Category — Thailand Photos

Bamboo pungi sticks and tired doused in gasoline await a seemingly inevitable crackdown in Bangkok at Silom.

Pic of a place I found in chiang Mai that reminded me of the days of old in Thailand and the days of current Cambodia.

Not fully sure what’s up here but these fellas look to be working the concrete at a small strip mall type of site at 10:00 on a Sunday night here in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.

Closep taken on a motorbike in the middle of an Isan rice paddy.

This was taken from the back of a rusty cart in Chiang Mai. I wonder if this meets American DOD approval?

The following are some pictures that I took on my last visit to Surin, Thailand.  This is in the northeast area of Thailand more commonly known as Isan.  Isan is basically the heart and soul of Thailand.  It’s main industry is farming of grains, namely rice which is a staple of Asian food.

In these pristine rice paddies I found total, absolute solace and relaxation.  It’s a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the big city, Bangkok where I lived for many years.  Out in the rice paddies of Isaan (alternative spelling and one that I had originally thought was proper but good ole Wikipedia tells me otherwise), all I heard was birds, crickets and frogs.  I gazed upon the paddies that seemed to go on forever and even when a random farmer traversing his paddy caught my eye it was as if they part of the whole heavenly scene before me.

Alas, it was time to start up my motorbike and sputter back to the village where the elders were waiting for some ceremonious activities for our family. (yep, they have village elders who bless you with little strings they tie around your wrists for good luck and such and yes, a walk through the paddies would have been much more pure but I simply couldn’t bear to walk that far in the heat.  Ok, fine, I was lazy.  But in my defense I wanted to get to the promised land of docility post haste!)

Below are the thumbnail previews that are web optimized.

If you click on them you will get the full sized, 1920×1200 resolution images.  They’re almost 6mb big and will look good on even the largest monitors!

If you liked these photos as much as I did, pass them around to your friends.  It’s always good to be at work with a desktop that ‘takes you away’ I say

Here’s a snap from my phone of the infamous Krisdadoi Chiang Mai gardens. There’s a 70bht entrance fee (at least for farangs) but worth it. Beautifully manicured gardens and even a little waterfall, a restaurant and some resort villas.  The gardens are pristine but I’ve read mixed reviews of the hotels guests with the main complaints being the lack of English spoken by employees and the 30 minute distance from central Chiang Mai.

I always thought this was the whole purpose of resorts high up in the northern Thailand mountains… Total solace..  If you’re not looking for absolute, natural beauty or a one-ness with nature then stay somewhere in the middle of the city, hello!

This is my first test post all mobile-style so without further ado I give you a shot from my balcony.