Kicking Back in Bangkok: Chatuchak Weekend Markets

Chatuchak Weekend Markets or JJ Market, Bangkok, Thailand. Copyright © 2023 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

My favourite thing to do on a weekend in Bangkok is kick back at the sprawling Chatuchak Market, Chatuchak Weekend Markets, or JJ Market, as it’s also known locally. Banjo-plucking cowboys, lipstick-wearing coffee pourers, puppy-hugging hipsters, Birkenstock-clad tourists, they’re all here. Along with plenty of simple eateries serving tasty Thai food, countless little shops selling … Read more

Exploring the Isaan Region and the Khmer Temple of Prasat Phanom Rung

Exploring the Isaan Region of Northeast Thailand and the Khmer Temple of Prasat Phanom Rung. Temple of Prasat Phanom Rung, Isaan, Thailand. Copyright © 2023 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

The spectacular ruins of the Khmer temple sanctuary of Prasat Phanom Rung and nearby Prasat Muang Tam are just a two-hour drive from Nakhon Ratchasima, more commonly known as Korat, in the southernmost part of the Isaan, Thailand’s large north-eastern region. It was the first stop on our road trip through the off the beaten … Read more

Front Row Seats at Bangkok International Fashion Week

Front Row Seats at Bangkok International Fashion Week. Bangkok International Fashion Week runway shows. Copyright © 2023 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

From the buzz of fashionistas chatting excitedly as they find their seats pre-show, to the moment the lights go down, music goes up and the first model hits the runway, fashion shows can be exhilarating – even electrifying – events, and the shows we saw at the 2011 Bangkok International Fashion Week were no exception. … Read more

Backstage at Bangkok International Fashion Week

Backstage at Bangkok International Fashion Week. Copyright © 2023 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Interviewing Thai fashion designers and photographing models backstage during the 2011 Bangkok International Fashion Week was the last thing we expected to be doing when we went to Bangkok to work on a first edition Hedonist’s Guide to the city. While it’s not unusual to find us in restaurant kitchens interviewing chefs or out and … Read more

Making Merit En Masse: Giving Alms to 12,600 Monks in Bangkok

Making Merit En Masse: Giving Alms to 12,600 Monks in Bangkok on Visakha Bucha Day. Copyright © 2023 Terence Carter / Grantourismo. All Rights Reserved.

Shades of saffron, mustard and tangerine stretched as far as our eyes could see – the robes of some 12,600 Buddhist monks from southern Thailand who travelled by bus to Bangkok to attend the mass alms giving to commemorate Visakha Bucha Day*. The sun may still have been low in the sky when we got … Read more