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4 things to do in Thailand

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Read2Learn

I hope this could help some members who wish to take a side trip.

 

Weekend detour: Amphawa floating market

 
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/lifestyle/2014/09/24/weekend-detour-amphawa-floating-market-367329
 
IF YOU'RE in Thailand and want to go big on local flavor and savor a more intimate Thai floating market experience, then Amphawa is the place to be.
This district of Samut Songkhram province is home to the Amphawa Floating Market.
Although its commercialized counterpart, Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi province, tops the popularity contest, the former still has its own charm with its distinct authenticity.


In Amphawa, you will find yourself in the middle of a bustling night market scene. Old wooden row houses flank the canal amidst a charming light display from a grand mass of fireflies. Monks living in temples within the vicinity head to this riverside market at the break of dawn to receive food offerings in exchange for blessings.
An hour-and-a-half drive from Bangkok, it is considered a famous option for weekend getaways; it is open Fridays to Sundays, with market activities picking up pace at sundown and getting busier by nighttime.
Here’s a short list of things you can do to relish your two-day cultural immersion by the humble canals of Thailand.
Go on river tours
For daytime arrivals, you can make use of your stay by going on a day tour. Since there are nearby temples, you can hop on a boat to visit the likes of Wat Bang Kung and Wat Bangkhae Noi. Both are considered precious for their cultural and artistic significance, dating back to the Ayutthaya period.
Stroll and shop
A laid back stroll along the canal-side shops, galleries and eateries is a good way to spend your afternoon. Although serious shopping duty can be reserved for the likes of Khao San Road and Asiatique The Riverfront in Bangkok, it’s still interesting to marvel at market finds set in such a homegrown fashion.
Among the attractions you will see are typical souvenir stores, restaurants, a dessert café, as well as a gallery exhibiting items that represent Thailand’s cultural heritage.
Eat like a local
The boats that ply the canal are not only for cruising, but also for serving fresh, hot-off-the-grill seafood selections. By dusk, you can settle down for a market dinner cooked in the many moored wooden boats and delivered straight to your table. Delight yourself in the freshness of prawns, shellfish, squids and oysters—staple viands of the delectable local assortment.
By the time you finish devouring fresh-off-the-boat Thai cuisine for dinner, you can then proceed to witness nature’s light display in the dark of night. At 60 baht per head, a boat can take you along the river for a romantic cruise; the calm, cool breeze making its presence known occasionally as you delight in firefly watching. One tip to remember: it’s best to grab dinner first as the cruise lasts for an hour and a half.
Participate in a spiritual ritual
The early morning stakeout for the ceremonial offering is one of the reasons why it’s best to stay overnight in one of the resorts by the Amphawa Floating Market. Every day at dawn in Thailand, monks leave their monasteries for alms rounds. The offering of food by people that they pass along the walkways is considered a meritorious act rather than charity. It is a long existing and common ritual in Buddhism that also serves to remind people to be selfless.
If you’re attuned to this kind of ritual and want to feel that momentary spiritual connection while in Amphawa, then this is one of the highlights to look forward to.
From the temples by the canal, monks carrying silver-lidded bowls head out to the market on foot, or by boat. What you have to do is prepare or buy a food pack, offer it to a passing monk and stay still for the pray over.
The visit to the Amphawa Floating Market offers a holistic Thai cultural experience that gives you a glimpse of how locals go about their routines by the canal. If you want a memorable travelogue that’s one for the books, Amphawa is definitely worth the weekend detour.

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dicey eye

Fifth thing: find the nearest border crossing to Cambodia. Go there. Cross border and savor paradise.

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phuketrichard

6th

and after finding the whole area overrun with beggars

return to Thailand,  :yahoo:

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dicey eye

Viva la difference!!

one man's squalor is another man's paradise.

I just don't cotton to Thais snooty mindset. Arrogance is tolerable if there is a valid reason for it. Thais are arrogant for no reason that I can discern.

Had forgotten how insufferable That personality is. Inadvertently spent two days with what seemed like 1000s of Thais at casinos in Poipet and Pailin. Never again.

Edited by dicey eye

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Parrothead

My 4 things to do in Thailand.

 

1. Enter Thailand.

2. Experience Songkran in Thailand.

3. Enjoy a variety of cuisine from all over the world.

4. Leave Thailand. 

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phuketrichard

what no shopping at MBK

or

drinking at soi Cowboy?

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Parrothead

what no shopping at MBK

or

drinking at soi Cowboy?

 

Not much of a drinker any longer. Used to be, though. 

 

Shopping will be sorted from November 16th, on, after I arrive in Oregon for three months. 

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dicey eye

From my perspective Thailand is great within a past tense context - past tense in like not there anymore.

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