Showing 11 - 20 of 76
Where monsoon is awesome
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 21/05/2020
» Bucket-list ideas for the first half of September from Pongpet Mekloy's archive.
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.
Skipping ahead
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 23/04/2020
» Earlier this month when I launched this bi-weekly Travel Diary series, I had a gut feeling that this coronavirus pandemic could drag on a lot longer than many people had thought. Maybe it could even take a whole year. However, feedback revealed that readers were more optimistic and believe it won’t be that long. Some even suggested that it would benefit them more if — instead of featuring destinations suitable for the season that matches the current time of year, but may not be useful if the travel ban is still in place — I should just skip a couple of months ahead.
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.
A time for solitude
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 26/03/2020
» Starting on Thursday, Thailand is under a state of emergency. Hopefully, this will help the country cope with the Covid-19 pandemic more effectively. At the time of writing, a full lockdown is not yet announced. But in line with the emergency decree, it's likely that social distancing will no longer be urged but enforced. Only with people staying calmly at home will it be possible to keep the highly contagious virus under control. China has shown that such stringent measures worked. If everybody complies, it should bring a good result here, too.
One thing the virus can't touch
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 19/03/2020
» Because of the coronavirus, a lot of long-planned social functions and activities have to be postponed or cancelled. Even the Songkran Festival is no exception. Still, there is an event that would never, ever be affected by any pandemic: the sunset.
Resplendent renovation
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 13/02/2020
» During the past four years, if you entered Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram, you would find scaffolding here and there. The lengthy renovation was to ensure the royal temple built by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) would be in its full glory not just during its 150th-anniversary celebration, which took place recently, but also for years, or another century, to come.
Food and fun in Pattaya
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 30/01/2020
» As food fairs go, Doen Kin Thin Na Klua is up there with the best of them. But time is running out if you wish to enjoy this year's event, with only this weekend and next Saturday left to go.
Eye-opening adventure
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 19/12/2019
» To many Thais, me included, the mention of Sri Lanka will suddenly bring to mind Colombo, the capital, Ceylon tea, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, and some other religious sites. But what about Sri Lanka's southern coast? Hmm. Of course, there must be beaches and the sea. But what else?
Bensley Collection - Shinta Mani Wild
Life, Pongpet Mekloy, Published on 14/11/2019
» Lauded by Time magazine as one of the World's Greatest Places for 2019, this high-end property in the Cambodian wilderness, 112km northeast of Sihanoukville Airport, is another masterpiece by internationally renowned resort designer Bill Bensley, who is also its co-owner.