Cha Am August 2019

Strange weather this month with a combination of sunny skies, overcast and the occasional heavy rain.

Water feature at Amazon Cafe, PTT filling station, Wang Noi

Huge clean restroom at the Porto Go, Tha Chin rest stop in Samut Sakhon

BaBa Beach Club high rise hotel building. So happy to see that it will not block the view from the Aquamarine Sky Lounge

Busy breakfast on the beach in Cha Am.

Shell Station under construction at the entrance of Thew Talay Estate. There will be a railroad themed restaurant.

Canopy being built over the fuel pump area.

Lao food at the Bluport Mall in Hua Hin.

Jit Pochana restaurant very close to Thew Talay.

Sometimes you need a burger.

Every trip to Cha Am deserves at lease one Sunrise photo.

Cycling To Wat Na Kwang Cave

Balast piled up for Thailand's dual track project.

"Please Don't Feed The Monkeys"

This, and other such warning signs, are routinely ignored. Just as I passed a band of Macaques someone threw a bunch of watermelon rind out of a car. Quickly devoured.

Up To The Na Kwang Reclining Buddha Cave

Inside the cave. The reclining Buddha is in front of the entrance to the rest of the cave complex. 

Statues of revered monks.

This image is of a ฤาษี (Rishi), a Vedic (old Sanskrit) term referring to an enlightened person or sage.

The reclining Buddha is in the U Thong style and probably dates from the 13th-15th century. 

Another view of the reclining Buddha

View of the cave from the reclining Buddha platform

I think this Buddha image is in the ปางปาลิไลยก์ (Retreat to LiLai Forest) gesture. Unfortunately, the bottom part of the image is either missing or wasn't made. This is the Buddha gesture for people born Wednesday evening. (Wednesday is the only day with two different Buddha gestures.)

The front of the cave is now blocked by this ugly fence and gate. Fortunately, it was unlocked when I was there and no one was around.

Buddha image just outside the cave.

On the way back I stopped at this deteriorating structure is called "Tham Khao Nang Nuan Dharma Practice Place" on Google maps. It is overrun with dogs and Macaques. A fortune teller works inside. He has a sling shot which he uses to fend off the monkeys.

Looks like it was once an interesting spot. Just a mess now.

I also stopped at Wat Nikhom Wachiraram to have a look at the old Chinese cemetery. I visit several years ago and the place was a mess with empty sarcophagus lying around and junk everywhere. It has now been cleaned up. 

Old brick tomb or chedi. Most are concrete. No idea how old this is.

Grave marker. Most Chinese are buried in tombs. No idea about this.

Chinese tomb that seems to have been stripped of all its decoration.

Most Chinese tombs look like this.

These chedi probably hold the ashes of non-Chinese Thais.

Cha Am South Beach - Low Tide, Low Season

A band of Macaques has taken up residence at the Cha Am Little Shop Resort and Restaurant

Cha Am Little Shop - Low Season