Blog

The fourteenth century temple of Wat Suan Dok is located just west of the old city walls on Suthep Road. The temple was built by King Keu Na of Lanna for a revered priest visiting from Sukhothai as a place for the monk to spend the rains retreat. The name of the temple roughly translates to "field of flowers."

Directly west of the wiharn are several large pagodas, called chedi in Thai. The largest of these is the center of another unusual story. Pagodas will almost always contain Buddhist relics. The biggest and most important chedis will contain a relic of the Buddha himself. In the case of Suan Dok, the largest stupa contained a relic that reputedly self-replicated. One of the relics was placed on the back of a royal white elephant, which was then allowed to wander where-ever it wanted to go.

Wat Suan Dok is also a temple where you can try to learn more about Buddhism, through their "monk chat" program. At certain times, and on certain days of the week, you can talk with a Buddhist monk. This program is in part a chance for monks to practice their English skills, so don't expect fluent conversation.

Northern Thai Silver is among the most famous in Thailand and the methods and styles vary greatly from the central and Southern Thai silver wares. Northern Thai silver got its start in the late 13th century with the fall of Pagan in Burma (1287 A.D.). Because of that event, hundreds of Burmese silversmiths fled Burma for the new capital of Lanna, Chiangmai. Here they set up their craft anew and Chiangmai silver was the inheritor of the Burmese tradition. At about the same time and thereafter the Shan tribes lived throughout northern Thailand and northern Burma, and northern Thai silver also has many Shan attributes. Thus, when we speak of Chiangmai silver, we are also speaking of both Burmese and shan silver.

Sadness and sadness, here is how we can qualify what takes place at present in Japan, Yesterday evening there was a night market in a pedestrian street of Chiang Mai, and there, a group of mutual aid constituted by various corporate associations sang to support all these poor people, I was not able to make what to participate financially, so tiny was my participation, if everybody makes like that it could be significant to help them, save lives, either help people who are at present in an extreme distress.............................

Near the city of Chiang Rai (13 kms before Chiang Rai), in northern Thailand, shines "Wat Rong Khun", a Buddhist temple poised to become one of the most stunningly beautiful in the world. Painted all white for purity with glittering glass for the teaching of the Buddha, the temple is designed by the Thai Buddhist artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, and is expected to be finished in 2070.

"Wat Rong Khun" is rich with symbolism derived from Buddhist and Hindu traditions, as well as some more unorthodox sources.

It's really a so beautiful temple .

Songkran today is still the most important of all the Thai festivals and holidays. It marks the beginning of a new astrological year and is much in keeping with the old lunar calendar of Siam. It is officially celebrated this year on April 12, but the festival actually takes place over a period of four days. It includes the 'Troot Festival' discussed above as well as all the merit-making at Buddhist temples and the ultimate Songkran, or The Pouring of Water ritual, by which we have come to identify Songkran with today. Each year, the four-day celebration of Songkran consists of many activities, and these are briefly explained below.

April 12  . This is a day for house cleaning and general preparation for the New Year. In the evening it is traditional for Thais to dress up as a signal of the coming new year.

April 13 . On this day people prepare cooked meals and preserved food for the Buddhist merit-making that takes place on the following day.

April 14 . On this day a grand new year begins with early morning merit-making at the temples. Preserved and cooked foods, fresh fruit, monks' robes and other offerings are made at the temples. In the home, people do the final cleaning of Buddha images using scented water.

April 15 . On this day homage is paid to ancestors, elders and other persons deserving respect because of age of position. This is called 'Rohd Nam Songkran', meaning 'The Pouring of Songkran Water', and the water is sprinkled on the elder persons while uttering wishes of good luck and a happy future.

 Songkran procession : This is a parade through Chiangmai comprised of Buddha images and attendants on floats, which are accompanied by minstrels and the town's people. The procession begins at Nawarat Bridge on the Mae Ping River and moves the Thapae Gate before approaching its final destination of Wat Prasingh.

An earthquake of magnitude 7 on the Richter scale took place in the North of Burma (Myanmar), this earthquake was also felt in Thailande, to Mae sai or it made a dead man, also to Chiang saen or the top of the shedi (shedi luang wat) fell, to see photo this against, (you can see the still whole shedi in the corresponding photo album, the photos taken the day before the earthquake by me even).
We also felt it in Chiang  Mai at 9:05 pm followed photo-8286.jpg d'une answers at 10:20 pm, I was at this moment slept, surprising and disturbing sensation, I got up, and went out on the balcony, but everything was quiet, I thus went back to bed, there were no damages to Chiang  Mai.

The small historic park of Sukhothai (3.38 km²) constitutes a masterpiece of the first Siamese architectural style. The three sites are representative of the first period of Siamese art and the creation of the first Thai state.

Beginning in the 12th century, a people from Yunnan in China settled in the northern regions of the Khmer state. Known as the Thai (free men), they organized themselves in small communities. A Thai prince married a Khmer woman, then rebelled against the central power and created the first Siamese state, calling it the kingdom of Sukhothai after the name of its capital city. Ramkhamhaeng (or Rama the Strong), second son of the founder of the state (c. 1280-1318) was one of the most important Thai sovereigns, for he brought his state extensive territory through his military victories. He invented the Siamese alphabet (Khmer script) and imposed strict observance of the Buddhist religion and instituted a military and social organization copied from his vanquished neighbours, the Khmers.

The great civilization which evolved in the kingdom of Sukhothai was a tributary of numerous influences and ancient local traditions, but the rapid assimilation of all these elements forged, in record time, what is known as the Sukhothai style.