Koh Kret เกาะเกร็ด is a small island in the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand. It is around 3 km long and 3 km wide with an area of over 4.2 square kilometers. It has seven main villages, the largest and most populous being Ban Mon. The island is best known for Thai-Mon people who make pottery for a living. The island is only accessed by ferries.
Koh Kret was originally a meander located on the Chao Praya river. Due to Chao Praya river's curvy path, ships would take longer to reach Ayutthaya, Siam's capital at the time.
During the reign of King Thaisa, the king wanted to reduce shipping time and improve the kingdom's economy. He planned a canal which would bypass the meander and act as a shortcut for maritime transport. The canal was dug in 1722, requiring around 10,000 men and taking over a month to complete. After the canal was dug, shipping to Ayutthaya became faster and the canal was called "Klong Lat Kret" by locals. As time passed, the canal became ...
Kong Khong Market, also known as Bowing Market or Talat Kong Khong is located about 15 minutes south of Ayutthaya.
This market has a weird name because in the past vendors would lay their merchandises on the ground or in their boats. People who wanted to buy the goods had to bow their heads down in order to take a closer look at the items for sale.
This market was opened in 2006. It is a private market with the objective to allow the locals to have some space to open their shops. The market has been successful and has grown bigger until it has becomes the most interesting market in Ayutthaya. This market is open Thursdays to Sundays. On Thursdays and Fridays, customers are the locals or people working in nearby factories. During the weekends, customers who are tourists from other places in Thailand stop here.
Even though this market is not a big one, it has its own charm. All vendors wear Thai costumes in magenta or purple like the color of the mangosteen. The highlight of this market is the ...
Ku Phon Rakhang กู่โพนระฆัง
Ku Phon Rakhang is a famous Khmer architectural archaeological site located in Roi Et Province, Thailand. It was constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII of the Khmer Empire and served as a hospital or religious place, showcasing the transition from Hinduism to Buddhism.
It is a textbook arogyasala site, located in the southern section of the province, 500m or so east of Prasat Ku Ka Sing and corresponds to the Bayon-period settlement Muang Boran Ku Ka Sing.
The site today is largely intact, thanks to the restoration work by the fine arts department and consists of an east-facing laterite shrine on a platform, with a porch and cruciform-shaped terrace, enclosing wall, library and eastern gopura, all laterite, and a lined pond to the northeast of the enclosure.
The site is built from laterite bricks and features a main building facing east, with a library situated to the southeast, surrounded by a crystal wall in a rectangular shape. The middle...
Prasat Sra Kamphaeng Yai ปราสาทสระกำแพงใหญ่
The most substantial of Sisaket Province's Khmer sites, Prasat Sra Kamphaeng Yai consists of 4 standing towers and 2 libraries within a walled enclosure featuring 4 gopuras. 3 of the east-facing towers share a laterite terrace while a 4th sits behind the southernmost of the terrace shrines. It is likely that an additional tower was intended to be placed behind the northernmost of the 3. The central tower is a mixture of brick and sandstone elements while the remaining shrines, as well as the 2 libraries, are in brick. The gopuras and enclosing wall are of laterite.
Octagonal colonettes, a damaged pediment and several lintels are still in situ with the latter featuring Khleang-style designs. The central tower appears to be slightly older than the others while decorative elements on the libraries indicate a probably Baphuon period.
The doorjamb of the eastern gopura also features a lengthy inscription in ancient Khmer ...
