Benjarong Porcelain Crockery, first hand experience of porcelain painting

Benjarong Porcelain Crockery

First hand experience of porcelain painting

Also see: FAM tour of Thailand

Benjarong literally means five colours (Benja = five, rong = colour) and is a form of traditional Tahi ceramic painting. The five primary colours consists of black, green, yellow, red and white which are mixed in different proportions to produce shades of other different secondary colours.

The creation and the creator. Benjarong Porcelain Crockery, Bangchang Village, Samut Songkhram, Thailand

Although a traditional Thai art the origin of Benjarong dates back to China. According to historical records it probably originated during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) in China.

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Monks of Amphawa Canal, Alms collection on boat

Monks of Amphawa Canal

Alms collection on boat

Also see: FAM tour of Thailand

No visit to Thailand is complete without a visit to the floating markets. Thailand is literally dotted with floating markets. Bangkok alone host at least 5 floating markets in its vicinity and definitely Damnoen Saduak heads the list.

The Buddhist Monk arrives at the Kanokart Resort, Amphawa Canal, Thailand

Sadly many of the floating markets around Bangkok have been commercialized badly. They have  become too touristic and have lost most of their local flavour. For those wanting a real deal and experience lesser touristic places Amphawa Floating Market is the great option.

Satapada, Dolphins and Chilika Sea Mouth

Exploring India’s largest Coastal Lagoon

See also: Sterling Resort Puri FAM

Geographers define a “lagoon” as a special type of lake separated from the sea by a narrow natural embankment with small openings connecting it with the sea. On the other hand biologists claim that these small openings allow salt and sweet water to intermingle and thereby form a unique, but fragile, ecosystem found nowhere else in the world.

The Satapada Jetty, Chilika Lake, Odisha

For a layman like myself, it is a place where one can cruise through the endless expanse of blue water, laced with green hills in the company of egrets, herons, flamingoes, kingfisher, kites and the last but not least the elusive jumping dolphins – it’s paradise!

Amphawa Floating Market, Samut Songkhram, Thailand

Amphawa Floating Market

Samut Songkhram, Thailand

Also see: FAM tour of Thailand

According to Wikipedia a floating market is a market where goods are sold from boats. Originating in times and places where water transport played an important role in daily life, most floating markets operating today mainly serve as tourist attractions, and are chiefly found in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India.

Amphawa Floating Market along the Amphawa Canal, Samut Songkhram, Thailand

No visit to Thailand is complete without a visit to the floating markets. Thailand is literally dotted with floating markets. Bangkok alone host at least 5 floating markets in its vicinity and definitely Damnoen Saduak heads the list.

Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat

Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat, Bangkok

A canal boat service in Bamgkok, Thailand

Also see: FAM tour of Thailand

Just watch your step when boarding and disembarking as they don’t stop at the pier for long. Pay the fare to the fearless helmet-wearing ticket collectors who clamber around on the outside of the boat, ducking at bridges, as it barrels down the canal.

Khlong Saen Saep Express Boat, Bangkok

This is Khalong Saen Saep Express Boat service. Mostly used by locals to commute to work, the service is cheap and you get to see the “backside” of the neighbourhoods, so to speak. Also, It is immune to Bangkok’s notorious traffic jams.

Pig Memorial, Pi Kun Bridge, Old City Moat, Bangkok

Pig Memorial

Pi Kun Bridge, Old City Moat, Bangkok

Also see: FAM tour of Thailand

Bangkok, a city known for its night life and shopping, has some very unusual memorials and monuments. The Democracy Monument, Victory Monument, Monument to the Expeditionary Force and October 14 Memorial are some of the well known monuments and memorials of Bangkok.

Pig Memorial, Bangkok

But Bangkok’s most unusual memorial is the Pig Memorial. Unlike the previous mentioned memorial the Pig Memorial does not lie on a regular tourist trail, so hardly visited by tourist.

Khon Dance Mask

Mask of traditional Thai dance drama

Also see: FAM tour of Thailand

The mask is perhaps the most important characteristics of the Khom, for through it more than any other agency one distinguishes the variety of roles

Bridhyakorn and Yupho, The Khon

A Khon Mask studio at Bhutesavara, Samut Songkhram, Thailand

Khom is a dance drama genre from Thailand. It is traditionally performed solely in the royal court by men in masks accompanied by narrators, singers along with traditional orchestra. The orchestra mainly consists of xylophone type instrument, gongs and drums.