Faculty-Led: Culture and Design in Thailand

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 – Travel to Thailand

You’ll arrive at Suvarnabhumi International Airport and meet your Program Manager. You’ll transfer via private transportation to your hotel in Bankok. Dinner is on your own tonight. 

Overnight in Bangkok

Day 2 – Bangkok

Today you’ll have a full day of sightseeing in Bangkok. You’ll take a canal tour in a speedboat and visit Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, which is one of the best known landmarks on the Chao Phraya River. You’ll see the Reclining Buddha in Wat Phra Chetuphon in the Wat Po complex. You’ll have a welcome lunch together at the Naval Club. After lunch, you’ll visit the Grand Palace, the 19^th century home of the King of Siam and the seat of government through 1925. The complex includes various temples and museums and houses the Emerald Buddha.

Overnight in Bangkok

Day 3 – Bankok

You’ll visit the Kam Thieng House Museum, a traditional wooden Thai house on stilts which depicts traditional Thai living with an assortment of artifacts, tools and furniture. You’ll head to the Suan Pakkad Palace Museum. The palace is situated in a beautiful small garden and houses one of the best private collections of art work in Thailand. You’ll then head to the Jim Thompson House. The American expat was credited with reviving the traditional silk industry in Thailand in the 60’s by exporting the craft around the world. His restored traditional home is now an important cultural landmark. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch you’ll visit the shopping district of Bangkok and visit the main malls, Siam Center and Siam Paragon. You’ll visit the Materials Connexion at the Thai Creative & Design Center. The TCDC is a research center and reference library for architecture, interiors, product design and industrial design. 

STUDIO TIME: 3 HOURS

Overnight in Bangkok

Day 4 – Bangkok to Nakorn Ratchasima 

You’ll depart in the morning for Ayutthaya, the 2^nd capital of Thailand, during 1350-1767. At the height of its reign, the city was one of the richest and most magnificent in Asia. During the 15^th century it extended its power over most of central Thailand and into Laos, Cambodia and the Malay Peninsula. You’ll visit some principal sites in Ayuthaya Historical Park such as Wat Mahathat, Wat Mongkol Bophit and Wat Chaiwatanaram. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant. You’ll board your bus and proceed to northeastern part of Thailand to Phimai District, Nakorn Ratchasima province. You’ll visit Phimai National Historical Park which is home to an important former city of the Khmer Empire. The complex and temples are comparable to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Originally built in the late 10^th century, this is a magnificent example of early temple architecture. You’ll head to your hotel and have dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Nakorn Ratchasima

Day 5 – Nakorn Ratchasima to Phanomrung Puri

You’ll continue on your private bus to visit the Dan Kwian District, a local pottery making district. You will have a chance to see and learn about Thai pottery making and specifically the rust colored pottery from the Dan Kwian region. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, you’ll continue to Buriram Province to visit an impressive Khmer temple, the Phanom Rung Temple. This is one of the most outstanding Khmer monuments in Thailand, built between the 10^th and 13^th centuries. 

STUDIO TIME: 3 HOURS

Overnight Phanomrung Puri

Day 6 – Phanomrung Puri to Ban Napho

You’ll depart for Ban Napho to visit the Handicraft Weaving Center. You will spend a night in the village and take a weaving and dye workshop. You’ll have lunch and dinner in the village and then stay overnight with local families.

STUDIO TIME: 6 HOURS

Overnight in Ban Napho

Day 7 – Ban Napho

You’ll depart for Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village. Most of the local villagers are "Guay" people who previously had skillful occupation in capturing elephants, training them for work and as household animals. At present, the villagers train the elephants for Elephant Round-up of the province. They feed and care for the elephants, treating them as their friends and children of the family. Surin Province has built an Elephant Museum or Elephant Educational Center in the village where historical background, information and capturing instruments are featured. You’ll visit the Educational Center and participate in daily training with the Guay people or elephant trainers. You’ll have lunch and dinner in the village and stay overnight.

Overnight Ban Napho

Day 8 – Ban Napho to Khong Jiam

You’ll depart to visit Ban Tha Sawang silk weaving village before heading to Ubol Ratchathani. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant. You’ll stop to do some sightseeing in Ubol Ratchathani and continue to Khong Jiam District, located by the Mekong River bordering Laos. You’ll check into your hotel Tohasend Kho Jiam and have dinner at the hotel.

Overnight Khong Jiam

Day 9 – Khong Jiam

You’ll visit the Khong Jiam fresh market in the morning and then proceed to the pre-historic rock paintings at Pha Taem Historical Park. The plateau and hills dominate the park’s landscape and on the cliffs’ surface, there are prehistoric paintings dating back 3000-4000 years. The paintings reflect the ancient way of life of people who once lived in the area and included figures of people, animals, rice farming and geometric designs. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, you’ll visit Kaeng Tana, the biggest cataract in the middle of the Mun River. The cataract itself is a big stone platform lying across the Mun River, creating beautiful waterfalls.

Overnight in Khong Jiam

Day 10 – Khong Jiam to Khon Kaen

You’ll depart on your private bus to visit the Papyrus Mat Weaving Village in Mahasarakham Province and the Lacal Thai Phuan silk weaving village at Baan Pone, Kalasin Province. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant.  After lunch you’ll continue to Khon Kaen and visit the Chonnabot District, well known for its locally produced Mudmee silk and cotton. Mudmee is the process of tie-dyeing the threads before weaving it into fabric. You’ll visit the King Cobra village, where the villagers live with their proteges, training them and putting on fascinating shows. You’ll check into the Centara Hotel and have dinner in a local restruant.

STUDIO TIME: 3 HOURS AT Mudmee Silk Village

Overnight in Khon Kaen

Day 11 – Khon Kaen to Bangkok

You’ll transfer to the Udol Thani airport for your return flight to Bangkok. You’ll arrive in Bangkok and have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch you’ll continue on to the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles for a behind the scenes tour. You’ll check in to your hotel after the workshop and have dinner on your own.

STUDIO TIME: 5 HOURS

Overnight in Bangkok

Day 12 – Departure 

You’ll continue your tour and research at the Queen Sirikit Museum in the morning.

In the afternoon, you’ll take your private bus to the airport for your return flight home.

STUDIO TIME: 3 HOURS