Ride the Rails in Splendour and Comfort

When it comes to railway joumeys of a lifetime, thetrue fans of luxury and history have a one-track mind for the legendary Eastern and Orientals Express. Get your dream vacation on track by booking the eight-day/seven-night package with stopovers at the history-rich cities of Ayutthaya, Chaing Mai and Kanchanaburi. These sightseeing breaks include guided tours with a comucopia of attractions, from religious ruins to the remnants of the World War II "Death Railway" and the Bridge Over the River Kwai, as well as river cruises.

From the privacy of your immaculate compartment on the E&O, you'll have your own window on some of the most cinematic scenery in Thailand. Into the bargain you'll be pampered like a prince. The range of intercontinental dishes available in the dinging car is to drool for, And how many other trains have their own well-stocked library?

After seven a days of traversing Thailand, the Eastern and Oriental Express makes tracks through Malaysia to reach the end of line in Singapore.

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The Daily Life of a Thai Monk

The Daily Life of a Thai Monk

 Monks on alms-round         The Sangha World in Thailand consists of about 200,000 monks and 85,000 novices at most times of the year. However, these numbers increase during the Buddhist ‘lent’ to 300,000 and 100,000 novices. Young boys may become novices at any age, but a man cannot become a monk until he reaches the age of twenty. He can then remain a monk for as long as he wishes, even for just one day. Three months is more usual, although some choose to remain in monkhood for the rest of their lives.

There are over 29,000 temples in Thailand and the daily routine of the monks in all of them is pretty much the same.

4.00 am - The monks wake up and meditate for one hour, followed by one hour of chanting.

6.00 am - The monks walk barefoot around the neighbourhood while the local people make merit by offering them food.

8.00 am - Returning to the temple, the monks sit together to eat breakfast, then make a blessing for world peace.

Before 12.00 noon - Some monks choose to eat a light lunch at this time. This is the last solid food they are allowed to consume until sunrise the following morning.Row of seated Buddhas

1.00 pm - Classes in Buddhist teaching begin. Some monks may attend school outside the temple.

6.00 pm - A two-hour session of meditation and prayer begins.

8.00 pm - The monks retire to do homework.

Besides these duties, all monks are given specific roles to play in the day-to-day running and maintenance of the temple and its surroundings.

After being in the monkhood for several years and demonstrating extreme dedication to both social work and spiritual study, a monk can be promoted gradually until he reaches the Sangha Supreme Council, the governing body presided over by the Supreme Patriach.Novice monks

All monks must follow 227 strict precepts or rules of conduct, many of which concern his relations with members of the opposite sex. When a monk is ordained he is said to be reborn into a new life and the past no longer counts - not even if he was married. Women are, of course, forbidden to touch monks and should not even stay alone in the same room as a monk. If a woman wishes to offer an object to a monk, it must pass through a third medium, such as a piece of cloth. In fact, monks always carry a piece of cloth for this purpose. The monk will lay the cloth on the ground or table, holding on to one end. The woman places the offering on the cloth and the monk then draws it away.

Thai monks can be seen wearing various shades of robes, from dark brown to the familiar brilliant saffron. There are no rules, but the darker shades are preferred by monks in the Dharmmayuth sect and Thu-dong or forest monks.

Cr.RichardBarrow

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From the time of the first teachings of Buddhism

From the time of the first teachings of Buddhism, we have been searching for the importance of “faith”.  

We’re no different from other young adults. We have moments of happiness and sadness, we have wavering moods, we get angry, and we get hot-tempered. We dislike when others dominate us or prove us wrong. We like having fun and we like playing around, just like any other young adult, but we have an innate curiosity to question many of the things around us and we are determined to find the answers to these questions. We want to see for ourselves, to understand the things we don’t yet understand.   

Being so far from home now, this place is far from any signs of development. The situation here is beyond comprehension to city dwellers. In the city, people cause trouble and argue, using “faith” as the justification.  

On the other hand, here in the rural underdeveloped villages, they invoke “faith” as the justification for only one reason: their belief in the Triple Gem as their true refuge. Why is this the case? What is the importance of faith? Join us in “True Faith Never Seeks Attention” as we explore the crucial need for faith in our society today.   

PS. We are posting this from the police border patrol; it may be the last post of this journey due to internet inaccessibility.

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Princess Mother Memorial Park Si Sa Ket Eastern Thailand

This annual event (also simply known as the Dok Lamduan Festival งานเทศกาลดอกลำดวน), is two festivals for the price of one and contains cultural performances by four local ethnic groups, surrounded by a forest of lumduan (White Cheesewood) trees in full bloom. These intriguing cream-coloured and fragrant flowers are only found in this one province in the kingdom and only bloom in March

The cultural performances depict the culture and way of life of the local ethnic Lao, Khmer, Kui or Suay, and Yoe (pronounced Yer) tribal peoples in reenactments of Sisaket's history. There is also a photo exhibition, drawings by local artists, a drawing contest and a great variety of engaging live demonstrations, and sales of local village products. Plus this is your chance to try true Isaan food such as som tam (papaya salad), kai yang (grilled chicken) and khaoniaow (sticky rice) plus a host of other local delicacies served in the food plaza

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How much do you know about Thailand?

There are no “a” or “the” in the Thai language. No distinction between singular and plural or between ‘he’ and ‘she’ Therefore a sister can be called a he and vice versa, also there is no word for niece or nephew and therefore the extended Thai family consists of only sisters and brothers, mums and dads.

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Tom Yumkung, Phatthai, & Cooking

Savour the True Spices of Thai Life

Now that traditional dishes like Tom Yumkung (a spicy broth laced with lemon grass and fresh shrimps) and Phatthai (Thai-style noodles) have become globally renowned, more and more people want to learn the basics of the one of the world's most popular culinary arts. Forget the thousands of cookbooks and experience authentic Thai food preparation with a distinctly local flavor.

Better still, you can choose your own kitchen. Would you like to study aboard a converted wooden rice barge? How about in a humble wooden abode? Or would you prefer the gleaming kitchen of a five-star hotel?

Whichever you choose, you can take a day-long course-or longer-and learn the secrets of preparing your favorite local dish from a real Thai chef. And then you get to join in the feast along with your fellow cooks.

Fancy a sweet green curry with chicken, or a spicy papaya salad? How about a mouthwatering grouper steamed in lemon and ginger?

They're all on the menu at these cooking classes, along with outings to buy ingredients at local fresh markets.

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12 - month HEAT SIBSONG

Ways of life of the people of the northeast living in agriculture. The natural environment is arid desert. In faith to live a blessed and prosperous place for family and country also has a ritual. Jensen is paradise offering all the sacred things. And merit-based Buddhist tradition with every month of the year, there is an indigenous tradition of folk fairs regularly. It is traditionally known as the 

12 - month HEAT SIBSONG were considered a cultural heritage passed down to the present.

Belief in life, is associated with agriculture. To build morale for the living.

The Northeast has many local fairs and is known as a region that has a tradition in most countries.

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