Thailand Voice

One of the most important events in the Thai Buddhist calendar is Makha Bucha Day (sometimes spelled Magha Puja). It takes place on the full moon day of the third lunar month which is usually late February or early March. This year it was today, 28th February 2010. Like many…

The tension is rising in Thailand as we have now started the countdown to Judgement Day on Friday 26th February 2010. The red shirts have already started their protests though so far the yellow shirts have decided to stay at home. If that is true…

The rainy season has already come to an end. There has been no rain the last two weeks in Samut Prakan. However, this was the view this morning in Paknam. This is not rain water. This is sea water that swamps the city during the daily high tides during November every year. …

This is the Thai version of pork soup that is a little on the spicy side. In the ingredients below you can see diced potatoes, pork, carrots, Chinese celery, lime, stock cube, bird eye chillies and plum tomatoes. You could use chicken instead of pork. Boil the pork in the stock until nearly…

One of my favourite festivals in Thailand is undoubtedly Luang Phor Pan Worshipping Festival in Bang Bo District of Samut Prakan. I went last year for the first time and had no idea what to expect. There were so many surprises that…

On the evening of the fourth day of the Phra Samut Chedi Temple Fair, it is traditional for the local people to come together to take part in chanting and a candlelight procession around the pagoda. This happens every year and it is always a beautiful sight. The best …

The Temple Fair in Samut Prakan has now reached its fourth day. Today is the 8th day of the waning moon of the 11th lunar month. On this day every year, the local people from Phra Samut Chedi District come together to compete in various traditional games…

Mr. Surachai Khanasa, the Governor of Samut Prakan Province, took part in a ceremony this morning to announce to the Gods and Angles in Heaven that they will be holding the annual Worship Fair for Phra Samut Chedi. During the ceremony, they…

For many years my favourite guidebook has been the Lonely Planet. This has always been my first choice for its comprehensive look at tourist attractions in just about any country in the world. In Thailand, the person who is most associated with guidebooks is Joe Cummings whose name is well-known among backpackers…

This is a simple dish of salty fried prawns, or “kung tod khem” in Thai. You can see the salty prawns in the picture below. Preparation is simple for this dish. Wash the prawns and then place them in a bowl where you need to rub them with salt. While you…

Stir Fried Asparagus and Mushrooms is a good accompanying dish that you can have with a curry. In Thai it is called “phat aetsaparakat gup het hom”. It is not spicy and is simple to cook. In the ingredients pictured below, you can see shiitake mushrooms, two garlic cloves…

Is it time to start panicking yet? The number of deaths in Thailand for the swine flu (called The Great Flu of 2009 by the Thai media) has reached at least 66. We don’t know exactly any more as they are only…

Many of the websites in the Paknam Web Network are non-commercial. We don’t make them to make any money but do them as a hobby site. Basically we make them as they are subjects that we are personally interested in…

One of the historical legacies of Samut Prakan Province are the Fortresses along the river from the Gulf of Thailand all the way up to Bangkok. At various times through history, going back as far as the Ayutthaya period, there has always been forts here of some description. Many fell into ruins…

With both Bangkok and the provinces surrounding it so densely populated you would think it is difficult to find any location that is both deserted and spooky at the same time. This is one such place where I went to explore at the weekend. It is very close to Bang Nampheung Floating…

Some people might find the dish this week a bit too spicy, but it is not unbearable. It is Fried Shrimp with basil leaves or “pad krapao kung” in Thai. You could also cook it with chicken if you like. In the ingredients …

Visakha Bucha Day is the most important day in the Buddhist calendar. It marks the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha which all happened on the full moon of the sixth lunar month. All around Thailand, Buddhists will be going to their …

One of the best Songkran Parades in Thailand is held in Phra Pradaeng District in Samut Prakan Province. It is traditional for the Mon people in this region to release birds and fish during Songkran in order to make merit for themselves. Many of the townspeople dress up in their best clothes and then …

One of the biggest and most spectacular Songkran celebrations in Thailand is held in Phra Pradaeng district of Samut Prakan. Unlike the rest of the country, the local people here celebrate Songkran a week later. This means that if you know where to go, you can enjoy the fun of Songkran at least twice. The main events in…

Not all of the Tarzan movies are set in Africa. The ape man went to India and even New York. But, I didn’t realize that he had also been to Thailand for the 1963 movie “Tarzan’s Three Challenges”. The movie starred Jock Mahoney. Halfway…