Showing 71 - 80 of 123
Isan's arid bounty
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 07/04/2016
» Yasothon and Amnat Charoen were separated from Ubon Ratchathani in 1972 and 1993, respectively. A couple of weeks ago, these three Isan provinces reunited.
The German legacy in Qingdao
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 17/03/2016
» The wind was chilly and the mass of fog it brought inland from the adjacent sea obscured the entire sky and anything higher than the treetops. From the lookout point on a small hill where I was standing I could see through the white haze part of a town made up of Western-style buildings that were topped with red-tiled roofs, including one impressive mansion perched on the side of another mound nearby. When the sky is clear, I was told, it would also be possible to see the twin towers of a century-old Catholic church and many other pieces of historical architecture further away.
Backpedalling
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 25/02/2016
» A couple of weeks ago as I was reorganising my hard drive, I hit on picture folders that contain photos from trips to Khao Fah Lap. Dating back to 2006, they made me realise that it had been quite a while already that I haven't been to those mountains of Lop Buri province virtually unknown to most people but regarded with legendary status among hard-core off-road drivers. It's been 10 years!
Hitting a high note
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 11/02/2016
» Noen Maprang is Phitsanulok province's most promising new travel destination. In last week's article (goo.gl/zO0aZi), I wrote about a scenic biking route at Ban Mung near the district's downtown area. But that's not all that Noen Maprang has to offer to cycling enthusiasts.
Like a bat out of hell
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 04/02/2016
» Life is full of surprises. Luckily, in my case, they are mostly pleasant. During my recent visit to Phitsanulok, which was my first to Noen Maprang, the province's recently revealed hidden gem, I was amazed time and time again.
View from the top
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 07/01/2016
» To most people, Doi Kham Fah in Chiang Mai province may not be a familiar name. Not to me, either. But a couple of weeks ago, I happened to spot on the internet some nice photos of Doi Luang Chiang Dao, the Kingdom's tallest limestone mountain with its unmistakable jagged peaks, and learned that they were taken from Doi Kham Fah.
Plenty of cycling in 2016
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 31/12/2015
» After six months or so of closure, the revamped cycling track around Suvarnabhumi International Airport was officially reopened last Saturday. Renamed the "Sky Lane", this collaboration between the Airport of Thailand (AOT) and Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) has been greatly welcomed by Bangkok's cycling community. The return of this bike track to the short list of places where residents of the capital can train or enjoy leisurely rides without the risk of becoming roadkill is definitely one of this year's best bit of good news.
Keeping it tight in Pran Buri
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 29/10/2015
» Pran Buri, just south of Hua Hin, is famous for its namesake beach and river, the big fishing community at Paknam Pran (Pran Buri river mouth), mangrove forest and a few other things. However, not many people, not even the locals, know that this district of Prachuap Khiri Khan is home to two downhill mountain bike tracks.
Racing from the ground up
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 01/10/2015
» Rome wasn't built in a day. Likewise, it took time before Chai Nat, a quiet province in the Central Plains, could become a BMX racing hotspot: three weeks!
Old and new in Wuzhen
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 24/09/2015
» It was a moonless night. In this ancient Chinese town, intricately decorated wooden houses lining both sides of a canal are roofed with black tiles that ooze an awesome feel. Sculling boats barge quietly along the waterway, passing beneath an arched bridge. The boats were loaded with swordsman, none of them seemed to be aware of the fact that they were being secretly followed by someone with the ability to move like the wind from one dark roof to another.