2024 SE Asia and Japan - Sukhothai

We’re working our way over three days to the northern tip of Thailand. Today, the middle day, we drove over 200 miles from Ayutthaya to Sukhothai. Several stops broke up the journey. 

FIRST STOP

A short distance from our hotel was a market and a massive statue of revered Buddhist monk Luong Phor Tuad (1582-1682). 

The market was just setting up, with food vendors preparing fish, making dumplings, simmering broths, selling snacks. 

Beautifully presented filleted fish




This dumpling wizard used her spatula to quickly cut and decoratively wrap bite sized little morsels. 

Reportedly the largest statue of a monk in the world. 

A much smaller (life-size) statue basks in the early morning sun, slowly shedding its gold leaf. 

SECOND STOP

We visited a very long roadside market that was focused exclusively on snacks, especially fried banana chips and shredded tarot with various seasoning, but also tamarind candies and other goodies. 

This is perhaps 10% of the shops

The shredded strings are tarot: sweet, salty, paprika etc

Free samples and 36 hangry tourists generated a good Saturday morning income bump for the lucky stands we swarmed. 

THIRD STOP

Our lunch stop was a modern, upscale shopping mall. The anchor store, Robinson’s, flowed into and around eating establishments, a multiplex theater and a grocery store. 

These “lady boys” were promoting an electric car sales event, complete with costume changes and choreographed routines. 

Alternative transportation is provided for those who shop ‘til they drop. 

FOURTH STOP

Sukhothai Historic Park commemorates the birthplace and first capital (1238-1438) of the Thai nation. The park opened in 1988 and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site three years later. 

The site is vast. Originally contained within gated walls and a moat, it covers 27 square miles and includes a royal palace and 26 temple complexes. 

The largest temple is Wat Mahathat (same name as the site we visited yesterday with the Buddha head in a tree). 

There were standing Buddhas and sitting Buddhas and walking Buddhas, all sizes. We’ve previously also seen snake Buddhas and reclining Buddhas. Kay was beyond patient reminding people which type of Buddha and what color was their own personalized style of Buddha; it depends upon the day of the week one is born. (Mine is complicated, as there are two Buddhas and colors for Wednesday, depending upon what time you were born.) Then there’s the whole lunar calendar zodiac thing, which lets you know with whom you’ll be most compatible for a partner. 

There is one walking Buddha in Sukhothai and three in Bangkok. The walking Buddha gracefully steps towards Nirvana. Four in one country is enough to get you in the Guinness Book of World Records. Seriously. Check it out. 

We ended today with a stop at an outdoor market. For about $15 we there collected several dishes from the vendors and brought them to our hotel to share for dinner. 

We didn’t buy these but for context, each bowl of little crabs was $1.00. 

We tried fried sweet potato balls, veggie dumplings, red and black sticky rice, skewers, Thai omelet, two desserts and some other small dishes. 

2024 SE Asia and Japan - Ayutthaya

Route map for the Thai portion of our trip. 

Interesting Facts learned during our one hour drive:

- Thai people are very modest and use euphemisms for bathroom breaks. For men, they wish to shoot the rabbit, while women request an opportunity to pick up the flower. 

- Do not say “ow” during a Thai massage as that is a request for a happy ending and is not one of the options provided by masseuses arranged by our tour provider. 

The kingdom of Thailand has had four capitals. Today we drove to the second of them, Ayutthaya, which served as the capital from 1350-1767. We made cultural stops before arriving at hotel around 5. 

Rice fields 

Two water buffalo, one fully in its element

FIRST STOP

The royal summer palace at Bang Pa-In dates to the 17th century but didn’t approach its present form until the 1850s. Today it’s seldom used by the royal family and the grounds are open to the public unless someone is in residence. 

As with temples and royal sites across Thailand, a strict dress code is enforced. No short pants or skirts, no exposed shoulders or cleavage, no tight clothing, and no fair trying to slip through using a scarf or wrap to cover up exposed areas. 

Detail from a gate

One of the kings liked to climb this tower to watch his royal elephants. 

Today they remain only as whimsical topiary

Chinese style building



Saw this cannonball tree at our lunch stop. The balls are the size and weight of a cantaloupe. 

 

And bloom into these lovely flowers

SECOND STOP

Wat Mahathat is a royal temple built to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. Construction on the monastery and ceremonial complex started in 1384. 

The main pagoda (prang) collapsed and was reconstructed in 1633. In 1767 the Burmese army burned the monastery and the site fell into decay along with the rest of the razed city. 

Excavations started in the 1950s. 

Legend has it that the Burmese decapitated the Buddhas around the site, but scholars also suggest some looting was done by Thai people. (I can’t help but think of all those gold Buddhas similarly positioned at Wat Po in Bangkok.)


During site excavations, one of the heads was discovered serenely gazing from the roots of a banyan tree. 

Strict rules dictate that if you photograph a person with the Buddha’s head, the subject must sit down so they are not shown as above the Buddha. A guard relentlessly enforced this policy. 



STOP THREE

The Khmer style Wat Chaiwatthanaram temple complex was founded in 1620 as a tribute to the king’s late mother. It’s been undergoing restoration since the nearby river flooded in 2011. 

As we saw in Wat Arun, traditional Thai costumes were available for rent. These two are watching a friend show off his sweet swordsman skills. 

Both the second and third stops are part of Ayutthaya  Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

2024 SE Asia and Japan - Bangkok

GETTING HERE

Greg, Mark and I are off on a long adventure to Southeast Asia and Japan. The first 4 weeks we’ll be on a Gate 1 tour, and then we’ll continue on our own for a whirlwind taste of Japan on our own.  

Left home at 7:30 am Nov 24 and arrived at Bangkok hotel 1 am Nov 26. Time difference 12 hours ahead here, so 29.5 hr trip. 

M-K had Japanese meals on planes. G Thai and Intl. 

First course - savory, sweet, salty, satisfying.

Tokyo airport is super modern. Rodeo Drive shopping experience. Robot wheelchairs, available to all, politely and silently navigate the concourses. 

The ANA lounge is grazing heaven.

BANGKOK - Day 1. On our own

Wat Arun, Temple of Dawn, a Buddhist temple named after a Hindu god, is one of Bangkok’s most recognizable landmarks. 

Wat Arun has existed since at least the 17th century when an early French map first referenced it. The central spire (prang), representing sacred Mount Meru, was finished in 1851. At 270 ft, it’s the tallest temple in Bangkok

The temple rests on the shoulders of giants, gods and monkeys. 

Porcelain shards and shells used as ballast in ships from China sparkle on the spires and walls. 

Thotsaken, mythical giant demon guarding main chapel. 

Ordination Hall

For $5, men and women can rent traditional costumes to wear while visiting the Wat. Professional photographers are on site to capture, for a fee, your best you. 

(taken by an amateur)

Then my foot got caught in a narrow gutter and I ended up in the ER with a broken bone in my foot. Our wonderful Gate 1 guide Kaew (Kay) accompanied me. I was going to wait until tomorrow afternoon when nothing was scheduled, but am glad we went this afternoon. I have a cast. A kind family donated crutches to me while we waited for a cab back to the hotel. The young teen insisted he didn’t need them anymore as he’d just gotten his own cast. Kay will probably pick up a cane for me tomorrow. What a way to start a long trip, but this is probably the best city and timing for this to happen and I was in good hands. 

Mark and Greg spent the evening on a Bangkok Backstreets Food Tour, with about a dozen stops and 19 foods to taste. It all looked and sounded amazing. Everything from soups to skewers to durian (stinky fruit) to pancakes to stews to soy ice cream. 

BANGKOK - Day 2

Gate 1 tour officially began. This a four country tour, with 10 days in Thailand, 2 in Laos, 3 in Cambodia and 11 in Vietnam. We are a large group of 36 people, though many will peel off after Thailand or Cambodia. We’ll end with a few days on our own in Japan.

Bangkok is the 4th capital of Thailand, population 14 million with 4 million cars. 

City tour by coach started with drive through Chinatown and the Indian market to the 24/7 flower market.

Seedy side of Chinatown

The flower market is immense, supplying flowers to Bangkok for hotels, restaurants, funerals, weddings, etc. It is busiest in the very early morning hours.

Rows and rows of marigolds 

Most of the workers here are not Thai, but from China, Cambodia, etc. 

We learned how to peel a lotus blossom to reveal the flower inside, and left them at a temple as an offering 

Buddhist temple War Po (aka Wat Pho) is the oldest  and largest temple in Bangkok. I visited it 7 years ago and found it just as impressive - but more crowded. The grounds are dotted with colorful stupa, which are used as burial places for ashes. 

It was the first center for public education (science, religion, literature), and still operates a Thai massage school on site. 

As with all Buddhist temples, dress modesty is required. Women must have shoulders and knees covered, men wear long pants and shirts with sleeves. Shoes are removed before entering sacred spaces. 

So many gold plated Buddhas 


Snake Buddha 

The Reclining Buddha was placed here around 200 years ago by order of King Rama III. 150 ft long and nearly 50 high. 

Serenely gold-plated with mother-of-pearl eyes. 




The soles of his 16 ft long feet are decorated with inlaid mother-of-pearl depicting the 108 positive actions of Buddha with which he transitioned to Nirwana (not a typo). 

As with the pottery and shells incorporated in Wat Arun, stone statues (originally arriving from China as ballast) are scattered around the temple grounds. 

Marco Polo (who knew!), first western visitor to Thailand 

I stayed in the rest of the day to rest my foot after navigating on crutches this morning, while G and M went exploring, shopping, geocaching. The day ended with orientation and a Gate 1 welcoming dinner. 

BANGKOK DAY 3

I skipped the morning optional tour to the Grand Palace as I’ve been there before and want to give my foot a rest. A 90 minute Thai massage in our hotel room was a welcome diversion. 

Guest Narrator: Thanksgiving morning activities below are from Mark, so a brief narration change 

I’m still struggling with the time zone adjustment so went exploring early this morning and found this closed but well lit Hindu temple near the hotel. 

The royal palace, above, is massive and incredibly opulent. It and the surrounding temples are heavily influenced by Indian and Hindu architecture. 

The palace was built to house the royal family and the emerald Buddha (actually made of jade). The former lived in residence until the death of the king 15 years ago while the Buddha remains on site. 

A shrine in honor of a prior king. Do not touch the elephants. Ever. 


This most noble of birds was represented in statues and architecture throughout. 


Murals with gold inlay surrounded many of the temples. They were massive and very striking, but largely ignored by the crowds

We were lucky to be there early in the day, avoiding the worst of the crowds and the heat

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. 

The 3 of us took a Manohra Dining Cruise this evening through the center of Bangkok on the Chao Phraya River. 

The restored antique rice barge was beautiful, heavily lacquered and comfortably set up with 8 tables. 

For two hours we cruised through 7 courses as the skies darkened, our attention divided between the beautifully prepared food and city landmarks. 

IconSiam, a huge luxury shopping complex with over 7,000 shops, 100 restaurants and a floating indoor market. 




Wat Arun

Rama VIII Bridge

Back to our hotel by 8 to prepare for our morning departure to Ayuttahaya.