My Thailand Blog by Richard Barrow

These iPhone pictures are the highlights of our trip along the Mekong this afternoon.

We rented a boat and toured along the river where we saw local fishermen at work as well as some of the following amazing sandstone rock formations. The most famous is at Sam Phan Bok.

- Posted from my iPhone

These are a few of the pictures that I took on my iPhone on day 1 of my Ubon Ratchathani trip.

Students from an ethnic group called Bru. They showed us around their school.

This is Wat Tham Kuha Sawan in Khong Chiam District. Very beautiful.

This is a view from the temple of the Mekong where the Moon Rivet runs into it. This apparently produces two colours.

This is Mushroom Rock, Sao Chaliang, in Pha Taem National Park.

Ancient rock paintings in Pha Taem National Park.

View from the cliff top in Pha Taem National Park. Looking down on the Mekong and Laos beyond.

Sunset in Pha Taem National Park.

- Posted from my iPhone

Early this morning, thousands of people all over Thailand made merit on the occasion of HM The King’s 83rd Birthday.

In Samut Prakan we also had a merit making ceremony at the provincial hall starting at 6:45 am.

About 100 monks were invited to receive alms from local government officials and Samut Prakan people.

Thai people normally do this on their birthday but on this day they did it on behalf of His Majesty.

Afterwards, more merit was made by the releasing of a million tiny sea creatures. I’m waiting for the next ceremony to start now and then this evening there will be a candlelight vigil.

- Posted from my iPhone

I’ve just finished my first hot air balloon flight and had a really fantastic time. This was actually our second attempt. Yesterday’s flight was cancelled as it was too windy. I was disappointed but really safety comes first.

I’m here at the 4th International Balloon. The first two years it took place in Khao Yai National Park and then last year they flew over the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya. This year it is taking place at Khundan Prakanchon Dam in Nakhon Nayok. The five day event will finish this Monday.

At the dam they are only doing tethered flights in the late afternoon. But early in the morning on each day they are doing flights across the countryside. These start at 6:30 a.m. from the football stadium in Nakhon Nayok. The direction the balloons go depends on the wind.

As my flight was cancelled yesterday due to the wind, I was really happy that I got a second chance today. When we left the hotel in the darkness I could see that it was quite windy. But fortunately this had dropped by the time the sun had risen.

My balloon had a pilot and his co-pilot, together with three passengers. Some baskets and balloons were bigger and could take more. Ours wasn’t really that big and the pilot said that as we had one person too many the gas would run out quicker making a slightly shorter flight.

I think we were very lucky with the weather though at one stage we could only go up and down. But then the wind did pick up again. We did have a mini crash landing at one stage but then bounced straight back up. However it was a muddy rice field and so we got a bit wet.

It was really a beautiful sight as we were surrounded by nearly 20 hot air balloons. We passed over a number of small communities. Down below we could see people who had stopped what they were doing to stare at the magnificent sight. Many of them waved at us as we passed by.

This picture was taken near the end of the flight. You can see the shadow of our balloon. The pilot was already looking for a safe place to land. In preference there also needs to be road access as the support team were following us in the pick-up truck. The pilot told us to bend our knees as we landed. He also told us not to jump out as we might go back up.

As it turned out the pilot found an almost perfect spot to land which was a dry field that was close to a small road. We had a soft landing. The co-pilot hopped out and pulled us closer to a more ideal spot. Amazingly within only a few minutes the support team had found us. They even managed to fly the balloon onto the back of the pick-up before deflating the balloon.

The flight had lasted about an hour. It was really great and I’m grateful to the TAT for inviting me on this media trip. They weren’t selling tickets for members of the public so we were really lucky to be able to go up. Can’t wait for their next balloon festival at the end of 2011.

- Posted from my iPhone

This morning I had a chance to go up in a hot air balloon at the festival that is taking place at the moment in Nakhon Nayok. I was assigned to balloon number 2 whose pilot is Barry from the UK. We met up with all 20 pilots at Nakhon Nayok Stadium shortly after sunrise. The weather was a bit chilly with a cool wind.

A hot air balloon needs some wind in order to move, but too much can be dangerous. Some of the pilots quickly unpacked their balloons and started to use fans and then gas burners to blow them up. Others like Barry, my pilot, were being more cautious as it was already quite windy. Maybe too much.

Some of the first balloons started going up within half an hour but I could see how badly they were being knocked around. There were some near misses of the pick-up trucks. During the short time that we were there, the wind picked up even more. Some pilots then made the decision not to go up.

Barry explained to me that going up wasn’t the main problem. It was the landing. If there was a strong wind the balloon wouldn’t go straight down but could be dragged along the ground. He said the paddy fields around here aren’t very big and there are many obstacles that the balloon could crash into. So it would be dangerous for the pilot and passengers.

After Barry made the decision not to fly, another pilot offered to take me up. However after ten minutes of blowing up the balloon he too decided that it would be unwise to fly. Of course I was disappointed but I know also that they had made the right decision. It’s not worth gambling with our lives just for a balloon flight. And of course the balloon itself is very expensive.

I am hoping that I will have a second chance tomorrow morning to go up in a balloon. Let’s hope it’s not so windy. You just never know.

- Posted from my iPhone

I’m at Khundan Prakanchon Dam in Nakhon Nayok Province for the International Hot Air Balloon and Adventure Sports Festival. It is happening over the long holiday weekend for the King’s birthday; 2nd – 6th December 2010.

This is now the fourth time that the Balloon Festival has taken place but the first time it has included other adventure sports. It is also the first time that it has taken place in Nakhon Nayok. Previously it was in Nakhon Ratchasima twice and then last year it was held in Ayutthaya.

During the opening ceremony this afternoon, Ms. Pensuda Priaram, the deputy governor of the TAT, said that this festival will “highlight Nakhon Nayok as an ideal tourist destination where everyone can enjoy the rich natural and cultural heritage while partaking of the fun and excitement of the many outdoor activities the province offers”.

The festival goes on for five days until Monday 6th December 2010. Every day there will be balloon flights at 6 a.m., balloon tethering at 5 p.m. and then balloon glow and fireworks at 6:30 p.m. They aren’t selling tickets for the balloon rides but there will be a lucky dip for the tethered flights.

There are about 20 hot air balloons taking part in this festival from eight countries around the world. These are Austria, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Thailand.

This afternoon I watched them as they prepared their balloons for tethered flight. It was quite windy so only three balloons went up today. It was interesting how they prepared the balloons. They started by using two high powered fans to blow air into the balloons and then they used a gas powered flame to blow hot air into the balloon.

The pictures here were all taken on my iPhone. I also took some pictures on my DSLR which I will post later when I get back on www.thai-blogs.com and www.thaifestivalblogs.com. I’m hoping to be able to go on a balloon flight early tomorrow morning which will be my first time. I’m pretty excited about that. Hopefully it won’t be too windy.

- Posted from my iPhone

Over recent years, the administration in Pattaya have been trying to clean up their image and to promote the city to be more of a family destination for foreign tourists. So, I presume that they were happy with the opening of Pattaya Floating Market about two years ago.

I first went last year and everything back then, including all of the purpose built buildings, looked brand new.  But, this time everything looked more weather worn and also more authentic at the same time. It is starting to look like an old and genuine floating market.

The famous market in Thailand is of course at Damnoern Saduak. However, even though the boats and vendors there make a good picture, the back drop of souvenir shops and corrugated iron is not that pretty. Which is why I now highly recommend Pattaya Floating Market.

In addition, if you look closely at the buildings, you will realize that they all have different styles. That is because they come from the four regions of Thailand. Another difference with Damnoern Saduak is that the products on sale here are actually good quality and you won’t find a row of shops selling the same thing. The prices are reasonable too.

One of the new features since my last visit is a zipline across the lake. For only 100 baht, you can fly across the lake on this line and back again. During the day, they also have cultural shows around the market which are free. If you don’t want to walk around the market you can join boat tours which cost 400 baht per boat. These take up to four people which then works out at 100 baht per person.

The market is open every day and there are no admission fees. Monday to Thursday it is open until 9 p.m. and Friday to Sunday open until 10 p.m. The peak time for visitors is from 4 p.m. when it starts to get cooler. Our visit was during the morning and we found plenty of shade. The market is on Sukhumwit Road just south of Pattaya City. It is certainly worth a visit the next time you are in Pattaya.

- Posted from my iPhone

Tourists in Bangkok have the Rose Garden while Pattaya tourists have Nong Nooch, a short distance to the south of the city. The tropical gardens are set in 652 acres and have literally thousands of different species of plants. With the orchids alone there are 670 different species. There is a lot to see and take in during just one visit. So I wasn’t surprised to see that they also have a resort where you can stay the night and get free admission included.

The botanical gardens, first started by Mrs Nong Nuch in 1980, are believed to be the biggest of it’s kind in Southeast Asia. Preservation and research is certainly very important to them and they have dedicated classrooms for visiting schools. However, the gardens are not just about flowers as there ar two shows that you can also watch. These are a Thai Cultural Show and an Elephant Show.

You could easily spend a day here as you can also do elephant riding or get around on a bicycle or even paddle boats. You can join tram tours of the garden or take a stroll on the skywalk. Entrance to the gardens cost 400 baht. For Thai people it is 100 baht for the gardens or 200 baht if they want to see the show as well. I did enjoy the show, but it is much the same as what I have seen several time at the Rose Garden. They do have a zoo as well though we didn’t have time on this trip. But, from memory, it was a bit depressing to see how the animals are caged. Nong Nuch is good if you are interested in flowers, but don’t go for the animals alone.

- Posted from my iPhone

Flight of the Gibbon is a relatively new tourist attraction which is about halfway between Bangkok and Pattaya. We travelled there yesterday with the TAT and the trip from Pattaya took less than one hour. It is actually inside Khao Kieow Open Zoo which I have done as easy day trips from Bangkok before.

Flight of the Gibbon is open to people of all ages, although there is a weight limit of 130 kilos. As you can see from these pictures, you also mustn’t be scared of heights. This rainforest adventure in a nature reserve involves zip-lining from one tree-top to the next.

When it comes to heights I guess I am just as scared as the next person. Maybe a little more so which was why I was a little apprehensive in joining this adventure. However, safety is of the greatest importance to them and you are always attached to a line. Before you start, they also run through safety precautions.

The first zip line wasn’t so long so it gives you a chance to get used to it. After the third or fourth jump most people start to fly above the treetops with their arms stretched out. A truly exhilarating experience. Though I must admit I tried not to look down! The longest zip line was the last one which was 300 meters long.

At the end of the course, which takes 2-3 hours, you have to rappel down to base camp where we started. This was probably even more scary. However, you do get used to it and I think if I do it again then I wouldn’t be so nervous. Flight of the Gibbon also has a course in Chiang Mai. The standard price is 2,999 baht. I highly recommend that you do a tree-top adventure. In Chiang Mai, they have a rival called Jungle Flight which has had some good reviews from people that I know. Maybe next time I will try them.

- Posted from my iPhone

During the evening of the first day of our media trip to Pattaya we were invited to see a performance at the Tuxedo Magic Theatre. It was billed as “the first magic theater of Thailand that presents world-standard magic shows”. I was of course a bit skeptical about that and also at the same time not keen on going to see a kid’s magic show. I didn’t know anything about it as the theatre has only been open two years. So, no expectations.

To be completely honest I was bowled over by the whole performance. It was one of the best magic shows that I have ever seen. Mr. Tuxedo, seen above, performed many tricks and illusions that completely overwhelmed me. I found myself laughing and clapping many times. So often we found ourselves asking “How did they do that?”.

The magic theater is on North Pattaya Road in Naklua. Tickets are 450 baht for adults (250 baht for Thai) and 225 baht for children under 120 cms.

- Posted from my iPhone

One of the latest tourist attractions in Pattaya is the Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks. It can be found in the Royal Garden Plaza on Beach Road. You may already be familiar with “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” which is owned by the same company.

The wax museum has only been opened a year in Pattaya, but there are four other branches around the world. The name “Tussaud” is obviously the same as the famous wax museum in London called Madame Tussaud’s. But they are not copying the name. Louis is apparently her great-grandson.

I first heard about this wax museum in October 2009 when it hit the international headlines. To advertise the new museum, a giant billboard was put up with a picture of Hitler and the words in Thai “Hitler is not Dead”. After complaints by both the German and Israeli embassies the billboard was quickly covered up. But by that time, everyone knew about the new wax museum and the work of the PR company was done.

The wax museum has 68 international and Thai celebrities. This includes 8 Thai models (like Paradorn and Tata Young), 20 Asian models (such as Bruce Lee) and 40 international models (like David Beckham, Britney Spears and Barack Obama).

To be honest I was a little disappointed with the quality of the images. They weren’t very lifelike. Can you guess who this wax model is supposed to depict? I asked that question on twitter and only a few people correctly said that it is Princess Diana. I also think that the ticket price at 580 baht is too much. Though it is possible to get a cheaper deal if you buy it as a package.

Thailand has another wax museum in Nakhon Pathom called Thai Human Imagery Museum. This is excellent and the models very lifelike. A branch of Madame Tussaud’s will also be opening in Bangkok in December 2010. I will be going to visit shortly after that.

- Posted from my iPhone