Thai Toy Story: The Toy Museum of Ayutthaya

On a 2012 media tour to Thailand I declined to join a group riding bicycles through the very hot streets of Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok. Instead, I investigated a toy museum I'd heard about.

As the story is no longer available online, I'd like to share it here. Enjoy!

I have an idea for the next Terminator movie: a cohort of tin robots marches across the earth, its colourful leaders backed by dozens of troops arrayed in black armour, with bulging red eyes and little looped antennas on their heads.

At least, that’s what I see when I look into one of the many glass cases in the Million Toy Museum in Ayutthaya, Thailand – and if there’s a better place for such a wild flight of fancy than a building packed with toys, I’d like to know about it.

The museum is the brainchild of children’s book writer and illustrator Krirk Yoonpun, an avid toy collector.

When his collection of toys got out of control, he built a new home for them in Ayutthaya, the former Thai capital which was sacked by the Burmese army in the 18th century.

The city is now famous for its extensive and evocative ruins, making this celebration of children’s modern playthings a delightful surprise.

The museum presents a lively, colourful contrast to the busy streets around it. Set back from the road in a lush garden dotted with salvaged horses from fairground carousels, the two-storey blue and white building resembles a massive wedding cake, light and airy but also a substantial presence.

There’s something fairy-tale about the place – as if Hansel and Gretel’s witch had decided she fancied a warmer climate, and set up shop in Thailand.

Not that there’s anything sinister about the interior, which is crammed with tens of thousands of toys. Soft toys, metal toys, superhero models, dolls – they’re all here, often in multiple copies for artistic effect.

Near the entrance I find a case containing 55 tin goldfish swimming side by side, and another case holds numerous toy helicopters whose yellow rotors resemble a forest of windmills.

I’m amazed at the diversity as I walk among the displays: toy trucks with transparent red plastic cement mixers on their backs, tin cuckoo clocks, tiny tanks, soft toys, baby-sized dolls in scary dead-eyed profusion, and miniature rockets and planes stacked next to each other.

Not that it’s all about 20th century playthings – upstairs there’s a case of centuries-old figurines, unearthed by archaeological digs among the ruins of old Ayutthaya.

Near these there’s a life-size figure of Superman and multiple copies of a character I later identify as the Japanese superhero Ultraman (thanks Twitter); but in this crazy colourful jumble, nothing seems out of place.

As I return to the ground floor, it occurs to me that toys often reflect the technology of the era they’re constructed in.

A case in point is the set of model locomotives about 30 centimetres long, painted in bright colours and with moving pistons.

I love the look of these, and jokingly tell museum attendant Napat he should search my satchel on the way out. He takes me semi-seriously, which just goes to show how good an observer of human nature he is.

I smile as I realise this museum is affecting me in a way I thought it never would – the sheer quantity of toys is enveloping me in the warm embrace of nostalgia.

I owned those tin robots when I was a boy, which seems like a million years ago. They were great.

The Million Toy Museum is located at 45 Moo 2, U Thong Road, Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Bangkok: Focus on the Small Stuff

Some years ago I won a prize in a Thai Airways travel writing competition with this article about Bangkok (I subsequently used the prize - a trip anywhere on the airline's network - to visit India). 

As the story is no longer available online, I'd like to share it here. Enjoy!

I don’t know what it is, but it’s big. I’m standing on the footpath in the Siam Square district of Bangkok, looking up at a towering white figure that’s not quite human.

The seated statue is pure white, with an elongated head, feet and fingers, and is staring into the traffic.

Dollar is an outlandish piece of street art on a busy Bangkok street, just metres from the endless flow and roar of motorbikes, buses and cars. According to the artist, the statue represents the stresses and pressures of modern society.

As I read these words on its base, I find myself nodding. Bangkok is definitely a lively city, exciting and vibrant at all hours of the day; especially here in the commercial centre, where gigantic shopping malls line busy roads, overshadowed by the Skytrain elevated railway.

But is it possible to discover a more contemplative side to the Thai capital? Having set out on foot through the humid morning haze from my hotel, I’m determined to give it a try.

Turning right into Soi Kasem San 2, there’s a remarkable contrast between the mega-malls behind me and the quiet laneway leading to Jim Thompson’s House, my destination at the end of the street.

This collection of traditional Thai timber houses, some of them centuries old, was linked together in 1959 to create a single sprawling home.

An American soldier during World War II, Thompson had then become a silk manufacturer, employing the traditional silk weavers of the Muslim district across the nearby canal.

Thompson was a great admirer of Thai traditions, so he filled his houses with beautiful antiques, including ancient statues of the Buddha, while adding Western elements such as chandeliers.

Then, in 1967, on a holiday in Malaysia, he mysteriously disappeared and was never heard of again. As a result, the house has become his legacy.

“Visitors enjoy the fact that it is not a museum, it’s someone’s home,” says Eric Booth, trustee of the James HW Thompson Foundation.

“We take care of it as if Jim was still living there. The young guides aren’t there to lecture, so our visitors are not overwhelmed by history.”

However, the knowledgeable Thais who lead the regular tours are happy to answer questions about Thompson’s superb eye for art and its placement.

“There are many important pieces, including the exceptional Dvaravati torso in the garden,” says Booth, referring to the partial Buddha statue that’s over a thousand years old.

“But what I really like is the mix of important pieces and everyday objects. The way he displayed them makes the house a wonderful place. After all, it is a home, not a museum!”

After the tour, I wander through the splendid tropical garden and admire the house from the outside. I decide it’s a charming and, more importantly, balanced home, a harmonious blend of natural and man-made objects, and of new and old.

I feel I could happily move in here, lounging on its daybeds and letting natural ventilation, shade and shutters cool me rather than relying on the dry artificiality of air-conditioning.

Leaving the grounds and walking west, I discover Garimmin & Sobereen, a small restaurant stretched along the path that borders the canal.

It’s decorated with potted tropical plants, and serves up freshly cooked food from its open-air kitchen. This is the real thing - straightforward Thai food served direct from pan to table.

My pad thai, a Thai standard, arrives bearing noodles, egg, crumbled peanuts and a dash of seafood. I add a sprinkle of chilli flakes from a jar in the middle of the table.

The effect is gratifyingly spicy and the meal is delicious - and all for a mere 30 baht (S$1.25). As I sit and eat, ferry boats loaded with tourists periodically zoom past, but I’m not in their world right now; I’m taking it slowly.

Finally, I step onto the footbridge that will take me across the Saem Saeb canal to Baan Krua, the district where Thompson’s weavers lived. From this vantage point, the jumble of shops and homes that make up the district are appealingly human-scale.

It’s peaceful and cool walking along its narrow but neatly-maintained pedestrian laneways, and it’s fascinating to encounter the small shops embedded in the buildings, serving residents’ diverse shopping needs.

I score a smile or two from the shopkeepers, and somewhere unseen I can hear children chatting and laughing.

Suddenly, walking east, I pop out of the perimeter of Baan Krua, back into the busy larger world of Bangkok.

I can feel my energy levels rising by the second, and I’m keen to enjoy all this bustling city has to offer; but I linger for a moment, wanting to hang on a little longer to the relaxed vibe of its back streets.

Big Surprise at the Vie Hotel, Bangkok

I don't often complain about my job, but one of the truths of travel writing is this:

The more spectacular the hotel room, the less time you'll have to enjoy it.

Take the Vie Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

I was hosted by this classy contemporary hotel for one night in March this year, checking out the next day in order to board the Eastern & Oriental Express train to Singapore.

I arrived in the late evening, tired after two flights and wanting to get straight to my room. I didn't pay much attention to what the hotel staff were saying about the room, so when I got to the 25th floor I was surprised to see how big it was.

And by big, I mean BIG.

Let me give you a video tour of my humble Grand Duplex Suite:

Though I didn't pay for the room on this occasion, I'm impressed by its relative affordability - judging from the hotel's website, this 145 square metre suite (over twice the size of my apartment in Melbourne) can sometimes be secured for less than $800 per night.

Given that it has two full-size bedrooms, that price could make it a good 'special occasions' splurge for two couples travelling together.

For me, it was a surprisingly spacious place to lay my head before rushing out again in the morning. I did have a chance to swim in the pool though, which is high above the city streets and has a transparent wall at one end.

So that was fun.

Disclosure: I was hosted by the Vie Hotel for my one night in Bangkok.

Asia Summer Series: Hua Hin, Thailand (Part 2)

This is the final instalment of my previously published print articles on Asian destinations. Last post, I ventured onto the streets of Hua Hin, a beach resort town in Thailand. Now I reach the railway station...

The railway station is one of the most attractive I’ve ever seen.

Having been built in an age before air-conditioning, it was constructed as an open-air pavilion in a traditional Thai architectural style, with timber beams supporting a gabled tiled roof.

The whole thing is painted red and cream, with red tiles further increasing its brightness. A neat line of parked motorcycles in front of the structure underlines its sense of neat order.

It’s a pleasant building both to look at and walk through, but the real gem here is the second structure along the low platform. In an even more elaborate style, its roof features multiple peaks and small patterned windows punctuating its walls.

Though now unused, for many years this was the Royal Waiting Room, where members of the royal family would wait to board a train (perhaps reluctantly) back to Bangkok. 

In a continuation of the regal theme, across the rails from the station is the Royal Hua Hin Golf Course, laid out in the 1920s by a Scottish railway engineer. The course is open to the public and has some memorable features, including ocean and temple views from its links.

An unusual hazard, though, is the colony of resident monkeys which have occasionally been reported to make off with balls.

Heading back to the coast, I reach a small cove dotted with fishing boats, and several restaurants with timber decks jutting out over the water on wooden piles. It’d be an atmospheric place to have dinner, seated on the open-air deck and looking out at the sea.

The region around Hua Hin has its own royal-themed attractions, so one day I travel north to the nearby city of Phetchaburi to see the palace at Phra Nakhon Khiri.

This set of hills on the edge of town is famous for its beautiful gardens and the 19th centre palace at their centre. It was constructed by King Mongkut, the ruler immortalised by the musical The King and I.

Approached by a funicular railway which hauls visitors up the hill, the palace is a fascinating fusion of styles, with a large dose of European influence.

As I approach its entrance via a terrace lined by large white flowerpots, I feel it could be a villa in Spain or Italy (if the tropical plants were ignored).

From its windows there are fine views of nearby temples and greenery, and it’s interesting to tour the interior and imagine its original occupants’ life in this intersection of Thai culture and the Western world.

Another royalty-tinged attraction within day trip distance from Hua Hin is Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, to the south.

Among its highlights are three caves, the most popular of which can be reached by boat. Within it is a pavilion built for the 19th century King Chulalongkorn, who visited it en route from Bangkok.

Back at my hotel, I ask one of its managers, Jutamas Boonrat, what she thinks is most distinctive about Hua Hin, considering that Thailand has so many beach resorts.

"The best thing is the powdery sand," she replies. "The beach is about five kilometres long from beginning to end, so people can enjoy walking or riding horses. You won’t see motorcycles or four wheel drives along the beach. It’s private and nice and quiet.

"I think the expression ‘less is more’ is perfect for Hua Hin."

Disclosure time: On this trip I travelled courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Asia Summer Series: Hua Hin, Thailand (Part 1)

To mid-January this year, I'm running a series of my previously published print articles about Asian destinations. This week's focus is on Hua Hin, a Thai beach town with royal connections...

I’m wading into the Gulf of Thailand when I realise that there’s something surprising about the water - it’s as warm as the contents of a bathtub.

Even back home in Australia on a summer’s day, sea water will usually feel cool at first contact; but here in the tropics, it evidently never gets a chance to cool down.

So I’m soon bobbing in the clear, warm liquid, looking along the shoreline to the point where it meets the horizon. Ranged along it are small groups of sunbathers at rest along the beach, a long stretch of sand interrupted by the odd rocky outcrop.

After my swim I make my way back to my room at the graceful Sofitel Centara Grand, a low-lying collection of accommodation wings in the coastal city of Hua Hin, 200km south of Bangkok.

Soon I’m seated at the cafe in the oldest section of the resort hotel, which opened in 1923. 

Open to the air on each side, it’s not just a place to sit and sip tea in the tropical breeze. The cafe also functions as a small museum devoted to the hotel, with a variety of old artefacts dotted about its interior.

One of them, a polished timber letterbox embellished with painted lettering in both Thai and English, hints at the days when vacationers sent handwritten letters to the folks back home, rather than posting a pic to Facebook.

“So what’s special about Hua Hin?” I wonder as I sip a cup of Earl Grey and look out over the swimming pool below.

Maybe it’s the lack of the energetic party atmosphere that’s often associated with Thai beach resorts, particularly those islands on which backpackers eat, drink and socialise at a frenzied pace.

By contrast, this hotel and Hua Hin itself possess a calmer atmosphere, and it’s clearly a destination for those looking to relax rather than party.

As I walk through the hotel’s gardens on my way to explore the town, past elaborate topiary in the shape of animals, I reach a shrine dedicated to the King of Thailand, featuring a full-length photographic portrait with flags standing to each side.

This royal connection has been a key factor in the Hua Hin's recent history.


When the hotel opened as the Railway Hotel in the 1920s, it attracted Bangkok’s well-to-do to what had previously been an unexceptional fishing village.

Impressed with the new seaside resort and the contrast it provided with the busy capital, King Prajadhipok ordered the construction of a palace here, aptly named Wang Klai Kang Won (“Far from Worries”).

The current monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, has kept up the tradition of frequent visits to this summer palace, and there are side benefits for the locals.

Twice a day, the king allows visitors to walk in the palace grounds as exercise; as I’d entered Hua Hin by road the previous day I’d seen numerous people doing just that, walking in brisk circuits through the gardens.

There’s also a shop near the palace, Golden Place, which sells organic fruit and vegetables which have been grown on the king’s farms.

If Hua Hin is regal, it’s also relaxed, something I notice as I walk along Thanon Damnoen Kasem away from the waterfront, toward the railway that the hotel was once named after.

It’s mid-morning and the street has yet to fully wake, but there are people wandering here and there, looking into shops or sitting outside restaurants.

Then I arrive at the railway station...

[Next: The royal waiting room, monkeys on the links, and a palace linked to a musical...]

Disclosure time: On this trip I travelled courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Are Museums Boring?

We were talking dull museums on Twitter today.

It started when someone enthusiastically endorsed this article from the UK's Daily Telegraph, "21 Reasons Why I Hate Museums".

Aside from wondering what had happened to articles structured around a mere five or ten points, I found myself in two minds about this piece.

On one hand, I kind of agree with its main point.

Too many people trudge around museums while on vacation out of a sense of duty, regardless of whether the exhibits are engaging or they're interested in its subject matter.

To my mind, this approach is a hangover from the 19th century idea that travel should always be educational and instructive.

By contrast, I've been in cities where I've read a description of the major museums, and then decided I'd rather go on a walking tour or hang out in an interesting neighbourhood.

I can't speak highly enough of this latter strategy, if thought and research is applied to the selection of neighbourhood. I've had some great articles result from simply exploring in this manner (eg my day hanging out in St Roch, Quebec).

On the other hand, I feel the Telegraph article is unfair in dismissing museum visits altogether.

For my money, there are two key elements which must be in place for a museum visit to be a highlight of your holiday:

1. The museum has a creative and stimulating approach to addressing its subject;
2. The subject is something you're personally interested in.

The second point is really the most important, as a personal interest in the subject matter will excuse a fair bit of dodgy presentation.

As proof that interesting museums exist (at least for me), here are twelve accounts I've written of museums which were personal highlights because the above elements were in play:

• Schindler Factory Museum, Kraków, Poland.
• Pick Salami & Paprika Museum, Szeged, Hungary.
• Museum of Old & New Art (MONA), Hobart, Australia.
• Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, Ballarat, Australia.
• Grammy Museum, Los Angeles, USA.
• La Chascona, Santiago, Chile.
• Spirit Museum, Stockholm, Sweden.
• Neon Museum, Las Vegas, USA.
• Shangri La, Honolulu, USA.
• Million Toy Museum, Ayutthaya, Thailand.
• Sandringham Museum, UK.
• Discovery Pavilion, Quebec City, Canada.

What about you? Which museums moved you, and why? Leave a comment below.

Life's a Beach (Part 2)

Little Parakeet Bay, Rottnest Island

Last post I shared five great Asia-Pacific and Australian beaches from an article I wrote for the inflight magazine of a now-extinct airline. 

Here are the final six top places to enjoy sand and surf...

Family Beach: St Kilda Beach, Melbourne

From the moment an 1841 party of picnickers named St Kilda after the offshore schooner Lady of St Kilda, the Melbourne bayside suburb has been a place devoted to fun.

Between the century-old Luna Park funfair and the renovated St Kilda Sea Baths is sandy St Kilda Beach. Its sands are backed up by a boardwalk and a path dedicated to cyclists and inline skaters.

As the water is relatively shallow until you’re a fair way out into the bay, it’s a safe place for kids to have a paddle, and there’s a broad grass area behind the beach for ball games and frisbee tossing. A little further along the shore is Catani Gardens, a great location for a picnic after a swim.

Party Beach: Patong Beach, Phuket

If you’re after a place to relax in peace and quiet, don’t head to Patong Beach. If, however, you’re looking for a party zone, you’re in the right place. The most well-known of Phuket’s beaches, Patong has over 3 kilometres of sand. It’s even more famous for the numerous bars and nightclubs centred on nearby Bangla Road and the laneways leading off it.

Some of these side streets, such as Soi Tiger and Soi Seadragon, are completely roofed, so are good places to dodge any downpours. The Aussie Bar is the best family-friendly place along this strip, and the spot to catch sporting events on its big screens.

Secluded Beach: Dream Beach, Bali

Believe it or not, it is possible to escape the holidaying crowds on ever-popular Bali. Just 12 kilometres off the southeast coast of the island is Nusa Lembongan, a much smaller island. Its secluded gem is Dream Beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand with very few touts and plenty of space to relax. The surf is generally too strong for swimming, but it’s a fine place to sunbathe.

Above the beach is the Dream Beach Huts accommodation, which operates a cafe-bar with a view of the sea. You can get to Dream Beach via regular boat services from Sanur Beach on Bali.

Small Beach: Little Parakeet Bay, Rottnest Island, off Perth

In the Indian Ocean a 30 minute cruise from Perth’s port Fremantle, Rottnest Island has long been a special place of relaxation for Western Australians. As cars are restricted on the island, the pace is set by foot or bicycle, and the local bus which does the rounds of the island’s bays.

There are places to eat and drink in The Settlement at Thomson Bay, but the real attraction of Rotto is its natural beauty and wildlife. There are many beaches dotted around the island’s circumference, but one of the best is at Little Parakeet Bay, a small but beautiful stretch of white sand surrounded by rocky outcrops.

Uncrowded Beach: Eighty Mile Beach, Port Hedland to Broome

The lengthy Eighty Mile Beach stretches between Port Hedland and Broome in Western Australia. Given its sprawl, you can always find an uncrowded spot. It’s visited by an astounding number of migratory birds each year, and is also a popular fishing destination. A secluded accommodation option is the Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park, located about halfway along its length.

Really-getting-away-from-it-all beach: Buccaneer Archipelago, Derby

If you want a beach that’s really remote, you could do worse than hire a boat to take you to the Buccaneer Archipelago in the Indian Ocean off Derby in Western Australia. This collection of hundreds of uninhabited islands is dotted with beautiful unspoiled beaches. Be aware though, that there’s no one to help you out if you strike trouble, so check your boat’s radio gear and first aid supplies before sailing.

Life's a Beach (Part 1)

Streets Beach, Brisbane

Last year I was commissioned to write an article for the inflight magazine of Air Australia, a budget airline which offered flights to leisure destinations. A year later the airline went into liquidation, but luckily I'd been paid by then.

As the airline has departed this mortal coil and its inflight mag is but a fading memory, I thought you might enjoy the piece I wrote for it, featuring beaches across its then network. So sit back, relax, and think of sandy shores...

“All the world’s a stage,” wrote William Shakespeare, but he might as well have said “All the world’s a beach.”

Through Asia, Australia and the Pacific there are beaches of every type, hosting every attraction. Whether you’re after a rest, a meal, a party or a spot of retail action, there’s a sandy shore out there for you. Here’s a selection of the best.

Shopping Beach: Seminyak Beach, Bali

There’s a reason Redgum wrote their famous song I’ve Been to Bali Too back in 1984 - even then, the Indonesian island’s Kuta Beach was a magnet for tourists. But just a little further along the same stretch of coast is Seminyak Beach. It’s not as crowded and beats Kuta hand over fist in one particular area: shopping.

A few hundred metres back from the beach you’ll find Jalan Raya Seminyak, with interesting shops selling clothing and accessories. Some places worth checking out are Biasa for cutting-edge clothing (Jl Raya Seminyak 36), Body & Soul for cool fashion and swimwear (Jl Raya Seminyak 11), and Mario Silver for jewellery (Jl Raya Seminyak 19).

Romantic Beach: Kahala Beach, Hawaii

An alternative to Hawaii’s famous Waikiki Beach is nearby Kahala Beach, in a beautiful location with views of sand, surf, palm trees and a mountainous backdrop. As a popular wedding venue, it’s common to see at least one or two couples tying the knot here over the course of a few hours.

It’s a public beach, but as it’s near the Kahala Hotel & Resort you can dine quite close to the sands. The resort also contains the popular Dolphin Quest attraction, allowing visitors to swim with the dolphins.

City Beach: Streets Beach, Brisbane

Directly across the Brisbane River from the city’s central business district is Southbank, a pleasant zone of culture and public gardens. An unconventional highlight here is Streets Beach. This artificial swimming spot, with its imported sand and lifesavers in red and yellow, is a touch of light-hearted fun in the heart of Brisbane.

Its human-crafted lagoon and sandy shores are generally packed with people enjoying the novelty of being at a riverside beach in the inland capital of a state famous for its coastal beaches. And it has an impressive view of the glass and steel towers soaring above the mangroves on the opposite shoreline.

Surf Beach: Sunset Beach, Hawaii

If you’re a surfer and you’re up for a challenge, head to Sunset Beach on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. One of the world’s great surf beaches, it’s the home of such great competitions as the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing. Winter is the best time for waves, though surfing its mighty breaks is not recommended for inexperienced board riders.

Even without a board, its wide stretch of sand is a great place to sunbathe, and people also snorkel, bodysurf and bodyboard here. And as you’ve guessed, it’s a top spot from which to view a glorious sunset.

Dining Beach: Surin Beach, Phuket

If you’re feeling a bit exhausted by the hawkers and lively activity of most Thai beaches, Surin may be the cure. It’s more secluded than other beaches on Phuket, so is much favoured by local millionaires and visiting celebrities. It’s a pretty beach with white sand and clear water, but one of the best things to do here is eat at its long strip of Thai restaurants.

Three to look out for are Mr Crab (specialising, unsurprisingly, in crab), Twin Brothers, serving international dishes including popular pizzas, and Patcharin Seafood. Further south off Kamala Beach within the Andara Resort is the upmarket Silk, serving Thai dishes in classy premises.

Next post: A party beach, a secluded beach and a really-getting-away-from-it-all beach; but sadly no Gangnam-style beach...

Eat, Drink, Northern Thailand

I've just returned from northern Thailand and have seen many interesting things. But as we all know, a visit to Thailand revolves around the food.

Thai cuisine has a massive repertoire of dishes; no matter how often you visit, you're always encountering more.

Here are a few of the foodie highlights of my visit to the north...

1. Northern spice. This dish at the Doi Tung royal project came with a selection of northern dips as appetisers. Not quite as we expect Western dips to be, however - two of these were dry rather than wet:

2. Deconstructed fish. At the same meal we had this fish dish. I love the way Thais often cook fish in pieces then form it decoratively back into its original shape:

3. Village eats. Lunch the next day was cooked in this amazing kitchen - a traditonal hearth within the Kee Lek village way up on the hilltops past Chiang Rai (we had to take a truck up a steep mountain road for an hour just to get there from the nearest paved road). The visit was part of a new "Green Route" tour titled At the Cultural Crossroads, available via Wild Thailand at www.wildthailand.com.

4. Bon appetit. And here's the lunch we had in the village, eating while seated on the timber floor of the hut. A cat behind us was getting passed the occasional furtive scrap by a few of us...

5. Khao Soy road. This is Khao Soy, once a humble northern street dish but now becoming more widely served. It's basically an egg noodle dish served with beef or chicken, and then you add by hand the various condiments you can see around the platter here. Mine was the spicy version with beef, which was very good, eaten at the aptly-named Just Khao Soy restaurant in Chiang Mai:

6. DIY Thai. Finally, at the Suanthip Wana Resort between Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, I turned my hand to creating my own Thai food as part of a basic cooking class. Here's my Pad Thai - not bad for a first attempt, I think!

Disclosure time... on this trip I'm being hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

What Wat? Chiang Rai's Funky White Temple

Every traveller to Thailand has spent time in a temple complex (or wat); they're an essential element of this Buddhist country. But there's no temple quite like the one I visited today, Wat Rong Kun in northern Chiang Rai.

A modern temple still in the process of creation, its mastermind is the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who has ingeniously pieced together a structure which is a meld of ancient tradition and quirky modern references.

The first of these I encountered was none other than Predator, the alien hunter from the movies. Chalermchai apparently likes to depict the battle between good and evil using pop culture characters, and here was a scary one:

The temple itself, standing nearby, is a marvellous confection in white. It put me in mind of a wedding cake:

The temple is approached via a bridge, beneath which is this sea of hands stretching desperately up from hell:

Beyond the hands are fearsome guardians such as this one:

And there are beautiful pieces of art along the way, glinting with strips of mirrored glass:

I couldn't take photos inside the temple itself, which contained both a traditional Buddha statue and a wall-sized painting including such modern-day heroes as Batman, a Na'vi from Avatar, and even an Angry Bird.

However, on the way out I spotted this - possibly the world's mot extravagant toilet block:

Disclosure time... on this trip I'm being hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Thailand 2: Rails Into History

Over the past few days I've been travelling with a group of travel writers through Thailand's Kanchanaburi province, northwest of the capital Bangkok, then to the resort town of Hua Hin on the Gulf of Thailand.

As trains and railways have formed a big part of the experience, I thought I'd share some images with you here.

First up is the famous bridge on the River Kwai, constructed by Allied PoWs and Asian labourers under appalling slave labour conditions as part of the Death Railway in World War II.

It was later made famous by the 1957 movie of the same name. Only it turns out that a) the film's plot was a load of inaccurate hearsay, and b) the river was actually called the Mae Klong, though the Thais obligingly renamed this section the Kwae Yai later on when tourists showed up to take photos.

The bridge is sturdily attractive. Note the squarish sections in the middle, which later replaced the sections bombed by Allied planes during World War II.

As you can see from the above image, you can wander across the bridge, even though it's still part of a working railway. There are only two trains a day, so there's plenty of time to get off the tracks. There's also a small tourist train that shunts visitors back and forth across the bridge at regular intervals for 20 baht (A$0.70).

At one end of the bridge there's quite a big tourism operation, with stalls and restaurants ranged around a large circular plaza. The above sculpture is part of a piece indicating the nearby 'war wall', which bears details of the bridge's back story.

The next day we visited Hellfire Pass, one of the most backbreaking sections of the railway for those who worked on it. The above image shows the rail bed as it appears today. This is beyond the railway's current terminus at Nam Tok, so there are no rails here; they were ripped up some decades ago.

This is approaching the heart of Hellfire Pass. The workers had to excavate a huge cutting from the rock here, using handheld tools aided by explosives. The Japanese overseers had the men working around the clock at this point, so the worksite was lit by kerosene lamps.

The lamp light on the exposed red rock, and the hellish working conditions, led the PoWs to name it Hellfire Pass. The short section of track you can see above has been laid as a reminder of the past.

What's notable is how peaceful the pass is today, green and shaded. The serenity provides some quiet mental space to reflect on the horror of the conditions under which the men lived and died. Some 13,000 Allied PoWs died in the course of the railway's construction, and some 90,000 Asian labourers.

On the following day we examined this viaduct, originally built as part of the Death Railway and still a going concern. It was a hard object to bomb from the air, as the rock wall afforded a certain amount of protection.

This is the view across the river from the viaduct. Apparently the river once flooded almost to the height of the viaduct itself; bye bye buildings on the opposite bank!

Finally, an image unconnected with the Death Railway but still related to the theme of historic Thai railways. This is the former royal waiting room at the beautiful timber train station at the coastal resort of Hua Hin. Thai monarchs would relax here while waiting (reluctantly, I imagine) to leave their seaside summer residence behind for the hustle and bustle of Bangkok...

Tim Richards travelled courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Thailand 1: Hot in the City

May the caffeine gods forgive me - I had a coffee today which contained a layer of condensed milk in the bottom of the glass.

But when in Bangkok, do as the locals do, and this style of coffee is a regional favourite. I can only assume that condensed milk became popular in the tropics before the invention of fridges, due to it having a half-life just short of that of plutonium.

It also cost 120 baht, about A$4, which was rather outrageous, as you'll see when I tell you how much my lunch cost. Not to mention my massage.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I had the coffee at Jim Thompson's House. No, not that of an old friend inviting me in for morning tea and then expecting payment; Thompson was an American soldier who settled in Bangkok in the 1940s and sparked international interest in Thai silk.

He also bought six traditional Thai timber houses and melded them together in a green shady spot on a canal, fusing Thai art and architecture with Western decor. For example, the home's spacious living room contains Buddha statues, a day bed and a chandelier.

The most fascinating element of Thompson's life, though, may be the way it ended. On a stroll in the Malaysian highlands in 1967, he disappeared utterly, and no trace of him or his body have ever been found. The fact he was involved in the OSS, the predecessor of the CIA, during the war has led to all manner of conspiracy theories. But we'll probably never know what happened to him, though his house makes a worthy monument to his life.

After my curiously non-sweet coffee (no matter how much you stir, the condensed milk tends to remain in a layer on the bottom), I walked west along the Khlong Saem Saeb canal, intending to have a look at the Baan Krua district on the other side, where Thompson's Muslim weavers lived and worked.

Then I found, just before the footbridge over the water, a humble eatery ranged along the cement path, with a selection of slightly bedraggled tropical plants forming a decorative border between the restaurant and the khlong. Local residents were sitting at plastic tables in their singlets, watching (for some reason) a nature documentary on a suspended TV. At the far end the kitchen smoked and sizzled.

Not knowing much Thai, I ordered pad thai, a standard noodle dish. It arrived with a cruet containing four jars, liberated from the lids they must have had once in the supermarket, containing a variety of means of adding chilli to your meal. I've always liked the Thai liking for hot stuff, so added a generous amount of both chilli flakes and the tiny red and green chopped chillies floating in oil. How hot could it get?

Actually, very hot. But damn good - the flat noodles were cooked up with egg, some prawns and other seafood, there was coriander on top and vegetables at one end, and a small helping of crumbled peanut on the side.

Sitting there in the humid open air at my plastic tableclothed table, watching ferries zoom past as the canals's green water sloshed alarmingly, I reflected what a deeply fulfilling thing it was to have an entire country full of cheap Thai restaurants serving food like this. The bill? Just 30 baht, about A$1.

Though it wasn't served with condensed milk.

(PS the massage at a streetside place I encountered on the way out of Baan Krua, where I walked after lunch, cost a mere 149 baht, A$5, for an hour's full body massage. Though the masseur did walk all over me. No, I mean he really did.)

Tim Richards travelled courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.