Samut Songkhram Mini-Break. Photo Report

[buksida]

Enjoy reading these trip reports and looking at the pics of places I've never been. Getting out of the tourist traps definitely gets you the real prices and a real Thailand and going during the week is the way to go.

Done far too little travelling this year, but that'll all change shortly!

[Big Boy]

Great - enjoy your reciprocal reports as well.

[Big Boy]

It's certainly new as in built this year. I too had heard it is supposedly the largest, but I'm sure I've seen larger ones running up 'temple on a hill' stair cases. Yes, I knew it was a Nga (or is it spelt Naga - I don't know), but I keep calling it a dragon

Picking back up on this discussion, how does one distinguish between a Nga and a Dragon? The Ratchaburi pottery is renown for it;s Chinese Dragons, and if I had to choose between the 2, I'd say they looked very similar.

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HHTel, maybe your daughter can tell us the difference.

[joelle]

It's certainly new as in built this year. I too had heard it is supposedly the largest, but I'm sure I've seen larger ones running up 'temple on a hill' stair cases. Yes, I knew it was a Nga (or is it spelt Naga - I don't know), but I keep calling it a dragon

Picking back up on this discussion, how does one distinguish between a Nga and a Dragon? The Ratchaburi pottery is renown for it;s Chinese Dragons, and if I had to choose between the 2, I'd say they looked very similar.


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HHTel, maybe your daughter can tell us the difference.

The dragon has feet and the naga being a giant snake has none

[PeteC]

The ancient myth about the "Naga" is said to be based upon the Oarfish, which still exists today.

Google "oarfish Thailand" and you'll see many photos and the resemblance. Of course the beast from legend and myth is 20 times larger than real life it appears.

One photo you'll see is about 20 American soldiers along the Mekong River during the Vietnam war holding a dead one which is 20' + in length.

[joelle]

Lots of answers on Google about the difference between Naga and Dragon

[Big Boy]

Right, I think we've discussed the Oarfish on here before, so neither a snake or a dragon. I noticed the beast at Cha-Am has legs and feet, which is why I made the connection to the Ratchaburi Dragons,

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At least, I had taken the blue bits to be feet. Now I look again, I can see what I thought was feet, is actually splashing water.

[Big Boy]

Just a quick update on the building site they call Wat Tham Chaeng. The official opening ceremony is this coming Saturday 9th Sept. Ceremony start time is stated as 17:09. I guess that time must be significant.