Showing 1 - 10 of 12
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.
Honouring a legend
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 26/11/2020
» It's that time of year again, and Kanchanaburi's River Khwai Bridge Week is back, starting this Friday and continuing until Dec 6.
Roaming in the gloaming
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 05/11/2020
» It was pouring like crazy. I was lucky to find refuge in a noodle shop before getting soaked. It had rained twice since the morning. So far, including the days when I was on Koh Phayam, I never got a chance to shoot -- or even see -- a clear blue sky.
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.
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.
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.
More magic for Phuket
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 29/10/2019
» Phuket will soon boast another massive attraction, Carnival Magic. The new theme park, a 5 billion baht project not counting the cost of the 100 rai plot of land on Kamala Beach where it is located, is a sister property and next-door neighbour of the famous Phuket Fantasea.
An ocean at the top of the world
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 18/07/2019
» The wooden sign at the highest point of Phu Ta Jo claims that the mountain rises 1,300m above sea level. According to my topographic map, and judging by the vegetation, the elevation was actually more like 800-900m. But that didn't really matter, I was still on top of the world.
Balancing act
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 09/05/2019
» Ban Non Salao in Phu Khieo, Chaiyaphum province, is known for its unique tradition of hae nak hot (brutal ordination parade) in which each would-be novice has to stay seated on a severely rocking bamboo stretcher during the 3km-procession to Wat Ta Khaek, a local temple. This rodeo-style test is meant to prove one's determination to become a Buddhist monk. Those who make it to the temple without falling will get to undergo the ordination.
Learn to start your own spa
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 17/04/2019
» If you dream of owning or operating a spa, here's a piece of good news. The award-winning Chiva-Som International Academy of the internationally renowned Chiva-Som International Health Resorts is opening Thai and English courses on spa management and development for interested members of the public.