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	Ayutthaya was a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese, Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese (First Europeans to establish relations with Siam - 1511), Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the city walls. French ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris. In 1767, Burma invaded and totally destroyed Ayutthaya. Please Click on 'View Gallery' to see photos of the very well preserved French Settlement and the almost abandoned and falling apart Portuguese Settlement due to the incompetence of the Portuguese diplomats and Governments.
	Thai Culture and Traditions are heavily influenced by Buddhism. Thai dancing is taught as part of the school curriculum in Thailand and can be described as being both beautiful and graceful. The dancers almost seem to glide above the ground as they move their hands back and forth at seemingly impossible angles.
	People of Thailand and Cambodia, see the natural beautiful and simple life style. The markets, transportation and scenes of daily life.
	Siam Reap, Cambodia, and the 'road' to Poipet (Cambodia/Thailand border). 153kms (95 miles) in 'just' five hours on the bumpiest road I have ever seen.
	Chong Khneas, Cambodia is a floating village at the edge of the Tonle Sap lake. The Tonle Sap is a combined lake and river system of huge importance to Cambodia. It is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia.
	Angkor Wat, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. The largest and best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.
	The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th century or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.
	The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is located 110km (68 miles) southwest of Bangkok in the Ratchaburi province. It is the best known and most visited of Thailand's floating markets.
	The Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. It is located in the historic centre of Bangkok, within the grounds of the Grand Palace. The construction of the temple started when King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok in 1785.
	The Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo near Bangkok, includes a variety of animals, elephant rides and a popular Elephant Theme Show. It has all the facilities of a great family playground and was accredited by CITES as maintaining, "One of the cleanest and most impressive public displays of crocodiles in the world."
	*The Thai New Year (Songkran)* is celebrated every year on 13 April to 15 April. People roam the streets with bowls of water, water guns or even a garden hose, and drench each other and passersby.Also they go to a wat to pray and give food to monks, clean Buddha images in temples with water and gentle Thai perfume, as it is believed that this will bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year.
	Ancient City or Muang Boran in Thai, is the world’s largest Outdoor Museum, 33 kilometres east off Bangkok is like an open book of history and an open door to the real Thailand. Reproductions of palace halls, temples, stupas, stone sanctuaries and traditional houses.
	Bangkok. The real and full name is: "Krung Thep Manakhon Bovorn Ratanskosin Magintharayutthaya Mahadilokpop Noparatratchathani Burirom Udomratchanivetmahasathan Avatartsathit Sakkathattiya Visnukarmrasit" - translated: "City of Angels, greatest of all cities, home of the emerald Buddha, immortal, precious jewel, invincable stronghold, ancient and honourable, crownded with nine jewels, heavenly city, founded by Indra and rebuilt by Vishnu". Thais just use: Krung Thep (City of Angels). Full of contrasts, the heat, the noise, the grime, the smells, the crowds, the terrible traffic of cars, buses, trucks, tuk-tuks and a huge number of cranking motorcycles.
	Bangkhuntian, Bangkok, located between Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon provinces, is the shoreline of south of Bangkok, a mangrove forest with small canals, houses on stills, shrimp farms, natural oyster beds and fisheries.
	The Loy Krathong festival takes place on the full moon in November and dates back to the time of the Sukhothai Kingdom, about 700 years ago. It marks the end of the rainy season and the main rice harvest. It is based on a Hindu tradition of thanking the water god for the rain. One year, a beautiful woman called Noppamas, who was the chief royal consort, made some special lanterns for the festival. She made them from banana leaves and shaped them like lotus flowers. The king was impressed with what he saw, so he announced that krathongs would float on the water every year from then on. Today, the memory of that woman who made the first krathong is remembered in a beauty contest called "The Noppamas Queen Contest".
	Wat Intharawihan, Bangkok. Phra Si Ariyamettraiya is a 32m-high gilded Buddha image, decorated in glass mosaics and 24-carat gold, it took over 60 years to complete and is the tallest of its kind in the world.
	Chatuchak (or Jatujak) weekend market in Bangkok is the largest market in Thailand, and largest of the world. It covers over 35 acres (1.13 km²) and contains upwards of 15,000 stalls. It is estimated that the market receives between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors each day. Most stalls only open on Saturdays and Sundays. The market offers a wide variety of products including household items, clothing, Thai handicrafts, religious artifacts, collectibles, foods, and live animals.
	Khlong Toey is a very 'fresh' market, offering low prices on raw meat, seafood, farm products, and a few other items (clothing, kitchenware, etc). A small, hidden village deep within the Bangkok concrete jungle, this extensive market seems to have a life of its own.
	Chao Mae Tuptim (Goddess Tuptim Shrine), Bangkok. The origins of Chao Mae Tuptim are obscure. It can only be recalled that a spirit house was built by Nai Lert for the Spirit who was believed to reside in the large Sai (Ficus) tree. The basic offerings are fragrant wreaths of snow-white jasmine flowers, incense sticks, pink and white lotus buds. Chao Mae Tuptim has received yet another, rather less conventional kind of gift, phallic in shape, both small and large, stylized and highly realistic. Over the years they have been brought by the thousands, and today fill the area around the shrine. Confronted by the extraordinary display the shrine has automatically been concluded to be dedicated to fertility. The Shrine is located on the grounds of the Nai Lert Bangkok Hotel (Swissotel) on Wireless Road.
	Koh Nang Yuan is a group of three islands northwest of Koh Tao (Gulf of Thailand). The pretty little islands are interconnected by a long sandy beach. The long stripe of smooth white sand can be explored on foot. The beaches on the islands are undisturbed and quiet, and they are all clean. The highlight of Nang Yuan is the beautiful scenery of the underwater world. The most magnificent and deepest spot is called Kohng Hin Nang Yuan which has unspoiled and untouched coral reefs.
	Koh Tao "Turtle Island" is an island in Thailand located near the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand and it covers an area of about 21 km². Koh Tao was named by its first settlers for the island's turtle-like geographic shape. Coincidentally, the island is an important breeding ground for Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles. The island is well known for scuba diving and snorkeling, and offers also some hiking.
	Koh Adang is a globally well-known undersea coral garden that is visible due to the shallow depth. The beach here is beautiful with adequate corals for divers to enjoy.
	Koh Lipe, Koh Hin Ngam and Koh Rawi (part of the Adang Archipelago), located in the far southwest of Thailand in Satun Province, near the Tarutao National Marine Park. Diving and snorkeling can be done around Ko Cha Bang where light-coloured flower corals lie underneath the sea.
	Krabi, Located approximately 814 kilometers from Bangkok, one of most attractive destinations in southern Thailand. Krabi is an ideal getaway destination teeming with natural attractions including white sandy beaches, fascinating coral reefs, numerous large and small islands and verdant forests with caves and waterfalls.
	Mu Koh Surin is close to the marine boundary between Burma and Thailand. It has so far been little visited because of its distance from the coast and the absence of any commercial activity.Is top-rated for excellent diving and snorkeling in Thailand.
	The Bridge over the River Kwai was brought from Java by the Japanese Army and was assembled at the River Kwai by the prisoners. Bombed several times in 1945, it was rebuilt after the war. The curved spans of the bridge are the original sections. An estimated 16,000 war prisoners and 49,000 forcibly recruited laborers died during the construction of the bridge and the Death Railway that leads to Burma.
	Bute Park, Cardiff - Wales, offers a welcome retreat only five minutes from bustling Cardiff city centre. From within its peaceful grounds, visitors can see the impressive structure of the Millennium Stadium and the beautiful façade of Cardiff Castle, they can hear notes carried on the wind from the nearby Welsh College of Music and Drama, and they can enjoy the large expanse of greenery the park affords. The River Taff runs through the park which has a beautiful array of flowers as well as a miniature version of Stonehenge. A garden in the heart of the city.
	Cardiff, located on the banks of the River Taff, is the capital and largest city (320,000+ inhabitants) of Wales. It's a busy commercial, maritime and university city. During Victorian times it was the biggest coal-exporting city in the world. Cardiff's most famous citizen was the wealthy second Marquess of Bute, who, in 1839, built Cardiff's docks to export the coal mined from his father's valley lands.
	Roath Park & Surroundings - Cardiff, Located to the north east of the city, this huge park is Roath's focal point. At one end is an immense boating lake with islands and a floodlit lighthouse - a tribute to Captain Scott who departed for Antarctica from Cardiff. Walking on, you'll come to a garden with scores of different varieties of roses, a tropical conservatory with the most amazing coloured fish and plants, children's play areas, tennis courts, a bowling green and a large recreation ground.
	The Brecon Beacons National Park - Wales, encloses around 500 square miles of varies scenery, from the Black Mountain in the west to the Usk in the east. The Beacons themselves take their name from the fact that they were used for signal beacons. Pen y Fan is the highest point in the Brecon Beacons at 2906 feet.

Ayutthaya was a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese, Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese (First Europeans to establish relations with Siam - 1511), Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the city walls. French ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris. In 1767, Burma invaded and totally destroyed Ayutthaya. Please Click on 'View Gallery' to see photos of the very well preserved French Settlement and the almost abandoned and falling apart Portuguese Settlement due to the incompetence of the Portuguese diplomats and Governments.

Thai Culture and Traditions are heavily influenced by Buddhism. Thai dancing is taught as part of the school curriculum in Thailand and can be described as being both beautiful and graceful. The dancers almost seem to glide above the ground as they move their hands back and forth at seemingly impossible angles.

People of Thailand and Cambodia, see the natural beautiful and simple life style. The markets, transportation and scenes of daily life.

Siam Reap, Cambodia, and the 'road' to Poipet (Cambodia/Thailand border). 153kms (95 miles) in 'just' five hours on the bumpiest road I have ever seen.

Chong Khneas, Cambodia is a floating village at the edge of the Tonle Sap lake. The Tonle Sap is a combined lake and river system of huge importance to Cambodia. It is the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. The largest and best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation—first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th century or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII, the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom.

The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is located 110km (68 miles) southwest of Bangkok in the Ratchaburi province. It is the best known and most visited of Thailand's floating markets.

The Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. It is located in the historic centre of Bangkok, within the grounds of the Grand Palace. The construction of the temple started when King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) moved the capital from Thonburi to Bangkok in 1785.

The Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo near Bangkok, includes a variety of animals, elephant rides and a popular Elephant Theme Show. It has all the facilities of a great family playground and was accredited by CITES as maintaining, "One of the cleanest and most impressive public displays of crocodiles in the world."

The Thai New Year (Songkran) is celebrated every year on 13 April to 15 April. People roam the streets with bowls of water, water guns or even a garden hose, and drench each other and passersby.Also they go to a wat to pray and give food to monks, clean Buddha images in temples with water and gentle Thai perfume, as it is believed that this will bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year.

Ancient City or Muang Boran in Thai, is the world’s largest Outdoor Museum, 33 kilometres east off Bangkok is like an open book of history and an open door to the real Thailand. Reproductions of palace halls, temples, stupas, stone sanctuaries and traditional houses.

Bangkok. The real and full name is: "Krung Thep Manakhon Bovorn Ratanskosin Magintharayutthaya Mahadilokpop Noparatratchathani Burirom Udomratchanivetmahasathan Avatartsathit Sakkathattiya Visnukarmrasit" - translated: "City of Angels, greatest of all cities, home of the emerald Buddha, immortal, precious jewel, invincable stronghold, ancient and honourable, crownded with nine jewels, heavenly city, founded by Indra and rebuilt by Vishnu". Thais just use: Krung Thep (City of Angels). Full of contrasts, the heat, the noise, the grime, the smells, the crowds, the terrible traffic of cars, buses, trucks, tuk-tuks and a huge number of cranking motorcycles.

Bangkhuntian, Bangkok, located between Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon provinces, is the shoreline of south of Bangkok, a mangrove forest with small canals, houses on stills, shrimp farms, natural oyster beds and fisheries.

The Loy Krathong festival takes place on the full moon in November and dates back to the time of the Sukhothai Kingdom, about 700 years ago. It marks the end of the rainy season and the main rice harvest. It is based on a Hindu tradition of thanking the water god for the rain. One year, a beautiful woman called Noppamas, who was the chief royal consort, made some special lanterns for the festival. She made them from banana leaves and shaped them like lotus flowers. The king was impressed with what he saw, so he announced that krathongs would float on the water every year from then on. Today, the memory of that woman who made the first krathong is remembered in a beauty contest called "The Noppamas Queen Contest".

Wat Intharawihan, Bangkok. Phra Si Ariyamettraiya is a 32m-high gilded Buddha image, decorated in glass mosaics and 24-carat gold, it took over 60 years to complete and is the tallest of its kind in the world.

Chatuchak (or Jatujak) weekend market in Bangkok is the largest market in Thailand, and largest of the world. It covers over 35 acres (1.13 km²) and contains upwards of 15,000 stalls. It is estimated that the market receives between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors each day. Most stalls only open on Saturdays and Sundays. The market offers a wide variety of products including household items, clothing, Thai handicrafts, religious artifacts, collectibles, foods, and live animals.

Khlong Toey is a very 'fresh' market, offering low prices on raw meat, seafood, farm products, and a few other items (clothing, kitchenware, etc). A small, hidden village deep within the Bangkok concrete jungle, this extensive market seems to have a life of its own.

Chao Mae Tuptim (Goddess Tuptim Shrine), Bangkok. The origins of Chao Mae Tuptim are obscure. It can only be recalled that a spirit house was built by Nai Lert for the Spirit who was believed to reside in the large Sai (Ficus) tree. The basic offerings are fragrant wreaths of snow-white jasmine flowers, incense sticks, pink and white lotus buds. Chao Mae Tuptim has received yet another, rather less conventional kind of gift, phallic in shape, both small and large, stylized and highly realistic. Over the years they have been brought by the thousands, and today fill the area around the shrine. Confronted by the extraordinary display the shrine has automatically been concluded to be dedicated to fertility. The Shrine is located on the grounds of the Nai Lert Bangkok Hotel (Swissotel) on Wireless Road.

Koh Nang Yuan is a group of three islands northwest of Koh Tao (Gulf of Thailand). The pretty little islands are interconnected by a long sandy beach. The long stripe of smooth white sand can be explored on foot. The beaches on the islands are undisturbed and quiet, and they are all clean. The highlight of Nang Yuan is the beautiful scenery of the underwater world. The most magnificent and deepest spot is called Kohng Hin Nang Yuan which has unspoiled and untouched coral reefs.

Koh Tao "Turtle Island" is an island in Thailand located near the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand and it covers an area of about 21 km². Koh Tao was named by its first settlers for the island's turtle-like geographic shape. Coincidentally, the island is an important breeding ground for Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles. The island is well known for scuba diving and snorkeling, and offers also some hiking.

Koh Adang is a globally well-known undersea coral garden that is visible due to the shallow depth. The beach here is beautiful with adequate corals for divers to enjoy.

Koh Lipe, Koh Hin Ngam and Koh Rawi (part of the Adang Archipelago), located in the far southwest of Thailand in Satun Province, near the Tarutao National Marine Park. Diving and snorkeling can be done around Ko Cha Bang where light-coloured flower corals lie underneath the sea.

Krabi, Located approximately 814 kilometers from Bangkok, one of most attractive destinations in southern Thailand. Krabi is an ideal getaway destination teeming with natural attractions including white sandy beaches, fascinating coral reefs, numerous large and small islands and verdant forests with caves and waterfalls.

Mu Koh Surin is close to the marine boundary between Burma and Thailand. It has so far been little visited because of its distance from the coast and the absence of any commercial activity.Is top-rated for excellent diving and snorkeling in Thailand.

The Bridge over the River Kwai was brought from Java by the Japanese Army and was assembled at the River Kwai by the prisoners. Bombed several times in 1945, it was rebuilt after the war. The curved spans of the bridge are the original sections. An estimated 16,000 war prisoners and 49,000 forcibly recruited laborers died during the construction of the bridge and the Death Railway that leads to Burma.

Bute Park, Cardiff - Wales, offers a welcome retreat only five minutes from bustling Cardiff city centre. From within its peaceful grounds, visitors can see the impressive structure of the Millennium Stadium and the beautiful façade of Cardiff Castle, they can hear notes carried on the wind from the nearby Welsh College of Music and Drama, and they can enjoy the large expanse of greenery the park affords. The River Taff runs through the park which has a beautiful array of flowers as well as a miniature version of Stonehenge. A garden in the heart of the city.

Cardiff, located on the banks of the River Taff, is the capital and largest city (320,000+ inhabitants) of Wales. It's a busy commercial, maritime and university city. During Victorian times it was the biggest coal-exporting city in the world. Cardiff's most famous citizen was the wealthy second Marquess of Bute, who, in 1839, built Cardiff's docks to export the coal mined from his father's valley lands.

Roath Park & Surroundings - Cardiff, Located to the north east of the city, this huge park is Roath's focal point. At one end is an immense boating lake with islands and a floodlit lighthouse - a tribute to Captain Scott who departed for Antarctica from Cardiff. Walking on, you'll come to a garden with scores of different varieties of roses, a tropical conservatory with the most amazing coloured fish and plants, children's play areas, tennis courts, a bowling green and a large recreation ground.

The Brecon Beacons National Park - Wales, encloses around 500 square miles of varies scenery, from the Black Mountain in the west to the Usk in the east. The Beacons themselves take their name from the fact that they were used for signal beacons. Pen y Fan is the highest point in the Brecon Beacons at 2906 feet.