Pod had a successful tour business in Khao Lak, Thailand.  He would act as a guide to tourists who wished to experience the natural beauty of the National Parks, whilst his wife would run the agency and take bookings. They had a young son, and Pod’s wife was 5 months pregnant with their second child.

This particular day he left home as usual, the weather was fine, and he was leading a group on an excursion into Khao Sok National Park.  He would take the group of tourists on a short elephant trek, followed by a canoe trip along the river.  Shortly after he arrived at the elephant camp, his wife telephoned to say that their son had decided to cycle over to his friend’s house and would not be back for dinner.

The elephant trek was uneventful, (contrary to popular stories the elephants did not show any abnormal behaviour).  Pod and his party made their way to the main road, and were confronted by the sight of hundreds of people, cars, trucks etc. making their way inland.   Pod asked what had happened.……….

It was was Boxing Day, 26^th December 2004; the day of the Tsunami, and Pod’s life would change for ever.

Pod searched for his wife, never giving up hope.  It was more than 2 years later, in March 2007 that he finally discovered his wife’s body, matched by DNA.  Her body was in a refrigerated truck.  He lost eight family members and friends in the Tsunami, but his son did survive because the friend’s house was inland and on high ground.  The final death toll in Khao Lak was over 4,000 with local unofficial estimates topping 10,000 due to the lack of accurate government censuses and the mere fact that the Burmese population were not documented or recognized as legal residents.

Pod joined with the relief effort, helping to build a Tsunami relief village for the surviving fishermen who had lost their homes.  Initially the Thai Police and Army organised 35 single storey houses to be built, shortly afterwards the King of Thailand built approximately 65 two storey houses at the same site.  Pod had gained experience of concrete work and tiling during his days working as a labourer in his youth, so he was able to contribute substantially to the work.

He moved away from Khao Lak, but missed the nature and beauty of the national parks.  He told me that although he can never forget, he has done all his crying and being sad. It is time to move on as there is no alternative, and he is attempting to rebuild his life. He has since remarried to a very nice lady from his home village, and has returned, trying to restart his tour business.

He does not ask for, nor expect sympathy.  He accepts what happened as something that “happened” and was beyond his control.

Pod did not offer his story easily; indeed it took some encouragement for him to tell me about that time.  There is much, much more that I could relate, but I think some things maybe better left private.

If you are thinking of visiting the Khao Lak area and would like to help Khun Pod by booking one of his tours, please ask me for his contact details.

Aed Carabao - แอ๊ด คาราบาว

Carabao (Thai: คาราบาว) is the most popular Thai rock band of all time.  The band was formed in 1976 by 2 university students Aed and Keo who met whilst studying in the Philippines.  The word Carabao is a Tagalog word which means buffalo, a symbol of strength, hard work, and patience.

Carabao’s songs often tackle social and political issues, demanding social justice and taking on the causes of the ordinary Thai people, but they have also created love songs and more philosophical songs that carry messages for people everywhere. Aed Carabao is loved for his sharp tongue and open criticism of corrupt politicians, big business and environmental destruction.

Their recent album releases have each contained one song written in English, “Mr Lao Khao” is from the album “3 Cha Rob Nee pee bah Rob nah phee bork” (Thai: 3 ช่า รอบนี้ผีบ้า รอบหน้าผีบอก)

64 years old man, everyday drunk like hell
3 daughters working in Nippon, a son work in rice fields
His daughters send him money, some money for something
Lao Khao is the local whisky, take him through this world all alone

Great God, don’t take him away, he’s my father in law
I pray for him sometime; discovering he’s a good man, good man
Skol kol kol, Mr Lao Khao

64 years old man, everyday drunk like hell
Lao Khao is the local whisky, take him through this world all alone

One day he goes fishing, and fall down into the water
Whisky bottle never left hand,
My old man getting mao, mao, mao

Great God, don’t take him away, he’s my father in law
I pray for him sometime; discovering he’s a good man, good man
Skol kol kol, Mr Lao Khao

One day he goes fishing, and falls down into the water
Whisky bottle never left hand,
My old man getting mao, mao, mao

Lost the house and the rice field, his woman gone forever
All because of Lao Khao
At the end he killed himself

Great God, don’t take him away, he’s my father in law
I pray for him sometime; discovering he’s a good man, good man
Skol kol kol, Mr Lao Khao

Fort Phra Sumen – ป้อมพระสุเมร

So, I am browsing in Asia Books in Bangkok the other day and see a new book entitled “We Love Bangkok” published by OOM Lifestyle Books. I flick through a few pages and think it looks kinda interesting, so I purchase a copy.

Later that afternoon I am lazing on the bed and reading the book. Imaging my surprise – there on Page 12, one of my own photographs! The publishers even had the audacity to crop my name and copyright notice from the bottom of the image, and claim that all photographic content in the book is copyright of OOM Lifestyle Books! The book photographer is listed as Pichan Sujaritsatit.

I have emailed the publishers and distributors but so far have not received a reply.

As it appears in the publication

Khon has developed as the ancient masked dance drama of Thailand since the Ayuthaya period, it is believed that it evolved from sacred rites related to faith and belief with respect to Brahminism and Hinduism. The development of Khon has been long interwoven with the Royal Institute as a dramatic performance in the Royal Court; it has an important role in praising and demonstrating loyalty to the Monarchy and symbolises the King’s majestic power. In the art of Khon, all components of the performance are related to tradition and subtle rites.

P Gap

T-Bone are the most internationally known Thai Reggae/Ska band, having performed at the UK Glastonbury Festival in 2005 and 2007. They have toured extensively throughout Thailand and have performed many joint concerts with Palmy, they play regular Friday night gigs at Saxophone Pub in Bangkok where this photo was taken.

The Eye

A sense of normality is returning to Bangkok, although the deep divisions remain.  It is rumoured that the hard line red shirts may attempt to use connections with the Southern insurgents to instigate a bombing and arson campaign in the capital.    Pray for Bangkok, Thailand, and Thai people.

Early evening in Krabi province, the longtail taxi boats await customers heading home or going out to dinner.

This photograph, entitled  ”Beautiful Krabi”, has been the most popular image on my Flickr photo sharing stream; with around 2,000 views and 600 comments and awards.  Over 200 people have marked it as a “favourite”.

Nang Nak (Thai: นางนาก)

The story of Mae Nak is a well known and popular Thai ghost story which has been the subject of many movies, television series, and books. Folklore claims that this story is based on actual events that took place during the 1800s.

During the reign of King Mongkut a beautiful young woman named Mae Nak lived by the Phra Khanong canal (Thai: คลองพระโขนง) in Bangkok with her husband, Mak.

Mak is sent to fight in a war leaving behind his pregnant wife. Mak is injured and barely survives. He returns home to his doting wife and child, or so he thinks. A friend visits and sees Mak living together with Nak. The villagers, knowing that Nak died in childbirth several months previously, realize what is happening, that Mak is spellbound by Nak’s ghost. People who attempt to tell Mak, or who know too much, are killed by Nak’s ghost, who becomes more and more aggressive due to her inability to accept her early death and her desperate desire to stay with her husband.

Eventually a respected Buddhist monk arrives and takes charge and in a tearful farewell Nak repents, leaving her husband to live his life. The centre of Nak’s forehead is cut out and kept in a waistband which the monk wore until his death. Legend states that the waistband later became the possession of His Royal Highness Prince Chumbhorn Ketudomsak.

Mae Nak’s story is popular because her true love and devotion for Mak inspires many people.

There is a shrine dedicated to her memory at Wat Mahabut (Thai: วัดมหาบุศย์) in Bangkok.  The shrine consists of a low building under large trees with a roofing that encompasses the tree trunks. The main shrine has a number of minor shrines surrounding it. There is a wide fenced area around the shrine with a gate towards the Wat Mahabut temple compound and another more elaborate roofed gate facing the canal (Klong Phra Khanong).

Klong Phra Khanong

In addition to adorning the statue of Mae Nak and her baby with gold leaf, the faithful also make offerings of coloured cloth that are wrapped around the trunk of the tree inside the shrine compound.  Other offerings are fruits, lotus flowers, incense sticks and a collection of dresses.  Among the most poignant offerings are clothing and toys left for her child.

Offerings are also made outside at the Phra Khanong canal itself by the shrine, where living fishes, turtles, birds, eels and fish etc are  are brought in buckets to the edge of the canal and released. This is done to make merit (Thai: ทำบุญ).

Mae Nak offerings at Klong Phra Khanong

The easiest way to get there is to take the Sky train to On Nut Station, then backtrack a short way until reaching On Nut Road, intersecting with Sukhumvit Road.

About 1 km down On Nut Road, on the left, there is a small lane signposted as soi 7. Wat Mahabut and the Mae Nak shrine are at the end of the lane, with the shrine at the far side of the larger temple compound near the canal known as Klong Phra Khanong.

Chang chang chang chang chang

This is a well known children’s song in Thailand and is taught to children in primary school. The melody is adapted from a Thai classical piece called พม่าเขว “Phama Khwee”.  The word  น้อง (nong) in line 2  is  a form of address or pronoun used with someone younger than the speaker.

Ho Nang Usa, Phu Phrabat Historical Park, Udon Thani

Ho Nang Usa (Thai: หอนางอุสา) is the most impressive rock formation at Phu Phrabat Historical Park (Thai: อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์ภูพระบาท) Udon Thani, Thailand.

Most of the bizarre rock formations in the park are featured in a legend about a king (Phaya Kong Phan), his stunningly beautiful daughter (Nang Usa), a hermit (Rishi Chantra) and a love-struck prince from another kingdom (Tao Baros).  Ho Nang Usa is said to be the tower where the beautiful princess was forced to live by her overprotective father.

Story Of Nang Usa And Tao Baros

Nang Usa was the daughter of Phaya Kong Phan, ruler of the city Phan, and Nang Saeng Deuan. When Nang Usa was old enough to receive an education, Phaya Kong Phan placed her in the care of the ascetic Rishi Chanta. A tower was constructed in the forest for her to live in. Nang Usa studied the arts under Rishi Chata until she reached the age of 16. She began to feel lonely and restless because she had no contact with other people and also because she had now reached the age of maturity.

One day Nang Usa made a float in which she placed a note bemoaning her loneliness and restlessness. This she set adrift in a small stream in the forest in the hope of finding a lover. The float was carried along in the stream until it reached the Mae Khong River. At that time Tao Baros, son of Tao Narai and Nang Kham Phaeng Kaew of Pakho Town, was bathing in the river. He saw the float and, after reading the note, set out on horseback in search of Nang Usa, not stopping until he had found her. He immediately fell in love with her and invited her to go and live with him. When the news of this reached Phaya Kong Phan he became upset and challenged Tao Baros to compete against him in constructing a temple. The temple had to be built in one night and construction had to be completed before the morning star (Venus) appeared. Whoever could not complete the temple in time would be considered the looser and would be beheaded.

Construction of the temples began with the setting of the sun. However, Nang Usa feared that Tao Baros would be defeated. She thus thought of a trick, she would light candles and place them in a tree on the top of a mountain to fool Phaya Kong Phan into believing that the morning star had risen and he would stop construction. Tao Baros continued building the temple and defeated Phaya Kong Phan. After that, Tao Baros took Nang Usa to live with him in Muang Phakho. They had not been living together long when Nang Usa became the subject of evil gossip, so she ran away and went back to live in her tower where she pined for Tao Baros and soon died of a broken heart.

When Tao Baros knew that Nang Usa had run away and gone back to her tower he set out after her to try and persuade her to return; however, he was too late. On learning of her death he was greatly distressed and he also died. After her death Nang Usa was reborn as Nang Suchada, consort of Indra and Tao Baros was reborn as Indra. Together they enjoyed sublime happiness in the heavenly realm.