As a final trip, in my last weeks in Bangkok, I booked myself on another tourist trip, this time to Ayutthaya, one of the previous capitals of Thailand. It’s an early start, travelling by coach from Bangkok at 7:30am, visiting the summer palace en-route (see report 10) and then on to Ayutthaya. In Ayutthaya we visit three of the main temple sites, and have a quick stop at a tourist gift shop/handicraft centre, and then it’s down to the pier to join the boat, for the leisurely cruise, with dinner, back to Bangkok.

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Ayutthaya

From the mid 14th century until its catastrophic destruction by the Burmese in 1767, Ayutthaya enjoyed enormous prestige. By the 17th century it was a cosmopolitan trading centre of world renown with a population composed of 40 different nationalities and greater in number than contemporary London. Unfortunately the Burmese war saw almost total destruction of Ayutthaya, the city is home to the ruins of some 375 monasteries, 29 fortresses and 94 city gates. The whole area has been designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

Wat Mahathat

The first temple we visited is now impressive ruins, with hundreds of sandstone Buddha icons, all with the heads removed, the result of the Burmese invasion and the desire to destroy what was dear to the Thai people. This wat (Thai for Temple) dates back to the 14th century. Built in three distinct styles, the site gives a real feeling of historic importance. The temple also contains one of the most photographed sites in Ayutthaya, a Buddha head around which tree roots have grown.

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Wat Na Phra Meru

The second wat we visit is the only temple to have escaped destruction in the war, this is because it is slightly to the North of the city, and was used as a base by the invading Burmese army. The picture of the Buddha image above is from inside Wat Na Phra Meru.

Wat Lokaya Sutha

The third temple houses a large reclining Buddha, the third largest in Thailand. (The second largest is in Wat Po – see report 9). This ends the trip – but there are often surprises, on this one, it was the elephants!

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Trevor

Another nice day trip, is to visit the Summer Palace. We set off at 8:00am on Sunday morning, for a gentle trip up the Chao Phraya river. Cold water is provided on board, and the views are tremendous! It is only on journeys like this that you appreciate just how many temples there are in Thailand, for as one is passed, the next approaches!

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The journey is broken on the way up river by a stop at a Handicraft centre where all the traditional crafts of the Northern tribespeople are kept alive. Although mainly for tourists, the centre also houses a craft school, exhibitions and demostrations are available in wood-carving, silks, basket weaving and pottery, as well as a large shop for souveneirs and purchases!

Wat Chumphon Nikayaram

The royal palace at Bang Pa-In has a history dating back to the 17th Century. According to a chronical of Ayutthaya, King Prasat Thong (1629-1656) had a palace constructed on Bang Pa-In island in the Chao Phraya river. A contemporary Dutch merchant, Jeremias van Vliet, reported that King Prasat Thong was an illegitimate son of King Ekathotsarot (1605 – 1610), who is his youth was shipwrecked on the island and had a son by a woman who befriended him. The boy grew up to be Chief Minister and having usurped the throne became known as King Prasat Thong.

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The King founded a monastery, Wat Chumphon Nikayaram on the land belonging to his mother on Bang Pa-In island, and then had a pond dug and a palace built to the South of that monastery. These pictures were taken walking around the grounds of the monastery.

Bang Pa-In Summer Palace

The present day royal palace dates from the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868 – 1910), when most of the buildings standing today were constructed between 1872 and 1889. The palace is used occasionally by King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit as a residence, and for holding receptions and banquets.

Keep in touch!

Trevor

Wat Po, or Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajawaramahaviharn as it is officially known is a royal monastery located on a 20 acre site, just South of the Grand Palace. Exploring the site can take some time, as it seems to sprawl on in all directions. Just when you think you’ve finished, you go through another gate and find whole new areas you didn’t know existed!

The many halls and temple rooms house Buddha images, from many styles and eras. The most important in religious/historical terms is ‘Lord Buddha in the posture of concentration’. He sits on a three tier pedestal, and beneath the pedestal are found the ashes of King Rama I of Thailand. Indeed, most of the chedi (the pagoda type structures shown in the first picture were built to contain ashes – in this royal monastery there are 71 of these structures built to contain the ashes of royal descendents.

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The reclining Buddha

Although the most important Buddha in religious terms in the one shown above, this is not the image that has made Wat Po famous. For Wat Po houses the "Reclining Buddha", an amazing 46m long (and 15m high) golden Buddha image. Made from stucco covered bricks and concrete covered in gold leaf and with feet inlaid with mother-of-pearl. If you are receiving this in a letter, rather than reading it on the web, you may well get a postcard of the reclining Buddha too!

Of course, there are many other images! Chinese rock pagodas, statues representing massage and health positions and remedies (Wat Po houses a traditional Thai massage school), and many images of Buddha in other poses. As this is all laid out among herb and bonzai collections, in courtyards surrounded by chedis and ornate gateways, with places to sit, and places to get the necessary Diet Coke, it makes a very nice day out and is highly recommended to you all!

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Keep in touch!

Trevor

Hua Hin, located on the Gulf of Thailand's western seaboard, has long enjoyed Royal associations. The once sleepy fishing village was first marked for development by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) who built and operated a handful of bungalows. Hua Hin became popular as a rainy season retreat in the 1920's with the construction of the railway line from Bangkok. The beautiful, colonial style Railway Hotel was built near Hua Hin's famous rocks in 1923 by the State Railway Authority, which also built Thailand's first public golf course in Hua Hin in 1924.

In 1926, King Rama VII built the Klai Kangwon (Far From Worries) Palace on the beach a few km north of the Railway Hotel and this palace is still frequently used by the Royal Family. This set the stage for Hua Hin's popularity and unique ambiance which remains to this day. With its Royal connections, sense of history and laid-back charm, Hua Hin is deservedly riding high in the popularity stakes as one of Thailand's premier resorts. That said, the beach side town remains a relative backwater when compared to the mega-resorts of Pattaya and Phuket. It retains a certain old-world panache and this is reflected in the constrained and sympathetic approach taken to the development of the resort.

Golf tops the list of recreational activities on offer. Water sports are well represented, with water and jet skiing, parasailing and boating readily available. Spa treatments are also very popular. In summary, Hua Hin is a great seaside destination for families, or for those who don't want or need the brash, in-your-face entertainments offered by Pattaya and Phuket, but who desire a quieter, more relaxing break by the sea.

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Yuka, a friend from Japan came to visit me at the end of March, and to have a break and get out of the city – we decided to spend a weekend in Hua Hin. The trip down by train was meant to take 4 hours – but delays turned it into six, so we were late arriving on the Friday evening. I had booked a room in the A and B Guesthouse, so it was simply a case of getting a taxi to the guesthouse, checking in, and going up to bed!

Saturday was spent on the 5km white sand beach, with a walk into town in the evening to visit the night market, to have a look around, and to sit in one of the many restaurants for an excellent meal!

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Sunday was a repeat of Saturday – more lazy hours getting burnt on the beach! We caught a bus back to Bangkok, taking around 3 and a half hours. The craziest thing about the bus journey is it cost only 120 baht, or around £2 for a 200km (125miles) journey! All said and done, a perfectly lazy weekend away! I will have to do it again sometime soon!

Keep in touch!

Trevor

For a change, this report is not about any special trip I did, or place I have been, but is simply background info about life in Bangkok! Anyone who has heard of Bangkok, has heard of the traffic problems, so I thought I would write a few words about transport in the capital city!

Planes

Bangkok has one of the busiest airports in Asia, and Thai Airways one of the most comfortable fleets of aircraft. My flight here started in style, and with surprise … the plane was painted to look like one of the royal barges! Most national airlines fly into Bangkok, and there are a number of Domestic airlines such as ‘Bangkok Air’ that fly from Bangkok to other cities and islands within Thailand.

Trains

As planes are expensive, most Thais use trains for long journeys. On my winter trip, the main journey South (and back) was taken by overnight sleeper trains. These are quiet, comfortable, and use a great system of seats that fold to make beds!

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Boats

With the river being so important in Bangkok, there are plenty of river taxis, and boats to hire, the most popular being the long-tails. There are also the "cruise" boats giving dinner cruises in the evenings, and the traditional rice-barges, now used as educational boats for school groups. This is also a great way to beat the traffic!

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Sky Train

Opened only two years ago, the BTS Sky train has proved a revolution for Bangkok traffic! Basically this is an "underground or metro" type solution, but runs on elevated tracks above the roads of Bangkok. Clean, quick and air-conditioned this is THE solution for being traffic jams!

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On the Roads

Choices are plentiful! Buses are cheap, and there are air-condition buses for an extra cost. Taxis are in unlimited supply, both "normal" metered cabs, and the famous local tuk-tuk (basically a three wheeled motorbike with a seat). Motorbike taxis also abound, particularly on the smaller streets and sois, great at weaving in and out of the endless traffic jams, as long as you don’t put too high a value on life!

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Keep in touch!

Trevor

You’ll remember Part 1, this report covers the second part of the trip – the "beach" holiday!

Saturday 28th December

After breakfast at the homestay – we travelled to Krabi, for lunch. Beautiful spot, great beach, horrible food!! Then, on to the pier, and the boat transfer to Koh Mook, one of the many Thai islands.

Sunday 29th December

Our "home" on Koh Mook was the Rubber Tree Bungalows, just 5 minutes walk from the beach. So, this was a lazy day! Lying on the beach, reading, swimming, lying in a hammock drinking Diet Coke (yes – at last – a restaurant with Diet Coke!). Unfortunately the rain arrived at 3pm, and lasted for hours, … so it was a case of staying indoors from that point onwards.

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Monday 30th December

The plan today was for all to transfer to Koh Rok for a two-day camp. Unfortunately, the poor weather led to the group splitting, some preferring to stay on Koh Mook. This is a beautiful island, surrounded by coral and amazing snorkling!! I loved it, but again, unusually for Thailand at this time of year – we had a major downpour, and some people were not at all happy. So, the camp was cut short, just one day and night on the island!

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Tuesday 31st Dec / Wednesday 1st Jan

Back to Koh Mook, and then, for some, straight on to Trang where we would be in a warm hotel! Some stayed on Koh Mook, so again the group was split. Arriving in Trang, after a bit of discussion – we opted for two nights of luxury, in a "real" hotel, including the New Years Eve Party with a Thai pop-star !!!

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Thursday 2nd Jan

Horrible weather again, so we visited an underground Buddist Temple, and some limestone caves, before packing and meeting the overnight train back to Bangkok. A great couple of weeks … and I will return to this area again!!

Keep in touch !!

Over Christmas and New Year 2002-2003 I took a holiday visiting the South of Thailand. Organised by Intrepid, it aims to allow small groups the chance to experience more unusual parts of Thailand. The trip is called "Treasures of the South" and this report covers the first part of that trip.

Sunday 22nd December

Having met the group the evening before, Sunday was the first day of the holiday, and the morning was spent visiting the Grand Palace, something I have done before. In the afternoon I took a few of the others to Wat Arun, and then the main weekend market at Chatuchak, and we all met back at the hotel at 6pm, for taxis to the station, and an overnight sleeper train to the South.

Monday 23rd / Tuesday 24th December

Arrived in Surat Thani around 8:30 this morning, in time for breakfast, and then the ride to the Khao Sok National Park. From the pier, a one-hour journey across the lake took us to the Tore Tuei Rafthouses where we stayed for two nights.

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The rafthouses are very basic, just a mattress on the floor, and a toilet block up the hill… but waking up in the morning you just jump in the water and have a lovely swim in the lake!

We had a walk through the forest to a waterfall, saw a few monkeys in the trees, took out canoes on the lake and spent the evenings chatting and getting to know each other.

Wednesday 25th / Thursday 26th December

Christmas morning in the rafthouses! No sign of snow, no sign of Santa, no real feel of Christmas, more like a summer holiday with the clear blue skies and sunshine!! After an early breakfast, the boat and songthaw took us back across the lake and around the Park to our next destination, Arts Jungle Guesthouse! An afternoon walk in the National Park to another waterfall for a swim, and then back for a lovely Christmas meal (Chicken and Ginger with Cashew Nuts) overlooking the water and plenty of drinks to round off the day.

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Once again, accommodation was basic, but this time we had beds and an en-suite squat toilet and cold-water shower! The guesthouse feed the wild monkeys, so they are often out playing, just across the water – great fun to watch! Thursday morning some of the group went for an elephant ride… I had another walk in the National Park and a lazy afternoon reading my book. In the evening we walked out as a group to a local bar for a few cocktails!

Friday 27th December

Another transfer, this time to a family farm, for an overnight stay amid the rubber trees and pineapples! Fantastic thai meal… the best of the trip… we sat in a circle with many Thai dishes in the centre and just stuffed our faces!!! In the evening we went into a local seaside resort (Ao Nang) for a bit of shopping and more cocktails!

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Saturday 28th December

Woken early by Cockerels – given the chance to "harvest" some rubber and then off in the Songthaw, leaving the jungle, for part two of the trip on the beaches. But for that, you’ll have to wait for the next report !!! Keep writing !!!

"....Loy Loy Kra thong...Loy Loy Kra thong........"

The sounds of singing voices mark the celebration of one of the most famous festivals of Thailand, which takes place during the night of the full moon in November. During this evening, many people will go to their local klong (canal) or river to float their krathongs. They believe this will bring them good luck. There is a simple but important meaning to the festival name. "Loy" means "to float" and "Krathong" means a lotus-shaped vessel made of banana leaves.

The krathongs usually contain a flower, a candle and at least one incense stick which is lighted before being placed on the water. The krathong may also contain a hair or nail of the person floating the krathong. People usually make a wish at the same time and it is believed that if the candle remains burning until the krathong is out of sight then their wish will come true. By the end of the evening, there are hundreds of flickering lights bobbing up and down on the water.

The Loy Krathong festival dates back to the time of the Sukhothai Kingdom, about 700 years ago. It marked the end of the rainy season and the main rice harvest. It is based on a Hindu tradition of thanking the water god for the waters. The farmers of Sukhothai used to hold a festival of floating candles. One year, a beautiful woman called Noppamas, who was the chief royal consort, made some special lanterns for the festival. She made them from banana leaves and shaped them like lotus flowers. The king was impressed with what he saw, so he announced that krathongs would be floated on the water every year from then on. The festival is also marked by "Noppamas Beauty Contests" in almost every Thai town or village.

On Loy Krathong night, all access points to the river in Bangkok are crowded as everyone, young and old, Thai and foreign come to float their krathongs! The party atmosphere lasts all evening, and fireworks from the various riverside hotels usually round off the event in the late evening. My parents were here in Bangkok with me for Loy Krathong, so I got tickets for one of the main dinner cruise companies and we spent the evening on the river.

After a hectic journey by bus, sky train, ferry boat (and when I missed our stop) tuk tuk, we arrived late, but not too late to join the boat! Problems with tickets were ironed out… and the "nice" part of the evening began.

The boat sails up the river, while passengers enjoy a buffet meal of Thai and International Cuisine … quantities are pretty much unlimited, and there is always something that you’ll enjoy. The desert selection was good too… just ask my mum ! Entertainment is provided on both decks by live singers. We found the singer downstairs to be pretty awful… and were therefore surprised to find the singer upstairs had a lovely voice !! She had a good selection of songs too, from golden oldies to the latest hits, so, after we’d finished eating, we spent the time on the top deck, enjoying the sites, and listening to the music.

The boat passes three major landmarks, Wat Arun, (The Temple of Dawn), The Grand Palace compound and Rama VI Bridge. All three are lit up beautifully at night and look pretty spectacular! Then, as expected on Loy Krathong night, there were plenty of fireworks to enjoy before going downstairs to "loy" our "krathongs" !

{gallery}bangkok/04/gallery1{/gallery}I enjoyed the night, and hopefully my parents did too! It was nice to be part of a Thai festival while here in Thailand… I now look forward to my Christmas/New Year holiday – look out for the report early in the New Year!

Trevor

"Saint John’s International School was opened in May 1992 as a direct response to a cabinet decision that allowed Thai students to attend foreign medium schools for the first time. The school has the honour of being the first to respond to this initiative and the first of the new international schools to be recognised by the Thai Ministry of Education. The school is operated according to the Private Education Law. The School is owned and operated by Saint John’s Company for Education, which also owns and operates two Thai Schools, an American Diploma Class, a Business School and a University. The school opened in 1992 with three classes, one each at Year 1, 2 and 3 levels.

In 1993, a pre-school, Reception Department was opened and Year 4 added. Subsequently, one year group has been added annually and extra classes created at each year level to meet demand.

The school’s mission and philosophy reflect the Catholic nature of its foundation. Saint John’s International School occupies its own dedicated campus with excellent facilities."

So reads the opening of the Parent Handbook! It’s certainly unique of all the schools I have taught at, for this school caters to 95% Thai students, all learning through the medium of English, and following the National Curriculum of England. However, as it says above, the school has excellent facilities, seems well run, and students are polite, friendly and well behaved, so what more could a teacher ask for?!

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The school is layed out as a quadrilateral,two five storey blocks of classrooms facing each other, and linked on the other two sides by walkways connecting each at each level. One side is used by the Primary School, the other by the Secondary.

In the centre of the quadrangle is a multi purpose grass pitch, surrounded by a running track. Separately to one side is the Basketball Court, open-air canteen, and the "building site" which by Christmas should miraculously turn into a full size gymnasium and swimming pool ! Luxury hey?!

The school has the luxury of spare rooms, so every teacher has their own teaching room, there are separate rooms for examinations, and each department has its own office space or resource room. To read more about the school itself, please do look at the website, but do not take any notice of the pathetic rubbish written under the heading of Mathematics, it is very soon going to change!! The school website can be found at http://www.stjohn.ac.th/International/ and amongst other things, has copies of the "Fortnightly", the regular newsletter to Parents.

People often ask me about my school day. I’m an early bird, so I usually arrive in school around 6:00am at the latest, which gives me time to do some preparation and marking before the official start of school for staff at 7:25. Generally I teach 4 out of 5 periods during the day, and leave pretty soon after the kids, at around 3:00p.m.

Secondary School Lesson Times

07.40 – 07.45 National Anthem and Notices

My job as Head of Mathematics has been made exceptionally easy as I have two excellent teachers in the department, both very capable, extremely committed and already achieving excellent results! So, I just hope I can live up to their abilities! One way I think I am able to help is in increasing the use of resources other than written materials. I am a great believer in ICT, and have just purchased a projector and interactive whiteboard for my room!! I also like to use video and games where possible, and it is sharing these resources/ideas which I believe is being the most useful at present. I’ve also been playing with the schemes of work, which I think are beginning to look pretty good!

Classrooms ought to be lively and interesting places. I certainly feel this school have been exceptionally good at that compared to other places I have worked, as I hope these pictures of my mathematics classroom go to show! Of course, no point in talking about school without having some students! So, here they are – happy lot aren’t they! This is my form group – a delightful Year 8 ! (non-uniform day)

{gallery}bangkok/03/gallery2{/gallery}Keep in touch and do sign my new guestmap!

Trevor

On the 15th September, I had my first "tourist trip" and took the Bangkok River Tour. This is an all-inclusive trip for tourists, taking half a day, and visiting a famous temple, the Royal Barge museum and the Royal Palace. Departure is at 9:00am from "Central Pier", one of the many piers along the Chao Phraya River on whose banks Bangkok is built. Cost, 780baht, approximately £11.50. The trip is organised by the Chao Phraya River Boat company, a family business owning most of the river taxis and tour boats used in Bangkok. The boat used for this tour seats around 40 passengers, but is rarely full … our guide was happy to have so many customers, and there were around 15 of us! The guide speaks perfect English, and gives a non-stop spiel of Thai history and culture, in a very light-hearted and humorous way as you travel up river.

Wat Arun - The temple of Dawn

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Wat Arun was so named as it the first temple the king saw as he travelled down the Chao River one day, seen in all its glory as the dawn broke. The temple dates back long before Bangkok was built, and is still a highly revered Buddist site. The approach from the river gives a stunning view as you can see - all the pictures on this report were taken by me! The steps leading up to the temple get incredibly small and steep, but at the time of writing only the first level was open to the public. You are given 15 minutes here before it is time to get back on the boat. This is where you discover how thoughtful the Thais are... first you are given a chilled towel to mop away the sweat from your sightseeing in the sun, and then a bottle of iced water to drink en-route to the next stopping point.

The Royal Barge Museum

The Royal Barges used to be used in an annual procession of some 42 barges! Now they are used only for special occasions, it is thought the next occasion will be the crowning of the new King, whenever the present one gives up the throne! They are still impressive to see though, even in the shed/museum where they are stored.

The Grand Palace Complex

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The temple is the holiest site for Buddists in Thailand, and all Thai Buddists are encouraged to visit the temple at least once in their lifetime. The temple contains the statue of the Emerald Buddha. No one knows exactly when the statue was made, or who by. According to a reliable chronicle, it was discovered in 1434 when lightning struck an object in a temple, and a statue of Buddha, covered in Stucco was found inside. Later, when the stucco began to peel, a green colour was noticed, the stucco fully removed, and the remarkable Buddha, carved from Jade found underneath. The statue is dressed in one of three costumes depending on the season, as can be seen in the picture above taken from a postcard.

Hope you enjoyed this trip!

Trevor