The province of Phitsanulok is situated on the banks of Nan River in the lower northern part of Thailand. The province is approximately 377 kilometers from Bangkok. The entire province comprises mainly of flatland with mountain ranges towards the east, which are home to lush green national parks and waterfalls.
Phitsanulok was one of the important communities during the Khmer rule and it earned a lot of prosperity during the Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods. Between 1463 and 1487, King Borom Trailokanat of Ayutthaya used to permanently live in the province, thus making it another royal capital.
Today Phitsanulok is a major tourist attraction that draws people not just from Thailand but also from around the world. People come to see the many tourist sites including the Wat Phra Si Mahathat.
The locals call Wat Phra Si Mahathat Wat Yai and it is situated on the east bank of Nan River within the limits of Phitsanulok town, the provincial capital. It is believed that the viharn of the temple is home to one of the most beautiful and elegant Buddha images in Thailand. The Buddha image is made from bronze in the Sukhothai style of architecture. It is officially known as Phra Phutthachinarat. Owing to its large size, many foreign and local visitors come to the temple daily to admire and pay respect to the image. Every year in late January, a celebration is held in the temple to honor Phra Phutthachinarat.
Another attractive aspect of the temple is its large pearl inlaid doors, which are at the entrance of viharn. It is believed that doors were crafted in the late Ayutthaya period around 1756. The temple also houses another image known as Phra Attharot, which is an 8-meter tall standing image of Buddha. Originally the Phra Phutthachinarat was housed in a large viharn but the roof is no longer there. So, the bronze image now stands in open air surrounded by large columns of the collapsed viharn.
If you shop for bargains in gemstones online, one of the first things you’ll notice is that most of the stones have been treated or enhanced in some way — with heat or chemicals or radiation or some combination. Are these treated stones really a bargain? Or are you better off spending more, and getting a truly “natural” gem?
One Answer
Here is one answer to the question. Gemstones are a wondrous product of nature, and their natural beauty should not be enhanced or “improved” in any way. If you don’t care about buying a truly natural product, you can buy a synthetic or fake or “treated” gemstone. But only nature can produce a true ruby or sapphire.
I am sure many people would agree with this point of view. But it is actually quite naive if you think about it. After all, you don’t see many people wearing unprocessed minerals on their fingers or around their necks. The fact is, people expect that natural minerals will be improved by skillful cutting and polishing. Gems don’t come out of the mine with a facet cut! If you’ve seen rough uncut sapphire, for example, I’m sure you were amazed that a gorgeous blue sapphire could be produced from that clump of dull aluminum oxide crystals.
So as we think about this, we realize that gemstones are a product of human craft worked on natural materials. The question then, is what kinds of enhancement are acceptable? And how do these enhancements affect the price and value of a gemstone?
In this article, we focus on the most common form of gem enhancement — heat treatment. Look for an explanation of other treatment methods in our next article.
Why Gems are Treated
Some gemstones, such as garnet and peridot, are hardly ever treated. Others, like ruby and sapphire, are routinely treated. Why is that? And why are treated rubies so much more expensive than untreated garnets?
Some highly desirable gems, like ruby and sapphire, are scarce and the supply of high quality stones tends to decline as mines are worked out. At the same time, demand is high and growing. The search for new sources of gem-grade material typically leads to the mining of lower grade gems, as it did in Mong Hsu in Burma in 1992. The Mong Hsu rubies tended to a bluish or purplish hue that was not the wonderful “pigeon’s blood red” that people found so desirable in the Mogok Burmese rubies that were now in very short supply.
Ingenious gem labs in Thailand found that the color of the Mong Hsu rubies could be improved by heating, producing a ruby that had the distinctive Burmese look. This treatment or enhancement is now routine for Mong Hsu rubies, for mid-priced as well as more expensive stones.
Sapphire is another type of gem that is routinely enhanced by heating. Natural sapphires are typically “included” to some degree — that is, they have internal deposits of foreign material or structural irregularities that affect the clarity of the final product. These inclusions often lend a cloudy appearance to the gem. Heating the gem material at high temperatures (over 1000 degree centigrade) can “heal” many of these inclusions, since they have a lower melting point than the sapphire. The result is a clearer gem with a more attractive color.
The value of a gemstone enhanced by heating is, not surprisingly, lower than that of an unenhanced specimen with the same color and clarity. The unenhanced gem, of course, is extremely rare. Without the enhancements produced by heating, the supply of eye-clean ruby and sapphire of good color would be so small that these gems would be available only to a tiny number of well-heeled customers.
Some Practical Advice
As you shop for gems online, look for a “Treatment” section in the description of the gem. If the gem has been heat treated, the seller should disclose that fact. If you are shopping for ruby or sapphire, and the seller claims the stone is unheated, buyer beware! It is entirely possible that you’ve come across a rare untreated gem, but the stone should be priced accordingly. Be very suspicious if the price of the allegedly unheated gem is in the same range as similar gems that have been heat treated.
Udonthani was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai. It became the capital of Lannathai Kingdom, and once the kingdom started to decline, the importance of Udonthani also started to diminish. The city was often occupied either by the invading Burmese troops or the Thais from Ayutthaya. King Taksin captured Udonthani from the Burmese in 1774 and ever since it has been a part of Thailand. Today, Udonthani is the second most important city in Thailand after Bangkok. Udonthani is 560 kilometers from Bangkok.
When to Go to Udonthani
If you are planning a visit to Udonthani, the best time is between November and March. During this time the weather is cool and temperatures are from 75°F to 89°F. During April and May, it is extremely hot and visitors usually avoid those months. You can also plan a visit to Udonthani during June, July and August. There is no doubt that during those months the weather is hot but it is bearable and prices in hotels and restaurants are lower than in peak tourist season.
Places to Visit in Udonthani
Udonthani has over 300 Buddhist temples to choose from. Doi Suthep is the most popular out of these. It was built in 1383 and gives an excellent view of the city. The other temples worth visiting are Chiang Man, which is the oldest temple in Udonthani, Phra Sila, which is popular for its marble Buddha, and Phra Satang Man for its crystal Buddha.
Besides temples, you can spend time with your family at the Udonthani Zoo, Doi Inthanon National Park, Dao Cave, the Night Bazaar, Sirikit Botanical Gardens and Phrathat Doi Suthep. Udonthani is also popular for its nightlife. If you are a cooking or dancing enthusiast, you can take a Thai cooking or Thai dancing course at the local bars and cafes.
Just 47 kilometers east of Udonthani is Thailand’s premier Bronze Age excavation at Ban Chiang, which is a world renowned archaeological site.
The currency transactions result in a balance of trade in goods and services (current account) or a balance of financial asset flows (capital account). The exchange value of a currency must be such that there is enough balance in both the accounts to sustain future transactions. This is where purchasing power parity comes into play. It is a key determinant of the international balance in the goods market. A similar condition for the capital account is known as interest rate parity, which is a key determinant of the international balance in the financial asset flow.
The relationship between the trend in fluctuation of exchange value of the dollar, for instance, and purchasing power parity (in the long run) or the interest rate parity (in the short run) is clearly evident from the bilateral exchange rate between the US and the individual foreign nation in whose currency you are presently trading.
Purchasing power parity is the equilibrium that must exist between the domestic purchasing power of a currency and its international purchasing power. If the exchange rate is greater than the purchasing power parity, then the currency is considered to be over valued and as a result of this imbalance, the currency is capable of purchasing more goods and services abroad than in the domestic market level.
Interest rate parity plays an essential role in foreign exchange markets, linking interest rates, spot exchange rates and foreign exchange rates. Interest rate parity follows the theory that the interest rate differential between two countries is equal to the gap between the forward exchange rate and the spot exchange rate. In fact, the interest rate parity assumes that the actions of investors trigger corresponding changes in the exchange rates as well.
Thailand has some great holiday home accommodation that holiday makers can rent while staying in Thailand on their vacations. Some holiday makers rent luxurious villas with swimming pools on one of Thailand’s many clean beautiful beaches. Some holiday makers stay in self catering holiday apartments in Thailand.
A rich and colourful country, Thailand is a land of exotic monuments, splendid beaches, temples, shrines, waterfalls and lush green landscapes. Thailand is flanked by Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and the Gulf of Thailand. The country’s tradition, culture and heritage attract many tourists from around the world. Visitors can get an up and close view of the Thailand and its people with boat rides and rice-barge cruises. Thailand is a blend of both traditional and modern.
Bangkok, the capital city is a popular destination for tourists. The city is the business centre and the hub of economic and political affairs. It is referred to as Krung Thep. Many holiday makers stay in a holiday apartment in Bangkok and experience the night life to the full of this capital city of Thailand.
The river Chao Phraya flows through the city. The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo, the temple complex which is home to the Emerald Buddha, are also found in Bangkok. The city has drastically changed and become a slick, prosperous and modern place. The city is also home to around 300 Buddhist temples and shrines. The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is the most famous temple in the city. The floating market, modern night clubs, and many historically important buildings make this city such a popular tourist destination.
Chiang Mai is the second-largest city in Thailand and has many interesting views to offer in the form of ancient and beautiful temples, teak forests, elephants, caves, waterfalls and a visit to the hill tribes. Doi Suthep temple and elephant trekking are very popular with tourists staying here. Doi Suthep another famous temple in Thailand that is located on a hilltop. Elephant trekking allows the tourists to get a closer look at the natural splendour and wonderful places of the city.
Kanchanaburi province is filled with jungle clad hills and waterways. The town is the original site of the popular and historically famous Bridge over the River Kwai where allied prisoners of war and Thai labourers were killed by the Japanese. Train trips are arranged for a visit across the post war bridge and this is a very moving and emotional experience.
The Phang Nga Bey is located near to Phuket. The bay shot to international fame after the area featured in the James Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun. Around 3500 islands are scattered in this bay. The islands are home to fauna and flora. For many decades the islands were considered impenetrable but now canoe trips are arranged for the tourists and the locals through the tunnels and the cracks in the rocks. There are some stunning holiday villas in this part of Thailand.
Ko Phi Phi Islands are yet another place to visit on your holidays in Thailand. The twin islands are full of natural splendour. The largest of the two, Ko Phi Phi Don, is dumbbell shaped and has a coastline that is full of white beaches and further inland tropical rainforest.
It does not matter if you want to stay at the hill tribe villages, go elephant trekking, adventurous boat rides or admiring the stunning seascapes and landscapes, Thailand can provide them all. Many holiday makers choose to rent a holiday villa or stay in a self catering apartment during their holiday in Thailand and use them as a base to explore this stunning country.
