Thailand The Johnsons

A collection of images from my visit to this strange and surreal Wat, very similar to the one in Korat I visited, Wat Pa Lak Roi, which was my first introduction to Buddhist Hell Gardens.
The images leave nothing to the imagination.

Wat Tham Ta Pan in Phang Nga Town is one of the weirdest original temples in southern Thailand. Located around 100 km northeast of Phuket, the site offers a journey through Buddhist Heaven and Hell.

At first sight, the temple looks a bit abandoned and decrepit, which simply adds to the eeriness of the place. You’ll see a fountain at the entrance, where there are 5 sculptures of monks. Each holds a bowl that represents wealth, beauty, happiness, cleverness, and health. Try throwing a coin in the bowl of your choice. If you succeed in landing one in, your wish will come true.

Heaven Cave
Right next to a small shop, there's a huge Chinese dragon with a wide-open mouth waiting for you to enter. This is the beginning of your ‘journey’ through representations of Buddhist Heaven and Hell. The inside of the dragon has a long and dark tunnel, with just a few tiny windows lighting your path.

At the end of the tunnel, you'll find the entrance to a deep cave. Pray at the small shrine on your left before heading towards the Nirvana section, right at the end of the cave. It takes about a 10-minute walk along a dark track with bridges crossing a river to reach the end, which has 2 Buddha statues symbolising Heaven.

Buddhist Hell ('Naraka' in Sanskrit and 'Na Rok' in Thai) awaits you if you do not follow the 5 precepts of Buddhism during your life:

Abstain from taking life (thou shall not kill).
Abstain from taking what is not given (thou shall not steal).
Abstain from sexual misconduct (thou shall not commit adultery).
Abstain from false speech (thou shall not lie).
Abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness (eschew drunkenness).
A visit to Wat Tham Ta Pan can be a really scary experience, so it isn't recommended for young children. Scenes showing torture applied to sinners are vivid and straightforward, leaving no space to the imagination.
An area behind these buildings offers a walk up a cliff through a garden dotted with statues of animals. The cliff displays sculptures and representations of Indian deities, such as Ganesh and Akhilandeshvari.

Wat Tham Ta Pan is a one-of-a-kind temple that's well worth a visit, simply due to its weird originality.

Music free under creative commons licence from YouTube Music Library
Title: Mist- by Odonis Odonis

A great stop off on my road trip in December 2021, when the waters were quite low.

In Thailand, however, every little trickling stream seems to be advertised as this or that “waterfall”, and more than once I’ve hiked several kilometres only to find something less impressive than a fountain you might find in front a three-star hotel. At Manora waterfall just north of Phang Nga town, however, you’ll be rewarded by something justly worthwhile.

The multiple layers and refreshing natural pools of Manora are just a short motorbike ride away from Phang Nga town. Upon entering the trail visitors are greeted by a pristine swimming hole with cool, clear water that flows straight from nearby mountain tops. This is where Phang Nga comes to cool off, and if you’ve had it with Thailand’s tropical heat, it’s a welcome sight indeed.
Just beyond the swimming hole visitors will find a wide and relatively deep stream bridged by a fallen tree. If it weren’t for the hundreds of small fish that thrive here, this stream would also be a good spot for swimming. At least it makes for a nice photo.
A little further up the path from the fish stream the first of Manora’s waterfalls comes into view. With less of a roar than those further up, this is a tranquil little spot to enjoy the entrancing sound of water gushing over rocks.

After passing another shallow swimming hole along the path, where you can swing like Tarzan on a vine over the water, Manora’s larger and more dramatic falls are found. Okay, so they’re not Niagara or Angel falls, but Manora is impressive, especially considering that six different sets of falls of different shapes and sizes thunder alongside a winding path of several hundred metres draped in lush jungle canopy.

music free under creative commons licence from YouTube music library
Titile:Vitality by Benjamin Martins

A video collection of my photos from:

Suan Son Pradiphat is a sand beach in Tambon Nong Kae, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand. Suan Son Pradiphat is regarded as another popular and well-known marine attraction in Hua Hin, it is about 9 km south of town of Hua Hin.

Khao Takiab hill bisected between these two areas. Its name literally translates as "oak pine garden", because there are many this species of pines in the area.

The beach is located in a military zone under supervision by Infantry Center, Royal Thai Army, therefore, it is a quiet and less crowded beach compared to other beaches of Hua Hin or Prachuap Khiri Khan.

There are restaurant, food court, coffee shop, restroom, and bathroom service. Along the beach is shady with oak pines. A Bryde's whale skeleton is displayed at the entrance to the beach.

James Bond Island....
or as its really called...
Ko Tapu is a limestone rock about 20 metres (66 ft) tall with the diameter increasing from about 4 metres (13 ft) near the water level to about 8 metres (26 ft) at the top. It lies about 40 metres (130 ft) to the west from the northern part of Khao Phing Kan.
In The Man with the Golden Gun, Scaramanga describes Ko Tapu as a “mushroom-shaped rock”, which houses two large solar panels which come up on top of Ko Tapu and lock on to the Sun.
Thankfully there were no "World saving, death defy stunts" Needed

During my Xmas break I visited this very new and shiny Wat.

Well now completely finished and closed doors meant we could only walk around the monumental grounds and Temple. Not boring at all with some astounding views of the Bay.

There is little info on when the building started or any info on it at all, so sorry all I have are my photos!