Showing 1 - 10 of 91
Natural born killers
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 25/02/2021
» 'That's a peacock mantis," said Wissarut Sukhaket as he saw me observing a dull-looking little fellow in a nursery box at the Tropical Insect Sanctuary in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district. "Want to know why it got such a name?"
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.
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.
The temple of our concrete jungle
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 03/12/2020
» Each day countless numbers of Bangkokians commute past Wat Pathum Wanaram, the royal temple sandwiched between Siam Paragon and CentralWorld. Every day, they see it from the windows of their cars, buses or Skytrains. Few, however, actually step into the temple to learn more about it.
Place of peace and tranquility
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 19/11/2020
» Ask any Thai to mention the names of the five islands that immediately come to mind, chances are Koh Sichang would be included in the shortlist, maybe even the first. This small island 12km off the coast of Si Racha, Chon Buri, is the closest to the capital.
It's all downhill from here!
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 13/11/2020
» For most gravity mountain bikers -- especially those who are not serious racers and did not take part in the national championship series which ended in August -- it was as if all they could do was watch 2020 glide by. However, just the other day, there was great news from Prachin Buri.
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.
Where the lotus blossoms
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 30/07/2020
» At the front end of a long wooden boat, I stood up to appreciate the full view of the natural world around me. There weren't as many lotus blossoms to be seen as in my previous visits years ago but the peaceful marshland was still full of life. A variety of plants and animals were still celebrating the life-giving rain that had stopped just a few minutes ago. It's hard to believe that in 2016 this very place became so dry that you could see the cracked soil surface. I hope that will never happen again.
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.
See the children play
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 11/06/2020
» A few decades ago, children playing outside was a common sight, even in Bangkok. Among the groups of youngsters roaming each neighbourhood, there tended to be not just friends but also siblings.