The Botanical Garden Organisation is showcasing the beautiful plants and designs at the festival under the theme “Home Garden” theme until next Wednesday, January 2.

The festival offers tours of the gardens, where visitors are invited to learn more about cultivating stylish displays and also growing their own vegetables.

Thailand’s very first botanic gardens are now a major travel destination in Mae Rim district, where they cover a mountainous area of 560 acres and showcase a vast collection of plants from different climates around the world.

Established in 1992 to honour HM Queen Sirikit, the gardens’ highlights include a Rainforest Glasshouse where you get to walk among a dense array of plants from tropical forests all over Asia.

Canopy Walk

Visitors can also take a bird’s-eye view by strolling among the tree tops on a Canopy Walk, where lush mountain vistas greet the eye.

For more, visit www.facebook.com/qsbgcm

With the 67th Miss Universe held in the beautiful land of smiles – Thailand, learn how to travel the country like a true beauty queen. Here are the places the Miss Universe contestants visited in Thailand that you should definitely add to your itinerary.

1. Wuttisak Snail Farm, Bangkok

Let’s kick things off in the capital, Bangkok, and with something out of the ordinary. The Wuttisak Snail Farm in Thailand breeds snails and extracts their slime for use in different cosmetic products we know today.

2. Sanctuary of Truth, Pattaya

Situated at the waterfront, the Sanctuary of Truth is a 344-feet intricately designed temple made entirely of wood. Built only in 1982, one can easily mistake this architectural wonder as a heritage structure. The awe-factor it induces upon its visitors definitely makes it worth the visit.

3. Nongnooch Botanical Garden, Pattaya

From breathtaking gardens to beautiful wildlife – Nongnooch Botanical Garden is the place to be in Pattaya. You are treated to a beautiful view of the botanical gardens from the skywalk that can connect you to different sections. Choose to visit the small Buddha temple with a beautiful view or go ahead and check out the elephant shows.

4. Royal Thai Navy Sea Turtles Conservation Center, Sattahip

A little south from Pattaya in Sattahip is the Royal Thai Navy Sea Turtles Conservation Center where not only can you treat yourself to a beautiful beach view but also educate yourself on the conservation of sea turtles and how important it is to have initiative in prioritizing the environment over convenience.

5. Krabi Islands

If it’s the smell of the beach and the sun’s kiss you’re looking for but absolutely hate crowded beaches, then the islands of Krabi is the ideal destination! As it is less developed and less crowded than the beaches of Phuket and Koh Samui, the islands of Krabi allow you to get so much closer to nature.

6. Wat Arun, Bangkok

Capping off the trip, we go back to the capital and visit one of the country’s most stunning temples. With a name that translates to “Temple of the Dawn,” Wat Arun’s name is derived from the Hindu god Aruna, often personified as the heat of the sun. The riverside temple gives a feeling of peace and is especially beautiful at night. The temple also boasts interesting contrasts between white and the bold colors of its sprites.

The Phra Racha Wang Derm or Thon Buri Palace is offering free admission from December 15 to 28, 2018 to commemorate King Taksin The Great on the occasion of the 250^th anniversary of the establishment of Krung Thonburi Sri Mahasamut.

The Palace was built during the reign of King Taksin The Great as a royal residence, during the time that Thonburi was the capital of Siam. Its location was strategically significant, at the mouth of the canal and with a fort nearby looking out over the surrounding area that was renovated and renamed Wichai Prasit Fort. The palace is also the birthplace of many Thai kings, including King Nangklao, King Mongkut and King Pinklao.

Important historical areas inside Phra Racha Wang Derm or Thon Buri Palace include the throne hall, the throne room, the double palace, the royal palace, the shrine of the king and the greenhouse.

The Throne Hall was divided into two segments, the first being ‘Tong Prarong’, the throne room or ‘Winitchai’, a Thai-style pavilion used for holding council and royal ceremonies of the Thonburi Kingdom and which nowadays is used by the Royal Thai Navy for important events and ceremonies. The other segment, ‘Ratchamontien’ (royal residence) or ‘Pra Tee Nungkwang’, is also used today to welcome VIPs and for meetings on certain occasions.

Apart from the Throne Hall, there are also two small Chinese-style residences of King Pinklao. Inside the smaller one is an exhibition on King Taksin The Great’s royal duties regarding wars, while the bigger residence exhibits his royal duties regarding society, economy, culture and international affairs. At the shrine is the statue of the king holding a sword.

Normally, advance permission of up to two weeks is required to visit the palace as it is located within the compound of The Royal Thai Navy Headquarters. Also, only group visits are allowed with an entry fee of 100 Baht for adults and 60 Baht for children.

Visitors may also want to visit The ‘Sri Mahasamut Ship’ floating museum, built by ICONSIAM to commemorate King Taksin The Great on the occasion of the 250^thanniversary of the establishment of Krung Thonburi Sri Mahasamut.

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun has granted royal permission for the organising of the second winter festival titled “Un Ai Rak Khlai Khwam Nao,” or “Love and Warmth at Winter’s End,” at the Royal Plaza on the grounds of Dusit Palace and Sanam Suea Pa in Bangkok from December 9, 2018 to January 19, 2019. The first edition of the festival was held earlier this year from February 8 to March 11.

The festival, the second of its kind, will be held under the theme “The River of Rattanakosin” in a delightful retro atmosphere. It is intended to bring happiness and fun to the people and reflect the magnificence of Thai arts, culture, and traditions.

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun presided over the opening ceremony of the Un Ai Rak Khlai Khwam Nao festival with a cycling event from the Royal Plaza in Bangkok to Lat Pho Park in Phra Pradaeng district, Samut Prakan province.

The opening day also featured a special performance reflecting the event’s theme “The River of Rattanakosin” and live music by four Thai military marching bands and the Chalermraj band.

For 42 days, the “Un Ai Rak Khlai Khwam Nao” festival will feature exhibitions to provide visitors with the opportunity to learn more about Thai history and the value of the waterways of Rattanakosin. Visitors will experience Thailand’s river-based culture amid numerous species of plants and fantastic artistic creations, such as: the model of Aisawan Thipphaya-at Pavilion, the Thai-style pavilion in the middle of a lake at Bang Pa-In in Ayutthaya; royal barges; and architecture from the early Rattanakosin period to the present day.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to visit Royal Family shops, taste delicious food from both floating and non-floating markets, and enjoy a variety of cultural performances. They can also take part in a merit-making activity by purchasing “Matcha Pha Chok” tickets for lucky draws and a charity lottery, with many prizes on offer.

Visitors are encouraged to dress in traditional Thai costumes worn during the reign of King Rama V, or other forms of traditional costumes made of Thai fabrics from various regions of the country, which reflect the Thai way of life through clothing.

From December 9, 2018 to January 19, 2019, the event will be held from 10.00–21.00 Hrs. on Sunday to Thursday, and from 10.00-22.00 Hrs. on Friday and Saturday. Entry is free.

One event not to be missed and not that far to travel from Bangkok is the annual River Kwai Bridge Week and Kanchanaburi Red Cross Fair. The River Kwai Bridge is one Thailand’s more recent historical attractions built during the Second World War. The bridge today commemorates the sacrifice of British, American, Australian, Dutch, and New Zealand prisoners of war, in addition to many Thai, Myanmar, Chinese, Vietnamese, Malay, and Indian labourers, who were among the estimated 61,700 people who died there.

This year’s River Kwai Bridge Week and Kanchanaburi Red Cross Fair 2018 takes place from November 30 to December 9.

This event pays respect to their memory while also balancing the freedom of all who attend. It is known for staging one of Thailand’s most spectacular light and sound shows which relates the history of the bridge. Many other archeological exhibitions, folk shows, food stalls and more and a complete schedule of actives and events round out the fair.

For more information, contact the TAT Kanchanaburi Office on Tel. (0) 3451 1200, (0) 3451 2500 or E-mail: tatkan@tat.or.th, tourismkan@gmail.com

Under the slogan “Take Charge of Your Health”, AIA Vitality is organizing its first virtual run: the “AIA Vitality Virtual Run 2018”. A virtual run is a flexible running event that meets the needs of running enthusiasts and health lovers who prefer to schedule the running time, speed and location themselves. Runners can participate from any location, at any pace, on a treadmill or even in another country. There are two running distances to choose from – 5 km and 10.5 km, and the running period is from December 5-16, 2018.

Other than the benefits of staying active and healthy, virtual runners will also be taking part in a good cause by donating 100 baht to one of Oxfam’s projects that focuses on the alleviation of global poverty. The donation is already included in the 530 baht entry fee.

The results of your run must be recorded using a GPS app (Garmin Connect, Fitbit, Apple Health, S Health, Runkeeper, Strava, Endomondo, etc.), a health app (Garmin Connect, Fitbit, Apple Health, S Health, etc.) or by taking a photo or a screenshot of your race result from other running events that you will join during December 5-16, 2018. If you did the run on a treadmill, you can also take a photo of the result once completed for your registered distance.

Those who submit their results within December 16 will get a chance to win a Garmin VIVOFit 3, worth 2,590 baht. Ten watches are up for grabs. The 10 lucky winners will be announced no later than December 25, 2018.

For more information on how to submit results, the race pack and more, see http://aiavitalityrun.com/

Daily activities include:

• Ceremony to welcome the Dawn of Happiness, offering dried food to Buddhist monks, along the route between Saphan Bun, Wat Traphang Thong and Sukhothai Historical Park, at 05.55 Hrs.
• Ancient Sukhothai Period market, local sports, sword and staff fighting show, thread-wound fist Thai boxing display, at the Four Pavilions
• Contemporary performances on stage and a market selling community products at Wat Sorasak (modern zone)
• Lan Thet Lan Tham (Sermon of the Great Birth), at Wat Traphang Ngoen, at 13.00 Hrs.
• Traditional Thai music, on the grounds in front of Wat Maha That, at 17.00 Hrs.
• Nang Nopphamat Beauty Contest, at the Dong Tan Stage, at 19.00 Hrs.
• Khon mask performance, at the back of Wat Chana Songkhram, at 20.30 Hrs.
• Performance of the legend of Thao Si Chulalak, and Loi Krathong activity, at the pond of Wat Sa Si (Traphang Trakuan), at 22.30 Hrs.
• Phlu, Talai, Fai Phaniang pyrotechnics (fireworks display), at the pond of Wat Sa Si (Traphang Trakuan), at 23.00 Hrs.

For Loi Krathong Day on November 22, additional activities are being organized:

• Procession to invite the royal inauguration flame and lanterns, at 08.00 Hrs. (prepare the float to go around town at 14.00 Hrs.)
• Royal Float, Loi Krathong Festival processions of nine districts, and a procession of Nang Nopphamat, at 14.00 Hrs.
• Floating the royal lanterns by the Chairman of the Ceremony to mark the auspicious occasion, at the pond of Wat Sa Si (Traphang Trakuan), at 23.00 Hrs.

In addition, a nightly ‘light and sound performance’ will take place on the grounds in front of Wat Maha That, Sukhothai Historical Park, on November 16-22, at 19.30 Hrs. On 22 November, there is an extra show at 17.30 Hrs.

At the same venue, the Khao Khwan Wan Len Fai Samrap Samran Ahan Sukhothai (Sukhothai Gala Dinner) is being organized on November 16-25, from 17.30 – 19.15 Hrs.

Click here to download the event programme.

For more information, please contact:

Tourism Authority of Thailand Sukhothai Office

Tel: +66 (0) 5561 6228-9

Email: tatsukho@tat.or.th.

For enquiries and tickets to the ‘light and sound performance’ and the Sukhothai Gala Dinner, call +66 (0) 64 538 9475.

A friend recommended a Thai-Chinese restaurant in Bangkok, figuring that as a frequent traveller to the Thai capital, I would be game for something fusion or at least, not traditionally Thai.

Boy, was I glad he told me about Je Ngor. That was four years ago, and I’ve been going back to the restaurant on Sukhumvit 20 every year since then. I’ve even become friends with the owner’s husband, Niphon Sajjavudh.

“Je Ngor is named after my wife’s best friend’s mother. She is a fabulous cook and when my wife and her buddy decided to open a restaurant, they used her recipes and named it after her,” Niphon told me.

The restaurant has two dishes listed in Bangkok’s Michelin Guide (as of 2017). The original branch in Bangkok’s Chinatown was opened 20 years ago, and there are now 11 branches in suburbs around Bangkok. The main one, however, is at Sukhumvit 20, opened 14 years ago.

So what makes this restaurant unique? Well, for starters, Mrs Je Ngor was of Teochew descent and the majority of dishes served here are Teochew. The other unique part of this eatery is the fact that 80 percent of its clientele are from Hong Kong!

“You’ve been here a number of times, haven’t you realised this?” Niphon chided me, adding that the rest of his customers are locals, mainland Chinese, Singaporeans and Malaysians.

For the purpose of this review, Niphon, a retired advertising bigwig, insisted we order the two Michelin recommended dishes – stir-fried shredded morning glory and stir-fried crab with black pepper.

First, the morning glory or better known as kangkung in Malaysia. All I can say is, wow! Actually, double wow! It was unlike any kangkung dish I have tried, yet relatively simple in its preparation. The chef, who’s been with the restaurant since its opening, uses only the stems of the morning glory and stir-fries it with lots of garlic. This was a great appetizer.

As for the crab, it was super fresh and had liberal doses of pepper – a little bit too much for my liking though.

Niphon explained that the restaurant gets all the seafood, meat and vegetables they use every morning. They do not keep anything for the next day. “We’ve been doing this since day one,” he said.

Our next dish was the deep-fried minced seafood spring ball. These are traditional Teochew-style dumplings that have minced pork and shrimp mixed together. We gave them the thumbs up for their crunchy exterior and juicy interior.

An interesting side to the dishes were… the sides! There were so many dips, we counted at least eight, sour, sweet, spicy, etc., and they all went with specific dishes or you could have them all on your table and try each one.

Just to prove that Je Ngor does traditional Thai too, the chef brought out the Som Tam or papaya salad. Yes, you can’t get more Thai than this. The difference was that the server asks you beforehand what level of spiciness you want for the dish: extra spicy, spicy or mild. This is to suit the foreign palate as Thais mostly like it super spicy.

Speaking of super spicy, Je Ngor’s tom yum is the bomb! A few mouthfuls of either the seafood or chicken variety, and you’ll find yourself sweating profusely. But if you really can’t take the spice, I would suggest you skip this soupy dish as the heat and various spices are really what keep it together.

To end the meal (before dessert), we had the fried rice. And it wasn’t just any fried rice. The chef uses salted and oven-baked salmon in the dish and this gives it that extra oomph. Despite being full, I greedily enjoyed a second bowl.

Finally, the dessert. The menu indicates a wide variety, but we chose the mango sticky rice (when in Thailand, right?) and the traditional Teochew ningow or fried taro sprinkled with fine powdery icing sugar. Both were excellent and a fitting end to a truly enjoyable meal.

Dinner for two at Je Ngor, with an appetiser, two mains and dessert plus drinks, should set you back 1,500 to 2,000 baht. It’s a bit pricey, but I would still recommend the restaurant for its ambience, service and quality of food.

JE NGOR

68/2 Soi Sukhumvit 20

Khlong Toei

Bangkok, Thailand

Tel: +66 2-258 8008

Open daily, 11.30am-11.30 pm

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Singha Corporation and Bangkok Airways are joining hands to stage the ‘Singha-Bangkok Airways Road Classic 2018’ cycle race in Chiang Rai on November 11.

The annual event this year celebrates its fourth anniversary, since it was first held to promote the northern Thailand city as a cycling destination. For racers and spectators alike the day presents a wonderful opportunity to see Chiang Rai city from a different perspective. The cyclists in particular will be able to take in the different views as they make their way along the race route.

The ‘Singha-Bangkok Airways Road Classic 2018’ will feature five race distances, all of which start and finish at Singha Park Chiang Rai. These are a 40-km race with a time limit of two hours, 60-km race with a time limit of three hours, 100-km race with a time limit of four and a half hours, 150-km race with a time limit of six hours and 180-km race with a time limit of seven hours. All types of bicycle can be used.

The various race routes can be viewed on the Singha Bangkok Airways Road Classic Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SinghaBangkokAirwaysRoadClassic/

Phu Rua district chief Kittikhun Butrkhun said the seventh annual festival would continue through January 31.

The district office, the Loei office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tambon Phu Rua Municipality and several private firms and local schools are co-hosting the event.

Trees will be decorated with lights for beautiful evening strolls and OTOP goods will be on sale.

The festival’s official opening at 6pm on November 24 will feature a show by the Joe Louis Puppet Theatre and popular local restaurants will have booths selling meals.

Kittikhun said more food booths would offer traditional dishes of the Northeast every Friday and Saturday night throughout the festival.