Thailand The Johnsons

During my visit to Surat Thani recently I stopped by one of the most stunning City Pillar shrines I have ever seen.
It is located near the Tapee River which runs alongside the road that separates it from the busy road, and you can get a good look at the suspension bridge from by the gates.

This city pillar is made from wood of the Golden Shower Tree (CasiaFitsula). (it actually looks like white marble). The top of the pillar is carved into a 4-faced Avalo kite. Vara Bodhisattva looking in the 4 directions.

This is a common style of the city pillars around Thailand. On the large hair curls, there is a Buddha image in the attitude of meditation, which is considered as the guardian of the direction, according to Srivijaya’s belief. Moreover, wood carving of this pillar shows delicate floral motifs in Srivijaya style.

A well-kept shrine which is considered by many to be the symbol of the city, the City Pillar Shrine or San Lak Muang is located in the heart of the city. Standing near the Tapee River, this shrine is lit up colourfully at night and is a great spot to spend some time in the city.

Haad Kwang Pao Beach

Just got back from my break and have got some lovely photos of places I have visited.

Today we start with Haad Kwang Pao Beach, which when i arrived there was empty and I had the place to myself, heaven! But for how long?

Haad Kwang Pao beach is about 14 kilometer in the north of Khanom it is well posted from the main road.

The beach itself is formed like a halfmoon and fine sandy. some resorts and beach bars are located in the back, but it seems that not many tourists found the road to kwang pao beach. it was really empty, and we were the only tourists we saw. at kwang pao beach...generally on the different beaches of the Khanom area mostly Thai people take their holidays. This depends on the cheap prices for resorts and restaurants, which still exist in that region.

we had wind and waves and we just moved hip deep into the water, but it was deep enough to swim, as the beach slopes gently to the sea and so kwang pao is perfect for families with small children.

The beach is well protected...at the Northend are cliffs located...at the south end there's a pier with a few seafood restaurants and shops. the vegetation directly on the beach is reduced, because behind the resorts and restaurants is where the beach road is located.

The atmosphere at kwang pao beach was really quiet and peaceful, with just the sound of the waves breaking on the shore. we were alone at the beach the whole time I was taking photos.
This is a natural heritage site too, so pink dolphins, turtles and other marine life can be in the offing.

The dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace is undoubtedly the most famous landmark in Bangkok. It’s one must-see sight that no visit to the city would be complete without. It was built in 1782 and for 150 years was the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government.

The Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of the Thai people. Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, state departments, and even the mint. Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.

Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the small but famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century.
The robes on the Buddha are changed with the seasons by HM The King of Thailand – an important ritual in the Buddhist calendar. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace around the turn of the 20th century, but the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings.
The palace complex, like the rest of Ratanakosin Island, is laid out very similar to the palaces of Ayutthaya, the glorious former capital of Siam which was raided by the Burmese. The Outer Court, near the entrance, used to house government departments in which the King was directly involved, such as civil administration, the army and the treasury. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is located in one corner of this outer court.

The Central Court is where the residence of the King and halls used for conducting state business were located. Only 2 of the throne halls are open to the public, but you'll be able to marvel at the exquisite detail on the facades of these impressive structures.
The Inner Court is where the King's royal consorts and daughters lived. The Inner Court was like a small city entirely populated by women and boys under the age of puberty. Even though no royalty currently resides in the inner court, it is still completely closed off to the public.

Then there's the impressive Dusit Hall, rated as perhaps the finest architectural building in this style, and a museum that has information on the restoration of the Grand Palace, scale models and numerous Buddha images.

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Title: Fern by ann annie

In conclusion of this trilogy of street Art in Kata-Phuket, this area down the sidewalk to the small canal to the Kata beach, suns a wall with more modern and free form murals and wall art.

This area was also earmarked for urban renewal, which as all things is slow.
You can still walk down this canal path and see these murals, there were so many more but I think this gives you a good flavour of what's there.

Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
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So following on from Pt1 ,Kata Palm Square Street Art- Phuket Pt1, I'll put the link in this video which will take you right to it if you've missed it.

The photo project on this area of Kata was quite extensive , so I had to break it down into 3 pts, this is no.2! be sure to hit the like and follow button so you can be notified when they come out in the next few days!

Part of Kata's regeneration scheme after coming out of Covid, this is a great way of brightening up the area for locals and visitors alike.

Look out for pt3 coming soon!

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Titles;Bonfire by An Jone