THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Effective immediately Swedish based Scandinavian Airline Systems (SAS) has slashed as much as 20 percent off the price of economy class tickets between Bangkok and Scandinavia.
The airline, which is the multi-national airline and flag carrier of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, has also rolled the cost of all taxes and surcharges into its quoted ticket prices.
This article is written by John Le Ferve.
Read more HERE.
THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Visitors to Bangkok who wish to stay close to one of the city’s major nightlife and shopping districts may find a three for two deal being offered by GLOW Trinity Silom worth checking out.
The offer is valid until March 31, 2010 and will award guests who stay for two paid nights with a third night stay free of charge.
This article is written by John Le Ferve.
Reade more HERE.
More than 250 elephants are expected when the 49th annual Surin Elephant Roundup & Red Cross Fair gets underway at the Srinarong Stadium on November 14 - 25, 2009.
A wide range of activities for visitors will be featured in the event including what is claimed to be the largest elephant buffet in the world.
There will be special celebrations to welcome the pachyderms, a feeding ceremony, and elephant talent shows with more than 250 giant performers.
Don't miss a chance to see traditional dance and performance of Northeast Thailand in Light and Sound Performance Show ‘The Legend of Thousand years of the Sikhoraphum castle’ at Sikhoraphum castle, Amphoe Sikhoraphum.
This article is written by Som.
Read more HERE.
THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Sharks and swimmers are two topics that ordinarily don’t meld well together, however, holiday makers have nothing to fear from 39 sharks recently released into the sea off Phuket.
Bred by Phuket Aquarium, the sharks, known as Indonesian bamboo sharks or Indonesian speckled carpetsharks Hemiscyllium freycineti, are sluggish, nocturnal fish, that feed off bottom dwelling invertebrates and smaller fish.
Aged between three months and two years, the sharks, along with 199 clown fish, were released off Mai Ton Island on August 12 to celebrate the birthday of Her Royal Highness Queen Sirikit.
Dr Wannakiat Thubthimsang, director of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC), said the sharks provided no danger to swimmers as they are a non-migratory species, but instead provide an indication of the seas fertility due to their diet.
He said the number of shark species in Thai waters has gradually declined, with only 30 shark species now being found in the Andaman sea, compared to nearly a hundred species previously.
Read more here.
This article is written by John Le Ferve
The city of Chiang Rai in northernmost Thailand is one of the remaining areas where traditional Thai art and culture flourish. Located near the city of Chiang Rai, about 5 kilometers to the south, is the beautiful Wat Rong Khun or White Temple. The White Temple of Northern Thailand has become a national landmark and, as one of the most recognizable temples in the country, attracts an increasingly large number of visitors every year.
Wat Rong Khun is unique from other temples in that it has been constructed entirely in a radiant white color with sparking reflections from mirrored glass mosaics embedded in the white plaster. The temple is the idea of Mr. Chalermchai Kositpipat, one of Thailand’s most renowned artists, who wanted to build a temple all in white to signify the purity of Lord Buddha. The artist continues to puts his religious belief and desire to enrich Buddhism in Thailand into his contemporary art design. The construction of the White Temple is Khun Chalemchai’s master work, which he refers to as an offering to Lord Buddha and his beloved country.
As the most well-known event of Loei province in the Northeastern Thailand, Phi Ta Khon is the ultimate yearly celebration. The Thailand Ghost Festival is well regarded as an annual event where revelers put on rather hilarious, yet ghostly, masks made of bamboo and wicker and join in the Ghost parade. Regarded as a rain-making ceremony, this spooky festivity is held annually in the beginning of rainy season. This year the event will be held on 26-28 June at Dan Sai District of Loei province. Unlike Halloween, the ghosts and poltergeists in Phi Ta Khon seek their fun under full daylight.
Phi Ta Khon is a well-blended event between making merit, having a party, and reenacting the long-relayed folklore of King Vessandorn, the Buddha-to-be reincarnation. Buddhist legend has it that the townspeople were angry that the charitable King gave away two precious white elephant to another King who asked for them. They then forcibly put him into exile. The angels and spirits in the forest admired his unconditional generosity so they formed a procession to escort him back to rule the town. The townspeople became overjoyed with his epiphany and so, legend has it, the Phi Ta Khon celebration has its origins.
Read more of this article here.
This article is written by Tomi.
Sustainable agricultural and organic farming is an alternative way to live life, preserve a culture, and protect nature in Northern Thailand.
Ek-ii-aek-aekkk…the Thai language call of the roosters aroused me from my warm, comfortable mattress. I can glimpse the sun beams seeping through the walls and under the wooden door. I can sense chilly, white fog of the Thailand winter while walking downstairs to help my host mother prepare vegetables to sell at market.
“You seem sleepy. Why don’t you go back to your bed and sleep longer?”Mae Ratri asked gently. Mae in this instance means ‘mother’ and is the way to address ones host mother; for about 2 weeks I was very blessed to have Mae Ratri Kruengngern’s as my surrogate mother.
Mae Ratri and her family are a rural farming family in Mae Tha, an idyllic green village in Northern Thailand. I was part of a group of university students studying sustainable agriculture and as inviting as the offer of extra sleep sounded, I was much more excited to continue with another day of learning.
Mae Tha is a small community of Mae-On sub-district in Chiang Mai, located amidst the mountains on the boundary of Lamphun province. Most of the population speaks the “Yong” dialect or the Thai language.
Mae Tha villagers earn a living by farming rice and cultivating indigenous vegetables using organic and sustainable practices...
The bus trip took us due west on highway Route 401, or the Surat Thani-Takua Pa road. The bus then veered right at about kilometer stone 57 onto Route 109. Then about 12 kilometers after leaving Highway 401, it was already time to get off of the bus.
Our experienced bus driver took less than one and a half hours to travel from Surat Thani to the edge of Ratchaprapa Dam, a beautiful and surreal place that is often likened to the incredible “Guilin” landscapes in southern China.
As soon as we had a chance to load our belongings onto a rented long-tailed boat we were able to enjoy the astonishing elegance of the dam itself and crystal clear waters of the reservoir.
Ratchaprapa Dam or Chiao Lan reservoir was built in 1982 under the supervision of Khao Sok National Park and Provincial Electricity Authority to provide hydro-electricity to Surat Thani city and other nearby towns....
This article is written by by Sukanya Na Nan
Each Valentine’s Day since 1996 the world renowned Trang Underwater Wedding Ceremony has become one of Thailand’s most unusual annual events. The 2009 event promises to be more popular than ever and is expected to eclipse the existing Guinness Book World Record for underwater weddings, already held for the same event in 2000.Songkran or water festival considered as traditional New Year celebration of Thailand, has long been a tremendous Thai tradition for generations and is world-famous for its grand water splashing festival.
Every year and across the country, Songkran will be held around the middle of April and regarding as a time for laughter and entertainment, for making merit and religious ceremonies, for families and friends, and the exceptional water fight.
Chiang Mai is one of the most outstanding and charming places in Thailand to participate in Songkran since the design of the city is very perfect. You will find the reason once getting a chance to be at the center of Chiang Mai city, the moat area, where the streets become a water-fighting venue and full of people.
This article is written by Suttira at www.chiangmai-vacations.com
