Northeast Thailand hit by rising water levels and severe flooding
The Mekong, Chi and Mun rivers are experiencing rapidly rising water levels, posing major flood risks in seven provinces. As the search for four missing people in Chiang Mai continues, emergency measures are being taken in several hard-hit areas to protect residents. Local authorities are warning of further rising water levels due to heavy rains and are urging people to adhere to evacuation and safety guidelines.
It's been a while since the updated version of The Mekong-Turbulent Past, Uncertain Future' by Australian historian Milton Osborne 'rolled off the presses, but that doesn't change the fact that this book has lost any of its value.
A visit to Nongkhai, the border town on the Thai side of the Mekong, is not complete without a visit to Salaeoku. Words fail to describe the sculpture garden, set up by the monk Launpou Bounleua, who died in 1996.
Travel along the Mekong: information sought about route Nong Khai – Sangkhom – Phak Chom – Chiang Khan
We are preparing a trip along the Mekong. We travel by public transport. We find little information in particular about the last stretch of Nong Khai – Sangkhom-Phak Chom-Chiang Khan.
Pai Loei….
I really can't keep track of the number of times my lovely spouse has hurled 'Pai Loei' at my head on the fingers of two hands. Loei really is one of those increasingly rare places in Thailand where you realize you've penetrated deep into the largely untouched heart of Southeast Asia.
Wat Khao Sukim at Chanthaburi
Thailand is such a beautiful country. In general, my preference is for the area in the Northeast, say west of Chang Rai, where the Mekong forms the border between Laos and Thailand in beautiful mountain areas.
A journey through Laos in 1894-1896
At the end of the 19th century, the French government mapped the areas in the north and east of the Mekong in the famous “mission Pavie”. This area then consisted of various kingdoms and local powers, but these would soon be swallowed up in the modern nation states of Laos and Vietnam (Indochina). With the determination of the national borders and colonization by the French and English, the traditional way of life in this area came to an end.
The Mekong increasingly threatened by boundless ambition
Earlier on Thailand blog I pointed out the exceptional importance of the Mekong, one of the most famous and notorious rivers in Asia. However, it is not just a river, but a waterway loaded with myths and history.
The French archaeologist and the Siamese algae eater
When the French linguist, cartographer, archaeologist and globetrotter Etienne François Aymonier died on January 21, 1929, he had lived a rich and full life. As an officer in the naval infantry, he served in the Far East from 1869, especially in Cochinchine, present-day Vietnam. Intrigued by the history and culture of the indigenous people, he began learning Cambodian after meeting the Khmer minority in Tra Vinh province.
The “Naga” fireballs
Towards the end of Vassa, the annual Buddhist celebration of the end of the rainy season, a mysterious phenomenon occurs on the mighty Mekong River in Nong Khai province.
You don't have to look for them along the great rivers Mun and Mekong. These mythical snakes with human traits and several menacing heads will naturally come at you during a trip along these rivers.
A hot day on the Mekong
It is very hot under the roof of our house. Only 12.00 noon and already 42 degrees in the shade. I decide to shower again and go to NongKhai for something to eat.
A Vietnamese crocodile-tailed lizard that looks like a cartoon character, a horseshoe bat that wouldn't look out of place in a Star Wars movie, and a carnivorous freshwater turtle that eats snails. These are 3 of a total of 115 special new species discovered by scientists in 2016 in the Mekong region; Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has bundled the 3 new mammal species, 11 reptiles, 11 amphibians, 2 fish species and 88 plant species in the Stranger Species report.
Fish from the Mekong River
You will find them more and more often in the supermarkets of Thailand and the Netherlands, the farmed fish species. The sea is no longer inexhaustible and fish species such as cod, sole, sea bass, turbot and even plaice have risen in price considerably.
A touch of Laos (part 3)
Tomorrow the journey continues to the old royal city of Luang Prabang and that is only possible by bus. You can choose from the so-called VIP bus or minibus.
Monks in BanLai
In Thia's house and especially behind it, it is very busy. About ten women are cooking. Banana leaves are stuffed with rice. Giant pots of meat are on the fire. The men interfere with the decoration of the house. Only now do I understand that monks are already coming tonight.
Reader question: Boat trip on the Mekong
We would like to take a boat trip on the Mekong. Who has done such a thing before? We thought via Cambodia to Laos and then Thailand.
The Mysterious Fireball Festival on the Mekong River (Video)
In this video you can see the famous Naga festival in Isaan. This special party has its origins in old sagas.
Chiang Khan on the banks of the Mekong (video)
Some time ago my girlfriend and I made a tour through Isaan. Our goal on the first day was Kon Kaen, which is located in Isan, but gradually we changed our mind, turned to Loei at Lom Sak.
News from Thailand – December 14, 2014
Today in News from Thailand:
• No, no CIA torture in Thailand, says Prime Minister Prayut
• Well-known TV anchor is prosecuted for embezzlement
• Man cuts his wife's neck in a fit of rage
Xayaburi dam is killing the Mekong
The construction of the Xayaburi dam in Laos poses an immediate threat to the livelihoods of 20 million Thais and 40 million Cambodians, Laotians and Vietnamese. The dam is also an ecological disaster in the long run. Plain language from former Senator Kraisak Choonhavan.
Fishermen beg: Stop building dams in the Mekong
The Tonle Sap Fisher Network has called on the government of Laos to halt construction of dams in the Mekong and to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact study. The fishermen fear for their livelihood.