Showing 1 - 10 of 19
Going green
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 03/01/2019
» When people talk about Koh Yao, an unspoiled island off Phangnga province, many think of the popular Koh Yao Noi. As a matter of fact, Koh Yao consists of two islands -- Koh Yao Yai (big long island) and Koh Yao Noi (little long island) and is widely known as a paradise for holiday makers. Tourists can enjoy swimming, snorkelling or scuba diving in the sea, birdwatching and kayaking in mangroves, cycling and even rock-climbing.
Preserving history
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 30/04/2018
» Ruins and ancient sites are always under threat from time and disaster. The great flood of 2011, for instance, damaged 128 archeological sites on and around the city island of Ayutthaya. After the incident, the government provided a budget of 600 million baht for the clean-up and restoration work, and there was also financial and technical aid from Unesco, as well as certain foreign countries.
Preserving literary heritage
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 09/04/2018
» At Wat Sung Men in Phrae province, monks and a dozen local villagers are busy scanning the temple's old manuscripts into a computer. The same activity, in fact, is happening at several temples in the North, including Wat Phra That Si Chom Thong in Chiang Mai as well as others in Lamphun and Nan. Initiated by a German professor, the novel efforts of digitising and conserving ancient manuscripts have caught on with enthusiasm among locals.
A sporting chance
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 05/02/2018
» Several teenagers were playing table tennis and badminton, their eyes fixed on movements, their brains whirling, their hands skilfully moving as they played forehand and backhand drives. Most of them are young people who were once juvenile delinquents but now they are trying to turn their lives around. Some of the support they receive is from sports training and empowerment projects initiated by Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha.
Worthy of the enlightened
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 15/11/2017
» The royal cremation for King Bhumibol Adulyadej last month was a moment of historic importance. Nonetheless, another important task relating to the ceremony is still under way.
The art of loyalty
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 09/10/2017
» Dogs are man's best friend. And dogs are a king's best friends as well in Thailand. For almost 20 years, Khun Tongdaeng, the monarch's favourite pet dog, stayed beside King Bhumibol Adulyadej as friend and guard. Khun Tongdaeng died nearly a year before the king's passing on Oct 13 last year, but her love and loyalty is everlasting and is now reflected in her life-size sculpture, which has been placed at the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang.
Preparing for the final farewell
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 14/08/2017
» As the royal funeral for King Bhumibol Adulyadej is less than three months away, craftsmen and officials responsible for building and decorating the royal crematorium rarely have a rest day. Hard at work, their skillful hands and trained eyes focus on the minute details of the decorative art pieces for the final farewell.
'Stone doctors' operate in Thailand
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 25/04/2017
» Two pagodas of Wat Ratchaburana in central Ayutthaya are almost 600 years old, but their beauty is still visible due to conservation efforts. The remaining stucco and plaster at both stupas (prang and mondop), the Buddha statues at the Prang, the floral decoration at the east face of the prayer hall and the stucco at a small pagoda -- they have been preserved partly as a result of a German conservation project in close co-operation with the Ayutthaya Historical Park and Unesco Bangkok.
Celebrating the old capital
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 04/01/2017
» Thon Buri turns 250 this year. For the occasion, authorities have planned a series of year-long celebrations to remember the past -- and present -- glory of the former capital of the Kingdom, whose significance to the history of Siam was momentous. Today Thon Buri is sometimes perceived as "the other side" of Bangkok, a sleepy, less glamorous district. But in truth, the area on the right bank of the river is a trove of historical riches, while its economic and cultural importance is integral to the development of the country.
Siam through the looking glass
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 09/09/2016
» Many pictures of Siam are currently owned and kept by foreigners abroad and have never been shown in Thailand, until now. A total of 150 rare photographs, developed from foreign collectors and institutes' original photo prints and collodion, record the development of Siam and are on view at "Unseen Siam -- Early Photography 1860-1910" at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). Hosted by the centre and River Books, the show runs until Nov 7.