Ringing in the New Year (Thailand Countdown 2009)

Ringing in the New Year

Thailand rolls out the red carpet for visitors during the festive season.

As Thailand’s travel industry embarks on the road to recovery after Bangkok’s airports were closed for 10 days, late November and early December, the focus is now on welcoming tourists back for the festive season that begins in earnest on Christmas Eve, 24 December, and continues though the New Year celebrations to 2 January.
Thailand remains a safe and hospitable destination and there is every reason for visitors to return now and enjoy a festive season that will be both enjoyable and value for money.
Hotels and travel companies are rolling out the red carpet offering discounts on rooms and other incentives to demonstrate to visitors that it is business as usual.
So where should we take time out to enjoy the New Year festivities? Try your favourite destination, or perhaps you are thinking of a change of scenery this year, travelling to Thailand’s pretty northern hill country instead of its southern tropical beaches.

The truth is travellers are welcome to join the fun of the New Year countdown just about anywhere in Thailand.

Every provincial town celebrates the New Year with gusto, arranging concerts and food fairs, usually in the town square or on a river embankment. Some will splurge on firework displays comedy acts or beauty contests. But as the clock strikes 12 midnight, a sea of flickering candles will illuminate the scene as villagers and town folk around the country sing the national and royal anthems to ring in the New Year.
If northern climes appeal -- hilly landscapes and cool evening temperatures -- then an adventurous traveller might find they are counting down the seconds to the New Year in tiny Loei, a provincial town noted for its cool season charm, impressive mountain scenery and delightful resorts and even a vineyard.
Way off the beaten track for most tourists, Loei province is a favourite with Thai travellers who love the outdoors – trail walks through a hill-top national park, or simply taking sightseeing trips to chill out at small resorts on the banks of the Mekong River. They will also discover a province that still reflects traditional Thai values; where visitors can participate in simple, but heart warming New Year celebrations.Yet the description is true of most towns in the north and northeast provinces, some adjacent to the Mekong River that separates Thailand from Laos. Similar celebrations echo over the water as citizens welcome the New Year in Chiang Saen near Chiang Rai, Nong Khai, Nakhon Panom and Mukdahan, all popular Mekong River destinations.Mukdahan is where a new bridge spans the wide river linking it to the small town of Savannakhet in Laos. Considered a gateway town, travellers can begin their tour of Laos and Vietnam here. A 150 -km trip across Laos on a modern surfaced highway will bring them in central Vietnam in striking distance of popular destinations such as Hue and Danang.

Mukdahan Countdown’s celebrations reflect a three country theme (Thailand, Laos and Vietnam) as the gateway town celebrates 31 December to 1 January 2009, at dam close to town’s centre and along Mekong River embankment. Classical and folk dance troupes from the three countries perform in both Mukdahan and Suvanakhet, in Laos. The bridge, always an impressive sight for visitors is illuminated as are all public buildings on both sides of the river. Food stalls line the town’s embankment, which is also a venue for musical concerts. Ultimately, the focus turns to the river for the countdown light and sound presentations and firework displays launched from pontoons floating on the river. (http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-event/content-5505.html)

Also in the Northeast, Ubon Ratchathani celebrates the New Year Countdown in front of its City Hall with a classical music show by local artists and merit making ceremonies. There are daily flights and a rail service from Bangkok and three to four-star hotels catering to international tourists. (http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-event/content-5504.html)

The north’s most popular destination, Chiang Mai, celebrates New Year mainly around the old city’s Phae road and at Tha Phae gate. There will be live concerts and countdown party on the road which will be closed to traffic (http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-event/content-5500.html)

Bangkok 2009 Countdown Party will focus on the downtown district Ploenchit-Ratchaprasong-Pathumwan area close to the Skytrain main station. Visitors can easily commute to the main venue, next to Central World, by skytrain from hotels along Sukhumvit Road and areas around Silom Road. It will packed out, a capacity crowd of New Year revellers who will be enjoying the short cool season at beer gardens, while enjoying the live stage concerts all along the popular Ratchaprasong shopping and entertainment strip. (http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-event/content-5545.html) (http://www.handsbangkokcountdown.com/)

At the east coast resort of Pattaya, the countdown celebrations focus on a small strip of real estate at the southern end of the bay. Known as the Bali Hai Cape habour it will be transformed by thousands of street lights and decorations, for continuous live concerts by singers leading up to the midnight firework display. (http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-event/content-5501.html)

On the Gulf of Thailand side of the southern peninsular, Hat Yai celebrates what it calls the Night Paradise Countdown 2009. Streets will be illuminated with festive lights and decorations at two venues -- Thammanun Intersection in front of Khao Tom Nai Yao shop for popular band concerts and also in front of Wat Chin Niphat Uthit 3 Road. The opening ceremony will be held on the afternoon of 31 December with a carnival followed by the Countdown Celebrations. (http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-event/content-5502.html)

On the Andaman Sea coast, the island of Phuket will celebrate a “Colourful Phuket Countdown 2009” starting early on 25 December and continuing nightly to 31 December, at Surin Traffic Circle (Clock Town), from 1830 to 2400. A “Seafood Fest” is the main highlight, where visitors will be entertained by traditional dances, dance contests, concerts, and finally the fun of the countdown to the New Year with an impressive fireworks display. (http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-event/content-5501.html)

Another Areas

Nakhon Ratchasima : http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-event/content-5543.htmlSuphan Buri : http://www.tourismthailand.org/festival-event/content-5544.html

International Street Show in Bangkok

International Street Show in Bangkok

Date : 19th - 21st December, 2008 at 3 p.m. - 9p.m.

Venue : Lumpini Park, Bangkok

At Lumpini Park from December 19-21, 2008, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and Workpoint Entertainment Public Company Limited together with Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Beauti Drink product, our main sponsor, proudly present "Festival of Happiness" to be a ’Gift’ for Thai and also our beloved tourists for Happy New Year season. There will be 40 national and international group performers joining the session for free entrance. And this will be the first time in Southeast Asia! From this year on, the event will be annual in every 3rd week of December. We aim "International Street Show in Bangkok" for world famous festival within 3 years from 2008.

For more information :

http://www.bangkokstreetshow.com/

H.M. the Queen’s Birthday Celebrations

Date : 12 August 2008

Venue : Nationwide

An alms-giving ceremony in the morning is followed by a huge festival of music and culture at Sanam Luang in Bangkok to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday. You can also appreciate the beauty of the decorations along Ratchadamnoen Avenue.

Contact:

Tourism Authority of Thailand, TAT Call Centre 1672August 12 Celebrations Organising Committee Tel. : 66 (0) 2356 0051-2

Thailand International Dog Show 2008

Thailand International Dog Show 2008
Date : 26 - 29 June 2008
Venue : IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center

SmartHeart Presents: Thailand International Dog Show 2008 is the largest annual dog show in Thailand. It serves as a gathering place for owners and their dogs to enjoy special activities together and to find a wide array of dog care and healthcare products and services at special prices. Along with the exhibition and dog show competitions, educational seminar sessions are also provided for dog owners to learn about proper caring from dog experts.

Hi-light : Dog show championships and competitions, “Green Dog….Green World” fashion show, demonstration of dog “hydrotherapy” and “water treadmill,” microchip injection at special price.

Activities : Dog games and entertainment, obedience course, dog care workshops and seminars, and mobile clinic for dog medical check-up.

Contact : IMPACT Exhibition Management Co., Ltd., Tel: +66 2 833-5122

For more information about Thailand International Dog Show on 2008,
please visit our website www.thailand-dogshow.com

Visakha Buddha Bucha Festival

Duration 15 – 19 May 2008
VENUE Sanam Luang, Phranakhon District, Bangkok

ACTIVITIES
Decorated processions on Visakha Bucha Day of government and private working units and exhibition about Visakha Bucha Day, contest of flower bush Trays, Contest of Soraphanya Reciting

For more information, please contact
Bangkok Tourism Division Tel. 0 2225 7612-4

Splashing blessings on everyone in sight

While the water splashing will flourish, the traditional values of Songkran are the focus of the 2008 celebrations. Songkran is without doubt the most popular of all Thai festivals and rightly so. It marks the beginning of a new astrological year and its exact dates are determined by the old lunar calendar of Siam. This year the three-day festival falls on 13 to 15 April.
Traditionally, April 13 is known as “Maha Songkran Day” and marks the end of the old year, April 14 is “Wan Nao”, while April 15 is “Wan Thaloeng Sok” when the New Year begins.
While the festival has its roots in Buddhist heritage, the washing of Buddha images, merit making, traditional family values and the sprinkling of water in respect for elders, it is best known for the fun and “sanuk” everyone gains from splashing copious quantities of water on all who happen to pass by.Songkran is celebrated with gusto by young and old, throughout the country. City communities and villages in rural Thailand forget their troubles and concentrate on the serious of business of having fun as well as cooling off, during the height of the summer’s scorching tropical temperatures. Probably of all the national festivals, this is the one that foreigners love to experience the most. They will come across water splashing festivities wherever they travel giving them an opportunity to share in a festival that is immensely popular, while still retaining a link to its traditional roots and values.One of the traditional values points to the Thai family and the opportunity for family members to express their respect for their elders. Younger members of the family pour scented water on the hands of their parents, and grandparents. They may present them with gifts or tokens of their love. In return, elders wish youngsters good luck and prosperity.
In temples, elder members of the family gather to make merit, offering alms to the monks. They may help clean the temple courtyard, or perform bathing rites for Buddha images
In by-gone days, the fun of splashing water on friends or strangers had to wait until the late afternoon when the religious duties and ceremonies were over.Today, the lines are often blurred with the younger generation making the most of the three-day opportunity to splash water on everyone in sight.
Possibly the most famous of the Songkran celebrations takes place in Chiang Mai. It attracts thousands of visitors, from all over Thailand as well as international tourists determined to share in the fun.Often simply called the Chiang Mai Water Festival, the core of the celebrations will be held, 13 to 15 April, at the city’s main irrigation canal, with parades and cultural performances as well as arts demonstrations. The actual opening ceremony will be held 12 April, at the Royal Flora complex when the Minister of Tourism and Sports will declare the festival open.
There are other opportunities to join in Songkran festivities regardless of where you are travelling.

In the North:
Chiang Saen Water Festival runs from 13 to 21 April, in Chiang Saen district of Chiang Rai province. In the Golden Triangle area, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet, a ceremony, during the day, will pay homage to the town’s Buddha image. In the evening, the visitors can join a Lanna-style dinner, known as Khan Tok, or shop for handicrafts on a street closed to traffic, also the venue for folk dance performances.
Si Satchanalai Water Festival, from 13 to 15 April, at Si Satchanalai district, Sukhothai province, features parades and water splashing in the Si Satchanalai Historical Park. The town is 67 km north of Sukhothai and is a popular stop on Around North Thailand tours.

Northeast
Thai-Lao Water Festival, from 13 to 17 April, plays out on the banks of the Mekong River in Nong Khai town that faces Laos and its capital, Vientiane. Sports competitions will be organised in the week preceding the festival.
Koon Flower and Sticky Rice Road and Water Festival in Khon Kaen province, features parades, performances and water splashing on Si Chan Road, known as sticky rice road for its profusion of vendors selling this staple northeast food. Ubon Ratchathani Water Festival, in the city centre, will feature a Thai-Indochina Food Festival at Thung Si Mueang Park, which will sell speciality dishes and food items representative of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Nakhon Phanom Water Festival has an unusual theme of noodles. The main event will be held on Sinthorn Vichit Road or Khao Pun Road (rice flour noodle road) where booths will sell products and dishes made of rice flour noodles, the speciality of this province.

Central
Bangkok Water Festival gets underway,12 April, with a sound and light show at Arun Ratchawararam Temple, from 1800 to 2100. This year, the city will focus on a traditional style Songkran Festival by supporting and inviting people to make merit at temples and return to their villages up-country to be with their families. Water splashing on streets in the business district will be discouraged. However, the city is promoting its “Passport to nine royal temples” for those who visit temples during the festival, with an incentive to win prizes. Water splashing will be encouraged only in specific areas such as Khao Sarn Road.
Phrapadaeng Water Festival, which follows different dates than most of the celebrations, will be hosted, 18 to 20 April, in front of Phrapradaeng district office, Samut Prakarn province. There will be parades, Thai-Mon traditional sports and performances.

Eastern seaboard
Bangsaen Water Festival, 16 to 17 April, is held a week after national celebrations at Bangsaen beach in Chonburi province. A competition to determine the most artistic sand pagoda takes centre stage with more than 100 miniature pagodas sculptured from the sand.
Pattaya Water Festival follows on from Bangsaen, 17 to 20 April. The water splashing celebration first moves to Na-Klua, a village just north of Pattaya, 18 April, Pattaya beach, 19 April and finally moving, 20 April, to Sattahip, a fishing and Naval town on the eastern seaboard.
South
Ranong Mineral Water Festival runs from 12 to 15 April, at Raksawarin Public Park in the centre of Ranong town, located on the Andaman Sea coast, some 300 km north of Phuket. Here, people will enjoy the luxury of splashing mineral water on one another following the style witnessed in Myanmar’s traditional festivities. Also, during the four days, there will be booths selling tourism products and packages to Ranong province and other Andaman coast destinations.
Hat Yai Midnight Songkran, will be hosted 12 to 14 April, at Nipat Uthit Road in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province. The water splashing will start from 2200, 12 April to midnight on 13 April. Ceremonies to sprinkle water on the town’s Buddha images will be conducted on the mornings of 13 and 14 April.

www.tourismthailand.org

Street Smarts in Bangkok

SURROUNDED by groups of civil servants greedily slurping bowls of soup at Chote Chitr, a tiny, family-run restaurant in the older part of Bangkok, our table soon overflows like a Thai Thanksgiving. The yam makhua, a salad of grilled long eggplants topped with tiny dried shrimps, combines the tang of fresh shallots with expert charring. Prepared by the hand of a skilled griller, the vegetables retain a smoky crunch on the outside, but a first bite pierces the crackling char and reveals a juicy eggplant so sweet it resembles a ripe peach, full of lime juice and fish sauce that has soaked into the flesh.

Next comes Chote Chitr’s gaeng som, a soup flavored with tamarind and palm sugar, packed with chunks of coarsely chopped cauliflower and large, meaty shrimp, their fat melting into the hot broth. Native to southern Thailand, where cooks use the abundant local seafood, gaeng som has a dense mouth feel, because the chef has added finely ground fish flesh into the stock, thickening it like roux.
Chote Chitr, which has been around some 90 years, prides itself on cooking recipes developed by ancient Thai royal courts, and its wall menu lists hundreds of dishes. These often rely on traditional ingredients tough to find today, and Chote Chitr’s cooks say little about how they uncover them. Dodging longtime customers and a small dog in the tiny dining room — just five simple rectangular tables packed together and open to the street — the chef brings out a plate of mee krob, crunchy stir-fried vermicelli flavored with a caramelized sauce of palm sugar, ginger, lemongrass and som saa. A fragrant, tart variety of orange now almost extinct in Bangkok, the som saa balances the sticky sweetness in the dish, which in the hands of a lesser chef can taste like strands of rock candy.
A decade ago, when I first moved to Bangkok, a friend who had emigrated there long before me let me in on a secret: the best food in Thailand is served by street vendors and at basic mom-and-pop restaurants. To prove his point, he dragged me to Chote Chitr, tucked into a side alley and decorated with nothing but a wall calendar. I saw no foreigners, and we pored through a menu all in Thai. We sampled the specialties, and I was quickly convinced, eating the same dishes then that I would enjoy 10 years later, and dozens of times in between.

That Chote Chitr would prove a culinary revelation shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise: small places often prove to be the best eating spots in many cities. But for historical reasons Bangkok may boast the finest street food on earth. The city has long attracted migrants from across Asia, so its street cuisine, both at vendor carts and in tiny restaurants, blends many styles of cooking. Even a simple snack like murtabak mixes Malaysian-style roti pancake with curry fillings that betray Indian and Burmese spices.
THAI habits also lend themselves to street meals. Since Thais normally eat many small meals rather than three squares and traditionally prefer to meet outside the house, street food suits them. Many Thai dishes can be cooked relatively quickly, and Thais are fastidious about cleanliness, important to customers worried about eating alongside a road.
But every trip to Thailand prompts me to wonder: can Bangkok remain the world leader in its simple culinary prowess? In an era of the globalization of street food, when the Internet now allows food lovers to share tips, will Bangkok’s street food lose its edge?
After culling through Thai food Web sites, I often arrive in Bangkok carrying a list of street dishes I must try — unripe mangoes dipped in sweet chili sauce, charcoal-grilled fish sausages, tacolike shells filled with shredded coconut. Every time I mention my list, real Thai gourmets tell me noodles, the ultimate quick snack, should be the real test of any street stall.
“Noodles are one of the great Thai secular religions,” wrote the longtime Thailand food critic Ung-aang Talay, adding that Thais think nothing of plodding across Bangkok to sample a new dish. Nearly every street in Bangkok has a vendor selling thin, slightly sweet egg noodles; wide, chewy rice noodles; pad Thai topped in gooey omelets. Even, occasionally, the northern Thailand noodle specialty known as khao soi. As the Thailand food blogger Austin Bush has suggested on his knowledgeable khao soi reflects the many foreign influences on Thailand cuisine. Khao soi blends egg noodles with a mild, Indian-style broth and toppings of crispy noodles, shallots and pickled cabbage, a Burmese touch that adds an acidic flavor cutting the rich, oily curry.
Like rock bands, the best noodle slingers attract groupies. Normally, a plate of noodles costs the equivalent of less than a dollar, but at Raan Jay Fai, a simple open-air restaurant in old Bangkok, noodles run four times as much. Outside Raan Jay Fai, lines of cars, tuk-tuks and motorcycles crawl through the hot air, belching exhaust toward Jay Fai’s al fresco seating. Still, at Jay Fai’s opening time of around 4 in the afternoon, a line waits to be served, and the cook throws handfuls of chicken chunks and noodles into a pan as if she were a metronome on double time.

I tried Jay Fai noodles stir-fried with spicy Thai basil, a dish also called drunken noodles. Some Thais believe the dish got its name because street cooks serve it into the wee hours, when their clientele is the drunkest. The broad rice noodles come out of the pan thin and chewy, as if they could tear easily. Yet they never turn tough, and the chef has thrown in large bits of sweet Thai basil, the edges seared with a slight soy aftertaste.

Raan Jay Fai opened far from central Bangkok, near the older part of town, which contains a large percentage of vendors who have stuck to traditional recipes. Not far away, in the heart of Little India, a solitary man stands over a giant wok crackling with oil, focused on his task. All around him, shoppers lugging bags of saris, incense and Bollywood videos squeeze past one another on the sidewalk, spilling into the street and sometimes knocking a passerby to the ground.

For less than the equivalent of 50 cents the man hands out bags of pakoras and crisp vegetarian samosas. As you bite into a samosa, the triangular pastry yields an almost liquid mix of potatoes and spices, like a Shanghai-style dumpling filled with soup. This being Thailand, it also packs a punch, with far more ground chilies inside than in the samosas you would encounter in a New York Indian restaurant.
Though Thailand easily absorbs cuisines like Indian, Malay or Cambodian, one influence dominates. Thais of Chinese heritage run many Bangkok industries, and at night they gather to talk shop at the city’s basic Chinese-Thai restaurants, many of which serve fresh ingredients cooked simply and quickly. Some, like the famous Somboon Seafood, have been around so long they’ve become Bangkok institutions. At Nguan Lee, a typical Chinese-Thai joint, waitresses bring out fresh local sea bass, plucked from tanks outside and steamed with chilies, chopped raw garlic and a broth of lime juice and rinds of kaffir lime. Not just sprinkled on top, the chilies have been embedded into the fish meat, so they pop out of the soft flesh onto the tongue.
Still, Nguan Lee, becoming popular with visitors, seems to have watered down the garlic in this dish. A friend recommends a more full-on garlic experience, plaa tod kratiem phrik Thai, fish coated in garlic and thin chilies and then deep-fried. This satisfies the garlic craving. The fish skin crunches like cornflakes, and squirts hot, oily garlic into my mouth, like garlic’s purest essence. Inside the crunchy crust, the sea bass remains tender.

One step down from a real sit-down restaurant like Nguan Lee are the kap gaeng (with rice) joints, collections of street stalls serving various curries over rice. Kap gaeng outlets reveal the diversity of Thai regional cooking, often lost at restaurants in America, which tend to focus on the better-known dishes of central and northeastern Thailand. At Talad Loong Perm, a collection of stalls near Thai Airways’ main office in Bangkok, a market that made Food & Wine’s 2007 “Go List,” vendors stir crimson, orange and yellow curries floating with wisps of coconut milk. One chef ladles out gaeng leung, a southern curry flavored with chunky squash and turmeric.
I timidly taste a spoonful of gaeng pa, or jungle curry, maybe the hottest dish in Thailand the intense chilies and bamboo shoots traditionally used to cover the flavor of wild game or nearly spoiled meat. Jungle curry may have served a purpose in rural areas, but it is made these days with tender chicken, and the fire overwhelms any flavor of the bird, leaving the lips scalded and unable to taste.
Knowing I love trying many dishes at the same meal, on one trip to Bangkok my friend Noy takes me around to Bangkok’s modern indoor food courts, upscale versions of kap gaeng. Food Loft, which sits atop the upscale Central department store, has become the hottest version several levels of comfortable booths packed with beautiful people wearing wrap-around shades. Food Loft’s gaeng som packs the proper mix of tart and sweet, but it tastes thin, and seems to have none of the hearty ground-up fish. It gets worse: the fresh spring rolls, veggies and shrimp wrapped in a soft wonton skin, come served with a gluey sauce that tastes too much of corn starch.
Disappointment never lasts long on the streets of Bangkok, though. Back at Chote Chitr, the chef welcomes a friend and me by name. After greedily slurping down gaeng som and a salad made from banana flowers, we consider stepping outside for dessert, since a shop nearby sells glutinous rice cooked in coconut cream.
But we don’t want to leave, and settle on one of Chote Chitr’s specials, a reimagining of the classic traditional Thai papaya salad, som tam. Instead of making som tam with unripe papaya, Chote Chitr uses pineapple and mango, with salty fish sauce drawing out the natural sugar of the so-ripe-they’re-ready-to-turn fruits. I vacuum them down, waddle into a cab, and fall asleep on the ride home, thinking about my next meal.

POINT AND ORDER
GETTING THERE
Thai Airways flies nonstop between Kennedy Airport and Bangkok. Flights in early February start at $1,015. Other airlines (United, Continental, American, Northwest, Japan Airlines and All Nippon, among others) change planes and sometimes carriers en route, often in Tokyo.

WHERE TO EAT
Many simple Bangkok restaurants have no working phone (and few employees who speak English), so it may take some time to find them. You might also have to resort to the timeless point-at-what-looks-tasty method of ordering. Have your hotel write down the name and address in Thai, and embark upon your street food hunt with considerable patience. Dinner for two at most of these restaurants will cost less than 500 baht, about $16 at 31 baht to the U.S. dollar.

Raan Jay Fai
327 Mahachai Road, (66-2) 223-9384, is near Wat Saket in the older part of Bangkok

Nguan Lee
corner of Soi Lang Suan and Soi Sarasin, is in the central business district; (66-2) 250-0936.

Chote Chitr
Prang Pu Thorn alley, off Tanao Road, is in the old part of Bangkok.

Samosa seller
near the corner of Phahurat and Chakraphet Roads in Little India. Look for a small alley with a sign above it that says “Sunny Video Indian Movies.” Often open only during the daytime.

Food Loft
top floor, Central Chidlom department store, at the corner of Ploenchit Road and Soi Chidlom, is in the central business district; (66-2) 793-7070; http://www.central.co.th/.

The best areas for street snacks include the side streets off of Yaowarat Road, in Chinatown; Talad Loong Perm (Loong Perm market), on 89 Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road, is in the northern part of Bangkok, just behind the Thai Airways building.

Jazz in Bangkok

For jazz lovers, they must have been waiting for their bigwig "Hua Hin Jazz Festival." We believe all of them who were in the festival must have enjoyed and had a great time. If you love jazz but many reasons caused you to miss this festival, there are still some cool places in Bangkok where you can actually have your own "jazz-fest" as often as you can!

"It Simply Swings!" This is all about the Living Room at Sheraton Grande Sukumvit. The venue leads in live jazz performance with nice and comfortable ambience. This high-ceilinged venue provides you comfortable sofas where you can sit back and enjoy the jazzy notes from international jazz musicians every night. In this month from 17th-July 20th, the venue hosts Grammy award-winning jazz diva, Carmen Bradford back again. If you love the classic jazz with vocal, the evening with Carmen Bradford at the Living Room is waiting for you!

Bamboo Bar at the Oriental Bangkok is another place to hear the rhythm of jazz for live performance featuring international jazz vocalist. The venue is decorated in jungle-like style and not too crowded with cozy atmosphere. Now, Bamboo bar welcomes a sultry jazz vocalist Frankye Kelly who will give you a sensational jazz night every Monday till Saturday from March 1st – June 30th.

Another venue hosting world's famous jazz singer is the Diplomat Bar at Conrad Bangkok hotel. You can loose yourself with the sound of jazz music as well as the taste of great cocktails among the sophisticated decoration in spacious area. The place is usually crowded on Friday nights so you should make a reservation. The venue currently hosts a talented American pure soul vocalist Ernesta Dunbar who will light up your evening Mondays till Saturdays from April 24th – June 30th.

Apart from hotel venues, there is the Saxophone Pub and Restaurant near the Victory Monument. The venue suits those who craze about Jazz and Blues. The place is spacious yet often crowded. It hosts the live Jazz and Blues by the local musicians but skilled as international artists.

From:at-bangkok.com

Bangkok 2009 Countdown Party

Bangkok 2009 Countdown Party
Date : 1st December 2008 - 15th January 2009
Venue : Bangkok

Activities
1. Lighting Decoration : 1st December 2008 – 15th January 2009 at Ploenchit – Ratchaprasong – Pratumwan area, Bangkok
2. Countdown from 31st December 2008 – 1st January 2009 at Ratchaprasong area, Bangkok
3. Live concert and various entertainment activities/ Light and Sound show/ Countdown to the year 2009
4. Worship for luck with 9 temples
Wat Kanlayanamit Woramahawihan
Wat Chanasongkhram Ratchaworamahawihan
Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimonmangkhalaram (Wat Pho)
Wat Phrasirattanasatsadaram (Wat Phra Khao)
Wat Rakhang Khositaramworamahawihan
Wat Suthat Thepwararamworamahawihan
Wat Arun Ratchawararamworamahawihan (Wat Chang)
Wat Bawonniwetwihan
Wat Saket Ratchaworamahawihan

Contact:
Events Planning Division, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel : 0 2250 5500 Ext : 3465-7
TAT Call Centre 1672
Website : www.tourismthailand.org

H.M. the King’s Birthday

Date : 5 December 2008
Venue : Nationwide

On 5 December 2008, His Majesty the King will celebrate his 81st birthday anniversary. His Majesty has therefore announced that this special event be known as "the Celebrations on the Auspicious Occasion of His Majesty the King 81st Birthday Anniversary 5th December 2008"

An alms-giving ceremony in the morning is followed by a huge festival of music and culture at Sanam Luang in Bangkok to celebrate His Majesty the King’s birthday. You can also appreciate the beauty of the decorations along Ratchadamnoen Avenue.

Contact :
Foundation of King Rama 9
Tel : 66 (0) 2356 0050-2, 66 (0) 2356 0203
Fax : 66 (0) 2356 0051-2
Website : www.belovedking.com
E-mail : foundation@au.edu

The Yara Bangkok Challenge 2008

Saturday, November 15, 2008
Minsiri Resort, Nong Chok (located north-east of Bangkok, between Min-buri and Chachoengsao) All new course! Combines a challenging 1 day race with the magnificent beauty of Nong Chok district. Disciplines include biking, running, kayaking and swimming. The race route travels along scenic trails,paddy fields, lakes, canels,temples and farmlangs of eastern Bangkok.

The Amazing Thailand Adventure Race Series is brought to you by Active Management Asia (AMA), leaders in the fields of corporate teambuilding and management training. AMA is based in Bangkok, and is hte leader in the field teambuilding in Thailand. AMA also offers exciting school camp programmes with their own educational programme content. Please take a moment to visit the AMA home page by following the link. www.active-asia.com

For more information: http://www.bangkokchallenge.com/index.php

Thailand Pool Villas 2009

Pool villas are where dream vacations begin. They are just perfect hideaway for honeymooners who want to spend intimate moments together. Friends and families, too, can share quality time in total privacy and cherish those moments in their memories forever.

Download Thailand POOL VILLAS 2009

Service Promotion Division Tourism Authority of thailand (Head Office)
1600 New Petchchaburi Road, Makkasan, Ratchathewi Bangkok 10400 Thailand
Tel. +66 2 2 505 500 (120 Automatic Line). Fax. +66 2 2 505 511-2
Call Center 1672, Email: Center@tat.or.th, www.tourismthailand.org

Salsabangkok Fiesta 2008

Salsabangkok Fiesta 2008
The 4th Thailand’s Latin & Cultural Dance Festival
Date : November 20-23, 2008

Salsabangkok in collaboration with international dance and music professionals present 4 different fun parties at 4 different venues. Clubbing style, stage theatre, fun in public space and casual night out, we have all for you. Join us for these memorable

experiences:Thursday, November 20Theme: CASA DE LA CULTURALocation: Club Culture (BTS: Phaya Thai)Time: From 8pm

Friday, November 21Theme: CABARET NACIONALLocation: An An Dancing Oasis, The Montien Hotel (BTS: Saladang)Time: From 8pm

Saturday, November 22Theme: ONE NIGHT IN HAVANALocation: Emporium Parc (BTS: Phrom Pong)Time: From 6pm

Sunday, November 23Theme: LAST NIGHT IN BANGKOK
Location: Indus (BTS: Phrom Pong)
Time: From 8pm

Salsabangkok Fiesta 2008 is the 4th year of multicultural dance and music festival. Highlights include dance showcases of renowned international and local artists, live band from Japan (Risagoza), unique Social Dance Competition and social dance with professional international DJs. This year we are honoured to welcome dance professionals from Holland, USA, Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Our DJs feature DJ Henry Knowles-World No. 1 Salsa DJ from New York, DJ Rodrigo from Kyoto, DJ Thaifoon from San Francisco, and DJ Roland from Thailand. The event programs include free dance lessons, dance performances followed by social dancing on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Dance workshops on Saturday afternoon, November 22nd from 12pm-4pm. Don’t miss the 2nd Salsa Social Dance Competition and Live Music performed by “Risagoza”, live band from Japan on Saturday Night, November 22nd. This is the first time of a live Salsa band in Thailand!!!

We would like to invite everybody who is interested in dance and music to join the event. Dancing is one of the most enjoyable forms of exercise. We can enjoy beautiful music and workout at the same time. Dance and music are good for healthy mind healthy body. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to dance. Just come and join our event and take free lessons with our international dance instructors or listen to nice world music from live band from Japan or international DJs Additionally, you can broaden your multicultural knowledge with international dance friends. We have already received many overseas bookings.

The event and workshop tickets are available at different rates of participation, plus depend on when you purchase your pass. Early bird specials are available before October 20 and November 15. All tickets can be purchased in advance at rumPUREE – world dance studio (www.rumpuree.com), Salsa Hacha Dance Studio (www.salsahacha.com), and La Rueda Sukhumvit Soi 18 or at the event. The tickets can also be purchased online at http://www.salsabangkok.com/fiesta2008/dsp_fee.cfm

The 4th Salsabangkok Fiesta 2008 is sponsored by Havana Club, Lufthansa, Tipco Foods (Thailand) PCL, Montien Hotel, Manhattan Hotel, DJ Henry Knowles, Club Culture, Indus Restaurant, rumPUREE – world dance studio, Salsa Hacha Dance Studio and Hi Sugar Beauty Salon.

For information: http://www.salsabangkok.com/fiesta2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press contact: Busakorn (Apple) : 080-454-4343
Juthamat (Keng) : 086-303-4776
salsabangkok_fiesta@hotmail.com

DETAILED PROGRAMTHURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20th 2008CASA DE LA CULTURAVENUE: CLUB CULTURE Dress Code - No Slippers8:00pm Free dance lesson9:00pm-1:00am Dance Party from international DJs, Dance demonstration from performers and instructors

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21st 2008CABARET NACIONALVENUE: AN AN FLAIR DANCING OASIS, MONTIEN HOTEL Dress Code - No Slippers8:00pm Free dance lesson9:00pm Performances from Local and International Artist10:00pm-1:00am Dance Party from international DJs

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd 2008 (AFTERNOON)DANCE WORKSHOPSSCHEDULE STUDIO A STUDIO B
12:00pm-1:00pm Reggeaton (Taiti & Crystal)All Level Turn Pattern on 1 (Suman & Rachel - Singapore)Improver
1:00pm-2:00pm Men Styling (Taiti - Holland)All Level Lady Styling (Crystal - Holland)All Level
2:00pm-3:00pm Turn Pattern on 1 (Mike & Christina - USA)Int.-Adv. Turn Pattern on 2 (Muse & Gak - Korea)Adv. Beginner
3:00pm-4:00pm Show Moves (Mike & Christina - USA)Int.-Adv. Bachata (Gary - Singapore)Beg.-Int.SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd 2008 (EVENING)ONE NIGHT IN HAVANAVENUE: EMPORIUM PARCDress Code - Dress for Ladies, White Pants for Gentlemen
6:00pm DJ7:00pm Free dance lesson
8:00pm-8:30pm Salsa social dance competition & Dance Performance
8:30pm-9:15pm Risagoza Live Band
9:15pm-9:45pm Salsa social dance competition (final) & Dance Performance
9:45pm-10:30pm Risagoza Live Band
10:30pm-1:00am Dance Party from international DJs

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd, 2008LAST NIGHT IN BANGKOKVENUE: INDUS
8:00pm Party Starts
9:00pm Closing Fiesta Dance Performance
9:30pm-1:00am Dance Party from international DJs

Useful addresses by Alphabetical Order: Club Culture (BTS-Pyahathai Station)Sri Ayudthaya Road, Bangkok Tel. 089 497 8422
E-mail: info.clubculture@gmail.com,
Website: http://www.club-culture-bkk.com

Emporium Parc (BTS-Pyahathai Station)Sukhumvit 24, Bangkok Tel. 02-269-1000
E-mail: customerservice@emporiumthailand.com, Website: http:// www.emporiumthailand.com

Indus Restaurant (BTS: PhromPhong)71, Sukhumvit Soi 26, Klong Toei, Bangkok 10110 Tel: 022584900,026615279 Fax: 026613227
E-mail: Indus@indusbangkok.com http://www.indusbangkok.com/

La Rueda (BTS-Asoke Station, MRT-Sukhumvit Station)Sukhumvit Soi 18, Bangkok 10110 Tel. 0847147074 E-mail: dancelife77@yahoo.com

rumPUREE – world dance studio (BTS-Chidlom Station)Amarin Plaza, 5th Fl., 500 Ploenchit Rd., Bangkok 10330 Tel. 0814390200 E-mail: rumpuree@hotmail.com Website: www.rumpuree.com

Salsa Hacha Dance Studio (BTS-Saladaeng Station, MRT-Silom Station)130/5 Silom Rd. Soi 6, Bangrak, Bangkok, Thailand, 10500Tel. 026343383 Fax 026343384 Email : salsahacha@yahoo.com Website: www.salsahacha.com

The Montien Hotel Bangkok (BTS-Saladaeng Station, MRT-Samyan Station)54 Surawongse Road, Bangkok 10500 Tel. :022337060-9 Fax: 022365218-9E-mail: bangkok@montien.com http://www.montien.com/bangkok

Loi Krathong Festival: the Delightful Color of Streams

Loi Krathong Festival: the Delightful Color of Streams Dates: 9-12 November, 2008Venue: Banks of the Chao Phraya River (Krung Thep Bridge – Krung Thon Bridge), Bangkok

Highlights: Enjoy viewing the illuminated float procession to win the prize more than 1,500,000 Baht during 8-12 November, 2008, 19.30-22.00 hrs. along the banks of Chao Phraya River: Krung Thep Bridge – Krung Thon BridgeExperience an amazing atmosphere of the Loi Krathong Festival of the Rattanakosin style during 18:30 – 21:30 hrs. at Santi Chaiphrakan Fort, Bangkok. The illuminated float procession will be best viewed from this area. Also, you will be entertained by the country’s most unique cultural performances apart from experiencing the old market atmosphere, mouth watering array of food as well as participating in the event of the 9 Sacred Places.

For more informations, please visit: www.loikrathong.net , call 1672 or Events Planning Division, TAT Tel. 66 (0) 2250 5500 ext 3470-3474

About Hands Bangkok Countdown 2008

Bidding farewell to the old year while greeting New Year is a festive practice significantly embraced by people around the world as it’s the last biggest event of the year that leads to a fresh beginning. Hands Bangkok Countdown 2008 is designed to be an international symbol of the celebrations for Thais and visitors. Bangkok is a center of tourism in Southeast Asia, full of lively attractions and facilities for tourists.
Hands Bangkok Countdown 2008 is a brainchild of joint-cooperation between public and private organizations which have seen the potential of Thailand’s Bangkok to serve as a significant destination for tourists during the festive season. Business operations with different backgrounds joined forces to initiate the largest countdown event for residents in Bangkok before it has been expanded to become an international event that targets tourists in ASEAN region: Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. The visitors will be invited to experience a new cultural celebration by joining hands together with the countdown in the Hands By Heart Moment.
The event’s venue is located in the heart of Bangkok’s downtown and shopping streets surrounded by leading department stores and convenient transportation systems and facilities set to serve mass population to join the event.
Landmark of the event is a gigantic structure, “The Greeting Ball Tower”, which serves as the symbol of celebrations. The tower will be installed in December every year. It’s equipped with special effects to create spectacular moments. Activities by arts and entertainment studios are prepared on a large-scale stage, making it a truly feast of celebrations to support tourism spending for the year-end.

by handsbangkokcountdown.com

Phra Phrom, Bangkok Thailand

When asked about their religion, most Thais will happily respond that they are Buddhists. However, a simple glance around town will reveal that there are many elements in daily spiritual life that have little to do with Buddhism in its stricter forms. Hinduism and Animism are still there.If you look around Bangkok, you will see little shrines placed in front of virtually all major buildings. These are the spirit houses, basically there to protect the building from anything happening to it. Small offerings such as food and drinks, are regularly placed there, and Thai people offer their respect when passing the shrines.One such spirit house was placed in front of the Erawan hotel in the 1950's. However it was not doing its job properly, and many mishaps occurred during the construction of the hotel. So after consulting some spiritual advisers, the spirit house was replaced the present San Phra Phrom (Brahma) or Erawan Shrine. Everything went well after that with the construction work.
Then there is the story of the old lady that asked for help in her business, and promised to dance to the shrine, if her wisher were granted. Legend has it that her business flourished and she performed as promised.
Now, many hundreds (thousands?) of people visit the Erawan Shrine daily, wishing for luck in business or love. They make small offerings, and often in return for granted wished classical Thai dancers (with orchestra) perform at the Shrine. Also wooden elephants are offered.
The Erawan Shrine itself is gilded and features four arms and four faces. It is located at a very busy intersection (crossing Rajadamri and Phloenchit Roads) with the skytrain going almost overhead in two different direction (one off to Silom Road, the other to Sukhumvit Road). The Erawan Shrine has actually become ever more busy over the last ten years in our opinion, and many garland sellers no line the sidewalk close to San Phra Phrom. The Erawan Shrine is worth a short visit, and is located very close to Chitlom skytrain station. As said before it is at a busy intersection, and many, many shopping centers are located in the same vicinity.

by thaiwebsites.com

Royal Barges Museum

Royal Barges Museum. Khlong Bangkok Noi, near Thonburi side, not far from Phra Pin Klao Bridge Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Admission Bt30 adults, children free (Photography charge Bt100 for ordinary camera, Bt200 for video) Uniquely Thai, it houses old royal barges hand-carved from huge pieces of teak with prows carved into mythical creatures, gilded in gold and intricately decorated with tiny shimmering pieces of glass. Used for ceremonial and state occasions and rowed by up to 50 specially trained oarsmen, the boats leave their dry dock annually at festival times, for a procession along the Chao Phraya River.

Kamthieng house

Kamthieng house. 131 Soi Asok, Sukhumvit (about 10-min, walk from Asoke BTS station) Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tues-Sat; Admission Bt100 adults, Bt50 children A former 19th century rice farmer's teak house trans-planted from the banks of Chiang Mai's Ping River to Bangkok in 1964. Inside is a collection of agricultural and domestic items, including woven fish baskets and terra - cotta pots, which show the everyday lives of ordinary people in the past.

Vimamnek Mansion Museum

Vimamnek Mansion Museum. Inside Dusit Palace compound, Patchawithi Road Open daily 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Admission Bt50 (proper attire required) The world's largest golden teak building. The three-story royal mansion contains 81 rooms, halls and ante - chambers containing fin de siecle royal memorabilia.

National Museum

National Museum. Na Phruthat Road, Phra Nakhon, near the Grand Palace Open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Wed-Sun); Admission: Bt40 An 18Th-century palace housing a larget collection of Thai artifacts, including some interesting collections of Chinese weapons, ceramics, clothing and textiles, wood-carvings, etc.