Culture, Festivals

Heet Sip Song – The Twelve Isan Merit-Making Traditions

preparing food for ancestors during Boon Khao Pradap Din

These twelve heet (“traditions” or “rituals” that help you have a good life) are practiced across Northeast Thailand (the region known as Isan) and lowland Laos. City folk have mostly abandoned some of them, but there are very few Isan villages where they don’t all remain important events. Some are Buddhist celebrations observed around the globe while others originated from local pre-Buddhist beliefs, though all of the later now have… Read More

Buddhism, Folktales

The Nandivisala Jataka (#28)

scene from the Nandivisala Jataka, the Bodhisatta as an ox pulling loaded carts

A clique of the Buddha’s monks taunted and insulted other monks when they disagreed with them on something. When the Buddha was told about their behavior he scolded them and then told them this story of one of his past lives so they would understand that speaking with kindness rather than hostility is beneficial. — — — The Buddha-to-be was born as an ox. His owner named him Nandivisala and… Read More

History

Tham Sam Rock Art

wall of paintings at Tham Sam cave

A very unusual rock art site, Tham Sam cave (ถ้ำซำ) has a long wall covered with large paintings of people. These have no connection or resemblance to the many ancient cave paintings found around the region except that both are made with natural pigments – probably derived from tree sap. These consist entirely of red, white, and black and the lively results from the limited palate are a testament to… Read More

Temples

The Luang Por Phra Phut Buddha Image

Luang Por Phra Phut Buddha image

A very ordinary Thai temple in most regards, and not high on the list of Phuket’s main tourist attractions, Wat Phra Thong (วัดพระทอง) is nevertheless a great detour for temple enthusiasts. People come to the “Temple of the Golden Buddha” (named by King Rama VI while he was still just a prince) to see its unique namesake Buddha image, which is usually called Luang Por Phra Phut (the “Emerging Buddha”)… Read More

Temples

Wat Khuat Mak Dhamma Siri Bottle Temple

Wat Khuat bottle temple's wihan and stupa

Wat Khuat Mak Dhamma Siri (วัดขวดมากธรรมศิริ) is one of the bottle temples found around Thailand. It’s quite large and the bottle decoration (mostly from beer and energy drinks) is used throughout the whole temple, not just on a few buildings. It’s definitely worth the trip. Almost always referred to as just Wat Khuat (วัดขวด), which means “Bottle Temple,” it’s less than an hour from both Hat Yai and Songkhla, but… Read More

Culture

Narathiwat City Museum

model of traditional boat in Narathiwat City Museum

Opened in February 2018, the Narathiwat City Museum (พิพิธภัณฑ์เมืองนราธิวาส) is a better than average local museum and anybody visiting Narathiwat city should take an hour to visit it. The staff will be surprised and very pleased to welcome non-Malay foreign travelers; and I’m not just assuming this, they told us when we showed up. Four wings on two floors of the old provincial hall cover the history, culture, and ecology… Read More

History

Kao Kuha Caves

both Kao Kuha Caves

In ancient times, Indian merchants managed much of the trade in the parts of the Malay Peninsula that are now part of Thailand, including trans-shipment routes through Songkhla, and there were many Indian settlements. One of them was at the foot of Kao Kuha hill, between the ocean and Songkhla Lake, where two Hindu “cave” shrines were carved into an east-facing cliff. Evidence is scarce, but it’s assumed that they… Read More

Nature

Flowering Trees of Thailand – Flame Tree

flame tree flowers

Thai Name – Haang-nok-yuung farang (หางนกยูงฝรั่ง)Scientific Name – Delonix regiaFamily Name – Fabaceae (Leguminosae)Other English Names – Flamboyant, Royal poincianaFlowering Season – April-JuneNative to Thailand – NoTypical Height – 6-12 meters Not only are flame trees one of the world’s most beautiful flowering trees, the individual flowers, which look sort of like orchids, are also strikingly beautiful. At peak bloom, a flame tree’s crown will be full of these blazing… Read More

Nature

Flowering Trees of Thailand – Pink Shower Tree

pink shower tree flower

Thai Name – Gan-la-pa-pruek (กัลปพฤกษ์), Ga-la-pruek (กาลพฤกษ์)Scientific Name – Cassia bakerianaFamily Name – Fabaceae (Leguminosae)Other English Names – Wishing tree, Pink cassiaFlowering Season – February-AprilNative to Thailand – YesTypical Height – 6-12 meters Although the flowers are almost completely different, the pink shower tree is quite closely related to the golden shower tree and both are very showy with long lasting blooms. These open pink and fade to white. From… Read More

Nature

Flowering Trees of Thailand – Calabura

calabura tree flower

Thai Name – Da-cope farang (ตะขบฝรั่ง)Scientific Name – Muntingia calaburaFamily Name – MuntingiaceaeOther English Names – Strawberry tree, jam tree, Singapore cherryFlowering Season – Year-round, but less in the cool seasonNative to Thailand – NoTypical Height – 5-12 meters One of the most understated flowering trees in Thailand, you could easily walk past a flowering calabura and not notice the small (1.5-2cm) solitary white flowers. They have five wide petals… Read More

History

About the Ramkhamhaeng Inscription

closeup of script on replica of Ramkhamhaeng Inscription in the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum

The Ramkhamhaeng Inscription, aka Sukhothai Inscription One, was found in 1833 by Prince Mongkut, the future King Rama IV, while he was still a monk. He found it in the area where most historians assume that the royal palace once stood. The inscription is a squat four-sided pillar rather than the typical slab shape and is 114.5cm tall with each side 35.5cm wide. The first and second sides have 35 lines… Read More

Nature

Flowering Trees of Thailand – Burma Padauk

Burma padauk tree flowers and a bee

Thai Name – Bpra-duu (ประดู่)      Scientific Name – Pterocarpus macrocarpus      Family Name – Fabaceae (Leguminosae)      Flowering Season – March-April      Native to Thailand – Yes      Typical Height – 15-30 meters       The Burma padauk goes from completely green to full of small (about 1.5 centimeters wide) yellow flowers overnight; and reverts back to all green again after only a few days in bloom. The flowers turn into distinctive disc-shaped seeds, which give the tree its scientific name. The genus Pterocarpus… Read More

Buddhism, Folktales

The Culla-Paduma Jataka

mural painting of Bodhisatta's wife pushing him off the cliff from the Culla-Paduma Jataka in ubosot of Wat Thung Si Muang

One of the Buddha’s disciples, while out on a morning alms round, saw a woman so beautiful he fell in love at first sight. After returning to the monastery, his obsession with her made him depressed and ill and he could no longer concentrate on his studies or meditation. The Buddha told him he should stop thinking about her and then to remind the disciples that all women are ungrateful… Read More

Khmer Ruins

Prang Ku Chaiyaphum Khmer Ruin

Prang Ku Chaiyaphum Khmer ruin

The Bayon-style Prang Ku Chaiyaphum (ปรางค์กู่ ชัยภูมิ) is the most complete Khmer ruin in the province, and a major point of pride for the capital city. It decorates the street signs, the festival honoring it lasts three days, and it’s the city’s main (essentially only) tourist attraction. It was built by King Jayavarman VII (r. 1182-1219) as a Mahayana Buddhist temple for one of the 102 arogayasala (hospitals) that he opened across the… Read More

Khmer Ruins

Ku Ban Nong Ranya Khmer Ruin

Buddha and goddess statues inside Ku Ban Nong Ranya Khmer ruin

No original structures from Ku Ban Nong Ranya (กู่บ้านหนองร้านหญ้า) remain, but in 2017 locals took the old blocks (mostly laterite, but a few sandstone) that had been scattered around the area and stacked them up into four short walls on a concrete base. It’s not a restoration, but it was done in spirit of a Khmer sanctuary. The interior of this shrine holds a Buddha image and a local goddess… Read More

Khmer Ruins

Non Thaen Phra Khmer Ruin

Vishnu and dvarapala statues in shrine at Non Thaen Phra Khmer ruin

There are no ancient structures left at Non Thaen Phra (โนนแท่นพระ) anymore, just a few dozen scattered blocks, mostly laterite, laying around in the dirt plus a few sandstone carvings; and you probably can’t see the later. In or around 1914 a hunter chasing a deer found a Buddha image in the forest here. Later locals uncovered many more ancient artifacts, such as statues, pedestals, pottery, stone grinders, and a… Read More

Khmer Ruins

Prang Ku Ban Nong Faek Khmer Ruin

woman praying in front of main sanctuary of Prang Ku Ban Nong Faek Khmer ruin

Prang Ku Ban Nong Faek (ปรางค์กู่บ้านหนองแฝก) was built by King Jayavarman VII (r. 1182-1219) as a Mahayana Buddhist temple for one of the 102 hospitals (arogayasala) he opened across the empire. All of the structures – the main sanctuary, gopura, bannalai, and enclosure – are built of laterite, with only door and window frames being of sandstone. While none of the structures are complete and the tower is gone, after a recent… Read More

Khmer Ruins

Ku Daeng Khmer Ruin

south side of Ku Daeng Khmer ruin

Ku Daeng (กู่แดง) is a single brick prang with a rather unusual design: it’s cross-shaped with open doorways on all four sides and has a nearly three-meter tall base. The prang collapsed completely, but the laterite base, with stairs on all four sides and deeply redented corners, survived mostly intact. The base’s modern modification is that locals filled in the eastern steps to make a solid wall as a spot… Read More

Khmer Ruins

Prasat Ban Tan Khmer Ruin

blocks of rubble at Prang Ban Tan Khmer ruin

Prasat Ban Tan (ปราสาทบ้านตาล) is a completely collapsed single tower built of sandstone, probably on a laterite base. Its history is unknown, but it could be from the 11th-century, the same time as Phimai. Although it had fallen down on its own, locals say that its current state of total ruin is due to looters pulling down what still stood when they were looking for valuables. One of the things… Read More

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