We are a group of four adults and two children - eight and nine years old - planning a day trip from Bangkok to Ayutthaya.

I know it's easy to find an organised tour for a day but the prices are a bit steep for us. What are the options for us do the trip on our own for a reasonable price? Andy Ayutthaya is great for a day trip due to its proximity to Bangkok, and most visitors who go there either take a package tour or have a private transport. Some are independent travellers who travel by train or boat from Bangkok. The train is great if you are budget-conscious, and don't mind a slow journey or the lack of frequency of trains. 
Going by boat is a lot more expensive as most of the good ones are river cruises. The boat trip is also time-consuming, but you will be rewarded with the scenic river view along the Chao Phraya from Bangkok to Ayutthaya.



minivan from Victory Monument

Another option is to take a minivan from Victory Monument. You'll travel with local people and the fare is cheap. But once you get to Ayutthaya, you will have to rent further transport to take you around the historical monuments, which would be a hassle, especially with two kids. If you decide to use public transport, I would recommend staying overnight in Ayutthaya to be able to appreciate this impressive city, former capital of the kingdom and also a Unesco World Heritage Site.
You should be able to find an organised tour at a reasonable price, which will provide you lunch and sightseeing. You can also rent a car with driver from Bangkok. There are a number of car rental companies offering a chauffeur service in a car or minivan. The rate should be less than Bt3,000 per day for a minivan, including the driver but excluding gasoline. This option gives you the freedom to choose the time you leave your hotel in Bangkok and be flexible about your sightseeing in Ayutthaya. Hope this is helpful!



Is it possible to get a decent Thai massage that isn't painful? I guess the pain has a therapeutic effect but it's sometimes hard to bear. I enjoy the soft parts of the massage but don't find the pain attractive at all. How should a good Thai massage be? What is your suggestion? Thanks, B Tadet

Thai massage at Ayuthaya

Many Thai massage therapists believe in the adage "no pain no gain" and would advise you to have a massage on a regular basis to bring relief to the tight spots. Most Thai people prefer a strong massage even if it's painful though some prefer a non-painful approach. Some therapists use their elbows, knees and feet to be able to work deeper on pressure points. I think you would agree that some are good pains while others are not. If you find it hard to bear, react by saying "jeb mak mak" which means it’s very painful, or "bao bao", to tell them to press more gently.

It’s not easy to find a good therapist at a street-side massage place in these days. To have a massage with no pain, you need to find either a very talented therapist with the skills to use deep pressure techniques without hurting or an inexperienced one who just presses your body lightly without giving you any real benefit.

When you go to a massage place, ask for a good and experienced therapist. Tell them what you want so the person at the reception will know you are serious about it. Also it’s better to tell the therapist in advance the way you like to have massage. A good massage should make you feel relaxed and refreshed and leave your body more flexible.

If you don’t like even a little pain during the massage, I would recommend you to go for an oil massage instead. Many people prefer Thai massage with oil, as its smoothness helps relieve the pain a great deal.

Have a relaxing one!

Doi Inthanon National Park

Doi Inthanon National Park is Thailand’s highest mountain, 2,599 metres above sea level. Doi Inthanon is a part of the Himalayas, which ranges across Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and ends at Northern Thailand. Complex mountain ranges and a mild climate characterise an area with a moist and dense summit forest. Doi Inthanon is very intersting for ornithologists. Summit forest is the source of important tributaries of the Mae Ping River. Meo and Karen hilltribes inhabit the park.
Visiting Doi Inthanon is possible throughout the year. The best period for viewing waterfalls is May through November. The best period for viewing wild flowers is December through February. The best period for ornithologists is November through March.
Getting there: Travel 58 kilometres west of Chiang Mai via Highway No. 108 to Chom Thong, then turn right into Highway No. 1009 and continue a further distance of 48 kilometres along Highway No. 1009 to the summit. A good asphalt road takes visitors up but is rather steep, thus the vehicle must be in a good condition. Visitors could pay for the entrance fee at Km. 8.
Doi Inthanon can be reached by a local truck (Song Thaeo) from Phra That Chom Thong or Mae Klang Waterfall. The Song Thaeo runs to Doi Inthanon National Park Office (Km. 31) and neighbouring villages. A chartered Song Thaeo costing around 800 baht can make stops at other attractions around the area.

Attractions in Doi Inthanon National Park

Namtok Mae Ya is one of the most beautiful cascades in Chiang Mai. Water flows from a 280-metre steep cliff onto different rock formations in a lower basin like drapes. The well-managed waterfall is teeming with verdant forests and is best for recreation. It is located 1 kilometre from Highway No. 1009 junction, turn left for 14 kilometres and then take a 200-metre walk.

Namtok Mae Klang is a 100-metre one-level waterfall located 8 kilometres from Highway No. 1009 junction and turn left onto an asphalt road for 500 metres.

Tham Bori Chinda is a large cave located near Namtok Mae Klang at Km. 8.5 of Highway No. 1009. The road sign to Tham Bori Chinda will be seen at the junction on the right. The deep cave has stalactite and stalagmite formations, Buddha images and a rocky stream. The surface of the water glitters like diamonds flake when light reflects the stream. Sunlight in the cave allows visitors to see the entire cave.

Namtok Wachirathan is a large waterfall which plummets over the edge of a high cliff into a deep pool below. When there is a large amount of water, there are large splashes in the basin, creating a cool and refreshing environment. The delightful ambience can be felt by walking on a slippery bridge that leads to the waterfall. To get there, turn right off Highway No.1009 at Km. 21, then follow the signpost to the waterfall a further 350 metres on foot. At Km.20 a new road is built to reduce the walk to the waterfall.

Namtok Siriphum is a splendid waterfall that falls from a steep cliff in two lines and can be seen en route to Doi Inthanon. The attractive waterfall is located at Km. 31 of Highway No. 1009, take a right turn for 2 kilometres and is approachable only on foot from the base of the waterfall.

Doi Inthanon Royal Project is in Khun Klang village close to the park headquarters. The project was initiated in 1979 to help the hill tribes to cultivate cash crops other than opium and train them on modern agricultural practices. Most produces are temperate zone plants. Flower plantations, a plant breeding research lab and flower plantations of hill tribes (Hmong) are open to visitors.



Phra Mahathat Napha Methanidon and Phra Mahathat Naphaphon Phumisiri, twin pagodas located at Km. 41.5, were built to commemorate the fifth cycle birthdays of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. Both pagodas share the similar bases as well as a two-level walking path that surrounds them. The pagodas enshrine Lord Buddha’s ashes and Buddha images, and overlook the magnificent scenery of Doi Inthanon.

Doi Inthanon Peak has a cool climate all year round. The Air Force Radar Station and King Inthawichayanon’s stupa located on the mountaintop. King Inthawichayanon, the last king of Chiang Mai, was concerned about the importance of forests and wanted to preserve the forests for future generations. He was so familia with Doi Inthanon that he asked that part of his ashes be kept here.
The Tourist Information Centre, near the top of Doi Inthanon, exhibits a chronological background of the mountain, including its geography, biology, forests, and animals.



Namtok Mae Pan is the longest waterfall in Chiang Mai, which flows from a 100-metre cliff. Its charm can be enjoyed by standing some distance from the falls. From afar, the white water and the green forests around the falls make a beautiful picture. From Km. 38 of Highway No. 1009, drive along the Doi Inthanon-Mae Chaem road (Highway No. 1192) for 6 kilometres and a sign to the waterfall will be seen, then drive on an unpaved road for 9 kilometres. The lovely waterfall can be reached by a ten-minute walk from a parking lot. In the rainy season, the road to Namtok Mae Phan is in a poor condition; only a four-wheel vehicle could make the journey.

Namtok Huai Sai Lueang is beyond Namtok Mae Pan, about 21 kilometres from Doi Inthanon-Mae Chaem Road. Turn left to an unpaved road where only a four-wheel vehicle could make a trip in the rainy season. The medium-size cascade has water all year round and flows from a cliff to each level.
Natural Study trek on Doi Inthanon



Kiu Mae Pan starts from Km. 42. This short trail, winding through pristine forest for about 2.5 kilometres, a 3-hour walk, allows the hiker to experience the natural beauty of the forest at first hand. The Rhododendrons, commonly found in the Himalayas, are found along the trail and they are in full bloom during December-February. Trekkers on this route should seek permission from the park headquarters at Km. 31 for safety reasons. A group of not more than 15 people is recommended. Food consumption is not allowed while trekking. This nature trail is closed for reforestation from June 1 to October 30 annually

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Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail was surveyed and designed by Mr. Michael MacMillan Walls, a Canadian volunteer biologist who devoted to his work and died from a heart attack on this mountain. This trail is 360 metres long, passing through wet and cold areas in a lush valley. Forest above 2,000 metres is covered with lichens and wild orchids. Indigenous plants that needs a high level of nutrition, organic deposits, and rare species of birds are seen along the trail.
There are more nature trails on Doi Inthanon, each providing different views of the diversity of plants, reforestation, the importance of tributaries, the origin of caves, hilltribe agriculture, and bird watching. Walking trails range from 1 to 8 kilometres. Each trip needs approval from the Chief of the National Park and a trekking leader is needed. The service is obtained at the Park Office at Km. 31.

Birdwatching on Doi Inthanon
Inthanon Bird Watching Information Centre (Uncle Daeng’s Shop) is located at Km. 31. This is a bird information exchange centre among bird watchers, nature students and the general public. The information details the habitat and food of birds and animals living on Doi Inthanon. The aim is to pass on this knowledge to the next generation. It also provides the Doi Inthanon Bird watching Diary, bird sketches by various bird watching experts, bird watching trails, bird pictures, and slides.
Winter is the best time for bird watching when indigenous and migrant birds are found including Eurasian Woodcock, White Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail, Forest Wagtail, Chestnut Thrush, Scarlet Finch, Little Bunting, and Crested Bunting.

How a small band of dedicated townspeople are saving an historic, riverfront area in Chanthaburi from dereliction

Prapapan Chatmalai turned up for our meeting in Chanthaburi town resplendent in an elegant, red, Chinese-style dress. The 64-year-old told me she regularly walks from her house to the Chanthaboon Learning Centre where vintage photos of the riverside area in which she grew up are on permanent display. Since retiring from her job as a schoolteacher, Prapapan enjoys sharing information with visitors about the history of her neighbourhood and several distinctive buildings which have survived fire, floods and the passage of time.

"Our Chanthaboon waterfront community was founded over 300 years ago during the reign of King Narai [1656-88]," she volunteered, adding that the district was initially home not only to Thais, but also to immigrants from China and what is now Vietnam.

Prapapan Chatmalai, an active member of the community.

 "The Thais normally farmed the land while the Chinese and Vietnamese were traders and merchants. Taking advantage of its prime location next to the Chanthaburi River, our community gradually grew from a small market into a real commercial hub where you could buy practically everything including gems and jewellery."
Together with the neighbouring province of Trat and the region around Pailin, across the border in Cambodia, Chanthaburi used to be an important source of gemstones, especially rubies and sapphires. The heyday of Prapapan's ancestral community occurred about a century ago when its main artery, an alley only suitable for pedestrian traffic, was widened and turned into a thoroughfare running parallel to the river. Now called Sukhaphiban Road, this was the first paved street in the whole province. "It's about a kilometre long and can be roughly divided into three sections," she informed me. "The upper part was where various government agencies were located. The central drag was occupied by Tha Luang market and along the lower end was where many people lived."

It became the most modern part of town and was visited by King Rama V on two separate occasions, she said. But things went gradually downhill after more than half the area was razed by a conflagration in 1990. When the district was badly affected by flooding nine years later, more and more residents began moving out. Government offices and the gemstone market were also relocated. Shops were closed, houses were abandoned and this once-bustling neighbourhood, now inhabited mostly by elderly people, took on a desolate appearance.

"It was sad to see our community so stripped of life, like it was dying a slow death," Prapapan recalled.

But everything started to change for the better in 2009 when the provincial Commercial Affairs Office came up with a plan to preserve venerable old communities, including Chanthaboon, and allocated a budget for restoration work. A public hearing was held and this led to local people setting up a group, the Chanthaboon Waterfront Community Development Committee, to draft guidelines.

"We asked ourselves what we wanted to become," explained Prapapan, who was elected president of the committee.

"After studying the format of Sam Chuk market in Suphan Buri and Amphawa floating market in Ratchaburi, we reached the conclusion that we didn't want to be just another quaint market destination.

"We realised that if we just copied other successful market-revival schemes, nobody would be interesting in visiting us. So we looked more closely at what we possessed and we concluded that our main treasures were our history and the rows of shophouses built in a Chinese or colonial style.

"Other assets we identified were the local cuisine, our Buddhist temples and Chinese shrines and the Catholic church. Our river is still clean and pleasant to walk alongside.

"In fact, we discovered we had many things we could be proud of," she said with a smile.

So the committee decided to promote both the cultural and the historic attractions of Chanthaboon. Members undertook to do research, digging deep into the past of individual shophouses.

One was the former home of a dignitary named Luang Ratchamaitri who is still remembered as an agricultural pioneer; in 1908 he imported saplings from what was then British Malaya to set up the very first commercial rubber plantation in eastern Thailand. Another handsome old building, a wooden shophouse at 69 Sukhaphiban Road, was eventually converted into the aforementioned learning centre which also functions as a folk museum and tourist information bureau. Prapapan said she makes a special effort to keep this open on weekends when the town receives most of its visitors.

"One of our first tasks was to put plaques on the walls of those two houses to let passers-by know the significance of each," she said. "That also helped to make the locals aware that we had something valuable here that needed preserving."

The committee has now managed to affix plaques to another 11 historic structures in the vicinity. Detailed sketches of some of the old shophouses were executed by two graduate students from Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts who were assisted by 20 pupils from a local technical college. The committee brought out a special map for tourists and has also organised several photo contests to encourage people to visit this historic quarter.

"We also organise a three-day event around October each year to show off what we have," Prapapan revealed. Dubbed "Colours Of Yesteryear In Chanthaboon Waterfront Community", this is held along Sukhaphiban Road and features performances on a makeshift stage plus a section temporarily closed to vehicles where hundreds of stalls are set up to sell meals and snacks, hand-made products, clothes and fashion accessories.

"We prefer the stall-holders to be locals and we only hold this event once a year because we don't want to inconvenience people who live in the area," she said, adding that "Colours Of Yesteryear" has been held for three years running now and that it always draws thousands of visitors.

The street fair has also helped restore some life to the old community. Several dilapidated shophouses in the area are now being renovated and some have already been converted into guesthouses, cafes or restaurants.

While all this commercial activity is welcome, the long-term goal nurtured by Prapapan and her colleagues on the committee is to open two more learning centres. One of these would focus on the history of gemstone-mining and jewellery-making in the community and in the province at large and the other would be devoted to mats hand-woven from kok, a hollow-stemmed aquatic plant which resembles papyrus. Prapapan said the technique of weaving these mats was originally brought to the area by Vietnamese migrants.

She estimated that the project would cost about 10 million baht and said the committee is currently searching for ways to raise this sum.

"We hope we can make it happen within the next five years. Our ambition is to make our community into a kind of living museum."

Sukhaphiban Road is usually packed with visitors during the three-day ‘‘Colours Of Yesteryear’’ street fair held in October. The kilometre-long artery is closed to cars for the duration and local people set up hundreds of stalls along both sides of the street. A jetty for boats plus several riverside coffee shops and restaurants are all good places to chill out. In this photo you can also see a cupcake stall run by a local guy who owns a bakery shop in town. If you visit this street at other times of the year you’ll find several shophouses open for business; some are small restaurants, others sell groceries and household necessities. A popular Chanthaburi treat, which one of the locals might encourage you to try, is a brand of ice-cream (pronounced i-tim in Thai) called Jaruat. Made by a family business according to a 50-year-old recipe, it comes in many flavours, but the bestseller is still the original coconut-based concoction.

A view of the Chanthaburi River. It was a major transportation and communications artery in these parts until the advent of sealed roads.

The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception was built in 1711 using funds raised by 130 Vietnamese Catholics and their pastor, a French priest. It was expanded several times after that date to accommodate its ever-growing congregation. The present Neo-Gothic structure dates from 1905 and is decorated with stained-glass windows and murals. It has been the seat of a Roman Catholic bishop since 1944. A much-treasured local landmark, the cathedral celebrates its 302nd anniversary this year

Tua Lao Eia is the name of this Chinese shrine. It houses Chao Pho Seua, a deity revered by locals of Chinese extraction. Next to it is another shrine dedicated to Guanyin, respected as ‘‘the goddess of mercy’’ by many Thais. Many of the townspeople visit both shrines during the Chinese New Year period. Just a short walk from here, heading westwards, is yet another Chinese shrine called Joe Sue Kong. A stroll to the east will bring you to a Buddhist temple constructed in the late Ayutthaya period named Wat Bot Mueang; here you will find an ancient Khmer-style lintel depicting Indra seated on an elephant.

Tropical fruits are one of the main cash crops in Chanthaburi. This dish is called saeng wa and it is made from shrimps, shrimp paste and herbs. Its flavour resembles that of a yam (spicy Thai salad) and it is one of the recommended dishes at Chantorn Phochana, a 50-year-old restaurant where you can also find many other delicious treats based on fruit including spicy durian salad, massaman curry with durian, duck curry with rambutans plus sweet-and-sour salak (Salacca zalacca) served with a spicy shrimp paste. The restaurant is located on Benjamarachootit Road, a short walk from the Chanthaboon neighbourhood.

TRAVEL TIPS

- The Chanthaboon quarter is located in the heart of Chanthaburi town. From bustling Benjamarachootit Road, turn left onto Tha Luang Road and then left again onto Sukhaphiban Road. This is the thoroughfare which runs through the community, but it may be hard to find a parking space along this stretch. So ditch your vehicle on Benjamarachootit Road and walk. Or else drive across the river to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, which has a car park, and then make the short walk back to the Chanthaboon neighbourhood.

- Chanthaburi town boasts some quite decent accommodation options. Popular with backpackers, the Aroon Sawat Hotel is within the Chanthaboon neighbourhood itself. Several bigger hotels are located within easy walking distance, including the newly renovated Kasemsarn (www.hotelkasemsarn.com) and the three-star Gems Club Hotel.

Article Soure : bangkokpost.com