd95m3s/s640/chiang-mai-flower-festival-2009.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  583. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Chiang Rai Flower Festival&lt;br /&gt;
  584. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Chiang Mai Flower Festival&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt; &lt;span style="font-size: medium;"&gt;2nd - 4th February 2010&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;- tbc (usually the first weekend in February)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  585. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;Chiang Rai flower festival is held during the end of December to January every year. There are flower processions, flower gardens, Miss Thinn Thai Ngarm Contest and also the fair of agricultural products and the variety of flowers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;Chiang Saen, Mae Chan, and Doi Mae Salong are three substantially different places. Chiang Saen’s culture has been influenced by its collection of Buddhist scriptures and temples. It was once the provincial capital. Mae Chan’s name lies in its silver and tribal handicrafts. Once officially unrecognized by the Thai government, Doi Mae Salong is a Chinese KMT (Kuomintang) area renowned for its natural beauty and unique Yunnanese culture. Besides the Chinese 93rd Infantry of the Kuomintang, several other ethnic minorities have settled down in the region including the Tai Yai, Tai Lue, Tai Khoen and Tai Yuan&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkxukv8kQMNNUqUk5fDftKLcMMsrWMEhr7er6gt_n6GY-1xOreJYCkXRqxBo8kJuupC25upUF9g1MC36o5D-xhJM-hR6TvjSh9t9WWLS2f0Z6hY04YcqXVIUwvjobqyBUcA2VhGqeoNA/s640/chiang-rai-flower-festival-92-2.JPG" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  586. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  587. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;Chiang Mai is famous for having some truly beautiful flowers. Most bloom early in the year from January to February. Colorful flowers like African marigold, globe amaranth, orchids, Ban Chun, chrysanthemum, celosia, and assorted roses like Fa Mui and thin Uang Dok Lek. This is regarded as the most beautiful period of Chiang Mai.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  588. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;Hope to make to &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"&gt;VISIT THAILAND&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span id="goog_1940081188"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span id="goog_1940081189"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/blooming-sunflower-festival-and-chiang.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhG5K5wn2GvrSaWhhnQ1YHrWrEdEZgWiyBzf5acc8_SmV_UMEnHkms_YHYvZLvcoO33JsJ2Cs7gl6ypgY_0dSPURqJzE-MORo6N9uf8q79xc1kDG8mnsbCxWuV0jhmiuuwf9DicBc0kI/s72-c/Sunflowers.png" width="72"/><thr:total>35</thr:total><enclosure length="475832" type="image/jpeg" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TKObDxiT3SI/AAAAAAAAALU/zsvd1KYB-VY/s1600/22222.JPG"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Blooming Sunflower Festival and Chiang Rai Flower Festival &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Buatong Ban or Blooming Mexican Sunflower Festival is held in November, affording people the opportunity to see the sunflower fields, waterfalls and mist at Ban Hua Mae Kham, Amphoe Mae Fa Luang. There are also hilltribe performances.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Sunflowers have become a popular seasonal attraction in Lop Buri Province, lying 154 kilometers north of Bangkok. Each year, a large number of tourists, especially flower lovers, travel to this province to view vast fields of sunflowers in full bloom Originally, Thai people grew sunflowers as decorative plants. Later, they extracted oil from sunflower seeds, which have also become a favorite snack for many. Today, the sunflower is regarded as a cash crop in Lop Buri. This crop is also grown in abundance in the nearby province of Saraburi. It can be grown in all climatic conditions. According to the Lop Buri Agriculture Office, sunflowers now cover 300,000 rai, or 12,000 acres, of farmland in Lop Buri Chiang Rai Flower Festival Chiang Mai Flower Festival 2nd - 4th February 2010- tbc (usually the first weekend in February) Chiang Rai flower festival is held during the end of December to January every year. There are flower processions, flower gardens, Miss Thinn Thai Ngarm Contest and also the fair of agricultural products and the variety of flowers.Chiang Saen, Mae Chan, and Doi Mae Salong are three substantially different places. Chiang Saen’s culture has been influenced by its collection of Buddhist scriptures and temples. It was once the provincial capital. Mae Chan’s name lies in its silver and tribal handicrafts. Once officially unrecognized by the Thai government, Doi Mae Salong is a Chinese KMT (Kuomintang) area renowned for its natural beauty and unique Yunnanese culture. Besides the Chinese 93rd Infantry of the Kuomintang, several other ethnic minorities have settled down in the region including the Tai Yai, Tai Lue, Tai Khoen and Tai Yuan Chiang Mai is famous for having some truly beautiful flowers. Most bloom early in the year from January to February. Colorful flowers like African marigold, globe amaranth, orchids, Ban Chun, chrysanthemum, celosia, and assorted roses like Fa Mui and thin Uang Dok Lek. This is regarded as the most beautiful period of Chiang Mai. Hope to make to VISIT THAILAND http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Blooming Sunflower Festival and Chiang Rai Flower Festival &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;Buatong Ban or Blooming Mexican Sunflower Festival is held in November, affording people the opportunity to see the sunflower fields, waterfalls and mist at Ban Hua Mae Kham, Amphoe Mae Fa Luang. There are also hilltribe performances.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Sunflowers have become a popular seasonal attraction in Lop Buri Province, lying 154 kilometers north of Bangkok. Each year, a large number of tourists, especially flower lovers, travel to this province to view vast fields of sunflowers in full bloom Originally, Thai people grew sunflowers as decorative plants. Later, they extracted oil from sunflower seeds, which have also become a favorite snack for many. Today, the sunflower is regarded as a cash crop in Lop Buri. This crop is also grown in abundance in the nearby province of Saraburi. It can be grown in all climatic conditions. According to the Lop Buri Agriculture Office, sunflowers now cover 300,000 rai, or 12,000 acres, of farmland in Lop Buri Chiang Rai Flower Festival Chiang Mai Flower Festival 2nd - 4th February 2010- tbc (usually the first weekend in February) Chiang Rai flower festival is held during the end of December to January every year. There are flower processions, flower gardens, Miss Thinn Thai Ngarm Contest and also the fair of agricultural products and the variety of flowers.Chiang Saen, Mae Chan, and Doi Mae Salong are three substantially different places. Chiang Saen’s culture has been influenced by its collection of Buddhist scriptures and temples. It was once the provincial capital. Mae Chan’s name lies in its silver and tribal handicrafts. Once officially unrecognized by the Thai government, Doi Mae Salong is a Chinese KMT (Kuomintang) area renowned for its natural beauty and unique Yunnanese culture. Besides the Chinese 93rd Infantry of the Kuomintang, several other ethnic minorities have settled down in the region including the Tai Yai, Tai Lue, Tai Khoen and Tai Yuan Chiang Mai is famous for having some truly beautiful flowers. Most bloom early in the year from January to February. Colorful flowers like African marigold, globe amaranth, orchids, Ban Chun, chrysanthemum, celosia, and assorted roses like Fa Mui and thin Uang Dok Lek. This is regarded as the most beautiful period of Chiang Mai. Hope to make to VISIT THAILAND http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-4604585008935811799</guid><pubDate>Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:18:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-03T09:14:43.566+03:00</atom:updated><title>Nonthaburi Fruits Fair</title><description>&lt;div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"&gt;
  589. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  590. &lt;a href="http://www.skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFU0eIDmTwpjlqIDVijm3GnHlh0zvhuqItror53etn_c_UR7vvQwXgLhCs1Z6nAuTeY0oQFPnJFvv8dER0XUKqOKn9fTiNEaIvzmKL6YKjjW2nB7FRXY4ZSUZklljbdK65sgn__cwGmE/s640/C6.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  591. &lt;br /&gt;
  592. &lt;br /&gt;
  593. This annual fair is held during April-June to celebrate the abundance of such local fruits as durian, mangosteen and mangoes, then at their peak of succulent pipeness. Besides stalls selling the produce of surrounding orchards and local products, there are colourful processions of floats decorated with fruits and flowers, beauty pageants friuts contests, cultural shows, exhibitions of provincial handicrafts and agricultural produce, and local entertainment.&lt;br /&gt;
  594. Nonthaburi (Thai: นนทบุรี) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom.&lt;br /&gt;
  595. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  596. &lt;/div&gt;
  597. &lt;br /&gt;
  598. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  599. &lt;/div&gt;
  600. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  601. &lt;a href="http://www.skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8U3X9-LJ00HD0Pqurzd3C_wY58iX9IMlMHuY15nfeDZMk7eAQW3aqlLS4Wmir84MHwmU5aePeEvnZTQfu_Ny3lWO5a-Z8XoTmILtrkng80wDBlZuRkeKED3xA7wplOKwvaK3mN5nU8UM/s640/IMG_1748.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  602. &lt;div&gt;
  603. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  604. &lt;div&gt;
  605. &lt;div&gt;
  606. &lt;b&gt;History&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  607. &lt;div&gt;
  608. The provincial seal shows earthenware, a traditional product from Nonthaburi. The Provincial flower and tree is the Yellow flame tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum).&lt;/div&gt;
  609. &lt;div&gt;
  610. The provincial slogan translates to Grand Royal Mansion, renowned Suan Somdet, Ko Kret's pottery, famous ancient temples, tasty durians, and the beautiful government office. The royal mansion refers to Phra Tamnak Nonthaburi in Mueang Nonthaburi district, the residence of Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn; Suan Somdet is a water garden in Pak Kret district. The provincial administration building once received an award as the most beautiful such building by the Ministry of Interior.&lt;/div&gt;
  611. &lt;div&gt;
  612. Festivals&lt;/div&gt;
  613. &lt;div&gt;
  614. Mon Songkran Festival at Ko Kret, Amphoe Pak Kret, one week after April 13 with a caravan and shows of traditional Mon playing and entertainment&lt;/div&gt;
  615. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  616. &lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedPp_B39FjrZMvp_WT80Nadn9XwUlk-9hYwqWHj1ZaA7Ox8qO-ll7uxeg2Act1PrATGiVJNsoS2IHU5opamor1OR_RxVyf4_in3-q1Y8PWyMQVKJnyrzFnIMwrq87yNHdqZz-_Bk-dDU/s1600/DSC_0030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedPp_B39FjrZMvp_WT80Nadn9XwUlk-9hYwqWHj1ZaA7Ox8qO-ll7uxeg2Act1PrATGiVJNsoS2IHU5opamor1OR_RxVyf4_in3-q1Y8PWyMQVKJnyrzFnIMwrq87yNHdqZz-_Bk-dDU/s320/DSC_0030.jpg" width="320" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  617. &lt;div&gt;
  618. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  619. &lt;div&gt;
  620. Nonthaburi Fruits &amp;amp; Fairs This annual fair is held during Mid April-beginning of June in front of the old city hall to celebrate the abundance of local fruits such as durian, mangosteen and mango as well as flowers and plants of Nonthaburi.&lt;/div&gt;
  621. &lt;div&gt;
  622. Tham Bun Tak Bat Phra Roi Paet Ceremony: This annual ceremony is an old tradition continuously held every November in Amphoe Bang Kruai alongside Khlong Bangkok Noi with the participation of several temples such as Wat Thai Charoen, Wat Bang Krai Nok, Wat Utthayan and Wat Bang Krai Nai.&lt;/div&gt;
  623. &lt;div&gt;
  624. Mon classical Dance Dating back long time ago, the traditional Mon dancing accompanied by the Mon gamelan remains till today as an invaluable heritage to the descendants of Mon at Pak Kret, Phra Pradaeng and Pathum Thani.&lt;/div&gt;
  625. &lt;/div&gt;
  626. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  627. &lt;a href="http://www.skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklk_Grn9tOPc88VUSkrL2FVXV0oR_YAOhdBRBLRKP4HIw5g4dOiGBnvvegfz9l8DOcZ-dOaMHj0w3_Gs7SzjKfQSmb_jVHk1OGsoc5xxeEhPfb49y60UErywo-Ap73YgR0OLzNp23xTw/s640/408687129_98c6898e70.jpg" width="426" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  628. &lt;div&gt;
  629. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  630. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  631. &lt;/div&gt;
  632. &lt;div&gt;
  633. &lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;VISIT THAILAND&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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  648. &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/nonthaburi-fruits-fair.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXFU0eIDmTwpjlqIDVijm3GnHlh0zvhuqItror53etn_c_UR7vvQwXgLhCs1Z6nAuTeY0oQFPnJFvv8dER0XUKqOKn9fTiNEaIvzmKL6YKjjW2nB7FRXY4ZSUZklljbdK65sgn__cwGmE/s72-c/C6.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>51</thr:total><enclosure length="468477" type="image/jpeg" url="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TKIhWIpBiWI/AAAAAAAAAK4/G5ilcL8TNE0/s1600/DSC_0030.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>This annual fair is held during April-June to celebrate the abundance of such local fruits as durian, mangosteen and mangoes, then at their peak of succulent pipeness. Besides stalls selling the produce of surrounding orchards and local products, there are colourful processions of floats decorated with fruits and flowers, beauty pageants friuts contests, cultural shows, exhibitions of provincial handicrafts and agricultural produce, and local entertainment. Nonthaburi (Thai: นนทบุรี) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom. History The provincial seal shows earthenware, a traditional product from Nonthaburi. The Provincial flower and tree is the Yellow flame tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum). The provincial slogan translates to Grand Royal Mansion, renowned Suan Somdet, Ko Kret's pottery, famous ancient temples, tasty durians, and the beautiful government office. The royal mansion refers to Phra Tamnak Nonthaburi in Mueang Nonthaburi district, the residence of Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn; Suan Somdet is a water garden in Pak Kret district. The provincial administration building once received an award as the most beautiful such building by the Ministry of Interior. Festivals Mon Songkran Festival at Ko Kret, Amphoe Pak Kret, one week after April 13 with a caravan and shows of traditional Mon playing and entertainment Nonthaburi Fruits &amp;amp; Fairs This annual fair is held during Mid April-beginning of June in front of the old city hall to celebrate the abundance of local fruits such as durian, mangosteen and mango as well as flowers and plants of Nonthaburi. Tham Bun Tak Bat Phra Roi Paet Ceremony: This annual ceremony is an old tradition continuously held every November in Amphoe Bang Kruai alongside Khlong Bangkok Noi with the participation of several temples such as Wat Thai Charoen, Wat Bang Krai Nok, Wat Utthayan and Wat Bang Krai Nai. Mon classical Dance Dating back long time ago, the traditional Mon dancing accompanied by the Mon gamelan remains till today as an invaluable heritage to the descendants of Mon at Pak Kret, Phra Pradaeng and Pathum Thani. VISIT THAILAND .adHeadline {font: bold 10pt Arial; text-decoration: underline; color: #0000FF;} .adText {font: normal 10pt Arial; text-decoration: none; color: #000000;} try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';} document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1771308&amp;br=1&amp;col=32&amp;ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&amp;ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript"');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62)); Your Ad Here http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>This annual fair is held during April-June to celebrate the abundance of such local fruits as durian, mangosteen and mangoes, then at their peak of succulent pipeness. Besides stalls selling the produce of surrounding orchards and local products, there are colourful processions of floats decorated with fruits and flowers, beauty pageants friuts contests, cultural shows, exhibitions of provincial handicrafts and agricultural produce, and local entertainment. Nonthaburi (Thai: นนทบุรี) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom. History The provincial seal shows earthenware, a traditional product from Nonthaburi. The Provincial flower and tree is the Yellow flame tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum). The provincial slogan translates to Grand Royal Mansion, renowned Suan Somdet, Ko Kret's pottery, famous ancient temples, tasty durians, and the beautiful government office. The royal mansion refers to Phra Tamnak Nonthaburi in Mueang Nonthaburi district, the residence of Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn; Suan Somdet is a water garden in Pak Kret district. The provincial administration building once received an award as the most beautiful such building by the Ministry of Interior. Festivals Mon Songkran Festival at Ko Kret, Amphoe Pak Kret, one week after April 13 with a caravan and shows of traditional Mon playing and entertainment Nonthaburi Fruits &amp;amp; Fairs This annual fair is held during Mid April-beginning of June in front of the old city hall to celebrate the abundance of local fruits such as durian, mangosteen and mango as well as flowers and plants of Nonthaburi. Tham Bun Tak Bat Phra Roi Paet Ceremony: This annual ceremony is an old tradition continuously held every November in Amphoe Bang Kruai alongside Khlong Bangkok Noi with the participation of several temples such as Wat Thai Charoen, Wat Bang Krai Nok, Wat Utthayan and Wat Bang Krai Nai. Mon classical Dance Dating back long time ago, the traditional Mon dancing accompanied by the Mon gamelan remains till today as an invaluable heritage to the descendants of Mon at Pak Kret, Phra Pradaeng and Pathum Thani. VISIT THAILAND .adHeadline {font: bold 10pt Arial; text-decoration: underline; color: #0000FF;} .adText {font: normal 10pt Arial; text-decoration: none; color: #000000;} try{var AdBrite_Iframe=window.top!=window.self?2:1;var AdBrite_Referrer=document.referrer==''?document.location:document.referrer;AdBrite_Referrer=encodeURIComponent(AdBrite_Referrer);}catch(e){var AdBrite_Iframe='';var AdBrite_Referrer='';} document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,83,67,82,73,80,84));document.write(' src="http://ads.adbrite.com/mb/text_group.php?sid=1771308&amp;br=1&amp;col=32&amp;ifr='+AdBrite_Iframe+'&amp;ref='+AdBrite_Referrer+'" type="text/javascript"');document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,47,83,67,82,73,80,84,62)); Your Ad Here http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-2117659850045994239</guid><pubDate>Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:16:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-03T09:14:36.890+03:00</atom:updated><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Temple</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Thailand</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">Travel</category><category domain="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#">World</category><title>The Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha</title><description>&lt;div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"&gt;
  649. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  650. &lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuZX2iv3Jry-wI6pbJTcj6pLh0euqHAGnKK_00fWkQHXLQnLvPcMPkTMqZq42wmfdxw95iAKYvhnJxq-zM4tr88Ky0br6MKJ6l6p0Vyl75huIdef-0vK_ti3G34DS7ckeBDDF3AmMIBM/s640/wat-benchamabophit-bangkok.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  651. &lt;br /&gt;
  652. &lt;br /&gt;
  653. &lt;br /&gt;
  654. The Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the full official name Wat Phra Sri Rattana Satsadaram is regarded as the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand. It is located in the historic center of Bangkok, Phra Nakorn district.&lt;br /&gt;
  655. &lt;br /&gt;
  656. The stunning temple was completed two years after the capital was moved from Thonburi to Rattanakosin in 1784 by King Rama I who founded Chakri dynasty. It consists of over a hundred brightly colored buildings, golden spires and glittering mosaics. When you enter the compound, you first of all see Wat Phra Kaew and the nearby attractions, and then move to the Grand Palace afterward.&lt;br /&gt;
  657. &lt;br /&gt;
  658. Wat Phra Kaew itself is perhaps the main attraction. This is Thailand’s most important and sacred temple, so you’re expected to act with due respect inside it. It houses the tiny Emerald Buddha, which is located high above the heads of the worshippers and tourists. Not much is known for certain about the statue, expect that it isn’t actually made of emerald but rather of green jade or jasper. Getting a good look at it is difficult as photography is forbidden inside the temple, and it’s perched so high up inside its glass box that it’s difficult to really see.&lt;br /&gt;
  659. &lt;br /&gt;
  660. The splendid robe of the Emerald Buddha image that it wears is changed 3 times each year by the King himself, at the start of each season : A diamond encrusted gold robe during the hot season, a solid gold robe in the cool season and a gilded monk’s robe in the rainy season. There are also many other Buddha images inside the temple.&lt;br /&gt;
  661. &lt;br /&gt;
  662. The wall surrounding the temple area from the outside only a plain white wall is painted with the murals showing scenes from the Ramakian, the Thai version of the famous Indian epic, Ramayana. Several statues in the temple area resemble figures from this story, most notably the giants five-meter high statues. Also originating from the Ramayana are the monkey kings and giants which surround the golden chedis.&lt;br /&gt;
  663. &lt;br /&gt;
  664. Despite is national importance, Wat Phra Kaew is the only temple in Thailand that doesn’t have any resident monks, and so is not a seat of Buddhist learning in the same way as the likes of Wat Pho and Wat Mahathat.&lt;br /&gt;
  665. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  666. &lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJFK0sDad7lubeFW98V1_NFgv2MO4CezGeo6A29KJruByacBvvXzL3suNYUNM-EfaQX5hTZ8RcVQjRhWgm87iL8eWSuATjAbqwWe1EjuNYfxHtMAL2BhpJO6yQWFxnE2MPh3Lb_DwJg4/s400/Rama9insigwpk0609.jpg" width="300" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  667. &lt;br /&gt;
  668. &lt;b&gt;Legend&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  669. &lt;br /&gt;
  670. The earliest legend narrated to the ionic emerald image of the Buddha is that of Nagasena, a saint in India who with the help of Hindu god, Vishnu and demigod Indra got the Emerald Buddha image made, 500 years after Buddha attained Nirvana, from the precious stone of Emerald. Nagasena had, with his psychic powers predicted then that:&lt;br /&gt;
  671. The image of the Buddha is assuredly going to give to religion the most brilliant importance in five lands, that is in Lankadvipa (Sri Lanka), Ramalakka, Dvaravati, Chieng Mai and Lan Chang (Laos).&lt;br /&gt;
  672. As regards the historical legend of What Phra Kaew, it was originally known as the "Wat Pa Yia", (Bamboo Forest Monastery) in the Chiang Rai province of Northern Thailand. The What was struck by a lightning storm in 1434, when the octagonal Chedi broke up and revealed the Emerald Buddha (made of Jade), locally known as Phra Kaew Morakot. From there it was moved, initially to Vientianne and finally to Bangkok where it was deified in the temple by the original name, What Phra Kaew.&lt;br /&gt;
  673. Another legend mentions that attempts made by the King of Chiang Mai to possess the statue after it was found in 1434; these failed thrice because the elephants transporting the statue refused to proceed beyond a crossroad in Lampang. The King of Chiang Mai considered the incident to be a strong divine directive and allowed the Buddha statue to remain in Lampang, where it remained for the next 32 years in an exclusively built temple.&lt;br /&gt;
  674. &lt;br /&gt;
  675. &lt;br /&gt;
  676. &lt;b&gt;Pagodas&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  677. &lt;br /&gt;
  678. &lt;br /&gt;
  679. Phra Sri Rattana Chedi in Sri Lankan style&lt;br /&gt;
  680. The temple grounds also depict three pagodas to its immediate north, which represent the changing centres of Buddhist influence. One such shrine to the west of the temple is the Phra Si Ratana Chedi, a 19th-century stupa built in Sri Lankan style enshrining ashes of the Buddha.&lt;br /&gt;
  681. &lt;br /&gt;
  682. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  683. &lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4_kt6GoekRtAVxAWsIxCPXgrS-adh2FHw_9qEVp2sTw3qMF0aj3JuQsF-knO9TF_zDTcHegBnrShDOU5uAUDmB1442VtsLC8RynHTNcwiQeyV-mAxySMWPVtsRTWcrB9Zz0h-Oyy3sQ/s640/PB_Grand_Palace_Bangkok.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  684. &lt;br /&gt;
  685. &lt;br /&gt;
  686. &lt;br /&gt;
  687. &lt;b&gt;Phra Mondop, the library&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  688. Rama I also built a library in Thai style, in the middle of the complex, known as the "Phra Mondop". The library houses an elegantly carved Ayutthaya-style mother-of-pearl doors, bookcases with the Tripitaka (sacred Buddhist manuscripts), human-and dragon-headed nagas (snakes), and images of Chakri kings.&lt;br /&gt;
  689. During the 19th century, the Royal Pantheon was built in Khmer style to the east of the temple, which is kept open for only one day in year, in the month of October to commemorate the founding of the Chakri dynasty.&lt;br /&gt;
  690. &lt;b&gt;Model of Angkor Wat&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  691. The temple complex also contains a model of Angkor Wat (the most sacred of all Cambodian shrines), that was started by King Mongkut and completed by King Nangklao (Rama III), as the Khmer empire of Cambodia and the Thais' share cultural and religious roots.&lt;br /&gt;
  692. &lt;b&gt;Hermit statue&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  693. A hermit's bronze image, which is believed to have healing powers, is installed in a sala on the western side of the temple. It is near the entry gate. It is a black stone statue, considered a patron of medicine, before which relatives of the sick and infirm pay respects and make offerings of joss sticks, fruit, flowers, and candles.&lt;br /&gt;
  694. &lt;b&gt;Nine towes&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  695. On the eastern side of the temple premises there are nine towers. They were erected during the reign of Rama I. Each tower is affixed with glazed tiles, with different colours for each tower, supposed to denote colours of the nine planets&lt;br /&gt;
  696. &lt;b&gt;Elephant statues&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  697. Statues of elephants, which symbolize independence and power, are seen all around the complex. As Thai kings fought wars mounted on elephants, it has become customary for parents to make their children circumambulate the elephant three times with the belief that that it would bring them strength. The head of an elephant statue is also rubbed for good luck; this act of the people is reflected in the smoothness of the surface of elephant statues here.&lt;br /&gt;
  698. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  699. &lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbaXX-tEOzkpuIN2-8_hyphenhyphenm00AGbCiGbQ53HZ0rqRe5uNruodQjyLIB6I9jK84G8w306KZXqUgW2-j_Tqoryt546A3K9JWZtqj_XDH7u1NIHoV1rFwJSABS6I1Xurg3OF-V0L_q2Y6_5g/s640/buddha+golden.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  700. &lt;/div&gt;
  701. &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/wat-phra-kaew-or-temple-of-emerald.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuZX2iv3Jry-wI6pbJTcj6pLh0euqHAGnKK_00fWkQHXLQnLvPcMPkTMqZq42wmfdxw95iAKYvhnJxq-zM4tr88Ky0br6MKJ6l6p0Vyl75huIdef-0vK_ti3G34DS7ckeBDDF3AmMIBM/s72-c/wat-benchamabophit-bangkok.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>66</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-3383947071266550822</guid><pubDate>Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:47:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2012-09-03T09:14:24.828+03:00</atom:updated><title>Dream World in Thailand</title><description>&lt;div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"&gt;
  702. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  703. &lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/dream-world-thailand-version.html"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6t8xzWQtjdHJttuvIYuKl6EvRsWiuocwtkST9KoKdIxJ4p-10GiC3AzCaU9FDTfDUy3qW9lbBUDC5DWszo0EJOtuWB7YUmyKmDPrRwhtgMqhHRA60EszbyX049rS9CIaLqFr47_HVUA/s640/1614088.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  704. &lt;br /&gt;
  705. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  706. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  707. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  708. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  709. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  710. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Dream World&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  711. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  712. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;Dream World is the absolute stuff of kids! You won’t get out of here until they are exhausted… and you know how long that takes! This is a big American-style theme park with all the trimmings. Corkscrew, Bumping Cars, Swinging Viking Boat, Rollercoaster – they are all there, and more besides. My personal favourite is the Giant's House where everything is 50 times as big as it should be – very convincing and it would be an absolutely great place to have a party. The Super Splash, and White Water Rapids are water rides and please note: You will get wet! Dream World also has a full fledged go-kart track and ‘Snow Land’ – a display of artificial snow (although this attraction is not included in the main ticket fee). Dream World also features a live ‘Hollywood Action Show’ which up until recently had a dubious display of Nazi Storm Troopers successfully invading an Allied camp. Many people are glad that the current focus has changed to a SWAT team invading a criminal’s den. This is well worth the trip. If you have kids (and the time) definitely take them.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  713. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  714. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrD7jZ8NwuLF59mH5dWRt0SdtUFvkznZKVU7AS3EENlUakgCtvK1PLbf3P7PJgGiUngfza3VBdj4A3LCPSJiuIXUEG9iJmuMxJ0toDanCAKGS74dIQxXAPy9CZMMEComo1IMfTITAJZfI/s1600/dreamworld4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrD7jZ8NwuLF59mH5dWRt0SdtUFvkznZKVU7AS3EENlUakgCtvK1PLbf3P7PJgGiUngfza3VBdj4A3LCPSJiuIXUEG9iJmuMxJ0toDanCAKGS74dIQxXAPy9CZMMEComo1IMfTITAJZfI/s400/dreamworld4.jpg" width="400" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  715. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  716. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  717. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  718. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  719. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;Details: Located Vibhavadee - Rangsit Highway, Dream World is open daily from Open Daily 10:00 to 17:00. Admission is 450 Baht per person with children below 90 centimetres free of charge..&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  720. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  721. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;How to get there: Given the distance involved, and the fact that you are probably taking a child, a taxi is recommended. Although expensive, the savings in convenience entirely outweigh the cost. Even better, a number of hotels and travel agents organise tours to Dream World. If you count up all of the costs they often work out cheaper than going yourself and are well worth considering.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  722. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  723. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;The following buses will get you there:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  724. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  725. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;Air-conditioned bus number: 523 (from the northern bus terminal) and 538 (from Victory Monument).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  726. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  727. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;It is possible to take some of the journey by train. Go to Don Muang train station departing Hualampong train station. When you arrive at Don Muang take air-conditioned bus number 538 to Dreamworld.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  728. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  729. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2PXplU_13k95rSbCMfhgCSGvx0TBu3jYqexuJtF94w9fszTlP7R9t9FpCwDUgJoE6-8jPmTm6TK2JnQePud9atmINByCpSm-wf4Qghu_Z0a2ijMqPGkeqKwUR_zqqQWTf_WXAtJsOYU/s1600/P1090040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2PXplU_13k95rSbCMfhgCSGvx0TBu3jYqexuJtF94w9fszTlP7R9t9FpCwDUgJoE6-8jPmTm6TK2JnQePud9atmINByCpSm-wf4Qghu_Z0a2ijMqPGkeqKwUR_zqqQWTf_WXAtJsOYU/s640/P1090040.JPG" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  730. &lt;div style="text-align: justify;"&gt;
  731. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  732. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  733. &lt;br /&gt;
  734. List of Main Attractions:&lt;br /&gt;
  735. &amp;nbsp;&lt;b&gt;7 Wonders of the World&lt;/b&gt; ,&lt;b&gt;Dream World Railroad&lt;/b&gt; ,&lt;b&gt;Cable Cars&lt;/b&gt;, , &lt;b&gt;Water Tricycle,Racing Cars&lt;/b&gt;, &lt;b&gt;Love Garden, Speedy Mouse Coaster&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  736. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;
  737. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  738. &lt;br /&gt;
  739. This is first 1 dream world :)&lt;/div&gt;
  740. &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/dream-world-thailand-version.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6t8xzWQtjdHJttuvIYuKl6EvRsWiuocwtkST9KoKdIxJ4p-10GiC3AzCaU9FDTfDUy3qW9lbBUDC5DWszo0EJOtuWB7YUmyKmDPrRwhtgMqhHRA60EszbyX049rS9CIaLqFr47_HVUA/s72-c/1614088.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>100</thr:total><enclosure length="35945" type="image/jpeg" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TJuso-D1hiI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/DDCAVwT9N3s/s1600/dreamworld4.jpg"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Dream World Dream World is the absolute stuff of kids! You won’t get out of here until they are exhausted… and you know how long that takes! This is a big American-style theme park with all the trimmings. Corkscrew, Bumping Cars, Swinging Viking Boat, Rollercoaster – they are all there, and more besides. My personal favourite is the Giant's House where everything is 50 times as big as it should be – very convincing and it would be an absolutely great place to have a party. The Super Splash, and White Water Rapids are water rides and please note: You will get wet! Dream World also has a full fledged go-kart track and ‘Snow Land’ – a display of artificial snow (although this attraction is not included in the main ticket fee). Dream World also features a live ‘Hollywood Action Show’ which up until recently had a dubious display of Nazi Storm Troopers successfully invading an Allied camp. Many people are glad that the current focus has changed to a SWAT team invading a criminal’s den. This is well worth the trip. If you have kids (and the time) definitely take them.&amp;nbsp; Details: Located Vibhavadee - Rangsit Highway, Dream World is open daily from Open Daily 10:00 to 17:00. Admission is 450 Baht per person with children below 90 centimetres free of charge.. How to get there: Given the distance involved, and the fact that you are probably taking a child, a taxi is recommended. Although expensive, the savings in convenience entirely outweigh the cost. Even better, a number of hotels and travel agents organise tours to Dream World. If you count up all of the costs they often work out cheaper than going yourself and are well worth considering. The following buses will get you there: Air-conditioned bus number: 523 (from the northern bus terminal) and 538 (from Victory Monument). It is possible to take some of the journey by train. Go to Don Muang train station departing Hualampong train station. When you arrive at Don Muang take air-conditioned bus number 538 to Dreamworld. List of Main Attractions: &amp;nbsp;7 Wonders of the World ,Dream World Railroad ,Cable Cars, , Water Tricycle,Racing Cars, Love Garden, Speedy Mouse Coaster This is first 1 dream world :) http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Dream World Dream World is the absolute stuff of kids! You won’t get out of here until they are exhausted… and you know how long that takes! This is a big American-style theme park with all the trimmings. Corkscrew, Bumping Cars, Swinging Viking Boat, Rollercoaster – they are all there, and more besides. My personal favourite is the Giant's House where everything is 50 times as big as it should be – very convincing and it would be an absolutely great place to have a party. The Super Splash, and White Water Rapids are water rides and please note: You will get wet! Dream World also has a full fledged go-kart track and ‘Snow Land’ – a display of artificial snow (although this attraction is not included in the main ticket fee). Dream World also features a live ‘Hollywood Action Show’ which up until recently had a dubious display of Nazi Storm Troopers successfully invading an Allied camp. Many people are glad that the current focus has changed to a SWAT team invading a criminal’s den. This is well worth the trip. If you have kids (and the time) definitely take them.&amp;nbsp; Details: Located Vibhavadee - Rangsit Highway, Dream World is open daily from Open Daily 10:00 to 17:00. Admission is 450 Baht per person with children below 90 centimetres free of charge.. How to get there: Given the distance involved, and the fact that you are probably taking a child, a taxi is recommended. Although expensive, the savings in convenience entirely outweigh the cost. Even better, a number of hotels and travel agents organise tours to Dream World. If you count up all of the costs they often work out cheaper than going yourself and are well worth considering. The following buses will get you there: Air-conditioned bus number: 523 (from the northern bus terminal) and 538 (from Victory Monument). It is possible to take some of the journey by train. Go to Don Muang train station departing Hualampong train station. When you arrive at Don Muang take air-conditioned bus number 538 to Dreamworld. List of Main Attractions: &amp;nbsp;7 Wonders of the World ,Dream World Railroad ,Cable Cars, , Water Tricycle,Racing Cars, Love Garden, Speedy Mouse Coaster This is first 1 dream world :) http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-7245851981498920220</guid><pubDate>Tue, 21 Sep 2010 07:59:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-09-21T10:59:26.176+03:00</atom:updated><title>Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua-Tiger Temple</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgHTlbA_iv2FKITvvVhlVyPiM4X97bHoep7OeKWw1drfRD4juggF5frGeWHw9vz11WmihauMEO3VG7-dL-2YXGvj-yv4eSjsOOgAyXJoUYX_OQh1hxs3XoyMkaTzC_B99FEGwWUFMh0A/s640/creek-crossing-bengal-tiger.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  741. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  742. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  743. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  744. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  745. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  746. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;The&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theravada" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Theravada"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Theravada Buddhist&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;temple is located in the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saiyok" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Saiyok"&gt;Saiyok&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;district of Thailand's&amp;nbsp;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanchanaburi_province" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Kanchanaburi province"&gt;Kanchanaburi province&lt;/a&gt;, not far from the border with&amp;nbsp;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Myanmar"&gt;Myanmar&lt;/a&gt;, some 38&amp;nbsp;km north-west of&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanchanaburi" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Kanchanaburi"&gt;Kanchanaburi&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;along the 323 highway. It was founded in 1994 as a forest temple and sanctuary for numerous wild animals. In 1995 it received the Golden Jubilee Buddha Image, made of 80 kilograms of gold.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  747. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  748. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  749. &lt;br /&gt;
  750. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.tigertemple.org/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipoGUUNZC0plZRU9arVYpKhCZzt9j-KRHdTE-LqY2jbnoQSuQE2VdpC1uNsoLXr8ZH_mgwPlQNVgM-MAm0FBk8Q9nDtVZgjx6XIfuypEXrMD0_HUhI2L2UQ3WN8FUn5NgJOGHtkHizxM0/s400/53944830._X9Z6262.jpg" width="250" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;According to the abbot and others associated with the temple, in 1999, the temple received the first tiger cub, it had been found by villagers and died soon after. The story goes that several tiger cubs were later given to the temple over time, typically when the mothers had been killed by poachers, others who wanted to get rid of their tiger "pets" or those were under pressure to do so as laws and policies surrounding the keeping of protected species became more strict. As of 2007, over 21 cubs have been born at the temple and the total number of tigers is about 12 adult tigers and 4 cubs. As of late December 2009, the total number of tigers living at the temple has risen to almost 50.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;The subspecies of these tigers is unknown as none of them have been DNA tested, but it is thought that they are&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indochinese_Tiger" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Indochinese Tiger"&gt;Indochinese Tigers&lt;/a&gt;, except Mek (a&amp;nbsp;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_Tiger" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Bengal Tiger"&gt;Bengal Tiger&lt;/a&gt;). There is also a possibility that there may be some of the newly discovered&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malayan_Tiger" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Malayan Tiger"&gt;Malayan Tigers&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;and it is likely that many are cross breeds or hybrids.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;They spend most of the time in cages, being fed with cooked&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Chicken"&gt;chicken&lt;/a&gt;, beef and dry cat food. The meat is boiled to avoid giving the tigers a taste for blood&lt;sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Temple#cite_note-0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;1&lt;span&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;nbsp;and also to kill the bird flu that may be present in raw fowl. According to the temple website the dry cat food replaces nutrients, such as&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Taurine"&gt;taurine&lt;/a&gt;, that are lost when the meat is cooked.&lt;sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1em;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Temple#cite_note-1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;[&lt;/span&gt;2&lt;span&gt;]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;The tigers are washed and handled by Thai monks, international volunteers and local staff. Once a day they are walked on leashes to a nearby quarry. Originally they would roam around freely in this area but now, with the increase in visitors and the amount of tigers who sit in the canyon, they are chained for safety reasons. The staff closely guide visitors as they greet, sit with, and pet the cats. The staff keep the tigers under control and the abbot will intervene if the tiger gets agitated. Nervous tourists may also observe this from about 10 metres away. The temple claims the entry fee is for feeding and upkeep, and to fund the building of a larger tiger sanctuary which would allow the animals to live in an almost natural environment all day long. According to temple staff, it costs about 100 USD per tiger per day for their feeding and other care.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;The Tiger Temple practices a different conservation philosophy than in the west. The temple opens daily for visitors at about 12pm, and the tigers are walked back to their enclosures at around 4pm. Due to the pressing need for income, the temple now charges 500&amp;nbsp;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baht" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Baht"&gt;Baht&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;admission. Day trips are also available from&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Bangkok"&gt;Bangkok&lt;/a&gt;. The temple now receives 300 to 600 visitors a day. There are donations boxes in various locations around the temple for those who wish to support the sanctuary. It is also possible for day visitors to join the volunteers in the tigers morning exercise programme although the cost for this is significantly more - 4500&amp;nbsp;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baht" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Baht"&gt;Baht&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(fee correct as of January 2010).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.tigertemple.org/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBF6r0QM4pduRuILFJYZR3pwZixLPxXu8dGoxbBUC3KQK-rdKQ7v8fY4SApANqzXvGD7LeJPfGWHnxFBmy86F3VYQZx4gOCey6-vgXsqRmHah5oSjuIXIS72XWVbi1HcPn-y9nAkv1CtM/s640/thailande05_ayutaya_temple.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  751. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.tigertemple.org/"&gt;VISIT THAILAND&lt;/a&gt; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.tigertemple.org/"&gt;VISIT TEMPLE FOR DONATION&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/wat-pha-luang-ta-bua-tiger-temple.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNgHTlbA_iv2FKITvvVhlVyPiM4X97bHoep7OeKWw1drfRD4juggF5frGeWHw9vz11WmihauMEO3VG7-dL-2YXGvj-yv4eSjsOOgAyXJoUYX_OQh1hxs3XoyMkaTzC_B99FEGwWUFMh0A/s72-c/creek-crossing-bengal-tiger.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>114</thr:total></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-373716290249768559</guid><pubDate>Fri, 17 Sep 2010 19:19:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-09-17T22:35:25.952+03:00</atom:updated><title>PAI THAILAND : TRAVEL PAI WITH YOUR LOVE</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm33SnUlwEnSwSqux176yzAGXjDTcoLc-gGDD_9n8k07VsAFk_EwIdLKRW9pw2bhMqBsap0lLVmZgw4eAif60GiRTfJs_oT2qhRpDeh6gyA1_B7nUBxsH6aNfs27suk-UnnLhKEyWcGo/s1600/IMG_8220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm33SnUlwEnSwSqux176yzAGXjDTcoLc-gGDD_9n8k07VsAFk_EwIdLKRW9pw2bhMqBsap0lLVmZgw4eAif60GiRTfJs_oT2qhRpDeh6gyA1_B7nUBxsH6aNfs27suk-UnnLhKEyWcGo/s640/IMG_8220.JPG" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  752. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  753. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pai&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;(ปาย) is a small town (pop. 3000) in&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Mae_Hong_Son_Province" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #5a3696; text-decoration: none;" title="Mae Hong Son Province"&gt;Mae Hong Son Province&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Northern_Thailand" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #002bb8; text-decoration: none;" title="Northern Thailand"&gt;Northern Thailand&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;. It is part of the&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Mae_Hong_Son_Loop" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #002bb8; text-decoration: none;" title="Mae Hong Son Loop"&gt;Mae Hong Son Loop&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;, which is route 1095 from&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Chiang_Mai" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #002bb8; text-decoration: none;" title="Chiang Mai"&gt;Chiang Mai&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;to&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Mae_Hong_Son" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #5a3696; text-decoration: none;" title="Mae Hong Son"&gt;Mae Hong Son&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;. The city is named after the Pai river.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  754. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;Pai is a predominantly tourism-oriented town, offering a relaxed atmosphere with a broad traveller and backpacker scene. In early 2006 a sudden boom in guesthouse and bar construction has resulted in a great deal of spare capacity — capacity that is partially taken up by an increase in Thai people visiting after Pai was featured in a romantic Thai film. There are now around 200 guesthouses and hotels in Pai, and the city center has transformed into containing western style restaurants, souvenir shops, and bars that cater largely to the now significant influx of tourists and&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;package tours.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  755. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  756. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  757. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  758. &lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Rent a bicycle or motorbike and visit one of the nearby waterfalls and hill-tribe villages. Pai is also a major starting point for organized trekking tours which are offered by every guesthouse and travel agent.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Whitewater rafting trips abound and there are numerous elephant camps. Additionally there are several hot springs in the area.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Go off road trough the mountains of Pai on a off-road motorbike tour. Up here it gives you better off road possibilities and against better prices than in Chiang Mai. Ask your guesthouse where to book.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  759. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Visit Tham Lod cave, approximately 55km from town on the road towards Mae Hong Son, 9 km from Soppong (&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Pangmapha" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #002bb8; text-decoration: none;" title="Pangmapha"&gt;Pangmapha&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;). About an hour and a half on motor bike, or join a tour. Visit just before sunset (3pm-6pm) and see the thousands of birds descending into the cave for the night.&lt;br /&gt;
  760. &lt;br /&gt;
  761. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3019557969098445881&amp;amp;postID=373716290249768559" name="Elephant_Antics" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #002bb8; text-decoration: none;"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  762. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7G4YHwE4gvZu4tFoEiQk6zq28uQDrEId9Jvfc7_3sw1yiov2OQdMCSGCgM2MjhW8w532g1A_3eQskfHd7Avtl82YraBihSDNVEqUnXf_AYfUSj0L-64QXzNuOmLPrVhIx1aucht0bfgY/s1600/ts_elephantcamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7G4YHwE4gvZu4tFoEiQk6zq28uQDrEId9Jvfc7_3sw1yiov2OQdMCSGCgM2MjhW8w532g1A_3eQskfHd7Avtl82YraBihSDNVEqUnXf_AYfUSj0L-64QXzNuOmLPrVhIx1aucht0bfgY/s320/ts_elephantcamp.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h4 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.17em; padding-top: 0.5em;"&gt;&lt;span class="mw-headline"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  763. Elephant Antics&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;For several years now, travellers have enjoyed riding an elephant and concluding the trip with a romp in the Pai River. For this 'adventure', take as little as possible - you'll be enjoyably wet as the elephant is encouraged to shower you. Some operators - and there are several - are willing to take photo's of you while you enjoy the elephant antics in the river.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h4 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.17em; padding-top: 0.5em;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFN3qXWkUdBK3u2wXdkyNrXINkwKtsWU2uQwIdo4PriUL7W88aSItqwPSfgCSlDCZQwqT-nFDp4FgTuHWq6KTj0qf-ww9ZXm7ovoVD6CJyYH-khL-KfLy9UWcp4moZi32NDxK5Vgsjwk/s1600/mae-yan-waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFN3qXWkUdBK3u2wXdkyNrXINkwKtsWU2uQwIdo4PriUL7W88aSItqwPSfgCSlDCZQwqT-nFDp4FgTuHWq6KTj0qf-ww9ZXm7ovoVD6CJyYH-khL-KfLy9UWcp4moZi32NDxK5Vgsjwk/s200/mae-yan-waterfall.jpg" width="175" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="mw-headline"&gt;Waterfalls&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://files.wikitravel.org/mw/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"&gt;&lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mae Yen&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;- 7 kilometers out of town with no bikes allowed for the last 6km of that. Head East over the bridge heading out of Pai and follow the signs.&lt;/li&gt;
  764. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  765. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWV5PIYLBjSvMxWwV2drf7l0O0yCLqr26F1X3Ja-gAT25-NIOkUUZ7rGd6QBeCbaOyfkTo0-LindueYrWpIPt_TI32fMu9ujpalypbC6mx7mjuvxFK_NoReOFYn5ven2EQq4g7_OV2FPM/s1600/1.1223986920.mo-paeng-waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWV5PIYLBjSvMxWwV2drf7l0O0yCLqr26F1X3Ja-gAT25-NIOkUUZ7rGd6QBeCbaOyfkTo0-LindueYrWpIPt_TI32fMu9ujpalypbC6mx7mjuvxFK_NoReOFYn5ven2EQq4g7_OV2FPM/s320/1.1223986920.mo-paeng-waterfall.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  766. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"&gt;Add caption&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  767. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;
  768. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCsXcJslHe-pvcCEjtF2qckDh8cMIfEqrjv1qMEIwRw_otNrOb606JTr5f-FXXlF0nuPfK273G3FzFKzH_Of0mozbXqBu1IJzum0aUVCLju_86Zw3GSHP7yoqQk93HzxDCdGz6JauTCo/s1600/dsc_0183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCsXcJslHe-pvcCEjtF2qckDh8cMIfEqrjv1qMEIwRw_otNrOb606JTr5f-FXXlF0nuPfK273G3FzFKzH_Of0mozbXqBu1IJzum0aUVCLju_86Zw3GSHP7yoqQk93HzxDCdGz6JauTCo/s320/dsc_0183.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  769. &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"&gt;Add caption&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;
  770. &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://files.wikitravel.org/mw/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"&gt;&lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pam Bok&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;- on the road to Chiang Mai before Pai Canyon. Nice secluded waterfall with high cliffs surrounding it, making this a very cool place to escape the heat. Go for a relaxing bathe in the shade during the dry season.&lt;/li&gt;
  771. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  772. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  773. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  774. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://files.wikitravel.org/mw/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"&gt;&lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mo Paeng&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;- West of the city past Santichon (Chinese refugee Village). The upper section of this waterfall is a natural water slide during the dry season. The rocks are smooth, just find a small section and slide on down like the locals do!&lt;/li&gt;
  775. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3019557969098445881&amp;amp;postID=373716290249768559" name="Hot_Springs" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #002bb8; text-decoration: none;"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  776. &lt;h4 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.17em; padding-top: 0.5em;"&gt;&lt;span class="mw-headline"&gt;Hot Springs&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;The Tha Pai hot springs are about a 20 minute motorbike ride, after the Pai Canyon on the road to Chiang Mai. There's a 200B/person entrance fee to the national park. There's a free hot spring outside the park gate, but it's 80°C and, for obvious reasons, you aren't allowed to touch it.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;There's an abundance of guesthouses in Pai, most of them in the budget range (a bungalow goes for around 100-500 baht depending on amenities included). Mid-range options are available and there are now even luxury hotels, such as The Quarter.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Heading out of town there are swarms of bungalow setups.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;At the bus station there is a map of Pai. Get this as it will show you the location of most of the guest houses (&amp;gt; 100 places). There is also a discount for motorbike rental.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;For accommodation with lots of character try out a bamboo hut on the river. Head east from the bus station and either take the first left or continue straight. Either way you'll reach a bamboo bridge. Across the bridge you'll find plenty of cheap accommodation (about 200-400 baht per night).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Other accommodation:&lt;/div&gt;&lt;ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://files.wikitravel.org/mw/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"&gt;&lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;Bann Nong Tao&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;, Phone:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;+66&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;081-328-3431, Email&amp;nbsp;:ningsk74@hotmail.com,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;136 Moo 6 Bann Huaypoo, Tambol Veangtai, Amphur Pai, Mae Hong Song 58130 Thailand. Cozy and comfortable houses with a eye-catching mountain view and warm atmosphere. Rooms are from 1,200 Bath(Oct-Jan) with breakfast / 500 bath (feb-sep) without breakfast. Tent rental and Bamboo Rafting along Pai River is also avaible.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  777. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://files.wikitravel.org/mw/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"&gt;&lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;Thale Mhog Guest House Pai&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Pai, Maehongson 58130, Bungalows: 250 Bht, Cozy Travel Accommodation in Pai Thailand (Tel.: +66 81 901 0346).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  778. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://files.wikitravel.org/mw/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"&gt;&lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;Darling View Point Resort&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;+66&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;-895596267 - across the river at the hillside 400 meter to town. Gorgeous views over Pai , river and mountain with sunset in the hammocks. Bungalow/room/dormitory from 230.- , Camping available 100 Baht p.P., hot shower , free WIFI , towel , linen.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  779. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://files.wikitravel.org/mw/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"&gt;&lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;Baan Suan Rim Pai&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;108 Moo 3, T.Viengtai, Pai, Maehongson 58130, rooms: 1600-2800 Bht, air-cond bungalow in Pai Town.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  780. &lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;And more here:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.wangchangpuek.com/"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://www.wangchangpuek.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.pairivercorner.com/"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://www.pairivercorner.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.paipraya.com/"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://www.paipraya.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.paipraya.com/"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://www.paipraya.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.paiklangna.com/"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://www.paiklangna.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.themountainviewpai.com/"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://www.themountainviewpai.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.baantawan-pai.com/"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;http://www.baantawan-pai.com/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.paibungalow.com/"&gt;http://www.paibungalow.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  781. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  782. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPCEGzn2ELsxL2I9Vw0V88zSvU6Xvp4KK7Z5zkyM2sDjE8gxOPqna6mVTn5rJYRZVd_VV6Qp-5uHipUEqy2vFllusDccJNv5MPk7AZf_9phAfK2oEk7zoKPepfdZrgK1BNORliG1ohjo/s1600/BelleVillaPaiExt2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPCEGzn2ELsxL2I9Vw0V88zSvU6Xvp4KK7Z5zkyM2sDjE8gxOPqna6mVTn5rJYRZVd_VV6Qp-5uHipUEqy2vFllusDccJNv5MPk7AZf_9phAfK2oEk7zoKPepfdZrgK1BNORliG1ohjo/s640/BelleVillaPaiExt2.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  783. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"&gt;VISIT THAILAND&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/pai-thailand-travel-pai-with-your-love.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm33SnUlwEnSwSqux176yzAGXjDTcoLc-gGDD_9n8k07VsAFk_EwIdLKRW9pw2bhMqBsap0lLVmZgw4eAif60GiRTfJs_oT2qhRpDeh6gyA1_B7nUBxsH6aNfs27suk-UnnLhKEyWcGo/s72-c/IMG_8220.JPG" width="72"/><thr:total>90</thr:total><enclosure length="265020" type="image/jpeg" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TJO8t-NJbuI/AAAAAAAAAHk/2o28-3pimsM/s1600/IMG_8220.JPG"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Pai&amp;nbsp;(ปาย) is a small town (pop. 3000) in&amp;nbsp;Mae Hong Son Province,&amp;nbsp;Northern Thailand. It is part of the&amp;nbsp;Mae Hong Son Loop, which is route 1095 fromChiang Mai&amp;nbsp;to&amp;nbsp;Mae Hong Son. The city is named after the Pai river. Pai is a predominantly tourism-oriented town, offering a relaxed atmosphere with a broad traveller and backpacker scene. In early 2006 a sudden boom in guesthouse and bar construction has resulted in a great deal of spare capacity — capacity that is partially taken up by an increase in Thai people visiting after Pai was featured in a romantic Thai film. There are now around 200 guesthouses and hotels in Pai, and the city center has transformed into containing western style restaurants, souvenir shops, and bars that cater largely to the now significant influx of tourists and&amp;nbsp;package tours. Rent a bicycle or motorbike and visit one of the nearby waterfalls and hill-tribe villages. Pai is also a major starting point for organized trekking tours which are offered by every guesthouse and travel agent.Whitewater rafting trips abound and there are numerous elephant camps. Additionally there are several hot springs in the area.Go off road trough the mountains of Pai on a off-road motorbike tour. Up here it gives you better off road possibilities and against better prices than in Chiang Mai. Ask your guesthouse where to book. Visit Tham Lod cave, approximately 55km from town on the road towards Mae Hong Son, 9 km from Soppong (&amp;nbsp;Pangmapha&amp;nbsp;). About an hour and a half on motor bike, or join a tour. Visit just before sunset (3pm-6pm) and see the thousands of birds descending into the cave for the night. Elephant AnticsFor several years now, travellers have enjoyed riding an elephant and concluding the trip with a romp in the Pai River. For this 'adventure', take as little as possible - you'll be enjoyably wet as the elephant is encouraged to shower you. Some operators - and there are several - are willing to take photo's of you while you enjoy the elephant antics in the river.WaterfallsMae Yen&amp;nbsp;- 7 kilometers out of town with no bikes allowed for the last 6km of that. Head East over the bridge heading out of Pai and follow the signs. Add caption Add caption Pam Bok&amp;nbsp;- on the road to Chiang Mai before Pai Canyon. Nice secluded waterfall with high cliffs surrounding it, making this a very cool place to escape the heat. Go for a relaxing bathe in the shade during the dry season. Mo Paeng&amp;nbsp;- West of the city past Santichon (Chinese refugee Village). The upper section of this waterfall is a natural water slide during the dry season. The rocks are smooth, just find a small section and slide on down like the locals do! Hot SpringsThe Tha Pai hot springs are about a 20 minute motorbike ride, after the Pai Canyon on the road to Chiang Mai. There's a 200B/person entrance fee to the national park. There's a free hot spring outside the park gate, but it's 80°C and, for obvious reasons, you aren't allowed to touch it.There's an abundance of guesthouses in Pai, most of them in the budget range (a bungalow goes for around 100-500 baht depending on amenities included). Mid-range options are available and there are now even luxury hotels, such as The Quarter.Heading out of town there are swarms of bungalow setups.At the bus station there is a map of Pai. Get this as it will show you the location of most of the guest houses (&amp;gt; 100 places). There is also a discount for motorbike rental.For accommodation with lots of character try out a bamboo hut on the river. Head east from the bus station and either take the first left or continue straight. Either way you'll reach a bamboo bridge. Across the bridge you'll find plenty of cheap accommodation (about 200-400 baht per night).Other accommodation:Bann Nong Tao&amp;nbsp;, Phone:&amp;nbsp;+66081-328-3431, Email&amp;nbsp;:ningsk74@hotmail.com,&amp;nbsp;136 Moo 6 Bann Huaypoo, Tambol Veangtai, Amphur Pai, Mae Hong Song 58130 Thailand. Cozy and comfortable houses with a eye-catching mountain view and warm atmosphere. Rooms are from 1,200 Bath(Oct-Jan) with breakfast / 500 bath (feb-sep) without breakfast. Tent rental and Bamboo Rafting along Pai River is also avaible. Thale Mhog Guest House Pai&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Pai, Maehongson 58130, Bungalows: 250 Bht, Cozy Travel Accommodation in Pai Thailand (Tel.: +66 81 901 0346). Darling View Point Resort&amp;nbsp;,+66-895596267 - across the river at the hillside 400 meter to town. Gorgeous views over Pai , river and mountain with sunset in the hammocks. Bungalow/room/dormitory from 230.- , Camping available 100 Baht p.P., hot shower , free WIFI , towel , linen. Baan Suan Rim Pai&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;108 Moo 3, T.Viengtai, Pai, Maehongson 58130, rooms: 1600-2800 Bht, air-cond bungalow in Pai Town. And more here:&amp;nbsp;http://www.wangchangpuek.com/,http://www.pairivercorner.com/,http://www.paipraya.com/,http://www.paipraya.com/,http://www.paiklangna.com/,http://www.themountainviewpai.com/,http://www.baantawan-pai.com/,http://www.paibungalow.com/ VISIT THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Pai&amp;nbsp;(ปาย) is a small town (pop. 3000) in&amp;nbsp;Mae Hong Son Province,&amp;nbsp;Northern Thailand. It is part of the&amp;nbsp;Mae Hong Son Loop, which is route 1095 fromChiang Mai&amp;nbsp;to&amp;nbsp;Mae Hong Son. The city is named after the Pai river. Pai is a predominantly tourism-oriented town, offering a relaxed atmosphere with a broad traveller and backpacker scene. In early 2006 a sudden boom in guesthouse and bar construction has resulted in a great deal of spare capacity — capacity that is partially taken up by an increase in Thai people visiting after Pai was featured in a romantic Thai film. There are now around 200 guesthouses and hotels in Pai, and the city center has transformed into containing western style restaurants, souvenir shops, and bars that cater largely to the now significant influx of tourists and&amp;nbsp;package tours. Rent a bicycle or motorbike and visit one of the nearby waterfalls and hill-tribe villages. Pai is also a major starting point for organized trekking tours which are offered by every guesthouse and travel agent.Whitewater rafting trips abound and there are numerous elephant camps. Additionally there are several hot springs in the area.Go off road trough the mountains of Pai on a off-road motorbike tour. Up here it gives you better off road possibilities and against better prices than in Chiang Mai. Ask your guesthouse where to book. Visit Tham Lod cave, approximately 55km from town on the road towards Mae Hong Son, 9 km from Soppong (&amp;nbsp;Pangmapha&amp;nbsp;). About an hour and a half on motor bike, or join a tour. Visit just before sunset (3pm-6pm) and see the thousands of birds descending into the cave for the night. Elephant AnticsFor several years now, travellers have enjoyed riding an elephant and concluding the trip with a romp in the Pai River. For this 'adventure', take as little as possible - you'll be enjoyably wet as the elephant is encouraged to shower you. Some operators - and there are several - are willing to take photo's of you while you enjoy the elephant antics in the river.WaterfallsMae Yen&amp;nbsp;- 7 kilometers out of town with no bikes allowed for the last 6km of that. Head East over the bridge heading out of Pai and follow the signs. Add caption Add caption Pam Bok&amp;nbsp;- on the road to Chiang Mai before Pai Canyon. Nice secluded waterfall with high cliffs surrounding it, making this a very cool place to escape the heat. Go for a relaxing bathe in the shade during the dry season. Mo Paeng&amp;nbsp;- West of the city past Santichon (Chinese refugee Village). The upper section of this waterfall is a natural water slide during the dry season. The rocks are smooth, just find a small section and slide on down like the locals do! Hot SpringsThe Tha Pai hot springs are about a 20 minute motorbike ride, after the Pai Canyon on the road to Chiang Mai. There's a 200B/person entrance fee to the national park. There's a free hot spring outside the park gate, but it's 80°C and, for obvious reasons, you aren't allowed to touch it.There's an abundance of guesthouses in Pai, most of them in the budget range (a bungalow goes for around 100-500 baht depending on amenities included). Mid-range options are available and there are now even luxury hotels, such as The Quarter.Heading out of town there are swarms of bungalow setups.At the bus station there is a map of Pai. Get this as it will show you the location of most of the guest houses (&amp;gt; 100 places). There is also a discount for motorbike rental.For accommodation with lots of character try out a bamboo hut on the river. Head east from the bus station and either take the first left or continue straight. Either way you'll reach a bamboo bridge. Across the bridge you'll find plenty of cheap accommodation (about 200-400 baht per night).Other accommodation:Bann Nong Tao&amp;nbsp;, Phone:&amp;nbsp;+66081-328-3431, Email&amp;nbsp;:ningsk74@hotmail.com,&amp;nbsp;136 Moo 6 Bann Huaypoo, Tambol Veangtai, Amphur Pai, Mae Hong Song 58130 Thailand. Cozy and comfortable houses with a eye-catching mountain view and warm atmosphere. Rooms are from 1,200 Bath(Oct-Jan) with breakfast / 500 bath (feb-sep) without breakfast. Tent rental and Bamboo Rafting along Pai River is also avaible. Thale Mhog Guest House Pai&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Pai, Maehongson 58130, Bungalows: 250 Bht, Cozy Travel Accommodation in Pai Thailand (Tel.: +66 81 901 0346). Darling View Point Resort&amp;nbsp;,+66-895596267 - across the river at the hillside 400 meter to town. Gorgeous views over Pai , river and mountain with sunset in the hammocks. Bungalow/room/dormitory from 230.- , Camping available 100 Baht p.P., hot shower , free WIFI , towel , linen. Baan Suan Rim Pai&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;108 Moo 3, T.Viengtai, Pai, Maehongson 58130, rooms: 1600-2800 Bht, air-cond bungalow in Pai Town. And more here:&amp;nbsp;http://www.wangchangpuek.com/,http://www.pairivercorner.com/,http://www.paipraya.com/,http://www.paipraya.com/,http://www.paiklangna.com/,http://www.themountainviewpai.com/,http://www.baantawan-pai.com/,http://www.paibungalow.com/ VISIT THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-3027239675390428404</guid><pubDate>Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:16:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-09-16T21:16:48.785+03:00</atom:updated><title>ISLAND PARADISE  Ko Chang</title><description>&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8qFFrV_CmbHAzXcN6W2G0pqfq9g9LM-zawiJNdQOYy4QgjrHG5fF6cH1qEMYx1_N0wA64O0RWMZ3NBAOmx_08xa3U9TQJptf-xVFa2gy0X0MIcK0K6OPjtEYPRziDPj37ud5U_9_wVo/s1600/0-1281956283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8qFFrV_CmbHAzXcN6W2G0pqfq9g9LM-zawiJNdQOYy4QgjrHG5fF6cH1qEMYx1_N0wA64O0RWMZ3NBAOmx_08xa3U9TQJptf-xVFa2gy0X0MIcK0K6OPjtEYPRziDPj37ud5U_9_wVo/s640/0-1281956283.JPG" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  784. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  785. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Ko Chang&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;(&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Thai language"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Thai&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="th" xml:lang="th"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;เกาะช้าง&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;,&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;pronounced&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/small&gt;&lt;span class="IPA" title="Pronunciation in IPA"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_Thai" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wikipedia:IPA for Thai"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;[kɔ̀ʔ tɕʰáːŋ]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;, also&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Koh Chang&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;) is the second largest island of&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Thailand"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;(largest island in the Ko Chang Marine Park archipelago), located on the Thai east coast 310&amp;nbsp;km away from Bangkok near the border to&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambodia" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Cambodia"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Cambodia&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;in the&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Thailand" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Gulf of Thailand"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Gulf of Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;. The name means&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Elephant Island&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;. Ko Chang was named for the elephant shape of its headland, although&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_elephant" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Asian elephant"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;elephants&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;are not indigenous to the island. At present, there are eight&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Village"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;villages&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;in total. It is a mountainous island and Khao Salak Phet is the highest peak of all at 744 metres. The island is known for several&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Waterfall"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;waterfalls&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;, thriving&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Coral reef"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;coral reefs&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforest" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Rainforest"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;rainforests&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;. The island has an area of approximately 217 square kilometers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  786. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  787. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  788. &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  789. &lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Klong Plu (น้ำตกคลองพลู)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;- the most popular, and the only one on the west side of the island. Namtok Khlong Phlu is a large and most breathtaking waterfall on Ko Chang with water cascading down 3 tiers of the cliff to a basin, with an entrance located 3&amp;nbsp;km. from Ao Khlong Phrao.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAohvrv_kIli_y3wedXGWNPCk_pGBSismdsOkT43dy5qnCHz7RSW6WxQ12dvk_3CyzWTHqeeFvUpmsnstueWyqrWoBB_hUrCGavBZpQSqD9oKGeOfRbCYVaw7VbZ5dwdtrUZOmO3VxaJs/s1600/DSC01798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAohvrv_kIli_y3wedXGWNPCk_pGBSismdsOkT43dy5qnCHz7RSW6WxQ12dvk_3CyzWTHqeeFvUpmsnstueWyqrWoBB_hUrCGavBZpQSqD9oKGeOfRbCYVaw7VbZ5dwdtrUZOmO3VxaJs/s200/DSC01798.JPG" width="200" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-image: url(http://bits.wikimedia.org/skins-1.5/vector/images/bullet-icon.png?1); list-style-type: square; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 1.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.3em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"&gt;&lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Klong Nonsi - on the east side of the island&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  790. &lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Klong Nueng - said to be the most breathtaking&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  791. &lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Khiri Petch - medium sized, about 3 kilometers from Salak Petch village&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  792. &lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Kongoi - 5 waterfalls near Bangbao&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  793. &lt;li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;The Thanmayom - near Thanmayom pier&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  794. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Ban Salak Phet (บ้านสลักเพชร)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;the largest and oldest community on Ko Chang located in the southern part. The villagers’ main occupation is coastal fishery in an advantageous area sheltered from winds and storms by islands and mountains. There is an old temple in front of the village known as Wat Salak Phet built in the reign of King Rama V on his royal visit to the island. Ao Salak Phet is the largest bay on the island.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Bang Bao Fishery Village at Bang Bao Beach(หมู่บ้านประมงบางเบ้า)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;a village of houses on stilts built into the sea with bridges connecting them together. The villagers still live a simple way of life earning their living from coastal fishery. In the vicinity there is an abundance of cuttlefish and corals.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Ao Bai Lan (อ่าวใบลาน)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;located next to Hat Kai Bae and accessible by a pathway across the mountain has a scenic view of mountains along the way.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Hat Kai Bae (หาดไก่แบ้)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;a sloping and long stretch of beach connecting with Hat Khlong Phrao, suitable for swimming.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_Pn1tEep6lqfb9O0pnRupAuf4-B_suueMN2v-WvHJXIaLT_g0-1f0lnQsVyxozwqTMWrADB9D4YgJEfBVpP-ouG26X1VvneKiyIg9aoVyaPD4vipfyjJ7nLBXfALit992bAHCRdgZRU/s1600/DSCF3508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_Pn1tEep6lqfb9O0pnRupAuf4-B_suueMN2v-WvHJXIaLT_g0-1f0lnQsVyxozwqTMWrADB9D4YgJEfBVpP-ouG26X1VvneKiyIg9aoVyaPD4vipfyjJ7nLBXfALit992bAHCRdgZRU/s320/DSCF3508.JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  795. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;Hat Khlong Phrao- Laem Chaiyachet (หาดคลองพร้าว-แหลมไชยเชษฐ์)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;a long stretch of sloping beach connecting with Hat Kai Bae where swimming is possible. The northernmost end of Ao Khlong Phrao connects with Laem Chaiyachet with a scenic rocky cape but swimming is not possible. Laem Chaichet nestling between White Sand and Klong Prao beaches is a popular place to see the sunset and admire Klong Prao’s natural surroundings. Activities to do here include: snorkeling, kayaking and fishing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;White Sand Beach&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;is one of the island’s longest beaches that attracts a lot of visitors. At the back or the beach are orchards of coconut trees and forests.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;"&gt;Activities:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hiking&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Hiking on Ko Chang is popular due to the natural pristine surroundings including waterfalls, especially the routes Klong Son to Kai Bae and Kai Bae to Bang Bao.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mountain Biking&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Mountain bikes are available to rent at Hat Sai Khao and Hat Kaibae.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Elephant Trekking&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Elephant Trekking is possible at the Ban Kwan Chang Elephant Camp at Klong Son, it is supported by the Asian Elephant Foundation to provide a natural environment for elephants and their mahouts.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Canoeing&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Canoeing through the mangrove forests is most popular.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Diving &amp;amp; Snorkeling&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;The area may not have the best diving site in Thailand but it is still worth it. There are quite a lot of courses around of various different skills. For e.g.: Koh Lond, Hin Kuak Maa, Hin Luk Bath, Hin Rap South, Hin Run Tek, Ship Wreck.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Spa&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Ko Chang has plenty of spas comprising of various forms of massage, aromatherapy, herbal scrub, and reflexology. Spa service is found at many of the top resorts and hotels.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; color: black; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.17em; padding-top: 0.5em; width: auto;"&gt;&lt;span class="mw-headline" id="Local_Product"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  796. Local Product&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Besides its seafood, Trat province is also renowned for its tropical fruits during the months of April to July, they include: rambutan, durian and pineapples.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Located in Nam Chieo district is a cottage industry which produces ‘ngop’ (traditional Thai farming hat).&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;"&gt;Nightlife &amp;amp; Drink&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Koh Chang nightlife and bar scene is constantly developing, there are a number of nice bars and restaurants to enjoy at. Other than that Ko Chang is not, unlike some of the islands down south, famed for its nightlife.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  797. &lt;br /&gt;
  798. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-miNwGY8qv36SBlfRT9ViOTM-a-RYygZStJTvjoJ9cfD8FYDEXA5pmJDKcenoujQt31fMlTfPMwcZY3tN-_6wUjPLazLZGxbE4xR2nX9JiRszBfbkUDVNbHH_xmLMYcwTd7xUAx3RYCo/s1600/22082008259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-miNwGY8qv36SBlfRT9ViOTM-a-RYygZStJTvjoJ9cfD8FYDEXA5pmJDKcenoujQt31fMlTfPMwcZY3tN-_6wUjPLazLZGxbE4xR2nX9JiRszBfbkUDVNbHH_xmLMYcwTd7xUAx3RYCo/s640/22082008259.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;Hope to Visit Thailand&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  799. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/island-paradise-ko-chang.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8qFFrV_CmbHAzXcN6W2G0pqfq9g9LM-zawiJNdQOYy4QgjrHG5fF6cH1qEMYx1_N0wA64O0RWMZ3NBAOmx_08xa3U9TQJptf-xVFa2gy0X0MIcK0K6OPjtEYPRziDPj37ud5U_9_wVo/s72-c/0-1281956283.JPG" width="72"/><thr:total>68</thr:total><enclosure length="172844" type="image/jpeg" url="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TJJebxQkbkI/AAAAAAAAAFk/MmV6fQvI7io/s1600/0-1281956283.JPG"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Ko Chang&amp;nbsp;(Thai:&amp;nbsp;เกาะช้าง,&amp;nbsp;pronounced&amp;nbsp;[kɔ̀ʔ tɕʰáːŋ], also&amp;nbsp;Koh Chang) is the second largest island of&amp;nbsp;Thailand&amp;nbsp;(largest island in the Ko Chang Marine Park archipelago), located on the Thai east coast 310&amp;nbsp;km away from Bangkok near the border to&amp;nbsp;Cambodia&amp;nbsp;in the&amp;nbsp;Gulf of Thailand. The name means&amp;nbsp;Elephant Island. Ko Chang was named for the elephant shape of its headland, although&amp;nbsp;elephants&amp;nbsp;are not indigenous to the island. At present, there are eight&amp;nbsp;villages&amp;nbsp;in total. It is a mountainous island and Khao Salak Phet is the highest peak of all at 744 metres. The island is known for several&amp;nbsp;waterfalls, thriving&amp;nbsp;coral reefs&amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp;rainforests. The island has an area of approximately 217 square kilometers. Klong Plu (น้ำตกคลองพลู)&amp;nbsp;- the most popular, and the only one on the west side of the island. Namtok Khlong Phlu is a large and most breathtaking waterfall on Ko Chang with water cascading down 3 tiers of the cliff to a basin, with an entrance located 3&amp;nbsp;km. from Ao Khlong Phrao.Klong Nonsi - on the east side of the island Klong Nueng - said to be the most breathtaking Khiri Petch - medium sized, about 3 kilometers from Salak Petch village Kongoi - 5 waterfalls near Bangbao The Thanmayom - near Thanmayom pier Ban Salak Phet (บ้านสลักเพชร)&amp;nbsp;the largest and oldest community on Ko Chang located in the southern part. The villagers’ main occupation is coastal fishery in an advantageous area sheltered from winds and storms by islands and mountains. There is an old temple in front of the village known as Wat Salak Phet built in the reign of King Rama V on his royal visit to the island. Ao Salak Phet is the largest bay on the island.Bang Bao Fishery Village at Bang Bao Beach(หมู่บ้านประมงบางเบ้า)&amp;nbsp;a village of houses on stilts built into the sea with bridges connecting them together. The villagers still live a simple way of life earning their living from coastal fishery. In the vicinity there is an abundance of cuttlefish and corals.Ao Bai Lan (อ่าวใบลาน)&amp;nbsp;located next to Hat Kai Bae and accessible by a pathway across the mountain has a scenic view of mountains along the way.Hat Kai Bae (หาดไก่แบ้)&amp;nbsp;a sloping and long stretch of beach connecting with Hat Khlong Phrao, suitable for swimming. Hat Khlong Phrao- Laem Chaiyachet (หาดคลองพร้าว-แหลมไชยเชษฐ์)&amp;nbsp;a long stretch of sloping beach connecting with Hat Kai Bae where swimming is possible. The northernmost end of Ao Khlong Phrao connects with Laem Chaiyachet with a scenic rocky cape but swimming is not possible. Laem Chaichet nestling between White Sand and Klong Prao beaches is a popular place to see the sunset and admire Klong Prao’s natural surroundings. Activities to do here include: snorkeling, kayaking and fishing.White Sand Beach&amp;nbsp;is one of the island’s longest beaches that attracts a lot of visitors. At the back or the beach are orchards of coconut trees and forests.Activities:HikingHiking on Ko Chang is popular due to the natural pristine surroundings including waterfalls, especially the routes Klong Son to Kai Bae and Kai Bae to Bang Bao.Mountain BikingMountain bikes are available to rent at Hat Sai Khao and Hat Kaibae.Elephant TrekkingElephant Trekking is possible at the Ban Kwan Chang Elephant Camp at Klong Son, it is supported by the Asian Elephant Foundation to provide a natural environment for elephants and their mahouts.CanoeingCanoeing through the mangrove forests is most popular.Diving &amp;amp; SnorkelingThe area may not have the best diving site in Thailand but it is still worth it. There are quite a lot of courses around of various different skills. For e.g.: Koh Lond, Hin Kuak Maa, Hin Luk Bath, Hin Rap South, Hin Run Tek, Ship Wreck.SpaKo Chang has plenty of spas comprising of various forms of massage, aromatherapy, herbal scrub, and reflexology. Spa service is found at many of the top resorts and hotels. Local ProductBesides its seafood, Trat province is also renowned for its tropical fruits during the months of April to July, they include: rambutan, durian and pineapples.Located in Nam Chieo district is a cottage industry which produces ‘ngop’ (traditional Thai farming hat).Nightlife &amp;amp; DrinkKoh Chang nightlife and bar scene is constantly developing, there are a number of nice bars and restaurants to enjoy at. Other than that Ko Chang is not, unlike some of the islands down south, famed for its nightlife. Hope to Visit Thailand http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Ko Chang&amp;nbsp;(Thai:&amp;nbsp;เกาะช้าง,&amp;nbsp;pronounced&amp;nbsp;[kɔ̀ʔ tɕʰáːŋ], also&amp;nbsp;Koh Chang) is the second largest island of&amp;nbsp;Thailand&amp;nbsp;(largest island in the Ko Chang Marine Park archipelago), located on the Thai east coast 310&amp;nbsp;km away from Bangkok near the border to&amp;nbsp;Cambodia&amp;nbsp;in the&amp;nbsp;Gulf of Thailand. The name means&amp;nbsp;Elephant Island. Ko Chang was named for the elephant shape of its headland, although&amp;nbsp;elephants&amp;nbsp;are not indigenous to the island. At present, there are eight&amp;nbsp;villages&amp;nbsp;in total. It is a mountainous island and Khao Salak Phet is the highest peak of all at 744 metres. The island is known for several&amp;nbsp;waterfalls, thriving&amp;nbsp;coral reefs&amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp;rainforests. The island has an area of approximately 217 square kilometers. Klong Plu (น้ำตกคลองพลู)&amp;nbsp;- the most popular, and the only one on the west side of the island. Namtok Khlong Phlu is a large and most breathtaking waterfall on Ko Chang with water cascading down 3 tiers of the cliff to a basin, with an entrance located 3&amp;nbsp;km. from Ao Khlong Phrao.Klong Nonsi - on the east side of the island Klong Nueng - said to be the most breathtaking Khiri Petch - medium sized, about 3 kilometers from Salak Petch village Kongoi - 5 waterfalls near Bangbao The Thanmayom - near Thanmayom pier Ban Salak Phet (บ้านสลักเพชร)&amp;nbsp;the largest and oldest community on Ko Chang located in the southern part. The villagers’ main occupation is coastal fishery in an advantageous area sheltered from winds and storms by islands and mountains. There is an old temple in front of the village known as Wat Salak Phet built in the reign of King Rama V on his royal visit to the island. Ao Salak Phet is the largest bay on the island.Bang Bao Fishery Village at Bang Bao Beach(หมู่บ้านประมงบางเบ้า)&amp;nbsp;a village of houses on stilts built into the sea with bridges connecting them together. The villagers still live a simple way of life earning their living from coastal fishery. In the vicinity there is an abundance of cuttlefish and corals.Ao Bai Lan (อ่าวใบลาน)&amp;nbsp;located next to Hat Kai Bae and accessible by a pathway across the mountain has a scenic view of mountains along the way.Hat Kai Bae (หาดไก่แบ้)&amp;nbsp;a sloping and long stretch of beach connecting with Hat Khlong Phrao, suitable for swimming. Hat Khlong Phrao- Laem Chaiyachet (หาดคลองพร้าว-แหลมไชยเชษฐ์)&amp;nbsp;a long stretch of sloping beach connecting with Hat Kai Bae where swimming is possible. The northernmost end of Ao Khlong Phrao connects with Laem Chaiyachet with a scenic rocky cape but swimming is not possible. Laem Chaichet nestling between White Sand and Klong Prao beaches is a popular place to see the sunset and admire Klong Prao’s natural surroundings. Activities to do here include: snorkeling, kayaking and fishing.White Sand Beach&amp;nbsp;is one of the island’s longest beaches that attracts a lot of visitors. At the back or the beach are orchards of coconut trees and forests.Activities:HikingHiking on Ko Chang is popular due to the natural pristine surroundings including waterfalls, especially the routes Klong Son to Kai Bae and Kai Bae to Bang Bao.Mountain BikingMountain bikes are available to rent at Hat Sai Khao and Hat Kaibae.Elephant TrekkingElephant Trekking is possible at the Ban Kwan Chang Elephant Camp at Klong Son, it is supported by the Asian Elephant Foundation to provide a natural environment for elephants and their mahouts.CanoeingCanoeing through the mangrove forests is most popular.Diving &amp;amp; SnorkelingThe area may not have the best diving site in Thailand but it is still worth it. There are quite a lot of courses around of various different skills. For e.g.: Koh Lond, Hin Kuak Maa, Hin Luk Bath, Hin Rap South, Hin Run Tek, Ship Wreck.SpaKo Chang has plenty of spas comprising of various forms of massage, aromatherapy, herbal scrub, and reflexology. Spa service is found at many of the top resorts and hotels. Local ProductBesides its seafood, Trat province is also renowned for its tropical fruits during the months of April to July, they include: rambutan, durian and pineapples.Located in Nam Chieo district is a cottage industry which produces ‘ngop’ (traditional Thai farming hat).Nightlife &amp;amp; DrinkKoh Chang nightlife and bar scene is constantly developing, there are a number of nice bars and restaurants to enjoy at. Other than that Ko Chang is not, unlike some of the islands down south, famed for its nightlife. Hope to Visit Thailand http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3019557969098445881.post-7567848824612121265</guid><pubDate>Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:58:00 +0000</pubDate><atom:updated>2010-09-15T22:12:51.283+03:00</atom:updated><title>Amazing Hua Hin</title><description>&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  800. &lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.skuttideas.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8croM_kWyxSKkTlWvIY9ePq4gwg668a3U0DxdcakfemWGwZxMZ6vLXShP3e5qjk_LLWT57ohfBS7-5ThUjdsOGEQzFy-I7HrO_hFS9Z4U-ed8tECkRtt4s_agB0MG61UusQnkKArI_Ho/s640/hole5p1-738194.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  801. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  802. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hua Hin&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;(&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Thai language"&gt;Thai&lt;/a&gt;:&amp;nbsp;&lt;span lang="th" xml:lang="th"&gt;หัวหิน&lt;/span&gt;,&amp;nbsp;&lt;small&gt;IPA:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/small&gt;&lt;span class="IPA" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', 'Doulos SIL', Gentium, GentiumAlt, 'DejaVu Sans', Code2000, 'TITUS Cyberbit Basic', 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Chrysanthi Unicode';" title="Pronunciation in IPA"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:IPA_for_Thai" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Wikipedia:IPA for Thai"&gt;[hǔa hǐn]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;) is a famous beach resort town in&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Thailand"&gt;Thailand&lt;/a&gt;, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200&amp;nbsp;km south of&amp;nbsp;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok,_Thailand" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Bangkok, Thailand"&gt;Bangkok&lt;/a&gt;. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911&amp;nbsp;km², and is one of eight districts (Amphoe) of the&amp;nbsp;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prachuap_Khiri_Khan_province" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Prachuap Khiri Khan province"&gt;Prachuap Khiri Khan province&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;Hua Hin is closely associated with the Thai royalty. Merely 25 kilometers apart, Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province enjoys a wealth of satellite attractions; prominent among them are national parks and historical cities.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hua Hin Beach (ชายหาดหัวหิน)&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;Hua Hin Beach extends some five kilometers southwards from a rocky headland until Kao Takiap, a southern headland where a Buddhist temple clings to the cliffs.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hua Hin Railway Station (สถานีรถไฟหัวหิน)&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;This is Thailand's most beautiful train station. The wooden building used to be a royal pavilion in Sanamchan Palace, Nakhon Pathom province. It was rebuilt at Hua Hin in 1968.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Nightly Street Market (ตลาดโต้รุ่งหัวหิน)&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;a popular shopping market allowing people the opportunity for shopping, native-style seafood cooked on the spot and to witness local people’s lifestyle.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Takiap Hill (เขาตะเกียบ)&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;This hill, 4 kilometers from Hua Hin town, supports Buddhist temples and offers a commanding view of the resort, particularly early in the morning.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hin Lek Fai Hill (เขาหินเหล็กไฟ)&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;Situated 3 kilometers west of Hua Hin district, Khao Hin Lek Fai or Flint Mountain is 162 meters high. On the mountaintop, there is a public park and scenic spots from where the scenery of Hua Hin and its surrounding area is visible.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Tao Hill (เขาเต่า)&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;13 kilometers south of Hua Hin, there is a 1- kilometer branch road on the left which leads to the spot with two beaches called Hat Sai Noi and Hat Sai Yai. Khao Tao is a trditional fishing village that also boasts spectacular temples.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Pa La-u Waterfall (น้ำตกป่าละอู)&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;This 11-tier scenic waterfall, some 60 kilometres west of Hua Hin, is located within a yearlong verdant forest where various kinds of birds and butterflies are found, especially in the morning.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa0Sg6LkHRbaOmpkhm8tqzvcHgwMZjER4vRCj_M8wYUp50gBb9Blr9g2qCj1IxiHgQVah9PEHdC8QC38W1wSDDF4l7n8Ea0OrQDf6Bxtcwcr0JuKlyBLmX1jacoqftZLRfjTF56GIn0Q/s1600/Lealawadee+Villa+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoa0Sg6LkHRbaOmpkhm8tqzvcHgwMZjER4vRCj_M8wYUp50gBb9Blr9g2qCj1IxiHgQVah9PEHdC8QC38W1wSDDF4l7n8Ea0OrQDf6Bxtcwcr0JuKlyBLmX1jacoqftZLRfjTF56GIn0Q/s320/Lealawadee+Villa+1.JPG" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  803. Wat Huay Mongkol&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;was home to the immensely popular monk&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luang_Pu_Thuat" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0645ad; text-decoration: none;" title="Luang Pu Thuat"&gt;Luang Pu Thuat&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;was famed for his ‘miracles’. Commissioned by the Queen of Thailand, Wat Huay Mongkol houses the largest statue of Luang Phor Thuat in Thailand in a park-like setting. 10. Suan Son Pradiphat Beach, 8&amp;nbsp;km south of Hua Hin, is a peaceful location which is owned by the Army Welfare Office.&lt;/span&gt;Spirit Houses of Brassiere Beach&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;were, according to legend, built to appease the spirit of a fisherman’s daughter who was once torn to pieces and her breasts fell into the sea. She was killed because she was desired by too many men. Until this day, the locals still hang brassieres to the spirit houses, but now they just pray for good luck.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hua Hin Hills Vineyard&lt;/b&gt;&amp;nbsp;is the only vineyard in the area is located 45 minutes from downtown. It offers spectacular views, a restaurant and wine tasting of the local&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  804. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOPUWM_odOZHW7BQtFHDWL5CBpOxK-b1HybJisKAkuSVmM_XN5dCdbAstO2DjbNyrDfUGNm7ZOp6c_eTaSRPz211thzcdlFIZzm8-5nBE21Z1UGMcSt3iIhetBnQCrxATq7ajphCtQ9U/s1600/Website+Pictures+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOPUWM_odOZHW7BQtFHDWL5CBpOxK-b1HybJisKAkuSVmM_XN5dCdbAstO2DjbNyrDfUGNm7ZOp6c_eTaSRPz211thzcdlFIZzm8-5nBE21Z1UGMcSt3iIhetBnQCrxATq7ajphCtQ9U/s640/Website+Pictures+018.jpg" width="640" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  805. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.4em;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"&gt;VISIT THAILAND&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ&lt;/div&gt;</description><link>http://skuttideas.blogspot.com/2010/09/amazing-hua-hin.html</link><author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" height="72" url="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8croM_kWyxSKkTlWvIY9ePq4gwg668a3U0DxdcakfemWGwZxMZ6vLXShP3e5qjk_LLWT57ohfBS7-5ThUjdsOGEQzFy-I7HrO_hFS9Z4U-ed8tECkRtt4s_agB0MG61UusQnkKArI_Ho/s72-c/hole5p1-738194.jpg" width="72"/><thr:total>64</thr:total><enclosure length="205780" type="image/jpeg" url="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_w4QfmjC22HU/TJEWccthJHI/AAAAAAAAAFU/Fx0JRk0_2ko/s1600/Lealawadee+Villa+1.JPG"/><itunes:explicit>clean</itunes:explicit><itunes:subtitle>Hua Hin&amp;nbsp;(Thai:&amp;nbsp;หัวหิน,&amp;nbsp;IPA:&amp;nbsp;[hǔa hǐn]) is a famous beach resort town in&amp;nbsp;Thailand, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200&amp;nbsp;km south of&amp;nbsp;Bangkok. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911&amp;nbsp;km², and is one of eight districts (Amphoe) of the&amp;nbsp;Prachuap Khiri Khan province.Hua Hin is closely associated with the Thai royalty. Merely 25 kilometers apart, Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province enjoys a wealth of satellite attractions; prominent among them are national parks and historical cities.Hua Hin Beach (ชายหาดหัวหิน)&amp;nbsp;Hua Hin Beach extends some five kilometers southwards from a rocky headland until Kao Takiap, a southern headland where a Buddhist temple clings to the cliffs.Hua Hin Railway Station (สถานีรถไฟหัวหิน)&amp;nbsp;This is Thailand's most beautiful train station. The wooden building used to be a royal pavilion in Sanamchan Palace, Nakhon Pathom province. It was rebuilt at Hua Hin in 1968.Nightly Street Market (ตลาดโต้รุ่งหัวหิน)&amp;nbsp;a popular shopping market allowing people the opportunity for shopping, native-style seafood cooked on the spot and to witness local people’s lifestyle.Takiap Hill (เขาตะเกียบ)&amp;nbsp;This hill, 4 kilometers from Hua Hin town, supports Buddhist temples and offers a commanding view of the resort, particularly early in the morning.Hin Lek Fai Hill (เขาหินเหล็กไฟ)&amp;nbsp;Situated 3 kilometers west of Hua Hin district, Khao Hin Lek Fai or Flint Mountain is 162 meters high. On the mountaintop, there is a public park and scenic spots from where the scenery of Hua Hin and its surrounding area is visible.Tao Hill (เขาเต่า)&amp;nbsp;13 kilometers south of Hua Hin, there is a 1- kilometer branch road on the left which leads to the spot with two beaches called Hat Sai Noi and Hat Sai Yai. Khao Tao is a trditional fishing village that also boasts spectacular temples.Pa La-u Waterfall (น้ำตกป่าละอู)&amp;nbsp;This 11-tier scenic waterfall, some 60 kilometres west of Hua Hin, is located within a yearlong verdant forest where various kinds of birds and butterflies are found, especially in the morning. Wat Huay Mongkol&amp;nbsp;was home to the immensely popular monk&amp;nbsp;Luang Pu Thuat&amp;nbsp;was famed for his ‘miracles’. Commissioned by the Queen of Thailand, Wat Huay Mongkol houses the largest statue of Luang Phor Thuat in Thailand in a park-like setting. 10. Suan Son Pradiphat Beach, 8&amp;nbsp;km south of Hua Hin, is a peaceful location which is owned by the Army Welfare Office.Spirit Houses of Brassiere Beach&amp;nbsp;were, according to legend, built to appease the spirit of a fisherman’s daughter who was once torn to pieces and her breasts fell into the sea. She was killed because she was desired by too many men. Until this day, the locals still hang brassieres to the spirit houses, but now they just pray for good luck.Hua Hin Hills Vineyard&amp;nbsp;is the only vineyard in the area is located 45 minutes from downtown. It offers spectacular views, a restaurant and wine tasting of the local&amp;nbsp; VISIT THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:subtitle><itunes:author>noreply@blogger.com (Skutt Panda PO)</itunes:author><itunes:summary>Hua Hin&amp;nbsp;(Thai:&amp;nbsp;หัวหิน,&amp;nbsp;IPA:&amp;nbsp;[hǔa hǐn]) is a famous beach resort town in&amp;nbsp;Thailand, in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, some 200&amp;nbsp;km south of&amp;nbsp;Bangkok. It has a population of 84,883 in an area of 911&amp;nbsp;km², and is one of eight districts (Amphoe) of the&amp;nbsp;Prachuap Khiri Khan province.Hua Hin is closely associated with the Thai royalty. Merely 25 kilometers apart, Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province enjoys a wealth of satellite attractions; prominent among them are national parks and historical cities.Hua Hin Beach (ชายหาดหัวหิน)&amp;nbsp;Hua Hin Beach extends some five kilometers southwards from a rocky headland until Kao Takiap, a southern headland where a Buddhist temple clings to the cliffs.Hua Hin Railway Station (สถานีรถไฟหัวหิน)&amp;nbsp;This is Thailand's most beautiful train station. The wooden building used to be a royal pavilion in Sanamchan Palace, Nakhon Pathom province. It was rebuilt at Hua Hin in 1968.Nightly Street Market (ตลาดโต้รุ่งหัวหิน)&amp;nbsp;a popular shopping market allowing people the opportunity for shopping, native-style seafood cooked on the spot and to witness local people’s lifestyle.Takiap Hill (เขาตะเกียบ)&amp;nbsp;This hill, 4 kilometers from Hua Hin town, supports Buddhist temples and offers a commanding view of the resort, particularly early in the morning.Hin Lek Fai Hill (เขาหินเหล็กไฟ)&amp;nbsp;Situated 3 kilometers west of Hua Hin district, Khao Hin Lek Fai or Flint Mountain is 162 meters high. On the mountaintop, there is a public park and scenic spots from where the scenery of Hua Hin and its surrounding area is visible.Tao Hill (เขาเต่า)&amp;nbsp;13 kilometers south of Hua Hin, there is a 1- kilometer branch road on the left which leads to the spot with two beaches called Hat Sai Noi and Hat Sai Yai. Khao Tao is a trditional fishing village that also boasts spectacular temples.Pa La-u Waterfall (น้ำตกป่าละอู)&amp;nbsp;This 11-tier scenic waterfall, some 60 kilometres west of Hua Hin, is located within a yearlong verdant forest where various kinds of birds and butterflies are found, especially in the morning. Wat Huay Mongkol&amp;nbsp;was home to the immensely popular monk&amp;nbsp;Luang Pu Thuat&amp;nbsp;was famed for his ‘miracles’. Commissioned by the Queen of Thailand, Wat Huay Mongkol houses the largest statue of Luang Phor Thuat in Thailand in a park-like setting. 10. Suan Son Pradiphat Beach, 8&amp;nbsp;km south of Hua Hin, is a peaceful location which is owned by the Army Welfare Office.Spirit Houses of Brassiere Beach&amp;nbsp;were, according to legend, built to appease the spirit of a fisherman’s daughter who was once torn to pieces and her breasts fell into the sea. She was killed because she was desired by too many men. Until this day, the locals still hang brassieres to the spirit houses, but now they just pray for good luck.Hua Hin Hills Vineyard&amp;nbsp;is the only vineyard in the area is located 45 minutes from downtown. It offers spectacular views, a restaurant and wine tasting of the local&amp;nbsp; VISIT THAILANDhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/rTfCJ</itunes:summary></item></channel></rss>

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