If you have ever been to Thailand you will know how important the local Buddhist temple is in every day life. Many Thai people will regularly visit the temple to leave offerings for good luck and a sign of respect for the Buddha. Kaitlyn Moore visits a local flower market in Chiang Mai and ponders the ready-made gift offerings on sale.

Fresh sugarcane for sale at a local Thai market. Throughout South East Asia sugarcane is enjoyed whole as a snack or squeezed for its juice. Thailand is a major exporter of cane sugar.

Makha Bukha Day is an important Buddhist holiday in Thailand celebrated on the full moon of the third lunar month. Many Thai people will visit the temple on this day to take part in candle lit ceremony. We visit the famous Wat Chedi Luang temple in Chiang Mai for the event where hundreds of people form a procession round the temple led by dozens of monks.

Update 2012: The Yi Peng festival took place in Mae Jo, Chiang Mai on the evening of November 25th 2012. In Bangkok, waves of light twinkle down the Chao Praya under a glitzy fireworks show. In Sukhothai, their Loy Kratong celebration is more traditional, as teenagers in silk and gold costumes dance next to elaborate [...]

Pad Thai is Thailand’s most famous food export, but the history of Pad Thai might be a bit of a surprise. Pad Thai exemplifies the balance of sweet, hot, salty, sour, and bitter flavors that is key to Thai cuisine, while creating an interesting mix of textures from the cooked noodles, crisp bean sprouts, and crunchy dried shrimp. Some stands are even creating new Pad Thai varieties out of green papaya!