Thai Photo Blogs by Richard Barrow

If you are coming to Thailand to sunbathe on a beach then you might need to think carefully which beach you head to. The Thai people don’t like the idea of sunbathing on a hot day even though they do like playing in the water. The solution? Set up an umbrella city to cover every inch of the beach. This way they can play in the water and then rest and eat in the shade of the umbrella. This picture was taken at Bangsaen Beach in Chonburi at high tide.

One of my favourite weekend escapes from Bangkok is Amphawa Floating Market in Samut Songkhram. It is a popular place for Thai people though an increasing large number of foreign tourists are finding their way there. It only takes place at the weekend and also only from about 4 p.m. onwards. If you have the time it is best to spend the night at a homestay as the place is nearly deserted during the morning. I like exploring the area on a bicycle or renting a long-tailed boat.

One of the most popular activities for foreign tourists when they come to Thailand is to ride an elephant. I must admit, that was one of the first things that I did. I joined a jungle trek in Chiang Mai and on the second day we rode an elephant through the jungle for a couple of hours. I took this picture in Ayutthaya where you can ride these elephants around the ancient ruins. But be warned, most don’t offer seat straps and some tourists have slipped and fallen to their death before. You also need to consider the health of the elephant. They are not “designed” to carry heavy loads on their backs or walk along concrete roads. Do some research on the internet first before you decide to visit an elephant show or ride an elephant.

Thailand has had panda fever ever since the birth of Lin Ping at Chiang Mai Zoo in May 2009. They even have a 24 hour reality show so people can watch from home. This is a picture that I took of Chuang Chuang, the father.  Entrance to Chiang Mai Zoo is 520/390 baht (290/190 baht for Thai people). For the panda enclosure you have to pay another 100 baht (50 baht for Thai people).

One of the better preserved traditional markets in Thailand can be found in Suphanburi Province. It is called Sam Chuk 100 Year Market and it still has its original wooden shophouses that date back to the reign of King Rama V. In those days it was a bustling market alongside the Tha Chin River. This was a main thoroughfare between the north and Bangkok. However, with the building of roads both the importance of the market and the number of customers dwindled. Fortunately, the local people decided to work together to revive the market.

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. It started on 23rd January and will end on 9th February 2013. This year you are sure to see quite a few different kinds of dragons that will be used as good luck symbols. This giant dragon can be found at Sawan Park in Nakhon Sawon.