Author: Richard Barrow

The tradition of offering alms to monks on boats is not seen so much these days. In the old days, when canals were the highways, it was more common. One place where you can still observe this is at Kwan Riam Floating Market in Minburi district of Bangkok. If you come at 7:30am on Saturday or Sunday, you can offer alms to monks on boats. Once finished, you can then have breakfast in this riverside market. They also do short 30-minute boat tours from here along Saen Saeb canal. It is a nice market, but it is not my favourite.

MAP: https://goo.gl/maps/yFPnupK3zrZF4HHTA

One of my passions is boats and canals. During my youth in the UK, my parents often took us on canal boat holidays during the summer. So, even today, even though I don’t as yet own a boat (one day maybe), I love exploring the canals and doing boat tours whenever I can. So, I was really happy when the guys at Hidden Bangkok Tours invited me to do a boat tour on the Thonburi side of the river.

In the days before the long-tailed boats, these slower boats were the way you got around. From a tour point of view I found it much better as they are slower, quieter and the tour guide doesn’t have to shout. Our tour started in the Wat Nak Klang Community on Khlong Mon. It is in Bangkok Noi district. This is actually a

One of the most well known political street artists in Thailand is Headache Stencil. Like Banksy, he likes to remain anonymous as much as he can. He told Khaosod, “I started calling myself Headache Stencil because I knew what I did is going to cause people headaches. I’ve been a troublemaker since I was a kid.” His street art has been appearing on walls since the military coup in 2014, but he became famous in 2018 with his political commentary about the luxury watches belonging to the deputy prime minister and the poaching of a black panther by one of Thailand’s richest men. The artwork for the former case was the face of Prawit inside an alarm clock and the latter case showed a black panther crying tears of blood.

Headache Stencil’s street art can be found all over the

Today I’m at the Department of Disease Control to apply for my yellow vaccine passport which I will use for international travel. I’m applying at the office in Nonthaburi, but you can also apply at your local health office or provincial hospital. This THREAD gives you the steps.

[2/6] I made an appointment to apply for the ‘COVID-19 Certificate of Vaccination’ from the website of the Division of Communicable Diseases: vpassport.ddc.moph.go.th. But please note, after 30 October, you must use the Mor Prom app to make an appointment.

[3/6] My appointment was at the Department of Disease Control in Nonthaburi (Map: goo.gl/maps/KdeCViUtA…). You need to go to Building 5. The security guards told me where to go before I asked. At the lobby entrance, you pick up a queue number and wait to be called.

It’s always good to see some historical landmarks still remaining in Bangkok. This structure in front of Central Embassy used to be one of six boundary markers on the land owned by Nai Lert. This is the information about it from the plaque:

In 1909, Phraya Bhakdinoraseth (Lert Sreshthaputra) bought a vast plot of land near Saen Saep canal. The low lying land, full of tall grass and reeds, was developed, next to the roads which Nai Lert named Ploenchit, Chidlom and Somkid, and turned this land into a huge park where he built a villa, known today as the Nai Lert Park Heritage Home. Nai Lert, the visionary, designed unique boundary markers. The six two metre tall markers, built to imitate ancient cannons with their muzzles pointing to the ground, were placed along the border line to prevent future boundary dispute and to facilitate the boundary survey. Many years later,

I was really happy to be invited to have lunch with the new British Ambassador last week at his private residence. This follows my tour of the new embassy in AIA Sathorn Tower a few months back. I find these informal meetings with ambassadors, and consular staff, very important to get to know each other and to let them know about concerns of the expat community. I share a number of social issues and concerns as them such as tourist safety, road safety, air quality and climate change, and of course, fair and equal treatment of foreigners living in Thailand. During lunch, we talked about ways we can work together to help the expat community.

Related Blog: A Chat with Mark Gooding, the British Ambassador

I didn’t post pictures of what we ate on social media and so quite a few people

Can you believe that this is in Bangkok? This is Bang Khun Thian district which goes all the way to the sea. There’s a new cycle path here which we explored at the weekend. You can rent bicycles for only 30 Baht from the local museum. You can also do boat trips. Map for bicycle rental: https://goo.gl/maps/73L3t9MCfwRshf9eA

The latest park to open in Bangkok is also going to be its largest once it is finished. This is Benjakitti Forest Park which is located next to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. You may already know Benjakitti Park which has a jogging and cycling track around a large lake. Well, this new extension is more than twice as a big. And it’s not your regular park. It’s more natural with swamps, ponds and sky walks. Not much wildlife at the moment but they will come with time. It is expected to be fully open in 2022. But they have already opened sections of it to the public. There is an access road that runs between the new forest park and Benjakitti Park. I entered the new section about halfway down. Here is the map link.

This weekend I am exploring the coastline from Samut Prakan to Samut Sakhon with my friends @chilipastetour and @DavidLuekens. There’s a new road along Sapphasamit Canal that now goes all the way. My map notes for this trip are here: thailandphotomap.com/exploring-the-…

If you switch to a satellite image, you can see that the coastline is mainly fish and shrimp farms. There are not many roads here. This section is actually in Bangkok. Yes, Bangkok has a coastline too in Bang Khun Thian district.

[01] Our first stop on the coastal tour is Phra Samut Chedi. This is the symbol of Samut Province. When it was first built, it used to be on an island on the Chao Phraya River but it’s now on the West bank.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/oJFyt5u1z…

In 1862, Anna Leonowens wrote the

This morning I visited the new Samut Prakan Immigration office in Bang Phli. It has temporarily moved from Paknam to Thip Nimitra Market (pronounced tip-ni-mit). They will be building a five-storey building on the Paknam waterfront. It will probably take them a few years.

[2] Thip Nimitra Market is on Theparak Road opposite Banplee Hospital. It is easy to spot as it is bright orange. Immigration is on the second floor. Just use the stairs in the corner that you can see in this picture.

📍MAP: goo.gl/maps/

[3] Samut Prakan Immigration is open from 8:30am to 4:30pm. They are closed for lunch from 12pm to 1pm. The address for 90 day reports is Temporary Service Center, Samutprakan Immigration, Thipnimitra Market Building A, 2nd floor Bangphil Yai, Bangphil District, Samutprakan 10540

[4] You can now contact Samut