Thailand, the Land of Smiles

Our first trip together to Thailand was in December 1993 on our honeymoon. The friendly people, rich Buddhist culture, golden glimmering temples, and spicy food of Thailand won our hearts. Since then, we've traveled back numerous times.

Sukhothai

Sukhothai is Thailand's first capital. It flourished from the mid 13th century to the late 14th century during the Golden Age of Thai civilization. The architecture of Sukhothai is considered the most classic of Thai styles. Today, Sukhothai is a historical park where 45 sq. km of ruins can be viewed.

To reach Sukhothai, we flew to Phitsnulok Airport and drove by taxi for about 90 minutes. As in most of Thailand, inexpensive transportation is easy to find and requires no advance reservation.

These photos are provided by Hernan, a friend from Sacramento who traveled with us to Thailand recently.

Bangkok

The noise and congestion of Bangkok is enough to deter any traveler from a second visit. But since we were traveling with a friend who had never been to Thailand, we toured the city to view some representative sites.

Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace (also called the Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

Every visit to Bangkok must include the Grand Palace. From the extensive murals to the huge golden stupas to the shimmering colorful temples, this palace is breathtaking.
The unique roof structure that is common to all Thai temples.

Phi Phi Island

On our honeymoon, Phi Phi Island was our final stop. From the tourist trap of Phuket, Phi Phi can be reached by a 3 hour boat ride. Although in 1993, there were only a few tourists on this tiny group of islands, today there are numerous resorts and over population.

The first striking difference is the line of dilapidated rusting shacks that line the shore along the boat dock. Inland, where there used to be only one resort with a cold water shower, now stands a series of resorts complete with air conditioning and hot water. The widening gap between rich and poor is strikingly obvious as this once quiet paradise continues to cater to more tourists.

A cave on one of the Phi Phi Islands where birds nests for Chinese Birds Nest Soup are (were?) collected. In 1993, we watched birds nest collectors climb bamboo poles 100s of feet to the upper reaches of the cave ceiling. Today, the bamboo poles are rotten and very few birds can be heard.
The overcast sky doesn't do this picture justice. Due to the shallowness of the lagoon, at high tide the ocean comes right up to the hotel. At low tide, you can walk out about 1/2 a mile to the water edge where colorful fish, coral, and sea urchins can be seen. This photo is at low tide.

Chiang Mai

Many Thai boys join the monastery to study. While there, they follow Buddhist codes of conduct.
16 km north-west of Chiang Mai rises Mount Doi Suthep. Atop this mountain is a temple called Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. A colorful dragon-headed serpent lines the 300 steps from the parking lot and the temple entrance. The peak is cooler than the city, peaceful, and relaxing.
Various ethnic mountain communities exist in the northern part of Thailand. This is at a Karen village. The Karen people have their own language and continue to live lifestyles of times past.