A Lesser Known Side of Songkran

Think of Songkran and people will instinctively think of people wildly splashing of water in the street. Nothing's wrong with that. But here I want to show a lesser known aspect of this festival.

First off, Songkran is the new year celebration of Thailand and any other countries in the region that also celebrate this holiday. So the significance of this holiday goes far beyond the fun of water splashing. This is also the time of religious worship and tradition. It is also a chance for the younger generation to pay respect to the older generation, family members and teachers alike.

For this particular post I will skip the details of the things that took place and just let the photographs themselves tell the story.

Father's Day 2011

December 5, 2011. The King's Birthday, as well as Father's Day in Thailand. Very similar to the Queen's Birthday and Mother's Day, major celebration is guaranteed. With massive crowd and the streets lighted up the night, firework and candles light and floating lamps, I tried to capture the sense of place and the event that took place on that jubilant night as the people of Thailand gathered to celebrate our King's birthday.

Here's the photos.

Long Live the King.

Hua Lumphong Train Station

The Central Station of Bangkok, Hua Lumphong Train Station is at the heart of Bangkok inner city near Chinatown. From there, you can practically go to any corners of Thailand by train. I consider this to be another icon of Bangkok. Probably a lesser known icon to foreigners, but a no-less important icon of the city.

Bangkok prepares for flood...and I shot from the hip

Many parts of Thailand are now flooded. Bangkok is next as excess flood water can not be contained out of the capital. Here are some of the example of how the people in the city prepare for the inevitable. Small business, offices and homes literally build a castle of sand(bags) in front of their entrances to keep water out. Other method includes building concrete walls and some even use both. These photos were taken when walking on the street in my neighborhood. I shot from the hip as I simple walked past these places. Others photos were taken the old-fashion way.  

As I write this post, Bangkok is still (relatively) dry. But things can be very different by tomorrow.

Best wishes to everyone suffering from the flood and everyone who have been helping out.

Ayutthaya, and the on-going flood

Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam (now Thailand). As of this writing the historic city is now flooded. As weeks of heavy rains caused the river to overflow, the threat of damage to numerous temple ruins and historical sites concerns me deeply. Before this incident I had a chance to visit Ayutthaya, and the city still had a very strong sense of history that resonated with the people of Thailand. That trip made me very proud to be a citizen of Thailand.

Here are some of the photos from the trip, taken at a happier time. Hope the flood will be over soon.