Thailand Land of Smiles» Thailand History

Thailand’s Hidden Gem

Talen — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:29:40 +0000

Going back through some older posts I came across one I had written some time ago entitled And you Thought You Knew About Thailand. It’s always cool to learn new and interesting things about some place or thing that you love. Such as The King of Thailand is an American citizen or the fact that it is illegal in Thailand to go out without wearing underwear.

One entry on the ever growing list of interesting Thailand facts has puzzled me for a while so I thought I would dig a little deeper and see what I could find out. The King of Thailand possesses the largest faceted diamond in the world, the Golden Jubilee. Most people have heard of this diamond but there is very little information out there on the subject and even fewer pictures.

In 1985 a brown diamond was uncovered at the Premier mine in South Africa that weighed in at a whopping 755.5 carats uncut. The Star of Africa, weighing in at 530.20 carats, held the title of the worlds largest cut diamond from 1908 until 1985 when the brown diamond was uncovered and cut to a weight of 545.67 carats, making it the largest cut diamond in the world.

This unnamed brown diamond had a very awkward beginnings. Colorless and blue diamonds are very sought after but the brown diamonds are the ugly ducklings of the family and generally worth much less. The unnamed brown diamond was given to Gabriel Tolkowsky by De Beers for the purpose of testing special tools and cutting methods which had been developed for intended use on the flawless D-colour (“colourless”) Centenary diamond. These tools and techniques had never been tested before, and the large unnamed brown diamond seemed the perfect stone to test them on. After all if the new methods employed to cut the stone went amiss it would be no great loss.

What happened next was a surprise to all. The new methods worked better than expected and the unnamed brown diamond turned out to be a very beautiful yellow brown diamond in a fire rose cushion cut. Once cut the the stone weighed in at 545.67 carats which was 15.37 carats heavier than it’s sister stone the flawless Culinan I which was selected and later renamed to the Centenary to promote herald De Beer’s centennial celebrations.

The still unnamed diamond took a small tour of the world when it was brought to Thailand by the Thai Diamond Manufacturers Association to be exhibited in the Thai Board of Investment Exhibition in Laem Chabang. The exhibition garnered so much attention that there were daily lines of over 1 mile long just to see the yellow-brown stone.

Skipping forward to 1995, a group of Thai businessmen led by one Henry Ho purchased the 545.67 carat diamond from the De Beers group with the intention of presenting it to the King of Thailand in 1997 in recognition of his 50th year on the throne. Before the presentation was made though the diamond still had several trips to make. The first was to the Vatican where the diamond would receive the Papal blessing by Pope John Paul II and then back to Thailand where it would be blessed by the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch and the Supreme Imam in Thailand.

The diamond was then presented to King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the 50th anniversary of his coronation day in 1997 where the King gave the diamond it’s name, The Golden Jubilee. Initial plans were to mount the Golden Jubilee in the Royal Scepter, later discussions centered around mounting the stone in the Royal Seal. Neither has ever happened.

The Golden Jubilee Diamond has been exhibited at Henry Ho’s 59-story Jewelry Trade Center in Bangkok, the Central Department Store in Lad Prao (Bangkok) Thailand, and internationally in Basel (Switzerland), Borsheims in Omaha, USA (owned by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc.), and Gleims Jewelers in Palo Alto, USA. The Golden Jubilee now resides in the Royal Thai Palace as part of the crown jewels.

An interesting aside to the diamond has to do with the financial collapse of the markets across South East Asia in 1997. Fearing that the people of Thailand would see this gift as too opulent and an arrogant purchase in such economic times, the Thai government decided it would be best to down play the gift and tell the people that the King was gifted a large Topaz.

To this day most Thai’s still believe the Golden Jubilee is a large Topaz and not the worlds largest cut diamond. It’s believed that this reasoning is what kept the diamond from being mounted in the Royal Scepter or the Royal Seal and definitely why there are so few pictures of the diamond after 25 years.

Wat Suthat in Bangkok

Talen — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:42:56 +0000

As I said in an earlier post on Bangkok’s Giant Swing I had very little time in Bangkok last trip and many things to see. My first trip to Wat Suthat was cut short due to torrential downpours but I eventually found some time a few days later to revisit the Wat. Little did I know at the time the rich history of this particular Buddhist temple I just knew it was beautiful and I really wanted to see it. Unfortunately the weather and my camera’s memory card didn’t hold up well this day so a return trip is in order.

Wat Suthat is over 200 years old and considered to be one the most important Buddhist temples in Thailand. The building of Wat Suthat began in the early 19th century under King Rama I and took over 30 years to complete. It is home to many beautiful Thai/Chinese bronze sculptures including one Buddha statue from the SukhoThai period that dates to over 600 years old and is 25 meters tall. This statue was floated down river over 200 years ago to become part of the temple. Wat Suthat is also home to the ashes of King Anand Mahidol who was the brother of Thailand’s current King.

There has been ongoing restoration of the temple in past years including a joint Thai/German project to restore the wall murals and in 1999 the temple commissioned a western Mahayana Buddhist painter, Brian Barry, to design and paint the platform door paintings in the preaching hall. A first as no other time has a non Thai person been allowed to do work on a royal Thai temple.

One of the largest draws to Wat Suthst is it’s connection to Mahayana Buddhism and the Phra Kring, a Buddhist amulet that looks like a Mahayana Buddha and makes a ringing sound when shaken. The Thai people believe that this particular amulet has the power to affect ones health. These amulets can be bought at the temple and are very prized possessions by those who purchase them.

Wat Suthat is a working temple and you will see many monks as you stroll through the compound. If you have the chance to see Wat Suthat later in the day, around 6 pm, then you will be witness to a large gathering of monks coming to the preaching hall for their daily chants.

Wat Suthat is steeped in rich history and Buddhist lore and is easily one of the most beautiful temples in Thailand. If you are heading for Bangkok then this is indeed one place that should be on your list to visit. I know I’ll be making a return visit.

More pictures can be seen of Wat Suthat and the Giant swing in the Gallery Wat Suthat.

The below video is a short look at Wat Suthat.

Bangkok’s Giant Swing

Talen — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:06:47 +0000

In my quest to see the finer things on offer in Bangkok I was armed with a list of places to see my last trip. Knowing I would only be in Bangkok five or six days made it a mad scramble to get everything in and some days, such as the day I visited Wat Suthat, the weather wasn’t cooperating.

You’ll know you are getting close to Wat Suthat when you see a large red arch high in the sky. This is the giant swing that is just outside the temple. Originally built in 1784 by King Rama I, it was placed in front of the Devasathan Shrine in Bangkok. It was later rebuilt in 1920 after a lightning strike and moved to it’s current location just outside Wat Suthat. Major repair work was done again to the giant swing in 2005-2006

The giant swing is rooted in Hindu and Indian beliefs and was part of an annual Brahmin Ceremony called ” Tri-yampawai ” or swing ceremony held in the first lunar month of the Thai lunar calendar. During the ceremony men would try to swing their way to the very top using long ropes in hopes of grabbing a bag of coins placed there.

The ceremony is a representation of the epic myth in which Uma Devi makes a bet with Shiva whereby a serpent is suspended between two Putsa tress over a river and swinging back and forwards to aiming to strike Shiva to make him fall and thus signify the end of the world. Shiva stands in its path on one leg with the other crossed and when struck does not fall thus signifying that the creation of the earth was sound, secure and would remain strong.

It is believed there was a mandate at one time to have a giant swing in every major city, and while it’s certain that there were other swings erected this swing is the only known swing to still exist. In 1932 the ceremony itself was banned due to many serious and fatal accidents.

The original timbers of this rebuilt Swing are now housed at Bangkok National Museum. The main poles of the structure are made of teak and are over 30 meters in height and 3.5 meters in circumference. The base supporting the teak timbers are 20 meters high and 2.3 meters in circumference.

I didn’t make it into Wat Suthat this day because soon after the above picture was taken the skys opened up and it rained buckets until the sun went down. But I did make it to see the Giant swing and that was well worth getting wet for. I have to thank Martyn over at Beyond the Mango Juice for letting me know about this treasure.

What is Issan?

Talen — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:15:49 +0000

I received an e-mail recently asking what Issan was because I had referenced it in more than a few posts over the life of the blog. The simple answer is that Issan is the Northeast area of Thailand bordered by Laos and the Mekong in the North and East, Cambodia in the Southeast, the Pratchinburi mountains in the South and Phetchabun mountain range to the North and Central plains. The word Issan comes from the Sanskrit language meaning Northeast.

The harder answer is just why the Northeast region of Thailand is called Issan. You will find many arguments across the internet about royal Lao, Khmer, Chinese, Mon and Thai bloodlines that will leave you even more confused than when you started. The simple version is that a long time ago before Thailand ( Siam ) existed many people inhabited this region from Laos and Cambodia and their descendants are still there to this day.

The Issan region of Thailand can be seen almost as another country in and of itself. The primary language of Issan is Issan, which is a combination of Lao and Khmer dialects using the Thai alphabet. The dialect will change depending where you are in Issan. Along the border areas of Laos and the along the Mekong the dialect will be heavily Lao influenced whereas the further you get South and into the central areas the dialect will still be primarily Lao but with more Khmer thrown in. In Nakhon Phanom I hear a lot of Lao and Thai mixed together while in Mukdahan you get Lao, Thai and a little Khmer for good measure.

Just as the language is distinguishably different from the rest of Thailand the food also takes on a different taste and that is definitely of Lao heritage. You’ll hear many people claim that Issan food is just a regional Thai cuisine…I would bet they don’t say such things out loud while in Issan. While many Issan dishes have filtered down throughout Thailand with its people the dishes themselves can never be categorized as Traditional Thai food. While Thai food can be very spicy, Issan food redefines spicy. The food is generally more salty, spicy and sour. You won’t find many sweet dishes here.

Issan has gone through periods of Thaianization since the early days of the last century but the area has largely remained true to it’s conglomerate heritage. Although there have been times when the powers that be have strived to make Issan more Thai they still recognized the region by officially naming it Issan early on in the 20th century.

All this and I have still only scratched the surface of what Issan truly is. My hope is to add more to this topic in the future with the knowledge I learn first hand travelling throughout Issan and spending a great deal of time in areas such as Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom.

Chatuchak, Bangkok’s Weekend Market

Talen — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:34:59 +0000

Thailand is known for it’s various markets and Chatuchak market in Bangkok is the mother of all markets. Sitting on 70 rai of land (35 acres), Chatuchak market boasts somewhere between 9000 and 15000 merchants selling to over 200 thousand visitors daily.

Whatever you are looking for you will be sure to find it at Chatuchak. From household goods and antiques to religious artifacts and animals. And lest I forget, all kinds of delicious food and Thai treats. The market gets quite crowded after 9am and it can get very hot while searching out those great finds but there are many places you can sit and watch the world go by and enjoy a cold drink, Thai ice cream or just a nice Popsicle.

Chatuchak market owes it’s origins to Plaek Pibulsonggram who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 1938-1944 and again from 1948-1957. He decided that every town should have a large market and Chatuchak market in Bangkok was born. It was originally called Sanam Luang Flea Market after the area it was located in. Unfortunately the area was soon needed for several special functions so the market was moved first to Saranrom Palace where it stayed for 8 years and then to Sanam Chai where, after a while, they realized there wasn’t enough room. The market finally made the move back to it’s original location and took the name of the adjoining Chatuchak Park.

Getting to the market is very easily done by taxi or taking the BTS Skytrain to the Mo Chit station which drops you off right at the park. The park is very beautiful and a great place to relax from all your shopping. The park leads right into the one of the outlying food sections of the market and from there you can cut through into the actual market.

You can find some great quality items at good prices at the market but make sure you haggle because whatever the price stated you can generally get a nice discount. The market is segregated into areas where certain goods can be found and you will find free maps at the market detailing these areas but to be honest it all kind of overlaps and wandering through the market is much more fun than planning your attack.

Chatuchak’s opening hours are between 9am and 6pm Saturday and Sunday but the market is also open to wholesalers on Friday during the same ours and you are more than welcome to shop then as well. The garden plants section is also open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7am to 6pm.

Chatuchak market is definitely a site to behold and one that I think should be on anyone’s list who’s visiting Bangkok. Going to the market makes for a great day trip and you can really find some good deals here.

Many more pictures of the market can be found in the Gallery, Chatuchak Market.

Thailand’s Democracy Monument

Talen — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 02:39:48 +0000

One night while in Bangkok I decided to just wander the city on foot and take in all the sights from small mom and pop shops to temples. I did my job pretty well as by the time I took this picture it was getting late and I was completely lost. I had just hailed a cab and was ready to get in when I snapped the last pic of the night, not the best shots I have to admit but I took it hastily.

The democracy monument was commissioned in 1939 to commemorate the 1932 Siamese coup. Designed by Thai architect Mew Aphaiwong and built by Italian artist Corrado Feroci, the monument represents Thailands transformation from an Absolute to a Constitutional Monarchy. Feroci, who immigrated to Thailand and became a Thai citezen, is known as Thailand’s father of modern art. Feroci had previously designed monuments in his native Italy for dictator Benito Mussolini.

The monument itself stands at the center of a traffic circle on the wide east-west boulevard Thanon Ratchadamnoen Klang, at the intersection of Thanon Dinso. It’s four disembodied angel wing like elements seem to protect the center piece which is a carved representation of the 1932 constitution that sits atop two large golden offering bowls. The wing like structures represent the four branches of the Thai armed forces – army, navy, air force and police that carried out the 1932 coup.

Many coup’s later the monument still stands as a testament to Thailand’s precarious democratic position. Many protests have begun and ended at this monument and in 1992 it was consecrated with Thai blood when many Thai’s were killed here while protesting the regime of General Suchinda Kraprayoon.

When I’m back in Bangkok next month I’ll pay a proper visit to the monument and take some decent pictures.

Thailand’s King of Jazz

Talen — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:12:09 +0000

His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is known for many things, most notably being the longest reigning Monarch alive. His public works in rural Thailand as well as his national work has helped Thailand find it’s way into the 21st century.

What a lot of people don’t know about the beloved Thai king is his passion for music. His Majesty King Bhumibol is an accomplished jazz/blues musician that has played his sax with renowned jazz legends such as Benny Goodman, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton and Benny Carter. He also jams, as much as time permits these days, with local musicians in Thailand.

The king began his musical studies while at school in Switzerland. Originally playing the trumpet then switching to the saxophone when his mother thought the trumpet to be too strenuous for him. 1946 would be a very good year for the King, not only did he ascend to the throne of Thailand but he also wrote and published Candlelight Blues, Love at Sundown and Falling rain which became very popular works.

The king has composed over 48 songs since ascending the throne. He’s penned Waltz’s, Fox Trot’s, patriotic anthems and even a few Alma Maters for several Thai universities. During a speech in the early 1980’s the king described what it was like to write one of his more popular songs ” Falling Rain”.

I became inspired while I was listening to music on the radio,” he said. “I felt the music in my head sounded better, so I turned off the radio and scribbled it down on a piece of paper. I remember that it was in May. People liked that song. They said it was beautiful. I felt overjoyed.

After becoming king he started a new band that played regularly at the palace. In time he set up a public radio station where he and his 14 piece band would perform live every Friday for the public. One of the Kings oldest friends and musical partners, Manrat Srikaranonda, describes the King’s style as more of a dixieland or New Orleans style. Manrat concedes that these days they don’t play as much at the palace anymore but they still have regular jam sessions at the King’s summer palace.

In 1964, the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna named the king an honorary member, the first Asian composer to be granted the honor. In 1996 Les Brown and his band of renown recorded several of the Thai King’s compositions but under agreement they can only be played in Thailand. Les Brown himself thought the King was an extraordinary musician saying, “I’m sure if he didn’t have the job he has now, he’d be successful as a bandleader”. Lionel Hampton once said of the King ” He is simply the coolest king in the land”.

Of course this all sounds great but I can hear you asking ” What about the music?”. After searching around for a bit I found the piece below composed in 1946 by the King entitled “H.M. Blues”. The piece is performed by Per-Olav Kindgren and I think it shows that the King of Thailand would have been just as well known as a musician as he is king if circumstances would have permitted. Also below is ” Candelight Blues”, “Love at Sundown” and a short documentary on the Kings music.

Snow in Thailand

Talen — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:52:52 +0000

Seems unlikely, but in January of 1955 it actually snowed in Chang Rai province. The first time I heard this I laughed because Thailand is a tropical climate and Bangkok is known as the hottest city in the world. It wasn’t until I made a trip up country to Mukdahan, in the North East of Thailand, last January that I realized just how much the temperature varies in Thailand.

When I checked into the Mukdahan Grand hotel that day I thought it odd that the shower had actual hot water connected to it not just one of those hanging hot water attachments, it also looked as if the hotel room had a heater unit. I didn’t think too much about it though being as it was an 80 degree day. Now, 80 degrees is a shade cool to most Thais and when the temperature drops to the 80’s you’ll see all manner of Thai women throwing on jackets…which is a very funny sight.

That day my girlfriend had her jacket on as well and warned me that it would be cold tonight. I figured cold to her would be 70 so I had on shorts and a t-shirt. Little did I know that later that night the temperature would drop to the high 40’s and I was indeed a bit chilly. When we got back to the hotel the heat was on and the bed was turned down revealing heavy blankets. My girlfriend just laughed at me because I didn’t listen to her…but who knew Thailand could get cold?

Just as recently as last week His Majesty the King’s foundation has provided over 1000 blankets and clothes to the northern province of Mae Hong Son for use by poor villagers and students, with more being readied for the hill tribe community in the northern province of Lampang. A recent cold snap in the north has been colder than usual.

Talking to my girlfriend last night she believes it could snow at any moment it’s so cold. While I doubt it will snow in Thailand any time soon I think I’ll err on the side of caution my next trip and bring a jacket!

And you thought you knew about Thailand? Check the link for more amazing facts about the land of smiles, Thailand.

The Royal Flags of Thailand

Talen — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:36:48 +0000

The national flag of Thailand adopted in 1917. The flag has 5 horizontal stripes of red,white, and blue. The middle blue stripe being twice as large as the others. The Thai name for this flag is Thong Trairong which means tri-colored flag.

The standard of the King of Thailand. A solid yellow flag with a red Garuda in the center. The Garuda, which originated in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, is the national emblem of Thailand as well as a symbol of the Thai Royal family.

The standard of the Queen of Thailand. The same as the kings standard but in smaller ratio with a swallow tailed end.

The standard of the Crown Prince of Thailand. The kings standard with a blue border.

The standard of the Royal Consort of the Crown Prince of Thailand.

The Royal standard used for all other Thai Princes.

The Royal standard for all other Thai Princesses.

Thailand Land of Smiles» Thailand History

Thailand’s Hidden Gem

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Wat Suthat in Bangkok

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Bangkok’s Giant Swing

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What is Issan?

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Chatuchak, Bangkok’s Weekend Market

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Thailand’s Democracy Monument

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Thailand’s King of Jazz

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