The following photo gallery illustrates places to be visited in Thailand following the itinerary. These locations are places to be covered during the first Hamline University January Interim trip to Thailand as part of Anthropology 3270: Exploring Ancient Southeast Asia: Thailand 2001. Places that are bolded are major places/events of interest. Places that are underlined are towns and cities where we will stay. Note that most illustrations appearing here result from personal photographs taken during visits in 1995-1996.

(Day 1) January 3: Wednesday
Travel all day from Twin Cities to Los Angeles where we leave for Taipei.

(Day 2) January 4: Thursday
Travel all day from and from there to Taipei, Taiwan and then on to Thailand and the bustling, cosmopolitan city of Bangkok and then, following going through Customs, we go on to the Stable Lodge Hotel.

 

The urban nature of Bangkok	The Stable Lodge Hotel

(Day 3) January 5: Friday (Bangkok)
We spend our first Full Day in Thailand! After recovery from jet lag we walk around and become familiar with the nearby busy Sukhumvit Avenue and the soi (the side road the hotel is on). Later that evening we go for a group dinner where we view Thai traditional dancing.

 

A bustling Sukhumvit Avenue	The soi near the Stable Lodge	Traditional Thai dancers

(Day 4) January 6: Saturday (Bangkok)
We take a bus tour and visit the central area of Bangkok and the sprawling complex of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the Grand Palace, and finally the Bangkok National Museum.

 

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha	The Grand Palace	the Bangkok National Museum

(Day 5) January 7: Sunday (Bangkok - Ayutthaya)
This day we leave Bangkok and travel north (see map) to the old Thai capital of Ayutthaya, stopping first at the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace, then going to visit the temple at Wat Panunchoeng, followed by the impressive Wat Yai Chaiyamongkol. The rest of the day is spent visiting the Ayutthaya World Heritage Site, the Ayutthaya National Museum (Chao Sampraya Museum), Wat Prasrisunpet, the ruins of the palace, Wat Na Phra Meru, and finally Wat Chai Wattanaram.

 

Map of Thailand (blue line indicates class route. From Lonely Planet Travel Atlas 1995)	Bang Pa-In	Wat Panunchoeng (with the huge Buddha!)	The Wat Yai Chaiyamongkol complex and buildings
The plaque indicating Ayutthaya World Heritage Site	Wat Prasrisunpet in Ayutthaya	The palace area of Ayutthaya	The Wat Chai Wattanaram in Ayutthaya

(Day 6) January 8: Monday (Ayutthaya - Lopburi)
This day we travel by bus north from Ayutthaya to the town of Lopburi, visiting the Somdet Phra Narai National Museum. and palace and then the Khmer ruins of: Wat Mahathat, Phra Prang Sam Yod, Prang Khaek (Khmer ruins), and Phra Kara Shrine (a place with lots of monkeys!), and lest we forget, a market area with stalls selling all kinds of things! When I was there in 1992 I also had a chance to visit a traditional bronze foundry and we may be able to do this during this trip too.

An impression of the town of Lopburi	The grounds of the Somdet Phra Narai National Museum	The Narai palace	The Wat Mahathat at Lopburi	The 3-towered Prang Sam Yod ruin at Lopburi

The in-town, brick Khmer Prang Khaek in Lopburi	The Phra Kara Shrine (with an emphasis on monkeys!)	Sale items in the Lopburi market	Bronze working in Lopburi

(Day 7) January 9: Tuesday (Lopburi - Sukhothai)
This day we spend all day traveling north from Lopburi to New Sukhothai, the town nearest to the original Thai capital of Sukhothai. During the evening we should have an opportunity to walk around the town and take advantage of the colorful -- and tasty -- night market there!

(Day 8) January 10: Wednesday (Sukhothai)
This is the day we spend visiting the extensive Sukhothai World Heritage Site and spend the day, visiting Wat Phra Pai Luang and Wat Sri Chum and the Ramkamhaeng National Museum and the central Wat Mahathat. (You will note that there are quite a number of Wat Mahathats in Thailand!)

 

The Wat Phra Pai Luang at Sukhothai	Wat Sri Chum at Sukhothai	The Ramkamhaeng National Museum at Sukhothai	The Wat Mahathat at Sukhothai

(Day 9) January 11: Thursday (Sukhothai - Si Satchanalai - Sukhothai)
This day involves a day trip from Sukhothai to to Si Satchanalai. On the way there, we first stop to visit the Sawankhalok Kilns and wandering around the local ceramic shops. We then go on to the the nearby Si Satchanalai archaelogical site where we visit Wat Chang Lom, Wat Chedi Ched Thaew, Wat Nang Phraya, Wat Phra Non and then go to the Chaliang part of the site and see Wat Chao Chan and the Wat Mahathat temple there.

 

The Sawankhalok Kilns	Example of Celadon pottery (from Sawahkhalok)	General view of the Si Satchanalai archaelogical site	The Wat Chang Lom at Si Satchanalai	The Wat Chedi Ched Thaew at Si Satchanalai

The Wat Nang Phraya at Si Satchanalai	General view of the Chaliang part of Si Satchanalai	Wat Chao Chan at Chaliang	The Wat Mahathat at Chaliang near Si Satchanalai

(Day 10) January 12: Friday (Sukohothai - Chiangmai)
This day involves more bus travel from Sukhothai on north to the large city of Chiangmai, where, after checking in, we should have a chance to begin visiting the wonderful Night Bazaar with its restaurants and numerous and varied craft stalls.

 

Park area of Chiangmai

(Day 11) January 13: Saturday (Chiangmai)
This day we travel up to the mountain temple of Doi Suthep and then return to the city to visit the Chiangmai National Museum. That evening the group goes to the Chaingmai Culture Center where we are treated to a Lanna traditional kantok meal while we watch regional Thai-Lanna and Hill Tribes dance performances.

 

Temple on Doi Suthep near Chiangmai	Hill Tribes dance performances at the Chaingmai Cultural Center

(Day 12) January 14: Sunday (Chaingmai - Phitsanuloke)
We leave Chiangmai and drive southeast to the city of Phitsanuloke where we spend the evening and roam around the town checking out the night scene along the river.

 

Night scene along the river at Phitsanuloke

(Day 13) January 15: Monday (Phitsanuloke - Khon Kaen)
This day we take bus and travel across the mountains on our way to Isaan (Northeast Thailand) and the city of Khon Kaen. After checking in to our hotel, we drive through campus of the large and modern Khon Kaen University, and then stop and visit the collections at the Khon Kaen National Museum known for their "Sema stones" (displayed in a "sema circle" on the grounds of the museum!).

 

Mountainous scenery between Phitsanuloke and Khon Kaen	A sema stone at the Khon Kaen National Museum	A "sema circle" at the Khon Kaen National Museum

(Day 14) January 16: Tuesday (Khon Kaen - Udon Thani - Khon Kaen)
This day we take a day trip from Khon Kaen north to the city of Udon Thani near the border with the Laos (the Lao PDR). We then go to the world-famous archaeological site of Ban Chiang, visiting the site and the small Ban Chiang National Museum there.

 

View of open excavation at Ban Chiang with examples of ceramics

(Day 15) January 17: Wednesday (Khon Kaen - Ubon Ratchathani)
This day is mostly a travel day taking the bus toward Ubon Ratchathani, but stopping along the way to visit the Khmer sanctuary site of Ku Puei Noi.

 

The Khmer sanctuary of Ku Puei Noi south of Khon Kaen

(Day 16) January 18: Thursday (Ubon Ratchathani)
In the morning we drive east and a bit north to the Mekong River where we visit the Pha Taem cliff rock paintings. In the afternoon we return to Ubon Ratchathani and go to the Ubon Ratchathani National Museum.

 

The Mekong near the Pha Taem Rock Paintings	The Pha Taem cliff rock paintings

(Day 17) January 19: Friday (Ubon Ratchathani - Cambodian Border - Sisaket)
This day after checking out of the hotel, we drive south and a bit west toward the Cambodian border where we park and walk just within Cambodia to view the stunning, cliff-hanging Khmer site of Khao Phra Vihan (Preah Vihar in Khmer) and its famous lintel showing the creation of land-the "churning of the sea of milk." Back on the Thai side we then visit the nearby Pha Mor E-Daeng rock carving and then drive on to spend the evening in the town of Sisaket.

The Cambodian site of Khao Phra Vihan (Preah Vihar)	Churning of the Sea of Milk lintel at Khao Phra Vihan

(Day 18) January 20: Saturday (Sisaket - Surin)
From Sisaket we drive west and a bit north on our way toward Surin, visiting Khmer sites of Prasat Kamphaeng Yai and Prasat Sikhoraphum on the way. We spend three nights at the town of Surin.

Prasat Kamphaeng Yai	Prasat Sikhoraphum (from TAT)