Thai Wat – Wat Phrathat Suthon Mongkon Khiri
Thai Online Radio – UBRadio – Underground Music
Sak Yant – Paed Tidt – Eight Direction Yant
Thai Online Radio – GreenWave
Dhamma Kancana Vipassana Meditation Center – Kanchanaburi
Eating Bugs – Bees Nests – Bee Larvae
Jintara Poonlarp – Thai Singer – Luktung
Laem Chabang Country Club – Pattaya Golf
Buddhist Ceremony – Wian Tian – Candlelight Procession
Northern Insight Meditation Center – Vipassana Meditation
Pomatocalpa spicata Breda – Thai Orchid
Tony Jaa – Ong Bak 3 – Trailer
Makha Bucha – Buddhist Holidays
Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden – Chiang Mai
Erythrina crista-galli – Cockspur Coral Tree
Ants Bite – Red Weaver Ants – Oecophylla smaragdina
Thai Wat – Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat
Thai Film-In the Shadow of the Naga-Nak Prok
Reggae Music in the Park – Chiang Mai Full Moon Party
Broken Dream – Thai Katoey – Shock Horror
Baan Tong Luang – Hill Tribe Cultural Preservation Village
By admin | March 10, 2010
After a visit to Baan Tong Luang, a Hill Tribe cultural preservation village near Chiang Mai, advertised as an Eco-Agriculture project, we had mixed feelings. Baan Tong Luang was opened in 2005 to “preserve the old traditional ways of Hill Tribe agriculture and to provide an income for the Hill Tribe people”. People from five different Hill Tribes, White Karen, Lahu, Palong, Hmong and Long Necked Karen, were imported into Baan Tong Luang to provide the visitors with an opportunity to see the culture and way of life of Hill Tribe people, and there is certainly no shortage of visitors at Baan Tong Luang where Euros, Dollars, Pounds and Yen are turning this Hill Tribe village into something resembling a human zoo. Not that the villagers themselves are complaining, they probably make a decent living from being stared at and endlessly photographed and the visitors for the most part get exactly what they want to see. Baan Tong Luang is a village manufactured to bring Hill Tribe culture to the people and judging by the number of visitors, it does this extremely well even though it may lack somewhat in authenticity.
Life for many of Thailand’s Hill Tribe peoples can be difficult. Their language, costume and culture makes them stand out from the crowd and frequent legal wranglings over Thai citizenship can make it hard for many of them to earn a living. Hill Tribe culture and traditions are under threat of extinction. At the top of the village of Baan Tong Luang a Christian Church stands incongruously as a monument to change, its very existence a sign that the traditional way of life for many of the Hill Tribe people in Thailand is rapidly changing.
A visit to Baan Tong Luang is certainly a colourful experience with all the Hill Tribe women dressed in their traditional costumes as they demonstrate their considerable skills in weaving and spinning as well as the old methods of rice production. There is barely a house without a stall selling Hill Tribe costumes, jewelry and other ‘authentic’ handicraft products. Old agricultural implements were also on show although, at least while we were there, there was no evidence of them being used. Baan Tong Luang puts on a very good show. Sadly, and in the not too distant future, it may only be at Baan Tong Luang and the other places like it where people will have any opportunity to discover the the cultural heritage of Thailand’s Hill tribe peoples.
Baan Tong Luang is located just off the Maerim-Samoeng Road and is open daily. Admission 500 baht.
Topics: Chiang Mai Sightseeing, Sightseeing | No Comments »
Thai Orchid – Gastrochilus bellinus Rchb.f Kuntze
By admin | March 9, 2010
The flowers of this Thai Orchid may be small, measuring just over 2 cm wide but Gastrochilus bellinus (Rchb.f) Kuntze is an extremely beautiful Thai epiphytic orchid. Gastrochilus bellinus can be found in Northern Thailand and is also distributed throughout Southern China, Laos and Myanmar (Burma). In Thailand, this orchid, known as “Seua Dam”, grows at altitude in hilly evergreen forests. The inflorescences of Gastrochilus bellinus contain groups of 5 or more flowers on very short stems. and the leaves are leathery and grow to about 15cm long. The eye catching flowers have greenish yellow sepals and petals covered with red-brown blotches and the lip is white and hairy with a deep yellow centre spot with reddish markings. This is an orchid which does not like its roots being confined in a pot and will thrive if attached to a tree where its roots can spread out. The flowering period of Gastrochilus bellinus Rchb.f Kuntze is January to March.
Topics: Flora & Fauna, Thai Orchids | No Comments »
Thai Online Radio – Siam Music Zaa
By admin | March 8, 2010
Siam Music Zaa is an extremely popular Thai online radio station. Siam Music Zaa is available 24 hours a day bringing a selection of requested top hits and the best of Thai Pop, Thai Country, Thai Folk, Thai Luktung and Thai Peua Cheewit (Songs for Life).
Listen to Thai Online Radio – Siam Music Zaa
Topics: Newspapers, TV, Radio, Thai Online Radio | No Comments »