Bird Sighting "Oriental Darter" at Sa Kaeo

Oriental Darter or Indian Darter, called Snake Bird is a water bird of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. The bird's body size 90 cms, long neck is like snake, long head is like sharp knife, straight line wing, white gray spot breast, chin and white neck.

The Oriental Darter bird is almost extinct. It was migrated from Combodia every year rainy season. Sa Kaeo Province is breeded biggest place of the Oriental Darter.

Sa Kaeo Province

Sa Kaeo, located in the eastern border of Thailand, facing Combodia at Aranyaprathet.
Sa Kaeo is a popular province known as a trading center.

Sa Kaeo is 245 kilometres, east of Bangkok, with the area about 7,195 square kilometres. Sa Kaeo is divided into 7 Amphoes (districts) and 2 King Amphoe (sub-districts):
1. Amphoe Muang,
2. Amphoe Watthana Nakhon,
3. Amphoe Aranyaprathet,
4. Amphoe Ta Phraya,
5. Amphoe Khao Chakan,
6. Amphoe Wang Nam Yen,
7. Amphoe Khlong Hat,
and 2 King Amphoe (sub-districts):
1. King Amphoe Khok Sung,
2. King Amphoe Wang Somboon.

TOURING TRANG BY TUK TUK HUA KOP

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has worked in cooperation with Trang Municipality Office, the Trang Tuk Tuk Club and Trang Tourism Association to jointly develop three special sightseeing routes in Trang Municipality. All feature sites and attractions that are of historical importance and cultural interest. 

The tuk tuk hua kop is a small motorised tricycle with a roof and is one of the last remaining traditional modes of transportation to be seen around Thailand. Unlike the famous tuk tuks found in the capital, the Trang equivalent has its own unique characteristics. It has a modern round steering wheel and accommodates up to five passengers; one person rides in the front cab next to the driver, and the remaining are seated in the back. It is powered by a two-cylinder engine and can reach a speed of 60 kph.   

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has worked in cooperation with Trang Municipality Office, the Trang Tuk Tuk Club and Trang Tourism Association to jointly develop three special sightseeing routes in Trang Municipality. All feature sites and attractions that are of historical importance and cultural interest.

The tuk tuk hua kop is a small motorised tricycle with a roof and is one of the last remaining traditional modes of transportation to be seen around Thailand. Unlike the famous tuk tuks found in the capital, the Trang equivalent has its own unique characteristics. It has a modern round steering wheel and accommodates up to five passengers; one person rides in the front cab next to the driver, and the remaining are seated in the back. It is powered by a two-cylinder engine and can reach a speed of 60 kph.

Everyone who embarks on this special tour will receive a handbook – Touring Trang with Tuk Tuk Hua Kop. This is the only guide you’ll need to help you find your way along the route – a cultural trail that connects the past with the present.  

MAP Please click to view Turn to the centre-fold page and you’ll find a visitor-friendly map with all of the sites included in the three routes clearly marked, numbered and labelled.
Touring Trang with Tuk Tuk Hua Kop takes you on a fascinating journey through time. There are photographic illustrations and a brief description to go with each of the key attractions or sites en route. Stop by stop and page by page, the history, sights and sounds, and tastes of ‘real Trang’ are revealed.

ROUTE 1

Duration : A four-hour trip covering 17 stops Cost: 500 baht
Trang River at Ban Tha Chin
Wat Prasitthichai
Kiuyong La Chinese shrine
Wat Tantayaphirom
Somdet Phra Srinakharin 95 Public Park
Christ Church
Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi Monument
Kaphang Surin Lake
Sino-Portuguese architecture
Railway Station
Rubber Store House
Thamkong Yia Chinese shrine
Watthanatham Plaza, OTOP Centre of Trang, Trang City Hall and Clock Tower
Former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai’s house
Library and National Archives in commemoration of H.M. Queen’s 60th Birthday Trang Branch
Wat Matchimaphum (Wat Na Khao)
Paokong Chinese shrine

ROUTE 2

Duration: A two-hour trip covering 9 stops Cost: 300 baht
Christ Church
Sino-Portuguese Architecture
Railway Station
Watthanatham Plaza, OTOP Centre of Trang, Trang City Hall and Clock Tower
Former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai’s house
Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi Monument
Thamkong Yia Chinese shrine
Wat Matchimaphum (Wat Na Khao)
Somdet Phra Srinakharin 95 Public Park

ROUTE 3

Duration: A one-hour trip covering five stops Cost: 150 baht
Christ Church
Sino-Portuguese Architecture
Railway Station
Watthanatham Plaza, OTOP Centre of Trang, Trang City Hall and Clock Tower
Former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai’s house

Contact information:TAT Southern Office – Region 2 Areas of responsibility: Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang and Patthalung Tel: +66 (0) 7534 6515-6Fax: +66 (0) 7534 6517

- TheTourism Authority of Thailand

Desserts

Most Thai folk like sweets. Unlike the rest of a Thai meal, desserts are similar in most regions of Thailand. Many recipes include coconut milk so people who are dieting should be aware of this and try the seasonal fresh fruits instead.


A few dessert samples include Sangkraya Fak Thong, or custard in pumpkin, Kluai Buat Chi is banana cooked in coconut milk and bua loi phuak, or taro balls in coconut cream.

- Bangkok Tourist Burean

Taste of the South

The people of the southern peninsula are known for being impetuous. They talk fast and act fast and have a spice and zest for life. Southern cooking seems to reflect these characteristics to a certain extent.

Vegetables are taken raw or cooked. The most notable is the large tree-grown bean known as Sato, a bit like garlic because everyone knows when you've been eating it!

Kaeng Tai Pla, quite famous among southern curries is cooked from fish kidneys with added vegetables.

Kaeng Luang, a yellow curry with fish and bamboo shoots. If you have a delicate palate, approach this dish with extreme care.

Muslim dishes are, of course, common in this strongly Islamic region.

Khao Mok Kai exhibits strong Middle Eastern influences with its saffron rice and marinated chicken.

Kuai Tieo Khaek, noodle curry, inspires thoughts of India, though it is believed to have originated in the Malay peninsula.
- Bangkok Tourist Bureau

Taste of Central Plains

The Central region also has what is termed the "royal cuisine" a more sophisticated version of regional cuisine. Influenced by the kitchens of the Royal Court, dishes are elaborately prepared, making it as much and art form as a culinary masterpiece.

As the largest agricultural area in the country, rice is an essential element of every meal. Various kinds of curries are used to bring a splash of variety.

Kaeng Phet, or curry, is eaten with rice.

Tom Yam, the most frequently ordered dish all over Bangkok, is mixed with kung or shrimp, fish and chicken and is flavoured with lemon grass, chillies and kaffir lime leaves.

Kaeng Khieo Wan, a spicy green curry with ingredients comprised of coconut milk, sweet basit and chillies.

Tom Kha Kai, a thick coconut milk curry made from chicken or meat with lemon grass.

Kaeng Som, a spicy-sour soup with fresh vegetables, shrimps or fish.

Kaeng Liang, a traditional berbal, mild and spicy soup with vegetables.

Phat Phak, or fried vegetables with oyster sauce, and Phat Prieo Wan, sweet and sour versions, are best known to complement rice and curry.

Yam, this spicy salad dish is full of torpedo-shaped chillies, ordered with a pre-dinner drink.

Nam Phrik, the most original Thai dish of all, offers and array of different versions, all incredibly pungent to a foreign nose.
- Bangkok Tourist Bureau

Taste of Northeast

North-eastern (Isan) food reflects the influence of neighbouring Laos in a number of dishes. Glutinous rice is the staple diet, and all food is highly seasoned. This is supplemented by a heady mixture of strong bitterness and saltiness, creating and excitingly forthright taste locally known as saeb.

Som Tam (green papaya salad), is one of north-eastern Thailand's favourite dishes that has became popular nationwide and even in Thai restaurants overseas. This is a spicy salad made from raw papaya, dried shrimp, crab, lime junice, garlic and chillies. For the genuine Isan version, Pla Ra, fermented fish, is also added to the dish.

Lap, is minced meat, chicken or pork, cooked in heavily seasoned dried chillies, lime juice and fish sauce.

Nam Tok, medium rare barbecued meat is cooked with spicy sauces, lime juice, fish sauce and dried chillies.

Kai Yang, or grilled chicken, is another dish that is always ordered after the formula of Lap, Nam Tok and Som Tam. Bathed with herbs and sauces, it is eaten with a sweet sauce used as a dip.
- Bangkok Tourist Bureau

Taste of North

Most northern dishes are generally milder than those of others regions and patterned by Burmese influence. Rice is always the main dish, with curries being secondary to the meal, but the northern people prefer Khao Nieo, a steamed glutinous rice, kneaded into small balls and used to soak up sauces and dips.

Kaeng Hang Le, is a spicy pork curry that relies on ginger, tamarind, and turmeric.

Khao Soi, a curry of egg noodles and meat that also originated in Burma, is heavily laced with coconut cream, and served with spring onions, pickled cabbage and slices of lime.

Miang (tea leaves) is also Burmese and is eaten as an hors d'oeuvre.

Nam Phrik Ong, another delectable accompaniment, is a northern-style chilli-dip served with dried shredded pork and freshly cooked vegetables. 

The Exclusive method for serving northern food is on a Khan Toke (small circular table). It is normally set up in lavish surroundings. Diners sit on the floor around the table and help themselves to assorted dishes, perhaps a minced meat dish seasoned with chilli, a salad and numerous sauces.
- Bangkok Tourist Bureau

Taste of Food, Thai Taste

Foreigners may know Tom Yam Kung, a famous, original Thai spicy-sour soup that has for a long time been an export commodity of Thailand.

Some people take to Thai food immediately, others find the pungent and spicy taste, laden with garlic and chillies, a bit of a challenge. Almost all Thai food is cooked with fresh ingredients, including vegetables, poultry, pork and some beef. Plenty of herbs are used along with lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander to give the food its characteristically tangy taste. Fish sauce or shrimp paste may be added to make dishes taste salty. Throughout Thailand, rice is eaten with almost every meal.

Coconut milk is a main ingredient of Thai cuisine, and all kind of curries are mixed with coconut milk. It is also used in Thai desserts. However, if you don't have a penchant for sweet desserts, opt for a plate of fresh Thai fruit instead to end your meal.

A Thai meal is a communal affair, during which a group of diners will share several dishes, including steamed white rice. A century ago, meals were eaten by hand, pressing the rice into small round balls. Today a spoon and fork are used for eating rice, with chopsticks being used for Chinese-type noodles.

Thai food differs from region to region. Unlike the north and north-east, where glutinous rice is popular, Thai folk in the central area perfer the plain, fragrant variety, most commonly steamed.
- Bangkok Tourist Bureau

Chiang Mai Zoo, Giant Panda

Chiang Mai Zoo situated next to Huai Kaew Arboretum where PraThat Doi Suthep is located, with a total area of 531 rais. There are over 200 types (7,000 animals) in the middle of the mountains.

The most interesting animals are Panda named "Chuang Chuang" and "Lin Hui" the diplomats form China. Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui would stay at Chiang Mai Zoo for 10 years from 2004 to 2014.

The zoo also features :-

Nakorn Ping Bird Garden : you can watching the nature and listening to the sound of various kind of more than 800 birds in the area of 6 rairs.

Penguin Center : touching the Humboldt Penduin, Gibbon Islands : you can touch the gibbon living freely in the astmosphere similar to the authentic conditions in the nature, Seal Building : the building consists of 5 Cape Fur Seals from South Africa, Aquatic Animal Park : more than 60 types of aquatic animals, rare Mekong giant Catfish, Siamese Giant Carp and Ture Eel.

There are excellent facilites for tourists with restaurants and camping site. You can request for tent for overnight camping in the zoo in order to be the invaluable experience in living among nature with beautiful scenery and low costs.

Transportation : Driving along Huay Keaw Road and passing Chiang Mai University.
Open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m every day

The admission fee for 100 baht for Adults and 50 baht for children.

Giant Panda born in Thailand