By Eric Lim
Tour Bangkok Legacies
blog is a web blog of this historical travel website and do-it-yourself guide for independent travelers to Bangkok.
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The Portuguese Embassy Bangkok is the oldest diplomatic mission in Thailand and represents 500 years of friendship and 200 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Continue reading "Portuguese Embassy Bangkok – the first diplomatic mission"
22 January 21
Dear friends and readers, welcome back to the Bangkok Travelbug in 2021. I'm afraid we have to restrict our travelling until further notice owing to the second wave of the Covid 19 pandemic emerging in Thailand.
Fortunately, we visited this place in Ayutthaya in November 2020 and haven't written about it yet. It's about a very old house on the banks of the River Noi in Phak Hai, Ayutthaya that is completely off the beaten track.
Ban Khun Phitak Borihan – the Green House
Let's take a look at this district in Ayutthaya, the owner and the house.
View of the house from the River Noi
For more, please see, Ban Khun Phitak Borihan
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – With pandemic, we are refraining from visiting other provinces. Here's an attraction right in our neighbourhood.
Suan Sam Phran
Tour Bangkok Legacies – my first e-book
If you are an independent traveller, here's a handy e-guide book, Tour Bangkok Legacies, which will help you along as you explore the streets of Bangkok and discover its old treasures. It's complete with historical descriptions, maps and detailed directions on how to get to these places.
My Kindle e-book
Copyright@2008-2021 Tour Bangkok Legacies
All rights reserved
Continue reading "Ban Khun Phitak Borihan - the Green House"
11 November 2020
This is my second e-book and the first in the series of travel journals on my trips to explore the various provinces in Thailand. This edition, which covers my travels from late 2009 to mid-2013, will guide you to historical sites, cultural monuments and exquisite Thai handicraft, across a vast spectrum of cultural and ethnic diversity.
You can have a virtual tour with this e-guide book or take the first steps yourself in this journey through Thailand.
My Kindle e-book
6 November 2020
Tour Bangkok Legacies – my first e-book
If you are an independent traveller, here's a handy e-guide book, Tour Bangkok Legacies, which will help you along as you explore the streets of Bangkok and discover its old treasures. It's complete with historical descriptions, maps and detailed directions on how to get to these places.
My Kindle e-book
For more please see, My Kindle e-book or My Smashwords edition
Eric, Thanks for another enjoyable read (November '20). Already looking forward to the December edition. All the best, Ray PS. The November 20 issue
3 November 2020
Dear friends and readers of the Bangkok Travelbug, welcome back to the Bangkok Travelbug. In this November issue we visit another old waterside market in Pathum Thani.
Fortunately, this market in Sam Khok is far livelier than the last one we visited. It had a constant stream of visitors providing the vendors with a brisk trade. Besides the market there are also some very old and interesting attractions in the neighbourhood.
Entrance to the market
Let's take a look at what's in store for us here.
Bridge spanning the Bang Toei Canal
Further into the alley
For more, please see, Ing Nam Market, Sam Khok
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – We explore Ban Khun Phitak, an old house that was the home of a nobleman in the reign of King Rama V. It's located on the banks of the Noi River in Phak Hai, Ayutthaya and it's reputed to be a scary and haunted place.
Tour Bangkok Legacies – my first e-book
If you are an independent traveller, here's a handy e-guide book, Tour Bangkok Legacies, which will help you along as you explore the streets of Bangkok and discover its old treasures. It's complete with historical descriptions, maps and detailed directions on how to get to these places.
My Kindle e-book
Copyright@2008-2020 Tour Bangkok Legacies
All rights reserved
5 October 2020
A number of friends and readers have said that they preferred to read printed editions of books rather than e-books. Even though I'm a fan of e-books, I agree with them. E-books can be a strain on the eyes.
As a result, I've published a paperback edition of Tour Bangkok Legacies, my first e-book. This edition comes with colored post-card sized photos of the places visited.
The contents of the paperback are basically no different from the e-book edition. The book provides independent travelers with a guide book to take them on a self-guided tour of old Bangkok.
Or read this book in the comfort of your sitting room and travel in your mind's eye to the alleys, museums, homes in old Bangkok, they all have a story to tell.
The book is available on this link, Tour Bangkok legacies – Paperback edition
Continue reading "Tour Bangkok Legacies – Paperback Edition"
Eric, Thank you so much for your wonderful travelogue and photos. I look forward to your emails and photos. Keep safe and keep on posting. Rhond
30 September 2020
Dear friends and readers of the Bangkok Travelbug,
Welcome back to the Bangkok Travelbug. In this October issue we will be visiting Lam Luk Ka in Pathum Thani, which is to the east of the Chao Phraya River.
Lam Luk Ka District in Pathum Thani is intersected by several canals which irrigate the rice fields in the area. To get to our destination, the Khlong Sip Song 100-year-old Market, we crossed 10 canals (Canals 2 – 11)! At the market we got to cross the 12th canal.
Alley leading to the market
Let's visit this old market, take a walk through the alley where it's located and relive some old memories.
The old coffee shop
Brewing coffee the traditional way
For more, please see, Khlong Sip Song 100-year-old Market, Lam Luk Ka
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – We visit a cactus farm and another canal side market in Pathum Thani
Tour Bangkok Legacies – my first e-book
If you are an independent traveller, here's a handy e-guide book, Tour Bangkok Legacies, which will help you along as you explore the streets of Bangkok and discover its old treasures. It's complete with historical descriptions, maps and detailed directions on how to get to these places.
My Kindle e-book
Copyright@2008-2020 Tour Bangkok Legacies
All rights reserved
Continue reading "Khlong Sip Song 100-year-old Market, Lam Luk Ka"
Dear Eric, Thank you for your deeply informative site, and your clear love of the place. I found this site when researching an article about the current
16 September 2020
Dear friends and readers of the Bangkok Travelbug,
Welcome back to the Bangkok Travelbug. In this September issue and the next couple of issues, we will be exploring some of the quaint cultural attractions in Pathum Thani, which is just north of Bangkok.
These places are ideal for days trips out of Bangkok and you don't have to travel too far. Many places in Pathum Thani still retain that old charm of Thailand in the past.
This trip we visit a farm and it’s a very special farm, Thung Na Mon, a Mon farming community in Bo Thong, Lat Lum Kaeo.
Thung Na Mon
Colourful entrance to the farm
For more, please see, Thung Na Mon, Bo Thong, Pathum Thani
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – We visit an old canal side market in Pathum Thani, Khlong Sip Song Market, Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani
Tour Bangkok Legacies – my first e-book
If you are an independent traveller, here's a handy e-guide book, Tour Bangkok Legacies, which will help you along as you explore the streets of Bangkok and discover its old treasures. It's complete with historical descriptions, maps and detailed directions on how to get to these places.
My Kindle e-book
Copyright@2008-2020 Tour Bangkok Legacies
All rights reserved
Patpong Museum traces the origins of this place famous for its raunchy bars, loud music and scantily dressed dancing girls. Not many visitors to the place would know that it also held a dark secret.
10 August 2020
Dear friends and readers of the Bangkok Travelbug,
My apologies for missing out on the July edition of the Bangkok Travelbug. We were busy setting up our new home and moving there which took up the better part of July.
Please let me make it up to you with something very special and different in this August edition. This issue is about an art exhibition in Bangkok!
I have rarely written about art in any form as I don't feel qualified to comment. Somehow, this artist and his inspiration appealed to me, tugged at my heart strings.
Pachara Piyasongsoot
I visited his exhibition, got to meet him, talked to him and bought his book to understand better the inspiration behind his work. Although the exhibition will be over by the time you read this, the work of this artist is worth placing on record.
Lighthouse 2020 – oil on canvas, 80 x 120 cm
Sunset 2019 – oil on canvas, 90 x160 cm
For more, please see, Eternity Village – poverty expressed in art
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – We visit an old canal side market in Pathum Thani, Khlong Sip Song Market, Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani
Tour Bangkok Legacies – my first e-book
If you are an independent traveller, here's a handy e-guide book, Tour Bangkok Legacies, which will help you along as you explore the streets of Bangkok and discover its old treasures. It's complete with historical descriptions, maps and detailed directions on how to get to these places.
My Kindle e-book
Copyright@2008-2020 Tour Bangkok Legacies
All rights reserved
Continue reading "Eternity Village – poverty expressed in art"
It really impresses me your travel descriptions. This last one with your recaps of the past makes wonderful reading, the photographs are outstanding.
Dear Eric, I like your site very much. I mostly read all the stories and look at the beautiful pictures from that country far away. Right now my son
17 June 2020
Dear friends and readers of the Bangkok Travelbug,
Best wishes to all of you as you stay well and safe at home. As we are still unable to travel, I dug into my collection of old travel photos dating back to 2009 and came across some very pleasant surprises. Some photos I completely missed back then; others brought back very pleasant memories.
Let me share with you these memorable travel photos. For readers who have subscribed way back then, it will be nostalgic, for the new readers, catch up on what you missed.
Who stayed here in the 1920s?
I've added links to these old articles if you want to find out more about these places. Hope you enjoy this virtual journey and relive some interesting travel tales while you are home.
Where is this place?
Where is this beautiful garden?
To find out, please see, Memorable Travel Photos.
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – We visit an old canal side market in Pathum Thani, Khlong Sip Song Market, Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani
My Journey through Thailand Part I The First Steps
This is my second e-book and the first in the series of travel journals on my trips to explore the various provinces in Thailand. This edition, which covers my travels from late 2009 to mid-2013, will guide you to historical sites, cultural monuments and exquisite Thai handicraft, across a vast spectrum of cultural and ethnic diversity.
You can have a virtual tour with this e-guide book or take the first steps yourself in this journey through Thailand.
My Kindle e-book
15 May 2020
Dear friends and readers of the Bangkok Travelbug,
I trust all of you are well and safe at home. We are still doing virtual travelling to bring you some interesting travel tales to keep you occupied while you are home.
Back in 2015, we were just past Ayutthaya on Route 32 (Asian Highway) heading north on one of our travel trips. We stopped at a food shop in a rest area for a quick meal. It was like any of the food shops along the highway serving various types of vegetables, meat dishes served with rice (khao kaeng), hot and cold drinks.
Khao Kaeng Sian Lor
But this shop had something different, it displayed a huge poster showing the maps of Thailand. But on a closer look, these were maps of old Siam since 1786 in the reign of King Rama I! Over the centuries, wars, conquests, colonisation and cessation of territories have changed the boundaries to what they are today.
We returned in October 2019 to take photos of these maps and view the details. What a story they had to tell. Please sit back and join us as we review the maps of old Siam through the centuries.
Maps of old Siam
For more please see, Maps of old Siam.
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – Old travel photos
My Journey through Thailand Part I The First Steps
This is my second e-book and the first in the series of travel journals on my trips to explore the various provinces in Thailand. This edition, which covers my travels from late 2009 to mid-2013, will guide you to historical sites, cultural monuments and exquisite Thai handicraft, across a vast spectrum of cultural and ethnic diversity.
You can have a virtual tour with this e-guide book or take the first steps yourself in this journey through Thailand.
My Kindle e-book
16 Apr 2020
Dear friends and readers of the Bangkok Travelbug,
I trust all of you are well and safe at home. We had to put our travel plans on hold during this difficult period and thought that the Travelbug had to cease publication for a while.
Then I recalled a trip we took in December last year, when we spent Christmas in Bang Saen, Chonburi about 85 km south-east of Bangkok.
On Christmas Day we took a drive to Si Racha about 35 away from Bang Saen. On an impulse we decided to take a boat ride across to Koh Si Chang just off the coast of Si Racha.
The Gulf of Thailand laid out before your eyes
When we reached the pier at Koh Si Chang, a tuk tuk driver offered to take us on a tour of the island for 250 baht. As we didn’t know our way around the island and no cars are allowed on the island, we decided to take up his offer.
The tour turned out to be a cultural and historical gem. Not only did I have something to write about this month, readers can now take a virtual tour of the island while they are home.
Join us on this virtual tour of Koh Si Chang during this time when we are encouraged to stay home.
Scenic beauty in Koh Si Chang
For more please see, Koh Si Chang.
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – Maps of Thailand through the centuries
My Journey through Thailand Part I The First Steps
This is my second e-book and the first in the series of travel journals on my trips to explore the various provinces in Thailand. This edition, which covers my travels from late 2009 to mid-2013, will guide you to historical sites, cultural monuments and exquisite Thai handicraft, across a vast spectrum of cultural and ethnic diversity.
You can have a virtual tour with this e-guide book or take the first steps yourself in this journey through Thailand.
My Kindle e-book
17 March 2020
Hello and welcome back to the March issue of the Bangkok Travelbug. This month we visit the Three Pagoda Pass in Sangkhla Buri, Kanchanaburi to review the strategic importance of this area and the events that passed through here over the last two millenniums.
The pass is named after the three pagodas located here. These pagodas are believed to be constructed during the Ayutthaya era as a symbol of peace, which proved to be elusive for centuries to come.
Three Pagodas – symbol of peace
Join us as we take a tour of this area that has seen so much of history passing through.
Border crossing at the Three Pagoda Pass viewed from Thailand looking towards Myanmar
For more please see, Three Pagoda Pass, Sangkhla Buri, Kanchanaburi.
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – Koh Si Chang, Chonburi
My Journey through Thailand Part I The First Steps
This is my second e-book and the first in the series of travel journals on my trips to explore the various provinces in Thailand. This edition, which covers my travels from late 2009 to mid-2013, will guide you to historical sites, cultural monuments and exquisite Thai handicraft, across a vast spectrum of cultural and ethnic diversity.
You can have a virtual tour with this e-guide book or take the first steps yourself in this journey through Thailand.
My Kindle e-book
Continue reading "The Three Pagoda Pass, Sangkhla Buri, Kanchanaburi"
6 February 2020
Welcome back to the February 2020 issue of the Bangkok Travelbug. In this issue we take a boat trip to locate some of the temples abandoned as a result of the flooding of the upper Kwae Noi valley caused by the construction of a dam downriver.
Boat trip to abandoned temples, Sangkhla Buri
Let's take a closer look at the reservoir created by this dam and then the affected temples.
View of reservoir from the dam looking north to Sangkhla Buri
Top of a submerged temple
For more please see, Boat trip to abandoned temples, Sangkhla Buri, Kanchanaburi.
Read what other subscribers have said about us, and subscribe to the Bangkok Travelbug.
Next month – The Three Pagoda Pass, Sangkhla Buri, Kanchanaburi
My Journey through Thailand Part I The First Steps
This is my second e-book and the first in the series of travel journals on my trips to explore the various provinces in Thailand. This edition, which covers my travels from late 2009 to mid-2013, will guide you to historical sites, cultural monuments and exquisite Thai handicraft, across a vast spectrum of cultural and ethnic diversity.
You can have a virtual tour with this e-guide book or take the first steps yourself in this journey through Thailand.
My Kindle e-book
Continue reading "Abandoned Temples in Sangkhla Buri, Kanchanaburi"
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