Showing 1 - 10 of 16
Hidden in plain sight
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 28/01/2021
» After a month of closure due to the recent Covid-19 surge, the history-rich Phyathai Palace is set to reopen in February.
A giant in size and importance
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 14/01/2021
» Prasat Nakhon Luang is one of the largest examples of historical architecture in Ayutthaya. Its role in the politics of the old Siamese kingdom that the province was named after was as immense as its size.
Hiding in plain sight
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 24/12/2020
» I'm no fan of paintings but I understand folks who are able to enjoy a visual feast by masters such as the likes of Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci or Vincent Van Gogh. I do the same every time I find myself in a magnificent landscape. Indeed, Mother Nature is my favourite artist.
Mercury falling, spirits rising
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 10/12/2020
» The Colours of Doi Tung Festival is one of Chiang Rai province's best-known annual events. Every weekend and public holiday in December and January, a fair featuring the sale of food and goods by hilltribe people and other ethnic groups living in Doi Tung and nearby mountains is held near the Mae Fah Luang Garden, a famous attraction that is part of Mae Fah Luang Foundation's Doi Tung Development Project. The idea is to draw more visitors to Doi Tung and enable the villagers to benefit from the high season.
Southeast Asia's birding bubble
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 08/10/2020
» Normally at this time of year, Puwish Lenvaree would station himself in the forests of West Papua, an Indonesian province on New Guinea Island. Over the past three years, he routinely spent much of the latter half of each year on New Guinea and nearby islands such as Waigeo and Halmahera mainly because it's the mating season for birds-of-paradise, which occurs only in that part of the world.
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.
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.
Skipping ahead
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 23/04/2020
» Earlier this month when I launched this bi-weekly Travel Diary series, I had a gut feeling that this coronavirus pandemic could drag on a lot longer than many people had thought. Maybe it could even take a whole year. However, feedback revealed that readers were more optimistic and believe it won’t be that long. Some even suggested that it would benefit them more if — instead of featuring destinations suitable for the season that matches the current time of year, but may not be useful if the travel ban is still in place — I should just skip a couple of months ahead.
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.
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.