If you click on the video below please turn down the volume and maybe even mute it. I don't know how to edit videos and the sound at the Parade was really load at times.
It was fun walking down along the parade down beach road in Pattaya. The theme this year was Glow. Following is some of the videos I took.
Friday, September 16, 2022
Monday, July 25, 2022
Lots of Ruins and a long ride
I started back from Surin but had a number of ruins that I wanted to see before heading home. I drove from the province of Surin back into the province of Buriram. I have visited 2 of the sites before on trips to Thailand in the past and I had looked for 2 of the sites I visited before but was unable to find them. Thanks to google maps I made it to places I spent hour unsuccessfully looking for in the past.
My first stop was turning into school grounds to visit the ruins of Prasat Ban Bu. It was not that impressive of a site but I was happy that it was a weekend and I did not have to deal with all the students.
I think Kuti Rishi Ban Nong Bua Lai is one of the sites I could not find back in 2011 or 2012. It was in the Lonely Planet but with only a map of a really large area and no road signs I gave up looking for it. With the help of GPS I found it with no problem. I understand how I missed it since it is on a side road in a small village.
Kuti Rishi Ban Khok Mueang was easy to find with GPS. Think it can been seen from the main road so not sure why I did not find it in the past but it is another checked off the list I don't have.
It was only a few hundred meter to get to Prasat Muang Tam. I have been here before but with it being so close and being one of the most impressive temples of this type in Thailand, it was well worth visiting again. That is also the case for Prasat Phanom Rung which was my next stop. If you buy the 150 baht ticket it is good to visit both of these sites.
Phanom Rung Historical Park was my last tourist site that I visited. Even though I have been here at least twice before it is a really interesting site and I saved the best for last.
After spending a good part of the day looking at the ruins I made the long drive to a small town called Watthana Nakhon in the province of Sa Kaeo. I found a small hotel on the outskirts of town. When checking in I think the guy asked me where I had been and I told him Prasat Phanom Rung. He did not seem to understand me so I got out my phone and showed him some of the pictures and he kept saying Cambodia. I told him no Thailand Buriram and he seemed surprised. I was stunned how a Thai could not know about Prasat Phanom Rung. Later looking at a map Sa Kaeo maybe closer to Angkor Wat than Prasat Phanom Rung. I guess I should have asked if he had been to Cambodia.
The following morning I took off and made the long drive home. I took the longer way according to google maps and did not take any major highways until close to home. I had to watch out for a few monkeys in the middle of the road and as always trying to miss the pothole that would swallow up my motorcycle.
Even with all the rain I seemed to surburn a different part of my body every day. Arms and hands one day, knees and neck another and the top of my head at Muang Tam and Phanom Rung.
It was a good trip and I should really do move of them but am so much better at being lazy.
My first stop was turning into school grounds to visit the ruins of Prasat Ban Bu. It was not that impressive of a site but I was happy that it was a weekend and I did not have to deal with all the students.
The following morning I took off and made the long drive home. I took the longer way according to google maps and did not take any major highways until close to home. I had to watch out for a few monkeys in the middle of the road and as always trying to miss the pothole that would swallow up my motorcycle.
Even with all the rain I seemed to surburn a different part of my body every day. Arms and hands one day, knees and neck another and the top of my head at Muang Tam and Phanom Rung.
It was a good trip and I should really do move of them but am so much better at being lazy.
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Prasat Sikhoraphum and Surin
Prasat Sikhoraphum was as far away from my home in Pattaya that I planned to visit on this trip. It is in the Province of Surin but 30 to 45 minutes away from the city of Surin. I seemed a bit tired so decided to book 2 nights in a Surin hotel and just do a day trip to Prasat Sikhoraphum and back. The ride was along a busy highway and not a lot of fun but made it there and back with no problems.
This was another temple I maybe should have just taken a picture from the gate and avoided the 50 Baht entrance fee but decided to at least walk around the small temple. There was no one to collect the fee so I just walked in but was chased down about five minutes later for my payment.
I enjoyed the temple but think I enjoyed having a lite day of traveling even more. I visited the local market for food the first day when I arrive in Surin and went to the night market the day I visited Prasat Sikhoraphum for a bowl of noodle soup. I did not do a lot or see a lot but all in all I really enjoyed Surin.
This was another temple I maybe should have just taken a picture from the gate and avoided the 50 Baht entrance fee but decided to at least walk around the small temple. There was no one to collect the fee so I just walked in but was chased down about five minutes later for my payment.
I enjoyed the temple but think I enjoyed having a lite day of traveling even more. I visited the local market for food the first day when I arrive in Surin and went to the night market the day I visited Prasat Sikhoraphum for a bowl of noodle soup. I did not do a lot or see a lot but all in all I really enjoyed Surin.
Friday, July 22, 2022
Prasat Nong Hong, Prasat Thong, Wat Ban Keuat. Prasat Ban Phluang
I stayed the previous night in a village called Ban Kho Khlan and planned to visit Prasat Khao Lon the following morning. I got close but did not feel like stomping around what felt like someone's back yard. The road there was a muddy mess and google maps lead me to a barb wired fence with another angry dog. I am not always anadventurous traveler. So Prasat Khao Lon will have be marked as a fail but on to the next ruin for the day.
The drive was pretty to Prasat Nong Hong. I stopped and filled up the bike at one point and tipped the guy that filled me up 10 baht (Less than $.30). He just kept saying thank you in Thai and doing the head bow with the hands to the forehead. It was a bit over the top and I was not sure if he was thrilled or being sarcastic. I stopped tipping at gas stations after that. I made it to Prasat Nong Hong with no issues and it was a small site but the sun was out and found it really pleasant. I even took a selfy.
When I arrived at Prasat Thong I pulled through the gate and parked in a nice shady place. A guy ask me to move the bike because they were cutting the grass and it would be in the way. Later I thought that maybe I was not even meant to be inside the feence but they did not seem to mind me wondering around.
I only took the one picture at Prasat Thong. I talked a bit to the guy that had asked me to move the bike and he told me I need to visit Wat Ban Keuat. I did not go in the temple but it was impressive from the outside.
Another hour on the bike and I was at Prasat Ban Phluang. Not sure why it was special but had to pay 50 Baht to go inside the grounds to vist this ruin. I thought about just taking a couple of pictures from the enterence gate but paid the enterence fee and set in the ruin looking for a hotel for the night.
The drive was pretty to Prasat Nong Hong. I stopped and filled up the bike at one point and tipped the guy that filled me up 10 baht (Less than $.30). He just kept saying thank you in Thai and doing the head bow with the hands to the forehead. It was a bit over the top and I was not sure if he was thrilled or being sarcastic. I stopped tipping at gas stations after that. I made it to Prasat Nong Hong with no issues and it was a small site but the sun was out and found it really pleasant. I even took a selfy.
When I arrived at Prasat Thong I pulled through the gate and parked in a nice shady place. A guy ask me to move the bike because they were cutting the grass and it would be in the way. Later I thought that maybe I was not even meant to be inside the feence but they did not seem to mind me wondering around.
I only took the one picture at Prasat Thong. I talked a bit to the guy that had asked me to move the bike and he told me I need to visit Wat Ban Keuat. I did not go in the temple but it was impressive from the outside.
Another hour on the bike and I was at Prasat Ban Phluang. Not sure why it was special but had to pay 50 Baht to go inside the grounds to vist this ruin. I thought about just taking a couple of pictures from the enterence gate but paid the enterence fee and set in the ruin looking for a hotel for the night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)