I
was in Thailand in the year-end and new-year days and walked in Bangkok,
Ayutthaya and Chiang Mai cities.
I
visited Bangkok for the first time in about 15 years. I found big changes.
There are many skyscrapers now. Construction works are under way in many
places.
The
traffic jam is still heavy, but the BRT (Skytrain) has been expanded in this 15
years and the subway (MRT) has been introduced. The Buses, taxies as well as
three wheelers (tuk-tuk) and bike taxies ran on the roads.
There
are many historical places to visit. I enjoyed the scenes from Chao Praya River. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok and other hotels stand along the river (second photo frome the top). The scene of the Royal Palace from the
river was impressive.
I
visited several temples on foot including Wat Phra Kae and Wat Pho. Chinese tourists
were everywhere. At Wat Pra Kae, the tourist groups took pictures in every two
minutes.
The
reclining Buddha was impressive in Wat Pho. The scope from the temple was also wonderful. (the top photo)
There
stands a big red gate in front of Wat Suthat. They have many shops of Buddhist
objects around the templs.
I enjoyed local cultures, too. Thai boxing is very popular here. I visited a
boxing stadium and was excited with the matches.
Ayutthaya
is about 80 kilometers north from Bangkok. It is a historic city. The capital
of the Ayutthaya Dynasty was here and it was severely destroyed when the country
of the Thai people was conquered by Myanmar in 1767.
The
ruins of the castles and temples remain. (see also the third photo from the top)
The
city was registered as a Cultural World Heritage site.
Elephants
attracted tourists.
The
city is about seven meter high from the sea level. It was suffered seriously by
the flood in 2011. The signs of the flood remain in many places.
Chiang
Mai locates in the northern part of the country. There are many temples in the
city. I met many monks in Wat Chedi Luang and other temples.
The
city was full of tourists (as Bangkok). There are shops and facilities for
foreign tourist. I visited a second-hand bookshop of English books.
I
also enjoyed the Sunday market held in the main street of the old town.
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