ipernity: Scenes in Thailand by Wolfgang

In this photo stream I show pictures of Thailands most unknown corners. One of my favorites was a stay in a Hmong village and it will keep for me as an unforgettable memory.

Some places are wrong places for visitors with good conscience which I will not support the very bad tourist business from some reckless and unscrupulous thai people who use the innocent appearance for their inhuman income for instance such as for instance the show of the Karen group's Padaung (Longneck people in Northern Thailand near Mae Hong Song, Thai people pay 20 Baht and foreign people 300 Baht !!! for photograph).
The top of the crime is using and mistreating young kids who are ordered to wear the torture rings for the tourist attraction and filling the pockets of this dirty businessmen.
FLICKR allows postings of a group, showing this abused kids wearing the rings for the capture. What false rules are this!?
This Padaung hill tribes are usually living in Burma and kept illegal in Thailand by this sort of businessmen like animals in the zoo.

So I show the nice part of Thailand and there is a lot to discover.

I always try to discover non common places in non common areas of Thailand or non common quarters of Bangkok.

I live in Bangkok since 1978 and keep a nice and beautiful memoriy I had in the last 33 years.

The full name of Bangkok the metropole of Thailand is:
Krungthep Mahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathani Burirom-udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit
(กรุงเทพมหานคร อมรรัตนโกสินทร์ มหินทรายุธยามหาดิลกภพ นพรัตน์ราชธานี บุรีรมย์อุดมราชนิเวศน์มหาสถาน อมรพิมานอวตารสถิต สักกะทัตติยะวิษณุกรรมประสิทธิ์)
The megatown is my home town for more than 33 years.
Thai people never say Bangkok due the thai name of Bangkok in short way is called Krung Thep, what means the City of the Angels.
I've often been asked why I can stay in such a strenuous and stressful city for such a long time. The answer is simple because I supply my thai family, my thai wife and my thai kids who are living in Bangkok.

I am always grateful for tips and advises from thai or foreign travelers who like to travel in the same way as I like to do.

Mueang Pilok, Thailand

14 Aug 2002

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This village is inhabited most by the Burmesian minority the Karen tribes and just about 500 Meters away to the Burmesian border

Kwan Phayao Lake, Thailand

22 Mar 2016

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a beautiful idyllic place in Northern Thailand. The artificial lake is located beside the Thai city Phayao south of Chiang Rai.

Ko Chang, Thailand

28 Feb 2007

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A beautiful romantic place to stay on western side of the island Chang in eastern Thailand and ... free of jigger fleas the mainly big trouble on the island. But the sudden tourism boom however, has been fraught with controversy concerning land use, etc.

Passenger in a regional train, Thailand

30 Apr 2006

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Its a common scene in a local train between Bangkok Noi, Thonburi and Mae Khlong. This rail isn't connected to the national railway net and a hot suggest to ride for every individual visitor in Thailand.

At an intersection on the Sukhumvit Road in Bangko…

18 Mar 2007

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Motorcycles waiting at an intersection, some starting before traffic light turns to green.

Bangkok in China Town

19 Feb 2007

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Tea, fruits, flower garlands, incense sticks and cash money are sacrificed to Buddhist saints.

Bangkok, Chinese New Year 2007

19 Feb 2007

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this beautiful colored paper dragons are sold out in Bangkok China Town

Sylvester firework 2008/09 in Bangkok

01 Jan 2009

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An amazing firework over the Chao Phraya river was performed for more than twenty minutes

A small lake outside Loei, northern Thailand

25 Nov 2012

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when I went the highway no. 2138 from Erawan Cave back to Loei City I passed this idyllic lake on a small side road (photo was shot without pol filter, it shows the real atmosphere in the late afternoon)

The junk called June Hong Chian Lee

12 Nov 2007

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The junk, original build 1962 in Malaysia is now used for scuba diving courses in the Andaman sea particularly the trip to the Similan islands. The boat is mainly contracted with Takien wood, a kind of hard teak wood. The mast in the middle was cut out in one piece of a 300 years old tree.

Relief of catching a "Nāga" snake

03 Jan 2000

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In a Cambodian legend, the Nāga were a reptilian race of beings who possessed a large empire or kingdom in the Pacific Ocean region. The Nāga King's daughter married an Indian Brahmana named Kaundinya, and from their union sprang the Cambodian people. Therefore still Cambodians say that they are "Born from the Nāga".

Marines from USA catching a Nāga snake

04 Jan 2000

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This photo shot was made during the Vietnamese war when soldiers from USA catch a 7 Meter long Nāga snake out the Mekong river. Most people believe on the truth of this photo but its obviously manipulated. The legend of the Nāga is a strong and sacred belief held by Cambodian, Lao and Thai people living along the Mekong River. Many pay their respects to the river because they believe the Nāga still rule in it, and locals hold an annual sacrifice for the Nāga. Each ceremony depends on how an individual village earns its living from the Mekong River - for instance, through fishing or transport. Local residents believe that the Nāga can protect them from danger, so they are likely to make a sacrifice to Nāga before taking a boat trip along the Mekong River.

Crashed down chopper at Khao Phra Vihaan

03 Jan 2000

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This helicopter crash site was up there on my trip up back in the 90's. It was a Thai army copter that crashed while bringing up some friend of either the Thai King or the Prime Minister, thats was local people say.