Battle for Preah Vihear resumes at The Hague

The final chapter of Thailand and Cambodia's 51-year battle for Preah Vihear temple...

Wikipedia:
Background Information on Preah Vihear temple

UNESCO:
World Heritage Listing and related information on Temple of Preah Vihear

International Court of Justice:
Protocols, hearings and documents on Temple of Preah Vihear (Cambodia v. Thailand)

Bangkok Post:
Local news in Thailand
International Court resumes temple hearing Monday
Cambodia, Thailand begin argument before ICJ on disputed area near Preah Vihear
Thailand 'stoked' border conflict
Thailand: Cambodia has an agenda
ICJ's verdict owed respect
Cambodia accused of lies
Thailand warns ICJ about temple map
Poll: People concerned on border war
No Conclusion over Preah Vihear

The Diplomat:
Preah Vihear temple: Redrawing Jungle lines

BBC:
Preah Vihear temple: UN court hears Thai-Cambodia disput

5th Thai-Lao bridge plan to be discussed

Plans for construction of a 5th Thai-Lao friendship bridge across the Mekong River, between Bue ng Kan province of Thailand and Paksane town of Bolikhamxay province if Laos, will be raised for discussion when Transport Minister Chadchat Suttipunt visits Laos on Feb 21.

5th Thai-Lao bridge plan to be discussed | Bangkok Post

Ceremony to mark progress on 4th Thai-Lao Friendship bridge

4th Mekong River bridge between Laos and Thailand - Ceremony marks bridge progress : http://tinyurl.com/akj5dce

Ongoing dispute, but Ta Muen Thom temple is open again

Ta Muen Thom temple in Surin is open again for visitors. Although the border and temple dispute between Thailand and Cambodia is still ongoing, it has been calm for almost two months and there has been no violence. The temple can be visited between 9am and 3pm daily.

The border dispute between the two neighboring countries is now staged at the International Court of Justice and the UNESCO. Thailand wants to solve the dispute by diplomatic efforts.

The first group of domestic visitors has return to the temple ruins. Visitors intending to visit the temple area have to inform the Thai military in advance of their visit in their own interest.

The Thai army removed earlier erected fences who blocked access to the temple form the Cambodian side - an act which will certainly help to relieve tensions along the border.

An earlier article about the border dispute can be read here.

It is calm again in Southern Isaan

One has to go back in history to understand the problem along the Cambodian and Thai border. Cambodia first has been occupied by France in the past. Thailand and Cambodia use therefore different maps from the past to define their common border.
Cambodia then suffered under the tyranny of the Khmer Rouge regime, which had its final stronghold at this border...

As a legacy of the late Khmer Rouge regime, the Thai - Cambodian border area is still heavily mined. As a result the common border was never properly demarcated, although both countries worked hard to resolve this issues.

The status of disputed areas around Preah Viharn /Preah Vihear and some other temples of Khmer origin remains unresolved for the moment.

The ruling of an International court states that Preah Viharn /Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia - a fact which Thailand has accepted.

After the latest border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, both countries have today agreed to send Indonesian observers to the disputed area. They will monitor the border and make sure that the ceasefire between the two neighboring countries remains intact.

The Chong Jom border pass connecting the two countries has opened again and borer trade between Thai and Cambodian vendors continued as before the clashes. Vendors reopened their stalls at a local market near the border pass on the Thai side.

Living in Isaan now for many years, I am relived that this step of monitoring the border has been taken and that live continues along the border.

In fact it was always save to travel to Isaan as the disputed border areas are fare away from any tourist side in both countries (except Preah Viharn /Preah Vihear). I also strongly believe that Thailand and Cambdodia will find a solution in the not to distant future.

Isaan is a great place to travel as people are very welcoming and charming. Great National Parks, bustling cities and abundant nature and culture await you.

Tha Sadej - Royal Embarkation to the Mekong River

Market places and boat landings along the Mekong River have a long tradition, as they allow for commerce and easy exchange of goods between the Mekong bordering countries and provinces. So does the one in the middle of Nong Khai town: "Tha Daan". Tha Daan was the name long known by locals for Nong Khai's riverside market and boat pier. Tha Daan was also the old border check point for immigration and customs, where travelers, traders and visitor could cross the Mekong River between Thailand and Laos. There was a regular ferry service.

In 1968, Their Majesties the King and Queen arrived from Bangkok and visited Nong Khai town to preside over a ceremony for the construction of the Nam Ngum dam and the resulting power supply from Lao PDR to Thailand.

Their Majesties the King and the Queen used the boat landing in Nong Khai's Muang district, to embark on a ferry to cruise on the river to reach the raft pavilion moored in the middle of the Mekong. Since then, local people have referred to the Tha Daan jetty as "Tha Sadej" (Thai: “sadej” means "go", but it is the verb form used only for the Their Majesties the King and the Queen).

Nowadays, the international border check point for immigration and customs has been moved from Tha Sadej to the 5 kilometers further upriver located Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. Tourists wishing to visit Laos are obliged to use the Friendship bridge check point only.
However, Tha Sadej still serves as a convenient area for local merchants and traders to cross between Thailand and Laos. The market known as Tha Sadej is also known as Tha Sadej Indochina market, where duty & tax - free goods from China, Vietnam and Laos can be found. The products on sell include electrical goods, chinaware, ceramics, silk and cotton. Fabrics and food delicacies from Nong Khai province can be found too.

The rich selection and variety of available products at Tha Sadej Indochina market make it a famous and popular shopping area for tourists and locals visiting Nong Khai town.

Lush river life... some impressions...

Ferry crossing the Mekong River in Ban Houay Xay, Bokeo Province, Northern Laos.

Boys playing football on the banks of the Nam Ou in Ban Soph Van, Luang Prabang Province, Northern Laos.

Ban Nong Khiow at the Nam Ou, Luang Prabang Province, Northern Laos.

Fisherman checking his net on Nam Khan, near Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang Province, Northern Laos.

Training for the boat racing festival?, Nam Khan, Luang Prabang Province, Northern Laos.

Children enjoying the 2008 flood at Nam Khan Riverside, Luang Prabang town, Laos.

Girl watching the 2008 flooding in Luang Prabang town, Luang Prabang Province, Northern Laos.

Boats in Luang Prabang, Laos.

Boat racing festivals are held in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand during the months of September and October.

Flooting restaurant in Pakse on the Sedone River, Champasak Province, Southern Laos.

Boat landing to cross the Mekong river, opposite Ban Champasak (near UNESCO World Heritage site of Vat Phou), Champasak Province, Southern Laos.

Sunset over the Mekong, Khong Island, Sipandone area, Champasak Province, Southern Laos.

Abundant fish life, market on Khong Island, Champasak Province, Southern Laos.

Fisherman fixing his traps, Preah Rumkel community, Stung Treng Province, Cambodia.

Ferry boat in Stung Treng town, Stung Treng Province, Cambodia.

Thai New Year - Songkran, Songkran!!!

Each year in the middle of April Thai and Lao people celebrate New Year (Thai: Songkran; Lao Piimai) and show their respect for Buddha images, elderly people and their parents and superiors. The whole house is getting cleaned and refurbished. Parents are respectfully splashed with some water and powder. Often flower offerings are given as well. Similarly, vehicles such as cars and mopeds, are blessed with flowers, water and powder ...

Who ever is traveling on roads, will almost certainly get a shower from people waiting for their opportunity along the street side. Water is drown from passing cars or from kids who are heavily armed with water pistols and all kind of tools to splash water. This provides you a nice cool off during the hottest time of the year ...

Caution is however advised on Laos and Thailand's roads, as the number of fatal accidents is increasing every year!

Otherwise, a few older clothes assembled, mounted with a hat and equipped with a water pistol and off you go and join in for the ultimate water splash of the year! Happy New Year! Happy Songkran!

The sala - where the Thais and Laotians meet their friends...

A Sala (Thai: ศาลา), is an open pavilion like construction, which is used as a meeting, resting or relaxation place.
It's main purpose is to protect people from the tropical weather phenomenon, such as intense sun and rain.

Most salas are open on four sides. They can be found throughout Thailand and Laos. Originally salas were built within Buddhist temple areas, also know as Wats, but they can also be located in other places, such as road side shelters, in plantations or in front of private houses.

If a person builds a sala within a temple compound or in another public place, the person will gain merit and the respect of the local community.

A sala located on the ground of a temple is called a sala wat.

While some temples have large salas where the public can hear sermons or receive religious instructions other have only small salas or none at all. In Cambodia, sala also refers to school.

In Thailand's and Laos' more rural areas, travelers can use the salas to rest and reflect. A roadside sala is a sala rim thannon and may be used as a bus stop.

Salas in front of private houses are often constructed from wood, bamboo and thatched with a palm tree roof. This natural material allows the air to freely flow, which is especially helpful during the hotter time of the year. The sala is used by the whole family. It serves as storage, working and resting place, but also to meet friends and other people. The sala is a often used socializing place in Thailand and Laos.

Isaan (อีสาน)

Isaan (อีสาน; also Isan), Thailand's north-east region, is an often overlooked part of the country.

Isaan is completely landlocked and resides on the Korat plateau, situated well above the central basin, the Chao Praya plains and Bangkok. In the North, East and South-East Isaan's border is marked by the Mekong River.

Isaan is a multicultural area where Laos, Cambodia and Thailand meet. Isaan has a rich history and culture. A mainly agricultural region, Isaan is the poorest part of Thailand.

The population of Isaan is around 22 million people.

Isaan consists of 19 Provinces

1. Amnat Charoen
2. Buriram
3. Chaiyaphum
4. Kalasin
5. Khon Kaen
6. Loei
7. Maha Sarakham
8. Mukdahan
9. Nakhon Phanom
10. Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat)
11. Nong Bua Lamphu
12. Nong Khai
13. Roi Et
14. Sakon Nakhon
15. Si Saket
16. Surin
17. Ubon Ratchathani
18. Udon Thani
19. Yasothon

Mayor Cities

• Buriram
• Khon Kaen
• Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat)
• Nong Khai - gateway to Vientiane, Laos
• Sakon Nakhon
• Surin
• Ubon Ratchathani
• Udon Thani
• Yasothon
• Mahasarakham

Mekong River bank erosion in Vientiane

The stretch of Mekong River between Laos and Thailand is characterized by its meandering course and relatively low gradient through the Khorat plateau and the Isaan. The major consequence of this characteristic is the natural instability of the River banks, its erosion and a growing sedimentation of the river itself.

The Mekong River also changes largely in river height occurring between the rainy season in the months of May to September and the the dry seasons in the rest of the year.

Annual flooding along the Mekong River and its tributaries cause a progressive weakening of the river's embankments. It is this process, which creates steep sloping river banks at various locations along the Mekong river. This phenomenon poses a constant danger to village houses and temples, roads and agricultural land situated along the Mekong River.

Erosion occurs and is affected by the following natural factors: heavy rainfall, vanishing vegetation cover, river bank soil in-stability and river sedimentation amongst other conditions.

In Vientiane, the bigger parts of the Mekong River banks have been cleared of trees and vegetation. Some places along Don Chan Island have been re-used for agricultural purposes. Local people planted vegetables and crops along the banks – raising concerns with the Vientiane municipality and the Lao government about the increased erosion of the unprotected river banks during high flow periods.

Therefore in Vientiane and other places, river bank revetment is considered to be the best engineering solution to stop and prevent the more and more serious Mekong River bank erosion.

To date, approximately 3 km of river bank protection and revetment work has been undertaken and more is to follow.

Mekong "Mae Nam Khong" - the Mother Khong

In Lao or Thai languages the Mekong River is called "Mae Nam Khong". 'Mae' means 'mother' and 'nam' translates as water' in the meaning of 'River'. While the name 'Khong' derives from the Sanskrit word 'ganga', which is the name for India's holy river Ganges. Northern and Northeastern Thais as well as the Lao refer to the Mekong Rivers as the 'Mother River Khong', which literally means "Mother Khong River".

The Mekong River is the world's 10th-longest river and discharges 475 km³/114 cu mi of water annually. The estimated length of the Mekong from the Tibetan Plateau to the Delta in Vietnam is 4,350 km.

Some of the richest and most endangered habitats on Earth can be found in the Greater Mekong area.

The whole region comprises China's Yunnan Province, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

This unique and interesting landscape of the Mekong River and its surrounding is home to an estimated 20'000 species of plant, 1'200 different kind of birds, 800 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 430 Mammals rare and endangered species, such as the Asian elephants, tigers and the critically endangered Javan rhinos.

The Mekong River houses at least 1'300 species of fish and in addition the rare Irrawaddy dolphins.

By proportion and length, the Mekong is the richest river if it comes to biodiversity on the planet. There are more species per unit and area than in the Amazon. Many of these species are endemic to the Mekong.

The biodiversity of the Greater Mekong area is of such abundance and importance, that even today new species continue to be discovered and described by science. Only between 1997 and 2007 at least 1'068 new species have been discovered in the Greater Mekong region, this adds up to two new species per week for the past decade.

However, the mighty Mekong River is under serious threat.

Cambodia's, Laos' and Thailand's government are planning eleven big hydro power dams on the Mekong River. If these dams are built along the river, they would block major fish migration ways and disrupt therefore the vitally of the Mekong River.

This however, will place the livelihood of millions of people who life along and depend upon the Mekong River for their food and income at risk.