Sala Kaew Ku statue gardens in Nongkhai

Nong Khai’s garden of statues, known as Sala Kaew Ku, is one of Thailand’s more curious tourist attractions. The garden complex just outside the eastern border town is packed with all manner of statues depicting religious deities, mythical beings and animals. There are so many sculptures of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva that local residents have nicknamed the garden Wat Khek (which translates to Indian temple in English).

One of the tallest statues here stands over 25 metres high and is of Buddha sitting under the protective figure of a multi-headed snake. Others show elephants in various poses and activities. The statue garden has evolved into a bit of a pilgrimage destination and many of the religious statues now have sacred thread looped around their wrists.

Sala Kaew Ku was the brainchild of Brahman priest Luang Pu who fled the communist takeover of Laos in 1975. Settling in Nong Khai, he used his vivid imagination to create this wonderful complex. Pictures and photos of Luang Pu are among the diverse collections housed in the garden’s principal shrine.

A small lake is adjacent to the shrine. For a nominal sum visitors can buy a bag of pellets and feed the voracious appetites of the fish in the lake. Sala Kaew Ku is around three kilometres out of town. This is an easy ride on a rented bicycle or a short trip in a tuk tuk or songtaew shared taxi.

The aesthetic delights of Wat Arun in Bangkok

Bangkok and Thailand are famed for their magnificent temples. The lofty roofs of the temple chapels (viharn) and pagoda spires (chedi) dot Bangkok’s skyline and provide a pleasing contrast to the modern glass and steel skyscrapers here. With so many to choose from it is difficult to decide which one to visit when time is of the essence. Wat Arun Rajwararam is quite a good choice for its beauty and as its location on the left bank of the Chao Phraya River gives easy visitor access.

The temple’s name translates to Temple of Dawn in English and anybody taking a ferry across the river at this time of the day will soon realise why. The centrepiece of Wat Arun is an 80 metre high Khmer-style tower which was inlaid with colourful porcelain when it was built 200 years ago. The porcelain reflects the sun’s early rays and gives a luminescent effect.

Steps ascend the side of the tower, but are narrow and steep and anybody susceptible to vertigo is better off giving the climb a miss. The temple also features four smaller towers, lots of Buddha statues and sculptures of mythical deities and creatures. At the time of a recent visit there was a 50 Baht admission fee for foreign tourists. Ferries cross to the pier at Wat Arun from the one at Tha Tien.

Enjoying Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo

Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo is west of Bangkok near Nakhon Pathom. When it opened in 1985, it was one of the first places in Asia to stage a show featuring trained elephants. Nowadays, the Elephant Theme Show is one of the most popular daytrip attractions for Bangkok tourists as well as for motorists heading down to the southern Thai peninsula.

The elephant show is a great spectacle with several different acts. The beasts perform dances and play football. The highlight of the show is a re-enactment of the historic Thai-Burmese Yutha Hathi battle. The elephants are decked out with the colours of the two competing nations. As well as taking in the elephant show, visitors can take a trip on an elephant’s back through the lush tropical gardens at Samphran. The view while sitting on the howdah of one of these magnificent pachyderms is truly amazing. The gardens are famed for their diverse collections of orchids.

Samphran is also noted for its crocodiles. Another daily show depicts crocodile trainers wrestling with the reptiles in the style of legendary Thai folklore hero Krai Thong. The small lake onsite is packed with giant catfish. Visitors can take a pedalo out and drop food pellets into the water. The ensuing turmoil in the lake is reminiscent of Jaws. The Erawan Restaurant serves up a tasty lunch. Samphran Elephant Ground & Zoo is open every day from 08:30 to 17:30.

Buying brand name items in Thailand

Thailand is noted for the diversity and quality of its shopping outlets and products for sale. Items range from unique knick-knacks and souvenirs right through to the finest designer products. Thailand has achieved a certain notoriety for its knock-offs of brand name articles and clothing, but nowadays the real thing can be found at modern shopping centres in and around all the major urban hubs in the country.

A relatively new concept in Thailand is the factory outlet village. There are now six of these dotted around the country which are managed by Pena House’s Outlet Mall Company Limited. Each tastefully designed village offers around 200 outlets with outlets selling clothing, footwear, toys, accessories, sportswear and equipment by illustrious names including Adidas, Hush Puppies, Lacoste, Warner Brothers, Esprit, Diesel, Nautica and Wrangler.

Articles on sale are mostly out-of-date or end-of-season clearance items and are often offered at whopping discounts of up to 70 per cent off recommended retail prices. There are factory village outlets located in Pattaya, Krabi, Phuket and Cha-am. The Khao Yai outlet is at Pak Chong near Nakhon Ratchasima. The newest one in the stable at Udon Thani is on the city’s Nong Khai bypass route. The retailer’s website has maps of individual village locations.

Getting into the spirit of Songkran

Today marks the start of the three-day holiday that ushers in the traditional Thai New Year. The festival is known as Songkran and originated in the northern Lanna regions of the country. Although most Thais say it is best to celebrate Songkran in Chiang Mai, this is not always possible and nowadays it is celebrated in all areas of the country.

Khao San Road, in the heart of Bangkok’s Banglamphu tourist precinct, staged its own Sonkran welcome ceremony yesterday with cultural performances. The massive water-fight that draws international tourists as well as Thais from all over the country is scheduled to begin today. Other major Thai tourism destinations will follow suit with their own water-fights.

In Chiang Mai, Thapae Road is the focus of the celebrations. Chaweng on Koh Samui, Patong Beach on Phuket and Beach Road in Pattaya are other great places to head for to enjoy pitched water battles. Water pistols and light cannons can be bought at the locations. The water fights are derived from an older custom of sprinkling water on relatives and friends to wash away the old year’s troubles.

Throwing water at Songkran is not the only tradition associated with it. It is considered lucky to go to temples and pour perfumed water on Buddha effigies. Thais also bring sand from river beds, or any other handy place, and build chedis in the temple to compensate for the ground they have taken away from it during the previous 12 months. Thais also believe it is important to give donations to monks in the temples and buy themselves new clothing.

Escaping the heat and humidity of Thai cities

April and May are the hottest months in Thailand. Temperatures often hit 38°C and there is little rain to take away the high humidity in large cities such as Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima. Next Friday, Thailand ushers in the traditional New Year with a five-day national holiday. People living in the cities usually use the long holiday to escape the heat and visit seaside resorts and verdant national parks.

From Bangkok, people are able to easily reach the legendary seaside resort of Pattaya as well as Bang Saen, Samet Island, Cha-am and Hua Hin. Bang Saen is closest to Bangkok and has a pleasant palm-lined beach. The cooling waters of the Gulf of Thailand and food vendors ensure Bang Saen remains a popular destination for a mini-break. The other beaches mentioned are three hours at most from Bangkok. Khao Yai National Park is roughly midway between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima and offers cooling forests, waterfalls and myriad wildlife species.

From Chiang Mai, the principal city in the northern regions of Thailand, nearby places with cooler weather include Doi Suthep and Doi Pui, and Doi Inthanon and Chaeson national parks. Doi Inthanon is Thailand’s highest mountain, yet even on hot days the two chedis close to the top of it are often shrouded in mist. There are a number of waterfalls in the surrounding park with pools to paddle in on hot days.

Monkeys and temples in Lopburi

The ancient town of Lopburi is famed for its monkeys, several old Khmer temples and a wonderfully relaxing ambience. Lopburi is just over two hours north of Bangkok’s Hualampong Railway Station. People will catch glimpses of the infamous macaques strolling beside the track as the train draws into Lopburi’s station.

Sitting at the front of the train offers previews of the town’s most famous historic temple, Phra Prang Sam Yot. The three towers of the temple were built in a Hindu style during the Khmer era in the 13^th century. Besides the omnipresent monkeys, other interesting Lopburi draws in this old quarter of the town include Phra Kahn Shrine and Phra Sri Rattanamahathat Temple. Phra Kahn has an unusual collection of religious statues.

King Narai’s Ratchaniwet Palace is around a 10-minute walk away. The palace was abandoned to nature 400 years ago and is now mostly a collection of grandiose ruins. Stately portals, the remnants of the banquet hall and a statue of the good king give unique insights into Thai history.

At night, Lopburi is great for chilling out. A night market has food vendors’ stalls where tasty kuey teow noodle soup and fried rice are among inexpensive dining options. Nightlife venues are a far cry from Bangkok’s and are limited to a couple of bars and low-key discotheques.

Where to go shopping in Bangkok

Going shopping in Bangkok is a highlight of any trip to Thailand. Retail venues range from stalls selling souvenirs and cheap clothing on Sukhumvit Road and in Patpong, through bustling markets to ultra-modern shopping centres offering high-end technical gadgets and designer products. The legendary Chatuchak Weekend Market attracts 200,000 people every Saturday and Sunday with an estimated 10,000 stalls selling articles such as second-hand English language books, hilltribe costumes and handcrafted utensils that make superb gifts.

Another market that features prominently on tourists’ itineraries is the Floating Market on the canals on the Thonburi side of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. Boats here are mostly laden with flowers, fruit, snacks and beverages. There is a bigger floating market 100kms from the city at Damnoen Saduak. Some tour companies run daytrips to this market.

Bangkok’s shopping centres compare favourably with most other cities in Asia. A good place to start is near Siam Skytrain Station. Elevated walkways link the station to the Mahboonkrong (MBK), Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon shopping centres. MBK is similar to Chatuchak, but with the comfort of air-conditioning. Vendors here sell knock-off articles and mobile phones and accessories. Shops at the other two malls sell contemporary fashion, home décor and even imported sports cars.

There are several other shopping centres and markets in Bangkok, most of which are not far from Siam Square and these include CentralWorld, Central Chidlom, The Emporium at Phrom Phong and Gaysorn Shopping Mall. For anything connected to IT products and digital cameras a trip to Pantip Plaza on Petchaburi Road is a good idea. Counterfeit software, cheap hardware, laptops, and every computer accessory imaginable can be found in this multi-storey building.

Enjoying the ambience of Prachuap Khiri Khan

The Thai town of Prachuap Khiri Khan is one of the country’s lesser known seaside resorts and is more popular with Thai visitors. It is located on the east side of the southern Thai peninsula and is around 100kms south of Hua Hin. The bay around the town is not the prettiest in the world, and the town’s main attractions are the abundance of restaurants here that serve inexpensive and tasty seafood, and the promenade and pier.

The pier is a pleasant spot for a walk in the evening as it is cooled by sea breezes. Local anglers fish from the pier and fishing trawlers unload their catches at the end of it. In the evening, the Night Market on the street heading up to the railway station is a popular destination for gourmands. The Pillar Shrine and Wat Thammikaram are other town draws. The latter is a hilltop temple offering great views, but is inhabited by a tribe of monkeys, which are generally tame, yet it is better not to ascend the hill alone.

South of town is Ao Manao, or Lemon Bay, which is Prachuap’s real delight. This sheltered bay is stunningly beautiful and during the day the pine-lined beach has deckchairs and shade parasols. The deck chairs are attached to different restaurateurs who serve great food to diners. The grilled squid and hor mok talay (a mild curry grilled in a banana leaf) are particularly recommended. Ao Manao gets busy at the weekend and on public holidays. A midweek trip is better. The beach is actually part of a Thai Air Force base and foreign tourists have to sign in and out at the north entrance, but not the south.

Haggling at the market

At traditional bazaars and street markets in Thailand haggling over the prices of products is considered de rigueur, although some stall holders nowadays act miffed when foreign visitors won’t pay three times the amount a Thai national would. Even in department stores, sales staff will often take a few per cent off the price of clothing, shoes and consumer products if asked.

To get the same price as local residents a few words and phrases of the Thai language are useful. ‘Any discount?’ is ‘lot dye my’ in Thai and invaluable for getting reductions when a price has already been quoted. Few articles are less than 10 Baht in Thailand nowadays, so it is only really helpful to learn 10 (sip), 20 (yi sip), 30 (sam sip), 40 (see sip), 50 (ha sip), 60 (hoc sip), 70 (jet sip), 80 (beart sip), 90 (kow sip) and 100 (nung roy).

Multiples of a hundred (roy) are then preceded by song, sam, see, ha, hoc, jet, beart and kow for 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 and 900 respectively. Pan is 1,000 and is preceded by the same integers as the hundreds. With ‘How much?’ (tao rye), ‘too expensive’ (peng by), ‘I don’t want it’ (my ow), I don’t like it (my chop) and the polite suffixes for each phrase of krap for men and kar for women, visitors are equipped for forays into Thailand’s diverse markets.