Day 3, Tuesday 24 March
Concerns…….. With further developments overnight declaring that the UK is in lockdown, I’m anxious to establish what advice is being given to returning travelers. Obviously there is urgency since more and more airlines are closing their routes. Efforts to contact Thai Airways prove unsuccessful but there’s no information regarding cancellation of my flight on Thursday night. As well as this, a dry cough has returned adding to the worries and how I might deal with that over the coming days.
Well, of course we must head back to Bangkok today. Katoon is anxious that my bank card here is out of date. Having failed in Bangkok to resolve the problem, we try at the branch here in Kanchanaburi, again without success as there are various technical issues. We can do nothing more now so we should head back asap. However, Katoon doesn’t want to miss the opportunity for one more site visit. Her argument as always is, ‘we’re here already’.
Wat Tham Sua…….. Wat Tham Sua, a sacred place for Tha Muang people, was established by Phra Kru Saittiwimon (Chuen Pasatigo) and recorded as a temple after King Rama IV affixed his royal seal in 1978. The temple is home to Luang Por Chin Prathanporn, a large Buddha statue decorated with golden mosaics, a stunning Thai-style ordination hall and a 9-tier Kate Kaew Mahaprasart Chedi, 59 metres high looking down on the large statue.
Thai artistic style is among the best in the world and when applied to religious art and architecture produces incredible results. The temple at Wat Tham Sua is just one example of many competing styles throughout Thailand where the imagination is hardly restricted by a seemingly unlimited amount of funds.
Lunch in the Rice Paddies…….. The topography of this area of Muang Chum includes a range of hills to the south while the plain to the north up to the banks of the Mae Klong River consists of rice paddies. Close to the river is a rock outcrop on which Wat Tham Sua was built. A local road and canal pass though the area beside which are restaurants built on stilts. They provide the perfect location for a relaxing lunch with options to sit out on the terrace or use one of the reed huts. It would be a shame not to take advantage of this idyllic location and we reserve a good hour here but all good things come to an end they say as we head back to Bangkok just 2 hours away. Major challenges lay ahead but at least this brief tour has met its objectives and more, providing us with some relief in troublesome times.
Our return to the residence brings to an end 34 days on tour outside Bangkok this time. There has certainly been a fair share of highs and lows. It’s just a question now of summarising experiences and that should make fascinating reading indeed.
Start Page.
Concerns…….. With further developments overnight declaring that the UK is in lockdown, I’m anxious to establish what advice is being given to returning travelers. Obviously there is urgency since more and more airlines are closing their routes. Efforts to contact Thai Airways prove unsuccessful but there’s no information regarding cancellation of my flight on Thursday night. As well as this, a dry cough has returned adding to the worries and how I might deal with that over the coming days.
Well, of course we must head back to Bangkok today. Katoon is anxious that my bank card here is out of date. Having failed in Bangkok to resolve the problem, we try at the branch here in Kanchanaburi, again without success as there are various technical issues. We can do nothing more now so we should head back asap. However, Katoon doesn’t want to miss the opportunity for one more site visit. Her argument as always is, ‘we’re here already’.
Wat Tham Sua…….. Wat Tham Sua, a sacred place for Tha Muang people, was established by Phra Kru Saittiwimon (Chuen Pasatigo) and recorded as a temple after King Rama IV affixed his royal seal in 1978. The temple is home to Luang Por Chin Prathanporn, a large Buddha statue decorated with golden mosaics, a stunning Thai-style ordination hall and a 9-tier Kate Kaew Mahaprasart Chedi, 59 metres high looking down on the large statue.
Thai artistic style is among the best in the world and when applied to religious art and architecture produces incredible results. The temple at Wat Tham Sua is just one example of many competing styles throughout Thailand where the imagination is hardly restricted by a seemingly unlimited amount of funds.
Lunch in the Rice Paddies…….. The topography of this area of Muang Chum includes a range of hills to the south while the plain to the north up to the banks of the Mae Klong River consists of rice paddies. Close to the river is a rock outcrop on which Wat Tham Sua was built. A local road and canal pass though the area beside which are restaurants built on stilts. They provide the perfect location for a relaxing lunch with options to sit out on the terrace or use one of the reed huts. It would be a shame not to take advantage of this idyllic location and we reserve a good hour here but all good things come to an end they say as we head back to Bangkok just 2 hours away. Major challenges lay ahead but at least this brief tour has met its objectives and more, providing us with some relief in troublesome times.
Our return to the residence brings to an end 34 days on tour outside Bangkok this time. There has certainly been a fair share of highs and lows. It’s just a question now of summarising experiences and that should make fascinating reading indeed.
Start Page.
This tour was a short tour to a location that was predetermined, unlike our initial tours this time. Without the concerns over the Covid-19 outbreak this would be an excellent mini tour which I wouldn't mind to have extended. Although I have visited Kanchanaburi province many times, the remote location of Ban E-Tong is a long way from the provincial town and a long arduous day trip. At least now I could say I've visited one of the province's excellent national parks and maybe declare there is not much more coverage I can add to Kanchanaburi province. The tour in better circumstances would deserve 8/10 and I'm not inclined to mark it down because of difficult times. It will provide fond memories as I now move forward into an uncertain future later this week.
Muang Chum District
Wat Tham Suea (Tiger Temple)
Muang Chum District
Saphan Na (restaurant/coffee shop)
Muang Chum District