Thailand Gallery

Wat Phra Kaeo, Thailand's holiest temple, must be one of the most photographed sites in South-East Asia. The main attractions within the temple complex are invariably packed with tour groups, although it is easy to find less hectic areas. For example, extending around the cloisters are 178 panels which depict the entire story of the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Indian epic fable, the Ramayana.

The Grand Palace complex is, and rightly should be, on every visitor's itinerary. Contained in the square mile compound are the former residences of the Kings of Thailand and Wat Phra Kaeo, which houses the Emerald Buddha. The architecture is stupendous. But you have to get there first thing in the morning to avoid the tour groups and the heat.

Would you believe that these are doors?

Wat Pho is Bangkok's oldest and largest temple. Its fame arises from this stunning 150 feet long reclining Buddha figure. Or at least that's what all the tour groups come to see. It is also Thailand's foremost seat of public education and houses a traditional medicine center.

I had been to Wat Arun on several occasions. I assumed it was one of those monuments which is permanently blighted with scaffolding. Also, there were hoards of pushy folks selling t-shirts and tacky souvenirs just outside the main temple complex. But my opinions have changed. The scaffolding is gone, as have the pushy hawkers (by order of the Abbot of the temple). Wat Arun is now a lovely place to visit.

Although Patpong is infamous for its adult entertainment bars, it also hosts a very lively night market. It's an odd experience shopping for clothes or souvenirs when mere feet away, through an open doorway, you catch glimpses of lissome young ladies dancing topless on a stage.

Traffic in Bangkok is bad all the time. In the morning and the evening, it's worse. This image has it all: cars, trucks, taxis, buses, and motorcycles.

The Erawan Shrine beside the Erawan Hyatt hotel is always busy with worshippers who come to pray for something they need. It's a great place to watch the whole of Bangkok society. Well-dressed businessmen, office workers, and bargirls mix with tourists from around the world. Dancers are paid to perform in thanks for wishes which have been granted.

During prayer at the Erawan Shrine, offerings are made to each of the four faces of the Brahma figure: a candle, a small garland of flowers, and three incense sticks. This is one of the oil lamps used to light candles and incense sticks. In the background are heaps of marigold and jasmine flowers which accumulate around the base of the statue.

Do not adjust your monitor. Yes, that dog really is pink. Stray dogs can be seen everywhere in Bangkok. Some are cute and cuddly. But many suffer from skin ailments and you would not want to touch them with a pole. This dog had virtually no fur and hobbled around with a definite limp. But it looked tremendously happy.

Monks' robes drying in the sun.

This was one of those moments when being ready with the camera paid off. I was walking past the side of this temple; the girl was moving towards the window; I raised the camera and took the picture. Seconds later, she was gone.

I was fortunate to be invited to a friend's home during Songkran, the Thai New Year. It was moving to see the younger members of the family sprinkling water onto the hands of their elders as a sign of respect. Earlier in the day, the family had all gone to their local temple to sprinkle water onto the hands of the monks. Compare this with the mayhem that occurs on the streets, where anything that moves is a target for a drenching. Just don't venture outside in your best clothes.

Drench. Deluge. Mayhem. All words that come to mind when trying to describe Thailand's New Year celebrations. People throw bucketfuls of water from huge barrels on the backs of moving trucks. Or, as in the image above, from the back of a three-wheeled tuk-tuk. Water pistols are also plentiful. The yellow buckets contain a sticky white paste of talcum powder which is smeared on the faces of passers-by.

Chiang Mai is truly a city of beautiful old temples. This one, though, is of new construction.

According to Buddhist lore, the Buddha sat beneath a Bodhi tree as he attempted to attain Enlightenment.

Dating from the late 15th century, this is probably the most attractive temple in Northern Thailand.

Ignoring the advice of guide books and fellow travelers, I went to Phitsanulok anyway. If it had not been for this shot of a couple of kids playing by the river, it would have been a totally wasted journey.

Old Sukhothai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains 40 temple complexes spread over an area of roughly 28 square miles. I stayed at a small Thai hotel as close as possible to the site's main entrance. That way I could cycle to and from the major attractions as lighting and weather conditions dictated.

Frieze of walking monks.

The raised right hand symbolizes the Buddha's offer of protection to his followers.

Late at night, as the train approached the station and I got ready to leave my seat, the Thai girl sitting opposite me grabbed my arm and asked if I was certain that I wanted to get off at Prachuap Khiri Khan. Then some others seated nearby who spoke a little English asked me the same question. I said yes, this was my stop. Disbelieving, they checked my ticket. Then there was a lot of chatter in Thai. I started to get a little worried. All I knew about this town was that it was on the coast. It was dark outside, and I had no hotel reservations. I assumed that there would be a hotel. Of the very few people who got off the train, I was definitely the only 'foreigner'. As I looked back at my carriage, I saw a collection of faces at the window where I had been sitting. My Thai companions were smiling and waving to me. I guess they thought I would take one look around and get right back on the train. As it turned out, there was a very nice hotel, and Prachuap Khiri Khan was a gem of a place.

I had climbed the many steps up to the temple of Wat Chong Kra Chok one evening to get some sunset shots from the top of the hill. On the way back down, I started chatting with these novice monks. They even invited me back to their temple (that's it in the background) for coffee.

A colony of around 200 macaques live on the hill on which Wat Chong Kra Chok is perched. This little fellow was more inquisitive than most. A friend of mine named him 'Spanky'.

Fish drying in the sun.

Fish drying in the sun.

I am assured that the island of Ko Samui is an idyllic vacation destination. I have read as much in several guidebooks. Friends have honeymooned there and had a great time. My own experience, however, was somewhat different. Literally as the wheels of the plane touched down on the runway, it started to pour with rain. And it hardly stopped raining throughout my stay. Crass tourism has also had an obvious effect on the character of the island, with tourists seemingly outnumbering locals in some areas. I did discover some good restaurants, though. After all, there was little else to do.

Sitting on a wall watching the sun go down. Palm trees, sea, and beach forming the perfect tropical island vista.

An inexpensive boat-ride takes you to Railay beach. An interesting walk then takes you to beautiful powder-soft Pranang beach.

At high-tide, the beach at Noppharat Thara is beautiful. At low-tide, it's remarkable. You can walk as far as the islands in the distance. At times, it seems that whole sections of the beach are moving around you. These are just the legions of tiny crabs scuttling into their burrows in the sand.

Ko Phi Phi was just what I had expected: powdery beaches, palm trees, clear azure waters teeming with colorful fish. With an abundance of tacky souvenir shops, pushy hawkers, and over-priced restaurants.

My guidebook was very disparaging of Hat Yai. I quite liked it. It had some of the atmosphere of Bangkok but packaged into a smaller area. Perhaps my opinion was swayed by all the stalls in the markets selling roasted chestnuts.

This is reputedly the third largest reclining Buddha figure in the world, and is highly revered. These folks were applying gold leaf on the lower Buddha figure. By making the figure more beautiful, Thais believe they earn merit. Placing gold leaf on the mouth blesses the donor with gentle speech: on the head provides wisdom and on the chest ensures a 'good heart'.

Other visitors came and went, but I spent the whole afternoon at Wat Hat Yai Nai. Sitting, watching, waiting for the right light and the right moment. This monk had politely been watching me. As I was getting ready to leave, he smiled broadly. He pointed to my camera, and then to himself. Then he stood proudly to attention as I took his picture. On the wall are photographs of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, the King of Thailand. Who is now the longest reigning monarch in the world.

These kids were playing in the park with their homemade spinning toy. They saw my camera, stood still, waited for me to take this photograph, then scurried away laughing.

Brightly painted korlae fishing boats are found mainly in Southern Thailand and Northern Malaysia.

I talked with this gentleman on several occasions during my morning walks past the Hat Narathat fishing village. He had spent five years studying in Cairo, where, he explained, he had lost his memory. His travels had also taken him to London and Paris. I cannot vouch for his fluency in French, but his English was excellent.