Laem Chabang - Thailand

Believe it or not this is the Terminal Building at Laem Chabang - even though it looks more like a Temple - the cranes being a giveaway as to the location.



Good Day Everyone,

On Wednesday the 17 March Arcadia was berthed at Laem Chabang in Thailand. What a wonderful place to celebrate St Patrick's Day!....................


On board a Round World Cruise is all about passports and Immigration formalities!

Mizzy, Kylie and Lauren get to grips!................

Baggage on the move..................

Arcadia alongside the 'Terminal Temple'.

Jackie sees that all is well with the shuttle bus service.

It is always good to have a chat with the ground handlers.....................

A wonderful opportunity for shopping in the Terminal Building. Anything silk from clothing to cushion covers flew off the tables................and there were also some very ornate bejewelled sandals which can are now being modelled on the feet of our Lady Passengers........!

A plethora of Buddhas.

Bangkok is the Capital of Thailand and the country's largest City. It is situated on the Chao Phraya delta 25 miles from the Gulf of Thailand. In English Bangkok means the City of Angels.

P&O Cruises ship are too large to navigate up the river into Bangkok and so dock at Laem Chabang. Since 1945 Bangkok has grown dramatically and its present population is approaching 8 million people.

The City is a crowded and fascinating place with severe traffic congestion. To avoid spending too much time in traffic jams Arcadians were recommended to make as much use as possible of the River Ferries as most places mentioned in our Port Guide were close to the Chao Phraya River.

Because of the anti -Government protests we had to cancel the Bangkok on your own tour although our guided tours went ahead, following safety advice from the Company.

I am pleased to say that no one encountered any problems whatsoever although the protesters were highly visible but in good spirits.

One of the many Golden Buddhas that are to be found in Thailand.

Always adorned with fresh flowers.

A Tuk-Tuk which is a three-wheeled auto rickshaw which are often the fastest and sometimes the most hair-raising way to get around the City. Bargaining is essential as fares are not fixed.

Starting at the head here is the Thailand's largest ( 150 - Ft - long and 49 - Ft - High ) reclining Buddha. He can be found at the Wat Pho Temple which is the oldest and largest Temple in Bangkok.

You can even see the whorls on his toes............

At the base of the statue are pots which I presume are for offerings.........

The Temple is also renowned for teaching herbal medicine and traditional massage.

A Tuk-Tuk on the move...............

Passengers on the full day Excursions were served an international buffet lunch at a leading hotel.

Plenty of choice...................................

On the way to the Elephant Village in Pattaya we passed a Temple and the smaller 'Temples' you see in the foreground actually contain the ashes of the deceased worshippers.

They split the ashes into three, a third goes into the shrines that you see above, a third remains in the home, and a third is scattered in the nearby river.

The entrance to the Elephant Village.

The Elephant Village was opened in 1974 as a sanctuary for former working elephants. Through reasons of injury or ill health, the elephants can no longer be used as a part of the back bone of heavy work in the jungles of Thailand. Because of their diminishing habitat it is no longer possible to return them to the wild. The sanctuary provides them with a safe haven enabling them to enjoy their retirement. Arcadians made an active contribution to the welfare of these magnificent animals as the village is a non-profit making organisation and after deducting operation costs, proceeds of entrance fees and donation go directly towards the care of the animals.

You can see some of our more brave passengers sat on the elephants...................as they go for their daily dip!!!!
This is the traditional Glong Sabad Chai ceremony which dates back to when elephants were employed in the battle fields of Thailand, India and other south east Asian countries. It is interesting that there are only two male elephants kept at the village and here you can see one of them with his magnificent tusks. They have to trim the tusks, much as you would do going to the dentist for both his and everyone else's protection.

One way of getting on an elephant...............this chap is a Mahout - the elephant's controller. An elephant might get three Mahouts in one life time!............

This is our passengers getting up close and personal with an elephant. One of the younger female elephants was pregnant and at this point she has already been carrying her baby for 12 months and it is due in March 2011...........and they feed their young for 3 years.

A Mahout bringing in the elephant............

You will notice that the Mahouts ride the elephants just by sitting behind their heads and controlling them by subtle movements of their feet behind the elephant's ear.

We were given an example of the elephants traditional employment in the jungle - that of hauling teak tree trunks in places inaccessible to any other form of transport.

At the end of the elephant show the Arcadians were given the opportunity to ride on the back of an elephant in the relative comfort of a howdah.

This elephant was being given an injection to help her as she had ' a stiffness in her joints'!...

As we left the village we were serenaded by a local musician.

Everyone enjoyed the tour.

That's all for now!!

Best wishes,

James.

'One night in Bangkok and the world stops turning'

From the musical Chess.