Tag Thailand

Wat Saket – Bangkok’s Golden Mount.

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Wat Saket – or ‘The Golden Mount’ – is a little out-of-the-way from the regular tourist routes in Bangkok. There are no train stations nearby, so to get there it’s either a half-hour walk from the Grand Palace precinct, or a short tuk-tuk ride – whichever you prefer.

I was in Thailand back in January and made the decision to visit this place – doing so on foot via a conveniently-placed McDonald’s on the way – and it was certainly worth the effort.

There was a small entrance charge (for foreigners) of one-hundred Thai Baht, or around five dollars Australian. It’s no big deal as not only is the spectacle worth the price of entry, but the money is contributing to a good cause. I should also point out that most of the major temples around Bangkok sting tourists a similar admission fee.

The only way to the top is via a winding staircase that makes its way past misty waterfalls, and then onto a number of different landings. The first level features a large gong and an arrangement of bells, before the steps continue upward toward the temple itself.

Situated at the end of the steep uphill slog is the entrance and ground floor of the temple, featuring an assortment of statues, artwork and other religious symbols. There is plenty to look at here, but the real attraction is waiting for you beyond the next flight of stairs. Of course, I’m talking about the spectacular rooftop.

Wat Saket was built atop the only hill in Bangkok, and as a result the panoramic view of the city is impressive. There’s usually a bit of smog about, but the river, modern skyline and surrounding temples and palaces can all be seen clearly.

But amidst the constant chanting of the monks, golden statues and breathtaking views, I did observe a few quirky and unusual things about this place – see below for some examples.

These modern wonders stood inside the temple and were only a few feet away from some sacred shrines and ancient displays – quite the juxtaposition. To be honest, I think it’s a great fundraiser for the monks to sell ice-cold drinks, as many tourists would be thirsty after walking up to the summit in the heat and humidity. Open the fridge door, grab your icy beverage, and pay the old man in robes sitting at the counter. It’s a little unusual, but I’m all for it!

Near the base of the hill is a rather morbid depiction of vultures eating dead bodies. The birds are pecking away at victims of the many Cholera outbreaks that Bangkok suffered throughout the nineteenth century. Apparently, thousands of people were cremated at Wat Saket during these times, but it was impossible to keep up with demand, so corpses would begin to pile up everywhere. Of course, this is where the vultures enter the story – as seen in the display.

Next to the gruesome vulture statues is a small white pagoda, and within is something known as ‘Buddha’s footprint’. I had never seen anything like this before, and it was fascinating to learn that it is of great spiritual significance.

I was intrigued by this sign outside the temple, for although the instructions are clear, a lot of people ended up taking off their shoes. Could it be that the colour should have been green instead of red? I think this is what tricked most folks.

Wat Saket is a great place to visit when in Bangkok, especially as a ‘side mission’ away from the hectic crowds around the popular tourist hot spots. I did take some video footage while I was there and uploaded it to YouTube. It didn’t get anywhere near as many views as some of my other Thailand clips, but I’ll put the link below anyway.

A night out at Port FC – Bangkok, Thailand.

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When I was in Bangkok a couple of weeks ago, I studied the schedule for the Thai Premier League and discovered that a game was being played only two train stops away from my hotel.

Needless to say I went and checked it out.

My destination was PAT Stadium, which is a compact venue that holds far less than 10,000 spectators – possibly closer to 5,000 – so it doesn’t take much to fill the place up and create a loud and vibrant atmosphere.

The local team here is Port FC, based in Bangkok’s port district, who are a reasonably successful side and currently sit around 3rd or 4th place on the league table.

Outside the venue there were dozens of food vendors set up, and the beer sellers were doing a roaring trade. In fact, I observed that hundreds of people were in no hurry to catch the kick-off, as they were still sitting around outside the ground enjoying their drinks well after the game had commenced.

I also noted that even more folks left their seats just before half-time to resume their drinking session outside, which was a shame because in doing so they missed their team score a goal.

There was a great merchandise shop at the ground as well, and it was obvious that the club jerseys were a highly-sought-after item as almost everyone was wearing one.

The game itself was an entertaining affair, with Port FC fighting back from 3-1 down against Ratchaburi to salvage a 3-3 draw.

In my honest opinion, the standard of the competition is well below that of the A-League here in Australia (recent results in the Asian Champions League might suggest otherwise), but there was enough speed and individual skill on show to satisfy any football fan. The VAR was a real mess however, and was constantly stopping the game and taking ages to come up with a decision – not helped by the linesman (assistant referee) nearest to where I was sitting who didn’t have the best of games.

If I had to give my experience a score out of ten, it would be no lower than 9. This was an enjoyable night out; the crowd and atmosphere were brilliant, the fans were friendly and welcoming, and there was a ton of well-priced food and beverages available.

In fact, I liked it so much that I will make an effort to come back and watch another game next time I am in Bangkok.

“A feast of football!” as the late, great Les Murray would say.

I did create a short video of my experience – the link is below.

The Taj Mahal of Thailand

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The Central Mosque of Songkhla, situated on the outskirts of Hat Yai, is not exactly a famous tourist attraction in Thailand – but it is well worth visiting.

The Mosque was a two hour walk (10km) from my hotel in mid-town Hat Yai, which in hindsight was perhaps a little too far to hike – especially as half that distance was alongside a busy highway with no footpaths.

However, being a typical Aussie, I toughed it out and reached my destination without too much trouble; and the long walk was definitely worth it!

I should point out that this is a place of worship and not Disneyland, so there is little else to do here except take photos and admire the grandness of the building.

Also, I’m not sure what the rules were, but I walked up to the main doors and upon seeing others not wearing shoes – unlike myself – I quickly turned around and scurried back to the road. There were a few strange looks thrown my way, but hopefully I didn’t offend anyone – and I’m sure the arrival of the Tourist Police minutes later was purely a coincidence.

So, if you happen to be in Southern Thailand – Hat Yai or Songkhla Town to be exact – then the Central Mosque should be on your list of places to visit.

I did take some video footage as well and uploaded it to my YouTube channel – link below.

The amazing Mega Plaza in Bangkok.

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I first heard about this place through YouTube videos, and as a result the Mega Plaza ended up high on my list of things-to-do when planning my trip to Thailand.

There is nothing like it in Australia – nor in most other countries – for this is an entire shopping mall dedicated to toys, collectibles and video games (both current and retro).

I would have taken a lot more photos and videos, but some of the vendors aren’t too keen on tourists snapping away and have large signs on display stating exactly that. As a result, I respected their wishes (for the most part).

I found plenty of ‘Star Wars’ action figures and merchandise – some authentic and very expensive – and others perhaps not so much…

The gaming stalls were quite impressive and covered almost every system and game title released over the past few decades. In other words, there is a good chance you will find whatever retro game or console you are looking for, but it all boils down to how much you are prepared to pay. To give you an example, I did take a couple of ‘forbidden’ photos of what these guys are selling – just to show you how far back they go.

The size of this place is outrageous – six levels featuring hundreds of shops and stalls crammed from one end to the other – with a decent food court on the top floor and a McDonald’s restaurant down at street level.

I could go on and on, but instead I will wrap things up by posting a few more photos.

The Mega Plaza is located in Bangkok’s Chinatown district – at the western end of Yaowarat Road to be precise – with the nearest train station being Sam Yot (Blue line) only a couple of blocks away.

Jeff Fenech v Samart Payakarun – A memorable chapter in Australian boxing history.

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On the 8th of May 1987, an eagerly-anticipated and much-hyped boxing match took place in Sydney, Australia.

The bout was for the WBC Super-Bantamweight title between the local fighter Jeff Fenech and the reigning champion Samart Payakarun (often spelled ‘Payakaroon’) from Thailand.

While Fenech was already a sporting hero in Australia – having come close to an Olympic medal in Los Angeles before turning pro and winning the IBF Bantamweight title a year later – his Thai opponent was highly regarded and most pundits had the Aussie as an underdog, despite the fight taking place in his hometown.

The fact that the event was held in Sydney and not Bangkok would indicate that somehow the Australian promoters were able to scrap together enough money to lure the Thai champion to fight outside of his own country. This is where the story became outrageous, because as soon as Payakarun was paid, he and his entire team placed a ‘double-or-nothing’ bet on him winning the fight. Not only that, but to appease the disappointed crowd come fight night, the Thai boxer was prepared to put on a Muay Thai kickboxing show following his victory – presumably after a defeated Fenech was stretchered out of the ring.

Samart Payakarun certainly did come into the fight with a reputation that preceded him, for he was the biggest star in Thai martial arts before turning to professional boxing. Since making the switch, his most impressive performance was a fifth round knockout of Mexican champion Lupe Pintor in a chaotic Bangkok stadium, claiming the WBC Super-Bantamweight title.

I remember there being reports at the time that Payakarun had been given the ‘Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year’ award – perhaps as a ploy by the promoters and local media to build-up the fight – but this was incorrect. Instead, the Thai had been awarded a far lesser accolade; something along the lines of an ’emerging talent’ recognition, following his upset win over Pintor. Either way, Payakarun had successfully defended his title twice and had been champion for over a year, so he meant business when he came to Sydney.

There was a large (and vocal) Thai contingent at the fight, and once Payakarun entered the ring he hardly took his eyes off Fenech, and this was clear when the two boxers received their final instructions from the referee.

The fight started with Fenech as the aggressor, with the Thai cleverly using his speed and reach advantage to keep out of trouble. Nearing the end of the first round, the Australian walked into a straight right from Payakarun and suffered a flash knockdown – but this would prove to be the champion’s only highlight of the bout.

From the second round onward it was all Jeff Fenech, as Payakarun struggled to keep a comfortable fighting distance, and slowly but surely ‘The Marrickville Mauler’ began to wear his opponent down.

To give credit to Payakarun – he came to fight and stood right in front of Fenech the entire time – but this would prove to be his undoing. After copping a great amount of punishment in the second and third rounds, the Thai would ultimately collapse into unconsciousness late in the fourth, handing Fenech his second world title.

There were stories after the fight claiming that a humiliated Payakarun returned to Thailand and became a monk. If this was true, then it did not happen immediately after losing to Fenech as the rumours suggested, for the Thai boxer returned to the ring two more times – winning both fights by knockout – before ‘retiring’ in early 1988.

Payakarun made a comeback five years later, culminating in a title fight for the WBA Featherweight belt where he was stopped in the eighth round. Following this, Samart Payakarun changed career paths entirely and became a successful singer and actor in Thailand.

To end the story on a friendlier note, the above photo was taken in 2013 when Fenech and Payakarun came face-to-face again – but on this occasion the Thai master was in Australia promoting a kickboxing event.

I should also point out that the legendary Gus Mercurio (facing the camera) was part of the Seven Sports commentary team – and was a brilliant boxing pundit – not to mention the father of Paul Mercurio from ‘Strictly Ballroom’ fame.

Jeff Fenech vs Samart Payakarun can be watched on YouTube, and there is a link below to the full fight – courtesy of Rewind YouTube channel.

Note: The fight starts at around 25 minutes into the video.

Photos courtesy of Seven Sport, Fox Sports and Rewind YouTube Channel.