Vista of Engineer Mountain

Postcard US-4005401 to Thailand was a vintage card from the 1960s, with a view of Engineer Mountain Vista in autumn from the Million Dollar Highway, US 550 between Durango and Silverton in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado.

Woman with a Yellow Necklace by Picasso

Outgoing postcard US-3620822 to Thailand shows Pablo Picasso's 1946 painting Woman with a Yellow Necklace. It was a portrait of Picasso’s partner Françoise Gilot with overlaid geometry. The portrait, along with 42 other original works by Picasso from 1938 to 1962, is on exhibit at Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Opened on July 3, 2015, “Picasso: Creatures and Creativity” focuses on Picasso’s fascination with the human form.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Postcard TH-191063 from Thailand shows an elephant with texts of "Chiang Mai" forming as in circles as rays from the sun. Located 700 kilometers or 435 miles north of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in Northern Thailand. Surrounded by the highest mountains in the country, the city sits astride the Ping River, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya River. The location helped Chiang Mai to gain historic importance due to its close proximity to major trading routes associated with the river.

Today marks the first day of the Songkran festival (潑水節) that is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year. The festival lasts from April 13 to April 15. It coincides with the New Year of the Buddhist and Hindu solar calendar used in South and Southeast Asia. The traditional water pouring during the festival symbolizes a ritual of washing away all of the past evils and sins.

Party Like a High Roller, at the High Roller

High Rollers (VIP passengers) got special treatment on the High Roller, the tallest Ferris wheel in the world on New Year's Eve. At the midnight the wheel was halted so that passengers could enjoyed fireworks from 167.6 meters or 550 feet above the ground with a champagne toast. Postcard US-2984268 to Thailand shows the High Roller at The LINQ Promenade, which opened on March 31, 2014.

2015 Fireworks from Caesars Palace with the High Roller in the background.

Silent Night

It has been 195 years since "Silent Night", a popular Christmas carol, was first performed at St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria on December 24, 1818. The song was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber to the lyrics by Joseph Mohr. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in March 2011. 

Postcard US-2529926 to Thailand arrived just before the Christmas, showing three owls with Christmas hats. Maybe they will join the carol? 

Mailboxes in Thailand

Postcard TH-150353 shows various mail boxes used in Thailand over time, from the oldest on the left to the two currently-used ones on the right.

Thailand has a relatively short postal history. Great Britain started to operate the British Consular Post Office in Bangkok 1858. Thailand Post Co., Ltd. was established in 1883 to provides postal services. The first stamp was issued in Siam on August 4, 1883.  Siam joined the Universal Postal Union on July 1, 1885 and started to provide its own international postal service. The British Consular Post Office ceased operation the same day.

Nowadays, there are post mailboxes on almost every street in Bangkok. You will see more of the larger ones than the smaller ones. However, I was told that for international mails you would still need to visit a post office.

Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand

Sukhothai, Thailand

Postcard TH-109558 from Thailand, received one year ago on July 24, 2012, shows the Sukhothai Historical Park, 13 km west of the new city of Sukhothai in Northern Thailand. The park has 193 ruins of Sukhothai, the ancient capital city of the Sukhothai kingdom in the 13th and 14th centuries. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the "Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns" along with the historic parks in Kamphaeng Phet and Si Satchanalai on December 12, 1991,

Brahma Shrine at Caesar Palace

Postcard US-2032250 to Thailand shows the Brahma Shrine at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. It is a replica of one of the most famous Buddhist shrines, the Erawan Shrine at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand.

At the first glance, it may feel strange to see the shimmering blue-and-gold motif among the surrounding white pillars of Roman Square. Nonetheless, since donated to Caesars in 1984 from Thai newspaper tycoons Mr. and Mrs. Kamphol Vacharaphol and Mr. Yip Hon, a prominent figure of Hong Kong, the Shrine has become a symbol of prosperity and good luck. It features a statue of Phra Phrom, the Thai representation of the Hindu god Brahma. The four faces of the Brahma statue represent the Four Divine States of Mind: Loving Kindness or Benevolence (慈), Compassion (悲), Sympathy or Empathetic Joy (喜), and Equanimity (捨).

The Shrine was cast in bronze and plated in gold, weighted more than 360 kilograms or 8,000 pounds and measured 4.3 meters or 14 feet tall. It was dedicated twenty nine years ago today on February 5, 1984 under the supervision of Buddhist monks. It is open to people of all faiths as explained by the full inscription of the shrine's plaque.