Sophomoric saber-rattling on the part of Thailand and Cambodian politicians has escalated to military forces battling over a 4.6 square kilometer patch of disputed territory has damaged the historic 11th century Preah Vihear temple (also known as Khao Phra Viharn), according to Thai army sources reported in the Bangkok Post. This small patch of earth […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Historical Buildings & Temples' Category
WoWasis cruises Thailand’s River Kwai: a confluence of indolence and history
WoWasis is on a 4 day river tour on one of Asia’s most storied rivers, accompanied by a cold beer as the sun begins to set. The boat we’re on is the RV River Kwai, a beautifully appointed river craft. The first inland cruise ship in Thailand, this newly-built colonial style river cruiser is based […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Pierre Boulle’s ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’
Here at WoWasis, we’re not averse to reviewing an older book, especially one that was written a couple of generations ago. It’s well past its original buzz, which, in the case of this book, includes a major motion picture as well. Fact is, many in today’s generation haven’t read it. And it’s timeless. We just […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bangkok’s Suan Pakkad Palace Museum: traditional houses and Ban Chiang pottery
WoWasis is always looking for interesting museums that aren’t always well-touristed. The wonderful Suan Pakkad Palace museum is one of these, located just a few steps east of Exit 4 at the Phaya Thai BTS station, houses a nice collection of artifacts in a “palace” setting of old Thai teak homes. Eight separate houses contain […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Isaan Way of Death: Buddhism in upcounty Thailand
Nit from Udon Thani’s grandmother died this week, and the family is planning for the elaborate death ceremony that accompanies most Isaan deaths in upcountry Thailand. She tells us a little about the ritual, a fascinating one for anyone interested in Buddhism and death in Thailand. “They always cremate the body,” she says. They can […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis pioneers the use of travel-site GPS coordinates
Like most non-Western nations, the countries of Southeast Asia have loads of street addresses that don’t mean much to non-residents. It’s common for numbering schemes to stop as a street name changes, then start up again a few blocks away. Often, addresses on one side of the street have nothing in relation to those on […]
Read the rest of this entry »Top 6 sights in Myanmar: WoWasis visits Burma, a short travelguide
Visit and tour the top 6 sights in Myanmar (Burma)
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits Kyaingtong (Keng Tung) Burma
Welcome to Kyaingtong (Keng Tung), a rambling hillside city in the Shan State, close to numerous tribal villages. It’s the center of the Khün tribal culture, filled with nice examples of colonial architecture, and has only been open to tourism since 1993. The Khün people, whose traditional dress consists of horizontally-striped longhis and jackets with […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis’ Burma Non-Fiction Bookshelf
(see also WoWasis’ Burma Fiction bookshelf) The exoticism of Burma has been well-documented in fact and fiction. Well-known writers such as George Orwell have based their novels on Burmese political and cultural life, while a number of non-fiction writers have investigated Burmese topics ranging from the flora and fauna of the country to its complex […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits the temples of Myauk U, Burma
WoWasis visitors to Burma will love Myauk U (also known as Mrauk U), an enchanting hill area dotted with dozens of temples. Myauk U is off the beaten track, but the intrepid traveler will be richly rewarded for taking a few hours of travel time to see one of Southeast Asia’s unspoiled archaeological zones. On […]
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