Showing 1 - 10 of 14
Enjoy your noodles the Thai way
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 08/02/2021
» According to the Chinese calendar, we'll be welcoming the Year of the Ox this Friday. Thanks to the pandemic and for the first time as long as I could remember, the Chinese New Year of 2021 is officially regarded as a national holiday.
Cool runnings at Doi Inthanon
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 27/10/2020
» This weekend, the mountainous terrains of Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai, will see an army of the country's toughest trail runners participate in the first edition of Thailand by UTMB.
Far from the madding crowds
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 13/08/2020
» While the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting border closure has brought about considerable economic impact, not everything is bad news. At the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is part of the Grand Palace, the long-lost ambience of tranquillity has returned.
Museum dedicated to revered monk Man Bhuridatto reopens
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 14/07/2020
» Not long before the lockdown began, a museum dedicated to one of Thailand's most respected monks opened at Wat Pathum Wanaram, the religious oasis in Siam-Ratchaprasong shopping district.
A stroll back in time
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 02/07/2020
» A refreshing breeze blew from the other side of the river, greeted by cheerfully rustling leaves of land and aquatic plants along its expansive path. Different kinds of egrets, thanks to their sizes and bright white plumage, could easily be spotted foraging near the waterside, but faint chirps in the air also revealed the presence of numerous other birds hiding among the foliage. In the river, a monitor lizard emerged from the dense floating patches of water hyacinth and swam leisurely in the open to the far bank. Meanwhile, along the lively yet tranquil waterway line traditional-style wooden houses built on tall stilts, some with boats moored at the water's edge.
When you're free to move about the country
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 07/05/2020
» It's going to be a while before we find out whether or not the easing of coronavirus lockdown measures, the mass scrambles for alcoholic beverages, and the exodus over the recent long weekend will reverse the trend of the pandemic control in Thailand that seems to be going well. Let's hope they won't. At the same time, let's not forget that in many parts of this small world, the Covid-19 situation is still not getting any better.
Banding together to help those in need
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 29/04/2020
» Chula Marketplace, aimed primarily as an online marketplace for students and alumni of Chulalongkorn University affected by Covid-19, is one of the fastest-growing groups on Facebook. In just a couple of weeks, the group has grown to over 218,268 members and counting. However, to make the numerous products and services offered by members available to the wider public, the closed group recently launched a spin-off, which can also be accessed on Facebook.
Thailand's abundance
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 09/04/2020
» April is usually the height of the hot season. The sea, both in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman, is at its best. The forest, meanwhile, may seem lifeless, yet actually there are a lot of interesting things going on in the ecosystem. Most waterfalls, for example, may not be boasting powerful cascades, but the calm, clear water reveals a fascinating array of fish and other aquatic lifeforms that thrive. And guess what: even during this dry period of the year, there are falls in some protected forests where the water continues to flow down rigorously, regardless of what month is shown on the calendar. Too bad I don't have their photographs in digital form and no time to dig through the piles of slides.
A time for solitude
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 26/03/2020
» Starting on Thursday, Thailand is under a state of emergency. Hopefully, this will help the country cope with the Covid-19 pandemic more effectively. At the time of writing, a full lockdown is not yet announced. But in line with the emergency decree, it's likely that social distancing will no longer be urged but enforced. Only with people staying calmly at home will it be possible to keep the highly contagious virus under control. China has shown that such stringent measures worked. If everybody complies, it should bring a good result here, too.
Resplendent renovation
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 13/02/2020
» During the past four years, if you entered Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, you would find scaffolding here and there. The lengthy renovation was to ensure the royal temple built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) would be in its full glory not just during its 150th-anniversary celebration, which took place recently, but also for years, or another century, to come.