Showing 1 - 10 of 11
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.
Ready to roam
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 18/06/2020
» For a lot of travel addicts residing in Thailand, with the fourth phase of the easing of pandemic control measures the situation is good enough to return to fun mode.
Rainy days & getaways
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 04/06/2020
» Interprovincial travel is now possible, although with restrictions in certain cases. Historical parks and national museums are open. Many beaches are starting to see visitors from different provinces dying for a break from the unprecedented lockdown. Still, it's going to be a long while before tourism reaches the pre-pandemic level.
Seeing how silk is made
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 14/05/2020
» Just a few minutes' walk from BTS National Stadium sits Ban Khrua, the old community by Saen Saep Canal that decades ago produced silk fabrics for Jim Thompson, who helped promote the Thai material to worldwide fame. After the mysterious disappearance of the legendary American entrepreneur in 1967, family-run silk workshops in Ban Khrua gradually went out of business. But not all of them.
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.
Villa Maxima
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 12/12/2019
» This two-bedroom northern-style teakwood house is located within the same compound as the home of its owner Chayasiri Vichayarak who, together with her late husband Wichai Pitakworrarat, restored an old riverside mansion and converted it into the highly acclaimed hotel Praya Palazzo a decade ago. For a couple of years now, Chayasiri has let go of the Bangkok property. This small-scale pet project of hers in Chiang Mai offers a tasteful retreat that any art and culture lover would appreciate. Booking is compulsory.
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.
New experiences in old Bangkok
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 15/08/2019
» The area you'll be reading about in this article is only around 1.2km². Yet, it's packed full of fascinating things to see and do, from Wang Burapha, Saphan Han and Sampheng, to Phahurat, Saphan Phut, Pak Klong Talat and Ban Mo.
Know thy visitors
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 27/08/2018
» Almost three decades ago when I was a university student, I occasionally had to travel to Don Mueang airport for a part-time job. Back then, it was Bangkok's only airport, and, with the tollway not yet in existence, was considered very far from the city centre. There, my task was to ask departing tourists to fill in questionnaires for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which wanted to know what they liked or disliked, as well as their spending behaviour, during their visits.
Lighting up Lampang
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 10/05/2018
» Chae Son National Park in Lampang province is famous for its hot springs. However, not many people know that every April the park's geothermal area becomes the venue for nightly mass gatherings of cicadas. Perhaps even fewer people are aware that hidden in the back of the park headquarters, there's a road that goes across the forested mountain all the way to the popular Chiang Mai village of Mae Kam Pong.