Today, on 26th June, we are celebrating the birthday of one of Thailand’s greatest poets: Sunthorn Phu. Although he was born in the late 18th Century, his work is still influential even today. I have already talked a number of times about his work. (I will give you some links to these blogs in a

If you have ever visited a Thai temple, you would have notice that there is always a fine blend between Buddhism and supersition. At many popular temples you will often find fortune tellers or people rubbing trees in order to find clues about the winning numbers for the next lottery. (BTW, please stop sending us

Phra That Si Chom Thong, Chomthong, Chiang Mai Province Year of the Rat: About 59 kms south of Chiang Mai, on the same road for Doi Inthanon, you will reach Phra That Si Chom Thong. This is one of the most important shrines in Chiang Mai Province as it houses a holy Buddha relic. Normally, relics

Phra That Lampang Luang, Ko Kha, Lampang Province Year of the Ox: One of my favourite temples in Northern Thailand is Phra That Lampang Luang. If you are driving to Chiang Mai from Bangkok then this is an easy temple to visit. The temple is about 20 kms southwest of Lampang and off Highway 1. The main

Phra That Choe Hae, Phrae Year of the Tiger: If you are exploring Northern Thailand then the city of Phrae is worth a visit. The old city, surrounded by a wall and moat, still retains many of its original buildings and temples. However, the highlight of any trip to Phrae is Phra That Choe Hae. This temple

Phra That Chae Haeng, Phu Phiang, Nan Province Year of the Rabbit: The province of Nan is just one of those places that don’t and won’t get many visitors. Mainly because it is tucked away along the border with Laos but also because it isn’t on the route to anywhere. We had driven down from Chiang Rai

Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai Year of the Dragon: Probably the most visited temple in Chiang Mai is Wat Phra Singh. When I was there earlier in the year it was under renovation. The outside of the beautiful Lanna style Wihan Lai Kham had already been completed as you can see in this photograph. But, there

Wat Phra Borommathat, Ban Tak, Tak Province Year of the Horse: If you were born during this year, then your pilgrimage site should be the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Burma. However, for Thai people, there is a replica, though a somewhat smaller version, at Wat Phra Borommathat in Tak. According to legend, the Lord Buddha once

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai Province Year of the Goat: If you ever go to Chiang Mai, then you must make sure you visit this temple at the top of the mountain at Doi Suthep. The golden chedi is really beautiful and if you go there on a clear day, you will also see

Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, Lamphun Province Year of the Rooster: Lamphun is a small town about 38 kms southeast of Chiang Mai. One of the highlights of the town is this stunning chedi at Wat Phra That Haripunchai. Does it look familiar to you? You may recognize some of the features in the above picture if