Pyathai Royal Palace

I was looking for a place to go for a photo trip in Bangkok, but I did not want to go to ordinary tourism spot like the Royal Palace. Thousands of tourism goes there and take millions of photograph every day. I’m looking for some place different to make my photos different. I and my friends did not have much time to go outside Bangkok. I was looking in the photography web board and I got this place. Amazingly, it locates in the downtown very close to my home and I haven’t even ever heard of it!

Pyathai Royal Palace was built in 1909 by King Rama V. Within this period of 100 years since it was built, the palace passed good times and bad times through Thai history. It reached its most prosperous time during the period of King Rama VI who built many more buildings. Until the period of King Rama VII, 1925, it was changed into Thailand’s first class hotel, the best and most luxurious hotel in Thailand. In 1932, it was changed into a hospital and it is still a hospital today called Pra Mongkut Kloa Hospital, named after King Rama VI. But the new hospital building was built in the palace area. The palace has been abandoned for sometime. Today the palace is very old and I think it really need renovation. If you are looking for a haunting-house scene, this is it!

Although the building looks fine outside but when I get inside, it was very old and need some repairs. As I stepped in and read the history, it said the palace was built with all the finest materials that could be found at that day, the best marble from Italy and so on. But now it doesn’t look like that. I’m so disappointed. I couldn’t imagine how the palace would look like a hundred years ago.

Story and Photo by NUNTADEJ

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Wat Pho

A royal temple located in Bangkok, Wat Pho is famous for is many colorful asian cultural spirits such as the warm tone of painted potteries, Chinese idol, Thai Buddha images and the Thai massage. "I love the atmosphere of the temple because It feels so calm&restful.The architectture&fine arts never ceases to touch my heart whenever I'm there."

First NWOTA Exhibition in January 2008

First NWOTA Exhibition in January 2008

When I was a trainee teacher, I had assigned an assignment to all my students. The outline of this assignment is to illustrate concept of "Thai" using computer graphic.

A few minutes after I said about concept of "Thai", many students show me sketches of traditional Thai patterns just like ones that can be seen on the wall of Thai temples. I was astonished and still in silence for a minute.

"You're right it is Thai." I said. "But there is nothing creative and nothing new. If you call this a creative, it must be ashamed to call yourself a designer."

Being "Thai" is much more than a traditional Thai pattern.

Now I have brought this title of assignment again to the NWOTA Exhibition but it is just a playing within my group of my friends to make existing designs develop to be even more creative and eventually an evolution of art will happen.

...and this is how this masterpiece of design was alive!