A temple in Isan, beautiful in ugliness
Tastes differ. One thinks the Phra Maha Chedi Chai Monkol in Phu Khao Kiew is a magnificent building, the other considers it a clear example of 'super kitsch'.
Traffic going straight ahead has priority…
While riding in Hua Hin, I unexpectedly collided with a young woman on a scooter. The accident, which fortunately only resulted in material damage and minor injuries, led to a cumbersome handling with the insurance company and the police. This experience also revealed some amazing aspects of Thai traffic.
Thailand's tallest/biggest Naga
The 'snake' towers no less than 31 meters high above the jungle. The monster, at Wath Tham Chaeng in Cha am, is reminiscent of an attraction in Efteling, but you could be in it. Here you can only walk around it, baffled by this 'project' that has been going on for two years. But then you are also standing next to the largest Naga in Thailand.
Tham Phu Wa, a mouth-watering cave temple
If you have seen everything around the Second World War in Kanchanaburi, then the Tham Phu Wa temple is a resting point to lick your fingers. Admittedly, this remarkable structure is located more than 20 kilometers from Kanchanaburi, but the visit is well worth the effort.
Wat Rai Khing, this temple is really worth a detour
The Wat Rai Khing is, as I have seen with my own eyes, definitely worth a detour / visit. That's what the thousands of Thai people I met there think too.
The riot about the hospital costs of the honorary consul Richard Ruijgrok (66), who died in Thailand, will continue. De Telegraaf reports today that the family has paid the costs of 400.000 baht. According to the newspaper, Ruijgrok, brother of the Wassenaar project developer Aad Ruijgrok, was terminally ill, but was at odds with part of the family.
Family deceased Richard Ruijgrok (former Thai consul general) does not want to pay the bill for a hospital in Bangkok
The death in Nonthaburi of 66-year-old Richard Ruijgrok (former consul-general in the Netherlands) has caused quite a stir in Thailand. Channel 7 spent more than half an hour on it yesterday afternoon, in particular on the unpaid bill of 400.000 baht (almost 11.000 euros) from the Nontawes hospital in Nonthaburi (near Bangkok).
According to the tax authorities in Heerlen, the payroll tax exemption expires on 31 December
The tax authorities in Heerlen have announced that my new payroll tax exemption will expire on 1 January 2024. This is due to the new treaty for the prevention of double taxation between Thailand and the Netherlands, the Agency reports.
Bamboo Lakeside with Dutch help from the ground
Do you remember when we asked you for a small contribution to complete Bamboo Lake Side? Only a few walls of this structure, a stone's throw from the Burmese border, were still standing, covered with corrugated iron. I can assure you first hand that your money, that of many supporters and the Lions Club IJsselmonde, has been extremely well spent. On Sunday, the building, in Ban – Ti Say Yok, about 70 kilometers from Kanchanaburi, …
The captivating decay of Phra Nakhon Khiri in Phetchaburi
Phra Nakhon Khiri, the former palace of Rama 4 and Rama 5 on the tops of three mountains in Petchaburi, has been a national monument since 1935, but apparently no one has realized since then that the tropical conditions necessitate regular maintenance.
Sink into the insurance swamp
With a disturbance in your heart rhythm, coupled with shortness of breath, you go to the cardiologist at his clinic in Hua Hin. After a few tests, he believes that further examination in the hospital is necessary and possibly even angioplasty. I have VGZ's Universal Complete Policy, which covers almost everything for expats admitted by VGZ. He writes a referral letter to the Bangkok Hospital in Hua Hin,
The Thai tax authorities could make it more fun
My exemption for paying tax in the Netherlands expires in August. Hence my rush in getting the RO 21 and 22 from the Thai tax authorities. The last statement (Certificate of Residence) indicates that I am a tax resident in Thailand. In recent years, that has been a whistle of a satang issued by the central Revenue Office in Nakhon Pathom. This time, however, it was completely different.
Driving license examination by a Dutch doctor with BIG registration
Be Well regularly receives requests for Dutch driver's license examinations for people over 75. This requires the availability of a Dutch doctor with a BIG registration.
Requiem for a piece of the urban jungle
You can find them all over the world and therefore also in Thailand. Pieces of land in urban areas that apparently nobody cares about. And who still know the actual vegetation, or shrubs and trees that emerge after cleaning up. Because in Thailand, the plants are usually only removed to ground level.
You can't go around Bangkok….
The Thai capital, often called Krung Thep (City of Angels) by Thais, is a clear example of 'fascinating chaos'. You love it or you hate it. It is an urban conglomerate where absolutely everything can be done and obtained.
A fantastic program for a historic evening! The NVTHC's annual Christmas gala in the garden of the illustrious Centara Hotel in Hua Hin will be remembered for a long time to come.
Karen refugee childcare campaign was a success, thanks in part to the readers of Thailandblog
The joint action of Lionsclub IJsselmonde and the NVTHC to build a school for Karen child refugees in Ban-Ti behind Kanchanaburi has been a success.