Stories tagged with doi
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Cold temperatures prove deadly
A woman froze to death in Uttaradit as cold temperatures gripped the North and Northeast of Thailand. The 76-year-old woman was found dead in her bed. She shared the bed with her 83-year-old husband, who survived the frigid temperatures that took his wife. Doctors said the woman was suffering from health problems that added to the complications due to the cold weather.
The cold season has come early to Northern Thailand. Hospitals have been inundated with cases of pneumonia and respiratory infections. Already this year doctors have attributed 15 deaths due to the unseasonably cold weather. So far, over 1000 cases of pneumonia have been recorded in the north.
Doi Inthanon National Park, in Chiang Mai province, reported frost as the temperature fell below 6 degrees celcius. Low temperatures in the winter are not uncommon around Thailand’s highest peak, but this year the cold has come very early.
The peak of tourist season begins around mid-December at Doi Inthanon. Tourists flock to the peak to experience the cool winter air and view Thailand from its highest point. Doi Inthanon remains one of the most visited sites in Northern Thailand.
Posted by: Andrew on 20 Nov 2008, 11:01 -
Doi Sutep’s vital restoration in jeopardy
After tests showed that Chiang Mai’s famous mountainside temple, Doi Sutep, was at risk of sliding off the side of the mountain, the government approved funding to restore the foundations of the main stupa. Although work has been underway for several months, recent reports state that the restoration project’s funds have dried up.
This is Doi Sutep’s first major restoration in more than 600 years. Its iconic gold-coloured stupa, which can be seen from Chiang Mai, is in danger of collapsing due to the accumulation of moisture in the ancient brickwork that supports the structure. The government only granted 7 million baht of the 150 million baht requested to complete the restoration, and these meager funds have already been used, leaving the project in a state of limbo.
Doi Sutep’s main stupa is said to contain some of the Buddha’s relics, and is Chiang Mai’s most visited temple. Highly-skilled Salah Lanna craftsmen, dressed in traditional white attire to show respect, are working on the foundations in three stages. New water drainage channels are being placed under the stupa’s base, and the top portion where the relics are housed is also being restored.
Although the temple grounds look sturdy, its foundations are actually built on soft earth rather than stone. Researchers concluded that a single major disaster like an earthquake or flash flood could wash the stupa down the side of the mountain. Without more funding, however, the project may never be properly completed.
Posted by: Andrew on 03 Sep 2008, 09:40 -
Doi Suthep temple Chedi under restoration
Chiang Mai’s biggest tourist attraction, the famous golden chedi amid Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, is once again undertaking emergency restoration work to prevent it from possible collapse.
The chedi is believed to contain a relic of the Lord Buddha and is under constant attack from high levels of moisture caused by high humidity, despite its lofty location.
The renovation work, which began on June 4, is being lead by Chiang Mai University Fine Arts Department expert Rung Juntabun, a traditional Lanna style architect. The idea is to temporarily remove the top of the chedi for safe keeping and then place a series of drainage pipes within the structure.
The work is expected to take about six months and will cost somewhere in the region of 6.6 million baht. The government is footing the bill.
The Chedi has seen various attempts at restoration in the past, some successful and others of no use at all, even causing more harm than good. The central base of the chedi was renovated in 1992 along with the strengthening of the grand terrace’s foundations.
The site was again worked on in 1998 when iron rods were installed into the lime and brick pagoda, which in turn caused even more damage due to swelling. The excessive humidity in the structure was also realized to be causing damage in 2004 owing to the brass and gold cladding of the chedi trapping in heat and humidity.
In addition, water seeps in through cracks during rain to exacerbate the situation. With a bit of luck, this will be the last attempt at sorting out the chedi for some time.
More on Soi Suthep
Posted by: Andrew on 13 Jul 2008, 11:42 -
Changing Lives in Doi Angkhang
A Royal Project of His Majesty the King has helped transform the lives of hilltribes in Doi Angkhang, Chiang Mai, creating the possibility of a higher quality of life. Where locals once depended solely upon opium fields and rice paddies, various fruit harvests have been cultivated in this vibrant valley.
The Angkhang Royal Agricultural Stations was the first of its kind to be established by the Royal Project in 1969. Over the decades, the Project has succeeded in introducing temperate climate fruit farming despite the initial resistance of the locals. Harvesting opium had proven easy and lucrative, making the transition to other crops a hard sell.
Visits by His Majesty, among other things, finally convinced the hilltribes to make the transformation. All the land in the Angkhang area is now used to its full potential, proving the success of this project.
The Royal Project has expanded over the years to include 36 development centres and eight agricultural stations.
Posted by: Zoe on 13 Dec 2007, 10:14