Don't just say stupa to a chedi
You simply cannot miss it in Thailand; the chedis, the local variant of what is known in the rest of the world - with the exception of Tibet (chorten), Sri Lanka (dagaba) or Indonesia (candi), as the stupas, the round structures containing Buddhist relics or, as in some cases also the cremated remains of the Great Ones of the Land and their relatives.
The Thai National & Other Libraries
It all started in the seventh century BC with the thousands of clay tablets of King Ashurbanipal in Nineveh. A collection of texts that was systematically arranged and catalogued and it has continued in this way for twenty-eight centuries, albeit with trial and error. So the oldest library was that of good old Assurbanipal, the youngest newcomer is the internet.
And that's where the gold diggers show up again!
I have previously written on Thailandblog about the Thai version of the Loch Ness Monster; a persistent myth that pops up with the regularity of a clock. Although in this specific case it is not about a prehistoric aquatic creature, but about an even more imaginative enormous treasure that the retreating Japanese troops are said to have buried near the infamous Burma-Thai Railway at the end of the Second World War.
The unknown Railway of Death
Lung Jan has been working for a few years on a book in which he tries to reconstruct the almost forgotten story of the romusha. Romusha was the collective name for the voluntary and forced Asian laborers who were employed by the Japanese occupier in the construction and maintenance of the Thai-Burma railway, which soon and quite rightly became known, or rather, infamous, as the infamous Railway of Death, the Railway of Death….
Thonburi, the 250 year old capital of Siam
More than 250 years ago, Thonburi became the capital of Siam. This happened after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 to the conquest of the Burmese. However, the new capital only functioned as such for 15 years, because the current Bangkok took over as the capital.
The secret of the name Siam
A few years ago I made a translation of an article about Sukhothai. In the introduction I called Sukhothai the first capital of the kingdom of Siam, but that was not a good translation of the "Siamese Kingdom of Sukhothai", as stated in the original article. In response to the recent publication, a reader pointed out to me that Sukhothai was not the capital of Siam, but of the Sukhothai Kingdom.
Kanchanaburi, gripping history and beautiful nature
Most tourists travel to Kanchanaburi for a day as part of an excursion from Bangkok. However, the region is certainly suitable for a longer stay, especially if you want to travel independently.
Weird squiggles and pigtails: the origins of Thai script
I must confess something: I speak a fair bit of Thai and, as a resident of Isaan, I now also - necessarily - have notions of Lao and Khmer. However, I never had the energy to learn to read and write Thai. Maybe I'm too lazy and who knows - if I have a lot of free time - maybe it will one day, but so far this job has always been put off for me... It also seems so damn difficult with all those weird twists and pigtails…
Ho Chi Minh's house in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand
Ho Chi Minh, the revolutionary communist leader of the freedom movement in Vietnam also lived in Thailand for a while in the XNUMXs. In a village near the northeastern Nakhom Pathom. Many Vietnamese still live in that region
A journey through Thailand's past part 10 (final)
As the famous scientist Carl Sagan observed, "You must know the past to understand the present." In other words, "to understand how contemporary Thailand has formed, it is worth looking at history". This series provides an overview of events from the period 1967 to 2017. Each part covers a period of five years and is sure to provide surprises for even the …
The Christian Past of Ayutthaya
'I continue to admire this very large city, on an island surrounded by a river three times the size of the Seine, full of French, English, Dutch, Chinese, Japanese and Siamese vessels, an innumerable number of flat-bottomed boats and gilded galleys with as many as 60 oarsmen .
A journey through Thailand's past part 9
As the famous scientist Carl Sagan observed, "You must know the past to understand the present." In other words, "to understand how contemporary Thailand has formed, it is worth looking at history". This series provides an overview of events from the period 1967 to 2017. Each part covers a period of five years and is sure to provide surprises for even the …
A journey through Thailand's past part 8
This series provides an overview of events from 1967 to 2017. Each installment covers a period of five years and is sure to hold surprises for even the most knowledgeable Thai history buffs. Today part 8: period 2002-2006.
A journey through Thailand's past part 7
As the famous scientist Carl Sagan observed, "You must know the past to understand the present." In other words, "to understand how contemporary Thailand has formed, it is worth looking at history". This series provides an overview of events from the period 1967 to 2017. Each part covers a period of five years and is sure to provide surprises for even the …
A journey through Thailand's past part 6
This series provides an overview of events from 1967 to 2017. Each installment covers a period of five years and is sure to hold surprises for even the most knowledgeable Thai history buffs. Today part 6: Period 1992-1996.
Wat Chang Lom, an outsider in Sukhothai
Wat Chang Lom is part of the immensely large Sukhothai Historical Park, but is outside the most visited and very touristy part. I had already explored the Historical Park at least three times before discovering this temple ruin by chance on a bike ride from the resort where I was staying.
A journey through Thailand's past part 5
This series provides an overview of events from 1967 to 2017. Each installment covers a period of five years and is sure to hold surprises for even the most knowledgeable Thai history buffs. Today part 5: Period 1987-1991