MC- Tour Bike Week 2011
Febuary 10, 2012 - Febuary 26, 2012(09.00 - 18.00)
Event Details:
Visit Burapa Pattaya Bike Week for two days, and then join Thailand Mc tours on a 13 days ride to North Thailand. More info on www.thailandmc.com/en
Category:
Exhibitions, Fairs & Festivals, Nature and Outdoors, Travel & Lifestyle, Biking
Suitable for: Single traveler, Adventure traveler, Family, Couple, Group , First time travelers, Adults, Youth, Woman, Gay & Lesbian, Senior, Romance
Admission Charge: No
Parking Car: Yes
Parking Bus: Yes
Parking Other: YesMC
Scale: Local
Contact Details:
284/13 Moo 10, Pattaya Soi 12Narumon Wantong
+66 3842 8573+66 3842 8573
From: tourismthailand.org
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Thursday, July 15, 2010
International Wax Sculpture 2010
International Wax Sculpture 2010 Jul 1, 2010 - Jul 31, 2010
Green season travel in the Northeast should include a trip to Ubon for its famous candle festival. The green season months of July to September are great months to explore this less travelled region of Isan or Northeast Thailand. The dry Isan plateau quickly transforms into a lush carpet of snooker-green rice fields, lush forests and orchards as daily rainstorms sweep the region. Typically, rain clouds roll from the southwest at the same time every day providing a spectacular tropical downpour that moves on in less than an hour, leaving the countryside fresh and a mite cooler for travellers to enjoy. Probably the most popular area is lower Isan where travellers follow a heritage trail through Buriram, Surin, Si Sa Ket provinces all the way east to Ubon, just 100 km west of the border with southern Laos marked by a meandering Mekong River. Ubon is the commercial hub of lower Isan, a thriving town with a substantial university population, a bustling commercial centre and even department stores of the size seen in Bangkok. Standing on the banks of the Mun River, the town is steeped in religious heritage and that is no more evident than in July when the town folk gather for the annual candle procession. Temple communities in the city spend months creating elaborate candles from traditional bees wax. Their works of art are paraded through the town’s centre on Asamha Bucha Day, 26 July and Khao Phansa that marks the start of the three-month Buddhist lent, 27 July. Rightly so, communities are extremely proud of their candle designs and the painstaking work required before they can be displayed for all to see. They vie for recognition from their peers who judge which one of the temple candle sculptures will win the top award. There are literally hundreds of sculptures many of the so large they require an eight-wheel motorised float to carry them through the streets. Musicians march, while classical dance troupes entertain the crowds that turn out in their thousands for the two-day parade. But if the itinerary cannot be tweaked to ensure you are there for the actual parades, you can still admire the works of arts at the International Wax Sculpture 2010, 1 - 31 July 2010 at Thung Si Mueang District, Ubon Ratchathani. Now in its fifth year, the exhibition is part of the celebrations marking Asamha Bucha and Khao Phansa, but it extends for the entire month with candle wax sculptures presented by artists from around the world. The list of international artists who sculpture in candle wax and exhibit in annually in Ubon is very impressive, especially the modern exhibits sculptured by artists, worldwide However, for many visitors His Majesty the King’s royal candle is the signature exhibit. Artists participating in the exhibition stay in Ubon and attend the exhibition until 11 July to discuss with visitors the finer points of art and religious interpretation. Ubon is 629 km from Bangkok and can be part of a fascinating self-drive holiday starting in Bangkok with stops in Nakhon Ratchshima and Buriram provinces to explore historical sites, the elephant village of Surin and the fruit orchards of Si Sa Ket province on the way to Ubon.
By Bus
Buses depart from Bangkok’s Northern Bus Terminal (Mochit 2 Bus Terminal) to Ubon Ratchathani every day. Contact Transport Co. Ltd at Tel: 0 2936 2852-66 for more information.
By Train
Regular trains depart from Bangkok’s Hua Lamphong Railway Station to Ubon Ratchathani every day. Call 1690, 0 2223 7010-20 for more information.
By Other
a)From Bangkok, take Highway No. 1 to Saraburi and Highway No. 2 to Nakhon Ratchasima, then use Highway No.226 and proceed to Ubon Ratchathani via Buri Ram, Surin and Si Sa Ket, for a total distance of 629 kilometers.,b)From Bangkok, take Highway No. 1 and Highway No. 2 unil arriving at Sikhio, then turn into Highway No. 24 and proceed to Ubon Ratchathani via Chok Chai, Nang Rong, Prasat, Det Udom and Warin Chamrap.
from tourismthailand
Friday, December 19, 2008
Aka Hill Tribes Mini Light and Sound Presentation
Aka Hill Tribes Mini Light and Sound Presentation
Date : Saturday 10 January / 14 Febuary / 14 March /11 April 2009
Venue : Chiang Rai Social Development Centre 12 on the Doi Mae Salong road in Pa Sang Sub-district of Mae Chan, Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai province hosts its annual light and sound show that presents insights into the culture and daily life of the Aka hill tribes, resident in hilltop villages in Mae Chan District. First introduced in 1999, the show is now staged once a month during the tourist high season from January to April.
This month, the show will be presented, 10 January, 14 Febuary, 14 March and then finally on 11 April, at the Chiang Rai Social Development Centre 12 on the Doi Mae Salong road in Pa Sang Sub-district of Mae Chan.
This month, the show will be presented, 10 January, 14 Febuary, 14 March and then finally on 11 April, at the Chiang Rai Social Development Centre 12 on the Doi Mae Salong road in Pa Sang Sub-district of Mae Chan.
Aka hill tribe villagers perform at the centre demonstrating authentic renderings of their culture and lifestyle to visitors. There are also handicrafts on display. The centre is also considering the introduction of home-stay accommodation that will focus on international tourists to encourage community-based tourism. It will allow visitors, who are interested in Aka traditions, to study the village up close with village elders providing instruction and insights into cottage industry and cultural activities.
The light and sound show is presented in both Thai and English, and runs from 1730 to 1930. Tickets cost Bt150 per person and the show with dinner is priced at Bt300 per person.
The light and sound show is presented in both Thai and English, and runs from 1730 to 1930. Tickets cost Bt150 per person and the show with dinner is priced at Bt300 per person.
For more information, please call
TAT Chiang Rai OfficeTel. 66 (0) 5374 4674-5, 66 (0) 5371 7433
Chiang Rai Social Development Centre 12Tel. 66 (0) 5391 4471
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Buffalo Racing
You could be forgiven for thinking that a domesticated buffalo is not built for sprinting, but in Chonburi town, the gateway to resorts along the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, farmers have managed to tweak a turn of speed from these working animals that is nothing short of amazing.
The annual Buffalo races, 13 October, are a hotly contested series of sprints across on an open space in front of the town’s municipal offices.Tourists and the town’s residents turn out for these amazing races that have been featured in the past on CNN and the BBC as a must-see event.
The races are taken very seriously by the owners of the buffaloes. Prizes for the first nose past the finishing line guarantee owners go to considerable lengths to ensure their buffaloes are in tip-top condition. Clouds of dust rise as these hefty animals pound down the short course at an alarming speed, reminiscent of a stampede. The crowd roars in support of the favourites and the atmosphere is as an enthralling as watching thoroughbred race horses.Admittedly, mites slower than a race horse, but the buffaloes are no slouches when it comes to making a short dash for glory.
Although this day of fun and competition would succeed with just the buffaloes as the celebrities, there are other activities to make it a worthwhile outing for families.A fair with food stalls and handicrafts appeals to visitors who love authentic Thai food, snacks and sweets. Then there are the rides for children, concerts of folk music and, of course, a beauty contest where the prize is the honour of being declared Miss Buffalo. Not exactly the most adhering of titles for an aspiring beauty queen, but it does not seem to deter contestants from seeking the limelight of the catwalk.Here is a festival that provides photo opportunities to capture an unusual adaptation of the 100-metre dash. Well worth seeing, is always the conclusion of those who make the effort to travel to Chonburi.
If the more traditional version of four-legged races is more appealing then the venue should be the Horse Show, 23 October at the Sanctuary of Truth, also in Chonburi province, on the outskirts of Pattaya The show is organised to commemorate the reign of King Rama V, the Great, on a day set aside as a national holiday to honour a ruler who initiated many of the developments that ultimately encouraged the economic and social transformation of the nation.
The annual Buffalo races, 13 October, are a hotly contested series of sprints across on an open space in front of the town’s municipal offices.Tourists and the town’s residents turn out for these amazing races that have been featured in the past on CNN and the BBC as a must-see event.
The races are taken very seriously by the owners of the buffaloes. Prizes for the first nose past the finishing line guarantee owners go to considerable lengths to ensure their buffaloes are in tip-top condition. Clouds of dust rise as these hefty animals pound down the short course at an alarming speed, reminiscent of a stampede. The crowd roars in support of the favourites and the atmosphere is as an enthralling as watching thoroughbred race horses.Admittedly, mites slower than a race horse, but the buffaloes are no slouches when it comes to making a short dash for glory.
Although this day of fun and competition would succeed with just the buffaloes as the celebrities, there are other activities to make it a worthwhile outing for families.A fair with food stalls and handicrafts appeals to visitors who love authentic Thai food, snacks and sweets. Then there are the rides for children, concerts of folk music and, of course, a beauty contest where the prize is the honour of being declared Miss Buffalo. Not exactly the most adhering of titles for an aspiring beauty queen, but it does not seem to deter contestants from seeking the limelight of the catwalk.Here is a festival that provides photo opportunities to capture an unusual adaptation of the 100-metre dash. Well worth seeing, is always the conclusion of those who make the effort to travel to Chonburi.
If the more traditional version of four-legged races is more appealing then the venue should be the Horse Show, 23 October at the Sanctuary of Truth, also in Chonburi province, on the outskirts of Pattaya The show is organised to commemorate the reign of King Rama V, the Great, on a day set aside as a national holiday to honour a ruler who initiated many of the developments that ultimately encouraged the economic and social transformation of the nation.
Chulakathin Merit Making Ceremony
Chulakathin Merit Making CeremonyWat Phrathat Pha Ngao, Chiang Rai Province25 – 26 October 2008
The “Chulakathin Merit Making Ceremony” features merit making activities, rituals, and various forms of entertainment all on the same day. The whole event starts from sunrise to sunset (the night of Saturday, 25 October, 2008) and the kathin offerings are presented to the monks on 26 October, 2008. Accompanying activities in this event include:
Chulakathin Exhibition : Be amazed by the complete process of the production of the Chulakathin robes. The fine process starts with the picking of cotton, separating it, and spinning until the final process when it is turned from cotton into fabric. This is done overnight starting from 19.00 hours. There are also 9 amazing exhibition zones or khuang in the northern dialect.
1. Khuang Khan Toke – a typical northern-style meal.
2. Khuang for Cotton Collecting – picking of cotton to produce cotton fibre.
3. Khuang for Refining – separating the cotton seeds from the cotton
4. Khuang for Mixing - to stir the cotton to make it loose
5. Khuang for Threading – to make cotton into thread
6. Khuang for Weaving – weaving the cloth
7. Khuang for Sewing – cutting and sewing of the material into fabric
8. Khuang for Dyeing – dyeing the fabric
9. Khuang for Making Great Merit of Chulakathin – offering of kathin robes
The Merit Making Ceremony of Chulakathin
Kathin merit making is a Buddhist ritual that has to be carried out within 1 month starting from the first waning day of the eleventh lunar month until the fifteenth waxing day of the twelfth lunar month (the ritual must only be done during this period of time).
Kathin Offering Ceremony : Offering cloth or laying of robes in front of the monks to let them collect it to lay by the Sadueng frame of the robe shape. The piece of cloth would then be tailored into the form required.
An important material for the kathin ceremony is the “kathin cloth”. The kathin ceremony has to be completed within a specific period. In the past, cloth was scarce and it had to be woven from cotton. The long process started from the spinning of cotton, putting it into a loom, weaving, cutting, and sewing till it became a piece of cloth to be offered as a kathin cloth. This tradition has been inherited as a part of Thai culture for generations.
Chulakathin is a mini kathin : With the limited time, the ceremony has to be carried out as quickly as possible; thus, it has to be completed within a day. The ceremony begins with spinning the cotton to make thread until sewing it into a robe and offering it to the monks.
The preparation of the Chulakathin ceremony begins immediately after midnight.
- Collecting cotton for weaving; the picker must be a virgin girl that signifies the purity of the kathin cloth, which is made of cotton.
- Using the collected cotton to be spun and made into thread, ready for weaving. The material that would be used for spinning and weaving has to be of various sets to ensure the production of the 3 main pieces of the robes or at least one long robe to be able to carry out the ceremony within a day.
- Cutting the woven material in to pieces as designed. It is then tightened on the Sadueng wood frame and the pieces are stitched together as a monk’s robe.
- Dyeing the material with natural dyes from plants as a robe’s colour should be. At present, ready-made colour is used.
- Drying and arranging it into a set is the last step and then it is ready for the ceremony. The most important step in the preparation is having sufficient tools and artisans to carry out the production process and finishing it in time.
Chulakathin Offering Ceremony : The person who is the host of the ceremony has to search for a suitable temple. The temple must have at least 5 monks residing. These monks have to be the ones staying in the temple during the 3-month Buddhist rains retreat. The devotee has to do the following preparation:
- Booking the kathin is to inform the abbot of the temple the intention of carrying out the kathin ceremony in that temple. Once the booking is made, the temple would not accept another host unless there is a condition that the initial host is willing to have someone else join as a co-host.
- The host has to prepare all the necessary raw materials and other accessories needed in the ceremony before the process of production begins. Skilled weavers are normally invited to undertake the weaving process. Once getting the small pieces of the material, they would be stitched together as a robe. It would then be dyed and ironed as the final process.
- Offering of the Chulakathin robe – the auspicious day for the ceremony normally falls on the fifteenth waxing day of the twelfth lunar month. The ceremony is like a general kathin offering in that once all ceremonial accessories are completed, participants would bring them into the temple. They would recite the words of offering to the monks in chorus, and the monks would receive the robe, recite prayers for the spirits of the deceased ancestors, and conclude the ceremony.
The “Chulakathin Merit Making Ceremony” features merit making activities, rituals, and various forms of entertainment all on the same day. The whole event starts from sunrise to sunset (the night of Saturday, 25 October, 2008) and the kathin offerings are presented to the monks on 26 October, 2008. Accompanying activities in this event include:
Chulakathin Exhibition : Be amazed by the complete process of the production of the Chulakathin robes. The fine process starts with the picking of cotton, separating it, and spinning until the final process when it is turned from cotton into fabric. This is done overnight starting from 19.00 hours. There are also 9 amazing exhibition zones or khuang in the northern dialect.
1. Khuang Khan Toke – a typical northern-style meal.
2. Khuang for Cotton Collecting – picking of cotton to produce cotton fibre.
3. Khuang for Refining – separating the cotton seeds from the cotton
4. Khuang for Mixing - to stir the cotton to make it loose
5. Khuang for Threading – to make cotton into thread
6. Khuang for Weaving – weaving the cloth
7. Khuang for Sewing – cutting and sewing of the material into fabric
8. Khuang for Dyeing – dyeing the fabric
9. Khuang for Making Great Merit of Chulakathin – offering of kathin robes
The Merit Making Ceremony of Chulakathin
Kathin merit making is a Buddhist ritual that has to be carried out within 1 month starting from the first waning day of the eleventh lunar month until the fifteenth waxing day of the twelfth lunar month (the ritual must only be done during this period of time).
Kathin Offering Ceremony : Offering cloth or laying of robes in front of the monks to let them collect it to lay by the Sadueng frame of the robe shape. The piece of cloth would then be tailored into the form required.
An important material for the kathin ceremony is the “kathin cloth”. The kathin ceremony has to be completed within a specific period. In the past, cloth was scarce and it had to be woven from cotton. The long process started from the spinning of cotton, putting it into a loom, weaving, cutting, and sewing till it became a piece of cloth to be offered as a kathin cloth. This tradition has been inherited as a part of Thai culture for generations.
Chulakathin is a mini kathin : With the limited time, the ceremony has to be carried out as quickly as possible; thus, it has to be completed within a day. The ceremony begins with spinning the cotton to make thread until sewing it into a robe and offering it to the monks.
The preparation of the Chulakathin ceremony begins immediately after midnight.
- Collecting cotton for weaving; the picker must be a virgin girl that signifies the purity of the kathin cloth, which is made of cotton.
- Using the collected cotton to be spun and made into thread, ready for weaving. The material that would be used for spinning and weaving has to be of various sets to ensure the production of the 3 main pieces of the robes or at least one long robe to be able to carry out the ceremony within a day.
- Cutting the woven material in to pieces as designed. It is then tightened on the Sadueng wood frame and the pieces are stitched together as a monk’s robe.
- Dyeing the material with natural dyes from plants as a robe’s colour should be. At present, ready-made colour is used.
- Drying and arranging it into a set is the last step and then it is ready for the ceremony. The most important step in the preparation is having sufficient tools and artisans to carry out the production process and finishing it in time.
Chulakathin Offering Ceremony : The person who is the host of the ceremony has to search for a suitable temple. The temple must have at least 5 monks residing. These monks have to be the ones staying in the temple during the 3-month Buddhist rains retreat. The devotee has to do the following preparation:
- Booking the kathin is to inform the abbot of the temple the intention of carrying out the kathin ceremony in that temple. Once the booking is made, the temple would not accept another host unless there is a condition that the initial host is willing to have someone else join as a co-host.
- The host has to prepare all the necessary raw materials and other accessories needed in the ceremony before the process of production begins. Skilled weavers are normally invited to undertake the weaving process. Once getting the small pieces of the material, they would be stitched together as a robe. It would then be dyed and ironed as the final process.
- Offering of the Chulakathin robe – the auspicious day for the ceremony normally falls on the fifteenth waxing day of the twelfth lunar month. The ceremony is like a general kathin offering in that once all ceremonial accessories are completed, participants would bring them into the temple. They would recite the words of offering to the monks in chorus, and the monks would receive the robe, recite prayers for the spirits of the deceased ancestors, and conclude the ceremony.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Northern fruit and art festivals
Two northern towns Lamphun and Chiang Mai stage cultural events for August visitors.Northern towns are noted for their culture, art and heritage linked to the ancient kingdom of Lanna, but they are equally recognised for a variety of fruits, sometimes difficult to find elsewhere in the country. So no surprises that Lamphun, a town close to Chiang Mai with a heritage pedigree that goes back a thousand years, is celebrating the Longan fruit season with a festival that runs from 9 to 18 August. No festival would be complete without its beauty contest and, of course, Lamphun residents are proud to cast their vote for the local Miss Longan, while they enjoy the temple fair atmosphere of an event that continues to retain its character and links with the town’s proud history. Held at the Lamphun stadium, in the centre of town, this is an ideal opportunity to taste and buy Longan fruit at exceptionally reasonable prices. Not to be outdone by its neighbour, Chiang Mai hosts the annual Lanna Arts Festival, from 12 to 24 August, at Chiang Mai Royal Agricultural Centre that served originally as the venue for the highly successful Royal Flora show. Stages for cultural performances have been set out at the Mae Hia sub-district venue, promising visitors a colourful spectacle of Lanna cultural performances from eight northern provinces. Apart from traditional dance and music, visitors will enjoy handicraft demonstrations and a stroll through a traditional market to buy local products sourced in and around Chiang Mai.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
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
The International Wax Sculpture at Ubon Ratchathani Province
The International wax sculpture At Ubon Ratchathani Province1 - 31 July 2008
Week 1 : 1 - 6 July 2008 "Visit the Artisan Community"
Activities
- Opening the 3rd International Wax Sculpture
- Visit to candle crafting communities and learn the insights into an ancient artistic tradition and local culture.
- Gathering of art students from all art institute in Thailand.
- Activity "I-san Tourism Year"- Start of wax sculptures by International artists.
- Displays of local flags, performances, pottery, etc.
Week 2 : 7 - 13 July 2008 "Global Cooling by Wax Sculpture"
Activities
- Wax sculpture made by representatives of 9 countries from Germany, China, Japan, Turkey, Mexico, Ukrain, Luxembourg, Italy and India including Ubon Rachathani local artist, work under concept "Global Cooling @ Thailand" at Ubon Ratchathani National Museum.
Week 3 : 14 - 20 July 2008 "A Touch of Buddhism And Arts"
Activities
- 18 July 2008, The Buddhist Lenten Candle Procession parade.
- Wax Sculpture by International Young Artists from the Greater Mekong Subregion : China, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.
- Enjoy light and sound Show, Miss candle beauty contest.Broadcasting via http://www.tourismthailand.org/ on 18 July 2008
Week 4-5 : 21 - 31 July 2008 "Wisdom on Buddhism Land"
Activities
- Display of the Buddhist Lent Candle created by Ubon Ratchathani’s local artist
- Presentations of I-san flok performances and various kinds of food.
- Exhibition of 10 masterpieces created by 9 international artists plus 1 local artist at the Ubon Rachathani National Museum. The exhibition will be until 31 July 2008.
- Melting the Candle Cerenony ; "Back to Emptiness" on 31 July 2008
For any further information
- TAT Ubon Ratchathani, Tel. : 66 (0) 4524 3770-1, Fax. 66 (0) 4524 3771
Email : tatubon@tat.or.th
- Events Planning Division, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)
Tel : 66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 3475-77
Email : eprodiv@tat.or.th
- TAT call center 1672
- Website : http://www.thailandwaxcarving.com/
Sunday, December 7, 2008
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
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
Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2008
If your hobby is shopping, you have to visit the country from 1 June to 31 August. During the sale, we have goods from all over the world from renowned brand names of clothing and accessories to new collections of Thai handicrafts for home decorations. Products made of Thai silk will also be on sale. Moreover, the beautiful folk-designed and hand-woven fabrics can fill your heart with joy. Sports equipment, sportswear and electrical appliances are reasonably priced, too.
To make your stay more convenient, different services are meticulously arranged to ensure luxurious convenience while you do your shopping here. We have a wide selection of hotels, serviced apartments, restaurants of various cuisine, theme parks, and travel agencies, to name just a few.
Contact:
Tourism Investment Department, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel : 0 2250 5500 ext. 2951
TAT Call Center 1672
Website : www.tourismthailand.org
To make your stay more convenient, different services are meticulously arranged to ensure luxurious convenience while you do your shopping here. We have a wide selection of hotels, serviced apartments, restaurants of various cuisine, theme parks, and travel agencies, to name just a few.
Contact:
Tourism Investment Department, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel : 0 2250 5500 ext. 2951
TAT Call Center 1672
Website : www.tourismthailand.org
Saturday, December 6, 2008
2008 Asia Canoe Slalom Championship & Olympic Competition
Nakhon Nayok, 106 kilometres east of Bangkok, plays host to the 2008 Canoe Asia Slalom Championship and Olympic Competition, 17 to 18 May, at Thiem Islet on the Khundan Prakarnchon Dam. Athletes from 38 countries will race their canoes, or kayaks, in four categories. Some of the top canoeists from Asia will use this event to qualify to represent their countries at the Olympic Games 2008 in Beijing.The event is recognised by the International Canoe Federation that governs races that qualify for the Olympic Games.According to ICF, Slalom racing, paddlers have to navigate the kayak, or canoe, through pairs of poles or “gates” set up on courses that provide the challenge of rapids, eddies and currents on a 300 metre stretch of rough water.
For more details visit www.nasoc2008.com
For more details visit www.nasoc2008.com
Magic moments in Khmer heritage
A splash of sunlight penetrating an ancient temple cloister signals a distinctive celebration at Prasat Phanom Rung.
Knowing the exact moment to witness a spectacular sunrise through the doorway of an ancient Hindu temple requires a detailed calculation. The most auspicious day is 3 April; the time, 0602.32 at sunrise, as the amber sun is perfectly aligned in the centre of the main doorway to a temple standing on a former volcanic mountain in northeast Thailand.
Actually, the sun rays pass straight through 15 perfectly aligned doorways of Prasat Phanom Rung, a revered and ancient Hindu monastery, just four times a year -– two sets of sunrises, in April and September, and two sets of sunsets, in March and October.These spectacular solar-related events, that also bear religious significance in the Hindu faithful, span just three days –- 2, 3 and 4 April. The second day is considered the most auspicious as the sun is visible dead centre of the outer doorway of this Khmer Hindu temple. Sun rays cast light through 15 aligned doorways that span 75 metres of the temple’s inner courtyard illuminating a revered lingam deep in the main sanctuary. On the other two days, the sun passes one of the corners of these doorways.
Located about 120 km east of Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway to the northeast region, Prasat Phanom Rung presents a picturesque setting high above the surrounding countryside. A series of steps lead to this ancient monument that stands on the peak of an extinct volcano offering panoramic views of rice fields and hazy mountains on the border with Cambodia.
While photographers will not want to miss the opportunity to capture the 3 April sunrise perfectly aligned within the lintels of the doorways, most visitors will settle for the evening festivals and a colourful light and sound show organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand performing nightly from 2 to 4 April.
Officially known as the “Ascent of the Mountain Annual Festival” or the “Festival Of The Thousand Year Miracle of the Phanom Rung Grand Shrine” the celebrations start with the religious significance of the sunrises, but continue with community festivities on each of the three days, well into the night.
The 80-minute light and sound show, that start at 20:00, highlights the history of Prasat Phanom Rung and explains the significance of the sunrise and its alignment with the temple’s courtyard doors. The show is described as an “extravagant outdoor Son et Lumiere performances led by a large cast of actors, dancers and acrobats.”
This evening spectacular, held within the temple complex, compliments the daytime activities that start with the sunrise ceremonies and are followed by colourful festivities throughout the day. In the afternoon there is almost a carnival spirit as visitors enjoy the local food specialities sold at stalls, the folk music and dances as well as handicraft displays. Many visitors are tempted to stay on to admire the floodlight sanctuary, or slumber through night under the stars to ensure they have a prime spot to participate in the sunrise ceremonies on the following morning.
Knowing the exact moment to witness a spectacular sunrise through the doorway of an ancient Hindu temple requires a detailed calculation. The most auspicious day is 3 April; the time, 0602.32 at sunrise, as the amber sun is perfectly aligned in the centre of the main doorway to a temple standing on a former volcanic mountain in northeast Thailand.
Actually, the sun rays pass straight through 15 perfectly aligned doorways of Prasat Phanom Rung, a revered and ancient Hindu monastery, just four times a year -– two sets of sunrises, in April and September, and two sets of sunsets, in March and October.These spectacular solar-related events, that also bear religious significance in the Hindu faithful, span just three days –- 2, 3 and 4 April. The second day is considered the most auspicious as the sun is visible dead centre of the outer doorway of this Khmer Hindu temple. Sun rays cast light through 15 aligned doorways that span 75 metres of the temple’s inner courtyard illuminating a revered lingam deep in the main sanctuary. On the other two days, the sun passes one of the corners of these doorways.
Located about 120 km east of Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway to the northeast region, Prasat Phanom Rung presents a picturesque setting high above the surrounding countryside. A series of steps lead to this ancient monument that stands on the peak of an extinct volcano offering panoramic views of rice fields and hazy mountains on the border with Cambodia.
While photographers will not want to miss the opportunity to capture the 3 April sunrise perfectly aligned within the lintels of the doorways, most visitors will settle for the evening festivals and a colourful light and sound show organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand performing nightly from 2 to 4 April.
Officially known as the “Ascent of the Mountain Annual Festival” or the “Festival Of The Thousand Year Miracle of the Phanom Rung Grand Shrine” the celebrations start with the religious significance of the sunrises, but continue with community festivities on each of the three days, well into the night.
The 80-minute light and sound show, that start at 20:00, highlights the history of Prasat Phanom Rung and explains the significance of the sunrise and its alignment with the temple’s courtyard doors. The show is described as an “extravagant outdoor Son et Lumiere performances led by a large cast of actors, dancers and acrobats.”
This evening spectacular, held within the temple complex, compliments the daytime activities that start with the sunrise ceremonies and are followed by colourful festivities throughout the day. In the afternoon there is almost a carnival spirit as visitors enjoy the local food specialities sold at stalls, the folk music and dances as well as handicraft displays. Many visitors are tempted to stay on to admire the floodlight sanctuary, or slumber through night under the stars to ensure they have a prime spot to participate in the sunrise ceremonies on the following morning.
Phuket International Blues Rock Festival
Now in its third year the Phuket International Blues Festival gets underway, 22 to 23 February, at the beachside Hilton Phuket Arcadia on the island’s west coast Karon Bay. It promises to be bigger than ever with at least 12 acts performing on stage during the two-night event. Now a firm fixture in Phuket’s annual entertainment calendar, the festival attracts top blues bands from around Thailand, while two popular bands from Australia and the US return once more. Bangkok’s popular blues bands take centre stage with performances from Cannonball, Georgia, Full House and Soi Dogs beating out the rhythm to a packed house of blues fans.
For more information:
Hotline: 086-682 2639
International: +66 86682 2639
e-mail: info@phuketbluesfestival.com
phuketmusic@yahoo.com
www.phuketbluesfestival.com
For more information:
Hotline: 086-682 2639
International: +66 86682 2639
e-mail: info@phuketbluesfestival.com
phuketmusic@yahoo.com
www.phuketbluesfestival.com
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
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.
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.
Elephants in Thailand
Have you ever seen elephant? If you are thai or live here,this is not an excellent question.in thailand elephant is everywhere,in architecture,temple,palace,museum,bridge,souvenir or the real elephant walking along the roadside.
Thais are firmly close to elephant. The oldest evidence confirming the relationship between Thais and elephant is the 5,000 B.C. art cave. The art cave at Pha Tam, Khong Jeam district, Ubonrajchathani which are pictures of wild elephants and elephant catching. In the passed, elephant became Thais’ most important friend thanks to their usefulness. Elephant can assistant in construction hauling heavy construction materials. They are also vehicles. You can ride them around jungle or on all types of terrain. Siam history is full of elephant. Elephant are auspicious animal showing King’s prestige especially the extraordinary one such as the White elephant or other strange color ones. Thais believe that the more white elephant the king has, the more powerful he is. In contrast, this belief causes many historical wars, snatching the white elephant, among Laos, Burma and Thailand.So the ancient Thai capital, Ayudhaya built a wild elephant catching’s place called Pa Niad. This corral is a valuable historical place showing the Thai ancestor’s wisdom in catching the large beast. Thais believe that God created elephants, divided to four families and subdivided to 16 types. There is an old textbook regarding elephant’s species which is the most oldest elephant textbook in the world. The three-headed elephant called Erawan elephant played the vital role in Thai history. The legend said that this elephant belonged to Indra, head of all gods, so you will see lots of Erawan elephant in Thai art. Bangkok logo has an Erawan elephant. Moreover, if you want to see the huge Erawan elephant building, you can see it at Erawan museum, Samut Prakarn province.Everyone thinks that elephant is Thai symbol because Thais believe that elephant represents goodness and richness. In the reign of King Rama II, elephant’s picture was stamped on Thai flag and then it was changed as you see today. Today it’s not wrong if you say that Thailand is the elephant’s country because elephant is everywhere in Thailand even along the roadside where they are not suppose to be. Surprisingly, no matter how much Thais love elephant, elephant is still in trouble and their home is destroyed day by day. Luckily, now there are more people trying to help these huge and friendly animals. Although Thailand is the elephant’s country, lack of taking good care of these animals may lose them forever.
Thais are firmly close to elephant. The oldest evidence confirming the relationship between Thais and elephant is the 5,000 B.C. art cave. The art cave at Pha Tam, Khong Jeam district, Ubonrajchathani which are pictures of wild elephants and elephant catching. In the passed, elephant became Thais’ most important friend thanks to their usefulness. Elephant can assistant in construction hauling heavy construction materials. They are also vehicles. You can ride them around jungle or on all types of terrain. Siam history is full of elephant. Elephant are auspicious animal showing King’s prestige especially the extraordinary one such as the White elephant or other strange color ones. Thais believe that the more white elephant the king has, the more powerful he is. In contrast, this belief causes many historical wars, snatching the white elephant, among Laos, Burma and Thailand.So the ancient Thai capital, Ayudhaya built a wild elephant catching’s place called Pa Niad. This corral is a valuable historical place showing the Thai ancestor’s wisdom in catching the large beast. Thais believe that God created elephants, divided to four families and subdivided to 16 types. There is an old textbook regarding elephant’s species which is the most oldest elephant textbook in the world. The three-headed elephant called Erawan elephant played the vital role in Thai history. The legend said that this elephant belonged to Indra, head of all gods, so you will see lots of Erawan elephant in Thai art. Bangkok logo has an Erawan elephant. Moreover, if you want to see the huge Erawan elephant building, you can see it at Erawan museum, Samut Prakarn province.Everyone thinks that elephant is Thai symbol because Thais believe that elephant represents goodness and richness. In the reign of King Rama II, elephant’s picture was stamped on Thai flag and then it was changed as you see today. Today it’s not wrong if you say that Thailand is the elephant’s country because elephant is everywhere in Thailand even along the roadside where they are not suppose to be. Surprisingly, no matter how much Thais love elephant, elephant is still in trouble and their home is destroyed day by day. Luckily, now there are more people trying to help these huge and friendly animals. Although Thailand is the elephant’s country, lack of taking good care of these animals may lose them forever.
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
"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
Monday, December 1, 2008
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
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
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
Sunday, November 30, 2008
THAI-SCANDINAVIAN WINTER PARTY AND GOLF IN HUA HIN
The 100+ years old association for Scandinavians and their Thai friends in Thailand commemorates its long history and many years of friendship with the Thai people by hosting the Thai-Scandinavian Winter Part & Golf 2008. Being the first event arranged outside Bangkok by SSS since 1920, it will take place in the royal seaside resort of Hua Hin — the Scandinavian long stay and tourists’ favourite Thailand destination — during the weekend 12-13 of January 2008.
With the winter party to be held at the Marriott Resort & Spa, Scandinavian Society introduces itself to the new large group of Scandinavians settling down in their second holiday homes.
Moreover the SEB Cup Elephant Trophy 2008 Regional Golf Tournament will be held as part of this peak season activity weekend where all ardent golfers can battle among themselves at the brand new top class (Swedish-owned) Black Mountain Golf Club, Hua Hin. Scandinavians from various golf sections all over Southeast Asia will also join this Winter Party & Golf event.
The new exciting Party and Golf event, with a fabulous evening party with a BBQ dinner to be held in the lush garden of Marriott Resort, followed by a late night indoor party to music from both live acts and disc jockeys and where the highly popular Swedish Bangkok-based mixologists from Flow will conjure up exotic and surprising ‘Tipple Thai’ drinks that they have themselves created. The evening’s energetic live band will be no less than Ericsson Thailand’s own Ericsson 3G-String Band, which promises stirring up the dance floor to hot temperatures. On top of that, a second DJ dance floor will add on to the hot dancing rarely seen in the seaside quiet resort of Hua Hin.
The evening winter party promises to be a memorable evening with lots of new faces among the old SSS members, in Marriott Resort & Spa’s wonderful setting.
Following on the golfing and party, Sunday 13 January promises more golfing and a range of other exciting activities throughout the day; including Bubble Therapy brunch at Marriott, Spa Day at The Barai and Sheraton Resort & Spa, Golf at Black Mountain Golf Club, Property Excursions, etc.
The "National Championship" among the Scandinavian golfers in South East Asia, SEB Cup Elephant Trophy 2008 Regional Golf Tournament, will be played at Black Mountain Golf Club on Saturday 12 January. Tee off is 07:00 hours, ending with lunch and prize ceremony at 12.30 hours. The Winter Party 2008 then takes place at Marriott Resort & Spa in the evening of Saturday 12 January, starting at 18:30 hours.
Sponsors for the event include Black Mountain Golf Club, Red Lotus Properties and Engel & Völkers Hua Hin (our Gold Sponsors); The Cabinet, Ericsson (Thailand) and Scandinavian Thai Homes; and of course also our global sponsors: SEB Private Banking Singapore and Scandinavian Airlines.
For this weekend SSS can also offer accommodation allocated for guests from outside Hua Hin allocated by the following hotels: Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, Alila Cha Am, Sheraton Resort & Spa Hua Hin as well as Anantara Hua Hin.
Contact information:
E-mail: events@sss.or.th
IMPORTANT
Event dates and programme details may be subject to change.Many of the festivals and events listed on Thailand's official calendar of annual events are traditional Buddhist or folk festivals, the date of which is either determined by the Buddhist lunar calendar and waxing and waning moon. These are not staged events. The festivals reflect the rhythm of life in rural Thai villages and local traditions as observed in times past. To ensure you have the most updated information, please reconfirm details prior to travel.
Contact:
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Email: info@tat.or.th
Website: www.tat.or.th
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 (120 automatic lines)
Fax: +66 (0) 2250 5511 (two automatic lines)
FOR EVENT INFORMATION, please call 1672.
Address:
1600 Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee
Bangkok 10400
Thailand
With the winter party to be held at the Marriott Resort & Spa, Scandinavian Society introduces itself to the new large group of Scandinavians settling down in their second holiday homes.
Moreover the SEB Cup Elephant Trophy 2008 Regional Golf Tournament will be held as part of this peak season activity weekend where all ardent golfers can battle among themselves at the brand new top class (Swedish-owned) Black Mountain Golf Club, Hua Hin. Scandinavians from various golf sections all over Southeast Asia will also join this Winter Party & Golf event.
The new exciting Party and Golf event, with a fabulous evening party with a BBQ dinner to be held in the lush garden of Marriott Resort, followed by a late night indoor party to music from both live acts and disc jockeys and where the highly popular Swedish Bangkok-based mixologists from Flow will conjure up exotic and surprising ‘Tipple Thai’ drinks that they have themselves created. The evening’s energetic live band will be no less than Ericsson Thailand’s own Ericsson 3G-String Band, which promises stirring up the dance floor to hot temperatures. On top of that, a second DJ dance floor will add on to the hot dancing rarely seen in the seaside quiet resort of Hua Hin.
The evening winter party promises to be a memorable evening with lots of new faces among the old SSS members, in Marriott Resort & Spa’s wonderful setting.
Following on the golfing and party, Sunday 13 January promises more golfing and a range of other exciting activities throughout the day; including Bubble Therapy brunch at Marriott, Spa Day at The Barai and Sheraton Resort & Spa, Golf at Black Mountain Golf Club, Property Excursions, etc.
The "National Championship" among the Scandinavian golfers in South East Asia, SEB Cup Elephant Trophy 2008 Regional Golf Tournament, will be played at Black Mountain Golf Club on Saturday 12 January. Tee off is 07:00 hours, ending with lunch and prize ceremony at 12.30 hours. The Winter Party 2008 then takes place at Marriott Resort & Spa in the evening of Saturday 12 January, starting at 18:30 hours.
Sponsors for the event include Black Mountain Golf Club, Red Lotus Properties and Engel & Völkers Hua Hin (our Gold Sponsors); The Cabinet, Ericsson (Thailand) and Scandinavian Thai Homes; and of course also our global sponsors: SEB Private Banking Singapore and Scandinavian Airlines.
For this weekend SSS can also offer accommodation allocated for guests from outside Hua Hin allocated by the following hotels: Hyatt Regency Hua Hin, Alila Cha Am, Sheraton Resort & Spa Hua Hin as well as Anantara Hua Hin.
Contact information:
E-mail: events@sss.or.th
IMPORTANT
Event dates and programme details may be subject to change.Many of the festivals and events listed on Thailand's official calendar of annual events are traditional Buddhist or folk festivals, the date of which is either determined by the Buddhist lunar calendar and waxing and waning moon. These are not staged events. The festivals reflect the rhythm of life in rural Thai villages and local traditions as observed in times past. To ensure you have the most updated information, please reconfirm details prior to travel.
Contact:
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Email: info@tat.or.th
Website: www.tat.or.th
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 (120 automatic lines)
Fax: +66 (0) 2250 5511 (two automatic lines)
FOR EVENT INFORMATION, please call 1672.
Address:
1600 Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee
Bangkok 10400
Thailand
Thursday, November 27, 2008
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)