Showing 1 - 8 of 8
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.
The lesser-spotted wonders of Lucknow
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 24/10/2019
» After a three-hour flight from Bangkok, I found myself at an immigration counter of Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport, aka Lucknow Airport. An expressionless officer flipped through my passport and made a gesture signifying that I follow the instructions on the fingerprint scanner and place the fingers of my left hand, minus my thumb, on it. Obediently, I complied. The machine flashed a green light. The officer shook his head.
A long-awaited opening
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 29/11/2018
» The Green Line rail extension (Samrong-Samut Prakan) will be operational on Dec 6. That's next Thursday. The new section of the elevated railway, which connects with the east end of the Sukhumvit Line of the BTS marks the return of trains to Samut Prakan, also known as Pak Nam, which 125 years ago during the reign of King Rama V boasted Siam's first railway. The Pak Nam rail route connected the coastal city at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River with Hua Lamphong in Bangkok. It stopped operation in 1960, giving way to road transportation that became more popular.
A drought of understanding
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 09/05/2016
» Tonight there will be a new moon. According to the Thai lunar calendar, tomorrow will be the first day of the sixth month. And that reminds me of the classic Thai country song Fon Duen Hok (Rain Of The Sixth Month) and its famous description of rice fields at this time of year, when the air is moist with light rain and filled with the resonating frog calls that mark the beginning of monsoon season.
A savour of the South
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 21/03/2013
» I often find myself spending more time looking at century-old photographs than more recently taken ones. Despite the dearth of colour, vintage pictures can be fascinating, often guiding you on mental journeys back through time to periods before any person alive today was even conceived.
Bamboo bicycles ride as well as any
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 03/01/2013
» Aluminum and steel alloys are the most popular materials for making bicycle frames. Carbon fibre and titanium make more expensive posh bikes. But if you're looking for something unique and organic, consider grass.
Nakhon Si Thammarat is a place for all seasons
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 11/10/2012
» Mention Nakhon Si Thammarat and the image of the province's most revered Phra Borommathat pagoda would pop up in the mind of many Thais. That, perhaps, is followed by the famous sat duen sip ceremony, the grand event in which locals gather to make merit for their deceased relatives; nang talung shadow puppets; manorah folk performance and many more.
The hidden gateway
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 12/04/2012
» Hidden in a secluded narrow passage between the limestone cliff faces, sheltered beneath a towering natural arch as tall as the mountains that conceal it from the outside world, the "ancient" Chinese way station down below not only looks as if it has always been there for centuries but also adds entrancing magic to this mystifying sanctum.