Mu Koh Surin – Island Life

Mu Koh Surin is located on the northern rim of the Andaman Sea, and only 8 km. from the Thailand-Myanmar border. Getting to Mu Koh Surin isn’t easy, being 50 kilometers off the coast of Thailand, you have to catch a ride on a fast moving ferry which takes a full two hours from the mainland. The ferry leaves from a pier in Khura Buri, more than 700 kilometers from Bangkok, which is also the mainland headquarters for the park.

Mu Ko Surin is where Thailand’s tropical rain forest come in contact with the largest, most amazing, life abundant, shallow water coral reef. Mu Ko Surin is the best place for snorkeling in Thailand, with rich marine life such as sea turtles and many varieties of marine life. Mu Koh Surin consists of two main islands, Ko Surin Nua and Ko Surin Tai (north and south) and have more than 10 bays renowned for the most beautiful shallow coral reefs. Thailand keeps the island rustic, limiting the number of visitors and the types of boats allowed into the shallow waters. There are a few nice bungalows on the island but most who visit stay for a few days in tents enjoying the quiet island breezes up close and personal.

As a cultural site of interest, there is a community of Sea Gypsies who still live their traditional lifestyle according to the life abundant local seas. These Sea Gypsies are called the Morgan and they continue to live a primitive life in their houseboats and inhabit Ko Surin Tai beach which is opposite to the national park office. You will find carved wood sculptures similar to an American Indian totem which is a Morgan tradition.

Puk Tian Beach

Puk Tian Beach is about 2 hours south of Bangkok and one hour north of Hua Hin, and along the Petchaburi Scenic Roadway.  The Beach was made famous by the number of sculptures from the well-known Thai literature Phra Aphai Manee.  The beach is very quiet and peaceful. A great get-away location for a quiet weekend at the beach.

The Story of Phra Aphai Manee is a clever story of Prince Phra Aphai Manee who plays a magical flute that brings sleep to those who hear his music. The giant, Nang Yack, listens to the Princes music and didn’t sleep but fell in love. She changes herself into human to be with her prince. Nang Yack marries the prince without ever telling the prince she is a giant and they move to a remote island be alone and in love.  They have a son, Sin Samut, who is human but has the magic of the giants. One day, Nang Yack finds the prince with a new lover, a mermaid. Nang Yack also had the anger of a giant and wanted to kill the prince. The mermaid helped the prince escape the island and Nang Yack’s anger. When the prince arrives on land he plays his flute to calm Nang Yack’s anger. The music has an unforeseen result, it turns her anger into deep sadness and kills Nang Yack because her love was so deep.

Characters from the Story of Phra Aphai Manee:

Photos of the beach and town:

There also is a lot of wildlife in the marsh lands surrounding the beach area:

Bang Tabun Mangrove Forest Conservation Area

I stumbled on the Bang Tabun Mangrove Forest Conservation Area in Phetchaburi, Thailand on my way to Puk Tien Beach and just over the Phetchaburi River Bridge. The conservation area is chuck full of interesting wildlife living in the mangrove forest adjacent to the Thai Gulf at the mouth of the Phetchaburi River. Everything from mischievous monkeys to iridescent kingfishers. Notably the mudflats are full of large mudskippers as well as many different waterfowl. The conservation center has constructed an awesome concrete walkway along the edge of the forest area and along the Thai Gulf to allow easy access to view the life in the mangrove forest. I hope you enjoy the photos and video.

 

Pran Buri Trip

I went on a trip this past weekend to a town south of Hua Hin – Pran Buri. The area is very low key and therefore quiet. Was quite rainy but it is to be expected this time of year….

Here is how to get there:

View Pran Buri Trip in a larger map

Unfinished Buddha on Khao Bandai It Mountain

Unfinished Buddha

When I first went to the “Palace on the Mountain” or “Phra Nakhon Khiri” in March of 2008, I saw this unfinished Buddha on the adjacent mountain and thought about it for many years. On my return to the palace late last year I expected to see a completed Buddha but was shocked to see that the “unfinished Buddha was pretty much the same state as I saw it those many years ago. I am a curious kind of guy and I wanted to see this Buddha up close and maybe find out more. What I found was even more curiouser,… The Buddha was indeed unfinished and totally overgrown, as if forgotten. It seems the local temple, who was sponsoring the construction, ran out of funding and the Buddha was left as it was to have the jungle invade and the grounds decay. But the area of the Buddha had a fantastic view of the Phetchaburi Area, even the palace where I first spied this Buddha in this unfinished state.

As I investigated these modern day ruins, my imagination got the better of me and I wondered if this Buddha would ever get a chance to be completed or if I could be of any help in its completion. I know I will remember this “unfinished Buddha on the Maintain and one never knows what the future might hold… I hope I will return..  And you can tell me if you enjoy the photos…

Unfinished Buddha on Khao Bandai It Mountain, a set on Flickr.

You can use the Google Map below to find the Buddha yourself…

View Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park in Phetchaburi in a larger map

Amphawa Floating Market

The floating markets of Thailand are quite well known and deeply set in Thai culture. The Amphawa Floating Market is one of the original floating markets, of which there are few. Most of the floating markets in Thailand today are recent replicas but still fun to explore. In years gone by the river was truly Thailand’s life blood, providing a simple means of getting food and products to the people living along the river. You can get a glimpse of this lifestyle by visiting the Amphawa Floating Market located a little more than an hour south of Bangkok. 

The photos of the older Thai lady rowing her boat through the market exemplifies the cultural style of river life.


The Google Map link below can be used to navigate you easily to the floating market…

View Amphawa Floating Market, Samut Songkhram in a larger map

Boats on Prachuapkirikhan Bay

Boats usually make interesting subjects for my photos while traveling throughout Thailand and these boats in Prachuapkirikhan Bay were no exception. Prachuapkirikhan Bay is a moon shaped bay located south of Hua Hin, on the peninsula that is shared with Myanmar. The bay is primarily home to Thai fishermen with a military base on the southern end. Overlooking the bay is a temple high on top of a hill, I am sure giving the villagers luck as they go to sea. Hope you enjoy the photos.

To find this wonderful little bay follow the Google Link below:

View Destinations in a larger map

Wat Kao Chong Kra Jog Cave Monkeys

Buddha and monkey visit

Located at the base of hill in the small gulf city of Prachuap Khiri Khan on the southern Thailand Peninsula, this little cave is worth a brief stop in your travels. The monkeys alone are quite amusing. I had one monkey jump up and grab food from my arms. You can often find Buddha images in caves all round Thailand; they can be magical.  My luck was good on this visit, for as I was leaving the cave I saw this monkey stop by for a visit with Buddha.

Thailand’s love of the monkey (called “Ling“) is probably best illustrated by the epic tale of the Ramakien. The Ramakien is a myth of genuinely historic proportions, but the main story concerns Prince Rama and his search for his beloved wife, Princess Sita, who has been kidnapped by an evil ten-headed demon called Ravana.

Click on the Map below to see where in Thailand this cave is located:

View Larger Map

More photos of this Monkey cave can be found here..

Hua Hin Beach Creatures

Hua Hin on your way to southern Thailand, is a great place to visit for the family. The beaches are very clean, evidenced by the explosion of life as you walk along the water. Here are just a few examples:

For more information for traveling to Hua Hin click here…

For more awesome photos of Hua Hin click here…

Wat Suwankuha (Cave Temple) of Phang Nga

Reclining Buddha in the cave temple of Wat Suwankuha

Temples in Thailand come in many sizes and shapes and places. This temple is one of many found in a limestone cave. The reclining Buddha image found in Wat Suwankuha in Phang Nga Province is quite inspirational. There were many other Buddha images throughout the cave, which was quite large. I recommend a visit if you are in the Phang Nga area of southern Thailand.

For more photos of the cave temple of Wat Suwankuha in Phang Nga click here