Showing 1 - 9 of 9
A walk through history
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 31/10/2019
» Across the Chao Phraya River from Chinatown are old neighbourhoods steeped in history. Over a hundred years ago, one of them was the home and playground of a goldsmith's daughter who decades later become the mother of two beloved monarchs. But the late Princess Srinagarindra was not the only historical figure who once called this area home.
Undisturbed by time
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 20/06/2019
» I had been to Kyoto a couple of times before. However, I had always thought of it as a city, as the former imperial capital of Japan. I didn't realise that Kyoto as a prefecture has much more to offer than the famous bamboo grove and those popular shrines and temples. Along the northern coast of the prefecture, referred to by some as "Kyoto By The Sea" nestled interesting places not much known among non-Japanese travellers. The fishing village of Ine, with its unique and well-preserved architecture, interested me most. It was the major purpose of my latest visit to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Overlooked treasures
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 31/01/2019
» If you make a northward journey to Phrae via Highway 101, just before you reach the provincial capital, you'll pass Sung Men. As you rush along the highway that cuts through the small town, you'll find Wat Sung Men right on the roadside.
A town built with teak
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 27/09/2018
» A picture is worth a thousand words, so they say. But sometimes even a thousand pictures cannot say enough. The photos you see on this page show some of the many beautiful houses in Phrae's old town. But, of course, there is more than meets the eye. Each house has its own story, some also played an important part in the history of the town, and even that of the Kingdom.
Ride through Thai history
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 14/04/2016
» Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year, is the time Thais living and working in all parts of the country return to their hometowns to reunite with their families. This year, the festival reminds me of a special place where family members not only can spend quality time together but also learn more about the country's history as well as its diverse cultural heritage. More than that, it's one of the best places to enjoy a leisurely bike ride.
Saigon didn't fall
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 15/10/2015
» Sixty-one years after liberation from French control and four decades since the fall of Saigon in 1975, less than two years after the US troops were forced to go home, the former capital of Cochinchina during the colonial period and later of South Vietnam continues to be one of the country's most vibrant cities. Did Saigon actually fall? Maybe not.
The final call for home
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 11/06/2015
» A few days before my mother passed away, she asked me, her eldest child, "When I die, can you hold my funeral at Ban Tha Lo?"
Udon’s got talent
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 08/05/2014
» One of the most prosperous cities in the Northeast, Udon Thani is known as a commercial and entertainment hub in the upper Isan region. And that’s the picture of Udon (as it is called for short) that I had always had until my latest visit on a press trip organised by Nok Air to witness a bike race held last Saturday as part of the celebration of the city’s 121st anniversary.
A savour of the South
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 21/03/2013
» I often find myself spending more time looking at century-old photographs than more recently taken ones. Despite the dearth of colour, vintage pictures can be fascinating, often guiding you on mental journeys back through time to periods before any person alive today was even conceived.