Thailand Voice

One of the most unusual musical instruments that I have come across in Thailand is the “angklung”. It is made from carved bamboo tubes which are attached to a frame which is then shaken to produce a note. Each frame has…

A fun sport to watch in Thailand is Blindfold Boxing. The idea is quite simple. Put two people in a boxing ring, blindfold them, and then ring the bell. The results are often hilarious as the fighters swing out at thin air trying to…

A popular destination for school children during the long summer holidays is Safari World north of Bangkok. I have been there a few times and have always enjoyed each visit. In this picture, two schoolgirls are having fun feeding the giraffes long green beans. Original post blogged on www.mythaiphotos.com .

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra donate blood during a gathering in Bangkok March 16, 2010. Anti-government protesters will collect one million cubic centimetres of blood to pour outside the Government House in Bangkok, in a symbolic move to denounce the government as part of their demonstration to call …

Thousands of anti-government demonstrators gather Sunday, March 14, 2010, in Bangkok, Thailand. Protest leaders have given the government until Monday at noon to accede their demands or face mass marches on key locations in Bangkok. (Richard Barrow/www.paknam.com) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com .

Thousands of red shirt supporters from Samut Prakan, 30 kms south of Bangkok, make the long journey into Bangkok on 14th March to join the rally in Bangkok. They went on foot, by motorcycle, on the back of pick-up trucks and in …

Supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra travel by boat from Ayutthaya provinces into Bangkok March 14, 2010. Tens of thousands of protesters converged in Bangkok on Sunday to give Thailand’s military-backed government an ultimatum: either call elections or face crippling demonstrations across the capital in coming days. (Reuters) Supporters …

The city where I live, Samut Prakan, is a red shirt stronghold as they voted for Thaksin. Today there were about 4-5,000 people parading through the town demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit steps down. You can see more of our photos

A popular recreation for Thai people at the seaside is playing on a Banana Boat like this one. The whole family jump on the back wearing life vests. They are then towed up and down the beach front by a …

Bangkok used to be known as the Venice of the East due to its large network of canals. However, most of these have now been built over to make way for roads. One of the main canals still remaining in Bangkok is Khlong Saen Saeb which dates…

The Thai government over the past few years have been so focussed on first the yellow shirts and then the red shirts that hardly anyone has noticed the rampant increase of drug use in Thailand. It is almost getting to epidemic proportions …

His Majesty the King receives a briefing yesterday on the situation in the country from the prime minister. Abhisit Vejjajiva was granted a private meeting with His Majesty on the 14th floor of the Chalermphrakiat building, Siriraj Hospital. (ROYAL HOUSEHOLD BUREAU) More Thailand pictures can be found at

The Three Pagoda Pass in the north of Kanchanaburi Province is historically important for several reasons. It was this route that Buddhism is believed to have taken when it first came to Thailand. The pass was also used by the Burmese when they …

Escorted and guarded by Thai commandoes, Maj. Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol (center), alias Seh Daeng, a supporter of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is brought to criminal court Monday, March 8, 2010, in Bangkok. Khattiya and seven associates were arrested on Saturday on charges…

It is probably not a good idea to venture outside at the moment if you are living in some areas of Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lumpoon, Maehongson, Nan, Phayao and Chiang Mai due to the bad air quality. You should also consider wearing face masks in Chachoengsao, Nonthaburi, Samut…

Thai Muslim villagers look at birds in cages during in a bird-singing contest in Yala province, about 1,100 km (683 miles) south of Bangkok March 7, 2010. About 6,000 birds took part in the competition. (Reuters) Thai Muslim villagers look at birds in cages during in a bird-singing contest in Yala province, about 1,100 …

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – MARCH 06: Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand waits with his caddie on the 18th hole during the the third round of the Maybank Malaysian Open at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club on March 6, 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Getty Images) KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA…

Bangkok has many museums, many of them state run, but many of the better ones are privately owned like this one called House of Museums on the Western outskirts of Bangkok. The museum details the life in Thailand over 50 years ago through the…

Just outside of Nakhon Pathom, to the West of Bangkok, there is a popular wax museum called Thai Human Imagery Museum. Though, to be precise, they are fibre glass models as I guess wax ones would melt in this heat. There are various rooms with different themes. This one shows the …

It wasn’t long ago that knitting and crocheting were a popular pastime for women in the United States, as a matter of fact it was a pretty big industry as well. Obviously these were serious skills that were needed throughout the beginning of the country that took … Read full story >>>

One of the claims by the prosecution in the Thaksin asset seizure case was that: Telecom concession fees were converted into an excise tax to benefit their massive AIS shareholdings. The Nation summarizes this part of… Read full story >>>

Photo provided by the Melbourne Zoo, Mali, a baby Thai elephant, walks from beneath her mother Dokkoon after a naming ceremony performed by Buddhist monks in Melbourne, Australia. Mali is Thai for jasmine and was chosen out of five possibilities derived from her Thai lineage in a public vote …

I am blogging live as Thaksin Shinawatr speaks on his video link from Dubai. He starts with repeating his accusations that he remains the victim of the Sept 19, 2006coup. “This is an unfinished coup. They want to get red of all Red shirts. That is of course impossible,” he declared. Thaksin said… Read full story >>>

Khan Kluay was a smash hit Thai cartoon when it was first released in Thailand in May 2006. It was the first Thai cartoon made at international standard and did very well in the domestic market. The little blue elephant, called Khan Kluay, was very popular with Thai children of all ages. I know…

In case you were wondering why the reds were waiting two weeks after the verdict to protest, Marwaan in IPS has an explanation The date for such an improbably high figure of protesters – the previous best the UDD was able to… Read full story >>>

Thai tennis player Paradon Srichaphan poses next to a cutout of himself in “Bang Rajan 2″, a new historical movie at the opening ceremony of the movie in Bangkok March 3, 2010. (Reuters) More Thailand pictures can be found at www.ThaiPhotoBlogs.com .

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (R) poses with a boxing champion belt upon receiving it from World Boxing Council (WBC) President Jose Sulaiman during their meeting at Parliament House in Bangkok March 3, 2010. (Reuters) President of the World Boxing Council Jose Sulaiman, left, presents a champion belt…

Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is all smiles during a televised news conference at government house Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 in Bangkok. Supporters of populist former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra denounced a court order to seize US$1.4 billion of his assets, and vowed Saturday to pursue a nonviolent struggle for what …

BANGKOK THAILAND – FEBRUARY 26: Red shirt pro- Thaksin supporters react as the court announces the final verdict for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s family on February 26, 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that the Shinawatra family should be stripped of more than half a contested $2.3bn fortune, which is …

A policeman stands guard near a damaged train after it derailed in Songkhla province February 25, 2010. The Thai passenger train bound for the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat derailed in Songkhla province on Thursday, injuring 20 people, a railway official said. (Reuters) A policeman…