|
 The Photo you see on the left is "Ning" Miss Thailand Finalist in 2006 I think! What a beauty and of course from Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. A lovely girl who has such natural beauty she beat allcomers. She has now retired from beauty paegeants to give others a chance. So many people get the wrong idea about Thailand. They seem to think it is only girlie bars and all that mucky stuff. When really Thailand is like any other country when you get down and simple with the natives. Northern Thailand is landlocked so if, you only want beaches then you need to head south to the Islands which, are beautiful but need to be visited for their own merits. Anyone visiting, with a preference for the cultural aspects of Thailand must Visit Northern Thailand. The temples are a must. The food is different in the North and has to be tasted to be believed. Visitors to the North will be able to experience craft making of specific items as diverse as Real Silver jewellery to Packaging Products made from Raa Paper, Exquisite! Thailand is the land of smiles You will no doubt have heard this said of Thailand and it is; by and large true, I say this with tongue in cheek because the Thais are a genuinely friendly people but you have to bear in mind their circumstances. Whilst they are a hard working race they get no help from their government. If they have not got, or cannot find work, then they do not eat. It follows therefore that if they get their hands on a foreign traveller with money they are gonna smile and make sure they do everything possible to keep them happy, while at the same time hoping to receive some of their money. Should you be going to travel in Thailand please enjoy all it has to offer and believe me that is an awful amount but temper it with consideration for the local population The King and the Royal Family are the most respected institution in the kingdom and they are loved and respected by all their loyal subjects. Make derogatory remarks about any member of the Royal Family at your peril. The second most important institution is the Monkhood of the Buddhist faith, ninety per cent of the population follows Buddhism. Full of beautiful and ancient temples lavished with much adornment by the community it serves. There are more than 7000 Buddhist temples in Thailand.  The wealth of the
monkhood in Thailand is probably greater than the monarchy. Every Thai
individual will make "merit" by giving to the monkhood at any
opportunity. The theory being that they will get it back in the next
world.The Thais are devout Buddhists in the main with Muslims making up 10% of the population mainly in the Deep South and Christians and other religions making up the remainder. It must be born in mind that Thai style Buddhism is a mish mash of true Buddhism and paganism, which has filtered down from the days of the Lanna kingdom. Most Thais have their own spirit house in the garden for the spirits of the ancestors to reside in and offerings will be made to keep the spirits happy. The temple is the hub of village and community life. Local government whilst centred in the Ampher House (town hall) gets its message across in the local temple. This is the same when election time comes around, it all centres on the temple. My wife daily offers bananas and other choice fruits with the odd glass of whisky and a cigar thrown in as an offering to the bhudda and prays religiously for my wellbeing and her families. It seems to work since I'm only ill in England. Every family expects their sons to join the monkhood in their teens and consider it a great honour for the family. Great ceremony is placed on the son joining the monkhood followed inevitably by a great party to which everyone is invited. The Thai way is to have a party for any reason however slight and I for one have no problem with that. Weddings are another great opportunity for a party. The day starts with members of the family going to the temple and collecting the community owned tables and chairs in their trucks and setting them up in the grounds of the brides family home. The previous evening the fatted pig would have been killed and cut into mouth sized portions and cooked in the largest Wok you have ever seen some five feet in diameter. It is monitored throughout the night to ensure it gets stirred occasionally, in between the rounds of rice whisky drinking and also to ensure the dogs don't eat it. The night before is rather like a disco with a group on stage and everybody dancing. The men dance together and not with the ladies. It is most disconcerting to have a Thai male come up to you and ask you to dance. You might find it very strange to dance with men but, it is difficult to say no without causing offence and so you may well end up dancing with them. The men seem to be happy and the ladies accept it. Ask anyone you know who has visited Northern Thailand whether they would return, I am confident you will be very hard put to find anyone who would not return.
 Back To Home Page  |
