Sunday 30 April 2017

Sarasil Art Gallery



Founded in 1999, this gallery features the artwork of Somkiat Kaewnok who is well known for his original oil paintings.



But that is all that I can find out about.



There were some elephant paintings which were attractive...



Thursday 27 April 2017

Phuket Down Town Plaza



Phuket Town Market (and Down Town Plaza) is an area which has seen a great many changes since I arrived in 2000.

In the early, early morning the road is littered with trucks selling produce in but and then these trucks either return to where they came from or relocate nearby. Later the stalls line the streets and the local people start shopping.



This particular post is not to do with the food but the people. I find the best thing to do is simply sit there and watch the world go round...



There are always a lot of motorbikes



some even take care of their dogs in the basket at the front. But it is a very busy place to visit...




How about trying some street food whilst you are here - even if it is only hard boiled eggs and nuts (or something)...



I always like to watch the monks walk by me...



Then you can always get the local bus somewhere - but they do finish at about 4pm?



They also serve as a way of taking the shopping home...



Previous Visits
 1) April 2013 - an introduction
 2) August 2010 - a change
 4) there are more...



 

Friday 21 April 2017

Wat Si Bun Rueang


Wat Si Bun Rueang is a temple that I walk past each morning on the way to the Ferry (River Taxi).


It is adjacent to a school and it means that the area can also be teaming with students.


It is a wonderful spot and it was the last thing that I had anticipated as I walk to get the River Taxi. 



The main building is used on a regular occasion an outlying ones on a less regular one.


The most interesting thing that we found on our recent visits were the albino animals - possibly donated to the temple instead of put down?


Is it also possible that the dung from the animals is also kept for a specific reason?


Then there were the Sacred Stone balls

"These sacred stone balls, usually nine, are called ลูกนิมิต in the Thai language and are placed at the four corners and other cardinal points of the พระอุโบสถ.  With one stone (often slightly larger)  situated under the main Buddha image inside the ordination hall."

But I do not know whether the colour meant anything else however?



Then there are the rows of bells next to an entrance - which I believe many followers ring when they enter? The significance of this I have not confirmed.



A favorite of mine is the black large circular bell having on two ropes which is struck three times. Or by stroking it in the middle repetitively make a strange echoing sound.



They seem to be taking care of the grounds around at the current moment - but this character is in more than one Wat that I have visited?



A wonderful temple which in the evening has a local food market for those of us going home. 






Tuesday 18 April 2017

The khlongs in Phuket Town


There seems to be a number of khlongs which run through Phuket Town but I seem to find very little information about them. But from the mechanisms which are scattered about I imagine that they were fully operational.



I did find a map after seeing so many Khlongs but I do not know how to find them all.
  


Here are some...




This was near the bypass 




This was near the Queen Sirikit park in Phuket Town



Some times the khlongs are full and flowing



Phuket Town has a plethora of bridges all over the place.





Phuket Town is really quite beautiful.





 But not always - sometimes there are people cleaning the khlongs of rubbish and soil. There are more khlongs which are being used in Bangkok and around Thailand - I feel that it would be a nice idea to have all these khlongs working again.




Thursday 13 April 2017

Airplane Graveyard


The airplane graveyard is near to where I get the river taxi and I had read about it so I decided to have a look.... The sun was coming down and it had begun to cast shadows on the derelict planes.


Which had graffiti / 'street art' added to them - I must admit to wanting to see an Alex Face there - that would have been cool...



But there was a fence erected and I was looking for a way in.



It was then that I realized that there were people inside an next time I will pay them 100 Baht to have a wander about...



They had made homes in the empty shells of the hull of the planes - so this was a little different to what I normally see in Bangkok...



Well I couldn't get in but I found this great video on YouTube - thank you to www.worldorbust.




Monday 10 April 2017

Songkran 2017


Songkran tends to be a holiday surpassing all others and is recognized as the "Greatest Water Fight in the World".



It will be a subdued event this year?



Here is a list of my Songkran dates - 2015, 20132012, 2011, 2010 and 2009.




Phuket - when it rains




Go 10 Pin bowling

Go on the John Gray Canoe Trip


Go to Central Festival


Go to Phuket Aquarium


Go to Phuket Philatelic Museum


Go to Phuket Trickeye Museum

Go to have a tattoo


Go to the Art Galleries


Go to the Cinema


Go to the Coffee Shops


Go to the Dentist


Go to the Nail Art Shop


Go to the Tin Mining Museum

Go to the Upside Down House


After living in Phuket for 16 years we moved to Bangkok 

- here are some places to visit in Phuket when it rains.


 

Friday 7 April 2017

Wat Lokayasutharam


Wat  Lokayasutharam is a Buddhist Wat (and it's surrounding area) which we were lucky to visit when we were visiting Ayutthaya.




The people selling you pieces were quietly visible - to put it simply the visit was beautiful.



Even the feet...



The focus of the visit was clearly the reclining Buddha - 

The important feature Wat Lokayasutharam is a huge reclining Buddha image, called Phra Bhuddhasaiyart, which faces to the east. It was constructed of bricks and cement in the art style cf the Middle Ayutthaya Period. It is 37 meters long and 8 meters high - http://www.ayutthaya2020.com/phranoon.asp.



There was really not a lot more to find out but that it was part of a greater area. 




Happy to see no abuse of the area.



The beauty of our visit was the serene quality of the face...