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SONGKRAN FESTIVAL : WHAT DOES IT MEAN ?

Sunday, April 5, 2009 Category : , , , 0


The Meaning of Songkran Festival in Thailand

Songkran is the Thai traditional New Year and an occasion for family reunion. At this time, people from the rural areas who are working in the city usually return home to celebrate the festival. Thus, when the time comes, Bangkok temporarily turns into a deserted city.


The festival falls on April 13 and the annual celebration is held throughout the kingdom. In fact, “Songkran” is a Thai word which means “move” or “change place” as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac. It is also known as the “Water Festival” as people believe that water will wash away bad luck.

This Thai traditional New Year begins with early morning merit-making offering food to Buddhist monks and releasing caged birds to fly freely into the sky. During this auspicious occasion, any animals kept will be set free. Paying homage to one’s ancestors is an important part of the day. People will pay their respects to the elders by pouring scented water over the palms of their hands. The elders in return wish the youngsters good luck and prosperity.

In the afternoon, after performing a bathing rite for Buddha images and the monks, the celebrants both young and old, joyfully splash water on each other.

The most-talked about celebration takes place in the northern province of Chiang Mai where Songkran is celebrated from April 13 to 15. During this period, people from all parts of the country flock there to enjoy the water festival, to watch the Miss Songkran Contest and the beautiful parades.
In Bangkok, the Buddha image “Buddhasihing” is brought out from the National Museum for people to sprinkle lustral water at Sanam Luang opposite the Grand Palace.

THAILAND GRAND SONGKRAN FESTIVAL 2009

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 Category : , , , 0


Songkran Festival is well known among tourists who visit Thailand in April, which is the hottest month. It is a must for everyone to join this festival. What they do during this long holiday is splashing clean water (sometime with a few drop of Thai perfume) to each other to reduce the heat of the summer air. For Thais, Songkran is more than the water splashing festival; it is Thailand’s former New Year day. So, we take this holiday as an opportunity to make merit at the temples and visit our respective relatives. Songkran Celebrations will be held throughout the country. If you’re ready to get wet, take a look on the following schedule and find the place to enjoy the festival.



BANGKOK GRAND SONGKRAN FESTIVAL



Date: 10-15 April 2009
Venue: The 9 Royal Temples and around the Rattanakosin Island





Songkran Celebrations of the 4 Regions


Bathing Buddha images from the 4 regions, local food and dessert making demonstrations, and cultural shows and various forms of entertainment, opening ceremony at Temple of the Reclining Buddha 10 April from 18.00-21.00 hrs


Paying worship at the 9 nine royal temples around the Rattanakosin Island
10-15 April 2009 (9.00-18.00 hrs)

Wat Phra Sri Rattanasasadaram (Wat Phra Kaeo), Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho), Wat Suthat, Wat Saket, Wat Bowonniwet, Wat Chanasongkram, Wat Rakang, Wat Arun (Wat Chaeng), and Wat Kalayanamitr

Water splashing in traditional Thai dress (Khao San Road)
4-15 April 2009 (17.00-18.00 hrs)

Banglamphu Community Songkran Activities at Santi Chaiprakarn Park, Phra Athit Road
11-13 April 2009





For more information, please contact :


The Events Planning Division, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)


Tel. +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 3470-3



TAT Call Centre 1672

AROMA SPA IN BANGKOK : Aromatic by Spa De Concorde

Saturday, February 14, 2009 Category : , , , 0


Spa De Concorde on 3rd floor of Swissotel Le Concorde Bangkok lets you feel free through body from head to toe with our aromatic oil massage package, Aroma…Aromatic by De Concorde.
Start by releasing the stiff feeling on your feet from Aromatic Foot Massage, then abandon stress and worry thing with Aromatic Head Massage and get more comfort and relax by Aromatic Body Massage, at price only Baht 2,500.
Spa De Concorde opens daily from 10.00 a.m. – 10.00 p.m., located on 3rd floor of Swissotel Le Concorde Bangkok, near the subway of MRT Huay Kwang Station.

For more information, please call (66) 0 2694 2222 ext. 1717.


For more information, please contact:
Kunjarika Kunjara
Boderat Kuratchatchaval
Sarin Saktaipattana
(Marketing Communications Department)

BANGKOK DAY SPA

Thursday, February 12, 2009 Category : , , , , 0

What Is A Day Spa ?

Author: Chris Powell

A day spa is a great place where you can take the time to go and pamper yourself. These establishments can be found all over the country and can offer many benefits to the user.
Many of these places offer a wide variety of treatments and relief from the everyday stresses of life. They have a wide variety of things that are designed to make you feel special and pampered in getting you to that level of peace and happiness that you desire to make your body feel good and relieved.

These day spas are located all over the place and some of them will have different themes and styles associated with them. Some of them will even be attached to a hotel or resort in order for you to fully appreciate all that they have to offer in an effort to give you a true feeling of relaxation and enjoyment.

Aromatherapy
Aromas are used to identify the oils, to determine adulteration, and to stir the memory, but not to directly bring about a cure or healing. It is the "essence" of the oil--its chemical properties--that gives it whatever therapeutic value the oil might have. Furthermore, vapors are used in some but not all cases of aromatherapy. In most cases, the oil is rubbed onto the skin or ingested in a tea or other liquid. Some aromatherapists even consider cooking with herbs a type of aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy is a term coined by French chemist René Maurice Gattefossé in the 1920's to describe the practice of using essential oils taken from plants, flowers, roots, seeds, etc., in healing. The term is a bit misleading, since the aromas of oils, whether natural or synthetic, are generally not themselves therapeutic.

Budget Day Spa In Bangkok

If you want to enjoy full quality day spa service in Bangkok and don't wish to pay excessive price, you finally found a right place. Sense of Spa Bangkok is the most popular budget day spa in Bangkok. This Bangkok day spa satisfied thousands of people around the world for the last 4 years.

DO & DON'T IN THAILAND

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 Category : , , , , , 0

SOCIAL CUSTOMS Do & Don't in Thailand

THE don't of Thai social behavior are less clearly defined than these concerning the monarchy or religion - especially in a city like Bangkok where western customs are better known and more widely accepted. However, what is acceptable in Bangkok may be much less so in the countryside where the old ways are still strong. Here, then, are a few things to keep in minds.
WAI :
  • Thais don't normally shake hands when they greet another, but instead press the palms together in a prayer-like gesture called wai. Generally, a younger person wais an older, who returns it. Watch how the Thais do it, and you'll soon catch on.


POINT YOUR FINGERS :

  • It's considered rude to point your foot at a person, so try to avoid doing so when sitting opposite anyone, and following the conception that foot is a low limb, so don't point your foot to show anything to anyone, but use fingers instead.

HOLDING HANDS :

  • Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon. You may see some very westernized young Thai couples holding hands, but that's as far as it goes in the polite society.

CONTROL YOUR TEMPER :

  • Losing your temper, especially in public, will more than likely get you nowhere. The Thais think such displays denote poor manners, and you are more apt to get what you want by keeping a cool head and concealing your emotions.

HEAD :

  • Thais regard the head as the highest part of the body. As a result, they don't approve of patting anyone there, even in a friendly gesture. Similarly, if you watch Thais at a social gathering, you'll notice that young people go to considerable lengths to keep thier heads lower than those of older ones, to avoid giving the impression of "looking down" on them This isn't always possible, of course, but it's the effort that counts.

Thailand Top Travel Destinations

Sunday, February 1, 2009 Category : , , , , , , , , , , 0

There are many top travel destinations in Thailand from 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards by tripadviser.

1. Koh Phi Phi Don, Phuket, Southern Thailand



The largest island of the group of The Phi Phi Islands in Phuket. It is the only island with permanent inhabitants. There are no accommodation facilities on this island, and the rest of the islands in the group, including Bida Nok, Bida Noi, and Bamboo Island, are not much more than large limestone rocks jutting out of the sea.

Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim.But the actual population if counting laborers, especially from the north-east, from the mainland is much more Buddhist these days.

2. Chiangmai, Northern Thailand


The largest and most significant city in northern Thailand. The province is located some 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok, among some of the highest mountains in the country. The city stands on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river. There are many tourist attractions for the thousands of foreign visitors who come each year. Chiangmai's historic importance is derived from its strategic location on an ancient trade route. Long before the modern influx of tourists, the city served as an important centre for handcrafts, hand-made paper umbrellas and jewellery.

3. Bangkok, The Capital of Thailand

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, the largest urban area and primary city of Thailand. Bangkok has been the political, social and economic center of not only Thailand but for much of South East Asia and Indochina as well. Its influence in the arts, politics, fashion, education and entertainment as well as being a business, financial and cultural center of Asia has given Bangkok the status of a global city.
4. Koh Tao, Eastern Thailand

Koh Tao is an island located near the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand. It covers an area of about 21 km². The island, Koh Tao is well known for scuba diving and snorkeling, and also offers some hiking. The most popular place for tourists is Sairee on the West coast, which has a white sandy beach of 1.7 km interrupted only by a few huge boulders and a scattering of medium budget resorts and restaurants. A multitude of beautiful granite boulders, which nestle both in the forests and on the beaches of Koh Tao, attract a growing number of climbers who visit each year to enjoy the adventurous aspect of their sport.

5. Krabi, Southern Thailand
Krabi is a southern province of Thailand on Andaman seaboard with the oldest history of continued settlement. After dating stone tools, ancient colored pictures, beads, pottery and skeletal remains found in the province's many cliffs and caves. With its natural beauty, Krabi is superb for canoeing, kayaking, diving, and some other water sports. Apart from those, rock climbing on Pranang Peninsula is gaining more popularity with over 150 challenging pegged routes.

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