Phuket Soi Dogs

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Sponsor a dog today with Phuket Soi Dogs or just take a visit and see if you can help in any other way.

This is what this guest did - they asked me to share their images.

If you have time please use it like this?

Singing bird competitions

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Singing bird competitions are something which I am unable to indicate when they will be, where they will be 

- this one I captured as we were driving somewhere...

This was set up by the side of a road - the frame looks very simple and then the birds in their cages are hung on the frame. At intervals 'their keepers' approach the birds, sometimes covering it and them returning to watch.

Their are judges on the other side keeping a record of something. I believe this to be pitch, melody and volume.

There apparently is a lot of money riding on these competitions... Here is some information.

So I looked for something to help me understand it and found almost nothing to help me understand it all - but I didn't find a lot - but it really is quite beautiful.

Thank you to all the Thai men who welcomed me in to take photographs

Phuket Cultural Centre

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what are these sticks with the book? - book marks?

Phuket Cultural Centre was a find purely because i was asked about it and I knew very little about it - so i visited it the next week.

The centre is on the grounds of the Rajabhat University and there was one sign to it as we drove the road. 

The Phuket Cultural Centre is described by Rajabhat as - 'A presentation of arts, culture and artefacts from the area of the Andaman Coast'.

The actual building is not one that one who have thought housed such a treasure of artefacts.The building is unassuming and looks in need of a degree of care BUT it is there and this is what matters.

On entering the building it was a little disarming because there was nobody there and there was no indication or directions that we could go in but we did. I was taken there by Thai person and this did help as they knocked on a door and the staff came to assist us (reminding me of a visit to the Thavorn Museum where they put the lights on).

When they did I was immediately taken with the plethora of items that there were on display in and out of the cabinets.

this is a weighing tool for the dredged tin?

The actual building was divided into areas with a different focus.

an example of the Baba living in Phuket

do you think they need a DJ?

Fascinating things - do you remember when a camera was a camera?

a seeming well used or old Mahjong set - is it Ivory?

- Ron Thai Phuket Room: showing us the life in Phuket

an example of a floating device for very young children

a beautiful Chinese Calligraphy box (i also have one)

- Cultural Information Room: collection of information in a variety of formats

Military Caps? - reminding me of A Town Like Alice

 - Cultural Heritage Room: ornaments, implements and more locally made

 - Buddhism Room: sandalwood carving, Thalang history and details of the Heroines actions

Email: cul@pkru.ac.th

Phone Number: 076 240 474 (ext. 148)

Approximate Price: Free

Address: Phuket Rajabhat University, Thepkrassatri Rd

Hours: 8:30 - 16:30 (closed weekends)

Hongsyok House

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Hongsyok House is not somewhere which is open to the public because it is still a private house and home for the Hongsyok family.

BUT once a year - specifically for the Baba Weddings it will be open for people to visit the grounds. 

The grooms, brides and their entourages all paraded outside - whilst I had a peak inside. I just wish that I had know what to expect and been a little bit more organised.

It is certainly a real home of a real family.

What lovely tiling on the floor - have I seen this pattern elsewhere?

Clearly evidence of a family collecting its pieces.

Then a piano and family photographs - I was very lucky.

Previous visits

 1) May 2014 - Baba Weddings
 2) May 2012 

 2) September 2012 - Baba Weddings

 3) June 2011 - Baba Weddings 

 4) August 2010 - Baba Wedding and cocktails

View tim in Phuket in a larger map

A Sino-Portugese house, Khao Yam Dim Sum and exercise.

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A Sino Portugese House reconstructed, a park next door and a fab Dim Sum Restaurant opposite - Khao Yam.

The Sino Portugese House has recently been reconstructed and Jamie has some great photographs. 

There is also an exercise park around the lake - which is  very popular in the early mornings and the afternoon.

Around the house they play Takraw in the afternoons - 
not sure if this hurt when he came down?

Then the car park is sometimes full of people and aerobic exercise and others simply run around the lake.

Takraw - popular throughout Thailand

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Takraw (or Sepak Takraw) is a popular game among Thai men of all ages. They seem to play the game anywhere. The open spaces are numerous throughout Phuket are many - popular places are Sapan Hin Park, King Rama IX Park and these photographs are from Thalang Park adjacent to the Indy Market. 

There is evidence that there is a history to the game being played in Thailand;

In Bangkok, murals at Wat Phra Kaeo which was built in 1785, depict the Hindu god Hanuman playing sepak takraw in a ring with a troop of monkeys. Other historical accounts mention the game earlier during the reign of King Naresuan (1590–1605) of Ayutthaya. The game remained in its circle form for hundreds of years, and the modern version of sepak takraw began taking shape in Thailand sometime during the early 1740s. In 1829 the Siam Sports Association drafted the first rules for takraw competition.^{[citation needed]} Four years later, the association introduced the volleyball-style net and held the first public contest. Within just a few years, takraw was introduced to the curriculum in Siamese schools. The game became such a cherished local custom that another exhibition of volleyball-style takraw was staged to celebrate the kingdom’s first constitution in 1933, the year after Thailand abolished absolute monarchy.

(text is from Wikipedia)

It is played with a woven ball but I see more and more balls which are made of more durable plastic.

The idea of the game is to keep the ball aloft - and the group of players do this with their bodies - it must really be seen to be understood.

Some of the games of Takraw involve two opposing teams and the game is for the ball to go from side to side in the same way that volley ball does.

Then there is a game of Hoop Takraw which I see more rarely and the there is a net suspended above the players and the option of this is to get the ball in the net above them!

In all of these games sometimes the players twist their bodies in what certainly looks like an odd position.

In other circumstances it looks like they are ballet dancers.

So how do you get to play one of these games?

Well I would start off with being extremely athletic!

Have a practice on your own and humbly ask to join in.

Find the Sunset - Cape Phromthep and more

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This may seem quite easy but it not aways is - the most popular place to watch the Sunset is usually recognised as Sunset Viewpoint. 

Cape Phromthep Sunset (this is Jamies photograph) - used with permission

Cape Phromthep is at the Southern most point of Phuket Island and it is wise to get there possibly an hour before the sunsets. This is because there may well be a coach of people also trying to see the sunset and you don't want to miss the Sunset because you were stuck in a traffic jam.

A way to find what time the sunset is is to use an App - my choice for an App which shares the information is Sunset Countdown.

There are a number of other places to visit - here is my selection.

The Sunset Trip with John Gray Sea Canoe

Cape Panwa Promenade

The Beach Bar

The Beach Bar

The Beach Bar is an excellent location that I have found to take photographs of the Sunset - if I was more organised I would try to take pictures of the sunset with Big Buddha in the background but not yet.

Wat Laem Phromthep

A place to go is the Buddhist Wat next to Cape Phromthep - Wat Laem Phromthep - quiet and serene (because all the tourists are next door)!

Then there is 'After Beach Bar' - a good place for a sunset and the restaurant is pretty good - when I wrote this I had not written a review yet but the review will be here - here's Jamie's review.