Thailand Everyday

Cold Season in Udon Thani

2011-12-10T17:26:00.002+07:00

Cold season in Thailand.

This is what we go through almost everyday in Udon Thani.

Sometimes the temperature even went down till 14 degrees celsius.

This photo was taken this afternoon.

Happy Father's Day Thailand!!!

2011-12-05T02:39:00.004+07:00

Today is HM King Bhumibhol Adulyadej's birthday...

I had been away for more than a month as I was a little too busy with my works.

ทรงพระเจริญ

Live From Thephassadin

2011-10-31T03:27:00.009+07:00

It was actually early this year, on February 12th, a match between BEC Tero Sasana and Buriram PEA at Thephassadin Stadium in Bangkok.

The ticket was just 100 Baht per person.

A standard price for Thai Premier League matches.

Crowds were entertained by BEC Tero's cheerleaders before the match started.

25 minutes into the match, Suchao Nuchnum gave Buriram their first goal of the season.

And just few minutes after the second half started, Sarif Sainui, an ex-Kelantan player doubled the scoreline.

Ronnachai were brought in by BEC Tero to give Buriram's defenders some extra works to do.

BEC Tero finally scored few minutes before the match ended.

Thanks to Teerathep Winothai.

However, it was too late for The Fire Dragons.

Buriram thanked their supporters for supporting them after the match.

It was a good start for The Thunder Castle.

And even until now, they are the first on the table.

Before the match started, the 3K Battery promoters were promoting BEC Tero Sasana outside the stadium.

Well, too bad that The Fire Dragons were struck by The Thunder Castle.

One Beautiful Evening

2011-10-28T18:57:00.006+07:00

While driving to send goods to our client, we noticed that the weather was good.

It was raining heavily earlier.

Rainbow...

That was the first time I saw rainbow here in Nam Som.

It was beautiful and I couldn't stop looking at it.

The photos that I posted might not be clear as I took it with my BB.

And I was saying 'What a beautiful evening here' in my heart....

Same Same but Not Exactly The Same

2011-10-27T03:52:00.008+07:00

Crossing both borders at Sadao and Nongkhai, I noticed that both imigration complexes share almost the same types of buildings and procedures.

Heard and read comments from some tourists saying that they need to pay some extra bucks to the officers are quite weird. I use Sadao and Nongkhai border crossings to enter and exit Thailand a couple of times and pay nothing to the officers.

Here are some photos of both Sadao and Nongkhai Immigration Complexes :

They look almost the same but different in a way.

Just To Share

2011-10-20T22:56:00.003+07:00

Just to share how we used to go to school last time.

Unlike Bangkok, Udon do not have BTS or MRT.

So Jumbo and Songthaew is the best options to go to school.

When I was driving to Nam Som, I overtook few songthaews and jumbos full with students.

It reminds me on how I used to go to school when I was a student......

My Collections

2011-10-17T01:11:00.014+07:00

When I was at a mall in Malaysia, I did noticed that most people wearing almost the same football jerseys.

If it's not Manchester United, it's going to be either Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Well, they can actually make a team or two at the mall I guess.

I love to collect football jerseys.

I'm not a fan of European football. I prefer Asian football.

And here are some of my Thai football clubs and national team collections :

BEC Tero Sasana FC (2011 Home Kit)

Buriram PEA (2011 Home Kit)

Bangkok Glass FC (2010 Home Kit)

Thai Port FC (2010 Home Kit)

Thailand National Team (Current Away Kit)

I used to have Muang Thong United's 2011 home kit as well.

However, I sold it to a friend who wants it so badly.

I'll get myself a new one once I'm around Bangkok.

Well, for the national team jersey, I prefer it to be yellow which is also the home kit.

However, I do not want others to think that I'm a Panthamit and get into trouble.

Revolutions of Thai Football

2011-10-14T16:45:00.009+07:00

For the past few years, many private companies were so interested in bringing Thai football to another level.

They bought over the clubs.

Built a better infrastructures.

Bringing in football legends to play in their domestic league.

I-Mobile Stadium for example, is one of the best football stadium in South East Asia I can say.

Located in Buriram, it is an unlikely setting for a sleepy provincial town.

On the rural outskirts of Buriram, an area typically home to smallholdings and rice fields, where scrubland runs into thicker jungle and cicadas compete with grunting buffalo for sonic dominance, sits an international standard football ground.

I-Mobile Stadium is the home ground for Buriram PEA, the current leader of Thai Premier League.

Other stadiums which can be considered as international standard football ground would be the Leo Stadium of Bangkok Glass FC.

And Muang Thong United's Yamaha Stadium.

Other than the stadiums, Muang Thong United for example brought in Robbie Fowler, former England player to play for the club.

He is now the head coach for Muang Thong United.

Peter Reid and Bryan Robson were the ex managers of the national team before they quit.

The government and non government organizations in the kingdom are willing to spend on all this just to bring Thai football another level up.

Thailand and the Thai people wants their team be represented well on the international level .For that to happen somebody has to have a vision.

And for me and the others, we will just support our respective clubs and the national team!!!!

Tha Sadet (ท่าเสด็จ)

2011-10-07T00:22:00.011+07:00

Tha Sadet is a must visit for tourists if they were to visit Nong Khai.

Famous for shopping, this market is located in Nong Khai town center.

Also known as Talad Tha Reua (ตลาดท่าเรือ).

We drove there from Udon Thani.

Within an hour, we arrived and parked our car in front of the post office.

There's a spot where you can take nice photos which is at the mile stone area.

There is also a huge board of Tha Sadet with Naga decorations just beside the mile stone.

At one corner, they decorated small parts of the building to look like what it was in the past.

Exactly like those in Chiang Khan.

We saw the 1st Thai Lao Friendship Bridge from here (Photo above).

Laos on the other side.

Seems to be a bit quiet.

I would say that Tha Sadet is way far behind Jatujak Market.

The only shop that I spend more than 10 minutes at Tha Sadet.

However, Tha Sadet isn't that bad although I said it is way behind Jatujak.

Tourists (mostly locals) flooded this market every few weeks before Songkran and during public holidays.

Tha Sadet has its own charm and uniqueness that Jatujak doesn't have.

We left Tha Sadet without buying anything other than Lime Ice Tea.

Thai Border Check Points

2011-09-23T01:55:00.004+07:00

Thailand borders Malaysia to the south, Laos to the northeast, Cambodia to the east and Myanmar to the west.

Here are border crossings between Thailand and Malaysia :

- Pengkalan Kubor (Kelantan) - Tak Bai (Narathiwat)
- Rantau Panjang (Kelantan) - Sungai Kolok (Narathiwat)
- Bukit Bunga (Kelantan) - Buketa (Narathiwat)
- Pengkalan Hulu (Perak) - Betong (Yala)
- Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah) - Sadao (Songkhla)
- Padang Besar (Perlis) - Padang Besar (Songkhla)
- Durian Burung (Kedah) - Ban Prakob (Songkhla)
- Wang Kelian (Perlis) - Wang Prachan (Satun)
- Langkawi Island (Kedah) - Thammalang (Satun)

Buketa - Bukit Bunga Check Point

Thailand - Laos border crossings :

- Nong Khai (Nong Khai) - Vientiane
- Mukdahan (Mukdahan) - Savannakhet
- Nakorn Phanom (Nakorn Phanom) - Thakhek
- Chiang Khong (Chiang Rai) - Ban Houayxay
- Chong Mek (Ubon Ratchathani) - Pakse
- Bueng Kan (Bueng Kan) - Pakxan
- Tha Li (Loei)- Nam Hueng
- Huay Kon (Nan) - Muang Ngern

Nong Khai Immigration Check Point

Thai - Khmer border crossings :

- Aranyaprathet (Sakaew) - Poipet
- Hat Lek (Trat) - Koh Kong
- Chong Sa Ngam (Sisaket) - Anlong Veng
- Ban Laem (Chantaburi) - Daun Lem
- Pong Nam Ron (Chantaburi) - Phsa Prum
- Chong Jom (Surin) - O'Smach

Aranyaprathet - Poipet Border Crossing

To the north and west of Thailand, the border crossings are :

- Mae Sai (Chiang Rai) - Tachilek
- Mae Sot (Tak) - Myawaddy
- Ranong (Ranong) - Khawthaung
- Sangkhlaburi (Kanchanaburi) - Payathonzu

Mae Sai Immigration Check Point

The Naga of Bueng Kan

2011-08-28T19:05:00.005+07:00

Naga is one of the animals in the celestial realms. One of them had seen the Lord Buddha coming back from giving the sermon to his mother in the Tavatimsa Heaven and began to blow its fire to worship the Lord Buddha on the last day of Buddhist Lent.

At 7:00 am on August 19th 2011, the sky was still dark and cloudy. The rain drizzled for a while. After the rain stopped, the local residents and visitors brought their mats to the court and yard in the park of Buengkhonglong municipality to book the seat for the best viewpoint.

They wanted to see the Naga with their plain eyes because there was a talk of the town that Pol.Col. Chayarop Saichanyont, superintendent of Buengkhonglong police station had dreamed of the Naga and told him that it would swim, show his red crest and spout the water in the swamp.

Because of his dream and the talk of the town, people gathered at the court and yard. The police stations, the government offices, markets, Buengkhonglong Vittayakhom School, Buengkhong Vittaya School and the road shoulders in the municipality were full of cars.

Pol.Col. Chayarop unveiled that there were many people including presses and his friends calling to ask whether the Naga would appear or not. He told them that the naga appeared every time he dreamed of. He never been disappointed for the past 4 times and for the 5th time, the naga told him that the naga would blow the water up besides of showing its red crest.

He said that after the residents and visitors had waited to see the appearance of the Naga since the morning until at about 16:20 pm and 16:40 pm there were the phenomenon of Naga swimming in the swamp for 2 minutes each time. It was corresponding to his dream.

However, this event happened among thousands of visitors, so they were enjoy very much and yelling while the naga was swimming. Some people made a salute and said that this happening event was sacred and it was worthy for their waiting.

I only managed to watch the news on the TV. I should drive myself there to see it with my own eyes. Udon Thani isn't that far from Bueng Kan afterall.

Top 5 Ladyboys

2011-08-23T18:15:00.005+07:00

This is actually according to my own list...

Standing top in the list is Bell Nantita (เบลล์ นันทิตา)

Second in the list goes to Tong Ratrawee (โต้ง รัชระวี)

Third is Poy Treechada (ปอย ตรีชฎา)

Next is Nong Kangsadan (โหน่ง กังสดาล)

The last and not least on my list is Film Thanyarat (ฟิล์ม ธัญรัศม์)

I totally respect them.

And they can even beat some girls out there...

Happy Mother's Day

2011-08-14T14:43:00.003+07:00

Sorry for being a bit late due to busy with my works.

Anyways HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THAI PEOPLE!!!!

Most Comfortable Public Transport On Land

2011-08-03T04:14:00.009+07:00

Rot Tour (รถทัวร์) in Thai is known as Express Bus.

They are indeed the most comfortable public transport on land.

Can even beat Air Asia I suppose.

Rot Tour are divided into few categories.

From the first class to the third class.

First class buses normally have no more than 30 seaters.

There will be an attendant serving snacks and drinks.

Depending on the company, sometimes meals are included for passengers.

I normally travel between Bangkok and Udon Thani by express bus if the air ticket is too expensive.

Most of these buses have personal massage chair and a small monitor for their passengers.

I normally take Busarakham or Chan Tour.

For me they are the best bus operators serving Northeastern journey.

Early Morning Minor Accident

2011-07-27T20:59:00.002+07:00

This was what happened in the morning when Noon was driving on the way from Muang Udon to Nam Som.

This accident occured at 6:30am as Noon was trying to escape from crashing into the black pick up truck in the photo below.

I wasn't at the scene. I was relieved after Noon and May (Golf's girlfriend) escaped without injuries.

Lunch

2011-07-21T00:03:00.006+07:00

Som Tam Poo Pla Ra (ส้มตำปลาร้า), Som Tam Thai (ส้มตำไทย), Khanom Jin (ขนมจีน), Wichien Buri Grilled Chicken and Pad Thai (ผัดไทย) for lunch almost everyday...

What a fantastic life...

Postcards from PAI

2011-07-19T06:52:00.005+07:00

One of the most beautiful places in the kingdom...

Thai General Election 2011 Summary

2011-07-12T05:01:00.008+07:00

2011 Super League Champion

2011-07-07T02:30:00.006+07:00

After a long wait, The Red Warriors finally become 2011 Malaysian Super League Champion!!

Congratulations!!!!

p/s : My Bangkok Glass FC is still struggling in Thai Premier League.

New Prime Minister

2011-07-04T00:16:00.004+07:00

Yingluck Shinawatra (ยิ่งลักษณ์ ชินวัตร) is set to be Thailand's first female prime minister after Pheu Thai Party (พรรคเพื่อไทย) won a majority of 500 House of Representative seats in the general election.

I personally think that there are many things for her to catch up next. From the Thai - Cambodian border dispute to the Southern Thailand insurgency.

Anyways, good luck to her.

We Decide!!!

2011-07-03T07:50:00.003+07:00

Today is the day.

We will know the result by 10pm tonight.

Na Yung - Nam Som National Park (อุทยานแห่งชาตินายูง - น้ำโสม)

2011-06-23T13:31:00.011+07:00

After lunch, we drove from Nam Som to Na Yung to meet a client who ordered a huge amount of zinc roof from us.

Half way to Na Yung, he called to cancel the appointment.

And since we're already in Na Yung District, Noon decided that we visit Yung Thong Waterfall (น้ำตกยูงทอง) which isn't that far away.

Yung Thong Waterfall is located in Na Yung - Nam Som National Park on the ridge of Phu Phan and Phu Ya Ou where a stream flows through the steep rock cliff.

The park was empty when we were there.

There were only few locals can be seen including few staffs from the park headquarter.

Yung Thong Waterfall is about 575 meters away from the park headquarter.

We followed the path and being accompanied by a dog.

Climbing up the hill is not an easy task for Noon especially after lunch.

Plus we did not bring any water as we didn't expect that we actually need to hike.

I assumed that this waterfall is about 20 meters high.

There's a huge pond where tourists can swim.

It look quite scary for me.

We decided to hike back to the parking area before going back to Nam Som as Noon seems to be very exhausted.

There's also a view point which is about 400 meters away from Yung Thong Waterfall which I haven't got the chance to visit.

Pha Daeng Viewpoint (จุดชมวิวผาแดง) is a high steep sandstone cliff overlooking a beautiful panoramic view.

Not far from Pha Daeng, there is a small cave where Luang Pu Man Phurithatto used to stay for insight development.

I'll make sure that I will be back for Pha Daeng Viewpoint if I got the chance to stop by at this quiet national park again.

Vinh Hung Restaurant

2011-06-19T22:39:00.005+07:00

We noticed this restaurant while we were touring around the ancient town of Hoi An.

After some rest, we walked from our hotel to the ancient town again to have dinner.

Vinh Hung Restaurant is located just in front of Cantonese Assembly Hall.

I would have come to sit at the restaurant almost every night if I were to stay in Hoi An.

The atmosphere was just nice.

I felt very comfortable having dinner there.

We ordered Hoi An style chicken rice, spring rolls, fried spring rolls and Bahn Xeo (Vietnamese pancake).

I can't remember how much we paid for the dinner but I am sure that it's cheap.

Old House of Tan Ky and Quan Thang

2011-06-15T01:22:00.010+07:00

We visited the Old House of Tan Ky while we were in Hoi An.

This house can be considered as one of the historical buildings there.

When we entered the house, one of their guides checked our tickets.

She then explained to us about the architecture and history of the house.

The Old House of Tan Ky has a unique combination of three types of architecture.

The beams of the roof are curve and they display some Chinese information in an elaborate way while the peak roof bears Japanese characteristics in it and the Vietnamese crosshatch stands as a support to the roof of the old house.

The age of the old house is approximately a couple of centuries and was built by Chinese merchant who came to Hoi An.

Many tourists left behind their name cards on the wall near the kitchen.

Noon did left hers as well.

This house is taken care by a lady who is also the great great great granddaughter (can't remember which generation of the family) of the Chinese merchant who built the house.

We then walked around and decided to visit Old House of Quan Thang.

Unlike Old House of Tan Ky, this old house doesn't provide any guide except for an old man who checked our tickets.

Similar to the Old House of Tan Ky, this old house was built by a Chinese captain in the early 18th century.

There's nothing interesting in this old house compared to Tan Ky's.

You can actually skip the Old House of Quan Thang if you had already visited the Tan Ky's.

Visiting old houses in Hoi An actually gave us an idea on what it was like while living in the house in Hoi An those days.

Cantonese Assembly Hall

2011-06-09T00:41:00.009+07:00

Quang Trieu Assembly Hall or better known as Cantonese Assembly Hall is one of the most famous historical buildings in Hoi An.

This assembly hall used to be a place to rest for Chinese traders from Guangdong.

This colorful assembly hall was built is 1885 by Chinese merchants.

The different parts of the building are separately made in China.

After finishing the work, those parts were transferred here and joined together to build the Quang Trieu Assembly Hall.

The Assembly Hall holds an amazing fountain that features a dragon which is a beautiful creation made out of pottery.

Various Cantonese statues are spread out all over the hall.

I really find this assembly hall interesting.

Other than this Cantonese Assembly Hall, there are also Phuc Kien (Fukien) Assembly Hall and Trieu Chau (Teochew) Assembly Hall situated nearby to each other.

Nowadays, I bet that Chinese in Hoi An can no longer speak Chinese.

We tried to chat with a Chinese guy who look after the assembly hall and he speaks only Vietnamese.

Hoi An Japanese Bridge

2011-06-08T00:27:00.009+07:00

This Japanese Bridge is one of the landmarks in Hoi An.

It was built in the early 17th century by Japanese traders who lived in the town.

The Japanese built the bridge to do business with the locals on the other side of the stream.

Centuries later, after the Japanese left, Chinese and Vietnamese communities in Hoi An continued to restore the bridge.

They built a small temple dedicated to The Emperor of The North on the bridge.

We spent less than 15 minutes on the bridge as it was crowded with western tourists.

This bridge looks really beautiful at night.

Nam Som - The Humble Land

2011-06-05T19:58:00.008+07:00

Nam Som is a district in northwest of Udon Thani with 7 Tambons. About 2 hours journey (1 ½ hours if the traffic is smooth) from Udon Thani town, Nam Som is a place where the locals lead a simple life.

Most of the 10000 inhabitants here are farmers. Like other rural areas in Thailand, everything here seems to move very slowly. I really enjoy living in Nam Som.

The town of Nam Som is just like a ‘Cowboy’ town. Not crowded at all. The main road can be a little bit busy early in the morning where people started to start their daily life by going to the market.

Amazing Thailand

2011-06-01T07:43:00.003+07:00

Although we were in Vietnam, Thailand still seems to be Amazing!!!

Abhisit or Yingluck???

2011-05-31T01:36:00.005+07:00

Democrat

or

Pheu Thai

Hoi An

2011-05-09T15:53:00.013+07:00

Hoi An, a small antique town in Quang Nam Province situated in central Vietnam. This small and peaceful town is where you may get stuck for few days.

We arrived in Da Nang from Saigon and took a cab straight from Da Nang Airport to Hoi An. We paid 14USD and arrived less than 45 minutes later.

We check-in to a small guesthouse which is 5 minutes away by foot to the Old Town area.

Left our backpacks in the room and left for the Old Town.

If you are staying anywhere in Hoi An, it is not necessary to rent a bike unless you plan to go to An Bang Beach which is about 2 or 3 km from the town.

In the past, Hoi An has been used by the Japanese, Portuguese, Dutch and Chinese as a trading port.

However, in the early years of 20th century, Thu Bon River became silted up forcing cargo ships to call at Da Nang instead.

Remnants of the past traders' influences can still be seen today.

There are 9 different types of historical sites in Hoi An with an average age of 200 years.

Many of this sites have been maintained close to their original form.

Hoi An is full of shops selling art works, souvenirs, antique bowls etc.

It is also way more quiet than Saigon.

There are few cars and people here and they do not use their horns for every 2 seconds.

Bikes are not allowed to enter the Old Town during certain periods.

It is to make tourists more comfortable walking on the streets.

During night time, bikes are still not allowed to enter the old town.

I can say that the night time in Hoi An is more crowded where there are night markets, restaurants, bars and shows going on.

Although Hoi An is just a small town, I really feel comfortable here.

The locals are friendly than those in Saigon.

This is the best place in Vietnam so far,... for me.

We are planning to return to Hoi An again soon.

Driving from Mukdahan in Thailand, through to Savannakhet in Laos and then to Lao Bao of Vietnam.

Cu Chi Tunnels

2011-05-06T01:11:00.009+07:00

After visiting Cao Dai Temple, we went to Cu Chi Tunnels which is in Cu Chi District.

After 2 hours journey, we realized that Cu Chi is actually nearer than Cao Dai Temple.

The entrance fee is 80000 VND.

Before starting the tour, our guide brought us to watch a short documentary about the tunnels.

He then explained about the history of the tunnels.

The tunnels were dug with simple tools and bare hands during the French occupation in the 1940s and further expanded during the Vietnam War to provide refuge and a defensive advantage over the American soldiers.

Noon did tried to enter one of the trap doors which leads down to Cu Chi Tunnels.

Our guide then brought us to see the booby trap with bamboo spikes.

There are a lot of 'doors' which can bring you into the tunnels.

Despite all the bombings, the Viet Cong guerrillas were able to continue their lives beneath the soil, where they ate, planned attacks, healed their sick and taught their young.

However, during night time, some of the Viet Cong guerrillas went out for farming and some even slept outside the tunnels as the Americans did not launch any attack overnight.

There is a shooting range and tourists can choose to fire between the AK-47, M16, M60, Magnum 44 etc.

Thanks to the American soldiers as they left too many bullets back in Vietnam.

These days, the Vietnamese are making money with those left over bullets.

Tunnel which is open and considered safe for tourists is about 100 meters long.

It has been made larger for western tourists.

Noon went down first and then me. Followed by a Dutch guy, 2 Australians and a British couple.

Out of so many who joined the tour, only 7 of us managed to crawl 100 meters.

It is better to leave your bag on the coach. For those with huge bag and camera, Good Luck!!

Some of the souvenirs left by American soldiers.

It was really a fun and exhausting tour.

Everybody enjoyed it and we ended up in Saigon at 7pm.

Cao Dai Temple

2011-04-27T17:54:00.005+07:00

Vietnam's youngest religion is Cao Daism. Founded in 1920s in Southern Vietnam, this religion has around 3 million followers.

Built between 1933 and 1955, this temple is located in Tay Ninh Province. 2 hours from Ho Chi Minh City.

Cao Dai Temple closely resembles a Christian cathedral in its architecture.

Two square towers, a long central nave with upper gallery and side aisles.

The altar, an apse and ambulatory are at the opposite end from the entrance just as in a typical church.

Cao Dai is a syncretist Vietnamese religious movement with a strongly nationalist political character.

Cao Dai draws upon ethical precepts from Confucianism, occult practices from Taoism, theories of karma and rebirth from Buddhism and a hierarchical organization from Roman Catholic.

There are four ceremonies with chanting each day at 6 am, 12 pm, 6 pm and 12am.

An orchestra of 10 musicians and a choir of 20 youths lead the service in prayer and hymns.

The hymns sound western but the accompanying music is traditional Vietnamese.

We arrived at 12:20pm and the noon ceremony had already started.

Tourists are welcomed to watch from the balcony above which runs the entire length of the temple.

The 3 Saints. From left Sun Yat Sen, Victor Hugo and Nguyen Binh Khiem.

The most important symbol is the Divine Eye representing God.

On the way to this temple, we passed by quite a number of villages.

There are many Cao Dai temples along the road to this grand temple but none of them are as grand as this one.

I did saw a Cao Dai Temple in Danang as well.

Phở 2000

2011-04-24T17:52:00.005+07:00

Phở is a Vietnamese noodle soup served with either beef or chicken, Thai basil and lime.

The best restaurant for Phở is most probably Phở 2000. Located just next to Ben Thanh Market.

This restaurant was visited by the former US President, Bill Clinton during his visit to Saigon.

I ordered a beef Phở and it was really good. Phở is pronounced as the word 'Fur' in english.

For Noon, she ordered a soup noodle as well. The soup looked like Tom Yam but the taste was totally different. I can't remember what's the name of that noodle.

Deep Fried Spring Rolls in this restaurant isn't that bad as well.

And finally, we paid 192,000 VND for the meal above including 2 cans of coke.

Reunification Palace

2011-04-23T00:08:00.010+07:00

Reunification Palace is open from 7:30am to 11am and 1pm to 4pm. This palace was once known as Independence Palace. Reunification Palace was the home of South Vietnamese President.

The entrance fee for the palace is 30,000 VND.

On the ground floor, there are cabinet meeting rooms and a banquet hall.

The President's Office is located on the 1st floor of the building together with some other reception rooms for international delegates.

This building has 3 storeys, 2 mezzanines, 1 terrace, 1 ground floor and 1 basement.

While walking around in the palace, we were confused on the direction. Thanks to the guard on duty who tried to help us although he couldn't speak English.

There are only 3 floors and a basement which are open for tourists.

The toppest floor houses a library, an entertainment room, First Lady's reception room and a cinema.

Afterall, the most interesting part of the palace for me is the basement.

There are war rooms with lots of maps on the wall, old radios etc.

It gave me feeling as I was in a submarine.

After the basement, we entered an exhibition room with is on the ground floor.

There are lots of old photos hanging on the wall with descriptions together with some certificates and weapons.

Just before we exit, there are rooms where tourists can watch a documentary film on the palace in English, French, Chinese and Vietnamese.

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office

2011-04-21T01:01:00.007+07:00

Accidentally dropped my camera when we were in Hoi An. Almost all of the photos that we took after that are blur depending on my camera's mood. Including some of the photos below....

Since the Reunification Palace was closed for lunch break (I guess so), we walked around and trying to visit Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office which are not far away.

Too bad that we couldn't enter the cathedral as it was also closed and we took photos in front of it together with Virgin Mary's statue.

Built between 1863 to 1880 by French colonists, this cathedral is very famous in Ho Chi Minh City. Shouldn't be missed if you visit the city.

Just next to the cathedral is the Central Post Office.

The most famous one in the city.

There are souvenir shops in the post office. We bought some post cards here. Noon found out that all of the souvenirs here are much more expensive that those in Ben Thanh Market.

Uncle Ho's potrait...

In Thailand, we can see our King's potrait everywhere.

In Saigon, we saw Uncle Ho's. But not as many as our beloved King.

Ben Thanh Market

2011-04-20T09:29:00.004+07:00

One of the most famous market in Ho Chi Minh City is this market. The Ben Thanh Market. The Vietnamese style of our Thai Jatujak Market. However, Ben Thanh Market is way smaller than Jatujak.

There are handicrafts, textiles, souvenirs, food etc. being sold at this market.

This market is open daily until about 5 or 6 pm. After that, the night market will take over the scene. There are food stalls and many other stalls being set up beside the market.

The authorities should ban motorcycles from coming into the night market like what they did in Hoi An as it is difficult to walk with motorcycles coming in and out. Not forgetting their irritating honk!!

People's Committee Hall, Uncle Ho's Statue and The Saigon Opera House

2011-04-18T23:07:00.011+07:00

After visiting Ho Chi Minh City Museum, Noon and I walked to the People's Committee Hall which is quite near to the museum.

Formerly known as Hotel de Ville, this French colonial building is beautifully located behind Uncle Ho's Statue.

After some photography sessions with both the statue and building, we walked to The Saigon Opera House which is just few hundred meters away.

We did not enter the building. Walked back to our hotel to get our room key.

Ho Chi Minh City Museum

2011-04-17T12:33:00.014+07:00

Ho Chi Minh City Museum was the first attraction that we visited in Vietnam. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City quite early and while waiting for our room to be ready, we decided to walk around the city and visit the museum.

The entrance fee for this museum is 15000 VND. It was once called Gia Long Palace before the Fall of Saigon.

The exhibits in this museum cover a broad range from archaeology to ethnic survey, early photos of the city and documents from its founding in the 1600s.

The second floor is heavy on Vietnam's ongoing revolution with displays of weapons and memorabilia from the period of struggle against imperialism and many flags, placards and dispatches from the rise of Communism all the way to the fall of Saigon.

There is an interesting collections of US fighter jets, armed helicopter, tank and artillery in the main courtyard.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2011-04-17T11:11:00.003+07:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all Thai and Lao People!!! I'm a little bit late as I was away during Songkran this year.

สวัสดีปีใหม่เด้อ

New Thai Povince

2011-04-03T03:50:00.003+07:00

March 23rd 2011, Bueng Kan (บึงกาฬ), a district in Nongkhai Province was upgraded to be a new province of Thailand. Bueng Kan is the latest province in Thailand Isan region after Nong Bua Lamphu and Amnat Jaroen.

Bueng Kan is divided into 8 different districts and is under Governor Mr Somphong Arunrotpanya. Now, there are 20 provinces all together in Isan.

Thai Movies in Malaysian Cinemas

2011-03-29T09:27:00.010+07:00

I accidently went into a Malaysian cinema website while surfing the internet just now. Seems like Thai movies are quite famous there.

At the moment, the cinemas are playing a Thai romantic comedy called Rot Fai Fah... Maha Na Ter (รถไฟฟ้า..มาหานะเธอ) or Bangkok Traffic Love Story in English. Kuan Muen Ho (กวน มึน โฮ) or Hello Stranger is coming up next.

Rot Fai Fah... Maha Na Ter is actually a movie of Mei Li, a 30 year old woman feeling desperate about being last among her friends yet to marry.

She meets Lung, an engineer working with BTS Skytrain and falls in love with him.

This movie was released in Thailand on 15th October 2009. Watched it several times.

The casting of Ken Theeradej as the male lead helped boosted the film's appeal.

Next, Kuan Muen Ho, a story about a young Thai man (Toe Chantawit) and woman (Nuna Nuengthida) who meet by coincidence while on vacation in South Korea. They decided to tour Korea together while keeping their names secret from each other.

Kuan Muen Ho was released in Thailand on 19th August 2010. From the begining of the movie, I was entertained by the storyline. However, the ending was a little bit sucks!!!

It's good to see Thai movies being aired outside Thailand. This can be considered as one of the achievements in Thai entertainment industry.

One Province One Concert (OPOC)

2011-03-29T04:05:00.004+07:00

I did not manage to go for Carabao 30 years concert at the Velodrome in Hua Mak lately.

However, Carabao has a huge project where they will be touring around in Thailand and play about 100 concerts in 77 provinces.

Starting on 1st April in Suphanburi, it will end in Prachinburi on 15th December. They will be in Udon on 24th October and I hope that I can be there.

Venues for Carabao's concert in 3 deep southernmost provinces are still to be advised.

Washington D.C. - The National Mall (Part 1)

2011-03-23T17:09:00.007+07:00

One fine morning, Eve and her boyfriend, Richard decided to bring us to the National Mall. Eve is Noon's childhood friend and currently studying in Washington D.C.

Some says that D.C. is a walking city.

Well, it really is.

We walked to the National Mall that morning.

It is interesting to see American style 'Sam Lor'...

We walked passed The White House.

It looks pretty quiet.

Maybe Mr President was away...

Well, the National Mall is actually a park in downtown Washington D.C. It houses few famous statues and monuments in the world such as Lincoln Memorial, US Capitol Building and Washington Monument.

If you play City of Wonder on Facebook, you will notice that the Washington Monument looks like the obelisk that we get for free in the game.

Then we stopped at the National World War II Memorial. This memorial is dedicated to American servicemen who served in the armed forces during World War II.

These pillars represent states in the US.

National World War II Memorial is walking distance from Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

Photo below is the Atlantic Arch and is dedicated to the Atlantic Theatre.

There's Pacific Arch opposite Atlantic Arch which is dedicated to the Pacific Theater.

There are 4048 golden stars on the Freedom Wall. Each representing 100 Americans who died in the war.

4048 x 100 = American servicemen who died during World War II.

From World War II Memorial, we walked along the Reflecting Pool to Lincoln Memorial. Exactly the same as in the movie, Night at the Museum 2.

Reflecting Pool... Now I know why it is called Reflecting Pool.

The memorial houses a huge statue of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

The 16th President's statue sitting overlook the Reflecting Pool and Washington Monument.

We can't cover the park in a day. Maybe just us. So we planned to revisit the park again on the other day for the Air and Space Museum, US Capitol Building etc.

It was a very tiring day and we decided to take Metro back. The nearest to The Mall is Smithsonian Station.

End of Part 1.

Fort Macon

2011-03-21T01:09:00.010+07:00

Located in Carteret County, North Carolina, Fort Macon is a North Carolina State Park which was opened in 1936. This state park is near the Atlantic Beach. Fort Macon served as a military prison during the War Between the States. According to the ranger, this fort also served as a federal prison during the Spanish - American war before being closed in 1903.

This massive brick baking oven stood in the center of casemate 12 until the US Army demolished it during the World War II occupation of the fort.

Their uniforms....

Firearms that the soldiers used...

The most exciting part of the trip was to visit the museum room located in the fort casemates. There were restored quarters which offer a look into the lives of the soldiers and officers of the fort.

Those tags were collected from men who lost their lives during the war.

That's the real cannon in the photo below. It was used to set wooden warships on fire during an attack.

An excellent view of the ocean on top of the citadel.

The park also offers surf fishing, nature trails, ranger guided tours etc. There are no fees to enjoy the park. Feel free to visit the ranger's office in one of the casemates if you seek any helps. The best time to visit Fort Macon is during summer where there will be attendants on duty to assist visitors through out the season.

Hollywood Sign

2011-03-20T04:16:00.009+07:00

It was Sunday morning and P'Pu decided to go hiking at the Griffith Park, Los Feliz, LA. Griffith Park is famous for the Hollywood Sign, one of LA's iconic symbol. There were a lot of activities that can be done but the main reason we went was for the sign! Met up with P'Pu's friend and we went hiking together.

The sign was erected in 1923 and then rebuilt in 1979 and in 2010, we were standing behind the 9 letters across the 1675 foot summit of Mount Lee overlooking the entire LA basin.

A security system featuring motion detection and closed circuit cameras had been installed by the LAPD to prevent unauthorized access. Just thought of climbing over the fence.

Jamestown, Guilford County

2011-03-19T18:21:00.004+07:00

Attending English course at University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) was a good experience. Staying with Pa'Porn in a place called Jamestown in Guilford County, somewhere in the suburb of Greensboro was also a good (in some ways) experience.

During winter, there were a lot of snow wars going on in the neighbourhood.

As a hyperactive kid, Darren loves winter.

Every evening during winter, Darren will be out to play snow in front of the house.

p/s : This and the next few entries are a little bit out of the theme 'Thailand Everyday'.

The Huge Mile Stone

2011-03-16T20:53:00.004+07:00

This huge mile stone is located between the Udon Thani - Nongkhai Highway. On the way back from Nongkhai, we stopped and took few photos with this mile stone.

Daily Life in Namsom

2011-03-07T02:13:00.012+07:00

Living in Namsom is relaxing. Day passes by very slow. Well, when the factory is not busy, I will join Na Sakon and Boom to send zinc roofs to our customers at their doorstep. Normally we receive a lot of orders from Nayung District which is about 30 minutes away from Namsom. Last week, we received order from Ban Samakkee which is not far from our place, Ban Na Ngua. At first, Na Sakon drove through paved road for about 5 minutes.

Then he turned into an unpaved road.

We stopped for a while to tighten up the belt so that the zinc roofs don't slipped off.

Most of the residents in this area are farmers. I did not expect to visit this rural place. To be honest, this is not my first time visiting the rural areas in Isan but I just felt that this place is just so isolated.

Staying in Udon Thani city, I felt amazed. At first, I thought that the rural areas in Isan will look more and less like Ban Na Ngua. Well, Im wrong. This is actually the REAL rural area of Isan.

On our journey to our first customer's house, we hardly see anyone on the road. Most of them were on their farms and almost every houses here if not all has a Kubota tractor.

When we arrived at the first house, we unloaded the zinc roofs. People here are really friendly and humble. They speak a very deep Isan dialect which Boom and I sometimes doesn't understand. Na Sakon is a local guy from Ban Na Ngua. So he will do the talking while unloading the goods.

After sending off the zinc roofs to the second customer, we went back to the factory. From what I observed, these farmers must had kept their money for months to purchase the zinc roofs to renovate their houses. Well, our products much cheaper than the other factory though!!!! Maybe this helps!!!

Plus they do lead a simple and easy life. Now I guess I am used to live in a small town called Ban Na Ngua in Namsom District. It is a good experience to live in 'Bannok' (Rural Area) sometimes...

Thai Port FC Football Kit

2011-03-04T08:49:00.008+07:00

Thai Port FC (การท่าเรือไทย เอฟซี) is not my favourite football club in Thailand. When I walked around The Outlet Udon Thani, the Adidas outlet was having a discount. Guess what, the Thai Port FC football kit was just 220 Baht. The original price was 790 Baht. Without thinking twice, I grabbed the jersey and walked towards the cashier....

Result for Geography and Memory Test

2011-03-03T04:47:00.003+07:00

Well, I got Isan and Southern Thailand correct. Uthai Thani, Phetchabun and Nakorn Sawan which I categorized under Central Thailand should be moved to Northern Thailand instead.

There are 3 provinces which I left out on Northern Thailand. Phitsanulok, Phrae and Phichit.

I left out 7 provinces on Central Thailand which are Ang Thong, Chainat, Nakorn Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Chanthaburi and Prachuab Khiri Khan.

Overall, I'm still weak in Central and Northern Thailand's geography.

Geography and Memory Test

2011-03-03T03:56:00.005+07:00

Well, I'm doing the overnight shift this week. Damn, its freaking boring and since I'm quite free, I would like to test my memory on the provinces of Thailand. As I know, there are 76 provinces in the kingdom including Bangkok. So now, I would like to test myself if I could remember all the provinces and categorize them under the 4 region system without any reference. We'll know the result in the next entry.

Let's start with Isan : Udon Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Mahasarakham, Khon Kaen, Nongkhai, Sakon Nakorn, Nakorn Panom, Mukdahan, Sisaket, Buriram, Surin, Korat, Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Roi Et, Yasothon, Kalasin, Amnat Charoen, Chaiyaphum. (Done!!)

Now, let's try the southern part : Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala, Satun, Songkhla, Pattalung, Nakorn Si Thammarat, Trang, Krabi, Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong, Chumporn, Surat Thani. (That's all I guess)

Central Thailand : Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkram, Samut Sakhon, Lopburi, Ayuthaya, Suphanburi, Cha Choeng Sao, Nakorn Nayok, Saraburi, Singburi, Nakorn Sawan, Phetchabun, Uthai Thani, Ratchaburi, Chonburi, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi, Trat, Sakaew, Prachinburi, Rayong. (I can't remember some of the provinces)

Northern Thailand : Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, Tak, Phayao, Lampang, Lamphun, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Nan, Kamphaengphet. (I'm not so good in Northern Thailand)

I think I'm going to submit it now. Managed to remember 66 provinces anyways!!

The Top 5 Fighters

2011-02-28T01:19:00.004+07:00

I'm a huge fan of Martial Art especially Muay Thai. There are top 5 Muay Thai fighters in my own list.

The first one will be Orono Wor Petchpun a former Lumpini Stadium Champion with a record of 119 (20 KOs) wins, 35 loses and 3 draws. The most memorable match that I watched was Orono against Dutch fighter Ramon Dekker where he hammered Dekker and won by decision in 1993.

Second in my list is legendary Saekson Janjira. A fierce and heartless fighter which is now a trainer in his own gym in the US. He has over 200 fights during his active years. He had broken few ribs and legs while fighting in the ring.

Yodsaenklai Fairtex is third in my list. This Nong Bua Lamphu native is the former super welterweight WBC Muay Thai World champion and three times Lumpini champion. He is also the champion of The Contender Asia after defeating Australian legend John Wayne Parr. He has a record of 171 (63 KOs) wins, 69 loses and 4 draws.

Buakaw Por Pramuk with a record of 195 (49 KOs) wins, 21 (1 KO) loses and 12 draws comes in fourth. He is a former Omnoi Stadium Champion, two times K-1 World MAX champion and 2010 Shoot Boxing S Cup champion.

Last on my list is Anuwat Kaewsamrit of Kaewsamrit Gym. This former Lumpini and Ratchadamnoen Stadium champion is known for his powerful hand. He has won 90 (41 KOs) matches, lost 42 and drew 4.

Actually, there are more fighters like Sakmongkol Sitchuchoke, Changphuek Kiatsongrit, Naruepol Fairtex, Samkor Kiatmonthep etc. and they are in my next top 5 list. ^_^

Thai Prison Anthem! 555!!

2011-02-26T00:57:00.002+07:00

I watched 8E88 แฟนลั้ลลา, a Thai comedy movie and I love this scene the most!!!

Malaysian Registered Van???

2011-02-24T11:40:00.003+07:00

When we were on the way back from Tha Sadet Market in Nongkhai, I saw a Malaysian registered car in Udon Thani. Well, maybe not used to the Thai traffic light, that van caused a little traffic jam near Phosri Road.

That guy must be driving on a very long journey from Malaysia to Udon Thani. This is the first time I saw Malaysian registered vehicle in Isan. Normally I only seen Lao registered vehicles here as we are near to Laos. Well, the picture that I took was not so clear.

Mobile Phone Credit Booth (ตู้เติมเงิน )

2011-02-23T08:41:00.005+07:00

I first noticed Mobile Phone Credit Booth was when I visited Ayuthaya in 2009. However, I did not use it before. Until last week that I have to reload my mobile phone's credit. The 7-11 near my house on Adulyadet Road has been shut for renovation and I was quite lazy to go further.

The booth is normally being placed in front of any shops. Can actually spot it almost everywhere here in Udon Thani.

It is easy to use as I just need to follow the instructions given. I can actually reload my credit as cheap as 10 Baht with this machine.

This is another way to reload your credit in Thailand if you are lazy to go to the 7-11 or grocery shop but make sure that your place do have the booth.

Bitagen and Ovaltine

2011-02-11T03:31:00.004+07:00

Whenever I enter 7-11, Tesco Lotus, Makro etc. I would not leave those premises without Bitagen and Ovaltine. My favourite drinks!!!

Sala Kaew Ku (ศาลาแก้วกู่)

2011-02-04T09:37:00.008+07:00

We actually didn't plan to go to Sala Kaew Ku at all. After doing some shoppings at the duty free complex on the Lao side, Noon suggested that we visit Sala Kaew Ku which is just about 5km from Nongkhai town. Since it's just 4:30pm, we drove to Sala Kaew Ku.

The entrance fee is only 20 Baht per head.

Sala Kaew Ku is an open museum of religious statues which was built by Luang Pu Bun Leua Surirat (หลวงปู่บุญเหลือสุรีรัตน์) in around 1976. Sala Kaew Ku shares the style of Luang Pu's earlier creation which lies on the Lao side, The Buddha Park.

For me, Sala Kaew Ku is not a Buddhist Temple. There is no monk here. There are a lot of Buddha statues with different sizes, images and attitudes.

Other than Buddha's statues, there are also many other statues representing Hinduism, Animism and Brahmanism. They are also in different sizes. Luang Pu created this park as out of his own belief that the teachings of all religions could be mixed together.

Sala Kaew Ku is also known as Wat Khaek (วัดแขก). It is on Nongkhai - Phon Phi Sai Road.

There are 2 huge ponds behind the park. Visitors can buy food to feed the fishes there. However, it was almost 6pm and we must drive back to Udon Thani. Overall, Sala Kaew Ku is one of the attractions in Nong Khai and if you are there, just make a short visit to Sala Kaew Ku. This place worth a visit.

Fire and Water Elements in Udon Thani

2011-01-31T21:39:00.006+07:00

I woke up at 6:30am and as I went out to buy breakfast, I saw this on the sky. I was beautiful and that was the first time I'd seen something like this. These colourful red-orange skies look like a fierce fire from somewhere (hell??) to me.

However, on the other side, the sky was in dark blue and representing water. So it really looks like fire and water elements to me.

Couldn't concentrate on driving as I keep on looking and taking photos of these fire and water skies.

Nam Neung (แหนมเนือง)

2011-01-29T17:19:00.005+07:00

Nam Neung (แหนมเนือง) is quite a famous food in Nothern Isan region of Thailand. However, it is not a Thai food. Brought to Thailand by Vietnamese immigrants, the food is known as Nam Nuong in Vietnamese.

Noon and I bought a small box of VT Nam Neung for 120 Baht. All the ingredients are inside the box such as the meat balls, garlic, chillis, sauce, small spring roll sheets etc.

To have excellent taste of Nam Neung, mix all the ingredients on the small spring roll sheet and fold them (as long as they are all in together). Place the sauce together with the ingredients and I can guarantee you that you will like it.

I will never get bored with Nam Neung....

Phra Phutthabat Bua Bok (พระพุทธบาทบัวบก)

2011-01-22T20:37:00.016+07:00

Last Sunday, we planned to go to Thai - Lao Friendship Bridge in Nongkhai to do some shopping. Well, after busy attending customers who stopped by at the factory, we started our journey just before noon. Phra Phutthabat Bua Bok is located in Ban Mai, Tambon Muang Phan, Ban Phue District. We decided to stop and visit the temple as have to drive through Ban Phue from Nam Som.

This is where the Buddha's Holy Footprint was found along side with various Buddha images of Lanchang style. Later in 1920, the Chedi resembles to Phra That Phanom was built on top of the footprint.

The weather was good and we decided to have a walk around the area. Phra Phutthabat Bua Bok is actually situated in Phu Phrabat Historical Park which I visited few years back during Songkran. They are not far from each other. Phra Phutthabat Bua Bok is actually 3km from Phu Phrabat Historical Park.

Here, the evolution of nature and human civilization can be studied at the same time as there were caves with pre historic paintings.

Before we left, we gave merit at Wat Phra Phutthabat Nong Duang (วัดพระพุทธบาทหนองด้วง) which is just next to the Chedi.

Khao Kradong Forest Park (วนอุทยานเขากระโดง)

2011-01-20T13:08:00.007+07:00

On the way back from Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, we stopped by at Khao Kradong Forest Park (วนอุทยานเขากระโดง) just before the town of Buriram. This extinct volcano which stands at 265 meters high also houses the most important Buddha image of Buriram, Phra Suphattharabophit.

There are two ways to get to the top. By climbing the stairs or by driving. We drove up to the top as we already used a lot of energy at Prasat Him Phanom Rung. While driving up, we saw a pool which is believed to be the mouth of the volcano. The view on top of the hill was amazingly beautiful. You can see the town of Buriram which is about 7km away and its surrounding.

And then we saw this aquarium. There is a floating rock in it. Quite interesting though!!

The Italian Job

2011-01-18T01:18:00.005+07:00

When I was in Ao Nang, I did noticed that there are a lot of Italians. When there are many Italians, of course there are a lot of Italian Restaurants as well. The owners of these restaurants are Italians. In my own opinion, Italian food lovers in Asia should have try one of these Italian restaurants in Ao Nang when they are there.

~Cold~

2011-01-13T11:25:00.004+07:00

The weather in Nam Som is getting colder. Sometimes it drops till 14 degrees. Well this morning at about 8am, we drove from Muang Udon to Nam Som which is about 90km and passed through many narrow roads and the weather was terribly cold. It was foggy.

New Friends

2011-01-07T21:18:00.003+07:00

They are my new friends! Cute and playful! They were brought to the factory by Noon's father.

Well, this is 'K'...

And this is 'C'...

Sometimes you'll get tired playing with them...

Working in Nam Som

2011-01-06T21:53:00.009+07:00

Left Bangkok at 7:30pm on the January 5th with First Class Express Bus straight to Nam Som (น้ำโสม). Nam Som is a district in Udon Thani Province. I arrived at Nam Som at about 6am the next day.

Nam Som is a very small town and everybody here seems to know each other. There's no 7-11 here. The weather is very cold early in the morning and night.

This is why I came to Nam Som for. A job in a factory which sells Zinc Roof. For the first day, I learned how to operate the machines and some of the machines required me to use extra energy.

And that night after we finished work, Noon, Boom and I went to the town which is 2km from the factory to buy stuffs because we are going to eat Korean style BBQ or in thai which is known as Moo Krata (หมูกระทะ) or Neua Yang (เนื้อย่าง).

Prasat Hin Phanom Rung (ปราสาทหินพนมรุ้ง)

2010-12-29T02:26:00.026+07:00

After lunch, we proceeded our journey to Prasat Hin Phanom Rung in Prakhon Chai District. Before we can reach the entrance, we have to walk uphill. There are stalls selling souvenirs. After that, you will have to walk passed the management office of the historical park and finally you will reach the entrance. However, on the day we went, the security allowed us to walk in without any entrance fee.

After the ticket booth, there is are huge stone stairway for us to climb.

And finally, we arrived and saw the stunning Hindu temple. I felt like I've seen a temple similar like this before in Yogjakarta. I looks a bit similar to Prambanan and they are both Hindu temples but Phanom Rung has a Khmer design whereas Prambanan has a Javanese design.

Well, Khao Phanom Rung is an extinct volcano which has been dormant for 900,000 years. When the sanctuary was built on top of Khao Phanom Rung, slight alterations were made to the crater and it was turned into a huge reservoir with sufficient water supply for consumption.

Phanom Rung has been the original name of the mountain itself and the sanctuary on top of it since at least 989 or the 11th century A.D. Prasat Him Phanom Rung is a sanctuary dedicated to the Pasupata sect of Sivaite Hinduism which believed in the God Siva.

The construction of Prasat Hin Phanom Rung on top of the mountain was therefore compared to that of the God Siva's residence which is believed to be situated on top of Mount Kailasa.

Before we can climb the final staircase, we had to walk through the Royal Walkway. It is believed that the royal families (during the era when they built this sanctuary) visited Prasat Hin Phanom Rung. The walkway was paved with laterite and was 7 metres width and 160 metres length connects the outermost entrance porch to the first Naga Bridge. Stone pillars with the lotus-bud tip known as Sao Nang Riang (เสานางเรียง) or Sao Nang Charan (เสานางจรัล) line both sides of the walkway.

The photo below is the Bannalai (บรรณาลัย) or the library where religious documents were kept. There is pedestal upon which an image of worship assumed to be in Mahayana Buddhism was once enshrined. This Bannalai was built in the beginning of 13th century A.D. in Bayon arts style during the reign of King Jayavaraman VII of Cambodia.

Well, the photo below is the Prasat Noi (ปราสาทน้อย). It was built in Hindu religion. There has been no clear evidence whether it was dedicated to the Sivaite or the Vishnuvaite sect. The entrance of Prasat Noi is only in the front. The top of this minor prasat is probably non-finished or the superstructure might have collapsed and the building materials were removed for other purposes.

The 2 Bricks Prasats (ปราสาทอิฐสองหลัง) was built in the early of the 10th century A.D. in Koh Kaer arts style. It is assumed that there might have been a 3 Prasats that had been demolished when the principal Prasat was constructed. In addition, the standing sculptures of God Brahma and Goddess Brahmi of the Koh Kaer and Pre Rup arts styles were discovered. The are contemporary with these 2 brick Prasats.

Nandin (โคนนทิ) the mount of Shiva was the son of Kassayapa and Surabhi. Shiva wanted to be his follower but minded for being a female. Kassayapa volunteered to mate the cow who gave birth to a bull named Nandin, presented to be Shiva's guardian together with Mahakala of the eastern entrance to Shiva's residence on Mount Kailasa and turned into a bull and acted as his mount when Shiva went out.

And finally we left by exiting the other entrance. We drove back to Mahasarakham but on the way, we stopped by Khao Kradong Forest Park (วนอุทยานเขากระโดง).

Wichien Buri Grilled Chicken (ไก่ย่างวิเชียรบุรี)

2010-12-28T07:15:00.005+07:00

We planned to visit Prasat Phanom Rung (ปราสรทพนมรุ้ง) in Buriram and on the way there, we stopped by a stall beside the road. Can't remember which Amphoe is it and the seller is using the Wichien Buri brand. Wichien Buri is quite famous for its grilled chicken and sauce.

After almost 3 hours driving from Mahasarakham, we decided to have our lunch at this stall.

We ordered 2 Tam Thai, 2 Tam Lao, 2 plates of grilled chicken and we paid 160 Baht. The sauce which we ate with the grilled chicken was awesome. We brought our own sticky rice, omelette and fried beef. After having our lunch, we continued our journey to Prasat Phanom Rung.

The Graduation Day

2010-12-27T09:28:00.007+07:00

On the graduation day, we arrived in Sakon Nakorn Rajabhat University early in the morning and there were a lot of people already. Traffic was terrible and traffic police were on duty.

By 8am, Noon and other students went into the graduation hall. Family members were not allowed to go in. Certificates will be presented by Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

We waited for Noon until 2pm and then went back to Mahasarakham. A very long day....

บ้านนอก (Countryside)

2010-12-26T10:22:00.004+07:00

Everytime when I listen to this song, I feel like going back to my own countryside...

ทุกวันศุกร์ วันเสาร์ วันอาทิตย์
ก่อน วันจันทร์ ฉันเฝ้าถามเพื่อนๆว่าจะไปที่ไหน
ไปที่ไหนกัน ทุกคนตอบเสียงเดียวว่า
จะกลับบ้านนอก ไปพักให้มันส์
ไปขเนกเกกมะเรกสุดจะเสกเมื่อใดก็ได้ดังฝัน
บางคนมีภูเขาบางคนมีทะเล อยู่หลังบ้านมัน
บางคนไปเข้าถ้ำบางคนออกตากแดด จนตัวดำ
บ้างวิ่งเล่นท้องนาบ้างคลุกขี้เลน กับควายของมัน
ทุกคนตอบเสียงเดียวว่า โอ๊ยเป้ แม่งโคตรๆมัน
ทำให้ฉัน ฉันอยากจะมีบ้านนอก มีของตัวเอง
ไว้กลับไปในยามวังเวง ฉันอยากจะมีบ้านนอกเป็นของตัวเอง
ไว้กลับอย่างใครเขา ฉันอิจฉาเพื่อนๆที่กลับบ้านนอก
ไปพักผ่อนในยามเมา เมาควันรถ ควันคน ควันถนน ควันทุนนิยม
โฮ โฮ่ โฮ่ะ โฮ โฮ่ โฮ่ะ โฮ โฮ
เวลาฉันหิวข้าวฉันเข้าเซเว่น สั่งข้าวกล่องอีซี่โกลด์
แต่เพื่อนฉันทำเนื้อเขากินเขาซอย
อร่อยจนร้องโอ้โห เพื่อนฉันทางอิสาณซแตกลาบเป็ด
กับแหนมเนืองคำโต คิดถึงปักใต้ทีไรแกงพุงปลารสเผ็ด
อร่อยจนน้ำลายสอ แต่ฉันได้แค่ค้อน หากฉันมีเงินยี่สิบบาท
ฉันจะได้น้ำปิดฉลากกับยี่ห้อโก้ๆ
หากไม่มีเงินสักบาท ฉันคงต้องร้องแล่ะปล่อยให้ท้องมันหิวโซ
แต่เขาปลูกผักหลังบ้านวันหนึ่งมีกินไม่ต่ำกว่าสามโล
แล้วไปหาเพื่อนบ้าน แลกหมูแลกวัวแลกเป็ดแลกไก่
เต้าหู้ถูกๆ อยู่กินอย่างไฮโซ ไม่ต้องคอยโมโห
ฉันอยากจะมีบ้านนอก มีของตัวเอง
ไว้กลับไปในยามวังเวง ฉันอยากจะมีบ้านนอกเป็นของตัวเอง
ไว้กลับอย่างใครเขา ฉันอิจฉาเพื่อนๆที่กลับบ้านนอก
ไปพักผ่อนในยามเมา เมาควันรถ ควันคน ควันถนน ควันทุนนิยม
โฮ โฮ่ โฮ่ะ โฮ โฮ่ โฮ่ะ โฮ โฮ
วันนึงฉันจะไปอาศัยอยู่ที่สวรรค์คารัย
แล้วเธอต้องตามฉันไป แล่ะหายๆ
เพราะฉันจะมีบ้านนอก เป็นของตัวเอง
ไว้กลับไปในยามวังเวง
เพราะฉันจะมีบ้านนอก เป็นของตัวเอง
ให้เหมือนกับใครๆเขา จะเลิกอิจฉาเพื่อนๆที่กลับบ้านนอก
ไปพักผ่อนในยามเมา เมาควันรถ ควันคน ควันถนน ควันทุนนิยม
โฮ โฮ่ โฮ่ะ โฮ โฮ่ โฮ่ะ โฮ โฮ

The song is about a city boy who doesn't have hometown. So when weekend comes, he asked his friends if they have any place to hang out but they answered him that they are going back to their hometown which is in the countryside.

There are hills and some have sea behind their houses. Some went for trekking, some went for sunbathing and some even went to play with their buffalos.

He wanted to have a hometown in the countryside like his friends. He feels envy when his friends go back to their hometown for some rest and be away from crowded city, people etc.

When he feels hungry, he went to 7-11 and ordered a rice box set called 'Easy Go' but his friends from Northern Thailand have their own food which is 'Khao Soi'(เขาซอย). The one from Isan make their own food as well like 'Larb'(ลาบ) and 'Naem Neung'(แหนมเนือง). Well, for Southern part, they have Spicy Maw Curry (แกงพุงปลารสเผ็ด). Nomatter what, he can just look.

If he has only 20 Baht, he can buy a labelled water with whatever brand but if he is broke, he can only sing along with his empty stomach. However, his friends in the countryside plants vegetables behind their houses and exchange the vegetables among the villagers for some pork, beef, poultry and taohu which for him is 'Hi-So'.

Since then he told himself that one day he will have his own countryside hometown and live there happily with his love ones.

Well, the singer is Pae Arak (เป้ อารักษ์). He did composed a song about Malaysian girl as well. I will update that soon. My translation sucks but at least you guys can understand what the song is about. Enjoy it!! Cheers.

Pre-Graduation Photos

2010-12-21T16:44:00.011+07:00

Two days before Noon's graduation day, Kookkai, Nok D and I went to Udon Thani Rajabhat University and UD Town to take some photos of Noon and Nok K in their robes.

P'Poo and Nok D came to pick us to the campus and met Kookkai, Nok K and her boyfriend there. We then went to UD Town where Nok D treated Noon and I the Pizza Company.

After that, we went back and packed our bags as we have to go to Mahasarakham. From Mahasarakham, Ta Toi will drive us to Sakon Nakorn.

Word of The Day - รถตู้ (Rot Too)

2010-12-17T19:19:00.004+07:00

Van in Thai is known as Rot Too (รถตู้).

UD Town (ยูดี ทาวน์)

2010-12-14T03:05:00.005+07:00

UD Town is a brand new open air mall which is located in Udon Thani. It was opened on 23rd November 2009 and is a real competitor to Central Plaza Udon Thani. At the moment Central Plaza is on renovation and this gives UD Town an advantage.

UD Town is located just next to Tesco Lotus and the railway station. There are a lot of brandy stuffs. There are also a lot of choices in term of food. Japanese, Italian, Chinese, just name it....

Noon, Kookkai and I went to Shabushi for lunch and we met Nok K there.

Graduation Rehearsal

2010-12-08T01:11:00.010+07:00

Udon Thani Rajabhat University's graduation rehearsal was held on the 27th November 2010. The actual graduation was on the 1st December 2010 which was in Sakon Nakorn Rajabhat University. The univsersity has to make this graduation ceremony smooth as it was attended by Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Noon and I went to the campus area early in the morning as the rehearsal started at 8:30am. As Noon went into the hall, I walked around the campus area and took some photographs. After few hours, all the students came out from the hall. Junior students came to congratulate their seniors.

After having lunch, students have to take photograph according to their respective major with all their lecturers.

It took quite sometimes to arrange them into lines like the photo below.

Nok K was waiting for us to go back together as her major had finished taking photo earlier. Noon and Nok K were studying together in the same university but in a different major.

Kuey Tiaw Ruea Aonang (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวเรืออ่าวนาง)

2010-12-07T00:44:00.005+07:00

Noon and I went for dinner at a restaurant in Aonang which is famous for its Kuey Tiaw Ruea or in English, it is called Boat Noodle.

The restaurant is located along the Aonang Road which is near to Aonang Mosque. The price is reasonable. There are few choices of noodles to choose upon ordering the food.

Aonang - The Koh Phi Phi Tour - Part 3

2010-12-06T01:11:00.009+07:00

Part 12

We left Maya Bay and on the way to Koh Phi Phi Don, we stopped by at the Monkey Island. There are a lot of monkeys on that island and our guide advised us for not to go near the monkeys as they are aggressive.

Arrived at Koh Phi Phi Don around noon and had our lunch at a restaurant on the island. There are a lot of choices of local and western food. After lunch, we walked around Ban Ton Sai which is the main village on the island.

Quite a lot of western restaurants, cafes and bars on the island. At first, we thought of going to the view point to take some photos but we cancelled the plan as we learned that the view point is a bit far and we do not have enough time for that.

We left Koh Phi Phi Don and went for our last activity for the day. Snorkelling in the middle of the sea and I can't remember what is it being called but there are many corals in the area.

p/s : we went back and have a rest at the hotel after that....

Happy Father's Day (วันพ่อแห่งชาติ)

2010-12-05T00:13:00.003+07:00

December 5th is HM The King's birthday. As for Thai people, HM The King is the father of all Thai people around the world. In Thailand, December 5th is the Father's Day.

Noon and I took a photo with HM The King's potrait in the campus. Long Live The King!!!

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