THE POTTERY VILLAGE

Located 30 km. from Bangkok is the pottery village of Ko Kret (Kret Island), an island located on the Chao Phraya River where pottery makers of Mon descent live. The Clay pottery made here has its own distinctive characteristics that are typically Mon. A half-day trip to Ko Kret can be delightful as this can be conducted by boat. Bicycles can also be rented to explore this little island where the Mon people still more or less maintain their traditional no-fuss lifestyle.

GIVING ALMS

Giving alms is a form of merit making where contributions are provided to monks that walk the streets in the early morning seeking donations in the form of food and other useful products from staunch Buddhists. Waking up early in the morning to view this tradition is well worth the effort as this earmarks the typical Thai way of life. If you’re interested in participating, feel free to consult the hotel or guesthouse you are staying in. Hotel staff should be able to tell you where the nearest temples are located and which routes the monks take within the hotel’s vicinity in order to make your offerings.

CULTURE EXPLORATIONS DESTINATION: HOME STAYS & COOKING

For the ultimate cultural experience, nothing beats a home stay. In Bangkok, perhaps one of the best places to experience traditional Thai living is at the award-winning Rose Garden Resort and home to The Thai Village and Cultural Centre. The shows here portray captivating scenes of every life in rural Thailand and provide a vivid introduction to Thai living. The Rose Garden also offers Thai cooking Classes. For a more earthy and homey experience, The Thai House is a good alternative. Both the Rose Garden and The Thai House are also to hold a limited number of guests in their traditional Thai houses therefore advance booking should be made. Other recommended cooking schools are Oriental Thai Cooking School, the Blue Elephant Cooking School and Bai Pai Thai Cooking School. However most hotels do offer Thai Cooking. However, most hotels do offer Thai Cooking classes therefore be sure to check if the hotel you’re booked at offer such courses.

LOY KATHONG A ROMANTIC FESTIVAL

This most charming of all Thai celebrations takes place on the full moon night of the 12th lunar month . Loy Kathong is a romantic festival which usually falls in November. As night falls, the country’s waterways are illuminated by tiny floats filled with flowers, incense and a candle. Couple go to float their Krathongs together. Along the riverside, visitors can buy ready-made, cheap Krathong and join in the festivities. On the water, a thousand twinkling lights bob up and down, representing people’s hopes and dreams. This celebration is a delight for all the family and should not be missed.

TIME TRAVELING ON A BICYCLE

Sukhothai, which means “Dawn of Happiness,” also marked the dawning of the first Siamese Kingdom and the birth of the Thai language. Once an outpost of the Khmer empire, they were driven out by the Siamese who established their first Kingdom here in 1238. It was a golden age for classical art, architecture and Buddhism. To traverse these magnificent ruins in the Sukhothai Historical Park – Thailand’s equivalent of Angkor Wat-rent a mountain bike for a pittance. You can also cycle leisurely past dozens of remnants from the next Siamese empire, Ayutthaya, in its “Ancient City,” or scattered around the town, and hugging the banks of the rivers, which form a natural moat around what was once considered the most glorious town and trading port in Asia. And well-appointed museums in the city give me an overview of the Kingdom’s 400 year-plus reign. There are not many towns in the world where you can drive by the ruins of a 15th century pagoda, just down the street from a modern convenience store, but that’s the magic of Ayutthaya for you.

JIM THOMSON HOUSE

An early partner in the Oriental Hotel, Jim Thomson, an American serving here, decided to devote his energies to developing a thriving Thai silk industry. Due to his efforts, Thai silk is now famous all over the world and justify renowned for its quality, colours and patterns. Thompson, trained as architect and gardener, also built a fine collection of traditional Thai houses, fashioned into one dwelling where he lived during his lifetime. After his tragic death, the house remains preserved as a museum containing a priceless collection of Asian object d’art. The museum, located centrally at Soi Kasemsan 2 on Rama I Road, is accessible bu bus, taxi and the sky train. Entrance fee is 100 baht. The museum opens daily from 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. with the last tour at 4.30 p.m.

WAT TRIMIT : TEMPLE OF THE GOLDEN BUDDHA

Located at the end of China town’s Yaowarat Road, this temple houses the extraordinary 700 year-old golden Buddha image, a seatd figure composed entirely of five and a half tons of gold. Previously, it had been covered with plaster and once broken off, the true treasure beneath was suddenly revealed – the figure was found to be composed entirely of gold. It is now an important and sacred Buddha image of unique beauty. The temple is open daily from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. with an admission fee of 20 baht

WAT BENCHAMABOPHIT : THE MARBLE TEMPLE

Situated on Si Ayutthaya Road, near the intersection with Rama V Road, this unique marble temple was constructed during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910 A.D.) Its proportions are classically beautiful, with European influences evident in its stained glass windows and the use of Carrara marble. The temple houses a surperb cloister collection of bronze Buddha images and many reckon the temple to be one of the finest in the world as far as its craftsmanship and architectural splendour are concerned. It attracts large numbers of visitors every year. Admission is 20 baht. The temple is open daily from 8.00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

STROLLING INTO HISTORY

One of the best ways to appreciate the grandeur and significance of Thailand’s history is to absorb the atmosphere of the ruins and monuments of past Thai civilizations. After an active programmed among the natural beauty of Thailand, you might be ready for a change of mood and a scene. Nothing could be more satisfying than a stroll in one of the natural beauty of Thailand, you might be ready for a change of mood and a change of scene. Nothing could be more satisfying than a stroll in one of the country’s magnificent historical parks of Sukhothai, Lop Buri, Sri Satchanalai and Ayutthaya. Many historical sites including the Rattanakosin Island in Bangkok, are illuminated at night, and some have light and sound presentations. The effect is pure magic. Out of the historical parks, Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakhon Pathom is an awe-inspiring sight: The tallest Buddhist monument in the world, and also where Buddhism was first taught in this Buddhist country. An evening stroll in the grounds of the chedi and the nearby Sanam Chand Palace is pleasantly soothing after a busy day, and later you can find a host of inviting food stalls in the grounds of the chedi and the nearby Sanam Chand Palace is pleasantly soothing after a busy day, and later you can find a host of inviting food stalls in the colourful night market around the chedi’s compound.

CENTRAL THAILAND’S WEALTH

Thailand is a perfect place you’re interested in agricultural study. Food is never far from the Thai mind, because its mean much more than just holding body and soul together. If you visit the Thai Rice Farmers Museum at Suphan Buri you will see not only the implements involved, but the many rites surrounding it and the role of the King in rice farming through history. Each province in the central region has its own distinctive agricultural hallmark, bold enough to identify its people by. Working west to east across the top of the Gulf of Thailand, here are some of this region’s amazing riches. Samut Songkhram’s fertile soil produces the country’s most mouth watering fruit, succulent lynches and bittersweet pomelos inparticular. Coconut groves along the coast produce not only the oily nuts themselves, but warm brown palm sugar as well. If you visit in the morning, you can see it being made. Samut Sakhon is best known for its fresh fish markets and rasping sea-salt, but Nakhon Chaisri inland is synonymous with the juiciest, sweetest, freshest oranges in the land. If you then go east to Ongkarak district of Nakhon Nayok, you will find yourself in the midst of masses of ornamental flowers. Some of these commercial gardens, who supply Bangkok, welcome visitors. Rayong is known countrywide as home to the spiny, green football-sized fruit adored by many and abhorred (because of its astonishing aroma!) by a few-the durain. But don’t forget to visit Sopha Botanical Garden’s gorgeous flowering trees nearby Khao Chamao-Khao Wong National Park also abounds with many colourful plants. At the end of the trail, Prachin Buri, even richer and wetter than Samut SongKhram, grows juicy citrus, durian, longan, pomelo and gorgeous soft mangosteen. Pick these up at the local market for much less than Bangkok prices.