Tuesday, April 12, 2011

T-Shirt for help earthquake victims in Shan state, Myanmar




Shan new generation network and Thai volunteer group make t-shirt for helping earthquake victims in Shan state Myanmar.

More detail please visit : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Help-Earthquake-Victim-from-Shan-State-in-Myanmar/119938871415356

Help earthquake victims in Shan state , Myanmar activity in Bangkok (4-10 April, 2011)





Shan, Myanmar people in Bangkok and Thai volunteer group setup donation center in Bangkok for funding to help earthquake victims in Shan state, Myanmar during 4-10 April 2011 at Bangkok, Thailand.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Chatuchak Market (Sunday Market)

Chatuchak Market is the Sunday (open ONLY Saturdayand Sunday) market that sells everything under the sun. It is easy to spend an entire day wandering the hundreds of aisles, selling everything from clothing to pets, housewares to food. You can get there by taking the BTS Skytrain and there are signs directing you to the market. OR, follow the crowd!

The only downfall to Chatuchak is that it can get extremely hot – the aisles are very narrow, it is outdoors (so no fans or AC), and there are tons of people. A Thai friend of mine said that he went once and he almost fainted from the heat. At the start, it can feel like a total maze, and it was easy to get frustrated, because we couldn’t find the aisles we wanted. We were walking through aisles of what looked like junk (like plastic bins, wrapping paper, slippers, cheesy Thai souvenirs, etc). Plus, we were sweating like crazy and drinking many bottles of water. However, once we figured out the map, it is a shoppers paradise!



I believe in the past, there used to be several aisles dedicated to livestock, snakes, and other animals, however, according to the map that we picked up there, they are no longer sold there. Instead, there is a "Pet and Supplies" section, where adorable puppies and kittens are dressed up in tiaras and bowties in hopes of finding a home. We walked by a kiosk where 20 bunnies in a box were looking for homes!! No snakes, however, which were supposed to be the highlight.

There are tons of tshirt vendors, but the best find, for me, were the independent designers. There were tons of young designers showcasing their wares and it was like shopping in the hippest boutique lined street in San Francisco or New York. The clothing was very affordable (I bought a reconstructed tshirt dress for just 150 Baht) and very funky! You can’t try on anything, but most of the stuff is one size, or S/M/L – if you’re of average height and size, it should fit. There are also several aisles dedicated to local artists, and walking through is like a gallery walk in Chelsea!

Other notable aisles include pottery, various local handicrafts, rugs, and silk. There are also quite a few ATMs and UPS stores to help you ship what you bought home! We also walked by some very bustling in business outdoor restaurants serving amazing ice cold glasses of iced tea and huge platters of noodles and other yummy thai dishes. So..enjoy with it..

Bangkok Hualampong Rail Station

Four lines of trains lead out of Bangkok; they are called according to the direction they travel to: Northern, Northeastern, Eastern and Southern, the last is connected to the Malaysian railways.

Hualampong: Bangkok Railway Station

Hualampong

Located on Rama IV Road, Rongmuang, the Bangkok Railway Station is easy to find; nowadays there is a Metro station right at its door, Bangkok's Chinatown is across the highway. The Hualampong Station was built between 1910 and 1916, and modernized in 1998; its huge hangar features short towers at its corners and is one of the best known landmarks in Bangkok.

The station provides 24-hour service, including a post office, money exchange services, a Thai food plaza, bookstores in Thai and English, information booths, luggage deposit, hotel reservations and fast food joints, including a Dunkin's Donuts branch.

Its central hall is mainly used as a waiting area, but at its backside are twenty-four ticket windows, including some reserved for foreigners, which issue computerized tickets; unlike in China, the staff speaks reasonable English.

Trains





The services are divided into regular trains, rapid trains, express trains, and the Sprinter or special express train; these offer 3rd class, 2nd class sleeping, 2nd class and 1st class sleeping cars with or without air-conditioning. The trains are rather old; traveling across Thailand by bus is faster.

Planning a trip is easy, since the trains keep the same daily schedule; detailed timetables are available at the counters; reservations for the 1st class cars are not necessary.

Sturdy locomotives and dwarf, boxy cars define the Thai Railways; they impart a solid sense of safety and silently imply a capability to survive any accident.

Security and Pricing

It is highly recommended to travel first class, since there are recurring reports - and most Thais would warn about that - of thefts in the lower class cars; if traveling in the lower class cars, care should be taken with the luggage and no food should be accepted from strangers.

The price of first class tickets is considerably higher than a parallel trip on bus; while third class tickets are much cheaper than the similar bus tickets.

Lines

The Northern Line connects Bangkok and Chiang Mai, through Ayutthaya and Phitsanulok. The first special express train leave daily from 8:30 AM to 7:35 PM; the trip lasts twelve hours. In the opposite direction, there is one morning train at 8:45 AM and thee in the evening, at 4:30 PM, 5:50 PM and 9 PM; slower trains are available at other times. As of August 2009, a first class ticket costs 1,353 baht to Chiang Mai.

The Northeastern Line reaches Nong Khai, through Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani. There is a single special express train leaving Bangkok daily at 5:45 AM, but it reaches only Ubon; in the opposite direction special express trains leave from Ubon (2:50 PM, 7:05 PM from Si Saket); slower trains reach Nong Khai. The best option from Bangkok is the express diesel railcar, leaving at 6:30 PM and reaching Nong Khai at 5:05 AM; other express trains leave Bangkok between 8:20 AM and 9:50 PM (6 trains). A full trip from Bangkok to Nong Khai in first class costs 1,217 baht and longs ten hours.

Aranyaprathet - the northern border cross with Cambodia, leading to Angkor - is the final destination of the Eastern Line; though there is a side line reaching Chon Buri and Pattaya. This train has only third class cars, a trip to Aranyaprathet costs 48 baht ($1.5!!!).

Malaysia can be reached down to Butterworth with the Southern Line, which reaches also Hua Hin, Chumpon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Hat Yai and Yala. Five special express trains leave Bangkok daily between 8:05 AM and 10:50 PM. A first class ticket to Hat Yai costs 1494 baht. The whole trip to Malaysia longs twenty-one hours, while to Hat Yai just about fifteen.

Friday, December 7, 2007

The temple of the Emerald Buddha (วัดพระแก้ว)


The temple of the Emerald Buddha (วัดพระแก้ว)
It is not know for sure when the Emerald Buddha was carved however judging from the appearance and style one could conclude it was carved in Northern Thailand not much earlier than the fifteenth century. On the other hand, the Emerald Buddha, which is in an attitude of meditation, looks much like some of the Buddha images of Southern India and Sri Lanka. This attitude of meditation has never been popular in other Thai carvings of Buddha images so one might assign the origin to one of the aforementioned countries.

According to reliable chronicles, lightning struck a Chedi in Chiangrai province of Northern Thailand in 1434 A.D.and a Buddha statue made of stucco was found inside. The abbot of the temple noticed that the stucco on the nose had flaked off and the image inside was a green color. He then removed the stucco covering and found the Emerald Buddha which is in reality made of green jade.

At that time the town of Chiangrai was under the rule of the King of Chiangmai, King Samfangkaen, as people flocked to view and worship this beautiful Buddha image. The King then decided to move the image to Chiangmai. He sent out an elephant three times to bring the Emerald Buddha to Chiangmai but each time the elephant ran to the city of Lampang instead of returning to Chiangmai. The King thought that the spirits guarding the Emerald Buddha wanted to stay in Lampang so it was allowed to remain there until 1468. Then the new King, King Tiloka, had the Emerald Buddha brought to Chiangmai. According to Chronicles the image was installed in the eastern niche of a large stupa at Wat Chedi Luang.

The King of Chiangmai in the mid 16th century had no sons. His daughter was married to the King of Laos and born one son named prince Chaichettha. After the King died in 1551 the prince, at the age of fifteen, was invited to become the King of Chiangmai. However when his father died, the King of Laos, King Chaichettha wanted to return to his own country. In 1552 he returned to Luang Prabang, then the capital of Laos, and took the Emerald Buddha with him. He promised the ministers he would return to Chiangmai but he never did nor did he send back the Emerald Buddha. In 1564 King Chaichettha was chased out of Luang Prabang by the Burmese army of King Bayinnaung and took the Emerald Buddha with him to his new capital of Vientiane. The Emerald Buddha remained there for 214 years.


When King Rama I was still a general during the Thonburi period in 1778 he captured the town of Vientiane and brought the Emerald Buddha back to Thailand. With the establishment of Bangkok as the capital, beginning the Rattanakosin period and the Chakri Dynasty, the Emerald Buddha became the palladium of Thailand and has been here ever since. On the 22nd of March 1784 the image was moved from Thonburi to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
Two seasonal costumes were made for the Emerald Buddha by King Rama I, one for the summer season and one for the rainy season. King Rama III (1824-1851) had another costume made for the winter season. The ceremonial changing of the costumes takes place three time a year and is done by his Majesty the King.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Pad Thai (Thai Style Noodle Stir-Fry)

Prepare:
14 big shrimps (peeled, de-veined and cooked)
2 handful thin noodle
3/4 cup cut yellow tofu
3 tbsp. good quality dried shrimp
1/4 cup salted radish (minced)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. water
1/4 cup a garlic-like vegetable of the genus Allium (cut 1 inch)
2 duck's eggs
1 cup bean sprouts
1 tbsp. sliced red onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried red chili powder
2 tbsp. roasted peanut (crushed)
1 tsp. sugar
Pad Thai Sauce:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp. minced red onion
3 tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup palm sugar
1/3 cup good quality fish sauce
1/2 cup concentrated tamarind juice

Cooking Instructions:
1. Heat the pan and add vegetable oil. When the pan is hot, add 3 tbsp. minced red onion and 3 tbsp. minced garlic. Fry until it turns gold. Be careful, it will be bitter if you put max heat and burn it.

2. Add palm sugar, fish sauce, concentrated tamarind juice. Boil until it gets thick.

3. Remove from the stove.Next, we will cook the noodle.

1. In a different pan, heat the pan and add vegetable oil. When the pan is hot, add red 1 tbsp. sliced onion and garlic. Fry until it has aromatic smell.

2. Add tofu, salted radish and dried shrimps.

3. Now, add noodle and water. Mix well then add vinegar.

4. Pour pad Thai sauce we prepare from before. Add as much as you like. Make sure you don't add too much because the noodle will be too wet and overcook.

5. Then, make a quick stir. If you like bean sprouts and the genus Allium to be cooked, add it in this step.

6. Turn off the fire. Arrange the noodle on a plate. Put dried chili pepper, sugar, roasted peanut, fresh bean sprouts and the genus Allium on a side.

Oy!!!! I forgot to add shrimps!!

You can put them after any step above, because it was already cooked. I'll put them like a pyramid on top of my Pad Thai. Another option for Pad Thai, make an omelet from duck's eggs. Make it as thin and as big as possible. Put the noodle in the middle of the omelet. Fold four sides then put another plate on top. Turn it upside down. Decorate it with bean sprouts, the genus Allium or scallion, dried chili powder, sugar, peanut, and one piece of lemon.

From : Thanks for Joy (Try Thai Food)

I like this Thai song

I like this Thai song from "Silly Fools" Song name is "Nam Lai"



"Nam-lai" (Saliva)

เพียงแค่เธอสบตา เพียงแค่เธอผ่านมา
piang kae ter sob-dtaa piang kae ter paan maa
Just you looking in my eyes.....just you passing by

แค่เพียงได้เคียงข้าง ได้ยินเสียงแค่บางๆ ทำให้ใจสั่นสะท้าน
kae piang dai kiang kaang dai yin siang kae baang baang tam hai jai sun sa-taan
Just to get to be beside you....to hear your voice sometimes....is enough to make me tremble

เธอทำให้ต้องผิดหวัง ตอนที่เธอบอกฉัน
ter tam hai dtong pit wung dton tee ter bork chun
You dashed my hopes....when you told me.

ว่ามันคงไม่มี่วัน ที่เรานั้นได้คู่กัน ก็เพราะเรื่องราวของฉัน
waa mun kong mai mee wun tee rao nun dai koo gun gor prow reuang rao kong chun
That I'll never get to be with you...because of the stories you've heard about me

บ้างก็ว่าฉันเป็นคนอย่างนั้น บ้างก็ว่าฉันเคยทำอย่างนี้
baang gor waa chun ben kon yaang nun baang gor waa chun ker-ee tam yaang nee
Some say I'm like that... some say I used to do things like that....

ว่ากันว่าฉันเป็นคนไม่ดี ว่าแต่ว่าไม่เคยคุยกับฉันซักที
waa gun waa chun ben kon mai dee waa dtae waa mai ker-ee kui gup chun suk tee
Saying to each other that I'm no good... but they've never talked to me even once

สรุปว่าฉันนั้นดูไม่ดี ทั้งที่เธอไม่ดู
sa-roop waa chun nun doo mai dee tung tee ter mai doo
You're concluding that I'm no good...though you've never seen for yourself

พอท้าให้เธอได้ดู เธอก็ดันรู้ดี ว่าฉันเป็นอย่างไร
por taa hai ter dai doo ter gor dun roo dee waa chun ben yaang rai
But if you get to see yourself....you'll know well what I'm like

จากน้ำลายของใครต่อใคร
jaak nam lai kong krai dtor krai
And see past the lies they all say...

สรุปว่าฉันนั้นดูไม่ดี ทั้งที่เธอไม่ดู
sa-roop waa chun nun doo mai dee tung tee ter mai doo
You're concluding that I'm no good...though you've never seen for yourself

พอท้าให้เธอได้ดู เธอก็ดันรู้ดี ว่าฉันเป็นอย่างไร
por taa hai ter dai doo ter gor dun roo dee waa chun ben yaang rai
But if you get to see yourself....you'll know well what I'm like

จากน้ำลายของใครต่อใคร
jaak nam lai kong krai dtor krai
And see past the lies they all say...

เพียงแค่เธอบอกมา ว่าเธอเห็นมันด้วยสองตา
piang kae ter bork maa waa ter hen mun duay song dtaa
Just that you told me....that you saw it with your eyes

ว่าที่ฉันได้ทำไป ได้ทำร้ายหัวใจใคร
waa tee chun dai tam bai dai tam rai hua jai krai
That you said what I did I hurt the feelings of others..

ไม่ใช่เรื่องราวของฉัน
mai chai reuang rao kong chun
But they're not true stories about me

บ้างก็ว่าฉันเป็นคนอย่างนั้น บ้างก็ว่าฉันเคยทำอย่างนี้
baang gor waa chun ben kon yaang nun baang gor waa chun ker-ee tam yaang nee
Some say I'm like that... some say I used to do things like that....

ว่ากันว่าฉันเป็นคนไม่ดี ว่าแต่ว่าไม่เคยคุยกับฉันซักที
waa gun waa chun ben kon mai dee waa dtae waa mai ker-ee kui gup chun suk tee
Saying to each other that I'm no good... but they've never talked to me even once

สรุปว่าฉันนั้นดูไม่ดี ทั้งที่เธอไม่ดู
sa-roop waa chun nun doo mai dee tung tee ter mai doo
You're concluding that I'm no good...though you've never seen for yourself

พอท้าให้เธอได้ดู เธอก็ดันรู้ดี ว่าฉันเป็นอย่างไร
por taa hai ter dai doo ter gor dun roo dee waa chun ben yaang rai
But if you get to see yourself....you'll know well what I'm like

จากน้ำลายของใครต่อใคร
jaak nam lai kong krai dtor krai
And see past the lies they all say...

สรุปว่าฉันนั้นดูไม่ดี ทั้งที่เธอไม่ดู
sa-roop waa chun nun doo mai dee tung tee ter mai doo
You're concluding that I'm no good...though you've never seen for yourself

พอท้าให้เธอได้ดู เธอก็ดันรู้ดี ว่าฉันเป็นอย่างไร
por taa hai ter dai doo ter gor dun roo dee waa chun ben yaang rai
But if you get to see yourself....you'll know well what I'm like

จากน้ำลายของใครต่อใคร
jaak nam lai kong krai dtor krai
And see past the lies they all say...

แปลกแต่จริงที่เธอจะทิ้งกันไปเพราะเหตุนั้น
blaek dtae jing tee ter ja ting gun bai prow het nun
It's strange but true that you'd throw me away just for that...

แปลกแต่จริงที่เราตัดสินกันไปอย่างนั้น
blaek dtae jing tee rao dtut sin gun bai yaang nun
It's strange but true that you've decided to leave like that...

(Interlude)

บ้างก็ว่าฉันเป็นคนอย่างนั้น บ้างก็ว่าฉันเคยทำอย่างนี้
baang gor waa chun ben kon yaang nun baang gor waa chun ker-ee tam yaang nee
Some say I'm like that... some say I used to do things like that....

ว่ากันว่าฉันเป็นคนไม่ดี ว่าแต่ว่าไม่เคยคุยกับฉันซักที
waa gun waa chun ben kon mai dee waa dtae waa mai ker-ee kui gup chun suk tee
Saying to each other that I'm no good... but they've never talked to me even once

สรุปว่าฉันนั้นดูไม่ดี ทั้งที่เธอไม่ดู
sa-roop waa chun nun doo mai dee tung tee ter mai doo
You're concluding that I'm no good...though you've never seen for yourself

พอท้าให้เธอได้ดู เธอก็ดันรู้ดี ว่าฉันเป็นอย่างไร
por taa hai ter dai doo ter gor dun roo dee waa chun ben yaang rai
But if you get to see yourself....you'll know well what I'm like

จากน้ำลายของใครต่อใคร
jaak nam lai kong krai dtor krai
And see past the lies they all say...

สรุปว่าฉันนั้นดูไม่ดี ทั้งที่เธอไม่ดู
sa-roop waa chun nun doo mai dee tung tee ter mai doo
You're concluding that I'm no good...though you've never seen for yourself

พอท้าให้เธอได้ดู เธอก็ดันรู้ดี ว่าฉันเป็นอย่างไร
por taa hai ter dai doo ter gor dun roo dee waa chun ben yaang rai
But if you get to see yourself....you'll know well what I'm like

จากน้ำลายของใครต่อใคร
jaak nam lai kong krai dtor krai
And see past the lies they all say...

สรุปว่าฉันนั้นดูไม่ดี ทั้งที่เธอไม่ดู
sa-roop waa chun nun doo mai dee tung tee ter mai doo
You're concluding that I'm no good...though you've never seen for yourself

พอท้าให้เธอได้ดู เธอก็ดันรู้ดี ว่าฉันเป็นอย่างไร
por taa hai ter dai doo ter gor dun roo dee waa chun ben yaang rai
But if you get to see yourself....you'll know well what I'm like

จากน้ำลายของใครต่อใคร
jaak nam lai kong krai dtor krai
And see past the lies they all say...