Bangkok skyline
Opening the curtains at your hotel, it would be hard to know that you are in...
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Bangkok, Grand Palace
The Grand Palace is indeed a huge precinct encompassing not only the Royal...
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Bangkok, Wat Pra Kaew
In the wat (temple precinct) there are more than 100 buildings, dating...
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Bangkok, Wat Pra Kaew
The entrances are guarded by huge warrior monsters
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Bangkok, Wat Pra Kaew
Every guardian has unique features, rendere in exquisite detail
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Bangkok, Wat Pra Kaew
Each building is finely worked in ceramics and stuccoes
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Bangkok, Wat Pra Kaew
Note the row of yaks (mythological giants) sustaining the chedi
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Bangkok, Wat Pra Kaew
Details of the yaks
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Bangkok, Wat Pra Kaew
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Bangkok, Wat Pra Kaew
The observer is overwhelmed by the care of the details
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Bangkok, Grand Palace
The Grand (Royal) Palace, built in 1882 in European style, had the roofs...
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Bangkok, Wat Pho
The biggest and oldest temple in Bangkok, is home of the reclining...
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Bangkok, Wat Pho
The Reclining Buddha is so big (m 46 x 15) that is impossible to take in a...
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Bangkok, Wat Pho
Here also, the chedis are decorated in painstaking detail
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Bangkok, Wat Pho
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Bangkok, Wat Pho
The Buddha is protected by the extended head of the Naga (serpent). Here the...
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Bangkok, crossing the Chao Praya
Chao Praya river is the backbone of the city, and one of the main...
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Bangkok, houses on the Chao Praya
Thai people always felt a great tie with water
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Bangkok, Wat Arun
The Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) is probably the most beautiful of the...
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Bangkok, Wat Arun
The prang (tower in Khmer style) of the temple rises 82 meters and is...
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Bangkok, Wat Arun
In the sunshine, the effect is amazing
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Bangkok, Wat Arun
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Bangkok, Wat Arun
The decoration is obtained, amazingly, with pieces of broken porcelain...
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Bangkok, Wat Traimit, the Golden Buddha
Tha Wat Traimit, at the edge of Chinatown, is known mainly for the huge gold...
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Bangkok, Wat Traimit, flower offerings
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Bangkok, Wat Benchamabophit
Known as the "Marble Temple", was built in Carrara marble by Italian...
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Bangkok, Wat Benchamabophit
In the interior stands a copy of the Buddha of Phitsanulok, considered...
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Bangkok, Wat Benchamabophit
In the courtyard there are 53 different statues of Buddha, of which I found...
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Orchids
Orchids are one of the symbols of Thailand, so every tour stosp in...
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Orchids
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Orchids
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Ratchaburi, down the channels
The tours normally bring the visitors to the floating market of Damoen...
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Ratchaburi, down the channels
From this vintage point of view, it's possible to look closely to...
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Ratchaburi, down the channels
After about 30 min of ride, you feel the approaching market
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Ratchaburi, down the channels
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Damnoen Saduak
The Damoen Saduak floating marked is reputed the last "true"...
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Damnoen Saduak
The floating market was originally intended as a place where goods,...
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Damnoen Saduak
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Damnoen Saduak
Cooking on the boat
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Damnoen Saduak
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Damnoen Saduak
Most of the vendors are women
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Damnoen Saduak
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Damnoen Saduak
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Damnoen Saduak
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Damnoen Saduak
The butcher
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Damnoen Saduak
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Damnoen Saduak
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Damnoen Saduak
...just in case you forgot that Thai cuisine is VERY hot
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Damnoen Saduak
One is left wondering at the energy of these old people still rowing in their...
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Nakhon Pathom, Phra Pathom Chedi
Not far from the Damnoen Saduak floating market, and usually reached...
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Nakhon Pathom, Phra Pathom Chedi
In the doorway of the Chedi is an huge standing Buddha, with the usual...
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Bang Pa In
On the roas north from Bangkok, 20 km before the ancient capital of...
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Bang Pa In
The Royal Palace is actually composed of many pavillions, intersparsed...
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Bang Pa In
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Bang Pa In, the gardens
One must not forget that the elephant is the national symbol of Thailand
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Chao Praya, en route to Ayuthaya
To reach the ancient capital of Ayuthaya, is possible to take a motor boat on...
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Chao Praya river
Water is an important part of Thai life. They use to say: "where is earth...
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Chao Praya river
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Ayuthaya
Ayuthaya was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam from 1350 to 1767, when was...
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Ayuthaya
The historic temples of Ayuthaya were recently given the status of...
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Ayuthaya
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Ayuthaya
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Ayuthaya
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Ayuthaya
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Lopburi, San Phra Kan
Continuing the northbound trip after Ayuthaya, at 150 km from Bangkok we find...
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Lopburi, San Phra Kan
The San Phra Kan is populated by hundreds of monkeys, well fed by the locals,...
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Lopburi, San Phra Kan
The monkeys live at their ease between the ruins of the temple
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Lopburi, San Phra Kan
The locals advice you to be careful since sometimes the monkeys become...
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Lopburi, San Phra Kan
The typical Khmer prang has a "corn" shape, different from the...
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Phitsanulok, Folklore Museum
In Phitsanulok, a city half way between Bangkok and Chaing Mai, there is an...
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Phitsanulok, Folklore Museum
In old times, people were supposed to offer something to the...
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Coming back from school
Transportation means in Thailand are the most varied
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Phitsanulok,Wat Phra Si
The full name of this temple is Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat... With...
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Phitsanulok, Wat Phra Si
The temple houses the bronze Chinnarat Buddha, in the late Sukhothai style
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Phitsanulok, Phra Puttha Chinnarat
This statue is the most honored in Thailand, after the Emerald Buddha in...
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Phitsanulok, market
On the side of the Wat Phra Si, has grown a little market selling food and...
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Phitsanulok, market
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Sukhothai
Sukhothai ("Dawn of Happiness") was the first Thailand capital and is...
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Sukhothai historic park
The ruins of old capital city from a vast historic park that was...
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Sukhothai
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Sukhothai
The Thais will tell you that the Buddhas in Sukhothai are more smiling...
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Sukhothai
The capital city of Sukhothai was conquered in 1376 by the southern...
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Sukhothai, the smiling Buddha
This standing Buddha is in the posture of dispelling the fear
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Sukhothai, the smiling Buddha
This Buddha is in the position of dispelling the temptations, touching...
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Sukhothai, Wat Si Chum
In the big mondop is a huge (15 m) statue of Buddha sitting, visible from the...
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Sukhothai, Wat Si Chum
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Si Satchanalali Historic Park
Not far fom Sukhothai, Si Satchanalali-Chaliang is the setting of another...
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Si Satchanalali Historic Park
Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat
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Si Satchanalali
Wat Phra Si Rathana Mahathat
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Si Satchanalali
Another walking Buddha in the style of Sukhothai
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Si Satchanalali, the walking bridge
The tourists can't resist to the temptation of a photo on the swinging...
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Karen village
All the tours include visits to villages of the tribes living in the...
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Karen village
The houses of the village arer extremely simple; the family lives in a single...
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Karen village
Pigs, chicken and other animals live in close contact with the village people
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Karen children
Of cousrfe every tourists' bus is an occasion for trying to sell...
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Karen village, old women
During the day, the men and women of working age are in the fiels,...
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Karen village, old woman
The inhabitants are always friendly to rthe visitor, not failing to ask a few...
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Lamphun, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
In Lamphun, about 20 km south of Chiang Mai, is the Wat Phra That...
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Lamphun, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
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Lamphun, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
The golden chedi is surmonted by a 9-stage umbrella made of 6,5 kg of pure gold
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Lamphun, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
The temple complex houses a monastic school whose pupils are usually...
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Lamphun, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
The richly decorated interior houses various statues of Buddha in the...
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Lamphun, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
In the temple are many offering brought from the people of the town
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Lamphun, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
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Lamphun, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
The corners of the roofs in the temples are often adorned with Naga...
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Lamphun, young seminarists
We were told that on the day of our visit there were exams going on in the...
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Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep
On a mountaintop 16 km from Chiang Mai, the Doi Suthep (m 1676),...
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Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep
At the top of the stairway, in a superb position, are the golden...
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Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep
The legend says that site of the temple was chosen by a white elephant, who...
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Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep
In the esplanade of the temple there are many bells and gongs, some...
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Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep
Buddha is sitting everywhere looking benevolently at the people who...
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Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep
And a monk is there to confort and impart benedictions to the visitors
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Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep
Every small detail is shining in gold
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Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep
and dragons are ready to protect the tresaures of the temple
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Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep
Outside the temple, a terrace overlooking the valley of Chaing Mai is...
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Maew village
Not far from Doi Suthep, the tours usually bring the tourists to a village of...
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Maew women at work
The Maew tribe still lives on an agricultural basis moving from time...
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Maew village, marijuana fibers
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Maew village, batik working
The batik tissue is dyed in blue, while the drawings are covered with...
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Maew cerimonial jacket
The rich sewing work is done on the dark colored base
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Chiang Mai, silver working
The region of CHiang Mai is known for its rich handicrafts. Most of...
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Chiang Mai, umbrella painting
Another typical product of Chiang Mai region are the handpainted paper umbrellas
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Chiang Mai, Kantoke dinner
Virtually all the tour include a kantoke dinner at a restaurant in the...
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Chiang Mai, traditional dances
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North Thailand dance costumes
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Traditional drum players
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North Thailand, food market
Moving further north, it's common to see small food markets on the road,...
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Elephant training camp
The elephant "training" camps, scattered in the North of the country...
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Elephant training camp
In the camp, the elephants peform a few circus deeds for the tourists...
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Elephant training camp
...they even are told to paint an abstract picture....
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Elephant trekking
But of course the main attraction is the trekking in the jungle on the...
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Elephant trekking
After a few minutes, you get used to the rocking pace of the big animal
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Akha village
Another tribe of the hills between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, the Akha...
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Akha people
The akha somewhat resist the assimilation to the Thai culture. They...
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Akha house, interior
I noticed nevertheless that in their houses most of the Akha had a TV...
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Akha village
...and look at that huge satellite receiver aside a straw hut....
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Akha woman and child
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Akha children
A little away from the touristic route, the akha tend to dress less and less...
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On the river Kok
The last part of the trip between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai is done by motor...
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On the river Kok
Following the stream, we pass houses and plantations, in an idylliac surrounding
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On the river Kok
The banks of the river are punctated by small villages
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On the river Kok
And in the main square of one of the villages, it's possible to see an...
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River village
The boats come to ground in one of these villages, that we can visit
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River village
The village is connected to the outher world mainly by the means of...
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River village
Here too the houses are elevated off the ground
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River village
It's difficul to transmit the quiet and the peace we feel in these little...
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River villlage, school
One of the amazing facts in Thailand is the widespread school system. Even in...
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River village, school
When we arrived there, it was recreation time, and the boys were engaged in a...
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River village, school
The younger kids came willingly to be photographed by the "farang"...
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River village, school
After the photo, they formed a queue to receive a small candy (it...
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River village
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River village
...the smaller children of course weren't at school...
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On the river Kok
After the river village, we resumed the boat trip passing some lucky kids...
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Thermal spring
About 10 km before Chiang Rai, another must of the tour is the thermal...
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On the river Kok
Approaching Chiang Rai, we saw on the banks of the river a scout camp, that...
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Chiang Rai Night Market
Although the best known Night market would probably be the one in...
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Chiang Rai Night Market
The central plaza of the market is devoted to cooked food. Some of the stalls...
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Chiang Rai Night Market
...some a little more suspicious (like these dried squids..)
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Chiang Rai Night Market
...and some decidedly too far from our westener taste....
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Chiang Rai Night Market
...although I must admit the price is interesting (less than 50 c for...
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Yao village
The Yao are another hill tribe, originated from Central China, who lie in the...
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Akha children
Yao and Akha villages are often very close each other, but the contact...
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Akha village
One of the rituals of the Akha is called the "swing ceremony",...
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Akha village, school
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Akha village
In these villages are still grown fighting cocks, even if the practice is...
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Yao village
Here the houses are built on the gorund and not elevated
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Yao house, interior
Here too, a TV set is a significant part of the furniture
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Mae Sai
The border point of Mae Sai, in the extreme north, is one of the main...
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Mae Sai
This bridge actually connects Myanmar and Thailand. Foreigners aren't...
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Rice fields
In the North in March the heath is not as suffocating as in Bangkok or in the...
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Rice fields
Rice is still one of the main crops of Thailand, and an important...
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Golden Triangle
At the meeting point of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand border is the legendary...
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Golden Triangle
Once (once?) site of the notorious opium market, the Golden Triangle...
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Golden Triangle
On the peninsula facing Thailand, in Myanmar territory, has recently...
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Golden Triangle
Of course, here too is the usual strip of market stalls, selling tourist...
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Chiang Saen
Setting of the Lanna kingdom of the 14th century, Chiang Saen has some...
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Chiang Saen
The entrance to the temple is guarded by lions which to our eyes keep...
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Phuket Island, Kata Beach
After the long trip in the North, a plane brought us to the southern...
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Dinner at the Thai Naan Restaurant
Most organized trips to Phuket include a southern style dinner, in the...
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Dance inspired to the Ramakian
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Dance inspired to the Ramakian
Here the costumes are more richly decorated than in the Northern dances
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Dances inspired to the Ramakian
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Phuket, dances inspired to the Ramakian
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Phuket Island, Kata Beach
The last day of the vacation, the sun still shines on the beach...
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Phuket Island, Kata beach
The golden sand and the blue water make it harder to return home,...
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Phuket Island, Kata Beach
After such a long travel together, it seems fair to show you the smiling...
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Phuket Island, Kata Beach
...and of his girlfriend
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Phuket Island, Kata beach
The sun is going down, this is really...
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...THE END
...but not for long, we hope
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