Back in Bangkok

Well, I made it up country to see my adoptrd Thai father Phii Klong. He is now 93 and has serious health problems but it was wonderful to see him again and share a meal with him. I came back to Bangkok and was waiting for the tour to start, but since no one can fly in, had to cancel it. I will remain here (thats for certain) to see what transpires and then return to the states as soon as possible, The situation here will run its course. Everything seems normal and one would not know there is any trouble except for the news. The weather is excellent and the food fantastic so I will enjoy my stay.

Bangkok

Wow, it is so wonderful to be back to the City of Angels. Here for a few days before traveling to Ubol Ratchatani, to see if all is well there. I will try and update every few days but this is not for certain. I am trying out new hotels, different web connections and with a new computer. Vista seems nice but I am still learning to use it.

On vacation

Sorry for no posts recently. I am vacationing and enjoying time with my family.

The Thai Temple

      

       Many times we have heard of the famous Thai Temples, like Wat Arun, Wat Pho, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, etc. These beautiful temples are wonderful to see and visit, but there are many outstanding temples in Thailand that are almost completely unknown to most tourists. Some of the most interesting temples are outside Bangkok, and there are many styles and types of temples in all parts of Thailand. What I am talking about in this blog is the Thai Wat or Buddhist Temple.

                                         

        The wat is the center or focal point of almost every village. When I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the 1960’s in the northeast (Isaan) part of Thailand, my counterpart and I would always go the home of the village head man and the temple on each visit. In most cases these were very small monasteries and not the ornate temples that one sees in Bangkok or other large cities. Every wat that I remember had a least a sermon hall, but most are a collection of buildings, shrines and monuments and the courtyard is many times enclosed by a wall. Not all wats are used for religious ceremonies, as some are only used as monasteries.

                                                       

  
        In Thailand, there are over 31,000 Buddhist temples. All temples are divided into two main categories: Royal Temples and Common Temples. There are about 200 Royal Temples, which means that they were either built by members of the royalty or as the case of Wat Arun, or they have come under the sponsorship of the royalty.

                                                          

 

Wat Arun

     

Wat Arun is one of the best known landmarks in Bangkok. It is actually on the Thonburi side of the river and predates the present Chakri dynasty. First known as Wat Makok (Olive Temple), it was originally built during the Ayutthaya period of Thai history. Thonburi was a stop on the Chao Phraya ( River of Kings) for the ships of many nations to obtain provisions and replenish supplies. It is said that King Taksin arrived at the temple just at dawn and went to pay homage to the relic inside the pagoda. When Taksin crowned himself king and placed his capital at Thonburi, he renamed the temple Wat Chaeng –The temple of Dawn.

       It was during the Chakri dynasty that the name Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahavihara ( variously translated as “the Temple of Dawn” and “Temple of the Dawn”) was used. The name was for the Indian God of Dawn, Aruna. Wat Arun, as it is commonly known today, has a long history which has become intertwined with the present Chakri dynasty. During the reign of Rama I and continuing to and including the present King, Rama IX, Wat Arun has enjoyed an important part in Thai history.
                                                  
When Rama I moved the capitol across the river to Bangkok, he had disestablished Wat Chaeng as a royal temple. Still, it was a popular temple with the people and successive kings of the Chakri dynasty began to support the temple. King Rama II (1809-24) started the enlargement of the central prang (a prang is a Cambodian style pagoda) and is said to have designed the Buddha image that today resides in the Ordination Hall (Bot). Rama III (1824-51) continued the work on the central prang and today it is in excess of 60 meters tall. This towering prang and its four smaller ones represent Mount Meru, or the center of the universe in Buddhist cosmology.

       The core of the prang is made of brick and is covered with plaster or stucco. Into this plaster is set bits and pieces of Chinese porcelain and glazed ceramic tiles. The entire complex, including the statues, is covered with these brightly colored materials. Seeing the site from the river is magnificent and is truly beautiful. The grounds of this temple are very well kept and walking around looking at the various smaller prangs, statues and murals is a worthwhile endeavor. However, understanding a little of the symbolism of the structure makes it even more enjoyable.
                 1) The main prang is represents Mount Meru
                 2) The four smaller prangs represent the winds, with a statue of Phai (the god of the winds ) on his horse in each prang
                 3) The square on the first terrace, formed by the four smaller prangs, has pavilions in the middle of each which contain images depicting the four stages of the Buddha’s life. (birth, meditation, preaching and enlightenment)
                 4) These pavilions guard the stairs which lead to the second and third levels of the large prang.
                 5) The second terrace has four statues of the Hindu god Indra riding on Erawan.
                 6) The two demons that guard the entrance are from the Ramakien. The Ramakien is Thailand’s national epic, which is derived from the Hindu Indian Ramayana epic.

This beautiful temple, named for the dawn, is especially beautiful at sunset when you are across the river in Bangkok.         

                                                        

Dengue Fever

      

       It seems that there has been a lot of press recently on dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever , so I will add my two cents. While I in no way claim to be a medical expert or have a scientific background, I do feel confident in giving my opinions. I had dengue fever while serving in the Peace Corps and had to be medically evacuated from Ubon Rachathani to Bangkok. Years have allowed me to forget being sick in the first place or what the symptoms were. I do not remember who took me to the doctor, or who notified the Peace Corps Office in Bangkok. I don’t remember going to the Air Force Base or getting on the plane. There are only faint recollections of the trip to Bangkok, but I still have memories of the horrible headache and my aching limbs.

      I was taken to the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital in Bangkok and admitted for several days. As it happens, this turned out to be the first of three stays at this particular hospital during my two year Peace Corps stay in Thailand. (The two other trips were when my motor scooter landed on top of me one morning and then when I had to be given a series of rabies shots. Both are stories for later.) At the hospital I was given excellent care and was soon recovered enough to rest at a hostel where our Peace Corps group had stayed when we first came to Thailand. I do not remember the exact number of days but it was only a short time until I was feeling fine and back up country. The doctors told me that I had the Break-bone type of dengue fever (at that time I had never heard of dengue hemorrhagic fever). For this I was lucky, in that now, they felt I was immune to the other types of dengue fever. I don’t know that this is still the current thinking about dengue fever but at that time it seemed to be the case.

       Dengue fever is a flu-like illness that can affect persons of any age but seldom causes death. Dengue fever is a disease caused by a family of four distinct viruses which are all transmitted by mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization on its internet site, “Recovery from infection by one [of the viruses] provides lifelong immunity against that virus but confers only partial and transient protection against subsequent infection by the other three viruses. “ Where do you find dengue fever? Again, according to the World Health Organization, it is endemic in over 100 countries of Africa, The Americans, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. Outbreaks of dengue fever are prevalent in the tropics and subtropics regions, and have occurred in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuba and Central America. Newer cases have been documented in Northern Mexico and in Texas.

        Dengue fever is not contagious and cannot be spread from human to human without the mosquito. Infected mosquitoes bite a healthy human who comes down with dengue fever. While the human is suffering from the disease other healthy mosquitoes bite the human and become infected and in turn bite other healthy persons. It has been reported that only the female Aedes mosquito is the carrier of this disease. Dengue fever is more prevalent during the rainy season of Thailand when the mosquito flourishes but any water filled area can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes year round.

        After being bitten by an infected mosquito, the incubation period in humans is usually 4 to 7 days but can be anywhere from 3 to 15 days before the symptoms of the disease appear. Symptoms may include the following:
                        1) Severe headache (usually in the forehead)
                        2) Chills and then high fever
                        3) Pain behind the eyes
                        4) Joint and muscle pain
                        5) Nausea and vomiting
                        6) Rash
The fever and other symptoms will last a couple of days before the temperature drops quite rapidly. This is usually followed by a day of feeling good and then the fever and symptoms return for a few more days. Many times the rash will appear several days after the first high fever begins and will subside after a day or two. A few days later a second rash may appear.

        There is no vaccine for dengue fever and since dengue fever is a virus there is no specific medication for it. Usually rest, drinking lots of fluids, and the use of pain relievers such as Tylenol are the only things needed. Within two weeks most people are weak but recovered. It may take several weeks to get back to feeling like your old self. The CDC advises that aspirin should not be taken.

        Dengue hemorrhagic fever is usually confined to children and is known by several other names including: Thai, Philippine, and Southeast Asian hemorrhagic fever. More symptoms that might be present are abdominal pain, cough, sore throat, with respiratory and intestinal symptoms. Many times symptoms of bleeding will also be present. Patients with this need to seek medical assistance and be monitored to make sure they do not go into shock.

         While dengue fever is rarely fatal, it is not something you wish to get while traveling in areas where it is present. There are a few very simple preventive suggestions for not contacting the disease.

             · Since the Aedes mosquito is a mosquito that only bites during the daylight, take precautions during the early morning hours before daybreak and in the late afternoon before dark.
             · Wear long pants and shirts with long sleeves, socks and shoes.
             · Use a mosquito repellent with DEET.
             · In areas that are having an outbreak of dengue fever, or in the rainy season, stay indoors in air-conditioned areas as much as possible.

Suvarnabhumi--Bangkok's new international airport

  

       The name for the new international airport in Bangkok was chosen by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

        Suvarnabhumi is the transliteration of the Thai word for “the golden land”. Please do not pronounce the “I” at the end of the word as it is silent when you read it in the Thai script. “Su-wan-na-poom” is a close English phonetic spelling.

       Nakhon Pathom , is one of the oldest cities of Thailand, and when over 1500 years ago Buddhism was introduced to this area of southeast Asia, it was at the north end of the Gulf of Thailand. There is some speculation that Nakhon Pathom was the capital of the area Suvarnabhumi which meant “Golden Land” or “Golden Peninsula” and was the traditional name for what is now the Thailand-Cambodia-Laos and perhaps Myanmar region. The new airport is designed to serve this area and it is hoped that within five years it will be well on its way to having the capacity to handle up to 100 million passengers and 6.4 million tons of cargo a year.
The new airport had been in the planning and construction phases for many years. I have seen published reports that claim it was over 40 years from the beginning plans to the actual opening of the new airport. The official opening was on the 28th of September 2006. At that time, Suvarnabhumi ‘s one terminal replaced the three terminals at the old Don Muang Airport which was located north of Bangkok.

        The new terminal is one of the largest terminal buildings in the world. Under its one continuous roof is more than 138 acres. The control tower at 433 feet is either the tallest or close to the tallest control tower in the world. Overall, the airport covers more than 8,000 acres. Even before the grand opening I had read all the statistics and had tried to brace myself for my first experience with this new airport. The size was enormous and a few of the statistics I learned were : over 200 passport control checkpoints (130 for arriving passengers and 72 for departures), arriving passengers had 26 custom control checkpoints and there were 8 for those departing, there were 22 baggage conveyor belts, over 100 moving walkways, 102 elevators and 83 escalators. When it was time to depart from my trip to Thailand, there would be over 360 check-in counters for those of us with luggage and another 100 additional counters for passengers without luggage. My mind was running wild and I could envision kilometers of walking just to get to an information booth, money exchange or restroom. How would I possibly get from the international gates to the domestic gates and what had happened to my favorite little airport restaurant? That restaurant had been my priority destination on all flights for several years. It was the place I could get my first and, on each trip, my last authentic Isaan meal in Thailand.

        In short, I was one of those who loved the security of the old Don Muang Airport and my approach to the new terminal was with more than a little trepidation. Everything in Don Muang had become like second nature and now I was being forced to learn a new location with different ways and ideas. My first arrival at this huge new airport was in November of 2006. When I stepped into the new airport I was astounded by all the open space. I was both amazed and impressed when I started from my arrival gate into this new terminal. It did seem sort of sterile and cold, almost like hospital antiseptic, but I did not suffer from the horror stories I had seen reported in the press, nor did I feel totally overwhelmed. It was new, yes, but I found it very easy to find my way around. Signage had been much improved from the earliest reports I had read. I found a money exchange and, since the exchange rate in the airport is usually as good as anywhere else, I changed a couple of hundred U.S. dollars into Thai Baht. I had found on several earlier occasions that this was a good idea and saved many problems later on. Then it was on to immigration (passport control checkpoints). At Don Muang, this could take some time but here the lines moved fast and it was only a short time until I was on my way to reclaim my luggage. Even though my luggage has wheels, I loved the availability of the free carts to carry you luggage. I loaded my luggage onto one of the carts, walked through customs and met my ride to the hotel in a very short time.

        Although the ride to my hotel was longer than from Don Muang, it was much easier due to the construction of a good highway infrastructure to service this new airport of the “Golden Land”. As I was whisked away in the hotel taxi, I once again was so amazed and had to marvel at the development of this magical city. The old and the new were next to each other. The new sky train was evident, and of course we were using the new highways above the city that bypass much of the local traffic. So much had changed since I had first seen this land 40 plus years earlier, yet; somehow, it was still the same.

Flights to Bangkok

        

       Nothing seems to be more challenging than to find a great carrier for your trip. It is a long trip and you want to be as comfortable as possible.

       My first trip was with the Peace Corps way back in the ‘60s. It was a great trip. We left Columbia, Missouri, on I think Ozark Airlines, and spent the night in San Francisco. The next day we boarded Pan American Around the World Flight #1 (or was it 101), bound for Tokyo. The thing I remember most on this part of the flight was the stop for refuel on Wake Island. It seemed so amazing to me that anyone could find that small island in the middle of the Pacific. Also, it was a little scary when the airplane started to descend and I couldn’t see any land below. When we reached Japan, we were given a 24 hour layover before continuing onto Bangkok.

        The stopover in Tokyo turned out to be a wonderful experience. It was my first time being in a foreign country. I don’t remember much about the airport, except for actually seeing Mt. Fujiyama. I do remember being in a first class hotel for my first time. The hotel was so beautiful and absolutely amazing. Just because it was available, I ordered room service for the first time in my life. I don’t remember the food, but, it was good and I am sure it was something I had never tried before (I was so daring back then). After a quick night’s sleep it was time for a little exploration of Tokyo. Three or four of us asked the concierge to get us a taxi. We wanted to see something in Tokyo besides foreigners. We were treated to what can only be described as a daring ride through Tokyo traffic and deposited someplace. When we disembarked from the taxi not one of us recognized where we were from any travel magazines or National Geographic we had ever seen. However, we did get our wish. We didn’t see any foreigners or anyone else that spoke English. We did see a beautiful temple, walked for hours in the sleet and cold and only had Coke Cola for nourishment. Thank heavens, the concierge had insisted on giving us a card from the hotel with the name of the hotel in Japanese. We were able to return safely and meet the rest of our group and continue on to our destination in Bangkok. The rest of the trip went smoothly except for some rough air pockets over the South China Sea. We arrived in Bangkok in the middle of the night.
That first flight taught me many things, not the least of which was that I always want to arrive at my destination in the daytime and not at the wee hours of the morning.

        My next trip to Bangkok was in 2000, when I returned for a Peace Corps reunion and my first trip back since I had left Thailand so many years before. Somehow the seats on most of the domestic carriers in the U.S. had gotten smaller and closer together and again I was scared to death of the long flight. I was afraid I would wind up permanently crippled, from the small seats before I arrived in Bangkok. To add to the problems, I was taking my three grown sons. They were/are not small men, and I wanted this to be a good experience for them and not an endurance test of their will power. I started checking the internet for any information I could find on airline carriers to Bangkok from the U.S., the seat size, the various classes, layovers, etc. I was amazed at what I found.

        First, and most important, is the fact that shopping for airline tickets for international flights is not like trying to find the cheapest or best tickets for a flight in the continental U.S. I continued my search and reading on the internet for about four months and then armed with the information I had received, enlisted a travel agent to get the seats I thought I wanted.
                1) After checking out the arrival time of the various airlines at Don Muang Airport in Bangkok, I decided I wanted a foreign carrier, as they were the only ones to arrive during daylight hours.
                2) I wanted the larger seats that were available on most carriers in business or first class.
                3) I didn’t want to pay for business or first class.
                4) I had discovered a fourth class that was between economy and business class that sounded good for me.

        Things have changed in the last few years. There is a new airport in Bangkok. (More on that later) Seats are still getting smaller, and prices are constantly on the rise. I still use the basic criteria I used in 2000 and have even used several different travel agents. But, each flight has been on Eva Airways. I have found their Evergreen Deluxe category fits my body type and wallet best. Flights are comfortable and on time, food is terrific and service is wonderful. There is plenty of room to get up and stretch during the flight without blocking the aisle. Everyone has their own TV monitor. There are many stewardesses available to assist to your every whim for the long flight. One extra benefit for me is that I can catch the flight in Newark and fly across the U.S. without being in a cramped economy seat to catch an international flight on the west coast.

        Because Eva, stops in Taiwan, I have learned that I like to make a layover in Taiwan before I go on to Bangkok. This has the advantage of starting to get my days and nights turned around sooner. Also, I am more refreshed when I get to Bangkok. Someday, I will probably take another carrier so I can have the layover in Tokyo, Manila, Seoul, or maybe even Kuala Lampur, but that is for someday. I just bought my tickets for the tours in November and I am once again on Eva Airways.

Why Thailand?

In my mind, Thailand is my second home. I lived there for only two years in the 1960's as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Rural Community Development, but have revisited many times since 2000. The Thai people seemed to welcome each visit and with each visit it is harder and harder to leave. The friendliness and graciousness of the people, the beautiful landscapes, the tempting foods, and the Thai culture make one feel so relaxed and welcome. The Thai people forgive us "farongs" our shortcomings and accept us as we are. With each visit I try and do something new or see a new location or witness a new event. There is so much to discover and learn in this amazing country. While I lived in the fabulous northeast (Isaan) part of Thailand, I have had the opportunity to travel to many other parts of the country. Yes, they are all equally fantastic. Each area I have visited has its own charm and beauty. I can relate only my impressions and ideas and do not want anyone to think that my comments are anymore than that. I hope to offer some history, news, travel tips and suggestions, and answer questions of a general nature on my Thai experience. Since this is my first blog post, I am anxious and nervous about what will happen. I do not expect to write something every day but do hope to post often or at least once a week. Hopefully you will have comments and questions to help guide this blog. The idea of this blog came as a result of questions and comments I have had from my web page http://www.h2t3tours.com/ and my You Tube Channel H2T3tours . Please feel free to check them out and offer any suggestions or comments you might have.