A major clampdown on elephant/mahout activity in Bangkok has just been announced.  You could now be fined upto £200 for feeding an elephant.

That said, as sorry as you feel for the mahouts, it is commonsense not to support this activity anyway.

Elephants are emphatically not cuddly things out of Jungle Book.  Generally they are rather cantankerous and unpredictable. They become more moody, less predictable in inappropriate environments.

Traffic-filled, highly urbanised, Bangkok is certainly an inapproriate environment.  The elephants become unhealthy, particularly suffering respiratory diseases.  Sudden death is not unknown.

There has been a major incident in Bangkok, when an elephant ran amok.  Presumably smaller incidents are everyday occurrences.

If you want to help elephants and mahouts supporting elephant conservation and repatriation charities is the answer.  Also support elephant-focused tourism projects.

These projects are seen as the great hope in Government circles.  The elephants can’t stay in urban environments.  Their place, and that of their mahouts, in the logging industry is not going to come back.  The mahouts have to have an income.

All this said, I’ve been fairly uncomfortable with the touristic uses of elephants.  That, though, is not to say that elephant centres can’t be fun, with particularly good reports on the centre at Lampang.  People seem to love being a mahout for the day!

Mark Azavedo

Picture Copyright and by kind permission of Tourism Authority of Thailand.

A couple of weeks back I was railing about the lack of spatial understanding of Bangkok displayed by several of the major guidebooks.  The upshot of that, to my mind, is some rather weird recommendations as to where you should stay, places not necessarily well-placed to use either BTS or MRT rail systems.

That got me to thinking about relevant alternatives; and the canal ferry services came to mind.  Sure enough, although these are usually used by Bangkok commuters, they did rather hit the button for getting you around particularly the Klong Toey administrative area of the City.

Using the canal ferries also gives an additional dimension to your holiday, including that it is another way to meet ordinary Thais going about their everyday business:

Notes on Boat Service in Saen Saeb Canal
Piers: 27 Piers
Tickets: 5-15 baht by distance

1) Phan Fah Leelart (terminal, a bridge to Bangkok City Center)
2) Bo Bae (Garment market – second only Pratoo Nam and Pahurat [Bangkok Little India])
3) Wat Phraya Yang – (a temple near Yotse)
4) Saphan Charoen Phon (to Charoen Phon neighborhood)
5) Ban Krua (a Muslim community – the backbone of Jim Thomson’s silk business)
6) Saphan Hua Chang (with connection to National Stadium Skytrain Station)
7) Pratoonam (major BKK Garment Market, not far from Panthip and WTC, an interchange for Saensaeb Boat, used to have a water gate in the time of King Mongkut to feed the Royal lotus pond (the root of Pathumwan District), hence got the namesake from that thing)
8)Saphan Chidlom – near Central Chidlom, Siam City Bank HQ, Siam Commercial Bank (Phetburi Office)
9) Saphan Witthayu – near Vanich Building, in Wireless Road
10) Nana Nua – near Bumrungrat Hospital
11) International School – near Rueanruedee International School
12. Saphan Asok – near Japanese Embassy and Phetburi Station of Subway
13) Prasarn Mitr – in Sri Nakahrintharawiroj University (Prasarn Mitr Campus)
14) Watmai Chonglok – in New Phetburi Road
15) Phrom pak – a lane to Phrom Phong Station of Skytrain, and not far from  Thai-Italian Pier can be a substitute
16) Thon Lor – a road to Thong Lor Station – not far from RCA
17) Charn Issara – Charn Issara 2 Building
18) Saphn Klong Tan – near Klong Tan Intersection – used to be an interchange for Lad Phrao boat until 2000 (the year Boat service in Krung Kasem city moat and Lad Phrao canal went out of business)
19) The Mall 3 – (ram Khamhaeng Branch) near New Rama 9 intersection
20) Ram Khamhaeng 29 – near the defunct Welco
21) Wat Thep Leela – the main road from Ram Khamhaeng to Thai Cultural Centre
22) Ramkhamhaeng University – the biggest open university in Thailand
23) Saphan Mit Mahardthai – near Huamark Stadium – and can connect to Lad Phrao Road
24) Wat Klang
25) The Mall – the shopping center rival to Central (the main branch in Bang Kapi)
26) Bang Kapi – near bang Kapi district office, and Bang Kapi Market
27) Wat Sri Boonruean – terminal near NIDA

Mark Azavedo

http://www.2bangkok.com/ferries.shtml

Psirri reminds me of the Marais in Paris when it was a zone of transition – traditional workshops mixed with new bars, restaurants, yoga and dance studios.  The dissimilarities lie in Marais’ history as the Jewish Quarter of Paris, and its latter day association with the gay scene.

So bowled was I with Marais’ heady mix that it was my first choice for a fashion shoot.  Though, at that time, I spent most of my working life in Greece, I never remotely considered it.

I can barely believe my words when I now say Athens would be my undisputed choice. Psirri and nearby Gazi are so of the moment, so fascinatingly emergent, the first a major working class district of Athens, the latter the old gasworks.

Get to Psirri quickly before all the character goes. It will become ever more characterised by bars, restaurants and entertainment venues.  Also, some nice modern speciality shops.

It is still the talk of Athens that Psirri became designated as an entertainment zone, so pushing up property values and rents, making them unaffordable to the traditional trades.  The chatter is of corruption as a major property owner and landlord in Psirri was a government minister.

For the casual visitor, Psirri simply feels like the next step, a natural development from overdeveloping Monastiraki. In fact, ever onward and outward, development is moving into Thissio.

A great thing to do is an evening stroll in the park by Thissio station, under the watchful view of the Acropolis. There is a small handicrafts and collectables market to browse.

Gazi was much less contentious, acclaimed a wonderful use of the old gasworks. It is an exhibition and media centre, and, more particularly, an entertainment zone. Perhaps the most achingly trendy entertainment zone in the world? This is where you find Athens’ beautiful people or, to be more precise, Athens’ beautiful young people (the older ones focus on Kolonaki).

I am, of course, trendy beyond even Gazi, having so many allergies that eating out is near impossible. But, consistently recommended for all Athens are two Gazi restaurants, The Butcher’s Shop (for meats) and Sardelles (for fish). Hoxton is the usual bar recommendation.

In screaming the case for Athen’s new areas, I have to admit that on a spring evening, without the tourist crowds, Monastiraki was beguiling.

I stayed in the wonderfully affordable Hotel Aristoteles, chosen through our site.

Mark Azavedo

Mari is in Bangkok at the moment; and e-mailed me about new tram services in the City:

Chinatown

There is a new free Chinatown Sightseeing Tram starting at Soi Porisapa by Hualamphong Railway Station, where you collect your ticket from the booth.

You can stay on for the tour or get on and off with stops at Thianfa Foundation (Thianfa Foundation, Siang Gong Shrine, Wat Yuan Taladnoi), Old Market (Old Market, Bumpenchinprot Temple), Mangkorn Kamalawat Temple ( Wat Leng Noei Yi, Kanmatuyaram Temple, Leng Buai Yia Market), Kwong Siew Hospital (Guang Dong Shrine, Kanikaphol Temple, Da Feng Zu Shrine, Piangnarm Road), Traimit Temple-Ocean Circle (Wat Samchin, Yaowarat Road).

The Tram operates 11am-11pm weekends, with typically Thai confusion as to whether it also operates 5pm-11pm weekdays.

Rattanakosin Island

Information around the Rattanakosin tour tram is even less clear. It operates 10am-8pm, with tickets available from Democracy Monument and Sanam Luang (30 Baht). Tours, with multi-lingual commentary leave every 30 minutes from near the Grand Palace front gates.

The Tram loops around all the major attractions of the Island which is the Old Bangkok of the Bangkok Period. You cover such sights as the Grand Palace, San Luk Meung, The National Museum, National Gallery, Jurapong Mosque. and Pak Talong Flower Market.

To Hua Hin and Cha-Am

The new Southern Bus terminal is very far out of central Bangkok. This has led to new informal minibus services from Democracy Monument. There is huge confusion over this, but I’ve found the services fast and cheap.

The downside is very little information.  I’ve been told by a travel agent friend that they leave every half hour, or sooner when a bus is full.  There are no published timetables, so we don’t know when precisely the first and last buses depart.

Fare is 180Baht. They reserve the right to also charge for luggage, but I’ve never actually been asked to pay.

Departure is from an alleyway at the side of Century Mall/Plaza. All companies proved reliable. I remember one called 333.

Return from Hua Hin is from opposite the Esso petrol station.

Mark Azavedo

I love Berlin; and had a very happy commute a couple of weeks back, reading Alison Grinter’s article “Trend Setting” in TNT magazine.

The article focuses on the new East/West divide in Berlin, the East being capital of cool in a super-cool city.

Alison and TNT magazine have kindly given us permission to link to this not to be missed article. Please click here.

Wine lore has it that wines can only be produced either 30-50 Degrees North or South of the equator. Thailand, along with Brazil, India and Indonesia, is disproving that.

In the Thai case, as so much development, the starting point was a Royal Project, under the patronage of H.M.King Bhumibol, this in conjunction with Kasetsart University.

The first commercial planting of vines was at Chateau de Loei, in the Phurua Highlands, in 1991. The wines are produced under the guidance of Australian and French oenologists, with a Shiraz varietal the estate’s flagship wine.

Khao Yai, only two hours out of Bangkok, has the greatest intensity of vineyards, Chateau des Brumes Village Farm and Winery, PB Valley Winery and Granmonte Estate. You can visit on a day trip, but the National Park is worth a couple of days stopover.

Chateau des Brumes is an 80 acre property, specialising in French-style wines. They are made under the tutelage of Jacques Bacou, a French winemaker.

PB Valley, Khao Yai’s oldest winery, is an 800 acre estate planted to Shiraz, Tempranillo and Colombard. Since 2002, PB Valley Wines, made with the assistance of German Wolfgang W Schaefer, have been served by Thai Airways.

This estate is a particular favourite of mine for its extensive leisure facilities, as well as the wine. There is a large restaurant, with fabulous views, under the management of the lovely Nana, as well as produce and souvenir shop, together with simple, but attractive, on-estate accommodation.

Granmonte is PB’s neighbour. The property is set in 40 acres planted to Shiraz and Chenin Blanc, but also table grapes. Unusually, given the predominance of reds in the Thai offering, a favourite from Granmonte is the Sakuna Rose.

Winemaking at Granmonte is under the direction of Nikki Lohitnavy, Thailand’s first Thai female winemaker. Nikki (Visootha) is a graduate of University of Adelaide.

Granmonte is another winery with good leisure facilities by way of the Montino shop and VinCotto restaurant. The restaurant runs under the watchful eye of Sakuna Lohitnavy, Nikki’s mother.

Probably Thailand’s most ambitious and well-funded winery, coming out of the Red Bull fortune,is Siam Winery. The winery also, perhaps, boasts Thailand’s most known vineyard, the so-called floating vineyard at Samut Sakorn on the Chao Phraya delta, only 60km from Bangkok.

This vineyard harvests local grape varieties White Malaga and Red Pok Dum. The vines are planted on islands, separated by canals, Grapes are taken to the winery by boat.

Siam Winery’s main seller is Monsoon Valley. The grapes for this wine are now grown exclusively at Hua Hin Hills Vineyard. Again, Siam Winery has a talented overseas oenologist, Kathrin Puff, from Germany.

A visit to Hua Hin Hills Vineyard is a must for anyone staying in Hua Hin. You can stay in the hills area, but you will find yourself continually commuting into Hua Hin. The opposite commute makes more sense; and can be arranged at Hua Hin Hills Wine Cellar at Hua Hin Market Village at B200 for the round trip.

Hua Hin Hills is planted to Colombard, Chenin Blanc, Muscat, Shiraz, Tempranillo and table grapes. The Sala Wine Bar and Bistro has fantastic views out over the vineyard and great food at sensible prices (my lunch is in the picture).

The vineyard also has a nice shop. I did, though, balk at the elephant-back tour of the vineyard (though it was an elephant corral). That got me pondering the arguments that have raged in the Napa Valley, California over the balance of agriculture and leisure facilities.

Something that particularly excited me at Hua Hin Hills was the soil samples, loamy and slate. These are good vine soils; and particularly the slate must add character. This said, it must never be forgotten that these early successes for the Thai wine industry have been based very much from Thai pragmatism in welcoming overseas oenologists and technological innovation, particularly around irrigation and fruiting control.

My main worry for this embryonic industry is that the 200% excise duty will preclude a substantial bedrock demand for Thai wines in the home market.

Please contact us at marktimetravel@yahoo.co.uk for vineyard accommodation, accommodation in vineyard areas, wine and other Thai agritourism itineraries.

Mark Azavedo

24 September 2009 – 24 January 2010

What would we do if the Messiah came to the world right now ? Would the governments headed by members of the three Abrahamic faiths hand over their reigns of power to the Messiah ? Indeed, what would the governments, religious authorities, armies and laymen do in such a situation ? Would people feel this was the fulfilment of a prophesy or Armageddon ? What would followers of non-Abrahamic faiths or atheists do ?

These are the sort of questions Moctezuma and his council of advisors must have faced when the Spanish first appeared on the coast of Mexico. The Spanish appeared in the year, manner and in the way the Mexica expected their nemesis, Lord Quetzalcoatl, was suppose to appear, spelling the end of their world as they knew it. This was no messiah of deliverance, he was expected to destroy their way of life – and the Spanish did do that !!

By the time the Mexica realized the Spanish were no Gods but only all too human, it was too late. New diseases, new weapons, new animals, new alliances, new religion and new political ideas destroyed the Aztec empire.

Some of the best remains of their splendid civilization are exhibited at the British Museum at present. Fantastic works in carved stone, fine gold and iconic mosaics made of turquoise and semi-precious stones are beautiful to see and very thought provoking. What we can see on display is all that managed to survive the iconoclastic missionaries and greedy Conquistadors. Its amazing to think what the bigger, better pieces must have looked like !

There are paintings showing human sacrifice, ceremonial weapons covered with precious mosaics, wooden drums, model of the central space in Tenochtitlan, stone animals in realistic and fantasy shapes, books written by Aztec and Spanish on the life and times of the Mexica people etc etc etc. There are objects from various tombs, temples and palaces of the Aztecs.

There were some Pre-Spanish paintings, with fantastic colours, shapes and designs that seem curiously modern ! For example, there is a painting of New Fire ceremony, reminiscent of the lighting of modern Olympic torch ceremony. There are the political manifesto style paintings showing the king having “the common touch”, visiting different parts of the empire. It was fascinating to see the king, royal family and aristocrats offering their own blood for various sacrifices. Seeing these, it’s easy to understand how the idea of “the son of heaven shedding his own precious blood for the good of the world” must have resonated with the Mexica people.

Black décor, erie music, and plenty of pictures of blood letting, skulls, death masks, weird serpents, ideas of obtaining strength by drinking human blood made this seem like a Gothic vampire’s utopia !

The exhibition is extensive, interesting and very thought provoking. Don’t miss it for the world !

This article is copyright Bhagwat Shah and appears by kind permission of the author.