Wednesday 10 December 2025 Last day chillin’ in the village of Thai Mueang Thai Mueang is a small village on the Andaman coast in Phang Nga Province about 60 kilometers north of the Phuket airport. Now a small village, Thai Mueang was once a thriving a hub for a large tin mining operation in the 1950s through the 1980s. When the tin mining ended, most people left, leaving a quiet beachside village. This is a […]
Tuesday 9 December 2025 Chillin’ in Thai Mueang, aka Turtle Beach Today is my first full day in Thai Mueang (Turtle Beach) here on the Andaman coast in the Phang Nga Province in southern Thailand. As I said in the previous blog post, this is a very small village, and there is not much to do but relax and chill. The beach house, or bungalow, that I rented through Airbnb from Tim Newton is relatively […]
Monday 8 December 2025 A short excursion to Thai Mueang, aka Turtle Beach On the Andaman coast in the Phang Nga Province in southern Thailand is a very small town on the beach called Thai Mueang. This is about 30 minute’s drive north of Phuket. Sea turtles live along this stretch of quiet ocean, and there is a Sea Turtle Conservation, Research, and Development center there. Every year, hundreds of small turtles are released into […]
Sunday 30 November 2025 Returning to hike the Monks Trail to Wat Phalad The Monks Trail is a hiking trail from a little west of Chiang Mai University to Wat Phalad. The trail continues from Wat Phalad to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. The first section to Wat Phalad takes 45 minutes to an hour, and is definitely uphill, but not terribly difficult. The second section from Wat Phalad to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep […]
Monday, 1 December 2025 Almost abandoned temple near Suan Prung Gate It seemed to be time for a haircut, so after a strength-training session with Ning at Pump Fitness, I walked to Suan Prung Gate. The Samlaan Barber I see is a very short distance inside the gate. Wat Phuak Hong, The Temple of Swans, is what I call a small, local temple, seldom visited by tourists and primarily for the people living nearby. I […]
Monday, 5 December 2025 Another forgotten temple, standalone chedi north of Chiang Mai North of the old walled city of Chiang Mai, on the road leading north from Chang Phuak Gate lies the remains of Wat Pan Sat. This little‑known temple dates back to the 14th century, a time when the Mengrai Kingdom flourished across Lanna (northern Thailand). All that remains of Wat Pan Sat today is the chedi, a classic Lanna‑style stupa. Its square base rises into […]
Monday, 5 December 2025 Recent views and sights around Chiang Mai Getting around Chiang Mai for me means walking, at least most of the time. If it is too hot in the afternoon or where I want to go is too far, I get a motorbike taxi. But much of the time I am walking. So I see familiar and new things around town. And sometimes I pull out my phone and take a photo. […]
Friday, 28 November 2025 Return to Wat Pan Tao across the street Wat Pan Tao Directly beside the famous Wat Chedi Luang on on Prapokkloa Road is Wat Pan Tao (sometimes spelled Wat Phan Tao), a very old temple in Chiang Mai. It was originally founded in the 14th century as a living quarters for the monks of Wat Chedi Luang. The name Wat Pan Tao is said to translate to “temple of 1000 kilns” […]
Friday 28 November 2025 Return to Wat Chedi Luang across the street There are about 30,000 Buddhist temples in Thailand. Of those, 34 are listed as “Royal Temples,” divided into classes: 1 in Special Class, 19 First Class, 6 Second Class, and 9 Third Class. The special Class temple is Wat Phra Kaew in the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Of those 34 temples, only 3 are in Chiang Mai: Wat Phra Singh (first class), Wat […]
Tuesday, 25 November 2025 Returning to walk the Hai Ya District of Chiang Mai The Hai Ya district of Chiang Mai lies south of the old walled city. This is an area where many silversmiths settled and still work. Since the cold I have had is easing, and the day is warm but not hot, I went for a walk to the Hai Ya district. Part of my motivation was to see the progress on […]
Sunday, 23 November 2025 Photo excursion to Rock n’ River in the Doi Saket District It seems that many Thai people are pretty taken with TikTok, one of the latest social media crazes. They love taking many photos of themselves posing in interesting or picturesque places. And my friend Mukda is no exception. She works and manages her shop all year, so when friends (like me) come to town, she wants to go on excursions […]
Saturday, 22 November 2025 Grandiose, elaborate temple in rural Chiang Mai Province Note: This is a long post with many photos of this elaborate, ornate temple. Wat Sri Don Moon History Wat Sri Don Moon is in the rural Saraphi district of southern Chiang Mai Province. The temple has something of an interesting history. Not more dramatic than many temples in northern Thailand, but a history with some ups and downs. There is no evidence […]
James the Intrepid Pilgrim 