The Khlong San neighbourhood is full of historical treasure not found on any tourist map.

Wat Phichaya Yatikaram Worawiharn

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The Khlong San neighborhood is full of historical treasure not found on any tourist map

ONCE A thriving trade hub on the west bank of Chao Phraya River, today the Khlong San neighborhood is a popular biking and walking route with travellers, both local and foreign, and a treasure trove of history dating back to the Thon Buri and early Rattanakosin kingdoms. 

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Despite being a stone’s throw away from downtown Bangkok, it’s a place to escape the city’s fast pace while indulging in a diversity of cultures. Thai temples stand proudly beside Chinese shrines and mosques along the riverside mixed in with old houses and businesses that pay testament to the craftsmanship of the past. 

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In 1829, Thad Bunnag, a regent serving as Somdet Chao Phraya Bor om Maha Pichaiyat, restored an abandoned temple built in the Ayutthaya period and dedicated it to King Rama III. King Rama IV later renamed it Wat Phichaya Yatikaram Worawiharn.

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Located on Somdet Chao Phraya Road, the temple blends classic Thai and Chinese style architecture. A mix of such materials as cement, ballast, coloured tiles and Chinese stones add an exotic touch. 

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The entrance has an auspicious arch decorated with Thai-style ornaments, while a pair of lion-shaped stone statues act as the gatekeepers. 

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 “In the past, most of the properties in Khlong San district were owned by Bunnag family. During his reign, King Rama III had a project to renovate many temples around the town, and Somdet Chao Phraya Borom Maha Pichaiyat was in charge of Krung Thonburi and Phra Nakhon districts. To save time and money, King Rama III renovated all temples with plain walls and roofs. There were no longer any gables or tooth-like ridges on the edge of gables because they made from wood and were therefore not durable,” explains Thanat Bhumarush from the tourism division of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. 

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 This fine mural at Wat Phichaya Yatikaram Worawiharn depicts auspicious symbols such as a falling flower, pomegranate and butterfly.
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A soaring Ubosot stands in middle showcasing a pink Chinese-style pediment on its roof, adorned with beautifully crafted coloured tiles and ceramic-ware that looks like dragons flying in the sky.
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The temple is home to an ancient Sukhothai-style Buddha statue from Phitsanulok province with an oval, smiling face, spiral-like hair and a bulging chest. There’s also a boundary maker fashioned from granite and engraved with a breast chain motif.

The walls are covered with murals depicting such auspicious symbols as a falling flower referencing goodness, a butterfly referring to long life and pomegranate representing numerous descendants.
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“The two-dimensional murals were influenced by the Ayutthaya period. Skilled artisans used organic colours made from natural materials. For example, the white came from shells, the red was blended from sealing lac, the brown was extracted from bark and the yellow obtained from ore,” Thanat says.
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Inspired by Mount Meru, the white beautiful stupa is a combination of Khmer and Indian styles and borrows from the shapes of corn and bells. It houses four gold Buddha statues and four footprints, paying tribute to the four lords of Buddha.
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During the reign of King Rama III, Somdet Thad’s wife built Wat Anong Kharam. This temple is lined with stone boundary makers imported from China and a sacred ubosot that’s home to a Phra Chulanak statue from Sukhothai province. There’s also a small Buddha statue called Phra Phuttamongkol, created by the Bunnag family, that is plated with bronze and copper and contained in a movable gold pavilion and a refined painting that plays with Thai proverbs.
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A little further along on the riverbank stands the Gong Wu Shrine. It was erected back in 1736 as a place of worship by Teochew migrants. Refurbished in 1901, this sacred shrine features a collection of three Gong Wu sculptures from China and a stunning mural telling the story of the Buddhist monk Xuanzang as he travelled with his followers from China to India.
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“The design is based on the principles of feng shui and uses crab-like sculptures to represent the monk’s followers and shows two Western men carrying a shoulder pole,” Thanat explains. 

A short walk from the shrine is the old Laem Thong salt factory, which 50 years ago produced 1,000 tons of salt every month for export to Malaysia and Singapore. Today, the factory is located in Khlong Dao Khanong and distributes saline to Malaysia and Borneo Island for use in the tofu industry.
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Surrounded by old shophouses and warehouses is the Saifee Mosque, a white masjid that mimics the design of the original mosque in Bharuch, India.

Its history dates back to 1907 when an Indian diamond merchant and his family transformed an old warehouse into a two-storey mosque using premium-grade granite and marble left over from the construction of Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall.
.Source - TheNation
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Pitbull plans to bring the party to Bangkok

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Cuban-American pop star and rapper Pitbull announced that his upcoming tour, The Climate Change Tour, will include a date in Bangkok. Tickets for the show, slated for May 25, will go on sale on March 18.

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 With a seemingly endless string of hits and collaborations under his belt, fans may know him best for songs like “Timber,” “Feel This Moment,” “International Love” and “I Know You Want Me.”

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 The show will be at Impact Exhibition Halls 3-4 in Muang Thong Thani. Standing tickets cost THB2,500 and THB3,500. They can be purchased here starting on Saturday. 

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Source - Coconuts

 

Turning away from shark fin soup

Shark fin shop in China
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Manila - A former fan of shark fin soup shares why he has stopped patronizing the popular delicacy. 

I admit it, I used to enjoy shark fin soup. Not anymore.
My wife and I stopped consuming shark fin soup after learning what sharks had to go through before a bowl of shark fin soup is served to humans.
Reasons why we should say no to shark fin soup:

First, shark fins have low nutritional value.
Second, shark fins have no taste. They get their taste from the other ingredients.
Third, shark fins are expensive.
Fourth, shark fins have no proven medicinal value. In fact, they contain high levels of mercury (made more concentrated by the treating and drying process), plus hydrogen peroxide, which is used to make the color more appealing.
Fifth, many shark species are on the brink of extinction.
Sixth, humans do not need shark fin soup to live but sharks need their fins to survive.
Finally, shark fins are harvested through a barbaric process known as shark finning.
Barbaric process
How are shark fins gathered?
First, sharks are caught.
Second, the fins are removed while the sharks are still alive. And because sharks have as many as six big and small fins, they agonize six times over.
Third, they are dumped back into the ocean and are left to die an excruciating death. Without their fins, they cannot swim properly, they cannot catch prey for food, they cannot defend themselves, and they cannot get oxygen, as water needs to be forced through their gills as they swim.|
Why are sharks dumped back into the ocean after finning?
1. Space - The shark’s body is huge and takes a lot of space in the boat
2. Price - The fins are worth much more than the rest of the shark’s body.
3. Spoilage - Ammonia produced by a decomposing shark body may contaminate other catch.
Why people eat shark fin soup
In many countries, including China and Hong Kong, the consumption of shark fins has declined after government interference, like banning the dish in state banquets.
However, since there is no law (yet) banning shark fin soup/dishes in the Philippines, some people still have the appetite to order them because of one or all of the following reasons:
1. Culture or habit - Some people still believe shark fin is delicious, a delicacy, an aphrodisiac, has medicinal or nutritional value.
2. Show of affluence - A bowl of shark fin soup costs a lot of money and being seen ordering or serving shark fin soup in a wedding or banquet sends a signal that the host is successful and has money.
3. Ignorance - Most consumers do not realize the barbaric process involved in removing the fins.
4. Indifference - They do not care about marine conservation or the fate of the sharks.
Why restaurants still serve shark fin soup
In the Philippines, many big, multinational hotels like Shangri-La and Peninsula have stopped serving shark fin soup since 2011 because they understand the bigger picture.
Their business continued to be brisk without shark fin soup.
Others, unfortunately, are still serving them because of one or all of the reasons below:
1. Brand association - Dishes with shark fins are core products.
2. Marketing - Customers ordering them have money, which means they can cross sell other expensive items as well.
3. Fear of losing to competition - Some feel that if they stop, business will go to the competition.
4. Apathy - They have no idea about shark finning or do not care to know anything about it.
5. No social implication - They have not been pressured enough to stop.
6. Law of foolish fellowship - If others are serving it, why should they stop? They failed to look into the possibility that stopping and publicising their reason for doing so can reposition them as a caring restaurant and a leader in seafood sustainability.
Citizen action requests
Now that you have read up to this point, I have three requests.
1. Please share this information with others.
2. Stop consuming shark fin soup or shark fin dishes. When you are served shark fin soup during weddings, banquets or meals, do not consume it.
3. Write to restaurants serving shark fin soup to ask them to stop.
If there is no demand, then hopefully the cruel practice will stop. When restaurants know we are vigilant, they will likely stop serving shark fin soup.
Action requests
To restaurants - Please stop buying shark fins and phase out this dish. Do not wait for people to hold placards or boycott your restaurant before you remove this dish from your menu. Offer alternatives.
To party hosts - Please refrain from including dishes with shark fin in your banquet order.
To guests and consumers - Again, please stop ordering and consuming dishes with shark fin.
. Source - TheNation

Five must-visit places in Komodo National Park

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Five must-visit places in Komodo National Park

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Komodo National Park in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. With a total size of 1,817 square kilometers, the place covers three major islands, namely Komodo, Padar and Rinca, in addition to numerous islets.

Established in 1980, the park was initially intended to conserve the endangered Komodo Dragon and its habitat. As its popularity increased, more tourists could be found visiting the site to explore its other attractions as well.

Here are the top five recommended destinations available at the national park according to kompas.com.
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 Loh Buaya

Loh Buaya is the main habitat of Komodo dragons in Rinca Island. It takes two-hour boat ride from Labuan Bajo to reach it.

While in Loh Buaya, tourists will be accompanied by a tour guide, allowing them to learn more about the giant lizards. Other recommended activities in Loh Buaya include trekking and chilling on the beach.

Pink Beach

Pink Beach is among the must-visit places in the Komodo National Park. Its unusual and striking color comes from a microscopic organism called Foraminifera, which produces a red pigment on the coral reefs. According to Wonderful Indonesia's website, this beach is the perfect place for snorkelers and beginner divers as its shallow water allows amateur sea explorers to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking underwater life.

Gili Laba

Gili Laba is a small island in Komodo National Park. Popular for trekking, the small hills allow adventure-seeker to enjoy breathtaking views of the national park. During the dry season, the green hills turn into a yellow savanna.

Kelor Island

A trip to the park is not complete without marveling at its marine life. Home to 206 types of corals and thousands of fishes, Kelor Island makes a suitable snorkeling destination.

Komodo Tourism Village

In Komodo Tourism Village, tourist will be able to witness a day in the life of Komodo natives. Home to 1,700 residents, the place also allows tourists to purchase some unique souvenirs, such as Komodo dragon wooden sculptures.
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Source - TheJakartaPost

Diner Alert: Nine Thai foods you should avoid in summer

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The Department of Disease Control has issued a list of nine Thai dishes that could potentially cause diarrhea during the summer.

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According to the Department, the number of diarrhea patients between Jan. 1 to Mar. 10 totaled 191,515. One patient reportedly died from complications resulting from the condition. The Department warned restaurants across Thailand to pay more attention to hygiene in the kitchen and warned diners to wash their hands before each meal.

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Below is the list of Thai foods that easily go bad in the hot weather, subsequently posing a risk to the health of diners.

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1. Larb/Koi or spicy Isaan meat salad: This dish is a combination of ground meat seasoned with fish sauce, limejuice, chili and herbs. Both dishes are similar except that Koi uses raw meat.

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2. Yum Goong Dten or “spicy shrimp salad”: This dish’s Thai name literally means “Dancing Shrimp Salad,” suggesting that live shrimp are main ingredient to the dish.

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3. Yum Hoy Krang or “spicy cockle salad”: Diners need to make sure that cockles are given a good rinse before eating them.

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4. Fried rice topped with crabmeat

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5. All coconut milk recipes: Phanaeng curry, Massaman curry, chicken green curry, coconut custard, Bualoy, Saku Biak, you name it.

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6. Kanom Jeen or “fermented Thai rice noodle”: Since Kanom Jeen is made from rice that has been fermented for three days, it can rot quickly.

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7. Khao Man Gai or “chicken rice”

8. Som Tam or “spicy green papaya salad”

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9. Green salad

The Department also warns diners of ice and suggests them not to eat food that has been left out overnight.

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Source - Coconuts 

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Thai soap angers family of Myanmar's last king

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The family of Myanmar's last king hit out on Sunday at a Thai soap opera inspired by the palace intrigue of their ancestors, accusing Thailand of double standards in how it treats another country's royals.

Soe Win, the great grandson of Myanmar's last monarch King Thibaw, told AFP his family were angered by "A Lady's Flame", a new hit prime-time soap that recounts a bloody dynastic power struggle.

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The show is set in a fictional kingdom but almost entirely mimics the final years of the Konbaung dynasty in the 19th century in the country formerly known as Burma.

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It portrays the scheming among a key queen and princesses who orchestrated the massacre of nearly a hundred people to ensure Thibaw had no rivals to the throne following his father's death in 1878.

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While the massacre is historical fact, Thibaw's scions are upset with their family's portrayal by a country that shields its own monarchy from any criticism

"We have asked Thais this, would they accept it if one of our companies here did the same thing about their country," Soe Win told AFP.

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"If no action is taken, we will ask for help from their (Thailand's) royalty," he added.

Neighbours Thailand and Myanmar were bitter rivals for centuries and fought a number of bloody wars.

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One of the most momentous battles saw Myanmar forces attack the city of Ayutthaya, second capital of the Siamese kingdom, and raze it to the ground in 1767, forcing the inhabitants to abandon the city.

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In Thai historical soaps and dramas the Burmese are often portrayed as having villainous or treacherous tendencies, something that has previously caused anger in Thailand's western neighbor.

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Soe Win said he was particularly incensed by scenes in "A Lady's Flame" in which royal family members slapped each other.

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"It's quite insulting, as if we are wild," he said.

For many Burmese the fall of its monarchy at the hands of the British just a few years after Thibaw took the throne was a deep psychological scar.

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He died in exile in India though there are plans to return his remains to his homeland.

His family are playing a much more visible role now that the military who suppressed them have given way to a civilian-led government.

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Source - TheNation

Bangkok - Suvarnabhumi International Airport has always given top priority to the safety of customers

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AOT to order stricter ground-handling after complaint

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  SUVARNABHUMI Airport has always given top priority to the safety of customers’ property and strictly monitored the luggage-sorting area and the baggage handling conveyor system in order to prevent thefts, it was confirmed on Friday. 

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Airport director Siroj Duangrat said at a press conference organised by Airports of Thailand (AOT) that more measures would be implemented follow a female passenger’s allegation that the lock of her luggage was cut open and the contents inside ransacked late last month. 

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The woman also claimed that her initial complaint was ignored by airline staff, so she had filed a police complaint at the Suvarnabhumi precinct. Her allegations circulated widely on Thai social media and drew public criticism.

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Siroj said the CCTV footage from the baggage handling conveyor system did not find anything usual and no one had touched the luggage in question. 

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As an airport service provider could not brush off responsibility, he said measures would be implemented to prevent such issues in future. 

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The airport held a meeting with two companies that won concessions to provide ground-handling services – Thai Airways International’s Ground Equipment Services and Worldwide Flight Services Bangkok Air Ground Handling Co Ltd – and told them to strictly supervise officials to ensure work was done in keeping with AOT standards, Siroj said.

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If a concessionaire could not offer services that met AOT’s standards and caused serious damage to its reputation, the AOT would cancel the concession contract, he said. In addition, the airport is considering establishing a subsidiary company to more effectively manage baggage handling and protection of passengers’ belongings, he added.
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Source - TheNation