Lighthouses of Thailand

An FDC from Thailand 🇹🇭 

Lighthouses of Thailand 

Date of issue : 30-09-2019

I am yet at a loss to find the details of each lighthouse !! 

Thai public health

A cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 

100th anniversary of Thai Public health and Prince Mahidol 

Date of issue - 24.09.2019

Healthcare in Thailand is overseen by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), along with several other non-ministerial government agencies. Thailand's network of public hospitals provide universal healthcare to all Thai nationals through three government schemes- the civil service welfare system for civil servants and their families, Social Security for private employees, and the universal coverage scheme, introduced in 2002, which is theoretically available to all other Thai nationals. Private hospitals help complement the system, especially in Bangkok and large urban areas, and Thailand is among the world's leading medical tourism destinations. 

Thailand is gaining worldwide recognition for the quality of its healthcare services, after the US magazine CEOWORLD placed Thailand sixth in its' 2019 list of countries with the best healthcare systems.

Mahidol Songkla, was the father of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) of Thailand. He was also regarded as the father of modern medicine and public health of Thailand. He also founded the House of Mahidol or the present Royal Family of Thailand.

Like the other sons of King Chulalongkorn, Prince Mahidol started his education at the Royal School within the Grand Palace. He received the title of Prince of Songkla at age 13. Following the wish of his half-brother, King Vajiravudh, he entered the Imperial German Naval Academy at Flensburg-Mürwik. The start of World War I compelled the Prince to come back to Thailand in 1914. 

His half-brother and old friend Prince Rangsitthen was then the Chief of the Royal Medical College. Medical and public health education did not receive much attention at that time, and medical practice was much lagged behind the Western standard. He strategically invited Prince Mahidol to a boat trip along the Bangkok Yai and Bangkok Noi canals. His office, Siriraj Hospital, was certainly on the route, and this was where he invited his half-brother to stop and have a look around. Having seen Mahidol's reaction to the poor state of the hospital, Prince Rangsit asked him if he wanted to help; Mahidol's answer at that time was, however, not very positive as he was concerned that he knew nothing about medicine himself. However, a few days elapsed and he agreed to help. He also decided he would study in related fields himself. Thus the Prince went to Cambridge, Massachusetts to study public health at Harvard. 

One of the first things he did when he returned was to set up scholarships for students in the fields of medicine, nursing, and public health. He was planning to return to Siriraj Hospital for internship. However, his princely status then became a problem as it was felt that he was too prestigious to be allowed internship. Undeterred, Mahidol chose another hospital in a more egalitarian environment – the missionary-run McCormick Hospital in Chiang Mai. He worked there, day and night, as a resident doctor. His patients fondly called him "Mho Chao Fa" ('Doctor Prince').

His legacies remain to this day. The students sent abroad under his scholarships became key players in modern medicine of Thailand: many were regarded as great teachers, and some helped establish new medical schools and universities. In commemoration of the centenary of the Prince's birth, the Prince Mahidol Award was created in 1992. 

The Queen Mother of Thailand

A registered cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 

87th birthday of H.M The Queen Mother Sirikit Kitiyakara 

Date of issue : 30-08-2019

Designer : Mr. Thaneth Ponchaiwong

Sirikit Kitiyakara (Born on 12 August 1932) is the Queen mother of Thailand. She was the queen consort of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (or Rama IX) and is the mother of King Vajiralongkorn (or Rama X). She met Bhumibol in Paris, where her father was Thai ambassador. They married in 1950, shortly before Bhumibol's coronation. Sirikit was appointed queen regent in 1956, when the king entered the Buddhist monkhood for a period of time. Sirikit has one son and three daughters with the king. 

Consort of the monarch who was the world's longest-reigning head of state, she was also the world's longest-serving consort. Sirikit suffered a stroke on 21 July 2012 and has since refrained from public appearances.

Queen Sirikit's birthday, as is the king's, is a national holiday, and is also Mothers' Day in Thailand. She is particularly revered in the more remote and traditional parts of the country, where the monarchy is regarded as semi-divine. Her work in promoting tolerance and understanding for the Muslim minorities in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat have made her especially popular amongst Thai Muslims.

King Rama X

A cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 

King Rama X - 67 th birthday 

Date of issue : 28 July 2019

Vajiralongkorn is the King of Thailand since 2016. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his father's death on 13 October 2016, he was expected to accede to the throne of Thailand but asked for time to mourn before taking the throne.

He accepted the throne on the night of 1 December 2016. His father was cremated on 26 October 2017. His coronation took place from 4–6 May 2019. The Thai government retroactively declared his reign to have begun on 13 October 2016, upon his father's death. As the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, he is also styled as Rama X. Aged 64 at that time, Vajiralongkorn became the oldest Thai monarch to ascend to the throne.

To celebrate the King’s birthday, ThailandPost, Thailand’s postal service printed a beautiful collection of 10 stamps produced using highly skilled printing techniques as well as gold foil. The stamps bear a ฿10 price mark and are sold in strips of ten for ฿100 with special envelope for ฿20.

Thanks Narong for this beautiful cover ! 

Thailand - ASEAN Chairmanship 2019

A first day cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 

Thailand’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2019

Date of issue : 01 - 06 - 2019

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations  is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and sociocultural integration among its members and other countries in Asia. 

The creation of ASEAN was motivated by a common fear of communism, ASEAN achieved greater cohesion in the mid-1970s following a change in balance of power after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. The region's dynamic economic growth during the 1970s strengthened the organization. The end of the Cold War between the West and the Soviet Union at the end of the 1980s allowed ASEAN countries to exercise greater political independence in the region, and in the 1990s ASEAN emerged as a leading voice on regional trade and security issues.

On 15 December 2008, member states met in Jakarta to launch a charter, signed in November 2007, with the aim of moving closer to "an EU-style community".

Thailand takes over the Chairmanship of ASEAN for a year in 2019. 

Thanks Narong for the beautiful cover with a lovely stamp - a bouquet of all the national flowers of the ten countries tied with a ribbon in the colours of Thai flag ! 

Bridges of South East Asia & the World

Thailand 🇹🇭 

World stamp exhibition 2018 - Tourist destinations 

Date of issue : 28-November-2018

Postmark : Hin Kong, Ratchaburi, Thailand 

Khao Tha Chomphu White Bridge: The Railway Bridge is situated at Ban Tha Chomphu, Lamphun Province. It was between Khun Tan railway station and The Chomphu railway station. It has become a historic bridge now. The bridge construction began in 1919 and was completed in 1920. It has been used as part of the railway from Lampang to Chiang Mai.

  A fascinating story arose related to the bridge during WWII that the allied forces thought of bombing it to destroy the Japanese railway route. The scheme prodded the villagers to paint the bridge black to camouflage it from the allied forces. They managed to save the bridge from the bombs.

Indonesia 🇮🇩 

Bridges of Indonesia 

Date of issue : 03-12-2017

Postmark : Bogor , Indonesia / 06-03-2019

Jembatan Merah Putih is a cable stayed bridge in the  Ambon Bay Of Ambon island connecting Rumah Tiga village with Hative Kecil village. Construction began in 2011 and the bridge was inaugurated in 2016, making it the longest bridge in the eastern side of Indonesia. The bridge is named after the flag of Indonesia - Bendarah Merah Putih

Jembatan Tayan is a Truss Arch Bridge and the longest bridge in West Borneo which crosses Kapuas River in Sanggau, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The bridge construction was started in 2012 and ended in 2016. The construction of the bridge is divided into two parts. The first part is a 300 meters bridge from Tayan town to Tayan Island, and the second part is a 1,140 meters bridge from Tayan Island to Piasak.

Jembatan Soekarno is a bridge connecting the old and new parts of Manoda city in North Sulawesi. The bridge was stalled for 15 years due to technical reasons and finally opened in 2016. 

Vietnam 🇻🇳 

International stamp exhibition - Pacific 97- SanFrancisco USA -modern suspension bridges of the world 

Date of issue : 12-06-1997

Postmark : Saigon , 13-06-2019

Golden Gate Bridge ( USA )  is a suspension bridge connecting San Francisco with Marin County, California. It was inaugurated in 1937. 

Raippaluota Bridge ( Finland ) is a cable-stayed tuftform bridge connecting the island of Replot with the mainland in Korsholm, near Vaasa, Finland. It is 1,045 metres (3,428 ft) long and the longest bridge of Finland. It was inaugurated in 1997. 

The Great Seto Bridge ( Japan )  is a series of double deck bridges connecting Okayama and Kagawa prefectures in Japan across a series of five small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Built over the period 1978–88, it is one of the three routes of the Honshū–Shikoku Bridge Project connecting Honshū and Shikoku islands, and the only one with railroad connections included. At 13.1 kilometers (8.1 mi), it ranks as the world's longest two-tiered bridge system.

Phitsanulok

A cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 

Tourist destinations - Phitsanulok 

Date of issue : 28-November-2018 

Phitsanulok is an important, historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. Phitsanulok is one of the oldest cities in Thailand, founded over 600 years ago. It is best known as the birthplace of King Naresuan, who freed the country from Burmese domination in the late 16th century. Phitsanulok was the capital of Thailand for 25 years during the reign of King Boromma Trailokanat of Ayutthaya. Phitsanulok was also a provincial center of the Angkorian Empire during the Angkorian period. 

The stamps show the tourist attractions in Phitsanulok. 

Phra Buddha Chinnarat 

The temple is famous for its golden Buddha image named Phra Buddha Chinnarat, considered by many to be the most beautiful Buddha image in Thailand. It is one of the most highly revered images in the country, which makes the temple an important pilgrimage site for Thai Buddhists.

The temple was founded in 1357 by King Phaya Lithai, King of the Sukhothai Kingdom. The King ordered the casting of three large Buddha images to be enshrined in the newly constructed temple. 

While the first two images came out perfect on the first try, the last image took three castings. When it was completed, it turned out to be the most beautiful of the three and was named Phra Buddha Chinnarat. The 375 centimeter high Sukhothai style image is in the subduing Mara posture.

In the early 17^th century gold plating was applied to the bronze image. A distinguishing feature is the aureola, shaped like flames, that surrounds most of the image. Of the three images that were cast, today only the Phra Buddha Chinnarat remains in this temple, the other two are now in the Wat Bowonniwet in Bangkok.

The Buddha image is depicted on the provincial seal of Phitsanulok province.

Pak Thong Chai Tradition 

Every year the Nakhon Thai District of Phisanulok Province organizes a big fair to celebrate and manifest the admirable unity of its people – the Pak Thong Chai tradition, which is held on waxing 14th of the 12th month. The residents hold a common belief that its origin dated back to the time Po Khun Bang Klang Tao was the ruler of Bang Yang (now Nakhon Thai ) . The benevolent ruler was honored and respected as being the Nakhon Thai hero.

In the past as soon as the 12th month arrived, the Nakhon Thai monks and the community leaders would decide at whose particular house they would gather to make the special, traditional ritual (white) flags for the merit-making Bun Pak Thong. Normally, it would be the house of someone skillful in weaving. Or it could be the house of the village head. The folks lent their hand doing the weaving job. They brought cotton yarns, made from their own trees, as common materials for the special flags. The weavers generally were the women, as in those days every woman could weave.

 Each of the 3 flags measured a little over 2 meters. Nineteen wooden bhodi leaves were needed for 1 flag. The 3 flags were made by 3 different villages. The wooden bhodi trees were used to decorate the flag edges. Then a 1-foot bamboo tube was tied along one side of the flag to give it some weight support, as it was to be flown on the mountaintop.

Loud music from fiddles, gongs and drums all along the way was heard. The people also danced along – a lively and funfilled time it was. In the evening prior to the flag flying day, there was a religious ceremony, in which monks chanted some evening prayers.

Today the tradition is observed on a grand scale, and has become a cultural tourism attraction drawing people from Mueang Nakhon Thai district and subdistricts, as well as outsiders. The celebration lasts 10 days and nights, from waxing 13th to waning 7th in the 12th month.

Tree Ordination Ceremnony 

As part of a growing environmental movement in Thailand, a small number of Buddhist monks engage in ecological conservation projects. 

The "ecology monks" are those actively engaged in environmental and
conservation activities and who respond to the suffering which
environmental degradation causes. A major aim of Buddhism is to relieve
suffering, the root causes of which are greed, ignorance, and hatred. The
monks see the destruction of the forests, pollution of the air and water,
and other environmental problems as ultimately caused by people acting
through these evils, motivated by economic gain and the material benefits
of development, industrialization, and consumerism. As monks, they believe
it is their duty to take action against these evils. Their actions bring
them into the realm of political and economic debates, especially
concerning the rapid development of the Thai economy and control of natural
resources.

Tree ordination ceremonies (buat ton mai) are performed by many
participants in the Buddhist ecology movement in order to raise the
awareness of the rate of environmental destruction in Thailand and to build
a spiritual commitment among local people to conserving the forests and
watersheds. Some large-scale ordinations have been carried out for
publicity and public sympathy to make the government see the environmental
impact of some of its economic development plans. Most tree ordinations are aimed at local areas, and villagers,
through their participation in these ceremonies, signify their acceptance
of this adaptation of a Buddhist ritual to sanctify the forest and thereby
protect it. The regulations the monks establish limit their use of the
forest, forbidding the cutting of any trees or killing of any wildlife
within it.



Namtok Kaeng Sopha is a waterfall and tourist attraction in Wang Thong district of Phitsanulok Province in Thailand. Situated in Thung Salaeng Luang National Park on the Wang Thong River it is the largest waterfall in Phitsanulok. Kaeng Sopha is a tiered waterfall, shaped like a stairway, and it has been dubbed the Niagara Falls of Thailand. The torrents are very strong in the rainy season. The vapor rising in the area creates a vast rain-like curtain.

Thanks Narong for this beautiful cover :) I wish I can visit Phitsanulok some time 🤞🏼 

Heritage Conservation in Thailand

A cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 with the stamp set of Heritage Conservation 2019 with the first day postmark. 

Issue date: 02.04.2019
Stamp Description:

Mural paintings in the south of Thailand

* Chulamanee pagoda at Khok Khian temple in Narathiwat province

* Alms giving to a monk for ancestor worship at Pa Si temple in Pattani province

* One of situations in the Story of Vessantara at Khu Tao temple in Songkhla province

* Descent of the Buddha from the Trayastrisma Heaven at Cha Thing Phra temple in Songkla province

Beautiful first day postmarks and the San Sen philatelic museum cachet on the cover 

Thanks Naromg for this cover and stamps ! 

The King Of Thailand

A cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 

The 66 th birth anniversary of King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun 

Date of issue - 28-July-2018

Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun ( born 28 July 1952) has been the King of Thailand since 2016. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej ( Rama IX ) and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his father's death on 13 October 2016, he was expected to accede to the throne of Thailand but asked for time to mourn before taking the throne.

He accepted the throne on the night of 1 December 2016. His father was cremated on 26 October 2017. His coronation is planned to be held on 4 to 6 May 2019. The Thai government retroactively declared his reign to have begun on 13 October 2016, upon his father's death. As the tenth monarch of the Chakri dynasty, he is also styled as Rama X. Aged 64 at that time, Vajiralongkorn became the oldest Thai monarch to ascend to the throne.

 

Definitives - 2018 - King Rama X 

Date of issue - 28/July/2018

Thanks Narong for this great cover ! I hope Thailand issues stamps for the coronation of the king in May 2019 as well ! 

Thailand Vesak day

A cover from Thailand 🇹🇭 

Vesak day (also known as Buddha Purnima or Buddha Day) is a national holiday observed in many Buddhist and Hindu countries, including Thailand. It is considered to be the most significant Buddhist holiday because it commemorates the three defining events in the life of Buddha- the birth, the enlightenment, and the passing away (“Buddhist Lent Day”, n.d). Buddha was born during the 6th century B.C and attained enlightenment at the age of 35, providing the tenets of Buddhism which he taught until his death at the age of 80 (“Buddha”, 2018) Buddhists believe he entered Nirvana, escaping all suffering and reincarnation (“Visakha Bucha Day 2018 and 2019”, n.d). All three defining moments land on the same month and date, known as the Vesak Full Moon day.

The holiday is celebrated in many different ways by Buddhists around the world. In Thailand specifically, it is named Visakha Bucha day. While it does not have a fixed day each year, it typically falls in May or June. 

Vesak Day (issued 22-05-2018)
- Phra That Sri Jomthong in Chiang Mai
- Phra That Dot Tung in Chiang Rai
- Phra That Lampang Luang in Lampang
- Phra That Gate Kaew Chulamanee in Chiang Mai

Phrathat Jao Sri Jom Thong, is a temple in Jom Thong County. The legend says, it was probably built in somewhere around the 20th-24th Buddhist era, according to the art and architectural evidences within the temple. One of the things that make Phrathat Sri Chom Thong Temple so important is, this temple is the storage of a part of Lord Buddha’s relics. The legend also says that the Indian emperor Ashoka was the one who brough the relics to the temple. Not only that, Phrathat Sri Chom Thong Temple was also registered as a national historic site, along with many other temples in Chiang Mai. Moreover, this is a fortunate temple for those who were born in year of the rat. 

 Phra Maha Chinathat Chao (Doi Tung) or commonly known as Wat Phrathat Doi Tung is located on top of Doi Din Daeng.  It was built in the reign of Phrachao Uchutarat, the 3rd King of the Singhanawat Royal Family.  At the time. Phra Maha Kassapa presented to the King relics of the Buddha (a collarbone).  The relics were then moved and kept on top of Doi Tung, previously known as Doi Din Daeng where the Milakku or Lua tribe resided.  The King gave gold to the head of the tribe in exchange for an additional 3.000 square wa extension on each side of the land surrounding Phrathat.  The temple was named after a sacred flag known as Tung in local dialect which was 7,000 square wa in length and put up at the temple by Phra Maha Kassapa. it relates to the belief that Phrathat is assigned to the Year of the Pig.

 Phra That Lampang Luang is a fortified temple or wiang; it was built on top of an earth mound and is surrounded by high brick walls. In the early 18^th century when Lampang was occupied by the Burmese, the invaders occupied the temple. It was later freed by a group of 300 local people led by a man named Thippachak, whose statue can be seen on the temple grounds. The highly revered Phra Kaew Don Tao Buddha image cast in the 16^th century is enshrined in this temple, after it was brought here from nearby Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao temple. To get a good overview of the fortified temple complex atop the mound, hire a horse drawn carriage to take you around the temple.

Thanks Narong for this beautiful cover :) 

The Year of Pig

First day cover - Year of Pig - Singapore 🇸🇬 - 4.01.2019

Year of pig ( ATM labels ) - Singapore 🇸🇬 

Postcrossing meetup card with year of pig stamp - Singapore 🇸🇬 

A set of covers with Year of Pig - special cancellations from Singapore river Hangbao between 3-9 February 2019 and also Singapore Philatelic Museum special cancelations for the Chinese New Year 🧧- Singapore 🇸🇬 

Year of Pig stamps - Armenia 🇦🇲 

Year of boar - special postmark - Japan 🇯🇵 

Year of pig stamp - special cancellation - Japan 🇯🇵 

Year of Pig stamp - Japan 🇯🇵 

A cover with Taiwan 🇹🇼 - year of pig stamp 

A postcard with Taiwan 🇹🇼 - year of pig stamps 

FDC with year of pig MS - Taiwan 🇹🇼 

First day cover - year of pig - Australia 🇦🇺 - 8.01.2019

with slogan cancellation “ Stay Alert ! There is a life riding on it” - road safety campaign ! 

Prepaid envelope with preprinted year of pig stamp - Australia 🇦🇺 

Covers with year of pig stamps along with Peppa pig labels from Australia 🇦🇺 

A cover with Thailand 🇹🇭 Year of Pig stamps ! 

A cover wit Åland Islands 🇦🇽 - year of Pig minisheet !

A cover with the YOP stamps and minisheet - 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 

 

A cover with year of pig stamps from Hong Kong 🇭🇰 

Year of Pig - ATM labels - mint - Macau 🇲🇴 

Year of pig - Macau 🇲🇴 

A postcard from South Korea 🇰🇷 - Seoul 

A cover with Year of pig stamps and special pig postmark ! - South Korea 🇰🇷 

The first day cover from Guernsey 🇬🇬 - postally sent on the first day of issue ! 

FDC with year of pig stamp - Jersey 

A cover from Great Britain 🇬🇧 - with year of pig ( personalised stamp ) 1st class Stamp ! 

 Year of pig - personal stamp and Diwali personal stamp (yayy) with the special Chinese New Year of Pig postmark on 5- Feb - 2019 !! 



Year of Pig - Philippines 🇵🇭 

Year of Boar - USA 🇺🇸 

A private FDC with the Year of Boar first day mark and the stamp - USA 🇺🇸 

A maxicard of the year of boar stamps of USA 🇺🇸 

Year of Pig - United Nations 🇺🇳- NewYork 

A first day cover - Isle Of Man 🇮🇲- year of Pig ! 

Year of Pig - prepaid envelope with MS - year of pig - China with special pig postmark ! 

Hungary - cover with year of pig stamps and first day postmark - and also the FDC - with the signature of the designer of the YOP stamp !! 

Year of pig stamps - People’s Republic Of China 🇨🇳 

Year of Pig - ( private ) maxicards - postally sent - China 🇨🇳 

Year of Pig - China 🇨🇳 

A prepaid envelope and a prepaid postcard with special Pig postmarks from China 🇨🇳 

Meter cancellation with pig 🐷 image - China 🇨🇳 

Year of pig stamps - first day postmark - France 🇫🇷 

Year of pig ( minisheet) - mint - New Zealand 🇳🇿 

Year of pig - on a postcard - New Zealand 🇳🇿 

( NZ has stopped placing postmarks on postcards and envelopes ! ) 

Year of Pig 🐷 Stamp - FDC - Slovenia 🇸🇮 

Year of Pig - FDC - by registered post - Serbia 🇷🇸 

Year of pig - FDC - Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬 

Year of Pig Stamp - Estonia 🇪🇪 

A postcard from Bhutan 🇧🇹 with the Year of Boar Stamp !

Year of pig 🐷 minisheet from Bhutan 🇧🇹 

Cover with year of pig stamps - Vietnam 🇻🇳 

Year of Pig stamp - Ukraine 🇺🇦 

FDC 

Maxicard

Sheetlet - Ukraine 🇺🇦 

Lucky pig 🐷 stamp (2019) - shaped stamp - Switzerland 🇨🇭 

Year of Pig - stamps and MS - with first day postmark - Indonesia 🇮🇩 

Year of Pig - Canada 🇨🇦 

Postmarks on year of pig 🐷- China 🇨🇳 

A cover with year of pig stamp from Mongolia 🇲🇳 

A registered cover from Liechtenstein 🇱🇮 with year of pig stamp 


Year of pig stamp on cover from Cambodia 🇰🇭 

Year of Pig stamp on cover from Argentina 🇦🇷