Keelung was occupied by the French army for almost a year during the Sino-French War (1884-85). The war was triggered by France’s attempt to colonize Vietnam. After the war the fortifications were reconstructed and expanded to protect the important harbor.
If you are interested in the events of the Sino-French War visit Fort Ershawan (二沙灣炮臺). It is located on a hill east of the harbor and offers a great view over it. It was built in 1841 during the first Opium War to prevent a possible British landing in Keelung and modernized in 1884 in preparation for a French landing. During the French invasion, it served as a command post for Chinese General Liu Mingchuan, but was destroyed on 5 August 1884 by the bombardment of three French warships and then captured by the French. It was rebuild, but not further modernized after the Japanese takeover.
Today, most of the fortress is used as a park. Its a great place to enjoy the view over the harbor.
The second of the 7 historic forts is ...
Port FC and Rasisalai United opened the 2026/27 Thai League 1 season at Buriram City Stadium in a matchup that highlighted the gap between established top flight pedigree and rapid upward mobility.
Port, one of Thailand’s oldest professional clubs, traces its roots to 1967 when it was founded as Port Authority of Thailand FC. Nicknamed the Port Lions, the Bangkok side enjoyed early dominance with multiple Kor Royal Cup titles in the late 1960s and 1970s, along with Queen’s Cup and FA Cup successes, and has remained a consistent presence in the modern Thai League 1 era with strong recent finishes, domestic cup wins, and continental qualifications.
Rasisalai United, by contrast, is a much younger club founded only in 2019 in Sisaket province’s Rasi Salai district. Built on community support and a modest budget, it climbed quickly through the amateur ranks, claimed the Thai League 3 title in 2024/25, and then won the Thai League 2 championship in 2025/26 to earn promotion to the top flight ...
Wat Talat Nuea, also known simply as Wat Nuea, stands as a quiet historical temple on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand.
Founded on January 6, 1888, and granted its royal consecration boundary on January 16, 1897, the temple occupies ground that once served as a bustling floating market where boats traded goods along the river. Its name, meaning Northern Market Temple, arose because another temple known as Wat Talat Tai, or Southern Market Temple, stood nearby.
Though modest in scale, the site carries a deeper historical weight through its connection to an ancient Buddha image that predates the temple’s formal establishment by centuries.
At the heart of Wat Talat Nuea is Luang Pho Samphao Thong, a bronze Buddha image more than three hundred years old, crafted in the late U Thong style. The figure sits in the Mara-Vijaya posture, its surface lacquered and gilded, with a lap measuring about sixty centimeters.
Local tradition holds that this sacred image...
Wat Na Phra Men stands on the northern bank opposite the old royal palace and is the only major temple in Ayutthaya that largely escaped destruction in 1767. Its principal image, Phra Phuttha Nimit Wichit Maramoli Sri Sanphet Borom Trilokkanat, is a large gilded bronze Buddha in royal attire seated in the subduing Mara posture, measuring about six meters high. The image is regarded as one of the finest surviving crowned Buddhas from the late Ayutthaya period.
Wat Nang Kui is a quiet riverside temple south of the main island, founded in 1587 by a wealthy woman named Nang Kui. Its best-known image is Luang Pho Yim, a gilded teak Buddha in the subduing Mara posture whose gentle smiling face gives it its name. Local legend says the statue floated down the Chao Phraya River and came to rest near the temple, where it has been venerated for roughly four centuries.
Wat Sala Poon Worawihan, a second-class royal temple on the northern bank of the old Lopburi River, houses the distinctive Luang Pho Khan Lai....
