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Category Archives: Chiang Mai

Travel Photography from Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand

Bonus Shot: Ringing In The New Year

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by Bangkokbois in Chiang Mai

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Chiang Mai, Photography

Ringing In The New Year

Going through my photos for a few of bell and gong ringing for a ringing in the new year post – other than those featuring a nude dude – I ran across this one among several others (not counting the aforementioned nude dude ones). And it sucks. There’s no bell. Or gong. Or nude dude for that matter. There was a drum. But it’s not in the photo. And you can’t even see the guy’s face who is pictured to see if you’d want him to be a nude dude. Plus it’s a bit blurry. Which was Noom’s call as he deleted it from my computer. But fortunately Noom’s computer skills do not include knowing about emptying the trash can. ‘Cuz despite all of its faults, I like this shot.

We were in Chiang Mai, visiting Wat Phan Tao during Yee Ping again. At night, they decorate the ground outside the ubosot with thousands of candles in little clay jars. So it’s a very picturesque setting. Unexpectedly during our visit, a five or six man drum troupe appeared, swirling about and beating their little hearts out. It was dark, which isn’t a good thing for photography. And they were moving like crazy, which didn’t help either. By the time I got close enough to take a shot their performance was almost over. So technically, it was one of those shots that got away. Except I managed to click this one anyway

Despite it’s blurriness, composition-wise it’s a good photo. The crowd is just enough out of focus to be background, and yet their attention draws your eyes to the drummer anyway. And while the guy to the left has nothing to do with the shot he looks like he’s walking away and the drummer’s attention seems to be focused on him. Or maybe that’s just the gay part of me reading something into the story that isn’t there. And while from the shot you’d have no reason to know why, the drummer’s movement is captured too. It’s one of those shots that makes you stop and look again. Although that could just be that you’re wondering what in the hell the photo is supposed to be about.

It works best, however, because despite all of its faults and its possible story that wasn’t, it immediately brings back that night. To me. Which is the important thing. To me. Although I’ll admit the shot I took of Noom naked in bed that night does the same. But that’s a different story. And a different memory.

Bonus Shot: Wat In The Hell?

09 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by Bangkokbois in Chiang Mai

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Photography, Wats

This is your mind on too many wat visits in one day.

This is your mind on too many wat visits in one day.

Since I’m cheating today and catching up on missed posts over the last two days, it was a perfect opportunity for me to post today’s Bonus Shot, which actually got posted tomorrow. At least officially. It’s not a bad opportunity for me to post a wat pun either. Not that beyond the pun this photo would make much sense to you anyway. But if you read tomorrow’s post, which actually got posted today, then this one fits. It’s the 8th photo of a 7 Shots post. Or maybe since it supposedly comes first it’s the 0 photo. And doesn’t really count.

I would have included it in tomorrow’s post instead, but it’s a self-indulgent shot. And I already had seven of those. In any case, I love it, but it’s not a photo that would probably do much for you. But it’s a two-fer, or actually a three-fer: it’s not one, but two repeating pattern shots, and a photo framed by an architectural detail to boot. That’s almost as good as a Monk Shot! and Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot! in one in my book. Even if it takes me a minute to remember which repeating pattern is which.

The bonus to the Bonus Shot is that I get to link to a post that won’t be posted until tomorrow. Which really is today. And I’d say as nonsensical as this shot may be, that alone makes it one that makes sense. And I’m sure you’ll now hope I never miss posting articles two days in a row again.

I took this photo at Wat Sadoe Muang, the Temple of the City Navel, in Chiang Mai. Which I only mention because I’m sure after seeing it y’all will be anxious to see this wondrous sight yourselves.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
7 Shots: Of Seven

7 Shots: Of Seven

Wat Sadoe Muang: Temple of the City Navel

Wat Sadoe Muang: Temple of the City Navel

Bonus Shot: Dat Rice

Bonus Shot: Dat Rice

Bonus Shot: Purfectly Content

24 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by Bangkokbois in Chiang Mai, Travel Photography

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Chiang Mai, Photography, Stupid Tourist Tricks

a tiger's tale

Noom molesting a tiger is always one of my favorite shots. We’ve visited Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai three times now – twice to give other visitors the opportunity of being mauled by a wild animal too – and each time it’s been the same: the trainer warns us against a long list of behaviors that might result in death and/or injury, and then Noom promptly ignores him and starts cuddling the beasts as he sees fit. I’m a bit more circumspect. For about 5 minutes.

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Bonus Shot: Beasts Of Bali

Bonus Shot: Beasts Of Bali

Bonus Shot: Making Merit

Bonus Shot: Making Merit

Bonus Shot: Temple Dog

Bonus Shot: Temple Dog

Bonus Shot: Wat Chang Taem Merit

05 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by Bangkokbois in Chiang Mai, Travel Photography

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Chiang Mai, Photography, Wats

wat chang taem candles

Incense, flowers, and candles are the merit making trifecta at just about any Buddhist temple in Thailand. And any one of the three can make for a good photo when the play of shadows is right. That’s assuming you think taking pictures of candles is a worthy photographic subject . . . maybe next time I’ll get a picture of Chiang Mai’s second most important Buddha statue instead.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:

Bonus Shot: Temple Dog

Bonus Shot: Temple Dog

Bonus Shot: Blooms For Buddha

Bonus Shot: Blooms For Buddha

Bonus Shot: Offerings

Bonus Shot: Offerings

Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot! #34

20 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by Bangkokbois in Chiang Mai, Travel Photography, Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot!

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Chiang Mai, Photography

UPS Old Friends - 01

Yet another reader has sent in an Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot!, this one taken in Chiang Mai and titled ‘Old Friends.’ As biased as I am toward my own work, I have to admit this is one of the best of this genre I’ve seen. Even without the title leading you to that conclusion, the story this photo tells is an obvious one.

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Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot #5

Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot #5

Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot #7

Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot #7

Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot #16

Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot #16

Bonus Shot: Wat Panping

20 Monday May 2013

Posted by Bangkokbois in Chiang Mai, Travel Photography

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Chiang Mai, Photography, Wats

Small, but colorful, Wat Panping doesn’t get lots of press but is worth a visit when in Chiang Mai.

Small, but colorful, Wat Panping doesn’t get lots of press but is worth a visit when in Chiang Mai.

Wat Panping in Chiang Mai is certainly not the smallest Thai temple that I’ve featured in a post. Nor is it the smallest wat I’ve visited, some others make a corner 7/11 look spacious in comparison. So it should merit being featured here in a full post; other temples not much larger in size have been, and have been worthy of a Bonus Shot post too. So it’s not a size queen’s disappointment in stature that earns the temple nothing more than a Bonus Shot post. It’s that there is so little information about the wat available. Which is surprising because it is one of the few wats that has installed a nice – appropriately-sized – plaque that explains the wat’s history as well as its architectural highlights and why they are deemed to be of interest. And then small that it may be, it was partially destroyed by a big fire a few years ago which made big news – so you’d think there would be greater interest in this cool little mini-wonderland of Thai temples. At least enough to flesh out a full article on the place. But there’s not.

wat panping 2

Maybe it’s that Wat Panping sits directly across the street from Wat U-Mong (not the forest one), a much larger and more popular temple among the touri crowd; if you’re hitting numerous wats in Chiang Mai it’s easy for one to blur into another. I thought it might be that since Wat Panping is how it’s identified on the sign out front, but Wat Baan Ping is the name used on its explanatory plaque, that might cause some confusion and may be responsible for the dearth of information available on the ‘net. But that’s pretty standard practice for Thai temples. Some have close to a dozen alternate spellings of their name. Maybe it’s just one of those little jewels people want to keep to themselves; the temple’s visuals – a large gleaming golden chedi out front and several diminutive but vividly colored buildings leading inward – are enough to attract visitors so I have to assume a lot of folk have stopped by the wat. It’s just that few feel the need to write about it.

wat panping 3

Dating back to the beginning of the Lanna period, remnants of the 535-year-old wat’s original chedi can be seen in the garden at the rear of the complex, a fact conveniently left off the temple’s explanatory plaque that instead points out in great detail the wat’s architectural highlights such as the two tangled Naga depicted on the door lintel of main wiharn, a not often seen deva arch at the right hand side of the wiharn’s stairs, and the 20 Chinese bricks salvaged from the original temple and used in constructing the new one in 1932. No mention is made of the 2003 electrical fire that destroyed 70% of the wiharn either. Google and Wat Panping seem to be in a competition to se which can provide the least amount of information about the temple. But maybe that’s a good thing. Discovering a cool little wat on your own is one of the treasures of visiting Chiang Mai. And despite knowing little about the temple and its history, it is its look and ambiance that really is the draw here anyway. So a short, photographic Bonus Post might just be the most appropriate way to feature Wat Panping on this blog after all.

wat panping 4

wat panping 6

wat panping 5

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:

The Wonderland That Is Wat Lok Molee

The Wonderland That Is Wat Lok Molee

Good Fortunes At Bangkok’s Wat Traimit

Good Fortunes At Bangkok’s Wat Traimit

Bonus Shot: Temple Dog

Bonus Shot: Temple Dog

Bonus Shot: And Then There Is . . .

16 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by Bangkokbois in Chiang Mai, Travel Photography

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Chiang Mai, Photography, Wats

Wat Lok Molee

When you visit Chiang Rai’s famous white temple, Wat Rong Khun, you don’t expect to see the typical naga guarding the temple’s stairways. And architect/artist Chalermchai Kositpipat doesn’t disappoint. Elsewhere you know it’ll be naga, even when it is really markara or mom instead. That’s cool. I think I’ve got them down now. At least 90% of the time. Except for at Wat Lok Molee in Chiang Mai.

Out front of the wiharn there are naga. And a pair of mom show up at a smaller building off to the side of the compound. But out back of the wiharn they’ve gone with a motif I’ve yet to see in use at any other temple. A pair of snail shells, possibly stylized nautilus shells, flank the stairs there. There’s a smaller set hidden at a unused set of stairs on the building’s side too. That theme may or may not have a meaning. But rather than hunt it down I’m just gonna go with that the wat decided to screw with touri who thought they were now experts on the mythical creatures employed at Buddhist temples to decorate staircases.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:

Bonus Shot(s): Wat Lok Molee

Bonus Shot(s): Wat Lok Molee

Bonus Shot: Wat Rong Khun

Bonus Shot: Wat Rong Khun

Bonus Shot: Wat Dubphai

Bonus Shot: Wat Dubphai

Bonus Shot: Anticipation

22 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Bangkokbois in Chiang Mai, Travel Photography

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Chiang Mai, Markets & Shopping, Photography

anticipation

I was recently reading the comments on an old post where a reader was trying to point out how little of a difference there is between an average short-time off tip, 1,500 baht, and an average long-time off tip, 2,000 baht in Bangkok. His point being that 2,000 is way too little because of how much more you are getting for a mere 500 baht. That’s like $15. Which ain’t much. I’d normally agree with him. And often use the same calculation to show what a cheap bastard someone is being in only tipping 1,000 baht instead of 1,500 on a short-time off. Because $15 isn’t much money at all.

But that’s economics from the Westener standpoint. When it is coming out of your pocket that 500 baht is a paltry $15 and you shouldn’t be such a tight wad. 500 baht to a Thai, however, can be big bucks. And it is the Thai economy that sets the difference between tips for a short-time and long-time off at such a small amount. Small, to us. But to them it is not an insignificant amount.

Consider what an average Thai bar boy can do with 500 baht. He can eat for five days. Not well, certainly not at McDonalds, but he can fill his stomach. And with food he knows and loves. Or he can eat for three days and splurge on a few treats. Like those offered at this road-side stand in Chiang Mai.

It was the intensity of the look on this little kid’s face that drew me to this shot. He had the patience of Buddha in waiting for his treat to be cooked, though he was practically drooling the entire time. The cost was a rather pricey 14 baht. Food-wise, off hand I can’t think of anything you can still buy back in the states for forty-five cents. Certainly not freshly cooked.

I don’t know what the mark-up is, or what amount of profit off that 14 baht sale the vendor realizes. Even if he netted 10 baht, he’d have to sell 50 servings to take home 500 baht that day (not factoring in his rent and other operating costs). Regardless, I doubt if that kid tried to get his treat for a few baht less just because he might have thought he could.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:

Bonus Shot: Blooms For Buddha

Bonus Shot: Blooms For Buddha

Bonus Shot: Pussy

Bonus Shot: Pussy

Bonus Shot: Beast of Burden

Bonus Shot: Beast of Burden

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Sawatdee and welcome to the new and improved Bangkokbois Gay Thailand Blog! Okay, so it’s not necessarily improved, just hosted on a new site. And it’s not just about Thailand, though that still is the main focus. And it’s not all gay either, unless you’re not and then you’ll think it’s pretty damn gay I’m sure. All of the penis might tip you off. Which means if you are not of the required legal age to be looking at penis other than your own, you should leave. And go tell your parental units they suck at their job.

But it is a blog and one out of three ain’t bad. Besides, Bangkokbois Pretty Gay Mostly About Thailand Blog For People Of Legal Age is just too wordy. But so is Dancing With The Devil In The City Of Angels, which is really the title of this blog.

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