November is a period when one of Thailand’s most amazing natural sights, the blooming of the Dok Bua Tong – or wild sunflower, returns to the hills and valleys of Mae Hong Son in Northern Thailand. The Bua Tong Blossom Festival 2018 in Mae Hong Son is scheduled to take place from November 1 to December 10.

The Bua Tong flowers are yellow to orange in colour and are smaller in size than the typical sunflower. Originating in Central America and the Caribbean, Dok Bua Tong is said to have been brought to Thailand by Christian missionaries and was previously called the Bung Tong or Mexican Sunflower.

The Bua Tong flower only blooms from November to December. During this period, the hills and valleys of Mae Hong Son turn bright gold when these wild sunflowers come into full bloom.

The Doi Mae U-Kor mountain peak in Khun Yuam district is considered the largest and the most beautiful location to enjoy the spectacular bright yellow Bua Tong hills and valleys.

During the festival, a local fair is organized with arts and craft items on sale as well as farm farm products along the route of the Bua Tong fields.

For more information, contact the TAT Mae Hong Son office on Tel 05361 2982-3 or the TAT Contact Centre on 1672.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is working together with local stakeholders and tourists on Ko Samui to eliminate the use of single-use plastics and encourage all to reduce waste, reuse and recycle to help protect the island’s ecosystem.

The local authorities on Ko Samui are proactively campaigning for recycling and waste management, urging residents and business operators to separate their waste for recycling to reduce the amount of garbage produce on the island.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said, “Education and awareness are the keys to success for this initiative. TAT proactively encourages both tourists and tourism businesses to help reduce tourism waste on the paradise island of Samui.

“Changing behaviour doesn’t happen overnight. We are seeing an increase in reusable cloth bags when shopping, and both visitors and residents are pitching in to do their part and help keep the island clean.”

Waste reduction thinking is quickly gaining traction amongst environmentally concerned Thai businesses and globetrotters on Ko Samui.

With some of the most stunning landscapes in Thailand, it is little wonder that visitors to Ko Samui continue to increase at an astonishing pace. With this influx comes a need to find a balance between high levels of service and environmental impacts. Fortunately, as attention has turned to exploring ways to preserve the island’s delicate ecosystem, travellers can give back to the local Thai community by creating less waste and leaving a minimal holiday footprint.

Local stores and shops on the island are campaigning against single-use plastics. Hotels and resorts as well as tourism-related businesses on Ko Samui are also helping to lead the way on responsible waste management by following the three ‘R’ principle: reduction, reuse and recycle. Luxury resorts on Ko Samui were among the first to introduce the plant-based straw revolution that is sweeping across Thailand and are endeavoring to make their tourism operations more sustainable.

One spearhead organisation is the ‘Trash Hero Ko Samui’ initiative, whose volunteers meet every Saturday at 10 a.m. to clean Samui’s beaches.

Under the TAT’s on-going responsible tourism strategy, a new ‘Travel Thailand in Style, Reduce Plastic Waste’ collaboration initiative with various stakeholders was launched in August this year. It has an ambitious target to cut tourism-related waste by up to 50 percent by 2020.

Targeting both tourists and businesses to address waste problems in key travel destinations, the TAT also encourages use of reusable or sustainable items; such as, plant-based drinking straws instead of plastic straws, cotton bags instead of plastic bags, water tumblers instead of plastic bottles, and reusable food utensils instead of single-use plastic or foam items.

Back in March 2017, TAT partnered with PTT Global Chemical and the Ecoalf Foundation to launch an ‘Upcycling the Oceans, Thailand’ initiative. It made Thailand the first country in Asia to join the global ocean clean-up effort to reduce debris along the country’s coastal regions, especially in popular tourist areas on the east coast, in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

The ‘Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival 2018,’ taking place from October 19-24, will feature amazing displays of wax sculptures and exciting long-boat races at Nong Han Reservoir, Ming Muang ground and HRM Srinakarin Park (Somdet Phra Srinagarindra Park) in this northeastern province.

This annual festival is held at the end of Buddhist Lent or Ok Phansa, which is on the 12th to 15th days of the waxing moon in the 11th lunar month.

The highlight of the six-day festival is the wax castle parade on October 23 (14th day of the waxing moon) which will make its way around town to Wat Phra That Choeng Chum, where each wax castle will be set up for Buddhist worship. People believe that at Buddhist Lent, Buddha will come down from Tavatimsa Heaven (Sawan chan Dāodeung) to help people escape from their sadness. At 06.00 hrs. on the following day of October 24, there will be merit offering of food to monks at Wat Phra That Choeng Chum.

The long-boat racing takes place before this, on the night of October 20 at Nong Han Reservoir. This is also when many local people gather to start preparing their beautifully decorated wax castles for a wax castle contest scheduled for October 23 at the Ming Muang ground.

Along with the wax castles and long-boat racing, the ‘Sakon Nakhon Wax Castle Festival 2018’ offers much more in the way of unique Thai local experiences, including traditional performances, music, a wax flower stick exhibition, food zone, OTOP local product sales, cycling tour of Phu Phan viewpoint and temple merit-making.

For more information, contact TAT’s Nakhon Phanom Office on Tel. 04322 7714-5 or e-mail: tatphnom@tat.or.th

Following the hugely successful concerts by the London Symphony Orchestra in June, the College of Music, Mahidol University continues to bring world-class musical talent to the Kingdom of Thailand with a one time performance by the Berlin Philharmonic and the charismatic young conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

The Berlin Philharmonic is one of the world’s most elite ensembles. Known for its beautiful tone, creative colors, and commitment to high standard of artistry, the Berlin Philharmonic will perform one of the world’s most beloved symphonic works: Mahler’s Symphony no. 5. The long-time conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von Karajan said about this piece: “you forget that time has passed. A great performance of the Fifth is a transforming experience. The fantastic finale almost forces you to hold your breath.”

At the young age of only 37 Gustavo Dudamel is one of the world’s most recognizable conductors. Born in Venezuela, he is the artistic director of the LA Philharmonic and a frequent guest conductor on the international stage. Dudamel is motivated by a profound belief in music’s power to unite and inspire. As a companion piece to the Mahler symphony, Dudamel has chosen to program Leonard Bernstein’s Divertimento.

The College of Music, Mahidol University is proud to host a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the best of the best in classical music on November 9 at 7.30 PM.

Concerts: November 9, 2018 / 7.30 p.m. / Prince Mahidol Hall

Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel

Programs:

Leonard Bernstein: Divertimento for Orchestra

Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5

Tickets available at Thaiticket Major, www.thaiticketmajor.com / Call Center 02-262-3456

Salaya Link shuttle bus available at BTS Bang Wa Station: http://www.music.mahidol.ac.th/salayalink

The ‘Singha Ultra-Trail Chiang Rai 2018’ returns for its second edition this year on October 19-21 in Chiang Rai.

Organized jointly by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Singha Corporation, the event focuses on jungle running and will have participants make their way through the jungle and, for some, up Chiang Rai’s famous Doi Mae Salong mountain, with plenty of fresh air and abundant nature to enjoy.

Singha Ultra-Trail Chiang Rai 2018’s biggest challenge is the longest trail of 220 km that starts on October 19 at 06.00 hrs. and which has a cut-off time of 60 hours. A 122-km run starts on October 20 at 06.00 hrs. with a cut-off time of 36 hours, while a 66-km run also starts on the same day at 20,00 hrs. and for which the cut-off time is 22 hours.

On October 21 a 38-km run starts at 06.00 hrs. with a cut-off time of 10 hours, while the last race is a 20-km run starting the same day at 06.30 hrs. with a cut-off time of six hours.

All races start and finish at Singha Park Chiang Rai. Runners will pass through many local places along their way and see the local lifestyle.

For further information, see https://teelakow.com/en/event/ultra-trail%C2%AE-chiangrai