Posts Tagged ‘mekong’

A Sea of People Flows Slowly toward the Mekong River in Northeast Thailand

February 24th, 2013 admin

20130223_162203The weather turned chilly on Saturday and after a rip to Renu Nakhon after pindabhat I spent most of the day at the computer. WE headed out shortly after 1600h first walking through the Municipal Park to try to get an idea of the number of folks parked and camping there. The number is growing and the park was just about full to capacity pleny of people were picnicking on the grounds a lot of families mostly.
I have noticed that prices have done a major jump at many of the restaurants that are set up for the festival. A couple folks complained that the Tesaban has raised rents, but whatever the case Isaan people are not going to pay 30 Baht for a small sticky rice basket. More on food at the fair in a other post.
We made our way to the front gate of the That where we turned east and entered thee flow to the Mejong River
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Reporting from Northeast Thailand in the The Twentyfirst Century

February 22nd, 2013 admin

I first started documenting life in Isaan some 13 yeears ago with Southeastasiatimes.com and a twisted pair internet connection to Bangkok that cost me $US1.00 a minute during daytime hours. Today I am connected 24 hours a day 7 days a week for about $US3.00 a day, which includes some form of 3G coverage with either TRUE at 10 gigafarts a month and CAT with 5 a month. I can live broadcast via Twitter and twitcast from about 75% of the landmass in Northeast Thailand and post to Worpress from a Samsung Galaxy Cameraor a Samsung Note ar from the 10 inch screen on my Asus Transformer. I have traveled the region for well more than a dozen years now and do not need much; an aircon room with a hot shower and sit down toilet does me fine. Ilike to be within walking distance of food and beer options, but carry emergency supplies as well.
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That Phanom Festival,Thailand,21.02.13,1117h

February 21st, 2013 admin


After getting things sorted out this morning and a first look around I decided to see how thing were piking up going into the lunch hour. The esplanade to stretches fron the Mekong River to the That is now part of the center of activity and the main route for walkers from one point to the next.There are 1,000s of sellers in town and as usual many selling the same stuff as the next. Out on the river there are plenty of craft to shuttle folks to Lao and back and also doing river tours out on the, at this time of year, not so mighty Makong, or Mekhong, whatever you prefer.The fun is the people! Enjoy the twitcast

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Magha Puja,That Phanom,Nakhon Phanom,Thailand 2013

February 13th, 2013 admin

Magha Puja occurs on Monday the 25th of February this year and although I am not sure of the official starting date of this year’s festival I am sure 100s of thousands of people will pack themselves into the town and temple grounds for the long weekend.
This is my favorite festival of any type in all of Isaan. While arguably the biggest Buddhist festival in all of Thailand, if not the world, it has a local, rural feeling. People from Lao arrive by the boat load, while faithful from around the world arrive on tour buses and stay for an hour or two. 24 hours a day people circumambulate the That, whose history goes back more that 2,500 years.. For the frrst time in 15 years I will be moving headquarters to a relatively new resort along the river across the soi from Wat Hua Wiang Rangsi
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Wat Roi Phra Putthabat,Phu Manorom,and Tourism in,Mukdahan,Thailand

February 6th, 2013 admin

20130112_063413Years ago it was a slog by foot to get to the top of this hill, nowadays the modern road will get you to the top in moments. This is another destination brought to you by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Big Business Buddhism. Years ago there wasn’t much here but a little old chedi and as Putthabat means a Buddha Footprint. I noticed that many of the online sites do not even mention the footprint, chedi , or the correct name of the wat, anymore, only talking about the view.  It has been transformed into a sprawling complex with more and more going up daily. It as touted as a wonderful place to watch the sunrise and for amazing views of Mukdahan and Savannakhet across the Mekong River in Laos. You can find all manner of photographs and the usual Tourism Authority of Thailand promoted blurbs online. If I am in the area I much prefer Phu Pha Toerp as seen on the left.
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Along the Mekhong in Ubon Ratchatani and a Samsung Crash

January 27th, 2013 admin

Day 2 of my Mekong trip started with a quick sunrise video at Haad Salueng and then off to Sam Phan Boke, 3,000 holes a short way down river. I am not sure what the government is up to but it is major. Buildings going in and land being cleared all over the place. The buildings are not riverside, which makes things all the more confusing, unless they are planning on deforesting all the land  (a few 100 meters down to the river). What the place needs is some regulation as far as future building and some planning, which of course this being Isaan in Thailand, is never going to happen.
As you will see in the video at the end of the post it seems they are even cutting a road into the bank of the river.
Once again beats me and there is no signage as well.
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Kham River Dam and Irrigation Project, That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand

January 21st, 2013 admin

All the rivers in Isaan that flow into the Mekhong River in Northeast Thailand are dammed to prevent Mekhong  high water from back-flowing and flooding the region. The Songkram River is the one exception.

The Kham River flows out of Nong Han in Sakon Nakhon and over 100 kilometers to the Mekhong. The river is essential for crop cultivation in it’s basin. This Irrigation project, which is still being implemented began four years ago and is scheduled to be completed in 2016. Ultimately there will be a set of 8 dams to protect from flooding and to retain water for irrigation during the dry season.This post I show you around the main area where the final dams and pumping stations exist. I hope in the future to show you more of this project

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Wat Pho Kham, That Phanom,Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, Buddhism

January 20th, 2013 admin

20130111_094824The Temple is located in Nam Kham village south of Thai Phanom and the Kham River. This is yet another of the isaan Mural temples from the Paper by Pairote Samosorn “E-sarn Mural Paintings” 1989. The paper sponsored by the Toyota Foundation is available as a bilingual book. Once again much like Wat Phra Si Mahapho in Mukdahan there is a “disconnect between what he describes and what is on the walls. At times I wonder if he actually visited some of the sites or were students sent to complete the survey? We have, once again, a wonderful example of an early 20th century ubosot. Unfortunatly, you need to see this one and many of the others soon as they are not being maintained to any standard and are deteriorating at a quick pace.
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Wat Hua Wiang Rangsi,That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom Province

January 3rd, 2013 admin

The following is from the explanation located in front of the building.

The ordination hall, was built by 1921 A.D.. The tempera mural paintings inside were painted by Luang Chan, a painter from Bangkok. The painting on the arches above the doors and windows were outlined by Abbot and painted by Master Khun. The mural paintings here are of the royal school but also contain some compositions of the local style in depicting stories from Jataka tales – the previous incarnations of the Lord Buddha, the life of the Lord Buddha, Ramakian – the Thai version of the Ramayana Epic, and the folk tale of Laksanawong.
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