Thailand

Phrae – Thailand’s Hidden Gem

February 6, 2016 by Bino 3 Comments

Wandering through the streets of Phrae in Northern Thailand, I could not help but get a sense of deja vu as I surveyed the walled old town and the many photogenic temples, teakwood mansions and museums dotting the enclosure. My guidebook described Phrae as having similarities to Luangprabang in Laos and surveying the sights around me, I’m inclined to agree. Phrae to most is a rather unknown place, even for Thais as its namesake province only came into Thailand’s (then known as Siam) control around a century ago and its relative “isolation” is part of the charm.

the unusual structure of wat chom sawan

With a population of slightly less than 20,000, Phrae is a rather quiet town with its tourist attractions concentrated mainly inside the walled city. I had visited during a weekend but found other tourists sparse, local weekenders included. After getting off the bus from my 2 hour journey from Nan, I immediately walked towards Wat Chom Sawan which is just a few blocks away. I was struck by the unusual architecture of the main prayer hall. departing from the Lanna style that I see all over these parts. Most guidebooks describe the style of Wat Chom Sawan as Burmese, but having visited Burma a couple of times before, I really could not see the similarity. The temple is noted for the heavy use of wood and multi-tiered roofs, a style which is pretty unusual for Thai temples.

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Ubon Ratchathani – An Underrated Thai City You Would Never Have Heard Before

November 29, 2014 by Bino 7 Comments

I arrived at the almost deserted Ubon Ratchathani International Airport on a steamy morning, spotting just two other foreigners on my flight. The “international” in the name is a bit misleading – there is no other route besides the ones to Bangkok and the terminal looks like any provincial airport terminal in the country with a generic boarding gate. Located at the eastern part of the Isaan region, this is the first place that gets to see the sunrise in Thailand. Its namesake province is the easternmost that one can get to where Thailand’s concerned and the local culture bears some resemblance to Laos which is just across the border.

In between my sojourns to Champasak in Laos, I spent a bit of time in Ubon Ratchathani. While coming here certainly doesn’t normally count among Thailand must-dos, I found it to be a pleasant enough town, with interesting temples to please even the most templed out traveler. Here are some of those I managed to visit during my short time there.

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Talad Rot Fai – Bangkok’s Hipster Night Market

November 2, 2014 by Bino Leave a Comment

In the Bangkok itinerary I recommended in an earlier post, I listed Talad Rot Fai as one of the Thai capital’s hidden gems. Whether you’re a shopaholic or simply a curious tourist, a visit to this suburban weekend night market is definitely worth your time. While I frequent Chatuchak for its immensity, Talad Rot Fai is the place to go for quirky and vintage items that you’ll be hard-pressed to see under one roof. This is without a doubt, Bangkok’s coolest night market and is a place where the Thai’s entrepreneurial spirit jive with their creative side.

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Hotel Review: My Fantastic Stay at The Sukhothai Hotel Bangkok

October 27, 2014 by Bino 3 Comments

Often regarded as one of the Thai capital’s quintessential hotels, The Sukhothai Hotel Bangkok has been charming guests for over two decades with its unique intepretation of Thai design that is at once contemporary and at the same time reminiscent of ancient Siamese capitals such as its namesake, the ancient ruins of Sukhothai in Northern Thailand.

I had the chance to experience the impeccable offerings of The Sukhothai Hotel during a short jaunt in Bangkok. Anyone who has been to this tourist mecca knows that the city has a very competitive hotel scene, with several excellent and impressive hotels at every price point. For a hotel to continually be recognized as one of the best in the city for over two decades, it practically needs to go the extra mile and during my stay there, I did come up with a few points that perhaps explains the hotel’s accolades.

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The Volcano Temple of Phanom Rung & Nearby Prasat Muangtam in Northeastern Thailand

October 25, 2014 by Bino Leave a Comment

Having seen the majestic Khmer temples at Phimai Historical Park the day before, I set out to see the dramatic volcano temple of Phanom Rung and the nearby Prasat Muangtam, another highlight of the Isaan region, in Buriram province the next day. If Phimai is considered off-the-beaten path, Phanom Rung and Prasat Muangtam are considered even more so, with its middle of nowhere and hard-to-get-to location. To visit these temples, a little bit of preparation is definitely needed.

Getting to Phanom Rung and Prasat Muangtam

I was essentially looking at two ways of getting there. Via public transport, I had to get to another town called Nang Rong, a typical town in Thailand where I could catch a songthaew or minivan that goes to the temples. As I wanted to visit two temples in a day and I was coming from Nakhon Ratchasima, I decided to hire a taxi for the 2 or so hour journey.

Temple on a Volcano – The Scene Can’t Get Any More Dramatic Than This!

the main part of the temple is up there, on an extinct volcano

While Phimai is arguably the biggest and most extensive Khmer temple ruin in Northeastern Thailand, Phanom Rung is probably the most spectacular. The temple’s got a few things going for it. First of all, its location, on top of an extinct volcano 400 meters high is enough to draw oohs and ahs. The weather here was also markedly cooler when I came at noon, even though the temple is not really high up in the mountains.

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Exploring Phimai Historical Park in Northeastern Thailand

October 22, 2014 by Bino 4 Comments

The Northeastern part of Thailand , also known as Isaan, is a rarely visited region in what is a heavily visited country. If you need a place to escape the crowds in Thailand and yet still witness some magnificent sights, this is one of the best places to visit. Deep within this off-the-beaten path locale lies Phimai Historical Park or Prasat Hin Phimai, one of Thailand’s finest ancient Khmer temple ruins. Coming here, it is easy to spot similarities with Angkor Wat, with ornate carvings made of sandstone and laterite as well as the three towers akin to its more famous counterpart in Cambodia.

making my way to the central prang of phimai

I took my nifty Casio Exilim EX-FR10 out for a spin at the temples of Phimai – all photos you see here are also taken with it. As a freestyle action camera, it comes with a wireless controller which allows me to split the camera into 2 and shoot photos remotely.

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My Stay in Iudia on the River – A Unique Boutique Hotel in Ayutthaya, Thailand

February 15, 2014 by Bino 1 Comment

When I was planning my visit to the UNESCO World Heritage temples of Ayutthaya in Thailand, I decided I wanted to stay in this historical city despite being just an hour’s drive from Bangkok in order to beat the crowds and be able to explore early in the morning. It was most fortunate that I found Iudia on the River, one of Ayutthaya’s boutique options, for that one night stay. The town doesn’t have much in terms of chain hotels, and one’s best bet for a pleasurable stay would be with guesthouses or boutique properties that won’t break the bank.

Officially called Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, the town sits in an island and used to be the fortified capital of the Ayutthaya kingdom (Siam). Today, it is a fine example of the old and new. It is a functioning city by every sense of the word, with random temple ruins standing side-by-side modern buildings. Iudia on the River is located at the southern part of the island and separated from the mainland by the Chao Phraya river.

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Taking the Slow Lane in Chiang Mai

March 17, 2013 by Bino 8 Comments

I won’t beat around the bush — Chiang Mai has got to be one of the best cities to live in Southeast Asia. In a region where cities are known for chaos, endless traffic jams, overpopulation and crushing poverty, Chiang Mai offers a nice change with its affordable laid-back lifestyle, cultural inclinations as well as variety of things to see and do, all within an infrastructure framework that is developed and most importantly, convenient for city living. I went to the city for a short visit and was definitely impressed with what it had to offer. My only regret was why I had not visited earlier.

wat phra singh in chiang mai

Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second largest metropolis but the contrast from Bangkok could not be any greater. At first glance, it has all the trappings of a large modern city – shopping malls, an international airport, high-rises and luxury hotels dot the urban landscape. But what really sealed the deal for me is the city’s laid back attitude. Even the tuk-tuk drivers here never once attempted to overcharge me. There’s a certain calmness that doesn’t take long to infect city-folk like myself, and in no time I was swaying to the unhurried rhythms of this northern town.

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