A thousand good reasons to go diving in Thailand!

[Buadhai]

Reason #324: Awesome Archaic Machinery

[video=youtube_share;tYUImO906m8]http://youtu.be/tYUImO906m8[/video]

I shot this video early this week in the village of Kham Thale Soh. It is an actual working rice mill. Most of the parts are made of wood.

 

[Bowmouth]

Reason # 325: Because it's the only country in the world where you can see/buy an "Alien-Predator" bike.

 

[Buadhai]

Reason #326:



Ancient temple libraries. This at Wat Nok Ok, Korat. About 200 years old. Built over the water to protect the texts, written on Talipot Palm leaves, from termites.

(Someday I'll figure out how to post thumbnails.)

 

[Bowmouth]

Reason # 327: The white bellied sea-eagles that fly over our home in Rawai / Phuket.

 

[Buadhai]

Coincidence? My temple library photo was taken in Nok Ok (นกออก). Nok Ok means 'White Breasted Sea Eagle'. At one time there were many of these beautiful birds at Nok Ok, which is in Korat, quite far from the sea...

 

[Bowmouth]

Reason 328: Fear-less Thai electricians that keep the juice running...

 

[Wantonmien]

Reason # 325: Because it's the only country in the world where you can see/buy an "Alien-Predator" bike.
View attachment 109872View attachment 109873

Wonder what the pic would look like if having to slam the brakes on !!

 

[Buadhai]

Reason 329: Beautiful temple murals. This one on the ceiling of a sala (pavillion) at Wat Kok Sri Saket, Pak Thong Chai, Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat).

 

[Buadhai]

Reason 330: Community Spirit Houses



Many Thai homes, offices and business have a spirit house or two. If there are two, the taller one which stands on one leg is for the spirits of the land that were displaced by clearing the land and/or constructing an edifice. The second, shorter one which usually stands on four legs and has a ladder, is for human ancestral spirits. (Presumably the ladder is needed because human ancestors are unable to fly and need a way to get up to their spirit house.) Most people put human and animal figurines in the spirit houses to make them look fun and inviting. Ancestral spirit houses are usually less ornate and less brightly painted than the one for the spirits of the land.

Sometimes a village or other community will have a single ancestral spirit house like the one pictured above. In this case individual homeowners do not need their own ancestral spirit house. Many Thai/Chinese keep a Chinese-style ancestral shrine inside the home and do not have an outdoor ancestral spirit house.

(Corrections welcomed. It's taken me a long time to glean this information. It's surprising how few Thais know much about spirit houses: the different number of legs, different height, etc.)

 

[TimA]

Reason 331: Phuket has the best Turkey Burritos for Christmas dinner.

Happy Holidays from Sumatra to Bowmouth, Surin Boy and Girl, Phuket Scuba, and Gecko Divers.


TimA