Archive

Khao Luang Cave, Phetchaburi, Thailand There’s a sudden commotion in the cave. A monkey has snuck in and is scurrying across the rock floor to the corner where the large Buddha sits. The monkey makes a grab at a bit of food that’s been left on the altar as an offering. Before it can make ...

The Bridge on the River Kwai, Thailand It’s serene down on the River Kwai today. Even with the large amount of tourists, the air is still and things are quiet. The bridge over the river looks old but in good shape. It’s like a used movie set which has been left behind after production and ...

Hellfire Pass Memorial and Museum, Thailand It’s always quite emotional to be confronted with the tragedies of your own country while travelling overseas. But the nature of war means the losses of our countrymen are often spread across the globe. One such place for us Australians is Hellfire Pass, the iconic stretch of the ill-fated ...

Bang Pa-in Palace, Thailand It would be nice to have a Thai summer palace you could head to when the days got hot, wouldn’t it? You know, you could jump on a royal barge, float down the river to your tranquil holiday home and then spend the days walking around the compound, reading by the ...

Erawan National Park, Thailand Thailand’s Erawan National Park is named for the highest of the waterfalls within its boundary, which is said to resemble the mythical three-headed elephant, Erawan. Cascading down from there, the water passes through six more falls – none of which are named after imaginary animals. Erawan National Park is about an ...

The best street food in Bangkok The sizzle hits my ears at the same time as the aroma reaches my nostrils. In the little stall on the side of the road, tonight’s dinner is being cooked. Bangkok’s street food is famous – and for good reason. But it can be confronting for a foreigner. All ...

Ayutthaya, Thailand It’s weird to stand in the middle of what was once the largest city in the world and be surrounded by rubble. Ayutthaya, the former capital of Siam, was home to more than a million people in the 1700s. It was a huge trading centre in the middle of the world that brought ...

Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand As far as sights go in Bangkok, one of the most important is Wat Pho. The temple complex is one of the oldest and largest in the city and is worth including in any first-time visit to the Bangkok. To make it easy for the time-strapped, it’s right next to the ...

Yodpiman Flower Market, Bangkok In Bangkok, the markets provide some of the most interesting sights. There’s a vibrancy to the bustle of the locals rushing through, past the small crowded stalls. Through the whole city, none is more vibrant than the flower markets. By the very nature of the wares, it’s all about colour. Throw ...

I’d like you to meet Chai Yo. The 19 year-old grew up surrounded by drugs, gangs and poverty in Klong Toey, Bangkok’s largest slum. It’s home to about 100,000 people, all crammed together in a pile of ramshackle constructions near the city’s main port. “I didn’t really have any opportunities,” he tells me. “I wasn’t ...