December On Trip

1.Ayutthaya World Heritage and Red Cross Fair 2009
   Photo from Thailand http://www.ubonmag.com/ 
   Date : 11 - 20 December 2009
   Venue : Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Histirical Park, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
    Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya was once the glorious capital of Thailand. It was also a centre of trade and government, and possessed a long period of prosperity. Be amazed by the light-and-sound show, the exhibitions on Ayutthaya as a World Heritage Site, as well as the cultural performances. Having fun shopping for a variety of OTOP product is another activity.
   Miss Chutathip Chareonlarp, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Office said that, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, in cooperation with the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Administrative Organization, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Municipality, Fine Arts Department, TAT Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Office, and relevant public and private agencies, will arrange the “Ayutthaya World Heritage and Red Cross Fair 2009”, during 11-20 December, 2009, at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park to celebrate the occasion that the UN World Heritage Committee announced the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park as a Cultural World Heritage Site in 1991.
     In this event, there will be many interesting activities. Firstly, the Lord Buddha relics at Chao Sam Phraya National Museum for the public to pay respect. Furthermore, there will be exhibitions and booths to sell OTOP products and well-known goods from 16 districts. Visitors can see an aqricultural exhibition, flowering and decorative plants, and attend a food fair. The Community and Village Leaders’ Thai Country Song Singing Contest, floating market activities, cultural performances, Thida Krungkao Contest, Red Cross booths, as well as buying a Red Cross lottery for donation, are also some other features of this event.
    Vistors should NOT MISS to experience the peaceful atmosphere of the ancient people’s way of life in the imitation marketplace of the Ayutthaya Period and use a replica of an ancient coin, Phot Duang, to exchange for food and desserts. Admire the light and sound performance, “Krung Si Ayutthaya : The Great Kings” (15 rounds; 10 days 10 nights). The opening ceremony will be arranged on Friday, 11 December, 2009. The ticket costs 200 baht and 500 baht.
    Schedules of the Light and Sound Performance
    “Krung Si Ayutthaya : The Great Kings”
    Ayutthaya World Heritage and Red Cross Fair 2009
   11 – 20 December, 2009
  Wat Mahathat, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park
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   Friday, 11 December, 2009 1 round 19.30 - 20.30 hrs.
   Saturday, 12 December, 2009 2 rounds 19.00 - 20.00 and 20.30 - 21.30 hrs.
   Sunday, 13 December, 2009 2 rounds 19.00 - 20.00 and 20.30 - 21.30 hrs
   Monday, 14 December, 2009 1 round 19.30 - 20.30 hrs
  Tuesday, 15 December, 2009 1 round 19.30 - 20.30 hrs
   Wednesday, 16 December, 2009 1 round 19.30 - 20.30 hrs
  Thursday, 17 December, 2009 1 round 19.30 - 20.30 hrs
  Friday, 18 December, 2009 2 rounds 19.00 - 20.00 and 20.30 - 21.30 hrs
  Saturday, 19 December, 2009 2 rounds 19.00 - 20.00 and 20.30 - 21.30 hrs.
  Sunday, 20 December, 2009 2 rounds 19.00 - 20.00 and 20.30 - 21.30 hrs
  Tour Programme of the World Heritage Site, Ancient Market,
  and Light and Sound Performance
  “Ayutthaya World Heritage and Red Cross Fair 2552”
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  Day 1
  08.00 hrs. - Depart from Bangkok.
  09.00 hrs. - Pay respect to Luangpho To (Sam Po Kong), the Ayutthayan
  sacred Buddha image which is the largest in Thailand, at
  Wat Phanan Choeng Worawihan. Make merit by feeding fish
  behind the temple where the three rivers; Chao Phraya River,
  Pa Sak River, and Lop Buri River, meet.
  10.00 hrs. - Learn about history at the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical
  Exhibition Hall at the Ayutthaya Tourism Centre (Old City Hall).
  11.00 hrs. - Visit to see an elephant show, and try riding as well as feeding
  these animals.
  12.00 hrs. - Cruise and have lunch, while seeing the people’s way of life
  along both sides of the Chao Phraya River
  14.00 hrs. - Pay homage to the image of Luangpho Phra Mongkhon Bophit,
  another sacred Buddha image of the city.
  Admire the magnificent temples within the Ancient Palace,
  Wat Phra Si Sanphet, and buy some souvenirs.
  15.00 hrs. - Pay respect to the bejewelled Buddha image and the image in
  the style of the Dvaravati Period, which is about 2,300 years old,
  at Wat Na Phra Men or Wat Phra Merurachikaram Worawihan.
  It was the only temple, near the palace territory, that was not
  destroyed during the war.
  16.00 hrs. - Check-in to the hotel.
  17.30 hrs. - Experience the serene atmosphere of the ancient people’s
   way of life in the Ayutthaya Period and visit the ancient market
   where visitors can use a replica of an ancient coin, Phot Duang,
   to exchange for food and desserts. Admire many performances
   and plays.
  19.30-20.30 - Admire the amazing grand light and sound performance,
  “Krung Si Ayutthaya : The Great Kings”
  Return to the hotel.
  Day 2
  09.00 hrs. - Depart from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province.
  10.00 hrs. - Visit the Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts Centre. See the
  demonstrations and buy some handicraft products.
 Travel by small train to admire the beautiful scenery around
 the centre.
 11.30 hrs. - Lunch.
 13.00 hrs. - Return to Bangkok.
 Note: This tour programme may be subject to change.
 Tour Programme of the World Heritage Site, Ancient Market,
  and Light and Sound Performance
  “Ayutthaya, World Heritage and Red Cross Fair 2552”
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
 Day 1
 09.00 hrs. - Depart from Bangkok.
 10.00 hrs. - Visit the Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Cratfs Centre.
See the demonstrations and buy some handicraft products.
 Travel by small train to admire the beautiful scenery around
 the centre.
 12.00 hrs. - Have lunch.
 14.00 hrs. - Pay respect to Luangpho To (Sam Po Kong), the Ayutthayan
  sacred Buddha image which is the largest in Thailand, at
  Wat Phanan Choeng Worawihan. Make merit by feeding fish behind
  the temple where the three rivers; Chao Phraya River, Pa Sak River,
  and Lop Buri River, meet.
  15.00 hrs. - Learn about history at the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical
  Exhibition Hall at the Ayutthaya Tourism Centre (Old City Hall).
  16.00 hrs. - Visit to see an elephant show, and try riding and feeding these
  animals.
  17.30 hrs. - Experience the serene atmosphere of the ancient people’s
  way of life in the Ayutthaya Period and visit the ancient market
  where visitors can use a replica of an ancient coin, Phot Duang,
  to exchange for food and desserts. Admire many performances
  and plays.
  19.30-20.30 - Admire the amazing grand light and sound performance,
  “Krung Si Ayutthaya : The Great Kings”
  Ceck-in to the hotel.
  Day2
  08.00 hrs. - Check-out from the hotel.
  09.00 hrs. - Learn about history at the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical
  Exhibition Hall at the Ayutthaya Tourism Centre (Old City Hall).
  10.00 hrs. - Pay homage to the image of Luangpho Phra Mongkhon Bophit,
  another sacred Buddha image of the city.
  Admire the magnificent temples within the Ancient Palace,
  Wat Phra Si Sanphet, and buy some souvenirs.
  11.00 hrs. - Pay respect to the bejewelled Buddha image and the image in
  the style of the Dvaravati Period, which is about 2,300 years old,
  at Wat Na Phra Men or Wat Phra Merurachikaram Worawihan.
  It was the only temple, near the palace territory, that was not
 destroyed during the war.
 12.00 hrs. - Cruise and have lunch, while seeing the people’s way of life
  along both sides of the Chao Phraya River.
  13.00 hrs. - Return to Bangkok.
  Note: This tour programme may be subject to change.
 Contact:
  TAT Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
  Tel : 66 (0) 3524 6076-7, 66 (0) 3532 2730-1
  Provincial Public Relations Office, Tel. : 66 (0) 3533 6550
  Website : http://www.tourismthailand.org/
  Tags : Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya World Heritage Fair, world heritage, World Heritage Fair, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical ParkPhra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya World Heritage Fair, world heritage, World Heritage Fair, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phra
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2.Star of David Festival
   An usual but traditional Christmas can be celebrated in Sakhon Nakhon in Northeast Thailand.
   Santa Claus is a busy man. He might reside on the Artic Circle, arguably in Finland, or Norway, but he is active climbing down chimney stacks in North America and turning up in Australia for a Christmas barbeque, all on Christmas Eve. But he didn’t overlook Thailand even though the country’s major celebration is one week later on New Year’s Eve.
    If the capital city’s Christmas celebration haunts are losing their shine, then a more traditional festival in an unlikely destination in Northeast Thailand might be just the ticket.
    Sakhon Nakhon is definitely on Santa’s itinerary as hundreds of village children in the tiny village of Tha Rae will substantiate. Christmas Eve holds special meaning to its residents; devout Christians who can trace their ancestors back to Vietnam and troubled times of persecution and a hurried migration west.
    Today, family celebrations, that dominate the scene in Sakhon Nakhon province, 24 to 25 December, are in the news as the Tourism Authority of Thailand regional office in Nakhon Phanom promotes the season of good will to a much wider audience.
     Tha Rae village has all the right credentials. Home to a Catholic Seminary, where priests are trained and ordained, the village also boasts an imposing, St Michael the Archangel Cathedral and the seat of a Bishop, who oversees a flock that extends beyond Sakhon Nakhon to neighbouring provinces Kalasin, Mukdahan, and Nakhon Phanom. An estimated 50,000 Catholics reside in these provinces and many of them will visit Tha Rae to witness the Star of David festivities.
     Residents parade thousands of “Stars of David" while there are scenes of the nativity all in a genuine context not performed as a tourist attraction. Carol singers and a star-studied line up for an evening concert will add to the Christmas atmosphere along with a street-side stalls and open-air dining.
    The Christmas Star Festival parade culminates in residents decorating their homes with multi-coloured lights and stars to symbolise their faith. The stars remain over doors and windows for months after the festival is over.
    Tha Rae, just off highway 22, is on the northern shore of Nong Han lake the largest natural lake in northeast Thailand fed by the River Nam Pung. The lake has public parks on its banks and is a popular spot for fishing.
     However, visitors celebrating Christmas in Sakhon Nakhon will probably head for Nakhon Phanom that stands on the banks of the Mekong River, some 83 eastward on highway 22. It has a wider selection of hotels, restaurants and an imposing riverside promenade. Just a couple of blocks from the clock tower, donated by the Vietnamese community, a bustling night market, attracts residents and tourists shopping for local sweets and savoury snacks, Isan dishes and home-made curries. Nearby, are trendy pubs and restaurants, while the more up-scale riverside restaurants are 1 km north of the clock tower, quite close to the TAT information office.
    While visiting this picturesque town, there is an opportunity to hire cycles to enjoy a tour of several important temples and historical sights. One is the residence of Ho Chi Minh, who sought refuge in a small teak house on the outskirts of town, during the French Indochina War. The residence is now a museum.
     Flights to Nakhon Phanom resumed this month under the banner of Nok Air, while there are daily air-conditioned bus services from Bangkok. An alternative is to hire a car in Khon Kaen at the airport, or near the railway station, and drive east to Sakhon Nakhon to celebrate Christmas and explore Nakhon Phanom at leisure.
   Contact :
   Nong Saeng Christian Church, Sakon NakhonTel. 66 (0) 4271 1272
   TAT Northeastern office, region 4 Tel. 66 (0) 4251 3490-2
  Tags : Christmas, Sakon Nakhon, Star Parade
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3.Thailand’s New Year Countdown celebrations

   Thais know how to party. Some might say at the drop of a hat. A party brings out the best in national identity – a broad genuine Thai smile. So should we be surprised that Thailand is a favoured venue to celebrate New Year? This is the land of smiles and “sanook”.
    Whether the countdown is in Bangkok, Phuket or a far northern destination, the celebrations will carry the hallmarks of fun and genuine hospitality that make the country such a rewarding destination to visit.
    Of course, Bangkok has a mission to fulfill. It aspires to make its 2010 New Year Countdown a mega-celebration, on par with the biggest and brightest in Asia Pacific.
     The spotlight is on the “Hands Bangkok Countdown”, where more than 200,000 New Year party goers will mingle in the downtown CentralWorld Square. Festivities begin 21 December and culminate in the countdown on New Year’s Eve extending through New Year’s Day.
     Concerts and live on-stage performances, the informal atmosphere of beer gardens and light and sound shows support a theme of peace and joining hands across a multitude of cultures and races.
     According to the organisers, joining hands will bring people together -- lovers, friends and families -- to celebrate the hopes and destiny of a New Year.
    A gigantic screen will allow party goers to view the countdown celebrations in countries in the same time zone, while a giant 21 metre-high Greeting Ball Tower, with a three-metre diameter LCD orb-screen will create bursts of stunning display of light, colour, sound and movement at minute intervals over the party scene, until the countdown begins and the fireworks light up the sky.
   There are two other official locations for New Year celebrations.
   The National Stadium, just 2 km from CentralWorld Square on the city’s Skytrain route, will be packed to capacity as residents and tourists enjoy an evening of musical concerts, variety show performances organised by GMM Grammy Records and Channel 9. TV stars will turn out to entertain the crowd, while a huge screen will show nation-wide countdown celebrations as the minutes tick by.
    A more traditional Thai celebration will underscore activities at the city’s Sanam Luang, with the famed temple roofs and spires in the Grand Palace courtyards providing the backdrop. Crowds will gather on the historic spacious parade ground, facing Thammasat University, to enjoy classical dance performances, folk songs from the various provinces and musical concerts for an older generation of city residents.
    As the countdown celebrations get underway, firework displays along the banks of the nearby Chao Phraya River will illuminate the sky.
   For More Information : Please call 1672
   or Events Planning Division, TAT Tel. 66 (0) 2250 5500 ext 3465-3468
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4.The 6th Chantaburi World Gem Show 2009

   Gems on display in Chantaburi
   Home of the country’s gem mining, Chantaburi provinces highlights its gems and jewellery industry in a World Gem Show, 9 to 13 December.Gem lovers recognise Chantaburi province as a key source of quality stones and also a province rich in the skills required to craft customised jewellery.
    The 6th Chantaburi World Gem Show 2009 will take place in the province from 9 to 13 December at a site right next to the provincial town’s KP Grand Hotel.
    Backers are: Chantaburi province; Chantaburi Provincial Administrative Organisation; Chantaburi Gem and Jewellery Trader; the Office of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Promotion and Chantaburi Tourism Association.
    The objective is to promote tourism, improve knowledge of the province’s lucrative gems and jewellery business and help financial recovery in a business sector that relies heavily on tourists visiting the province.
    Well over 50 local gems and jewellery wholesalers and factories will join the World Gem Show. It will be held at Chantaburi Gem and Jewellery Traders Association, next to KP Grand Hotel.
    Visitors can shop for handicrafts at the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) pavilion, taste Chantaburi’s “Clean Food Good Taste” dishes, enjoy a mini concert, and join sightseeing tours to an old style community that occupies the town’s river banks. There is also a gemstone walking street and a free gem tour available at 0930 and 1300.
    The province is one of the country’s main centres of gemstone mining especially for rubies and sapphires. Most of the mines are open cast where high powered water jets are used to expose and separate the precious stones from rock and clay.
    In addition to its gem industry that has thrived for more than 100 years, the province is famous for its rubber plantations, fruit orchards and an array of coastal tourist resorts. It lies east of Rayong province and is easily visited from Pattaya on day trips that feature a gem mine and the opportunity to watch artisans craft gems into costume jewellery. The tours usually visit a rubber plantation and fruit orchards returning to Pattaya in the late evening.
    Thai visitors recognise the province for its quality tropical fruits and certainly the king of all fruit, the durian, is considered in a class of its own with the province notching up an annual production exceeding 400,000 tons, or approximately 25% of the world’s duri
    Located about 245 km from Bangkok, the southern part of the province touches the Gulf of Thailand’s with its attractive beaches and a variety of dive spots near off-shore islands. But it is also a province of natural beauty with heavily forested mountain ranges rising to almost 1,600 at the highest peak of Soi Dao Nua further inland from the coastal towns.
   Contact :
   Chanthaburi Gem and Jewelry Traders Association Chanthaburi
   Tel : 66 (0) 3930 3118-9 Fax : 66 (0) 3930 3100
   Website : http://www.cga.or.th/ ;  Email : info@cga.or.th
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5.Tri-centennial of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral
   A religious festival with a difference
   A Christian community in Chantaburi celebrates its cathedral’s 300th anniversary.
   While Buddhism is the predominant faith in Thailand the country is recognised for religious freedom and tolerance as can be seen in the variety of festivals linked to other faiths.
   One of them will be held in Chanthaburi province, on Thailand’s eastern seaboard, about 245 km southeast of Bangkok when the Catholic community celebrates the “Tri-centennial of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral", 7 to 12 December.
    Supported by organisations, such as the chamber of commerce, the provincial tourism office and the Catholic community, the event highlights the 300th anniversary of a very imposing stone cathedral that has some fine examples of stain glass windows fully restored and rich in colour.
    Whatever the faith, visitors can admire beauty and the message of peace that all religions essentially present to a community.
    That message is not lost on the thousands of Christian Vietnamese refugees who made the provincial capital their home to escape religious persecution. Historical records identify three distinct waves of migration from Vietnam that boosted the Christian community in Chantaburi.
    The initial migration was in the 19th century during an anti-Catholic persecution in Cochin China, a second wave was identified, 1920s to 1940s, when Christians fled to safety during the French Indochina War, and a third one followed the communist victory in Vietnam in 1975.
   This remarkable migration from a neighbouring Mekong region country means Chanthaburi is one of the few towns outside of the capital that is also the seat of a Bishop, a status that was created back in 1944.
    Tourists interested in the history and development of religions in Southeast Asia, or those who are devout Christians, will appreciate the cultural significance of the jewelled statue of Mary Immaculate Conception, created entirely from gems mined in the province. The festival will also feature Chinese and Vietnamese culture, a musical fountain, and water curtain show relating Chantaburi’s history.
    Chantaburi governor, Poonsak Pranootaraparn, noted recently that the Catholic community’s celebration “offers visitors an opportunity to see first hand a beautiful 1.3 metre high statue of Mary Immaculate Conception decorated with over 30,000 gems.”
    All of the gems were mined locally, a fine testament to the province’s skilled artisans and its gems and jewellery production that attracts traders from the US, Switzerland, Germany and the UK on annual buying trips.
   Contact :
  The Christian Community of Chanthaburi
  Tel : 66 (0) 3931 1578 Fax : 66 (0) 3934 4004
  Website : http://www.cathedralchan.or.th/  ;  Email : info@cathedralchan.or.th
  Tags : Christian, cathedral, chanthaburi
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6.H.M. the King’s Birthday
  Date : 5 December 2009
  Venue : Nationwide
  On 5 December 2009, His Majesty the King will celebrate his 82nd 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 82nd Birthday Anniversary 5th December 2009"
  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 : http://www.belovedking.com/  ;  E-mail : foundation@au.edu
   Tags : H.M. the King Birthday
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7.Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2009
   Date : Sunday, 6 December 2009
   Venue : The upscale Laguna Phuket Resort occupies 600 acres of tropical beachfront parkland on the northwest coast of Phuket island in Southern Thailand.
   The competition among the "iron men" from Thailand and international countries includes swimming, cycling and marathon racing. Also, there are activities to encourage the participants to experience the adventure routes along Phuket’s tourist attractions.
  COURSES
  1.8k Swim
  The swim course comprises two bodies of water. Starting on the beach between the Dusit Laguna Resort and Laguna Beach Resort near the LBR Marine Centre, competitors swim 1,180 metres in the sea before sprinting 100 metres across the beach to swim the last 620 metres in a lagoon finishing at the Laguna Beach Resort Y-junction. Wetsuits are not allowed.
  55k Bike
  The bike course takes competitors out of Laguna Phuket onto narrow, winding roads. The course will be the same as in 2007, with some steep hilly sections on the road to Naithon Beach north of Laguna Phuket. Drafting is illegal. Suggested equipment includes a minimum of two water bottle cages. Athletes should consider a 24-28 tooth rear cassettes to ease the difficulty of hill climbs. Some of the road surfaces may be rough and athletes should use durable tires. The bike course will have 2 aid stations.
  12k Run
The run course will be similar to the 2007 course. It is flat and leads runners north through the Laguna Phuket resort complex and onto the award-winning Laguna Phuket Golf Course, before looping back past the Wedding Chapel through Canal Shopping Village and finishing at the Laguna Beach Resort Y-junction. The course will have three aid stations approximately 2km apart that runners pass twice.
   Privacy Contact Information
   If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about our privacy policy you may contact us using the information below:
   By e-mail: webmaster@lagunaphukettriathlon.com
   By Phone: +66 76 362 300
  Website : http://www.lagunaphukettriathlon.com/
  Tags : Laguna Phuket Triathlon, Laguna Beach Resort, phuket triathlon, Phuket
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8.River Kwai Bridge Week

   Date : 27 November - 8 December 2009
   Venue : River Kwai Bridge, Mueang District, Kanchanaburi
   Each year in late November to early December, the world famous River Kwai Bridge built by Allied prisoners-of-war
   during World War II, becomes the focal point of celebrations.
   Event highlights include historical and archaeological exhibits, a carnival, folk and cultural performances, rides on
  World War II vintage trains, and a spectacular light and sound presentation re-enacting the bridge’s World War II legacy.
   Watch the light-and-sound show in remembrance of the bridge and the construction of the "Death Railway" during World War II
   (There are 4 sets of headphones available in English, Japanese, Chinese and German). A wealth of entertainment and Exhibitions are on display.
   Contact :
  TAT Kanchanaburi Office, Te l : 66 (0) 3451 1200, 66 (0) 3451 2500
  Fax : 66 (0) 3451 1200, E-mai l: tatkan@tat.or.th
  Kanchanaburi Provincial Administration Office, Tel. : 66 (0) 3451 1778
  website : http://www.tourismthailand.org/  ; http://www.kanchanaburi.go.th/
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