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  1. #901
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shy Guava View Post
    I never quite understood the Mackenna phenomenon in Thailand. When the movie "Mackenna's Gold" came to Thailand it was a such a smash hit that it had a cinema run of over a year with people seeing it again and again. Then it got taken to a new level with a cinema being built and named after it. As far as I know, the movie didn't have such success anywhere else.
    Yes, every American I met said the same. I watched it with my parents at Indra cinema. It used cinema-scope system. I think it uses this term.

    I really like the song though...


  2. #902
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    The Equestrian statue of King Chulalongkorn the Great is an outdoor sculpture in cast bronze standing at the center of the Royal Plaza in Bangkok. It was erected on 11th November 1908 to commemorate his 40th anniversary of his accession to the throne, the longest-reigning monarch in Siamese history at that time.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-02-01-jpg


    According to related detail on page 17/406, the statue was cast in Paris. The model was arguably informed whether the King’s impression was on the statue of Italian King Victor Emmanuel II in Milan, Italy, during his first 'Grand Tour' of Europe in 1897 or the equestrian statue of King Louis XIV of France at the Palace of Versailles.

    However, his remark was later made known to Crown Prince Wachirawut, the regent of Siam at that time, and after consultation with his ministers, they proposed that in commemoration of the King's 40th anniversary of his accession to the throne in 1908, an equestrian statue were to be erected by public donation.

    After the King's approval, a prince who was the Siamese ambassador to France, was assigned to find a suitable foundry for the sculpture.

    He was recommended Susse Freres, a well-known foundry company located in Paris, France because it was satisfactory in terms of reputation, price and experience.

    Two French prominent metallurgists, Clovis-Edmond Masson and Georges Saulo, were in charge of such work.

    On 22nd August 1907, King Rama V went to the Susse Freres foundry and mounted on a horse statue to be modeled. The statue was initially modeled after an equestrian statue of a Caucasian whose stature was different from Asian so the statue had to be adjusted to the Asian body of the King.

    The whole statue was completed and then shipped to Siam, reaching the port in Bangkok on 11th November 1908, which coincided with Rajamangalabhisek Royal Ceremony which commemorated King Chulalongkorn (Rama V)'s 40th anniversary of his accession to the throne, the longest-reigning monarch in Siamese history (related detail on page 20/481).

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-02-02-jpg
    (A computer colored version shows King Rama V (white hat on the podium) officially accepted the statue offering from his regent of Siam, Prince Wachirawut (the future King Rama VI; red hat) on behalf of his subject, all the Siamese)
    Last edited by nathanielnong; 12-06-2021 at 02:49 PM.

  3. #903
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    Vendors in the streets in 1950s

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1950vender-01-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1950vender-02-jpg



  4. #904
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    1964, The Beatles in Thailand (I just knew...)

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1964-jpg

  5. #905
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    Quote Originally Posted by nathanielnong View Post


    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1950vender-02-jpg


    The shop is selling mosquito nets. They seem to be less common than they used to be, even in the villages here without aircon where there must be as many mosqitoes today as there were then. I know they are sold somewhere in town, because I have asked, although I have never seen the shop.

  6. #906
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    ^With or w/o a/c...
    Few styles are available in HomePro...

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-img_1864-jpg

  7. #907
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shutree View Post
    The shop is selling mosquito nets. They seem to be less common than they used to be, even in the villages here without aircon where there must be as many mosqitoes today as there were then. I know they are sold somewhere in town, because I have asked, although I have never seen the shop.
    I say because nowadays, patterns of houses here have been changed and mosquitoes wire screens have been introduced replacing mosquitoes nets providing more comfortable. However, if you wander into the old areas such as Sumpeng and such, they are still available but it would be made to order and the style has become modernized like what K. Klondyke has shown.


  8. #908
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    Female royalty, led by King Rama V’s Supreme Queen Consort, during their playtime.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-a01-jpg
    (Computer colored version)

  9. #909
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    Memory Lane (In my own language)-a08-01-jpg
    (Computer colored version)

    The little Princess named ‘Suthasiri Sopa (
    1918-1998)’ in fully dressed of a ‘royal child’ sitting on her royal palanquin during the top-knot removing ceremony.

    This was the last royal top-knot removing ceremony in Siam which happened in March 29th 1931 in the reign of King Rama VII.

    This ceremony happened only 1 year before the 1932 Siamese revolution, June 24th, which changed Siam into a constitutional monarchy system of government.


    Memory Lane (In my own language)-a08-02-jpg
    (Note: Princess Suthasiri Sopa was a daughter of King Rama V’s younger brother who shared the same mother, the Supreme Queen Consort Saowapapongsri)

  10. #910
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    1927, Rabindranath Tagore with HRH Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, King Rama V's half brother and his favorite

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1927rabindranath-tagore-hrh-prince-damrong-rajanubhab


    1959, A Lincoln Sculpture

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1959alincolnsculpture-jpg


    1969, the Siam Rut newspaper office

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1969-02-jpg

  11. #911
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    Prince Prisdang was born in 1851. He was King Rama III’s grandson (His father was King Rama III’s son with a commoner wife).

    He has been selected as a royal chamberlain in the reign of King Rama V (1868-1910) since the King was still young and supported by the Regent, ‘Somdej Chao Praya + given name’ who was from ‘Bunnag’ family.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-02-jpg


    During these first 5 years of the young King's reign, Prince Prisdang was taken, along with other royal cousins, to Singapore with the King and left there for furthering the education. He did very well and was later on sent to England to study in the field of applied science and engineering.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-03-jpg


    He became "the first known Siamese to study and graduate from a Western University" with distinctions and awards to boot. Even the Times Magazine reported the Prince taking the prizes in so many fields of studies upon his graduation at King's College where he attended (The Times dated 7th July 1876).

    Prince Prisdang returned home briefly after his graduation in 1876, and went back to England to gain work experience with British engineering companies.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-04-jpg


    In 1879 an incident occurred, one through which Prince Prisdang participated and won his first diplomatic recognition. This incident was the case of Pra Preecha (details on page 36/890).

    The story is earlier on in 1879, a high ranking noble, ‘Chao Praya + given name’ (second to ‘Somdej Chao Praya’), also a member of the ‘Bunnag’ family came to England (on a mission to sign a new treaty regarding Chiengmai) and met Prince Prisdang there. Their meeting led to ‘Chao Praya’ calling upon Prince Pritsdang to serve as first secretary and interpreter.

    When Fanny Knox, the wife of the late Pra Preecha, turned up in Paris at the Thai Legation in destitution, claiming the money left to her by her executed husband was all but swindled away by his friends, she wished to tell all to Prince Prisdang so, the Prince became an interpreter in this Fanny Knox case but sadly the conclusion was never reached when Prince Prisdang left Europe.

    A year later the Prince interpreted for another Bunnag noble regarding the negotiations to modify some unfair treaties, with such a successful outcome that later, in the year 1881, Prince Prisdang, at 29, was appointed the first native Thai diplomatic representative in London.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-05-jpg


    Prince Prisdang's rise to power became King Rama V's first chance to establish a direct link with European governments, bypassing his Regent, ‘Somdej Chao Praya’ (1st photo) and the other Bunnags who had been in power at the time, and thus consolidating the King's power.

    In 1885, the news about Britain's annexation of Burma, following France's control of Vietnam early on, worried the King. He sought advice with Prince Prisdang in London.

    At first Prince Prisdang replied that he wasn't qualified enough of the affairs and that his opinion might be too strong and could displease the King.

    But the King insisted and to his surprise and anger, he was expecting a private correspondence. It was a 60-page reply signed by 11 persons. These included Prince Prisdang, 3 other Princes (all sons of King Rama IV) and 7 commoners (senior officials working there at the time). This 60-page reply was a Petition that assessed the political and cultural situation at the time and suggested the reforms needed.

    On a subsequent occasion, Prince Prisdang, in a correspondence to the King, criticized the King on his practice of polygamy, which "doubtless caused the King most anger".

    The next year, Prince Prisdang was recalled back to Siam. The Prince came home to, on top of it all, face his mother's awful death of cholera. Then, thanks to his friends, he was able to gain employment as a Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs, while at the same time busying himself with other engineering and construction projects.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-06-jpg


    In 1890, on his way to Japan with the new Minister of War, Prince Prisdang decided to resign from the government without notice and left a letter of resignation to King Rama V before going to different countries abroad to find work. He eventually ended up in Ceylon 5 years later.

    The Prince stayed in Ceylon and, at 45, living his life as a Buddhist monk. A British resident he met there persuaded him to write a memorandum, which he did in 1891.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-07-jpg


    In 1896 while in Ceylon, pieces of Buddha’s relics were discovered in the remains of the old city named Kapilavastu in India. When the monk Prince Prisdang heard the news, he went there to examine them and advised the British government, which was ruling India, to offer the relics to King Rama V of Siam because he was the only king in the world that was a Buddhist.

    The process happened and the government of Siam accepting the request of the relic offering from the British governmentand assigned a high ranking noble to receive them in 1899.

    During the procession, it happened that the monk Prince Prisdang had a serious conflict with this high ranking noble.

    The story was revealed that the monk Prince had told the high ranking noble that he secretly took out a piece of Buddha's relics.

    The reason of his deed was that in case the British government refused to submit the aforementioned relics to King Rama V, then, there would still be one left and he would bring that piece to present to the King himself.

    The high ranking noble who had knowledge of Buddhism’s rules very well, therefore, informed the monk Prince that he as a Buddhist monk had done a seriously wrongful deed that violated one of the 4 essential rules of Buddhist monk’s practice (“holding the property that the owner does not give”) which caused him ‘parajika, Pali language’ which means ‘a grave offense involving expulsion from monkhood’ and thus, had been forced to left the monkhood at the moment of doing so.

    Then the high ranking noble reported the matter to Bangkok.

    When Bangkok acknowledged the case of the monk Prince, the Chancellor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a telegram to the monk Prince through the Consulate of Siam in Colombo, Ceylon, stating that from now on, the monk Prince could not enter Bangkok robed as a monk.

    At that time, the monk Prince had plan to return to Siam to request for King Rama V’s pardon for what he had done in the past. When he received the telegram, he gave up his plan to return.

    When King Rama V stopped by in Colombo during his second European trip in 1907, the monk Prince was not given the opportunity to meet while still in a monkhood. He could only if he came in regular uniform but he refused.

    At his 60th birthday, 1911, the monk Prince Prisdang returned to Siam to pay respect to King Rama V’s funeral and was forced to disrobe.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-08-jpg


    There was also rumors being rife that a ‘Chao Phraya + given name’ was about to arrest him on the charge of leaving the government service without the royal consent in 1890.

    After the King’s funeral’s ceremony was finished, the Prince was not allowed, by the new King Rama VI, to re-ordain and went back to Ceylon. The new King still remembered his scandal case about secretly taking a piece of Buddha’s relics.

    As a protest to the government, the Prince grew shaggy facial hair for being unfairly treated.

    So, his return to Siam became permanent and he had to leave his monkhood for good as according to the conditions mentioned earlier.

    Disrobed, Prince Prisdang went on to work as an editor at the Siam Observer Newspaper but was soon fired.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-09-jpg


    Left destitute, he then turned to an acquainted prince who gave him work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a clerk translating documents, a striking contrast to his previous role as the minister accredited to 12 countries in the West. However, the job was short-lived, for he was soon laid off, in an attempt by the government to “economize.”

    Not in good terms with the present King (Rama VI), the Prince went and made friends with the King's rebellious brother, Prince Rapee, until the latter died in 1920. Then he travelled to Japan again before starting to work on his autobiography, which he couldn't finish until 1929.

    In the end, he outlived most of his contemporaries to see the 1932 Revolution that brought the absolute monarchy in Siam to an end and 50 years after his proposal for the Constitution to King Rama V and also, the 1934 abolition of polygamy as a Royal practice. He then passed away of poverty in 1935 at the age of 84.

    Prince Prisdang’s funeral was held at Wat Saket where the Buddha’s relics that caused him a change of life were placed.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-10-jpg


    According to his royal blood, his body was put in a royal urn but a regular one and no royal decoration at all.


    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-11-jpg
    The portrait of Prince Prisdang, the first resident Thai ambassador in Europe, covered from the basement of the Royal Thai Embassy in Paris in 1998.


    Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-12-jpg
    The computer colored version of Prince Prisdang growing shaggily facial hair for his protest against the Siam Government’s decision for not allowing him to re-ordain as a Buddhist monk and get back to Ceylon.

    This photo, original B&W one, was later found hanging in Hotel Fujiya in Hakone, with a plate saying that he won the first prize in an international competition held in Japan for the longest and most beautiful beard in the world..
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-03-jpg   Memory Lane (In my own language)-14-11-jpg  
    Last edited by nathanielnong; 15-06-2021 at 10:23 AM.

  12. #912
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    ^I was attending some 25 years ago a commemoration of Prince Prisdang in a Wat in Bangkok, being invited by a descendant of that lineage, a friend of my late wife. An extensive account of Prince Prisdang life is recorded by another descendent late M.L. Manich Jumsai and his son arch. Sumet Jumsai.

  13. #913
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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke View Post
    ^I was attending some 25 years ago a commemoration of Prince Prisdang in a Wat in Bangkok, being invited by a descendant of that lineage, a friend of my late wife. An extensive account of Prince Prisdang life is recorded by another descendent late M.L. Manich Jumsai and his son arch. Sumet Jumsai.
    Later in his life, Prince Prisdang wrote his biography. It was clearly a pitiful life. It seems everyone in his homeland was quite mean to him.

    However, when his biography was finally done and submitted for printing, it turned out that five pages were mysteriously missing from each copy.

    From the look of the original print, it was clearly that those five pages were already printed along with other pages and ready to be included in each copy but for reason unknown, they were taken out, in the last minute.

    This made questions to all who read this book. They could not help thinking that there had to be something bad that was/were not appropriate to reveal.

    Note: His story is ambrosia to all the historians. They talk, analyze and more in tons of researches but, in the end, no one but the Prince himself knows the truth.

  14. #914
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    Some photos from the 'second' Royal Coronation Ceremony of King Rama VI, 1911.

    The first one was held a year earlier. It was a small one because Siamese still mourned the death of his father, the beloved King Rama V.

    The second one was a full ceremony with, for the first time ever, a lot of royalty and high ranking representatives from foreign lands being in attendance.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-01-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-02-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-03-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-05-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-04-jpg

    Last edited by nathanielnong; 16-06-2021 at 10:26 AM.

  15. #915
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    'Chuck wow' is always fun anywhere (more details on page 5/110)

    1933, Sanam Luang

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1933-jpg


    1960, Suan Lumpini

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1960-jpg

  16. #916
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    Quote Originally Posted by nathanielnong View Post
    Some photos from the 'second' Royal Coronation Ceremony of King Rama VI, 1911.

    The first one was held a year earlier. It was a small one because Siamese still mourned the death of his father, the beloved King Rama V.

    The second one was a full ceremony with, for the first time ever, a lot of royalty and high ranking representatives from foreign lands being in attendance.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-01-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-02-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-03-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-05-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-23-04-jpg



    An interesting side note regarding the numerous official foreign dignitaries and fellow monarchs that found themselves attentive for Vajiravudh's ceremonial coronation. Almost all were here a few months earlier for the formal Chulalongkorn cremation - the original purpose for their collective visit. HM King Chulalongkorn's [respected and admired by his many peers] ceremonial funeral found in attendance a who's who of world leaders and monarchs, in which only a smaller percentage stayed on for Rama 6's official coronation. The base ideal was to "schedule" both monumental events within a few months of each other to save on the arduous task of traveling back and forth. The ranking importance of King Chulalongkorn's cremation dwarfed the secondary notion of his reigning son's coronation.

  17. #917
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    After Rattanakosin Kingdom was established in 1782, King Rama I also moved its capital from the old one (Krung Thonburi) on the west side of the Chao Praya River to the east side and gave it the new name as "Bangkok".

    At that same time, the King appointed ‘Wung Na (= the royal title of the heir to the throne)’ to restore the city and the areas up to the glory fitting the status of the capital of the kingdom.

    As the symbol of a Buddhism land, a lot of local temples were graciously renovated.

    In order to preserve the ancient and precious Buddha images from being lost, King Rama I also sent his officials up to the ruined Ayutthaya Kingdom and furthered to a lot of cities that were ruined by the wars to find abandoned Buddha images and bring them down to enshrine at wat around Bangkok.

    Later in the year 1805, while restoring old wat along with building new ones, King Rama III ordered a high ranking and rich noble named given by the King as ‘Praya Krai-Kosa’ who had a lot of Chinese people under his control to renovate a wat that was already existing in the vicinity. It was a small wat inside the area of which enshrined two Buddha images, stucco and bronze images.

    The area of ​​this original wat was already on the land of Praya Krai-kosa’s which was located by the Chao Praya River.

    The surroundings were agricultural area and the residential area of the Malays who immigrated from the south. Most of them were Islamic. The other part of the surroundings belonged to the suppressed rebellion from different occasions. These areas are now the location of ASIATIQUE, the Riverfont project.

    The design of this restored wat used an adaptation of Chinese art mixed with Thai art which created, at that time, the ‘Royal popular art’.

    This wat was, then, given a new name as ‘Wat Praya Krai’ according to the person’s name who renovated it and also owned the land.

    When completely finished, Praya Krai-Kosa offered this Wat to the King who granted it as a royal wat with royal name given as ‘Wat Chotinaram’ meaning ‘Wat of glory’. Anyway, locals still called it the original name, Wat Praya Krai.

    Not soon after, Praya Krai-Kosa passed away. He was survived by his wife with no heir and a lot of debt to the Royal Treasury.

    Finding no way to payback, his wife submitted the land on which Wat Praya Krai was sited to the Royal Treasury as a compensation. Thus, the land and the Wat had become the royal property since then.

    In 1861 in the reign of King Rama IV, for the convenience of the commute in the area, he ordered a modern road built.

    This road named New Road or Charoen Krung Road
    was built cutting through the land where Wat Praya Krai was on dividing the land into 2 plots, one along the Chao Praya River and another one on the other side of the road.

    Wat Praya Krai, at that time, was quite close to become a deserted wat. It was assumed that this might be due to the fact that Praya Krai-Kosa did not have any descendants so lack of care and patronage of the Wat happened.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-01-jpg


    It was recorded that finally there was no abbot (chao ar-wat) governing this Wat. What came after is buildings around were in ruins, dilapidated and difficult for the restoration. The mentioned Buddha images were worn down. The grounds of the Wat became a wasteland due to the lack of maintenance.

    Not long after New Road was finished, King Pin-Klao, the second king in the reign of King Rama IV, his brother, rented the land along the Chao Praya River where the Wat was located on to the Danish company named East Asiatic to build warehouses and shipyard.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-02-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-03-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-04-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-05-jpg


    Until the reign of King Rama V, Wat Praya Krai began to deteriorate heavily as it is recorded that the roof of the main hall had collapsed and was beyond repair. Research found that only four or five monks remained there and hardly Buddhist rituals were performed because most of the people who lived around were foreigners with different religions, they did not give a damn. More reason for the desertion was due to the location that was close to the river banks, it was much difficult to restore.

    Later on in 1918, Ministry of Education, the owner of the lease agreement, found that the East Asiatic Company had used the buildings in the Wat area to store liquor. This made a breach of the agreed contract. Therefore, the Company was ordered to move the equipment out.

    From this action, Wat Praya Krai which once was used to be one of the royal wat was in an extremely deteriorating condition.

    The Wat became fully abandoned even though the existence of it was still in the government’s wat list because the name plate and the land still existed.

    Until the year 1996, the Ministry of Education announced the dissolution of the Wat. Thus, completed the disappearance of Wat Praya Krai or Wat Chotinaram (royal name). The name was the Wat, though, still survives by the area and places’ around.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-06-jpg


    The two Buddha statues, stucco and bronze, mentioned above had been earlier transferred to two different wat.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-07-jpg


    The stucco Buddha was moved to a, present, location at the nearby Wat Traimit in 1935. At that time, Wat Traimit was a wat of minor significance. Since the Wat didn't have a building big enough to house the statue graciously so, it had been kept for 20 years under a simple zinc roofed shack.

    Finally the Wat’s new hall (viharn) was built to house the statue. It was, then, moved to the new location on 25 May 1955.

    There are a variety of accounts of what exactly happened next, but it was clear that during the final attempt to lift the statue from its pedestal, the ropes snapped and the statue fell hard on the ground.

    At that moment, some of the plaster coating chipped off, allowing the gold surface underneath to be seen. Work was immediately stopped so that an evaluation could be made.

    All the plaster was carefully removed. During the process, photos were taken and are now displayed inside the Wat for visitors. Pieces of the actual plaster are also on public display.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-08-jpg


    When all the plaster was removed, it was found that the 'turned out to be' gold statue actually consisted of nine parts that fit smoothly together. A key was also found encased in plaster at its base, which can be used to disassemble the statue, allowing for easier transportation.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-09-jpg


    Archeologists were also summoned and the result was revealed that the Buddha image was speculated to be built in the late era of Sukhothai Kingdom or over 700 years ago. Speculation says that Buddha was made stucco to prevent it from being discovered during the sack of the Kingdom which eventually turned the page to the new kingdom, Ayutthaya Kingdom. But how it ended up in a small wat in the land of Praya Krai-Kosa, no one knew.

    This golden Buddha is 3 meters (9.8 ft.) tall and weighs 5.5 tons. According to another account, the statue measures 3.91 meters from base to top, and 3.10 meters across the lap from knee to knee.

    At US$1,400 per troy ounce, the gold that was used to create the statue (18 karat) is estimated to be worth 250 million dollars. The body of the statue is 40% pure, the volume from the chin to the forehead is 80% pure, and the hair and the topknot, weighing 45 kg, are 99% pure gold.

    The discovery of this golden statue was very close to the commemoration of the twenty-fifth Buddhist Era (2500 years since Gautama Buddha's passing) so all media was full of reports and many Buddhists regarded the occurrence as miraculous.

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-10-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-11-jpg


    (PS. Just an irrelevant tip; close to Wat Traimit sited a very nice restaurant named “Poon-Sin” with delicious roast ducks and everything!)
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Memory Lane (In my own language)-15-07-jpg  
    Last edited by nathanielnong; 18-06-2021 at 10:40 AM.

  18. #918
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    A collection of still photos forming a section of the ceremony of the Memorial Bridge (Sapan Put)'s opening in the reign of King Rama VII, April 6th, 1932.

    <font size="4">



    Last edited by nathanielnong; 19-06-2021 at 09:39 AM.

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    The bridge was opened on 6 April 1932 by King Rama VII in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Chakri Dynasty and the foundation of Bangkok, shortly before the Siamese coup de tat of 24 June 1932.

    <font size="4"><span style="font-family: &amp;amp">

    (The narrator speaks 3 languages; Thai, English and Chinese)

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    At Dusit Zoological Park (Khao Din Wana) in 1967

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1967dusit-zoological-park-khao-din-wana

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1967dusit-zoological-park-khao-din-wana

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    Part of old city moat, 1950s and now

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-n-toldcitymoat50s-now-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-n-toldcitymoat50s-now-01-jpg

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    Memory Lane (In my own language)-a03-jpg
    (Computer colored version)


    One section of King Rama VII (King Pokklao)’s Coronation.


    King Rama VII's coronation ceremony was scheduled for 25th February 1925.

    Unlike his predecessors, the King wanted to wait until after the Royal funeral and mourning period of the previous King (King Rama VI (Wachirawut), his eldest brother who had died on 26th November 1925) had come to an end.

    The coronation ceremony took three days. The state progress on land took place on 1st March and the state progress on water on 3rd March.

    A prince who was one of King Rama IV’s sons and a key diplomat during the reigns of King Rama V & VI wrote to the Japanese ambassador that King Rama VII's coronation ceremony:

    "Will only be one ceremony, for reasons of economy, and it will be on a simpler scale than hitherto. Special envoys from foreign countries have not been invited, but there will be no objection to the foreign envoys already in this country being so appointed for the occasion."

    Nevertheless, envoys from forty-seven different countries attended, and the ceremonies were completed in full.

    For the first time, a book and several photographs of the ceremony were published by the Royal Household. An 11 minute and 8 second silent film of the coronation ceremony was made by the Royal State Railways of Siam with inter-titles in both Thai and English.

    <font size="4"><span style="font-family: &amp;amp">


    Memory Lane (In my own language)-a03-01-jpg
    (Some photos inside can be viewed here)

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    Last edited by nathanielnong; 20-06-2021 at 10:17 AM.

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    ^In 1934 King Rama VII, Prachadiphok visiting Prague

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-img_0865-jpg



    Memory Lane (In my own language)-img_0866-jpg


    (On the same place in front of Old City Hall many years later - and many many years ago from now on - me coming out with my wife and entourage after our wedding ceremony...)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke View Post
    ^In 1934 King Rama VII, Prachadiphok visiting Prague


    (On the same place in front of Old City Hall many years later - and many many years ago from now on - me coming out with my wife and entourage after our wedding ceremony...)
    Memory Lane (In my own language)-53950796-great-freehand-speech-bubble-textured

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    Pattaya in 1980

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1980pattaya-jpg

    Memory Lane (In my own language)-1980pattaya-01-jpg

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